10th ave. soapworks

It's 2015 already!  And halfway through January, to boot! For me, 2014 was a blur of action--farmer's markets twice a week, an abundant garden, a few big home projects, summer work as a school aide, lots and lots of soap and even a couple of vacations wedged in among everything. It was a good year, but....not the sort that creates a sane family life. Late last summer, my husband and I discussed pulling back on some of our commitments and purposefully not signing onto everything that looks like fun.  (A significant weakness of mine.)  So, I finished my stint as manager of the Monroe's farmer's market in November and didn't fill up every weekend leading up to Christmas with craft shows. Life is much better!  Right now I'm enjoying the slower pace that comes during the winter months.  But my primary focus this January is streamlining 10th Ave. operations--making bigger batches of soap and learning to be more efficient with my time in the workroom to...

Thus would my former supervisor cheerily call out to me during our busiest, most frantic season.  Or to put it more simply, "Try to try."  And some days, what more can you do?  I've noticed a definite pattern: the quieter my blog, the busier my "real life." I'm not sure if the answer is better time management or a slower-paced life--either would come in handy. As it has been April since I last posted, you can be assured that things are been moving at warp speed around here.  But such exciting stuff!  Here are a couple items on the business side of things: I was contacted by Milwaukee Public Television this spring and asked to recommend an outstanding vendor from the farmer's market I manage for a segment on an upcoming show on my town, Monroe, Wisconsin.  I immediately named a favorite produce vendor but because of scheduling and produce availability conflicts, the next day I found myself and my soap business on the interview roster.  Eeep. Sho...

So what have I been up to these past 9+ months?  It's been a whirlwind! But some highlights on the soapy side of things: I was elected manager of a farmer's market last winter.  With the responsibilities have come some unique opportunities.  In February I was included in a front page article on the market in my local newspaper, including a picture of me making soap.  I'm not used to soaping for an audience, much less for a photographer snapping pictures like I was a big deal.  But thanks to a reliable recipe (and no on-the-fly experimentation for once!) everything went perfectly. Not exactly typical of my soaping sessions.... I'm obsessive about wearing safety glasses.  And I'd like to think my hair usually looks better. ;) A few months later I was asked (or more specifically, told, prodded, cajoled, dang-near forced) to be on a local radio station's community events program.  I arrived feeling decently prepared, I thought, with a half dozen or...

For all you soapmakers, how do you know that people like your soaps?  I mean, they may be in awe of your soapmaking abilities and gush over your endless creativity.  They may buy soaps from you in such quantities that you wonder if they experience most of life from within the confines of a bathtub. But don't you sometimes still have lingering doubts?  Do your customers just sense your desperate need for positive reinforcement?  Do they hope that their financial support will enable you to take a vacation and get away from the lye fumes that have obviously affected you?  Or do they simply feel pity for their friend who whiles away the time combining quantities of oils and liquids with stuff that cleans out drains and thinks it's the funnest thing ever? I thought I'd offer two foolproof indicators that your customers really, truly love your soaps. 1. They use i...

Sad to say, my previous experiences with other soapers at craft shows haven't been all that memorable.  I hadn't experienced the comraderie that should exist between two people with the same passion; I've either been acknowledged with an aloof nod or I've gotten the vibe that I am Serious Competition to be Feared not Friended, in spite of my efforts to the contrary.  But last weekend I finally had a different experience.  Lisa of Lisa's Handcrafted Soaps, two tables away, noticed me first and came over to introduce herself.  Within minutes we were pals, discussing--as soapy pals do--lye volcanoes, soda ash and mold sizes, for starters.  We took turns checking out each other's stuff while the other one acted as a lookout in case a customer stopped by the unmanned table. Of course we had to do a soap swap.  Decisions are not usually easy for me.  My first choice was easy, however.  She makes liquid soap, something I'v...

My first summer vending at my local farmer's market ended a couple of weeks ago.  And it was an adventure!  Besides being fun, and profitable, it was also educational: While I've thought the recent encouragement of "shopping locally" was a good and even obvious concept, being immersed in it over the summer gave me a new perspective and appreciation for a very old tradition...a practice that should never have changed.  Through the market, I was introduced to another locally-owned business--a really lovely store-- Wild Flower Collectibles , who asked to carry my soaps.  I love supporting people, not businesses, if that makes sense. At a farmer's market, I can talk to the people from my own community that make and/or grow what they sell.  They have a knowledge and passion for their work that is non-existant in a retail store. And I learned so much besides this. I swapped recipes, gardening tips, heirloom bean...

