Indie Cruise 2016

These people are amazing!

Ready for the White Party!

The 2 JoAnns. How I love these ladies!

Me and Dawn Fitch of  Pooka Pure and Natural

Jen from Klean Spa

Me and Anne-Marie

Me and Donna Maria

Me and Margaret Helm-Duell of  Mohea Natural Beauty

Me, Anne-Marie and Donna Maria. This will be framed!

I recently returned from Cancun from  a trip with other makers on Indie Cruise 2016, (which was actually at an all-inclusive resort) and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have always admired Donna Maria Coles-Johnson and consider her a mentor. She is the mastermind behind the incredible Indie Business Network, which I joined in January 2015. After hearing so much about the Cruise, and the speakers and supportive maker community, I decided to make it a priority to be a part of this annual trip. With the support of my wonderful husband, who took a week off from work to watch the kids, I was on my way to Cancun to soak up all the knowledge and wisdom I could from the other makers and business owners.

Bramble Berry's Anne-Marie Faoila was a guest speaker at the event. As Donna Maria expresses, "her presentation and workshop on life planning and productivity was a special highlight of the trip." Meeting and getting to know Anne-Marie was an amazing experience. She posted about the trip on her blog, in which she shared key information shared by our speakers.  Please take a moment to read her takeaways from the trip.

I was able to meet the owner of the awesome Etta and Billie, whose soap I love so much Alana was as adorable and personable as I could have imagined She is so full of life and has so much charisma. The products she creates, along with the vibe of her business has  always fascinated me.

I could go on and on about each maker. As Anne-Marie proclaimed, "We are all special snowflakes." Yes indeed! All of these makes were special, creative and vibrant spirits! I am so blessed to have met them and am ready to take on 2016!

If ever you get the chance to be a part of this annual event, I strongly encourage you to go, Being around other makers, in a supportive and inspiring environment was an experience of a lifetime. Next year, plans are underway to visit the Dominican Republic and I certainly want to reconnect with my new maker friends. Are you game? I'd love for you to join me!

Bramble Berry's Pure Soapmaking

Chamomile Infused Olive Oil

Ready to make soap!

This soap is so creamy and beautiful! I can't wait to unmold!

I have been eagerly awaiting Anne- Marie Faiola's newest soap making book Pure Soapmaking for quite some time. It just so happens that I have been wanting to add a new collection to my current line of soaps that are colored with natural colorants and use only essential oils, so this book is a Godsend to me.

In Oregon, there are many soap makers that make all natural, rustic "hippie" soaps. I love these soaps, but I have always loved the advanced soap making techniques that often involve the use of bright pops of color. I am often told by customers that my soaps are "too pretty to use," and honestly, creating something  beautiful and useful is one of my driving forces and a component of soap making that ignites my passion.

That said, I have a few plain Jane bars that sell really well for me, especially at the farmer's market. My Peppermint Tea Tree, Lemongrass and Oatmeal, Milk and Honey are great sellers,and are beautiful in their simplicity and purity, but I am looking to create bars that are not only natural, but beautiful.

This is where Pure Soapmaking comes into play. This gorgeous book is filled with over 200 pages of information and recipes that are perfect for my new journey down the all-natural path. These recipes use essential oils and natural colorants, It is perfect for the beginning soap maker, or the advanced maker who is craving an artistic challenge.,

The bar that I chose to make is the Oatmeal Soap for Babies. Why? Well, I have 3 babies, aging from 7 years-old - 19 months. I also have many mommy friends who want a gentle bar for their children, some of whom have skin sensitivities. I also have quite a few customers who are allergic to scented products. About 99% of the time, these customers will buy a scent-free, gentle bar if presented with the option.

The Oatmeal Soap for Babies was extremely easy to make. I don't want to give away all the details (you must get this book!), The bar is primarily olive oil, which is infused with chamomile. In addition, there is the addition of shea butter,for moisture, castor oil for bubbles, along with skin loving bentonite clay and colloidal oatmeal. I love the addition of the Chamomile infused oil, bentonite clay and colloidal oatmeal. These extra ingredients not only make a better bar of soap, but may distinguish my soap from other baby bars. I can't wait to try it out on the kids!

For the next few weeks, I have a standing night-time date with Anne-Marie and her new book! I will post the results from all the new recipes I make. If you like all natural soap making, but still want to incorporate special techniques that will set your soap a part from the rest, this book is for you!

