Search results (tags) for: "bath and beauty"

Fill Your Holiday Stockings With Pepperminty Beauty Products

2009-12-08T13:45:00-05:00

One of my favorite things to do when the weather is cold is to suck on a candy cane, then go outside and breathe in the the cool air. It’s so refreshing! With minty bath and beauty products, you can get that same feeling without having to leave the comfort of your warm home, plus these treats make for perfect stocking stuffers.

Thanks to our Frisky friends, Erin Flaherty and Catherine Strawn for these tingly beauty tips.

For more peppermint product suggestions, check out the original story at The Frisky.

Get tons of beauty, hair and fashion tips here.

Visit The Frisky's Holiday Gift Guide for more gift ideas
than you could shake a peppermint stick at.

Etsy Finds: Libra vs. Scorpio

2009-10-27T12:31:00-05:00

Today's Etsy Finds collection is a spirited duel between the autumnal star babies, Libra (September 22-October 23) and Scorpio (October 23-November 22).

Governed by Venus, the planet of beauty, Libras are true connoisseurs of high culture: flowers, designer clothing, entertainment, art, fine food, perfume, social events and travel. Unyieldingly particular about what they will or will not bring into their homes, Libras are tastemakers who seek luxurious fabrics like silk and cashmere. They enjoy elegant prints and precious fine jewelry. Represented by the scales of balance, a Libra will find her emotional center with spa treatments and yoga, especially after a decadent night of dining and dancing.

Scorpio is governed by the planet Pluto, which represents power. Known for intensity of emotion, sexuality and darkness, the Scorpio is often summed up by her piercing, unflinching gaze — "The Scorpio Stare." Scorpios are still waters that run deep, reflected in their fascination with caves, the spiritual and occult, the underwater realm, tattoos, piercings, strategy games, dimly lit rooms, forests, secrets and photography (think spy equipment). They have a tenacity for daring styles that best express their flirtation with danger, and they prefer form-fitting jersey or synthetic fabrics that improve stealth. Their homes have touches of cool modernist aesthetic with private collections of oddities. The Scorpio style is often simple but always sensual; allowing the inner vamp to seep through.

Find items inspired by your sign by searching for "zodiac" in the main search field!

Clothing

LIBRA SCORPIO

Blanchett Raglan Coat

By DeNovoStyle, $338.

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Purple Faux Fur Vest

From MyVintageSecret, $28.

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Pink Strapless Metallic Dress

By paulnkc, $86.

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Maslinda One Shoulder Dress

By maslinda, $75.

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Barquentine Skirt

By Makool, $128.

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High Rise Thong

By twinsyndrome, $20.

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Accessories

LIBRA SCORPIO

Vintage Ferragamo Riding Boots

From nstylevintage, $177.

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Vintage Victorian Style Boots

From zorra666, $24.99.

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Lilly in Stripe Purse

By myTida, $55.

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5 Pocket Okinawa Bag

By valhallabrooklyn, $198.

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Excellent Vintage White Sunglasses

From VintageEtc, $20.

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POM QUEEN HAT Boudoir Queen

By BoudoirQueen, $65.

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Jewelry

LIBRA SCORPIO

Seed Pod Flower Stacking Ring

By blancamonrosgomez, $115.

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Faceted Amethyst and Horn Ring

By galerieurbana, $150.

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Rose Feather and Chain Necklace

By noemiah, $40.

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Zipper Fringe Necklace

By wildcatters, $35.

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Tiny Stud Earrings - Gold

By ShanaAstrachan, $45.

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Titanium, Leather Knit Bracelet

By pipertree, $188.

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Home Decor

LIBRA SCORPIO

Two-Faced Vase

By DishfulsOfDoodles, $101.50.

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Mod Snap Glasses by Corning

From junkculture, $18.

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Block Printed Lampshade- Medium

By HomeSweet, $80.

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Mid Century Danish Orb Mirrors

From cutfromthesamecloth, $34.

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Sassari Ikat Cushion - Navy/Natural

By plumcushion, $85.

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Mod Cube/Sphere Ice Bucket

From ThePeriodPiece, $8.

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Spa Style

LIBRA SCORPIO

Luxury Handmade Soap Trio

By sweetpetula, $18.

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Esoterica Sugar Scrub 8 oz.

By skinandtonic, $12.

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Hawaiian Gardenia Soy Candle

By karingrow, $19.50.

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Upcycled Saki Cup Soy Candle

By ChicEarth, $8.

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Cocoa Butter and Mint Lip Balm

By dennisanderson, $3.

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Poison Ivy Lip Balm

By ForStrangeWomen, $6.

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Essentially You

LIBRA SCORPIO

Libra Zodiac Charm Necklace

By ArielGordonJewelry, $260.

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Scorpion Charmer Screen Print

By horsedrawncarriage, $40.

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Balancing Herbal Skin Toner

By SpaTherapy, $8.75.

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Hidden Compartment Book

By ScreaminMonkeyCircus, $12.

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Repurposed Yoga Strap and Handle

By YogaSunsations, $10.

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Extotic Wood Chess Boards

By jjjeffery, $42.95.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

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Etsy Finds: Try and Relax...

2009-06-19T12:00:00-05:00

This weekend I invite you to indulge in some guilt free pleasures. Spoil yourself with delectable spa treatments and bath accessories, all at discount prices! Each of the shops below are offering special Bath and Beauty promotions running this weekend only. Relax after a long week and whip your skin into shape for a fantastic summer glow. Be sure to check out our entire Weekend Deals shopping guide for more Bath and Beauty goodness. Looking for even more deals? The details of a special SAFE (Soap Artisans Friends of Etsy) Team sale can be found at the bottom of this post!

Lavender-patchouli mineral bath soak

15% off the entire shop, as well as a free blissful body oil sample with every order. Plus, three lucky customers will receive 50% off (via PayPal refund) when a name is drawn random at the end of the sale. Just write "RELAX" in the Message to Seller to receive your discount and sample. Discount will be refunded via PayPal.

By Sudstress, $14.25.

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Almond Champagne Shea Butter Soap

20% off all orders, to be refunded via PayPal when you enter the code "relax" in the Message to Seller at checkout.

By copperlilly, $6.

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Aqua Di Gio Type - Shea and Clay Shaving Soap

20% off your entire order when you mention the code "After Party" in the Message to Seller during checkout.

By DECAcandle, $4.

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Detox Clay and Milk Masque

20% off all individual facial care products when you enter the code "RELAX" in the Message to Seller during checkout.

By SkinJourney, $10.75.

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flower cozy - recycled felted wool

Free international shipping on all tea cozies when you leave the message "NICE CUPPA" in the Message to Seller at checkout. Shipping will be refunded through PayPal.

By remadeshop, $27.

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After the Rain Soap Dish

Free bar of handmade soap with each soap dish purchased this weekend. Leave the code "SoapyJune" in the Message to Seller for your free soap.

By dbabcock, $35.

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Wall Mounted Cherry Blossom Rose FloralFuser

Enter in the promo code "Kick Back" in the Message to Seller at checkout to receive 10% off any flower reed diffuser.

By MelroseFields, $65.

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Lilac Bath Bombs Set of 3

Enjoy 20% off your entire order when you enter the code "RELAX" in the Message to Seller at checkout.

By KBShimmer, $8.50.

