Otion Archives - Page 5 of 11

Advanced Lotion Class at Otion

April 7, 2009 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

I’m so excited! I just designed the curriculum for an Advanced Lotionmaking Class at Otion. It’s so new that you can’t even sign up for the class yet but I’m bursting with excitement (yes, I’m a geek) and couldn’t wait to share it with you. Plus, if you see any major holes in the subject matter, I trust you tell me.

Advanced Lotion Class: Have you mastered the basics of lotiomaking and you’re ready to take it to the next level? In this class, we’ll go over how to design your own recipe from scratch using %s, test several emulsion systems and briefly cover ingredients (cosmeceuticals) to turn your lotion into an anti-acne or anti-aging product. Finally, we’ll discuss the rules the FDA sets on making claims about your lotion or crème.

Class is $35

Students will leave with samples of crèmes and lotions from the class.

May 2nd, Saturday, 2 p.m. at Otion (in Bellingham, Washington)

Note: I’ll be teaching a similar class for the SoapGuild Conference this yearbut it is a shorter class and will probably not get to cover cosmeceuticals.

Soapy Sneak Previews!

March 25, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Click here for SWI 2009 details! Don’t miss the second annual Soap Weekend Intensive in Bellingham Washington. Join me and special guest teachers like Debbie Chialtas from Soapy Love, Jill Heuser from Northwest Scents and Lori Nova from the Nova Studio.

Learn how to make these Soapy Cookies and Soapy Plaid by Soapy Love herself!

Join Me! Let’s Make Mineral Make Up

March 20, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

I’ll be at Otion tomorrow teaching the Beginner’s Mineral Make Up Class. We’ll be focusing on Eye Shadow and Foundation. Some of the fun things I’ll be talking about are:

The difference between an oxide and an FD&C color
Why ‘Natural’ might not be natural
The Color Wheel

Everyone will take home 4 eye shadows, customized just for them, that we make in class as well as the “Mineral Make Up Guide” that Bramble Berry publishes. In addition, we’ll cover foundations and let everyone work on blending their own foundation in class utilizing some bases we’ve already mixed up for you!

Class is just $35 and there are 2 more spots left. Sign up here.

SoapyLove’s Plaid Inspiration

March 5, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Debbie, from SoapyLove, was our inspiration for creating a plaid soap of our own. You may have seen Debbie’s cute plaid soaps here(and below). In her honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’ve created a fun March soap project using Soapy Love as our inspiration. We will be posting the green tutorial tomorrow so stay tuned! However, it’s a “need to see it to believe it” technique so we hope you can join Debbie at the 2nd Annual Soap Weekend Intensive in Bellingham, Washington July 17-19. Click here for more details on SWI 2009. Debbie will be teaching this concept in person so consider this a little teaser. For those of you that don’t know, Debbie is the instigator of the Soapsicle trend currently sweeping the ‘net and has a book coming out this fall on melt and pour techniques and tricks.

Have a question about this blog post? Come join us at Bramble Berry’s Facebook page and we can help you out with any of your soapy questions!

Valentine Class at Otion

February 9, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

I was lucky to teach the Valentine’s Melt & Pour and Bath Fizzy class at Otion to a full house. There were many happy and excited women who all showed up to learn basic melt and pour with a Valentine’s theme. The next class at Otion is the Clamshell & Cameo Melt and Pour class on February 28 – suitable for beginners and advanced soapers alike. The photo above is the Rose Melt and Pour soap in progress.

We also made bath fizzies galore. There was lots of surprise and excitement over the low cost of producing a bath bomb (who can beat under $1 to make a smelly bath fizzy that performs the same or better than anything in stores?). All the attendees made perfect fizzies their first try and left with between 4 and 12 bath fizzies each.

The class made the Bath Fizzies with Rose Petals project (here). The Milky Way Heart Series really turned out great for the white nature of the fizzy. It looked very pure and clean. We finished off with the Martha Stewart Rubbing Stamping Soap project. Every single soap turned out beautifully. The class soapers left with a pile of soaps and fizzies.

