Buy in Bulk! Get the whole library of Let's Get Soapy for a special price!

Lori and Cassie at The Nova Studio are always thinkin'. Since we all noticed that the interest in melt and pour soap is on the rise and people are discovering how awesome soap crafting is, they decided to put the entire Let's Get Soapy eZine Collection into one bundle, and save you a bundle!  

Each issue has 3 full step-by-step tutorials (many with great holiday and gift ideas), supply articles, technique ideas, design inspiration, and often some extra goodies like printables, you will get a lot of great information in these eZines.  Designed to be read on your monitor, you'll be able to dive in the moment these digital magazines hit your inbox.  

Check it out!  I think you'll love it!

Exciting Class Announcement and Secret Project Revealed!

I'm very excited to announce that my 2 Day Boot Camp, being held at The (fabulous!) Nova Studio, is now being offered "a la carte." Take one or both days! Plus we have decided to reveal the secret bonus project which will be (drum roll) the filled creamsicle soap pop pictured above. I have never taught this style before and I will only be doing so for this class!

Check out the 8 awesome projects that will be covered at the Boot Camp, taking place on April 16 and 17 in beautiful Point Richmond, just east of San Francisco.  If you're not in the area, this would make an excellent weekend getaway.  I even made a little video during one of my trips there to teach. 

For more details, click here for all registration info and descriptions of each project.  It will be a grand time - and my only teaching engagement for the year.  I hope to see you there!

New Soapylove Studio Workshops!

Would you like to learn how to make Soapylove soaps with me, in person?  You're in luck!  I have just added 2 new classes that will be held at my home in San Diego.  Space is limited to only 4 people per class, so it will be like having a personal Soapylove lesson!  There are 2 workshops scheduled so far:

September Workshop: Using Molds Creatively

Learn how to create very unique effects with fun detailed molds. We'll cover a range of techniques using multiple colors in each project, from double molding to intricate details. All materials are included and you'll go home with all of your beautiful creations!

When: September 18, from 1:00-5:00
Where: my home in San Diego, California (details provided upon registration)
Cost: $100, all materials included.
To register: Email me to sign up. Limited to 4 students!

October Workshop: Artistic Techniques

Channel your inner artist for this inspiring class. Learn how to make one-of-a-kind texture sheets, paint soaps within the bars, engrave, and more. You will be amazed by what you can do! All materials are included and you'll go home with all of your beautiful creations!

When: October 9, from 1:00-5:00
Where: my home in San Diego, California (details provided upon registration)
Cost: $100, all materials included.
To register: Email me to sign up. Limited to 4 students!

And don't miss out on this class at The Nova Studio, which always sells out!

Soapy Holidays Gift Workshop

When: Sunday, December 5
Where: The Nova Studio in Point Richmond, CA (East SF Bay Area)

Get ready for the holidays with this great hands-on workshop where you will make 5 original Soapylove projects, perfect for holiday gift giving. Or make them for your family - can you imagine how impressed your guests will be to see these soaps in your bathroom at the holiday party? No experience is necessary to create these adorable gift-worthy soaps.

We will supply everything you need - just show up ready to have fun & learn at the same time. You'll receive handouts that include written instructions for all soaps made in class. Arrive empty handed and leave with a bag brimming with soapy goodies (all wrapped up cute & ready to use or gift). Children above the age of 8 are welcome to attend with a registered adult (2 paid registrations total).

For details, go to The Nova Studio site.

Keep up on all Soapylove classes and events on my main site.  You never know what might pop up!  :)

Another Great Day at The Nova Studio!

This weekend I taught Artistic Melt and Pour Techniques at The Nova Studio in Point Richmond, CA. This is my third time teaching there (5th class!) and I LOVE it so much! First of all, Lori is awesome and it's such a treat to hang out with her, and secondly, the classes are always so much fun because the students are the best! There's no better situation for a teacher than having a class full of enthusiastic and eager participants.

One of the students, Rick Washburn, was taking pictures and shared some with me for this blog. All pictures in this post are compliments of Rick (thank you!!).

Even though many of the students didn't consider themselves "artists" when they arrived, I think everyone was impressed with what they made. First, we used transfer sheets to add printed designs to our soaps. Learning about soap temperature was definitely the take home message for this project.