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Citrus Soap Bar for normal to oily skin types

20% off store wide when you enter the code "Party" in the Message to Seller at checkout. Your discount will be refunded through PayPal. (Or if you prefer, the seller will send a revised invoice.)

By Intentions, $5.95.

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Handmade Kiwi Coconut Glycerin Soap

Receive a dollar off all items in this shop when you mention this article in the Message to Seller.

By HansenSoapCo, $5.50.

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soap and candle combo deal

Receive a free herbal soap with every candle purchase. Just mention this article in the Message to Seller!

By MileEndSoapandCandle, $25.

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Passion fruit Papaya Bath Bombs

15% off entire order, including soy massage candles, body butters, scrubs and bath bombs, when you enter the code "HANGOVER" in the Message to Seller at checkout. You savings will be refunded to your PayPal account.

By chickscratch, $6.

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Beer Soap Made With Real Beer For Real Men

Take 15% off your entire order when you enter the code "Weekend Deal" in the Message to Seller during checkout.

By aBreathofFrenchair, $5.50.

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Luscious Whipped Sugar Scrub

15% off your total when you enter "Tranquil" in the Message to Seller during checkout. You will be refunded through PayPal by the end of the weekend.

By Thistledelight, $20.

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Citrus Trio Handmade Shaving Soap

15% off the purchase price of ALL items in this shop. Your discount will be refunded via PayPal when you enter the code "Relax" in the Message to Seller during checkout.

By AuntNancysSoap, $5.50.

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Rose Garden - Vegan

15% off your entire order, plus free U.S. shipping and half off international shipping on orders over $25 USD. Simply enter the code "Party Time" in the Message to Seller during checkout. Your discount will be refunded via PayPal.

By pinkparchmentsoaps, $5.

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Tea Tree and Peppermint Handmade Soap

Free gift with each item purchased! The more items you purchase, the more free gifts will be sent.

By tgurleybathandbody, $5.50.

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Bellissima Handcrafted Soap Samples - 7 Pack Soap Stack - Free Shipping

10% off any soap single, two pack or four piece gift set with promo code "lather." Free soap sample bar with any mineral makeup purchase with promo code "pamper." Buy one, get one free soap sample with promo code "recover." Just add promo code(s) in the Message to Seller at checkout and wait for revised invoice to make free soap selection. All promo codes may be combined!

By BellissimaMinerals, $8.25.

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Honey and Propolis Olive Oil Soap

Buy one, get one half off for the entire shop when you enter the code "relax" at checkout in the Message to Seller. Revised invoice will be sent or seller will automatically refund your discount via PayPal.

By dirtygirlsoaps, $5.50.

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ETSY SAFE TEAM SALE:
The SAFE team is having a team sale from June 19 - 21, 2009! Participating members will be offering a discount of at least 15% — and some will be offering more than that! Just search using the tag "safeteam." Participating members will have a notice in their shop announcements about the discount. For a list of team members participating in the sale, visit SAFEteam.etsy.com.

The Soap Artisan Friends of Etsy (SAFE) team is a group of soapmakers committed to excellence and best manufacturing practices on Etsy. We continually strive to perfect our craft and educate ourselves and others about the best practices a soaper must follow both to remain in compliance with FDA laws and to ensure quality products. We are a team that takes great pride in our craft – as it is a blend of both science and art.

Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | More Bath and Beauty Posts | Bath and Beauty Category

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Come Craft With the Etsy Labs: Lip Balm Making

2009-06-18T14:00:00-05:00

Why revel in your crafty ambitions alone? Come make lip balm with us — whether you're in Brooklyn or anywhere in the world. Join us for our weekly Craft Night in our online multi-user chat room, the Virtual Labs, or in person at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8 p.m. ET at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York and in the Virtual Labs. Drop by our space in Brooklyn anytime between 4-8 p.m. to craft with us. Craft Night is a time to make things, sharpen your craft skills, meet new friends, and hang out.

Not in Brooklyn? Join us online for a live broadcast and demo from Craft Night in the Virtual Labs starting at 5 p.m. ET. Click here to see what time 5 p.m. ET is in your hometown.

This week, on Monday, June 22, we will be making lip balm! (We've had so much fun at our past lip balm craft nights that we decided to do it again!) The lip balm we make this evening will be given away at Etsy's booth at upcoming summer craft fairs to help spread the Etsy word. Come help us make this happen!

All participants will also take home their own completed lip balm tubes, as well as the knowledge to make lip balm independently. We will demonstrate the melt-and-pour technique of lip balm making that is perfect for creating fun promotional items for your own Etsy shop, as well as for gifts and party or wedding favors for friends and family. We'll also cover tips on labeling, sealing, and packaging your lip balm containers.

If you are attending Craft Night virtually this week and would like to craft along with us, you'll need to gather a few supplies:

Lip balm base
Essential or flavor oil(s)
Pipettes
A microwave
A glass measuring cup
Spoons
Lip balm containers
Shrink bands (optional)
Paper towels

Upcoming Craft Nights & Events at Etsy Labs:

6/29: Open Craft Night

7/7: To Be Announced

7/12: Church of Craft meeting at the Etsy Labs (2-6 p.m.)

If you'd like to lead a Craft Night, send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group! If you'd like to learn more about the Etsy Labs, check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Will we see you Monday, with your lip balm-making muscle flexed? Let us know in the comments.

Etsy Finds: Serenity Now!

2009-06-11T12:00:00-05:00

It's easy to stay calm and carry on this summer with Bath and Beauty on Etsy. Organic, natural products and yoga are shown to influence spiritual and physical wellness. This collection of organic bath and body products are sure to bring calmness and serenity to your busy life, home and family. Namaste!

Aromatherapy PERFUME OILS - 3 vial set

By ForStrangeWomen, $12.

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Pure Beeswax BIG Buddha Head Candle

By peaceblossomcandles, $29.50.

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Grapefruit Patchouli Natural Massage Oil

By stephaniek, $12.50.

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Organic Shower Gel, Body Wash

By KathrinesOrganics, $15.

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Coconut Body Mousse

By sacredherbals, $32.

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Om Soap

By windyscreations, $5.

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Travel Size Baby Bum Balm

By HaleahJet, $6.

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Eye Pillow with Removable Cover

By EarthAngelStudios, $8.

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3-pack Lip Balm

By mirasolfarm, $6.

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Ananda Organic Vegan Verdant lips in a tin

By jewelalchemy, $8.

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Aromatherapy Lavender Eye Pillow

By SimpleSweetDesign, $12.

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Holistic all natural Wild crafted Dog shampoo

By ResonateInBliss, $12.

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Be - yoga mat bag

By ravissant, $42.

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Mask Lavender-Rose or Rosemary-Mint

By aromaherbals, $8.

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Grapefruit Patchouli Soap

By Herbfriend, $5.50.

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Prosperity Loose Incense Blend

By MoonlitHerbals, $12.99.

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Burning Heat - Apricot Soy Candle

By BodyScentuality, $10.

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Orange Blossom and Honey Shea Body Lotion

By pipertate, $25.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

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Open Studio Tour: Soap

2009-05-26T16:11:00-05:00

In this Open Studio Tour series, we'll be snooping around artists' creative spaces to find out how they set them up, when, why…even how often they clean them! We really want to know all about our artists, and maybe get a bit of inspiration!