These are the test subjects! They love bathing and Mommy's soap!

It all started with a $50 Gift Card

One of my first soaps, Ocean Mist. I was so excited by how pretty it turned out. 

With every new year, I reflect on my business and dream of how I can take Lion and Rose to the next level. January-April are my slow months, so I have a time to replenish my soap stock, take a deep breath and contemplate what I will do next. It's a very exciting time for me. I am filled with inspiration and re-dedicate my efforts. This is when I dream big!

This year, I have been reflecting on how far I have come in the last 4 years. It all started with an interest in a potential new hobby or perhaps a creative outlet. I was the mother of a 4 year-old boy and a 1 year-old daughter. I love being a stay-at-home mom, but I was craving a creative outlet. For my birthday, my husband bought me a $50 gift card to Bramble Berry. I had been watching a constant stream of Soap Queen tutorials and reading endless blogs about soap making, so my husband thought my birthday would be the ideal chance to let me get my toes wet by allowing me the opportunity to buy some supplies of my own.

I spent countless hours reading fragrance oil descriptions, learning what I could about colorants and trying to figure out how best to spend that $50. I chose pretty well, in fact, the first fragrance I ever bought, Energy, is still in my line and is called Good Day Sunshine.Looking back, $50 is nothing! I was so frugal and thoughtful. My batches started very small and allowed me to learn my craft without too much risk.

From the start, I only used gift money and my eventual sales from my soap to fund my company. To this day, almost every dollar goes back into the company. I have never used family funds for the business and I have steadily grown about double in sales per year. I have so much pride in what I have built and am becoming more confident that a desk job will not be a part of my future. I can continue to dream big, work hard and am loving every minute of it!

New Soaps and Something so Exciting!

                                     

Scented with Bramble Berry's Red Apple

Inspired by My Little Pony's Twilight Sparkle
(I have a 4 year old daughter).
Scented with Nature Garden's Love Spell

Grapefruit!

As you can see, I am loving making these beautiful marbled tops. I love the look and it is relatively easy. I find that using high contrast colors always look more dramatic. So I always use white to make the other colors pop. I also don't let the soap batter get too thick. Using wooden skewer sticks has worked well for me. 

My big news is that I am going to be a part of Indie Cruise 2016. I have loved being a part of the Indie Business Network and am so inspired by Donna Maria, who I consider a mentor (she doesn't know it yet though)! I love her podcast and have learned so much from her while doing mundane chores around the house or going on a run.

Also, Bramble Berry's Anne-Marie will be attending as well. She is another personal mentor. Being surrounded by these inspirational, positive, like-minded, business leaders in paradise is a dream come true for me and a once in a life time opportunity.

So what does this mean for me? Well, I will be thinking of what I can do to prepare for this experience. I plan to soak up the sun and soak in knowledge from my mentors and other successful business owners...I have so much to learn! I try to explain to my friends here in Oregon what this means to me and no one (except my dear husband), can truly grasp the scope of this trip.

It doesn't hurt that all of this wonderful masterminding will occur in Cancun.  I plan to hit the gym hard! I also have to be away from my sweet family for a week, which will be difficult, but it will be so worth it. I can't wait!!!!

The Winner is announced!

Thanks to all who entered the 2015 Bramble Berry S.O.A.P. Panel contest. I randomly assigned numbers to each entrant and then used a random # generator to pick the winner. The winner, Emily Fehrenbach, entered the contest twice, and her perseverance paid off!

The results are in!!!! Contest!!!!

Boy was this fun! I loved being a tester for these mystery fragrances that may become part of the amazing fragrance collection from Bramble Berry. After so many years of soap making, I know what I look for in a fragrance oil, so I will report about my personal experiences and impressions of each oil:

1. Discolored to medium brown. Easy to work with. No noticeable acceleration. Scent is chocolaty with a hint of mint.
   Name Choice: After Dinner Mint
2. Discolored to a medium brown. Easy to work with. No noticeable acceleration. Bakery-type scent. Hints of spice, perhaps nutmeg or cinnamon. Super yummy.
   Name Choice: Biscotti
3. No discoloration or acceleration. This scent was the most intriguing to me. It smells of jasmine rice and a soft floral. To me, it's an Asian inspired scent.
   Name Choice: Japanese Garden
4. Discolors to light tan. No acceleration. Smelled chocolaty OOB, but smells more like a light chocolate and hazelnut mixture after it is used in cp soap.
   Name Choice: White Chocolate Delight. 
5. Discolors to medium tan. No acceleration. This is another bakery scent. Smells like
   Pecan pie.
   Name Choice: Pralines and Cream
6. No discoloration or acceleration. Very fresh and clean...like a clean shaven man. Could market this as a spa scent as well.
   Name Choice: Barber Shop or Clean Shaven
7. No discoloration or acceleration. This scent was the most intriguing to me. It smells of jasmine rice and a soft floral. To me, it's an Asian inspired scent.
   Name Choice: Chinese Garden
8. No acceleration or discoloration. Smells fruity, like grape candy. I am guessing this would be a big hit with little girls.
   Name Choice: Grapes and Giggles
9. Very slight discoloration to cream. No acceleration. Very masculine, in a fresh and green kind of way. This smells like a fresh, crisp mountain air kind of day.
   Name Choice: Mountain Fresh Air or Mountain Mist

The real winners for me are #5,  #6, and #7. I am really intrigued by #6. This one baffled me the most and although I like it, it may not be a good seller for me. I feel that #3, #5, and #7 would be big sellers. I would market #3 toward men. It smells fresh and clean, like shave gel. #5 is a delightful bakery scent. I personally don't use these fragrance oils because I don't like brownish soap and but I do understand their appeal. #7 would be a big seller with the younger girls. It smells so fun and fruity.I had an amazing time on the 2015 Spring S.O.A.P.  Panel. What an honor it was to help take place in this testing process!

Please leave a comment below to be entered to win all 8 of the soaps I tested, and then you can judge for yourself!The contest ends Sunday, April 5th at midnight PST.

Bramble Berry's 2015 Spring S.O.A.P. Panel, Part 1

Here we go folks! Buckle up and take this ride with me!

I was recently selected to be a member of the 2015 Spring S.O.A.P. Panel. I was beyond thrilled. Woo hoo!

A few days ago, I received my 8 samples (this is like Christmas). They were labeled 1-8, and opening each one and sniffing them for the first time was quite the gift!

In anticipation of this testing, I bought two 4 inch Silicone Loaf Molds . OMG, are they ever cute and the perfect size for test batches. Love them.

I have decided to be very methodical about my testing:

• I am making this soap using the recipe I make for almost all my soaps, so I know what to expect.
• I will soap at room temperature.
• I will leave some of the soap uncolored so I can determine how the fragrance effects the soap color. The bakery scented ones will be free of colorants, because I prefer them that way.
• I will soap 2 fragrances per session. There are several that smell very similar, so I want to see how they preform against each other.

Please watch this video to see how testing my first 2 fragrances went. These were chocolate scented and fun and easy to work with. 

Thanks and enjoy!

My Dream Interview Happened!

Bramble Berry's Anne Marie

Indie Business Network's Donna Maria

I became familiar with Bramble Berry when I first started making soap. Anne-Marie, Bramble Berry's owner and founder, is always featured in Soap Queen videos, which is essentially how I learned to make cp soap. I follow her blog, videos, FB page, Istagram etc.  and have shopped at Bramble Berry for years. Bramble Berry's products are always top notch and the customer service is amazing!

I became familiar with Donna Maria of the Indie Business network after hearing her name tossed around on soap making forums. Through a forum, I learned she had a podcast, so I subscribed and got hooked! As a small business owner of  handcrafted items, I have learned so much! Please listen to her podcast! You won't be disappointed. 

Donna Marie's Podcast

I was an early adopter to podcasts. I have been listening to them for almost 10 years and they have entertained and educated me during many hours of breast feeding, house cleaning, and exercising. 

I also made the switch from the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild to the Indie Business Network this year when it was time to renew my insurance. I couldn't be happier with my choice and have learned an immense amount about business so far. I feel that Donna Maria really cares about the folks in her network and wants us all to succeed!

These amazing female business owners are my role models, so imagine my surprise when I looked at my podcasts and found that the latest Episode of Donna Marie's Podcast, Women, Wealth and Wow, was an interview with Bramble Berry's Anne-Marie! It was such a gift to me. I have already listened to the episode twice. 

I strongly urge any small business owners to be inspired by Donna Maria's podcast. There is such a wealth of knowledge and wisdom every week!