Entries into the Soaper’s Showcase. It will be hard to figure out which to vote for! They’re all beautiful, amazing examples of perfect soap.
Money Wi$e Winner!
Thank you to all who entered the Money Wi$e blog contest. I loved reading all of your in depth money saving tips, tricks and resources. Check out the post and read all of the fabulous money saving tips here, if you haven’t already.
Random.org picked a number between 1 and 94: Comment number 55 was the big winner! Woo hoo! Congratulations, Megan (From Metropolis Soap Co.) and thanks for your money saving tip! Email me at info(at)brambleberry(dot)com with your shipping address and I’ll get The Money Therapist out the door!
Megan’s Money Saving Tip: “My best money saving tip would be the Snowball philosophy…Start with a list of your debt in order from smallest to biggest. Make minimum payments on all of the debts except your smallest one, continue sending in bigger payments until you knock it out! Then move onto the next debt. It’s really helped me and I can’t believe I couldn’t think to do it before!”
You’ve Won a Brand…New… Soap App!
Thanks to all who commented on last Tuesdays post. All of the comments were entered into a drawing to win a Free iPhone/iTouch soap application. Whoop! It was so much fun reading what was in your soap pots and for those who Tweeted, thank you! I read each and every one of them and was blown away with some of your creativity! And thanks to those who tweeted the phrase that pays, you were entered in the drawing too!
And the Winners are…
Winner #1 – Twitter Follower Shannon from SunsetSoaps
Winner #2 – Soap Queen Commenter (random number generator between 1 – 39 picks ….) #23, John Scarlett who was making a Ylang Ylang and Orange 10X Essential Oil soap
Email me atinfo(at)brambleberry(dot)com and I’ll send you the codes
(subject line: Free Soap App)Remember, you can always buy your own iPhone Soapmaking App and join in the on-the-fly-soapmaking fun anytime. As for me, I used the App last week almost every day because I made so much soap! It’s nice not to be tethered to a computer or one set recipe because I can make changes during the soapmaking process.
(subject line: Free Soap App)Remember, you can always buy your own iPhone Soapmaking App and join in the on-the-fly-soapmaking fun anytime. As for me, I used the App last week almost every day because I made so much soap! It’s nice not to be tethered to a computer or one set recipe because I can make changes during the soapmaking process.
Win Free Soap App for iPhone/iTouch
We have two lucky codes for two lucky winners for a free full-service version of the iPhone SoapApplication – it works on the iPhone and iTouch. The Soap App calculates your lye and water for your recipes and allows you to change the size of your recipe with just two easy clicks. Soap App works in grams and ounces. Tutorials on using the Soap App are here and here.
Ways to win a code for the FREE Soapmaking App:
1. Post a comment on this blog post and tell me what’s in your Soap Pot this week.
2. Tweet a link to any blog post from 2010 using the following phrase:
“I’m reading the @brambleberry Soap Queen blog! “
That’s it; it’s easy! Winner will be chosen next Monday!
The Resolution Winner
I started the year off with a contest asking you to share your 2010 goals. Thanks to all who participated. I had a blast reading them all. They were truly inspirational!
I’ll bet you’re wondering who the lucky winner is, right? Truly, everyone that chose a goal and committed to acting on it is a winner. There were 73 comments on the post (including mine) and only one fabulous prize. Amber picked a lucky number between 1 and 73…
You’ve just won a Soapylove Delectable Desserts Fragrance Set, a Striped Heart Mold, a Checkered Heart Mold and a super cool Soap Queen T-Shirt (like the one I’m wearing below)! Woo hoo! Just email me at info(at)brambleberry(dot)comwith your shipping address and I’ll pop your goodies in the mail!
Good luck with your 2010 goals everyone. With writing your goals down and committing yourself to your best year ever, I know you’ll stick with them!
Supplier of The Year – Thank You!
Thank you so much to all of our customers and readers for voting Bramble Berry‘Supplier of the Year’ for the entire soap and toiletry industry. We are so thankful and thrilled to be part of such a wonderful industry and this is icing on the cake. Thank you!