I’m visiting the West Coast for this month's Studio Tour, where Hiromi, a.k.a. soap, mixes food-grade unhydrogenated oils in order to make her scented creations from scratch!

What's your name and what kind of craft do you do?
My name is Hiromi and I make soaps and other bath products from scratch.

What are you working on right now?
I'm making favors for my friends' wedding, as well as building inventory for upcoming shows and stores. I've been doing more colorful stuff lately and always (re)working label and package design.

When did you decide that you needed a studio? How have you set it up?
Almost immediately. Once I started selling on Etsy, I realized I needed space just to store all of the raw materials alone.

I actually converted the space where I used to paint into a space dedicated to soap making. I have a lot of "hidden" space like a converted 6-drawer dresser to store supplies, multiple closets with shelving, and lots of 5 gallon buckets to store miscellaneous items. They're great for stacking.

Did the studio set-up impact your budget?
The outlay has been gradual as my business has grown. The space hasn't grown, just all the storage aspects. Some mistakes cost a bit, like when I bought 4 massive rolling plastic storage units which I could roll around to where I needed the supplies. They literally buckled from the weight of the supplies and became unusable.

How big is your studio?
A room plus storage space and some space to work outside (where I handle and store the lye and anything noxious).

Which is your favorite tool?
It's a toss-up between my stick blenders and silicone spatulas.

Do you want to share with us one secret of your studio?
Half-folding 6-foot tables which can expand work space as needed and for multiple tasks. They store as a 3x3-foot and have handles.

How many hours do you normally spend in your studio?
It varies. I've never really kept track. Sometimes for hours at a stretch. On other days, I mostly am designing labels, or doing more mundane tasks, some only time spent to pack orders. If there's a downside to owning my own business, it is that the mundane stuff interferes with my creative time.

Is there anything you would add to your working space?
My wish list is long. For starters, more space/rooms would be fantastic. More organized storage would be nice too. In my fantasies, I dream of a full lab set up.

If you had to choose one synonym for your studio which one would you pick: atelier, family room, lair, lodge, nest, playroom, retreat, sanctuary, shelter, darkroom, or showroom and why?
None of those seem to fit. It's my creative workspace.

And last but not least how often do you clean it?
I clean after each session.

Anything else you'd like to add?
I love having the opportunity to create and share nice-smelling products that are gentle on the skin, made from scratch and give others pleasure. My studio time makes me happy.

Thank you, Hiromi! Until next studio snooping, ciao!

If you have an interesting studio or workspace and some tips to share, add your photos to our new flickr pool and you may be next in our Open Studio Tour series! For more on how handmade soap is made, check our Process video with beyondthepicketfence.

Process: Handmade Soap with BeyondThePicketFence

2009-05-22T16:07:00-05:00

Friend Etsy on Youtube & Blip.tv | Subscribe to Etsy's iTunes Podcast | MP4 Verson

(music by Lineland)

Gwen Neucall of BeyondThePicketFence is not just a soaper, she's her own scientist and R&D lab. One might go as far as to call her a bathmatician. Well, I would anyway, after visiting Middletown, New York, where Gwen lives with her husband and two dogs and whips up soap from scratch in her home studio.

Gwen was gracious enough (and fast enough) to walk me through her entire process of making her signature Working Woman soap start to finish. Prior to this I knew very little about soap, but I left feeling like an expert. For those unfamiliar to the drill, soapmaking is a very involved and complex process — one where ingredients that are mixed together have to be carefully timed, as well as carefully planned in order to mix properly with one another. I had no idea the level of danger involved in making something that seems so soothing to skin, but there are times in a soap's early life when the soaper has to wear gloves in order to touch it. It takes a lot of research to dial in a great soap, and soap makers must really do their research as to what ingredients will mix well together and not fail. This results in not only a lot of reading, but also a great deal of hands-on trial and error.

For Gwen, it all started in 1996, when her mom — desperate to figure out what to do with a large sum of essential oils about to go bad — decided to try her hand at soap making. Gwen walked in on her with buckets of soap, and that was the birth of a mother-daughter business that her mother eventually left to Gwen to run on her own. But I won't steal her thunder, you can read more about that story in Gwen's Profile.

Bath and Beauty Showcase | Bath and Beauty Category

More Bath and Beauty Posts | SAFE Team

More Process Videos

Mother-Daughter-Grandmother Shops: Crocheting the Generation Gap (en Español)

2009-04-17T10:30:00-05:00

“To be, or not to be,” Shakespeare's Hamlet asked. How about “Two Knit or Knot to Knit?” This is the question for granddaughter Eve Neuhart and her grandmother Martha Villa, who started a shop called TwoKnit. They were introduced to Etsy by Roxana Villa (IlluminatedPerfume and RoxanaVilla), Martha’s daughter and Eve’s mother.

TwoKnit is a new member of the Etsy in Spanish Team and invited lolos and family member Estudio Mullen to translate this post into Spanish.

El nombre TwoKnit representa a las dos tejedoras dueñas de la tienda. El nombre está inspirado en la cita de Shakespeare “Ser o No Ser”, que fue transformada en “Tejer o No Tejer”. Martha Villa y su nieta Eve Neuhart conocieron Etsy gracias a Roxana Villa (IlluminatedPerfume.etsy.com & RoxanaVilla.etsy.com). Roxana es la hija de Martha y la madre de Eve.

Martha began knitting at an early age in Argentina, as seen in the above photo with her cousins on the beach. In 1962 she began knitting professionally in an attempt to bring income to the household. This soon resulted in a TV appearance and a fashion show with her designs in 1964. At the time she had a shop with twelve knitters creating her designs and two sales reps. After moving to the states, Martha took a position at a small boutique in Beverly Hills called "Andrea’s" on little Santa Monica and Camden. This is where she created the crochet hats for Ali MacGraw (Love Story) and taught Natalie Wood to crochet when she was expecting her first baby. Martha’s other celebrity clients have included Lois Clark (James Garner's wife), Shirley Fonda and Charo.

Martha comenzó a tejer con sus primos en las playas de Argentina cuando era una niña. En 1962, tratando de aumentar los ingresos para su hogar, empezó a tejer profesionalmente, y en 1964 presentó sus diseños en un espectáculo de moda en televisión. En esa época, era dueña de una tienda que tenía dos vendedoras y doce tejedoras creando sus diseños. Después de mudarse a los Estados Unidos, Martha trabajó en una pequeña boutique de Beverly Hills llamada Andrea, ubicada en Little Santa Monica y Camden. Allí creó los sombreros de ganchillo para Ali MacGraw (Love Story) y le enseñó a tejer con ganchillo a Natalie Wood cuando ésta esperaba su primer bebé. Otros clientes célebres incluyeron a Lois Clark (la esposa de James Garner), Shirley Fonda y Charo.

Eve, sixteen years of age, has been blessed by a bounty of creativity in her family. Some of Eve’s favorite activities include acting, filmmaking, writing, drawing, painting, photography, quantum physics, Shakespeare Summer camp, and of course knitting. The first knitted item that Eve created was a pocket gnome. From there she moved onto to animals (lamb, lion and a bear) and socks. While Eve was in eighth and ninth grade, she and her best friend had a booth at their school's winter fair where they sold their knitted hats and scarves. Shortly after Roxana opened her Illuminated Perfume shop here on Etsy, Martha and Eve decided to open TwoKnit, featuring both their wares. Martha specializes in both knitting and crochet. Eve currently focuses on knitted hats and scarves and models many of the items for their shop.

