Team Bramble Berry and I were brainstorming Halloween soap ideas and this was the project that we got most excited about. It’s a very simple technique that adds that extra special (spooky) touch for Halloween. Give these away as a hostess gift or put them in your guest bathroom to impress your friends.
Archives for September 2011
Here, Have a Baby to Distract You
Normally, Thursday is the day that I always post my soapy tutorials. And, fear not, I have one for this week but I’m running behind for the day (Soap Queen TV shoots this weekend and we’re rebuilding the set right now) so, I’m hoping that the sight of a cute baby will distract you.
See! Distracted! You didn’t even notice that you were on a soap blog looking for a soap project, did you?
Jamisen is close to 15 pounds and is sooooo close to sitting up. We’re looking forward to seeing him hit this next milestone but until he does, check out his neck strength and adorable smile:
Selling Your Soap: More Wholesale Advice
Wholesale opens new doors for anyone in business. It allows you to move a lot of product with minimal effort. Yes, you get less money than retail orders, but if you work smart, you can still make a lot of money. Before going after the accounts, being prepared is the key to success. To do that I encourage:
Soap Design and Color-Matching
Advanced Swirling part 3: Design and Color-Matching
Guest post by Kat from Otion (Bramble Berry’s retail store)
Hello again! This is part three of four in my Advanced Cold Process Swirling tutorial. If you missed the first half of the series, be sure to check out part 1 (Understanding Color Theory and Terminology) and 2 (Getting Brave with Color) to learn about color theory terms and how to build confidence with color. This is the final segment on color usage before we get into actual swirling techniques.
Hello to Health Day 3: Walk More!
Walk More!
Catch up on Hello to Health Day 1 (drink more water) and Hello to Health Day 2 (don’t drink your calories).
Could any activity be more easy and natural than walking? We do it every day without even thinking about it. Even though it does take some serious thought and effort to turn walking into a real exercise (eh hem … jogging or gasp, running), it nevertheless remains one of the easiest and more flexible ways to “Say hello to health.”
Jamisen and I are ready to go on a stroller adventure together!
Jamisen Loves the Beach
I’ve always had a particular affinity for oceans. In fact, when I was little, I thought I would be a marine biologist (well, that or a pop star but marine biologist seemed slightly more realistic). We’re introducing Jaminsen to the ocean early.
We drove on the beach, we walked on the beach and then took Jamisen to his first sand castle competition. He adores walking in a stroller and just takes in all the sights, drooling, laughing, smiling and then zonking out. Come to think of it, that sounds like a pretty good time. I’ll take one of those, please.
Crazy for Cubes
I know I always say this (um, like a lot), but I think I just found my new favorite mold! There are a whopping 25 cavities in this bad boy. It has a glossy finish, which I love, and the cube shape fits perfectly into the palm of my hands. Plus, they are the ideal size for stamping with our new acrylic stamp line. They’re perfect! Ok…enough gushing about the molds. Check out my specially formulated recipe below. Why specially formulated? The cube mold works best with super hard recipes. Since no air flow gets into the mold, it can take forever and a day to get the soap to release. The Sodium Lactate, low (4%) superfat plus water discount all contribute to being able to get this soap out of the mold with no sticking. Because of this, the recipe will move fast. Experienced soapers will still be able to swirl but if you’re a newbie? Stick to one color.
Hats, Bats and Spiders
I loved what Soapylove did in her latest tutorial (check it out here), I thought I would revisit the technique with a ghoulish twist! I stuck with some basic molds and colors here but the potential to get insanely creative is up to you! I hope I get to see what some of you come up with. Hint. Wink. Nudge. Post pictures on our facebook page!
Check out what we did for Christmas in 2009 using this same technique with glitter. See the glittery tutorial here.
Golden Rules for Apologizing
Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, sent out a heartfelt mea culpa and apology to his subscribers this week. Since they announced their price increases over a month ago, they estimate that they lost over 1 million subscribers. I’d say that’s a pretty big statement that the marketplace wasn’t excited about their price hikes or the way that Netflix had executed on the new strategy. The positive is that when Mr. Hastings realized he had made a mistake, he immediately fell on his proverbial sword, apologized and redesigned the business to make more sense to his subscribers (well, the jury’s out on if that’s true but I’m sure he hopes it does!).
His actions got me thinking about the nature of leadership and what to do when you make a mistake. I make plenty of mistakes. Thankfully for me, they are not on the world stage like Mr. Hastings but they do impact those who work with me, my family, my friends or our customers. Thinking back to my mistakes that have turned out okay (a friendship saved, a customer who becomes a fan for life or a fellow vendor who changes their opinion of us), I’ve come up with 5 Golden Rules for Apologizing:
Getting Brave with Color
Advanced Swirling Part 2: Getting Brave with Color
Guest post by Kat from Otion (Bramble Berry’s retail store)
Welcome back to my four-part swirling tutorial! If you missed part one on Understanding Color Theory Terminology, make sure to check it out here.
I’d like to start out today’s topic by reiterating what my professors told me in painting classes that helped build my confidence with color and technique.
1. Don’t get too attached. This means a couple of things; don’t get too attached to a plan (expecting the swirls/colors to look a specific way) because it limits your spontaneity and creative flow. Allow things to happen. Also, don’t get too attached to the finished product or you will have a hard time trying new things, and you will most likely get stuck repeating yourself. Remember, what makes an interesting product line is variety.
Hello to Health Day 2
Don’t Drink Your Calories
Many of us have heard the expression that “all calories are not created equal,” and it pretty much makes sense when you’re comparing 300 calories of carrots to 300 calories of cake. But apparently, the weight-gaining effects of calories on the body differ depending on whether someone is drinking their calories or shoveling them in. Studies show that between solid foods and beverages, the consumption of liquids packs the greater girth-generating wallop. Who’d’a’thunk?
Somewhere along the line, the exhortations to drink plenty of water throughout the day (see Hello to Health blog # 1) got translated into drinking all sorts of beverages that, by both their nature and their ingredients, are wreaking havoc on people’s weight.
Bramble Berry Facebook Etiquette
Caramel Apple Soap Tutorial
With Halloween “creeping” up on us, I’ve been thinking I should get a head start on my Halloween gifts. These Caramel Apple Soaps look and smell delicious. I felt like I was making real caramel apples! Let these be your Fall hostess gifts this year whether it be a Halloween Party or just a fun get together with your friends. I think these would be really adorable molded from little crab apples to make mini guest-size caramel apple soaps, too.
Understanding Color Theory Terminology
Advanced Swirling Part 1: Understanding Color Theory Terminology
Guest post by Kat from Otion (Bramble Berry’s retail store)
Now that you understand the fundamentals of cold process Soapmaking, let’s get artistic! You can set your product apart from the rest with eye-catching swirls and have fun in the process.
Not familiar with cold process yet? Check out these videos on Soap Queen TV to and learn about Lye Safety, The Basics, Fragrances and Colorants.
It is vital to have a solid understanding of color relationships and swirling techniques in order to swirl soap confidently. This four-step series will reveal the secrets to success and guide you through the following topics: 1) Understanding Color Theory Terminology 2) Getting Brave with Color 3) Design and Color Matching 4) Swirling Techniques Made Simple
It’s time to take those bars from boring to beautiful!