As for me, I was completely blown away with the excitement and ethusiasm displayed by all the soapers. They energized me with their creativity and fervor for trying new things. I hope to see YOU at the next class.

Congressman Larsen Makes Soap

February 3, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

We were so lucky to have Congressman Rick Larsen (Democrat, Washington State) visit Otion – The Soap Bar yesterday. Congressman Larsen was at Otion to make soap (of course) and learn more about the FDA Globalization Act and other issues facing small business. Since Congressman Larsen was most recently on the House Small Business Committee before being moved to the Budget Committee for the House, he is well aware of the complexities and challenges facing small business today.

Congressman Larsen did a great job making soap but more impressively, displayed a nuanced grasp of the economic situation that small businesses are facing right now. He was not surprised to hear that Bramble Berry and Otion serve many small business customers who are making a comfortable part-time or full-time living selling soap and toiletries. While he is busy on the HR 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as soon as a stimulus package passes the House and Senate and is signed into law, he will turn his attention to other matters, such as the FDA Globalization Act. I was quick to praise lawmakers and Government in general for modifying the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 to the current iteraction which is something we, as an industry, can work with. It was gratifying to have our work recognized and taken seriously and I shared this with the Congressman.

During his time at Otion, Congressman Larsen learned about fragrance oils, colorants and of course, melt and pour soapmaking. He exclaimed one point, “I can’t believe how easy this is!” I was quick to jump in, “Yes, it is easy! And soapmakers have been safely making soap like this for a long time. The handmade beauty industry has an excellent safety record.” Congressman Larsen was well aware of the CPSIA laws (blogged about here) and the stay from testing that was just enacted, partially due to small businesses being adversely affected by the law. He expressed interest in continuing to monitor and learn more about the FDA Globalization Act of 2009 to ensure that another small industry (the very small business beauty industry) would not be too negatively affected.

Here are Congressman Larsen’s soaps, all popped out. He did a great job for his first try! Rick Larsen serves on the U.S.-China Working Group and travels to Asia frequently to help educates Members of Congress on U.S.-China issues. The soap he made perfectly encompasses his interest in China and small business.

Bath Fizzy Class at Otion

January 27, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

I’ll be teaching a Valentine Themed Soap & Fizzy class at Otion this Saturday. I’d love to see you there ($25; you’ll leave with 4 bath fizzies and 4 bars of soap) but if you can’t come, here is a tutorial on making romantic rose Bath Fizzies (with fresh roses!).

What you need:

1 Pound Citric Acid
2 Pounds Baking Soda
spritzer filled with Witch Hazel
Fragrance: Baby Rose, Rosehip Jasmine or English Rose
Simple Heart Mold
Rose Petals (fresh or dried), torn into small bits

or: Chocolate Bath Fizzies

1 Pound Citric Acid
2 Pounds Baking Soda
spritzer filled with Witch Hazel
Simple Heart Mold
Grated Milk Chocolate & Cocoa Butter
Fragrance: Turkish Mocha, Dark Rich Chocolate, Chocolate Espresso

1. By volume, measure out 1 cup Citric Acid and 2 cups Baking Soda. Use your fingers to break up any clumps that might be in the mixture. The goal is a smooth and small grained mixture.

2. Put in 1 Tablespoon of rose petals, torn up into small sizes. Alternatively, if you’d like to go with chocolate, use a cheese grater to grate up Chocolate bits and put 1 Tablespoon of grated up Chocolate into your Citric Acid and Baking Soda mixture.

3. Optional: Use grated up cocoa butter in the Chocolate Bath Fizzy to add to the moisture content of the project.

4. Add fragrance. Since each bath fizzy needs to scent an entire tub, you’ll want to use a good amount of fragrance. 1/3 ounce is a good place to start all the way up to 1/2 ounce.

5. Mix in the fragrance well.

6. Spritz the mixture with 6 squirts of Witch Hazel. Mix in well. Grab some of the mixture and make a fist around it. Does the mixture stay together? If it does, it’s ready to mold. If it does not hold its shape, do 3 more Witch Hazel spritzes until the mixture forms a shape in your hand when clenched.