Eve, de dieciséis años, ha sido bendecida con toda la creatividad de su familia. Algunas de las actividades favoritas de Eve incluyen la actuación, filmación, escritura, dibujo, pintura, fotografía, física cuántica, Campamento de Verano de Shakespeare y por supuesto el tejido. Lo primero que tejió Eve fue un duende de bolsillo. Luego tejió animales (corderos, leones y osos) y calcetines. Cuando Eve estaba en octavo y noveno grado, en la feria de invierno de su escuela, ella y su mejor amiga tuvieron un puesto donde vendieron sus sombreros tejidos y sus bufandas. El año pasado Eve y Martha crearon su primer proyecto colaborativo; un abrigo tejido, inspirado por un objeto que descubrieron en Fred Segals de Santa Mónica, una tienda muy de moda. Martha y Eve diseñaron juntas el abrigo y tejieron diferentes piezas. Al final Martha armó el conjunto.

Al poco tiempo que Roxana abrió su tienda Illuminated Perfume (www.illuminatedperfume.etsy.com) en Etsy, Martha y Eve decidieron abrir TwoKnit para mostrar sus creaciones. Martha se especializa en tejido y ganchillo. Eve se dedica actualmente a los sombreros y bufandas tejidas y es la encargada de modelar muchos de los productos de su tienda.

Little Roxana!

Martha’s passion for crochet and knitting was rekindled when Roxana asked her to make some pouches for her natural/botanical perfumes. In the realm of niche perfumery, many of the artists utilize similar bottles. As a way to differentiate her products from other niche perfumers Roxana decided to recruit her mother’s extraordinary talent for the task. The heirloom pouches are in keeping with the spirit of the exquisite handmade artifact. Roxana and Martha spent much time together researching yarns and other embellishments for the pouches.

La pasión de Martha por el ganchillo y el tejido se reavivó cuando Roxana le pidió hacer algunas bolsitas para colocar sus perfumes botánicos/naturales. En el campo de la perfumería exclusiva muchos de los artistas utilizan este tipo de presentaciones. Para diferenciar sus productos de los otros perfumes, Roxana decidió utilizar el extraordinario talento de su madre. Estas bolsitas exclusivas mantienen el espíritu de los exquisitos objetos hechos a mano. Roxana y Martha pasan mucho tiempo juntas investigando estambres y otros adornos para los envases.

Since Roxana had color coded each perfume, this system was applied to the pouches and soon all the packaging pieces came together. Lyra, the very feminine floral perfume, has a dusty rose colored pouch for both manifestations as a liquid and solid perfume. Martha also painstakingly embellishes the boxes which house the perfumes by creating silk pillows and lining the interiors with ribbon. Working on this project together strengthened the bond between Roxana and Martha. Thus, when Roxana opened her Etsy shop, Martha and Eve soon followed suit. Greg Spalenka (spalenka and spalenkaart), Roxana’s husband, contributes the illustrations that illuminate each of her perfumes.

Roxana codificó cada perfume en base a colores y éste sistema fue el que aplicaron a las bolsitas, consolidando así todo el sistema de empaque. Lyra, perfume floral muy femenino, tiene una bolsita en tono rosado opaco para el perfume líquido así como para el sólido. Martha también embellece minuciosamente las cajas que contienen los perfumes, creando almohadillas de seda y forrando el interior con cintos. Trabajando juntas en este proyecto, Roxana y Martha fortalecieron la relación entre ambas. Así, cuando Roxana abrió su tienda en Etsy, Martha y Eve decidieron hacer lo mismo. El esposo de Roxana, Greg Spalenka (spalenka.etsy.com y spalenkaart.etsy.com) colabora con las ilustraciones que iluminan cada uno de sus perfumes.

Martha tends to knit and crochet outside in a chair next to her swimming pool in the California sunshine. Roxana and Eve work on their projects in their Santa Monica Mountain home, which serves as a large studio space. Eve also knits in the car to and from school, at school and while watching her favorite films.

Martha teje y hace ganchillo sentada en una silla junto a su piscina, bajo el sol de California. Roxana y Eve trabajan en sus proyectos en su casa en la montaña en Santa Mónica, que les sirve como un amplio estudio. Eve también teje en el auto yendo y viniendo de la escuela, en la escuela y mientras mira sus películas favoritas.

SALE-Blessings Grande Art Pendant Necklace-was 135

Roxana was introduced to Etsy by an article that appeared in the LA Times. Shortly thereafter, Lori Patton opened her shop featuring art jewelry including imagery by Roxana and Greg.

Roxana conoció Etsy gracias a un artículo que apareció en el LA Times. Después de eso, Lori Patton de HeartworksbyLori.etsy.com abrió su tienda exhibiendo joyería de arte que incluía imágenes realizadas por Roxana y Greg. By heartworksbylori, $75.

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Darling Clementine Capelet

When Martha first saw the work of Dennice of fringe, she remarked “Finally, someone who is pricing handmade knitwear appropriately!” Eve and Roxana are extremely found of all Dennice’s creations. This one has a beautiful, vintage quality. Besides LOST, Eve and Roxana’s other favorite TV show is called Fringe.

Cuando Martha vió el trabajo realizado por Dennice de Fringe, dijo: “¡Por fin alguien está cobrando de manera adecuada las prendas de punto!” Eve y Roxana son admiradoras de las creaciones de Dennice. Ésta tiene una bella calidad vintage. Aparte de LOST, el otro program favorito de Eve y Roxana es Fringe. By fringe, $112.

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Deer Portrait Letterpress Flat Card

In the eighties when Roxana lived in Brooklyn and worked as a freelance illustrator, she had a studio space on Perry Street in Greenwich Village for her Vandercook flatbed letterpress. We chose this letterpress image because Eve adores foxes.

En los ochentas, cuando Roxana vivía en Brooklyn y trabajaba como ilustradora independiente, tenía espacio en un estudio en Perry Street en Greenwich Village para su impresora de mesa Vandercook. Elegimos esta impresión de letterpress porque Eve adora los zorros. By letterpress, $3.25.

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Squirrel Chubbikin

Eve and Roxana live up in the Santa Monica Mountains where they are often visited by a variety of creatures, including coyotes, raccoons, tree and ground squirrels, lizards, skunks, families of quail, songbirds, bees, hawks, owls and unfortunately gophers. These squirrel Chubbikins are so sweet, aren’t they?! Our local tree squirrels live up in our native oaks, where they act like Oak Tree fairies planting acorns.

Eve y Roxana viven en las montañas de Santa Mónica donde suelen recibir visitas de muchas criaturas como por ejemplo coyotes, mapaches, ardillas, lagartijas, zorrinos, familias de codornices, pájaros, abejas, halcones, búhos y, desgraciadamente, topos. Estas ardillas Chubbikins son preciosas, ¡¿no?! Nuestras ardillas arbóreas locales viven en nuestros robles nativos, donde actúan como duendes plantando bellotas. By erinaellis, $18.

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Q Botanical Perfume

The first pouch Martha created for Roxana was for the natural/botanical perfume called Q, for Quercus agrifolia, California's native Oak Trees. Roxana gives a percentage of the proceeds from each bottle of Q sold to the California Oak Foundation.

