Facebook and a Giveaway

Hello Fellow Soap Lovers! Did you know I am on Facebook? Well, I am. If you like to know what is being made in my soap kitchen, and hence, what will soon be available on my website, then you should "like" me on Facebook.

Plus, once my Cloud 9 Bath & Body page hits 50 "likes" I will be giving away a soap basket worth over 20 dollars!! You can't miss this. Whether for yourself or to giveaway as gifts during the Holidays, this is a gift worth going after. So head on over...you won't be disappointed.

Holiday Season!!

{Cinnamon + Coffee + Beer Soap}

The Holidays will soon be upon us and that means the busy time of the season for us artisanal soap makers. I have been in my soap kitchen a lot the past week whipping up bars of soap for family, friends and customers. I say {but maybe I'm a bit biased} that soap is the perfect holiday gift. No, it isn't a giant T.V or any electronic that may be on your wishlist, but it is a vacation. A trip to a place I like to call paradise. Depending on your taste it could be a relaxing bath with Lavender {soap or bath salts, that's up to you} or an invigorating shower with Cinnamon + Coffee + Beer soap. Whatever your choice {Citrusy, deep, energizing} it is a vacation away from the everyday. Starting your day off on a positive note can have a huge effect on the rest of your day. When I "wake up on the wrong side of the bed" nothing seems to go right for the whole day- but a shower to wash away that bad start and breathe fully for a second can turn it around in the 10 {okay, maybe 15} minutes it takes me to shower. That shower is my do-over, the saving grace of my day.

 

And....you can give that to someone for Christmas. It isn't just another present, but peace of mind. It isn't another thing to store away, but a sliver that nourishes in the cold months ahead. Speaking of cold months ahead...and the dry, possibly cracked skin that comes with it..well this is the solution. My soaps are made mostly of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Olive oil is a very moisturizing oil, drawing moisture to the skin and keeping it there {which is exactly what we need in the coming months}.

Cinnamon + Coffee + Beer Soap Bar}

{Amber +Rose + Ylang Ylang Soap}

Plus, you're helping to keep the diversity of small business by buying handmade, and that says a lot. We all tend to shop at big box stores more than we should {myself included}, but by keeping "mom and pop" shops, one-woman shops, and small businesses alive, we are keeping diversity of market alive, which is very important.

So, visit my website {www.cloud9bathbody.com} to check out what's in the shop or will be soon. I'm working on stuff ever week, so there will be more to come. I'm very excited about what we're doing around here, and I hope you all are too! I'll be blogging a bit more during this time to update everyone on new products, so stick around and check back in!!

Spring Cleanin Sale Ends Soon

The scheduled end date for the Spring Cleaning Sale is May 1st. It has been on for pretty much 3 weeks and my stock is going down, so I will be ending it the beginning of next month. If you still haven't made your order, get it in now while you can snag almost double the amount of soap for half the price. Happy Soap Shopping!

A little change

Hello! It's been a while since my last post. Being a mom comes first and foremost and the end of school is near. Summer is coming and I will be vacationing in Hawaii with family and spending time at some of my mom's properties. This all mean what exactly?! Well, I won't be working much.

On a different subject, I wanted to talk about my packaging. I will be the first to admit that I am a novice at all of this. Whether it be networking, advertising, blogging- it's all new to me. Packaging is including on that list. I know what I like when I'm in a store, in terms of packaging and I know what I don't like. Many articles state that packaging is more important than the product itself, although I think it is the product that keeps you coming back. I don't want to "waste" my time with packaging, really. I don't want to waste resources (I love Mother Earth) and I don't want to spend extra money in a place where I would be fine if all my bars were naked. Just sitting in a basket, naked, waiting for some lovely person to scoop them up and give them a good home (or shower/bath).

What I was finding with my packaging, though, was that it was not "clean" looking. I wanted my product to look streamlined. Whether it be for shelf packaging or sending in the mail, it needed to be put together and not looked crumpled if it had to sit a while or take a long ride in a box.

