I sell hand-crafted soaps from the simplistic to fun and creative designs, colors and fragrances. Most of my shop is dedicated to soaps, but I also sell other bath products that compliment my soaps.
Where did you get your etsy shop name from?
My shop is called Soapy Blessings. Soapy Blessings reflected my shop and business concept. I chose it due to a story I wrote several years ago.
Why did you start selling on Esty?
Etsy seemed to be a natural choice once I started making soaps. I knew I needed an online venue for more sales. I tried eBay at first but didn't have much success there. I found Etsy quite by accident one day while cruising around the internet.
Where do you get inspiration for the items in your shop?
My inspiration comes from some of the newest fragrance oils available. Sometimes, it comes from the colors in nature that I love; and sometimes it comes from suggestions by other people like my own family and friends. Sometimes I wake up from dreaming about something that inspires me. I look in nature and wonder, "how could I relate this to soap?"
How do you keep yourself motivated to keep on selling even if times are slow?
I deliberately plan little “vacations” away from actual soap making so that I can focus on creative methods of selling, promoting, research and increasing my knowledge base.
What kind of mediums do you use and why?
To create soap, there are three basic ingredients: an oil-based substance, a water-based substance, and sodium hydroxide. It gets more complex and creative from there when you begin to choose the additives, oil and water selections or if you plan to add colors etc. Then, how you're going to shape and mold it. There are several different methods for making soap; cold process, hot process, hand-milled, melt and pour. I use them all, but my current favorite seems to be hot process which gives me more freedom to add fragrances that stay better in the soap.
What are your biggest goals for 2010?
Still working on some signature soap collections, some different methods of promotion and selling ideas. I would like to extend my craft fair venue, but may not be able to this year due to my secular work schedule.
What is your most popular item?(Either by most views or most sales)
Bug Be Gone Soap, which contains natural essential oils known to repel insects. It is my summer-time best seller far above all other items. I use it myself in conjunction with my Bug Be Gone fragrance balm when I’m out and about in buggy areas. My entire family uses it, as does most of our neighborhood on warm summer evenings. During the rest of the year, it is a real hodge-podge of what seems to sell best. Lavender soaps always seem to sell well. I make them year-round, unlike many of my other soaps which are made on a seasonal basis only.
Is there anyone or anything else you'd like to tell us about?
Hand-crafted soaps have a long history of use. They slowly went out of favor when new cleansers/detergents were discovered. Due to many skin irritations from some of these newer liquid soaps and bars of soap that are a little more than detergent, hand-crafted soap has come back into favor over the last few years. If you haven’t tried a properly made hand-crafted soap, you are missing out on one of life’s personal indulgences that is also affordable.
Where can we find you?
Etsy Shop: http://www.soapyblessings.etsy.com/
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/SoapyBlessings
Facebook Fan Page: www.Facebook.com/soapyblessings
Blog Site: http://www.jabonsoaps.blogspot.com/
6 comments:
Another great interview Amber. Truly interesting and the soaps look amazing!
Amber and Patricia, this is a great interview. The questions are well put, with Patricia allowing us a peek into her life. What we do is not as impersonal as many people think. A craft for most I believe is an extension of ones inner spirit. Each bar of soap is much more than just soap, so much more. From your answers I see an artisan that puts her heart and inner spirit into every bar. Amber, Patricia, thank you Donald that candleguy
Awesome job!
and blog Amber! It was very well written. Patricia, I never knew how much of a process it was to make soap! I find your products amazing and so true to their names. Thank you for sharing:)
Karen
Cool!
Super write up. I'm off to add this blog in many blogable places :)
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