La primera bolsa que Martha creo para Roxana fue para un perfume botánico natural llamado Q, por Quercus agrifolia, nuestro roble nativo. Roxana dona a la Fundación California Oak un porcentaje de los ingresos provenientes de cada botella de Q. By IlluminatedPerfume, $150.

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Paris Rooftop 2- Original Signed Fine Art Photograph

While Martha worked at Andrea’s in Beverly Hills she would occasionally travel to Paris to look at the latest fashion designs. Sometimes Roxana would tag along with Martha on these trips. This photograph of Paris is reminiscent of those fun mother-daughter excursions and also looks a bit like Buenos Aires.

Mientras Martha trabajaba en Andrea, en Beverly Hills, ella solía viajar a París para mirar los últimos diseños de la moda. Esta foto de París rememora esas divertidas excursiones de madre e hija y además tiene un parecido con la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. By AliciaBock, $35.

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VINTAGE BRASS LARGE ART DECO ANGEL PENDANT

These pendants by myshangrila make Eve and Roxana swoon. We are looking forward having some custom necklaces created by an Etsy artisan utilizing these gorgeous, brass pendants. They look a bit like some of the muses in Greg’s paintings.

Estos pendientes de MyShangriLa hacen delirar a Eve y Roxana. Esperamos poder contar con que algunos artesanos de Etsy nos hagan unos collares a pedido, utilizando estos maravillosos pendientes de bronce. Se parecen un poco a las musas que aparecen en las pinturas de Greg. By myshangrila, $10.

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TwoKnit is a new member of the Etsy in Spanish and Illuminated Perfume is a very proud member of the Green & Clean Guild - EGCG!

Links of Interest:
Highland Hall Waldorf School
Sniffapalooza Magazine Interview with Roxana

California Oak Foundation

Let us know in the comments about other mother-daughter (or son) shops!

More Mother-Daughter (and Granddaughter!) Stories | Mother's Day Showcase

Check Out Our Gift Guides for Mother's Day Presents

Bath and Beauty: Facts and Fancies (Part 2)

2009-04-08T17:06:00-05:00

Etsy has so much to offer shoppers — it's like a whole universe! In this Facts and Fancies series, I'll take you on a tour through Etsy's Categories. As we visit these "planets" one by one, we'll talk to sellers and experts and find some of extraordinary items on Etsy. (We'll also get some great insider tips along the way.) This is Part 2 of our tour of the Bath and Beauty Category: Hair, Skin Care, Makeup, Salves, Feminine and other health products — and even some naughty bits too!

Hair

Bedhead — all the way. But that's just me. Everyone's hair is a bit different and a lot of people want their hair to be something other than what it is. Your hair is something innate — you're born with, and you have to nurture its strengths. So when you're shopping for hair products, you have to know what your needs are. GudonyaToo gives us some tips:

“Normal” haired people probably have it the easiest; they can get what they want for cleaning the hair, probably just shopping for scents or what form they want it in (solid, liquid or paste). Conditioning should be done only when needed, so as not to weigh hair down. If styling products are not used to excess, then this is all the hair should ever want!

“Dry” haired people should look for a gentle cleanser, which does not strip what little natural oil the hair might have. Conditioners should be used frequently, and maybe a deep oil treatment every once in a while to really give it a wonderful boost.

“Oily” haired people should have really good cleaning product (Maybe a little of the lather, rinse, and repeat) and probably stay away from conditioners except for those really, really “bad hair days!”

SLS / SLES — Sodium Lauryl Sulfate / Sodium Laureth Sulfate are very inexpensive and the most common “sudsers” used today in commercial products from shampoo to toothpaste. Opinions vary greatly on how they act on skin and hair and in what concentrations.

Ingredients ending in -CONES — Refer to silicone oils used in hair conditioning products (any big word ending in ‘cone). Again, opinions vary greatly on how they act on skin and hair and in what concentrations.

"Wait, isn't that soap?" Not so! inalather, a seller who makes shampoo bars explains, "My shampoo bars are not soap. They are actually the same ingredients used in traditional shampoo products. They are a balanced blend of oils (which add elasticity and shine to hair), surfactants (the ingredients that cleanse and bubble) and nutrients like panthenol, proteins, and herbal extracts selected to strengthen hair, add shine, and promote hair health. Carefully measured surfactants and oils are melted and mixed together. Heat-sensitive nutrients and fragrances are added last. Then the mixture is poured into molds. The advantages of a solid shampoo are that they are environmentally friendly and require minimal packaging. And many people have commented that they use less product and therefore less water, too. They are compact and portable, which makes them great for travel, camping, workout bags, etc."

As with any Bath and Beauty product, be very cautious about any allergies that you might have and talk to the seller if you have questions. To be safe, do a skin test, rub a little product on your arm, rinse if is a rinse-off product, and then wait overnight to see if you have a reaction.

Feminine Care & Other Health Products

You'll find lots of other useful and interesting items in the Bath and Beauty Category — so let's keep exploring. Here, we'll touch base on just a couple types of products: therapy packs and cloth sanitary pads.

Therapy Packs
theferriswheels (pictured above in her studio) started making custom therapy packs for her mom who suffered from pains and had "lived with a heat pack for years, but we couldn't find one that actually covered her neck, shoulders and upper back at the same time. It's a tricky design! But, through trial and error, the NSB (neck, shoulder, back) was born. Once I started offering it on Etsy, I quickly realized there was a need in the marketplace for products like these." She now offers different kinds of packs for various body parts.

theferriswheels tells us a bit about therapy packs on Etsy:

Hot and Cold Therapy Packs — "Pillows or packs" that are microwavable (to make them warm like a heating pad) or freezable (to make them cold like an ice pack). Therapy packs can be filled with rice, flax, corn, wheat berries, cherry pits or pretty much anything that holds heat well. They generally keep their heat for 30 - 45 minutes and come in many different shapes, sizes and fabrics. The advantages over traditional electric heating pads are many, including mobility (you're not tethered to an electrical cord) and customization. When used as a cold pack, therapy packs don't "sweat" like typical ice packs. Heat and cool certainly doesn't cure anything, but it can provide blessed relief and comfort.

theferriswheels uses rice and flax in her hot/cold packs because of the pleasant weight and feel of the packs with these ingredients. "When looking for the appropriate therapy pack, a buyer should look for a well constructed pack (double stitched is best) that suits their own particular ache or pain." Some sellers, such as geschichtenvonkat, who made the eye pack pictured above, also offer aromatic herbs in their packs which gives an added, soothing sensory experience.

Cloth Pads
NaturallyHip, a seller who makes cloth pads, explains why she stands behind this product:
Stacked neatly in Etsy’s top drawer are a dedicated group of artists devoted to providing women with a healthy and eco-friendly alternative to mass-produced disposable sanitary pads. Cloth pads are a controversial topic with strong and varying opinions on both sides of the debate. Referred to by some as “THE” place to buy cloth pads, Etsy has many sellers offering a wide variety of products.

Cloth pads provide a healthier alternative by reducing exposure to harsh chemicals such as chlorine and dioxin (often used in the processing of disposable pads and tampons). Many users report less irritation and shorter and less painful periods. Without the use of adhesives and plastic top-sheets, cloth pads are breathable, soft, and comfortable, like your favorite jammies!

