Soapyfans Unite!

Do you know what I love even more than writing tutorials? Seeing what you all do with them! All of the above photos were made by Soapyfans, and I could not be more proud. Here's more about the artists behind the soaps!

The plaid tree is by Erica Pence of Bonnie Bath. She used the Plaid Soap tutorial which is in my book and can be found as a video at Bramble Berry. I love how Erica used a touch of gold in her design, which adds such a beautiful dimension! Check out her active fan page here.

Next is a great use of the new Checkered Heart Mold by Rose Carbajal. She submitted her photo to the fan album over at Soapylove's Facebook page. Thanks, Rose!

At the bottom left is a very impressive cold process version of the Hot Chocolate Loaf Soap by The Coffee Soap Company. Look at that incredible soap foam - it puts mine to shame! I couldn't resist - I had to buy a bar for myself!

Last but not least are yummy ice cream sandwich soaps made by my friend Alison and her 4 year old son. This was their first solo soap project! After seeing my soapy cupcakes in my kitchen, she got some Soapylove supplies and made her own awesome designs. They're so great! I love how they put sprinkles on the sides of the filling. Her son said his favorite part was peeling the leftover soap frosting out of the bowl. I'm sure many of us can relate!

Thank you so much everyone who has sent me emails and links to their projects. If you have some pictures, please show them off in the Soapylove fan album. It will really make my day!

Soapylove Cyber Monday Sale!

You're back to work and ready to do some internet shopping! We wouldn't want to let you down, so our 2 great Christmas styles are marked down to $7 each just for Cyber Monday.

The Candy Cane is a Christmas favorite, and the Winter Wonderland is beautiful for any December holiday. They make great gift toppers, stocking stuffers, or inexpensive gifts for your friends and coworkers. Grab a few of these sweet treats while the gettin's good!

Winter 09 Small Magazine

Back in the day, a friend and I started a children's clothing line called Mink & Ambrose. We had a collection of knit coordinates and we also made one-of-a-kind pieces from vintage fabrics (didn't know I could sew, huh?). At the time neither of us had children, but we genuinely loved the freedom and playfulness of children's fashion.

Although I have packed up my sewing machine and shop for my kids at Old Navy now, I still admire children's designers. Recently I discovered Small Magazine - an online zine for kids' fashion (or really the adults that love it). Many indie designers are featured, and the photo spreads are incredible! Definitely check it out here.

And if you have kids that love to color, each month Small commissions an artist to create a line drawing that you can download for free. Get the Winter page by Julia Pott here.

Hope you're having a cozy day!

Soapylove Moving Sale! A La Carte Tutorials All Marked Down!

Earlier this month I moved all of my eZines from my old Cerizmo site to soapylove.com, but you can still get find them there until December 1, and they're marked down!

You can get individual tutorials for $5.00 each and last year's Holiday Tutorial Bundle for only $9 (there are 3 great projects in there!). Click here to check them all out, before they're internet history!

Back from Gotham!

Last night I got back from my first trip to New York City since I was 13. Earlier this year I started consulting for a company in New York so I went there to do some work. Even though my family is originally from New York (Yonkers, to be exact), we moved to San Diego when I was only 2, so I'm really a California girl.

Since I'm working on a retail project, a lot of the trip was spent discussing and finding inspiration in successful retail stores. Although I was only there for 1 1/2 days (the rest was flight time), I visited Sabon, Dylan's Candy Bar, Max Brenner, Toys 'R Us, Crumbs, and ate at impressive restaurants such as David Burke Townhouse and Serendipity. Melody (the other consultant working on the project) and I were staying at the Dream Hotel in midtown so the major landmarks such as Rockefeller Center and Times Square were very close by. I got really lucky and met up with a friend who was on a fun NY trip, too.

What did I learn on my trip? LOTS. But mainly I learned that the sky is the limit in New York. To be "over the top" is hard to do among so many incredible shops! But having a very strong point of view and running with it is key to standing out.

I also learned that I am not a big city girl! I was so excited to get back to my quiet suburban house and relax with my family.

I will be going back a couple more times until the project is launched and I really look forward to it. There's nothing like Manhattan!

New Tutorial Tomorrow at the Soap Queen!

Get ready for a brand new Soapylove tutorial over at the Soap Queen! Tomorrow afternoon you will learn how to make these cute and easy Lucky Star Soaps. Check it out then! :)

Flavor of the Month: Candy Cane!

November is here (I can't believe a whole week has already passed!) and holiday decorations are already starting to show up in stores. The best sales usually happen after Thanksgiving, but at Soapylove we are starting our sale early!

Today we are kicking off our Flavor of the Month promotion. Whether it's inspired by the season, an upcoming holiday, or just a great way to celebrate a new style, you'll find one special Soapy Pop that is marked down all month.

For November we have chosen the classic Candy Cane. It's a perfect stocking stuffer or affordable gift in itself! The sweet yet snappy scent is realistic and refreshing. Regularly $8.00 each, you can now get them for $7.50!

The New Soapylove Website and Winter eZine Have Arrived!

I am beyond excited to announce that my new, super fabulous* website is now live! You can now find everything in Soapyland under one roof, including all Let's Get Soapy eZines!

If you have a minute, please head over and check it out. It looks completely different! New features are:

• Entire collection of Soapy Pops, including the brand new Mint Chip and 2 holiday styles.
• An exclusive area for wholesalers so shop owners can now place orders online anytime.
• A registration option so you can save your payment option and make future orders super quick.
• All eZines can be purchased right on my site instead of at a secondary site.
• Entire area dedicated to soapmakers where you can find Soapylove class schedule, links to Soapylove supplies, and sites where you can buy the book.
• Finally, a whole page dedicated to all the social media where Soapylove appears.

It's all designed to make it easier and more fun for you to find just what you need! And right now I have TWO great specials to celebrate!

1. Get free shipping on all Soapy Pops through November 6. Just enter SOAPYLAUNCH during checkout to get the discount!
2. The new Winter issue of Let's Get Soapy is on Early Bird special for only $12 through this Friday, too. Don't miss it!

I would love to hear what you all think. Please comment here and let me know! Otherwise, I'll see you there! :)

*The super fabulousness is completely due to my sister, Cheryl Jackson, who took the amazing new photos for the site and the super talented website design team at Aeolidia. I could not have asked for a better experience from design concept to site implementation.