Become a Fan on Facebook!

For a very long time, I have resisted Facebook but have embraced most other sites like Twitter and Blogger. But yesterday I was talking with my friend, Erin, and she mentioned having a discussion board for Soapylove. Since the book just came out and so many people use Facebook, I thought that reincarnating the Soapylove fan page would be perfect!

So if you like Facebook, head over and become a fan! I have several photo albums set up, the event board is updated, and there is a discussion board! (yay!) So if you have any questions or comments about the book, soap crafting, or anything else Soapylove or glycerin soap related, please post away!

Thanks so much!

Hear Soapylove on the Radio Waves!

RCA 40A Ribbon Microphone, originally uploaded by jschneid.

A few weeks ago Donna Maria, host of Indie Business Radio, had me on her show for an interview. We had a great time chatting about lots of things including:

How to make the transition from corporate life to full time indie
How to encourage significant others to help when you need them
How to know if/when you're ready to expand your business
...and lots more!

She just added the interview to her archives, so you can turn it on the next time you're working at your computer! Click here to be taken to the site where you can stream or download it. Also check out the impressive guests she has lined up who will share tips on how to stay motivated, run your business on a shoestring, and Tweet like a professional!

On October 7, I will be a guest on the Diva Craft Lounge Radio, the #1 crafting show on the internet! Tune in at 12:10pm Pacific Time. We'll be talking about my new book and lots of other crafty stuff. I hope you'll tune in!

HSMG Conference Speakers and Early Bird Discount!

This year was my first HSMG Conference. It was in Palm Springs which is drivable from my house in San Diego, and I figured, "why not - I should probably go." Well, had I known what an incredible experience the conferences are, I would have RUN to Palm Springs! Not only did I meet so many wonderful people and was able to put faces to names I only knew through the internet, but I learned so much! The workshops are amazing and there is no end to the incredible subjects that are covered. It was so inspirational and really motivated me to put even more energy into my business and the soap and beauty community.

Next year the conference will be in Denver at the Inverness Hotel from April 30-May 2. Several of the speakers have just been announced. They include:

• Anne-Marie Faiola of Bramble Berry,
• Kayla Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale,
• Marla Bosworth of Back Porch Soap,
• Debbie Chialtas of Soapylove (woo hoo!!),
• Donna Maria Coles Johnson of Indie Beauty Network,
• Amy Kalinchuk of Olde Crone's Bewitching Bath Soap,
• Kelly Bloom of BloomWorks Soap Company, LC
• Marie Gale, Author of Soap and Cosmetics Labeling

The keynote speaker is yet to be announced, but judging by last year's speaker - Erin Brokovich - I'm extremely excited to find out!

If you're interested in going to the conference and are an HSMG member, you can get a great early bird rate, and the guild is offering a helpful installment plan. For details, click here.

I hope to meet many of you personally in Denver next year! Last year I toted around some Soapylove goodies and treated many fans to tee shirts, soap dishes, and eZine coupons. I plan to do the same this year, too!

See you in April!

And the Winner Is...

The turn out for the Super Duper Soapylove Signed Book Giveaway was far better than I ever could have imagined! There were 74 fabulous entries. My head has swelled to a ridiculous size!

Today is the big day for one of you, and if you are SHEENA (the 41st commenter), then please email me to give me your mailing address.

Thanks so much everyone! I am REALLY feeling the love!

Soapylove and Bramble Berry Launch New Product Line!

I am THRILLED to finally tell the biggest secret I have kept in a very long time! Bramble Berry and Soapylove have partnered up to launch a great new line of soap making supplies, and you will love them!

The line features:
1) Molds, which are in versatile basic shapes but with an adorable scalloped edge. These are perfect for featuring embedded designs as well as layered styles. Check out these cute little soaps I made with them, by placing plastic trinkets in the mold first.

2) Colorant kits, which come in coordinating sets. You'll find the Jewelry Box, which are beautiful crystal clear colors. You can use a drop of this and a drop of that to make any color in the rainbow! Check out this handy chart that shows just some of the many shades possible.



Also, there's the Sweet Treats Colorant Set shown in the above photo. These are all non-bleeding and the mixed jojoba beads are just like rainbow sprinkles!

3) Fragrance Oil sets offered in Candy Jar and Delectable Desserts, and the caps of the bottles have these really neat push button droppers. You'll love using them!

4) Natural soap bases in the colors you need! The white is a super clean bright white, and the clear is very clear! No yellow tint!

I am so excited about it. Please head over to Bramble Berry to check it out. If you would like to offer the supplies in your shop, please inquire with them about wholesale pricing, too!

Feeling Buttery!

Butter and sugar melt together, originally uploaded by jessicafm.