My own cloth pad adventure started about three years ago while researching cloth diapering options for my first child. It was something I’d never heard of before. After a couple months of template making, sewing, and trial and error I came up with a handful of successful designs and started offering them for sale online. I continue to be inspired by my amazing customers who motivate me to continually improve my products and come up with new designs.

A glimpse of my basement sewing studio: many hours have been spent here creating over a thousand pads and counting!

Over the past century, disposable pads and tampons have become so mainstream that the idea of a reusable menstrual product is foreign to many women. However, we have come a very long way from Grandma’s (or Great-Grandma’s) rags…today’s products come in a wide selection of materials, colors, and designs to suit every need.

Fabrics vary from one pad to another. Cotton flannel is very popular, as are quilter’s cotton, terry, velour, and microfleece. Organically grown fibres such as bamboo, cotton, and hemp are becoming widely available as well. Today’s pads come winged, wingless, with or without a waterproof barrier. The sizes, shapes, and absorbency options are limitless. Many pad makers offer custom items so you can build the perfect pad to suit your needs.

Organic Cotton Pantyliner by phreakyboutique.

The environmental benefits are excellent as well. Landfill waste is greatly reduced, as is the impact of the manufacturing processes associated with disposable products. By purchasing cloth pads you are usually supporting a small business and investing in handmade items created with love, one at a time! There is definitely an initial investment, but since washable pads are made to last several years, they actually cost less in the long run.

JazzyPads by tamarack.

Perceived lack of convenience is one of the top reasons women avoid trying cloth pads. Thankfully, using them is not inconvenient, just different. Waterproof "wet bags" can be used out and about, and washing is really (truly!) no big deal. The wonderful pad makers here on Etsy are always happy to share their tips and advice on care and washing. Etsy member and cloth pad enthusiast tamarindball talks about her experience:

“Using cloth pads has helped me cut down immensely in two areas of great concern to me: my monthly spending, and my ecological footprint. Finding Etsy shops like NaturallyHip and BatikBags gives me the further pleasure of buying pads that are pretty as well as functional, and I am never going back to the commercial sort!” Go ahead and give them a try. You have nothing to lose, and so much to gain!

Makeup

pinkquartzminerals started making her own mineral makeup after frustrations with store-bought makeup. She recently helped a shopper whose sensitive skin had prevented her from wearing eye shadow for 17 years! Mineral makeup, which pinkquartzminerals specializes in, is known for being very easy on the body. But "shoppers should know that all mineral makeup is not the same. First and foremost when buying makeup of any kind, a buyer needs to check the ingredients. Mineral makeup is makeup that contains minerals in it. This can come in any form; cream, liquid, powder — but the purest is always a powder as the creams, liquids, and powders that contain organic products need a preservative of some kind to prevent bacterial growth. Makeup with organics should ideally have an expiration date on them."

Just some of pinkquartzminerals's supplies.

There are a few terms that are mineral makeup specific. pinkquartzminerals explains:

Kabuki brush — This is NOT a regular brush! Other types of brushes are not dense enough to evenly distribute my foundation on the skin, regular brushes leave a streaky and uneven look.

Grams — The measurement used by most of the companies in the mineral makeup field. 1 gram = 0.035 ounces, so you see why grams are used! Most mineral companies use sifter pots or jars for packaging. The jars are sized by how many liquid grams of something will fit, so when you see a phrase "1 gram in a 5 gram jar" what you want to pay attention to is the "1 gram" part which is how much powder makeup you are getting.

Even though mineral makeup is supposed to be so good for your skin (you can sleep in it), you still need to wash your face once in a while! EcoKate makes these very cute (and reusable!) cloth face pads.

Skin Care

ArtSpot, a Bath and Beauty seller, is very knowledgeable about getting your skin to be as radiant as can be. Here are some of her tips.

Skin care is an art form unto itself. If you don’t already, take a few moments each day to work on your most important artist endeavor, creating healthy, radiant skin! It is important to remember, there are no magic potions. Your wrinkles, spots and blemishes did not appear overnight nor will they vanish as quickly. A few basic steps can make your skin look younger, feel more glowing and healthier than ever before. Skin self-regenerates when properly pampered, so start your regimen today.

Cleansers and Face Wash — Skin is the body’s largest organ and should be cleansed twice daily, no matter what your skin type. This step in your regimen is not optional. Daily living covers our skin’s surface with dirt, sweat, oil, make-up and various other pollutants. When choosing a facial cleanser keep your skin type in mind — oily, dry, normal, combo and acne prone. Once you have chosen your cleanser, take advantage of your 'me time’ to gently massage your skin while applying it. Massage increases circulation to add a rosy glow. SpaGoddess offers several skin cleansers specializing in different skin types and needs. Her organic Facial Cleanser Sample Pack contains three different cleansers to help you choose your favorite.

Toner — A facial toner is used after you cleanse, but before you apply your moisturizer. It can have a variety of purposed including minimizing the appearance of pores or making your skin tighter and firmer — a nice finishing touch.

Wynndrew’s Detox in a Box is an uber cool gift set including tea tree soap, tea tree toner and a lip balm. Natural Tea Tree Oil is an antibacterial disinfectant that fights fungus, bacteria, and virus, some of the leading causes of acne, abscess, oily skin, and athlete's foot, making it the perfect addition to this toner soap combo.

Moisturizer — Skin loses its moisture for a number of reasons: cold winter air, drying detergents in commercial soaps, drugs, perfumes, powders, certain health issues. Replenishing moisture is a mandatory step for any and all skin care routines and types. To apply moisturizer, dot a small amount onto your face and neck, massage your skin gently with your fingertips in upward and outwards strokes. Again, a good massage is key. Moisturizers take many forms including night creams, light lotions, sunscreens/block or tinted. ayelet17’s Hydrating-Day Facial Cream with Fruits Extracts and Antioxidants is a beautiful choice for moisture.

Hydration — Another one of those steps we tend to forget. For a little extra hydration on the go, grab a really great facial mist like this one from backofthemoondayspa scented Rose and Jasmine Aromatic Facial Mist with an aloe vera base.

Exfoliating — Have you lost your youthful glow? Is your skin rough, dry, dull or flaky? Looks like you could use a good exfoliating scrub! Your skin is constantly shedding and needs to be removed to prevent build-up. Removing dead skin about once a week will reveal your naturally smooth, luminous complexion. SkinJourney’s Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub contains shea butter, alpha hydroxy acids to renew old skin cells.

Masks — Your skin could benefit from using a facial mask once a week. And what better excuse to lock yourself in the bathroom for a little extra ‘me time'? Facial mask fall into two categories, clay and gel or peel off masks.

Clay masks are generally created to absorb oils, minimize pores and dry acne-prone skin. BJRussell has a wonderful example of an All Natural Dead Sea Mud Mask with Moor Mud and Rhassoul Clay.

Gel masks tend to offer more moisture than a clay mask. ScoopBeauty has a wonderful Lavender Gel Masque in a base of organic aloe. Aloe has long been know for its soothing and moisturizing properties while lavender is best know for promoting relaxation. Lavender and aloe making this a winning treatment for both body and spirit.

Perhaps my favorite mask is wildroot's Honey Rose Facial Mask. Honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, making it my favorite beauty aid, smoothing everything it comes in contact with. Don’t believe me? Squirt some into your next bath and see how silky you feel!