From the article:
Service, price, quality, and variety are the keys to customer loyalty according to what our respondents told us. Some also commented on the advantage of being close enough to a company to either pick up product or at least close enough to save on shipping costs, so that is something always in our minds, especially with escalating shipping rates. The company who best demonstrated that this year? Once again, Bramble Berry is the clear winner in this category.
Mary Robida of Fruit of the Vine Soap Company said it well when she stated, “I love the quality of their products. I also love that they test their products and can tell you how they will behave in various situations. They have wonderful customer service and go the extra mile to help.”
We were also thrilled to take First Place for ‘Best Fragrance Oil Vendor.‘ From the article:
“Once again, by a hefty margin, Bramble Berry leads the pack in votes. It is clear that many still prefer them for their variety, cost, quality and service. “Unique FOs, exceptional quality with good descriptions without sliding into silly verbiage. Excellent customer service with appropriate breaks in price for those of us who order full pails. She’’s always on trend too,” opines Ella Gaynor of Toronto, Canada.”
To learn more about The Saponifier, the results or subscribe to the magazine, click here to be taken to their site.
Friendly Reminder To Vote
The Saponifier Survey ends tomorrow (August 27th).The Saponifier, an industry magazine, does its ‘Best Of’ survey yearly and gets feedback from soapers everywhere on who their favorite online vendor is in a variety of categories: fragrance oils, herbs, molds, packaging and many more.
Vote Here to make sure your vote gets counted. It’s not too late. Now is the perfect time to take 5 minutes and share your enthusiasm for your favorite supplier.
Re-Vote for the Saponifier Survey
The Saponifier Survey was reset to 0 late Tuesday afternoon because of ‘leading questions’ in the original survey.
The Saponifier, an industry magazine, does its ‘Best Of’ survey yearly and gets feedback from soapers everywhere on who their favorite online vendor is in a variety of categories: fragrance oils, herbs, molds, packaging and many more.
If you took the survey on Monday or Tuesday, go and revote here to make sure your vote gets counted. If you haven’t voted yet, now is the perfect time to take 5 minutes and let your enthusiasm for your favorite supplier out.
Saponifier Annual Awards – Vote Now
Saponifier’s 3rd annual Readers Choice “Supplier Awards” are happening again and it’s time to vote.
If you would like to vote for your favorite vendor, you can vote for them here: http://saponifier.2009-awards.sgizmo.com
The survey closes midnight on August 27th.
The Die of my Existence (Win Stuff)
When we purchased the Heavy Duty Mold line back in June, we planned on expanding the already cool mold line. There are so many nifty mold ideas floating around my head and I’ve heard some incredible design thoughts from soapers over the years. Having the freedom to design new molds has long been a dream. With the purchase of the Heavy Duty Mold line, that dream is a reality. And like many dreams that turn into reality, the reality is a little um, hazier than it appeared to be at first glance.
We have a large warehouse for ELF Industrial (the name of the company set up to design, produce and manufacture the Heavy Duty Line and new molds). In this warehouse we have a vacuum forming machine and the backstock of Heavy Duty Molds. We also have a complicated, beautiful machine that is run by a heavy duty computer program. The ‘beautiful machine‘ then cuts designs to the computer’s specifications.
We have been working on various custom design project for a couple months. The designs are done. The dies are cut. And we’ve produced molds with the dies. So far, so good.
Alas, the molds have striations – fine tiny lines running down the entire width. We’ve tried sanding them away and still, the sanding isn’t totally invisible to the naked eye when a mold is made. These fine lines are called ‘tooling marks‘ and apparently, everyone gets them. While I will admit to some irritated rumination (‘Why didn’t anyone tell me this before now? Did the expensive beautiful machine people not mention this on purpose?‘), mostly I’ve been hard at work trying to find an alternative solution to the mostly-not-totally-working sanding option.l
I’ve called a chocolate molding company. They get them and say the only thing to do is sand them. Erik (manager of Otion and ELF) has called the materials supplier and they say to sand them. I called a chemical company. They said to sand them. But, they also suggested a low pH solution to try and buff out the lines with a chemical bath.