So I decided to change it a bit. I give you a picture of my old packaging: 

If you look in the above photo you can see how the tags can get a bit bent, and reach past the soap, so they don't have any solid backing to prevent crumpling. I also would tie them with a bow, which adds more time when I am packaging my soap. Time = money, as they say. Honestly I have no clue if packaging them the new way "saves" me any money, I just like it better. So now I give you how I am currently packaging my soaps:

This way the tags never get bent or torn and I can package them in a box nicely. They stack nicely for store shelves and display tables and it's simple and "clean" looking. I am no longer doing the bow, although I still think it's a cute touch. Everything else is the same: white tissue paper, raffia, recycled paper with description. By the way, if you didn't already know, all of the packaging material is compostable or burnable (I'm a fire lover and fireplace owner, but I know a lot of city folk aren't). Please don't throw away the packaging. You can do so many things with stuff you think is useless. So, do you like? Let me know what you think in the comment section.

Spring Cleaning Sale!!!

Today I put everything on sale, up to 50% off for some of the soaps. These are amazing prices for soap that has organic extra virgin olive oil and organic responsibly sourced palm oil. I am trying to usher out these bars to bring in new spring scents and to make some space in my soap room. Is a friends' birthday coming up? Want a nice Easter gift for a friend or family member? Need to stock up for yourself? Now is that time. I can pack 4 bars into a flat rate USPS box for 5.20 and a single bar ships for just over 2 dollars. Also, if you are local to Santa Rosa, ca or Fort Bragg or Mendocino, I will deliver and refund any shipping costs that you payed online when you ordered. Check out all the different soaps that are available:

And even more on the website! Go check them all out at: www.cloud9bathbody.com

{In the Kitchen} with Lemon Poppyseed

I don't know about all of you, but I'm yearning for Spring (well, Summer, really) and warmer days, more light hours, sunshine, and did I mention warmer days? Making this Lemon Poppyseed soap was just what I needed to perk up my spirit and remind me that those days will be here soon enough, but for now I can enjoy a daily shower with Lemon Poppyseed.

With its golden yellow streaks playfully dripping down the bar it reminds me of drinking cold Lemonade drinks on a warm Summer day. This soap also has poppyseeds to shine up that rough Winter skin just in time for those warmer Spring days and hot Summer nights. In my opinion, poppseeds aren't as abrasive as coffee, cinnamon or another spice that can be added to soaps. Poppseeds are round by nature, unlike other spices that are ground, and therefore have sharper edges. Poppyseeds roll over your skin gently exfoliating those top layers of dead skin so you can show off shiny, smooth skin .

You can use the top for more exfoliation or the larger side for less.

Whichever side you use, you are going to love this soap.

This soap will be available mid April on my website: www.cloud9bathbody.com. Are there any scents that remind you of Summer? Are you longing for those long warm nights just as much as me? Meet me in the comment section, we'll chat there.

Meet your Maker {soapmaker, that is}

It dawned on me this weekend that everyone likes to see the face of those that they are buying from. I think it helps us "know" who we choose to buy from. Knowing someone helps us trust that what we are buying is what they say it is. There is a lot of talk out there about knowing where your food comes from, hence buying more food from Farmer's Markets (knowing your food grower) and such. So I thought we could do a little "meet-your-maker" post. I'll tell you a little about me, and those that help support me, and have helped me realize this dream of owning my own business and being an "artist", instead of sitting behind a desk just because it makes money (probably more money). So, hello, my name is Susan:

I am a new transplant to Santa Rosa, Ca. due to a job for my hubby, the opportunity to own a home of our own and great schools for our two boys. Speaking of boys, we have two: Aiden, 6 1/2 years and Liam, just turned 4. We moved in the Summer of 2010 and renovated (almost done, but is it ever done?) our house heavily for the first 4 months. After the dust settled (literally) and we got into the groove of our new schedule I dove back into my soap making. I made it official (you know, with all that paperwork) and am now working from home as a soapmaker. Of course, this all wouldn't be possible without the boys (and man) in my life. This is Lucas (and Liam), my hubby:

He's an auto technician and has been a great supporter to me starting my own business. He helps me think of ways to make sales and possible new soap scents to add to the line-up. Most of all, he believes in me, which means the world to me.