So no matter what your skin type, remember to cleanse and moisturize daily. Choose an additional one, two, or possibly three additional beauty treatments to pamper yourself weekly. Before long, and with a little practice — like any new artistic medium — you will be the picture of health and beauty.

Edibles & Sensual Oils

Here's ArtSpot to tell you a bit about the naughty side of Bath & Beauty:

OK, so you don’t really sit down with a bowl and spoon when the UPS guys delivers your edible bath and body items. Edible simply means ‘flavored’ and safe for consumption. Edible Bath and Beauty items are made from food grade ingredients such as oils, butter, honey, starches and flavors. They can be sprayed, sprinkled, dusted or painted on and nibbled, licked or otherwise removed. With a little creative searching you can uncover exotic edibles on Etsy made by an array of talented artists.

SobeBotanicals makes a hot and sexy warming massage oil — caress it on and lick it off in 15 tempting flavors like Mojito, Cotton Candy and Birthday Cake (what a celebration!). rawbeauty offers a flavored romantic body spray to tempt your lover with sweet kisses!

And… for those of you who can’t decide which is better, chocolate or sex, you just might die of pleasure with Chocolate Body Paint from themuddymoose!

Salves

What could be more nostalgic than a wonderful hand blended salve? Salves boast a rich history involving ‘secret recipes’ lovingly passed down from one generation to the next.

Tea Tree Salve by Nickileigh.

What exactly is a salve? A salve is an ointment or butter used to soothe the body, mind, spirit or all three in union. The four basic ingredients in a salve are oils, wax, herbs and preservative. Oils are chosen for their unique properties while wax is added as a thickener to add substance. Herbs, botanicals and essential oils are chosen for their soothing properties. Why add a preservative? Because salves are commonly used on cuts, wounds, and burns, they need to remain free from bacteria.

How do salves work? Salves are applied topically. They quickly and gently penetrate the skin, infusing it with herbs and oils chosen for their specific properties. Many of the ‘secret recipe’ salves available on Etsy your great-grandmother may have smeared all over your parents and grandparents.

Herbal Properties — The fun, not to mention fascinating, part of herbs is learning about the various herbal properties. One of my favorite salve herbs to include is Chamomile.

Wild Crafted — A term often used in the world of salves, as well as other herbal products is wild crafted. The term, put simply, means the herbs were harvested in their natural environment, not farmed. Great Grandma would have walk out into the woods and climbed mountainsides in search of the perfect ingredients, gathering mugwort, lavender and calendula along the way. flyingbirdbotanicals describes her wild crafted salve in much the same way. “This batch has yarrow I harvested in a beautiful meadow in Montana with my family at a friend's wedding and the cedar was harvested from an old growth forest here in Washington. The cottonwood buds were harvested from a big beautiful native cottonwood tree on our property as was the hypericum.”

Organic — Another common term in the world of herbs is organic. For an herb to be certified organic the following requirements must be met and registered: avoidance of most synthetic chemicals, grown on farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years, detailed written production, sales records and regular site inspections. So keep in mind that there's a difference between "organic" and "certified organic" and talk to the seller if you have any questions.

Fair Trade — Fair trade is another term seen quite a bit on Etsy. Fair trade is an organized social movement intended to empower developing countries. It advocates fair pay as well as social and environmental standards related to working and living conditions. It focuses on exports from developing countries, mostly in the areas of handicrafts and farming. greensprings0 acknowledges the use of fair trade ingredients in her items.

As with any bath, beauty or medical product there should be a disclaimer. As a buyer, your seller should always make available to you the ‘need to know’ information about herbs and all other product ingredients, which may, or may not, effect you. Always look for and read disclaimers.

The fine print: herbs should not take the place of medical attention or advice. Consult your doctor about how herbs may benefit your particular condition.

Special thanks goes out to SwanMountainSoaps for helping me with this article and sharing her expertise. For more on the Bath and Beauty Category, make sure to check out Part 1 of this series! Happy bathing and beautifying!

Bath and Beauty Showcase | Bath and Beauty Category

More Bath and Beauty Posts | Facts and Fancies Series

Further Resources:

Etsy Teams

The Soap Artisan Friends of Etsy (SAFEteam) is a group of soapers and Bath & Body sellers who are committed to quality and safe products. They're also friends who like to laugh a lot!
The Soaper Stars is another team full of wonderful and incredibly talented soapers, and they are affiliated with the Dish forum – one of the best resources on the web for soapmaking and B&B information.
The Green & Clean Guild - EGCG is a group of Etsy sellers who specialize in all things Bath & Body. Together we try to help educate the public about the merits of well crafted products from small businesses who care about their customers, as well as promoting Etsy in general. We also serve as advocates for Truth in Advertising and full ingredient disclosure for bath & beauty makers. Our blog can be found here: http://egcgswag.blogspot.com/

Feminine Care

Salves

Skin Care

Bath and Beauty: Facts and Fancies (Part 1)

2009-04-01T17:05:00-05:00

Etsy has so much to offer shoppers — it's like a whole universe! In this Facts and Fancies series, I'll take you on a tour through Etsy's Categories. As we visit these "planets" one by one, we'll talk to sellers and experts and find some of extraordinary items on Etsy. (We'll also get some great insider tips along the way.) In this edition, we'll be cruising through the Bath and Beauty Category's Soaps, Salts, Scrubs and Bath Bombs, Lip Balm, Lotions, Deodorant, Fragrances, and last but not least, Men's products (and if that's not enough, look for Part 2 next week where we'll cover more types of items).

I hadn't thought of Bath and Beauty products as an art form before I found Etsy. These artisans and experts have convinced me that Bath and Beauty items have a unique role to play in the handmade universe: "Bath and Beauty products are so personal. You're exposed — often when you're naked — when you use them on your skin," says Donna Maria Coles Johnson, a small beauty business expert and the founder and CEO of IndieBeauty.com. "It's a sensory experience. Your personality connects with these scented products, and when they are handmade, the emotional experience is heightened. Memories are triggered by scents and the interaction between buyer and maker makes the entire process, from shopping to buying to using, that much more enjoyable."

You can think of these sellers as artists and their medium not as paint but, for instance, oils and bases, scents, salts and liquids. As soaper swanmountainsoaps put it, "The great – or terrible – thing about being a soaper is that EVERYTHING inspires you to make soap! I was looking at an amazing sunrise yesterday, with incredibly sharp hues of purple, hot pink and orange, and I thought, 'What a great bar of soap that would make!' Even your breakfast inspires you."

Soap by sunbasilgarden.

One of the best things about Etsy's Bath and Beauty Category is that you can contact a seller and ask for a custom order or ask about particular ingredients. Donna Maria points out that, while natural and organic items are currently very sought-after, it's important for shoppers to know what they are looking for. "For example, 'natural' is defined by the person using the term," she says. "It can mean 'vegan' — no animal products — to one person and 'organic' to another. Donna Maria urges shoppers to look for ingredient listings at seller websites so you know exactly what's in a product before you buy it, and also, to ask sellers questions before you buy. "Transparency and clarity is important when you're buying personal care products for your family," she says.