Next we created paintings within our soap bars. I taught how to make a "Y Tree" (see video tutorial here), and even those who had never tried it before had beautiful forests before they knew it. We used soap paints from PJ Soaps (scroll to bottom of her page to see awesome paint kits) and also mixed paints from scratch.

After lunch (this is a 6 hour class after all!), we made hand-engraved monogram soaps. Each student received a great tool for engraving with their supply fee. Although I provided some printed letters to use, one student created an awesome freehand "anarchy" soap, which was my favorite!! I think everyone was really impressed by how their engraved design really stood out when the final soaps were unmolded.

Last, we made some pretty hand-cut tile soaps. Everyone made at least 8 bars of soap, and had time to wrap them nicely, too. I was able to share lots of my stories and answer everyone's questions. Having 6 hours was just like the studio classes I had in college where you get plenty of time to work on projects and not feel rushed. I think everyone enjoyed the pace and learned a lot.

On the car ride to the BART station that evening, Lori and I discussed the next class, which will be another 6 hour workshop on December 12. It will be a Winter Holiday theme where we're going to make a heap of soapy gifts! There will be 4 all new projects and each student will leave with at least 12 soaps, wrapped and ready to give! Lori has not set up the class listing yet, but if you email her she can put you on a waiting list. Don't miss out! I hope to see you there! :)

Great New Soapylove Class Coming up at The Nova Studio!

The last time I was up at The Nova Studio, Lori and I were tossing around different class ideas. We thought of an advanced class, a Soap Lab style class, something artistic, and even an all-day bootcamp style class. Well, luckily we were able to combine all of those ideas into one, and it's going to be happening on August 8!

Come to "Artistic Melt and Pour Techniques: Engraving, Painting, and Transfering." It is a 6 hour class that will run the gammot from basic m&p techniques to much more complicated concepts. The coveted design transfer method will be shown (which also appears in my book coming out in August/September), engraving, painting, and embedding. Each student will make at least 2 of each project, and I will be sharing loads of tips and advice on using glycerin soap.

I'm so excited to go back up to Lori's gorgeous studio. I had such an amazing trip last time. If you'd like to see more about it, please check out my video. It's a great reason to plan a weekend vacation to the Bay Area!

For all the details and even more descriptions of the projects, click here, where you can also register online. See you in August!

Take a Little Trip With Me!

I hope you like this little video I made about my trip. My sister, Cheryl, is the one who takes the amazing photos you often see on my site and in Let's Get Soapy. You'll see more of her great pics in this video!

Lori and I are working on the next class I will be teaching at The Nova Studio. We're thinking it might be a 1 day melt and pour bootcamp! Stay tuned for details and get ready to plan your next weekend getaway by The Bay! :)

An Awesome Time at The Nova Studio!

I'm back from my trip up to Point Richmond, CA, to teach at The Nova Studio. I had such a great time! My sister, Cheryl, joined me and she took some beautiful photos of the class (as well as made some impressive soaps! Not bad for a scrapbooker! ;) ). You can see some of the pretty projects in the photo above.

We started with Rainbow Fantasy soaps, using injector tools from the melt and pour tool kit to fill our candy molds and apply them to round soap bars which we made as well. Although many felt their skills at filling the rainbow arcs were not as sharp as they wanted, all were impressed by the final results.

Next we started our Jelly Donut Soaps. I showed how pearly mica is great at turning purple soap into glistening jelly. The scent of grape candy fragrance filled the room. Cutting the "bites" at the end of class was very gratifying.

Finally, we made Martian Soaps. Everyone was very anxious to see how we were going to get those little martians into the space ships and were concerned when the first step didn't include them at all. But with some patience the mystery was revealed and our little guys got their rightful place in the cockpits. (Thanks to Paula from PJ Soaps, her tip on how to make natural clear base crystal clear was a life saver. My stash of crystal clear soap base was apprehended by airport security!)

Thank you most of all to Lori Nova, who is such a gracious host and super fun person. I love teaching at her gorgeous studio. I just wish I lived closer so I could be a student at many of her amazing classes! Make sure to check out her schedule and see what she's offering. You'll be glad you did!

New Video Tutorial and Class Dates!