7. Fill up your mold, overflowing. Push down firmly with the palm of your hand. The harder and more dense the mixture, the longer the bomb will fizz in the tub.

8. Use your fingers to squish down the back of the bath fizzy for an eve finish. If the fizzy is lopsided on the back, it will break apart when you push the fizzy out.

9. Carefully tip the mold over. With the mold less than one inch off the table (as close as you can to the table without sitting on the table), gently tap the bath fizzy out.

10. Let the bath fizzy air dry for 12 to 24 hours before moving or wrapping.

Tweet that you’re reading this post by clicking here and share the soapy fun with everyone.

Creative Saturday at Otion

January 11, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

1. Otion Soap Bar, 2. Flying Pig, 3. Kid Critter Mold

Ruby (that’s her, in the middle) had her birthday party at Otion. She just turned 12 years old and judging from the peals of laughter and the giggles of delight, enjoyed her birthday party at Otion. Her dad even got in on the action for a bit, helping to pick out a few colors. Just a few of their creations are in the top picture. They turned out great! Can you believe they had never made soap before!?

1. Cranberry Fig Bath Fizzies, 2. Fresh Lotion at Otion

While the girls were having fun at the soap bar under the careful tutelage of the ELFman, I was upstairs in the Otion Testing Lab making bath fizzies, fresh lotion and sugar scrub (all in the effervescent Cranberry Fig fragrance). All of the recipes turned out lovely and the lotion, with the addition of hydrolyzed oats and liquid silk, is positively over the top smooth. Between the energy of the soap bar partiers and the fun of creating handmade goodies, it was a jubilient Saturday.

At Otion today

January 10, 2009 Filed Under: Business Musings

The “Kickstart Your Business” blog post series will resume later this evening. Today, I’m lucky enough to be at Otion working on Cranberry Fig displays, helping out with soap bars and designing some fun lotion recipes. The soap on the left are the latest test batches to come out of the Otion kitchen. One of them is even a Patchouli replacement. I have my fingers crossed that it smells delicious after a full cure.

The lotion recipe I’m about to kick out is:

70% water
1% beeswax
10% olive oil
4% deodorized cocoa butter
.5% liquid silk
.5% hydrolyzed oats
5% stearic acid
4% emulsifying wax
.5% Cranberry Fig
.5% Germaben II

The recipe should turn out fairly thick – perfect for winter time skin dryness. I’ll keep you posted on if it’s any good or not.

2:07 p.m. – The lotion recipe turned out great. It’s very thick and luxurious.

Eye Shadows, Cows & Cupcakes

September 21, 2008 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

The last few days have been one craft-packed weekend.

It started on Friday night when Courtney (from Bramble Berry Customer Service) and I headed to Otion and Esteem Pilates to do a private mineral make up making party. Our table had space for 3 women to make their own customized eye shadow and we were packed! In fact, Courtney and I talked and taught so much that we were both lost our voices.

All of the mineral make up ingredients lined up nicely before the chaos began.

While most of the women opted for recipes we had out that were 100% natural like the Light Brown or Sparkle Bronze found in the “Mineral Make Up Guide“, one brave soul opted to try for a dark green color with a few of our mostly natural colorants. She ended up with a bright kelly green that she was thrilled with.

That’s the beauty of the DIY Eye Shadow Kits. You can make whatever color you’re in the mood for.

Then, Otion had a busy day yesterday, making children’s bath fizzies and setting up their new Cream Cheese Frosting (fragrance) display. Ashley at Otion got very creative with our Foaming Bath Butter and Melt and Pour soap.

Check out her cupcake and frosted sugar cookie creations. And yes, they all smell like delectable Cream Cheese Frosting soap.

She also did a Cow Soap Display with our new Cartoon Cow mold. In her attempt for ultra realism, she even carved out little hay barrels out of soap to make the cows feel more at home in their handmade pen. NOTE: The cow mold has been discontinued. You can make something similar with the 6 Cavity Sheep Silicone Mold.