.....If I only had a sale for every time I've been asked this question! How would you respond?  Here are a few options: A)  "Love.  In every single bar."  (includes a complimentary upchuck bag) B)  Launch into a crash course in the science of soapmaking to wow/overwhelm him with my knowledge. C) Offer a personal introduction to every bar in my lineup and its unique ingredients. OK, maybe not.  When I first began selling my soaps, I floundered on this question until one customer--bless her lil ol' heart--followed the question with another.  "Do you use goat's milk?"  And that's the real question my customers had been asking. In my area, goat's milk soaps have an excellent reputation (as they should!) and it seems assumed that handmade soaps of any respectable quality should contain goat's milk.  I wonder if this is a common customer concern or just prevalent in my area?  Anyway, ...

I thrive on creative challenges--most of the time.  However, I tend to greet display decisions with the same enthusiasm that I muster to organize income taxes or to go to the doctor. But on the spur of the moment, in utter desperation, I came up with a way to display a wide array of soaps so they are easy to see. I dug through the Mister's scrap piles and found 5 chunks of wood that were vaguely similar.  I stacked them and wrapped a piece of fabric around the lumber. Voila.  Instant display.  It has proven so handy that I'm still using it for the farmer's market this summer.  I screwed the stacks together so it's easy to tote around.  I'm not looking at it as a long-term display, just until I get a fancy one, once I decide exactly what I want.  That means I'll probably be using it for years. Is this an original idea for a quick display?  It probably isn't, but I thought it was a touch of gen...

Monroe-- The day dawned overcast and cool this past Wednesday, leading residents of the small Midwest town to conclude there was little chance the weather report was right.  It wouldn't reach the forecasted high of 100 degrees and the weatherman would have to cough up a free umbrella to a viewer for flubbing on his "4 degree guarantee." Amy, owner of 10th Ave. Soapworks and vendor at the local farmer's market, enjoyed the early morning hours out in her garden.  The morning went so smoothly that she even had time to make up a batch of soap and try out her latest lip balm flavor, pina colada, before packing up for the market.  For the first time since June, she expected to enjoy a farmer's market day that was less than 100 degrees.  As she toted boxes of soapy delights to her car, she noticed the temperature had risen dramatically during the noon hour.  Our enthusiastic saleswoman re...

I've recently added some new soaps to my zibbet shop : Raspberry porter , made with beer (of course) brewed here in Monroe... sweet pea , as you remember, one of my challenge soaps... And anise .  I've never really had a strong opinion about anise one way or another, but this simple anise essential oil soap won me over.  It's so spicy and refreshing! And a funny thing happened recently.  A super fun lady named Ann taught my sisters and me how to applique.  That's not exactly the funny thing, but it was a good time... I fell in love with the technique and made myself this messenger bag which I now use all the time.  Someone happened to be passing by as I was showing my bag to a friend and this complete stranger asked me to design one for her.  So I made one.  And then another.  And then a couple more (because I have nothing else to do, you understand...snicker...)  I've put a couple of...

So far my soap of 2012 has been of the ho-hum sort, but since it's only the 4th, I'm not giving up on the year yet! :)  I haven't ruined any, either, so I'll just keep muddling along until I get through the doldrums. Here is a batch of BB's Cherry Blossom.  It's made with all goat milk and with the shea butter, the lather is already quite nice.  It was a special order and the whole batch has been claimed, so you won't be finding it in my Zibbet shop.  But I thought I'd share pictures anyway.

Last weekend was my last craft show of the season.  It was held in the little bitty town of Hollandale, WI, but with 35 vendors, crafts for the kids, and a visit from Santa, it was a busy place!  The more shows I do the easier it is to get ready, but I always get a little stressed the night before, making sure that I have everything I need and have prepared enough products....and the "right" products, at that. Craft shows are funny things.  There is always one item that is popular and that popular thing changes with every show.  I sold out of solid lotion bars within a few hours during one show recently and soap mats flew out during another show.  But the Hollandale show was a little different--the fragrance was "the thing."  Anything raspberry-vanilla scented was the hot item.  There must have been some talk (or, "the hens were clucking" as the Mister said), because a few customers weren't perusing the tables,...

...Zibbeteur? I'm not really sure what I'd call myself, but I'm a big fan of an online venue called Zibbet . Zibbet is a website for artists and crafters to sell their handmade items. Only a few years old, this site based out of Australia is taking on the more established venues like Etsy and Artfire and doing pretty well, besides! I like it for several reasons. It's new. It's not as well known as places like Etsy but it's fun to be on the ground floor of something potentially big. With fewer sellers, it's easier to be seen. There are about 30 times the number of soaps for sale on Etsy compared to Zibbet. And I like the choice of a free or premium account and neither option has listing or selling fees. There is also an active community page with sellers more than happy to give other sellers advice and encouragement. At the moment, I sell most of my products in person and am not focusing on the online side. Even so, I find it helpful to have a place wh...