If you're a regular Soapylove Daily Ditties visitor, you have read that I recently got a new Flip camcorder and am totally hooked! For my first real full-on movie, I have made a DIY Soap Party tutorial. And since this is a teaser for the Summer issue of Let's Get Soapy, if you leave a comment on this post or on the video at YouTube, you may be randomly chosen to win a free copy, available March 23!

Also, I have 2 soapmaking classes coming up! One is at the Nova Studio in Point Richmond, CA, on April 11. I'll be teaching how to use molds of all different kinds. Each student will be taking home lots of great molds and tools, and plenty of soaps you'll make right there! We had an awesome time when I taught the Bubbly Holidays and Sweet Treats classes in December, so don't miss this one! For more info, click here.


In July I will be at the Soapmaking Weekend Intensive in Bellingham, WA. I'll be teaching how to make Plaid Soaps and Soap Cookies, both of which will be in my new book coming out this fall. See the whole line up of teachers for this great weekend of bath and beauty bliss here. And if you've never been to Bellingham, you'll love this very charming and cool town! Hope to see you there!

100 Pounds of Love at The Nova Studio!

Lori Nova, who I met directly on Twitter, is the owner of The Nova Studio where bath and body classes (and non b&b classes, too!) are held in her beautiful Point Richmond shop. I packed up my family and we drove over 8 hours north so I could accept Lori's invitation to teach 2 Soapylove classes this past Saturday: Bubbly Holidays and Sweet Treats. It was such a great experience!

First, for Bubbly Holidays, we had 4 projects lined up. We made Glittery Glass Ball Soaps, Fancy Ball Ornaments, Sugar Plum Ornaments, and Frosty Vintage Tree Soaps (all tutorials are available in my Soapylove shop if you'd like to try some at home!). There were many m&p newbies in the class, but everyone took to it easily and made some truly gorgeous soaps! The marbling of the Sugar Plum soaps was probably the highlight since it was a team effort and it's really fun to swirl!

Next, after very quickly cleaning up, setting up again, and grabbing a bite to eat, we started the Sweet Treats class. Again, we had 4 projects on the agenda: PB&J soaps, Peppermint Soap Bark, Neapolitan Loaf Soaps, and Mint Chip Soapwiches. Each of these projects required a LOT of soap and our amazing helper, Joan, and Lori frantically cut and melted brick after brick of soap. The crock pots did their best! It was so fun unmolding and packing the soaps as they were finished. Here's a pic of me cutting up the Mint Chip Soaps.

After 8 projects in 2 classes of 14 students each, we blew through almost 100 pounds of soap base! Many students got new supplies to make more projects at home, and literally BAGS of finished soaps to share with their friends and family.

Lori has graciously invited me back, despite the frenzied pace of the classes, and I can't wait to teach there again! We'll be making a plan soon which I will announce as soon as it's confirmed.

If you attended either class, I'd love it if you posted your own comments here. Thanks so much!

2 Special Soapylove Classes at The Nova Studio!

I am really excited to announce that Lori from The Nova Studio has invited me to teach TWO Soapylove classes there next month! They're just in time for the holidays, so don't miss them!

The Nova Studio is located northeast of San Francisco in Point Richmond. I live in San Diego, so I'll be packing up my family and heading up there to teach two classes on Saturday, December 13.

The first class is called "Bubbly Holidays". I'll teach how to make 4 different holiday soap projects including the marbled Sugar Plum Soap Ornaments (each soap is actually threaded with a ribbon to be hung anywhere in the house - or on a gift!) and Frosty Vintage Tree Soaps.

The second class, starting after lunch, is called "Sweet Treats" where you'll learn how to make 4 sugar-inspired soap designs including Mint Chip Soapwiches and PB&J Bars.

We'll provide all of the supplies and make the soaps together. These classes are great for someone with no melt and pour experience, or a lot! I'll include tips and techniques, stories about some disasters I've had to prevent you from making the same mistakes, and best of all - we'll wrap up all of the soaps so you'll leave with special gifts ready for the holidays!

You can take just one class or both. Lori has a special offer for those interested in both. Go to http://www.thenovastudio.com/ for all the details! Enrollment is limited, so don't procrastinate. I hope to see you there!