I tried a solution with a pH of 3. That didn’t make a dent. Today, I’m trying a variety of chemical concotions that have proven to alter Polyurethane. The dies are made out of a very high density Polyurethane and thus far, seem impervious to everything.
I’m coming to you because with all of your different industries and backgrounds you will have ideas. If you have a winning suggestion that works to smooth the striations, I will send you a set of the brand new, not yet released molds, as we perfect them. That’s 12 molds in all. Or, if you’re not into molds, I’ll give you a gift certificate to Bramble Berry for $50. You can post ideas here or if you want yours to stay super secret, email me at info (at) brambleberry (dot) com. You can also feel warm and cheery inside knowing that you’ve saved me countless hours of teeth gnashing, phone calls, chemical engineering consulting and helped further the innovative soap mold industry.
Got any ideas? Email or post ’em. I’m confident the soaping community can solve this small chemical engineering mystery.
It’s Your Lucky Day!
The Cold Process Soap Contest has come to a close and it’s time for the
Grand Prize Drawing.Congrats to the super secret bonus winner yesterday, Molly S. from Paper Wires and Colored Pencils!
Grand Prize Drawing.Congrats to the super secret bonus winner yesterday, Molly S. from Paper Wires and Colored Pencils!
It’s such a beautiful day today in Bellingham and I’m feeling a little saucy! I think I’m going to pick 3 winners today that will receive 5 fabulous bars of homemade soap from the Bramble Berry Cold Process Pre-Made Soap Line. Ahem, quiet in the audience please…
The winners are (drum roll)…
Merryh from Body By M
Supergrover2 from Mothershare and Mosaic Soaps
Little Shadow Creations from Little Shadow Creations and Etsy
CONGRATULATIONS!
*Winners, please email us at info(at)brambleberry(dot)com with your physical addresses and we’ll get these soapy prizes out the door to you ASAP.
Super Secret Bonus Winner!
Guess what? We’re so excited about our Cold Process Soap Contest that we couldn’t wait until tomorrow to pick a winner. So we’ve picked a super secret bonus winnerto tide us over until tomorrow. Today’s bonus winner will be receiving 4 bars of our new cold process soap!And the super secret bonus winner is…Molly S.from Paper Wires and Colored Pencils. Woo Hoo!
Congratulations!
Check back in tomorrow for the grand prize drawing…it just might be YOU!
Molly S.- Email us at info(at)brambleberry(dot)com with your physical address and we’ll get these goodies out the door for you. Yay!
It’s Contest Time. Are You Feeling Lucky?
Bramble Berry just added a new line of finished cold process soaps. All you have to do is the cutting and packaging (which is the fun part). We have 9 different fragrances and colors to choose from (naturally, they’re the most popular fragrances and essential oils we sell). Buy a single test bar or the entire loaf.
We have 4 all-natural soaps that are scented with our Essential Oils: Hungarian Lavender, Lemongrass, Peppermint (2nd), and Rosemary.Our other 5 bars are scented with our best-selling Fragrance Oils: Energy, English Rose, Oatmeal Milk and Honey, Sensuous Sandalwood and Vanilla Select.
This is the perfect opportunity to add an authentic, handmade soap to your product offering without having to deal with the hassle of Lye and the 6 week waiting time for the soap to cure. Create an entire gift ensemble or coordinated product line including lotion, liquid soap, a bath bomb and real, handmade soap.
Ladies and gentleman…It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for…It’s time to win some soap! (Applaud)
Leave a comment and let me know what fragrance and color you would like to see us carry in the next line of finished cold process soaps. On May 29th, I’ll choose a winner (or 2) at random to win 5 fabulous bars of handmade soaps from this new line or a full loaf of one of the fragrances. So I ask the question again: are you feeling lucky?
We Love Our Commenters!
Thank you for all of your kind and supportive comments about SoapQueenTV this week – and in general, for sharing a bit of yourselves through your participation in this blog through your comments.
I have a goody pack to a randomly chosen commenter from the last week. And drumroll … that lucky winner is commenter:
Send me an email with your address and I’ll send you some fun fragrance blends, a candle mold, 1 pound of rebatch soap and a colorant or three.