Finally, our custom Oatmeal, Milk & Honey molds just arrived and I had fun playing with them this afternoon. I haven’t even popped the soaps out but I can’t wait to share them with you. The mold was wonderful to soapcraft with. It had deep crevices and indentations to ensure full and complete detailing.

Otion Store Manager Gets Married

September 19, 2008 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

Just a few photos from the wedding. It took place in Napa Valley, CA last week. Since the Otion Store Manager also is my brother, I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid. And, my father? He was the ordained Minister that performed the ceremony.

It was an extraordinarily happy day for the entire Faiola Family. These photos were taken while the “real” phographer was taking her photographs so excuse the slightly off-kilter look of some (okay, all) of the people in the photographs.

Erik and his bride, during the Father-of-the-Bride toast. Notice the amazing lace overlay on the dress.

The Faiola Family, complete with Mom, the Pastor (our Dad), the bride, me and my amazing husband.

Erik and his new bride are in Greece on their honeymoon. Their “child”, Samantha the dog, is in good hands at a local doggie day care with visits from her adoring Aunt (yippers, that would be me).

When the “real” photographs come in, I’ll post a few more that do the dress and the day justice.

Summer Delight

August 30, 2008 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

It’s one of the last weekends of summer – well, summer as only Washington can do. The actual temperature high today is a grand total of 59 but without any rain, it’s a close facsimile of an actual summer.

My brother is getting married in a few weeks and we’re doing family pre-wedding fun, with some of the family at a local lake. We’re playing frisbee, having a BBQ and getting ready to head out for some inner-tubing fun on the lake.

Before starting the family merriment, Erik did work a partial day at Otion. Check out the new display the talented Ashley at Otion made up, in celebration of new fragrance “Blueberry Delight.” She used the embeddable ice cube star tray mold, cupcake mold and guest swirls mold. Ashley also did the Peppermint Swirl technique in the Milky Way Oval mold.

I hope you and your loved ones are having a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend.

Soapmaking Weekend Review

August 7, 2008 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

One of the fabulous teachers for the Soapmaking Weekend Intensive put up a very detailed article about the weekend. Click here to be taken to PJ’s web site and her detailed, play-by-play of the weekend.

Class is in Session Soon – Get Your Supplies

July 26, 2008 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Want to follow along with the Soap Queen blog as we guide you to making the fabulous soaps from the Soap Weekend Intensive? You can buy the full kits here or make your own with what you already have in your soap cupboards. If you buy the kit, you get the Soapmaking Intensive Weekend booklet (with full project instructions to all of the weekend fun) included for free. Links to individual ingredients are below or go directly to the Kits page to get the entire kit for each project:

Clam Shell (Bivalve) Soap

1 oz. Seamoss fragrance

1 pound Shea Butter Melt & Pour

1 pound Shaving Soap Melt & Pour

.2 oz. Brown Oxide pigment

.2 oz. Green Chrome Oxide

.2 oz. Black Oxide

1 Mold Market Bivalve Clamshell mold

1 PJ’s Toolkit

Crescent Moon Soap

1 oz. Lily of the Valley fragrance (Cybilla)

1 pound Shea Butter Melt & Pour

1 pound Shaving Melt & Pour soap

.2 oz. Ultramarine Oxide

.2 oz. Black Oxide

1 Heavy Duty Crescent Moon Mold

Cameo Soap

1 pound clear melt & pour soap

1 pound white m elt & pour soap

1 oz. Soapy Clean fragrance

.2 oz. black oxide

1 Four Basic Shapes Milky Way Mold

UFO Soap

1 oz. Freesia fragrance (Cybilla)

1 pound white melt & pour soap

1 pound clear melt & pour soap

.2 oz Opalescent Turquoise Mica (soap pictured uses Non-Bleeding Blue Pigment Liquid)

.2 oz. Iridescent Glitter

1 Milky Way Spaceship mold

4 mini martian toys

Soap Weekend Intensive Schedule for blog

Monday Aug 18th – Soapylove’s UFO Soaps
Tuesday September 2nd – PJ’s Seashell Soaps
Monday September 15th – Crescent Moon Soap
Monday September 29th – Cameo Silhouette Soap
Monday October 13th – Lotion class