This week was all about new products and techniques. For instance, French green clay, nettle leaf and comfrey leaf were recently added to the Bramble Berry line. Natural colorants look great in soap and other products. If you’d like to give them a try, the Natural Colorants Sampler Pack is the perfect way to do so. There are also new mica sampler packs, including the Green Mica Sampler Pack, Purple Mica Sampler Pack, Blue Mica Sampler Pack and the Rainbow Mica Sampler Pack. Click through the New at Bramble Berry post to see all the recent additions. You can always find new Bramble Berry Products by clicking the “What’s New” button at the top of the homepage, or click here.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Feb. 6th ~ 12th)
There are so many ingredients from the cupboard that can be added to cold process soap. This week, there were several posts about those ingredients, including the How to Add Purees to Cold Process Soap post. Every fruit or vegetable adds certain properties to the soap. For instance, avocado puree gives the bars a luxurious feeling. Purees that contain sugar, like strawberry puree, provide great lather. Click through this post to learn how to add fruit and vegetables to your next project.
Photo by Lara Ferroni.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Jan. 30th ~ Feb. 5th)
It was a busy week here at Bramble Berry. I recently returned from a trip to Mexico, where I attended the Indie Business Cruise. It is hosted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson and involves sun, relaxation and informative workshops. This year I gave a talk about how to set value-driven goals. There were also talks on how to connect with customers through video and the importance of building a community for your brand. Read more about my trip in the What I Learned At (on) Indie Business Cruise post.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Jan. 23rd ~ 29th)
This week continued our streak on natural cleaning (get it, streak? Punny!) including the Natural Soap Scum Cleaner. It is made with baking soda, pumice and Epsom salt. They scrub away tough grime in the bathtub. The baking soda and salt also absorb any unpleasant smells. The lemongrass essential oil and fir needle essential oil added to the recipe will make your bathroom smell crisp and clean.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Jan. 16th ~ 22nd)
This week was all about natural cleaning ingredients, like baking soda. Baking soda works on everything from shower scum to scuff marks on shoes. White vinegar is another multipurpose cleaning option. It helps remove grease from ovens and rain spots on the windows. Learn more about natural cleaning options in the Top DIY Cleaning Ingredients post.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Jan. 9th ~ 15th)
There are so many oils to choose from when making soap. This week featured several oils that feel great in handmade recipes, including avocado oil. Avocado oil is extracted from the pulp of the avocado. It’s rich in vitamins A, B, D and E. It adds moisturizing properties to a variety of products, including soap, balms and lotion. Click through the Sunday Night Spotlight: Avocado Oil to learn more.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Jan. 2nd ~ 8th)
This week was all about Valentine’s Day gifts and inspiration. The Rose Gold and Charcoal Heart Melt and Pour Bars are perfect for the occasion. They have a heart-shaped embed and a light floral scent from White Magnolia Fragrance Oil. Instead of traditional colors, the bars feature black and pink hues from Rose Gold Mica and activated charcoal. Most importantly, they’re fun to make.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Dec. 26th ~ Jan. 1st)
This week was all about looking back on our favorite things from 2015 and looking forward to finding new favorites in 2016. My goal is to read 1 book a week and share some of my favorites with you. My top books from 2015 include The Martian, which is about an astronaut stranded on Mars, and The Girl on the Train, a great mystery novel. Click through the Favorite Books of 2015 post to see the full list.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Dec. 19th ~ 25th)
I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas! At our home, we’re still celebrating the day and also, dealing with the aftermath. Somehow, Santa thought that Flarp Noise Putty was an age appropriate gift for a 2 year old and the fabrics in our house will never be the same. Bramble Berry celebrated Christmas with a shopping trip to Fred Meyer. This year we partnered with Lydia Place, a local nonprofit organization, to shop for families in need. Employees shopped for toys, clothing and other wishlist items. It is such a fun time, we look forward to it every year. See pictures from the event in the Bramble Berry Takes Over Fred Meyers for Charity post.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Dec. 12th ~ 18th)
During the winter, handmade beauty products are especially helpful. This week featured several recipes that moisturize dry skin. The Easy Creamy Cucumber Lotion is made with Basic Lotion Base, which has skin-loving avocado and coconut oil. Cucumber extract is added for its soothing properties, and the lotion is scented with Cucumber Oak Fragrance Oil and colored with Emerald LabColor and Kermit Green Mica to complement the extract.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Dec. 5th ~ 11th)
This week was all about seasonal scents that can carry into the new year. The Cleansing Orange Spice Salt Scrub is scented with 10X Orange Essential Oil and Cinnamon Sticks Fragrance Oil. The traditional holiday spice notes pair well with the fresh citrus notes. To match the orange scent, the scrub has orange peel and Racing Stripe Orange Mica. It will leave your skin feeling fresh and clean.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Nov. 28th ~ Dec. 4th) + Colorant Contest Winners!
We got so many amazing entries for the contest to win sixteen new micas and pigments; over 800 entries on the blog and 500 on Facebook…WOW! For both the blog and Facebook, we used a random number generator and chose the comments that corresponded with those numbers. Our Facebook winner is Evelyn Rose Soaps with this gorgeous Tea Tree & Activated Charcoal bar. Our blog winner is Victoria. Her favorite color is Coral Mica. We can’t wait for you to give the sixteen new micas and pigments a try. Thanks so much to everyone who entered! You can see their entries in this post.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Nov. 21st ~ 27th)
This week was all about enjoying time with family and friends, being thankful and of course, cheese! The Cranberry and Pecan Cheese Ball is perfect for your next holiday get together. It has a blend of cream cheese, goat cheese and sharp white cheddar. Dried cranberries are mixed in to add a bit of sweetness, and the ball is coated with toasted pecans for some crunch. It is delicious and easy to make.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Nov. 14th ~ 20th)
This week in Soap Queen Land (Soapqueenlandia?) was full of easy DIY holiday gift inspiration, like the Potpourri Gift Tag Tutorial. The gift tags add a special touch to any present. They are easy to make and scented with a warm blend of Cinnamon Sticks and Warm Flannel Fragrance Oil. You can also customize the bags with a stamp or marker. The best part is after the gift is opened, the tags can be put in a drawer or other space for a comforting holiday scent.