The right tool for the job

I always want to kick myself after I buy the right tool for the job after struggling with the wrong tool. I was reminded of this tonight.

In soapmaking, you can use almost anything for a mold and almost any pot (not aluminum or tin) or spoon. You need a scale. None of those items needs to be fancy.

But, you might really benefit from a tool to open those 5 gallon buckets. I rejoiced for days when I got mine a few years ago. Long gone is the feeling that I might lose my fingernails entirely as I tried to pry the lid off my base oils. This site has a lot of them. I picked mine up at the local Cash & Carry (Smart & Final for some of you).

My latest "OMG!! Why didn't I get this before!?!? I should just kill myself for being an idiot and not buying this earlier but I won't because I love it!!!!" purchase is the For Crafts Sake QuickCut Soap Cutter. What an incredible time and frustration saver. Not to mention, nice even width bars!!

(photo from For Crafts Sake)

I love my soap cutter. I love my pail opener. I love my DishDrawer and my Tivo.

The soap cutter allowed me to cut 180 bars in 20-25% of the time it used to take giving me more time to watch the TiVo. :)

What is your favorite "right" tool? Talk about it in the Comments section.

Saponifier Magazine supplier survey

Take it today! If you've already taken it, take it again because they had to reset it.
http://saponifier.2009-awards.sgizmo.com

The survey closes on August 27, so get your opinions heard before then.

Lil' Soap t-shirt is back in print!

At the HMSG conference in May, my Lil' Soap t-shirt from Threadless was a big hit. Unfortunately, it was out of print.

However, I just got word that they've reprinted it! So, get yours now before it's too late.

Supporting local causes

I really like to support "local". To this end, and for our health, we're trying to eat food that is grown locally and even bought a deep freeze to make this easier to do year 'round. I'll be freezing our fav summer foods over the next few weeks, especially berries!!

Other local things we're supporting:
The Kirkland Canine Festival
Please stop by the Pepo Park / Anandi's Laboratory booth & say "Hi". We'll have treats for the pups and for the peeps.

And, a cause not local to me, but perhaps local to you or to your interests.
The Crosby Mint Farm in St. Johns, Michigan is the oldest mint farm in the US. They're facing foreclosure in 23 days and are trying to sell drams of peppermint and spearmint to raise funds.
I'm a lover of essential oil so their predicament struck a chord with me. Check out their site and if you like what they have to say, buy a dram or 2 of their essential oil.

I know, you want to know how I helped the farm. I got 2 candles, some mint eo (the kit of 7 drams so that I can share the goodness) and some toffee. I can already smell the deliciousness in my mind's eye.

I hope to see you at the Juanita Farmer's Market or at the Kirkland Canine Festival! :)

Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild Conference sneak peak

In May, I attended the Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild Conference in Palm Springs, CA.

Next year, the conference will be held April 30-May 2 in Denver, CO.
Here's a preview of what you can expect.

I'm still blown away by the great stuff I learned and how nice everyone was. In a year where you're counting every penny, I was glad that I spent a few going to the conference.

Get local!

On July 3, I was at the Juanita Friday Night Market selling my soapy wares.

It was a great day to be at the market. The sun was out, it was hot.

It really felt like summer. And, great summer foods were plentiful.

Dog days. Dogs enjoy cool water that flows from QuilBay Oyster's coolers.

The Pepo Park booth was flanked by emilkman and Burton Brother Homemade Ice Cream.

It was very hard for me to be next to that delicious ice cream and I gave in early. After I tasted the flavors I hadn't tried yet, I chose cherry with choc chip.

I was visited by several friends. Neighbor Lynne who gave me a 1/2 pint of raspberries, Personal Trainer Evelyn and "Long Haired" Jen (I know a lot of people named Jen so they each have a nickname). Jen kept me company for most of the market and helped me pack up. She earned a free bar of ginger spice soap and a 1/2 flat of raspberries from Hayton Farms. I took another 1/2 flat home. Delicious!

Berries from Hayton Farms:

Other plentiful items: Cherries, apricots, squash, beans, peas, lettuce, flowers and more.

A gorgeous bouquet designed by Moua Gardens just for Independence Day.

Fruits and squash from Family Pepper:

And, don't forget the crafts. Soap (of course!), jewelry, carved stones, Bottlecrap, glass, clothing and the kids' booths.

Bottlecrap:

The market is weekly through October. Come visit!

Pepo Park visits Australia

I've been off line for a few weeks. Shawn and I went on a long overdue vacation to Australia. We haven't been on a real vacation for a while and I haven't been to Australia for 25 years. So, overdue in a few ways.

Anyway, on to the most important topic: Soap!!

I was very pleased to meet two soap makers. Kary of Blossoms In Cream and Shirley of A Slice of Soap.

Kary makes beautiful cold process cake & cupcake soaps as well as regular bar soaps. They all smell great and the cake & cupcake soaps are beautiful. She sells at the Windsor Craft Market on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month. I bought a cupcake (mouthwatering lime), a slice (looks like a latte but smells like Peru balsam), and 3 regular bars. Kary uses essential oils to scent her soaps like I do. For information, contact Kary at blossoms.cream (at) bigpond.com.

The cupcake and slice I bought: Kary's display of cake and cupcake soaps:Shirley from A Slice of Soap makes beautiful dessert soaps out of melt and pour. My personal favorite was her licorice allsort, despite my strong dislike for the real food. :) They are beautiful and colorful. Shirley has a store in Cremorne and also sells at The Rocks Weekend Market.

Cake. Admit it, you'd like to eat that!
Chocky cupcakes:Licorice allsorts:I don't know what you call these, but if you could eat them, I would. Note the layered hearts on the left. I can taste the strawberries! Pie, jello & cupcakes:
It was a great trip. And, as you can see, great soap!