And our boys, oh them boys. Our oldest, Aiden, is a first grader. You all know how first graders look, right?! Well, they are generally toothless, and mine is no different. Meet Aiden:

 And we can't forget little brother, Liam. Liam's been through a lot in his 4 years (two heart surgeries and multiple doctors visits, needle pricks and probes). He is a very strong, courageous boy, which helps me stay strong too. Meet Liam:

So, this is my team. They are my backbone, my support. Without them none of this would be possible or worth it. They push me along with love. So, thank you team, I love you big time.

So I hope you enjoyed hearing a little bit about me and my team. Tell me about you, readers! Where are you from? What keeps you going?

{In the Kitchen} With Coffee and Mocha

Yesterday I was in the kitchen making some coffee soap and mocha too. I made up some coffee a couple of days ahead of time and then after it had cooled a bit, put it in the fridge to keep it fresh, out of the way, and keep its temperature down for when I mixed it with the lye. This is a really simple soap with no colorants (other than the coffee itself) and no essential oil. The top is sprinkled with microground coffee for some scrubbiness for your feet (because we all know Winter is a killer on our skin- especially those feet.

A little about coffee. Coffee is known to promote the appearance of smoother looking skin, especially in places prone to cellulite. Coffe has a PH balance similar to that of the human body, meaning it is better able to clean and performs as an effective astringent.

Take a gander at the Coffee Bar:

Also made that day was Mocha, a sweet side addition to having coffee on hand.

Mocha is 3/4 coffee with a top of chocolate, making delicious mocha. Once again, there are no E.O's in this soap or colorants, just the natural ones (coffee, chocolate). Here is Mocha:

These are on the curing racks as we speak and ready for sale around mid March, so until then have a real cup and when March rolls around you can have your "cup" in the shower too!

Any other favorite drinks you would want to see in soap form? Take it to the comment section and you just might see in my store before you know it.

{In the kitchen} with Orange Rose and Rose (Geranium)

The other day I cut the Rose (Geranium) and Orange Rose into bars and cut a few sample sizes too. The color of the bars aren't exactly what I wanted, but I think overall they turned out very close to what I wanted in every other area other than color. I am trying out plant-based ways to color my soaps to keep them as close to natural as possible. Every now and then I use oxides or ultramarines- but as rarely as possible. So these bars were colored with hibiscus powder and a bit of paprika to add a bit of orange color. I wanted the rose to be a faint pink (from the hibiscus powder) but that didn't happen. Here are a couple examples of what they turned out like. Above is a 1 oz. sample of Orange Rose as well as the two pictures below

 Above are the bigger chunks of both the Rose {left} and Orange Rose {right} and below is a shot from above.

 Below are some samples of the Rose {Geranium}

They are available in March.

Coming Soon...

 All of these below are honey oat. They have no colorant or essential oils added for scent. The honey naturally colors the soaps a deep honey color and they smell slightly sweet. Soothing, natural and great for sensitive skin.

 All of the green soaps below are Slice O' Lime. They are colored with spirulina powder, so there isn't any oxides or ultramarines for those with sensitive skin. The essential oil used is mainly Lime with a bit of Litsea Cubeba essential oil for extra staying power. They smell so good- a great "pick-me-up" in the shower before work, or just to start the day. Inside of these is a small bit of loofah for extra scrubbiness and lather, and it looks like a slice of lime once you get down to the loofah. Both of these soaps will be up for sale on March 1 (about 3 weeks) in my shop (www.cloud9bathbody.com). The Honey Oat will be 5.00 and the Slice O' Lime will be 3.00 (they're on the smaller side). Hope you enjoy the pics.