When I said that you guys could butter me up for the Soapylove Mega Giveaway, you really took me up on it! I'm REALLY feeling the love, so today is butter trivia day!

Did you know:
Butter has been colored yellow since at least the 1300s. During the Middle Ages it was colored with marigold flowers.

It takes about 21 pounds of whole milk to make 1 pound of butter.

The world record for butter eating is 7 quarter pound sticks of salted butter in 5 minutes by Donald Lerman.

(thank you www.foodreference.com for those factoids!)

and...Deep Fried Butter has been chosen as one of the finalists in this year’s annual Big Tex Choice Awards at the State Fair of Texas.

Oh, yes. Deep fried butter. For more on that - I didn't make it up! - click here.

Haven't entered my giveaway yet? Head on over! It's a Soapylove Extravaganza!

Super Duper Soapylove Signed Book Giveaway!

As the author, I received a certain number of books for personal use. I intended to offer signed copies for sale here on my blog, but it turns out that after I give copies to my family and mentors I hardly have any left. So instead of list just a couple for sale I am having a super duper giveaway for Soapylove fans!

I am putting together a mega Soapylove box. The lucky winner will get a:

signed copy of my new book with a personal message written inside
Soapylove t-shirt
Soapylove ice cream truck soap dish
Soapylove soap pop (brand new, not yet released design!)
coupon for a free issue of Let's Get Soapy
and some other fun goodies if I can scare some up!

All you need to do is leave a comment here. If you butter me up, that would be lovely! The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in one week - on September 22.

So don't delay - comment today! :)

Gothic Pumpkin Soaps

Halloween is coming and I love the fall holidays! I picked up a fun Halloween magazine yesterday and was inspired to make a new soap. If you're looking to add a touch of black to your designs, you will really like this single pour project!

Supplies for 2 bars of soap: (you can get everything from Bramble Berry except for transfer sheet which is from Fancy Flours)

8 oz of clear soap base
Silver mica
Black oxide (optional)
Pepperberry fragrance oil (or any you like, but this has a really nice spicey scent)
Heavy duty octagon mold (or any flat faced mold you have)
"Floral Scroll Black" chocolate transfer sheet from Fancy Flours
Knife, cutting board, scissors, rubbing alcohol in spray bottle, yadda yadda

(Click on photo to enlarge)

1) Choose a design that has very little detail. Sketch it on paper first and make sure it will fit in your mold.

2) Cut your shape out of your transfer sheet. Be very careful to avoid touching the rough side, since it's very sensitive and can smudge easily.

3) Touch your finger into a drop of vegetable oil or liquid glycerin and apply a thin coat to the mold where you will put your design. Place your design, SMOOTH SIDE DOWN, into the mold and use a pencil to touch the transfer gently and make sure it's completely stuck down. You don't want any air pockets where the soap can sneak under.

4) Melt 6-8 ounces of clear soap base (depending on the capacity of your soap molds) by cutting soap base into small chunks (dice sized), and heat at full power in a microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until all remaining chunks are melted. Dissolve a pea sized amount of silver mica in a 1/4 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol and stir into melted soap. You can add a touch of black (dissolved in alcohol again) if you would like a deeper shade like I have. Stir in 3 mL of fragrance oil (completely a personal choice. Use more or less!)

5) LET SOAP COOL A LOT! You need to pour this super super cool. If a skin is forming on the surface, that's good! It should be between 110-115 degrees. Now pour into your mold, but pour at the edge of the mold so the soap runs over your design. Do not pour directly onto the transfer.

6) Allow soaps to harden completely overnight. Unmold by inverting mold and pushing on the back with your thumbs until soaps pop out. Gently pry an edge of the plastic up and peel off. Voila!

You can wrap these soaps in Saran Wrap and close the ends at the back with tape or a sticker, or put in a treat bag and tie tightly with a ribbon.

If you like this technique please check out more projects in my book, or if you're in the Halloween spirit please check out my latest issue of Let's Get Soapy which is chock full of soapy tricks and treats! Thanks!

Are You Feeling the Love?

Well my Soapylove book has been available for a couple of weeks now, and I am so delighted to see two 5 star ratings on Amazon!

I would love to hear more about what you think and see what you have made from the book. Please comment here if you'd like to share your projects with the Soapylove blog readers. I would love it if you did!

2 New Glycerin Soap Discussions

Hi everyone!
Just a quick post to let you know I have put up 2 new discussions on Indie Beauty:

1) I'm looking for a few glycerin soap brands to include in a new store franchise I'm consulting for. If you sell your soaps wholesale, please click here for details.

2) Are you considering selling your soaps to shop owners? Read this post for some tips on how to make sure your soaps survive the rigors of retail!

Thanks everyone, and have a great weekend!