Speaking of transparency...Do you know how Bath and Beauty products are made? There's a lot of chemistry involved (and you can find out more from the links below under Further Resources). But here's a core factoid to get you started:

Fragrance oils vs. Essential oils — According to Donna Maria, fragrance oils are either 100% synthetic or partially synthetic. Essential oils, on the other hand, if they are not adulterated, are the 100% natural, steam-distilled essence from plant materials such as tree bark, herbs or flowers. Contrary to the what you
might assume, essential oils are not "oily" in texture, but have a watery liquid feel. If a product is unscented, it usually means there are no essential oils or fragrance oils in the product, and to the extent you can smell anything, it's a result of scents contributed by something else, such as a base ingredient like olive oil for example. If smell of any kind is important to you, it's best to ask the seller if the product has a scent of any kind, regardless of where it comes from.

Soaps

Classic, pure handmade soap is one of the most popular items to purchase on Etsy. Once you start trying some different soaps, you might get hooked! It's easy because "many soapers offer sample packs in their shops so customers can get a feel for their products," says swanmountainsoaps. "These are a great way to acquaint a skeptical friend with the beauty of handmade soap!"
A sample pack from BLSoaps.

Because soap is such a personal item, you should talk to a seller about any skin sensitivities you might have. As swanmountainsoaps put it, "Any reputable soaper will tell you all of the ingredients in their products, whether they make soap from a base or from scratch, because so many people these days have allergies or sensitive skin. Just saying a soap is made from 'olive oil' or 'glycerin' or 'soap base' doesn’t tell you if the product might contain a possible allergen like a nut oil, or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) or sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) – detergents that can cause skin irritation in some people."

When you're browsing Soap in Bath and Beauty, you may encounter a bit of soapy jargon. swanmountainsoaps explains:

Cold Process (CP) and Hot Process (HP) — These are soaps made from scratch. It's an art and a science, and many soapers tweak their formulas for years, adding a percent of this or that oil here and there to find the perfect "recipe" for a soap that cleanses and yet conditions.

Melt and Pour (M&P) — Melt and pour soap, on the other hand, is already soap when you buy it. M&P soapers buy their base, melt it and add color and fragrance, plus sometimes other ingredients (ground oatmeal, for example) to "tweak" the base and make it their own. Usually the amazing shapes you see (like
LaveMeSoapCo's awesome camera soap or LoveLeeSoaps's hotdog soap) and most clear soaps are made from a base. “Re-batched” soap has been made using the CP or HP method, melted down again, played with, and re-poured into a mold (this is also sometimes referred to as “hand-milled” soap).

LaveMeSoapCo's Cucumber and Cilantro soap with embedded loofah.

For cold or hot process soap, a soaper adds lye to liquid (usually water), and then adds that mixture to their oils. But why stick with water? swanmountainsoaps points out that soapers "can add beer (such as the one on the right from thebeersoapcompany), goat’s milk, coconut milk, wine, coffee…each of these lends a different quality to the soap. For example, beer soap is known for its amazing lather. Strong coffee added to soap can help remove kitchen odors from your hands. Goat's milk is chock full of emollients, vitamins and triglycerides that have long been known to work wonders on the skin."

"There are soap spa bars made with almost 50 percent salt like this one from magichands, scrubby soaps that help exfoliate away dead skin, soap bars made to shampoo your hair with," continues swanmountainsoaps. "Soaps can be left in their naturally beautiful state or colored. They can be scented with EOs (essential oils) or FOs (fragrance oils). And, they don’t always come in solid form! There is whipped soap, liquid soap, gel soap," even special soap just for shaving.

urbaneden confessed to me, "I don't shave my legs in the winter. I wear jeans or opaque tights. And my husband's an old hippie, heh. He doesn't care. But come spring, I want to bare my legs and I want them to be hair-free. Before I started making my Smooth Legs Shaving Bars, the annual spring shearing was no fun." When I asked what makes a great shaving bar, she replied, "Lots of clay to help the razor glide. Lots of castor and coconut oils to produce a great lather. Lots of skin-softening ingredients like olive oil and shea butter."

I was curious about the crazy diversity of soaps on Etsy, so I did a random search and found everything from honeydew to dentures. Go ahead and try a random word!

Salts, Scrubs & Bath Bombs
And you thought baths were just about getting clean! Donna Maria loves bath bombs that are just plain fun. She's personally drawn to "anything citrus...lemon, lime, orange" and recalled GrumpyGirl as a shop that "jumped off the page." (Check out GrumpyGirl's hilarious descriptions!)

swanmountainsoaps gives us the inside scoop on how to make bath-time the best:

Bath Bombs — A great way to add a little fun to the bath! And, for women or kids who can't use bubble baths (for some people, they can lead to urinary tract infections, which are no fun at all), these are a great alternative. Bath bombs are made from a combination of an acid (such as citric acid) and a base (such as baking soda) plus color, fragrance, and sometimes other ingredients like glitter or confetti. For a more luxurious bath bomb, a seller will add an oil such as shea butter or cocoa butter that melts into your bath water and helps moisturize your skin.

Bath salts by PacificParadiseSoap.

Bath Salts — These can turn an ordinary bath into an amazingly soothing experience. Often, a combination of salts is used, such as Epsom salts, mineral salts, Dead Sea salts — even Bolivian Pink Salt. As you soak in the salts, your body can actually absorb minerals like magnesium and sulfates. BellaLunaCrafts's Sweet Bay Rose bath salts, for example, are made with Epsom salts. For more information about the health benefits of Epsom salts, for example, go here. Add a soothing essential oil, and your troubles will go down the drain!

Scrubs — An invigorating way way to pamper dry or tired skin. It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes the best thing to do for dry skin is to exfoliate those dry skin cells away! Sugar and salt scrubs are very popular, but exotic scrubs made with crushed walnut shells, cranberry seeds, ground apricot kernels, ground orange peel, or ground loofah work quite well also.
This scrub (at right) by jklean has pieces of toasted coconut.

Once that layer of dead skin is gone, that new skin underneath is ready to soak up the moisture!

Lip Balm

Aside from being an absolutely omnipresent must-have in my purse, good lip balm makes a great little extra element to any gift. Turns out these little sticks have stories to tell. Seller morganstreet, who is originally from England, told me she looks "back to my childhood there when thinking up new scents. For example: My Turkish Delight Lip balm is named after a British sweet that I used to LOVE as a child. It’s a rose flavored jelly-like block that’s covered in yummy chocolate."

Always check for ingredients you might be allergic to. You may want to acquaint yourself with common properties of lip balm. morganstreet gives us the rundown:

Beeswax – A natural solid wax produced by honey bees. Beeswax has great conditioning and moisturizing properties.

Carnauba Wax – A solid natural vegetable wax derived from the Brazilian Carnauba Palm tree.

Candelilla Wax – A solid natural plant derived wax.

Shea Butter – A solid fat derived from the fruit of the African Karite tree. Shea butter has many great benefits, including being moisturizing and an ability to penetrate the skin easily.

Jojoba Oil – Although liquid in appearance, jojoba is actually a wax. It is very similar to the skin’s natural sebum and has the ability to penetrate the skin easily.

Sweet Almond Oil – A nut oil derived from almond nuts. Rich in vitamins, it penetrates the skin easily and has great softening and conditioning properties.

Lanolin – A thick waxy substance derived from the wool of sheep. Lanolin is an excellent emollient and humectant. Humectants attract moisture from the air bringing it to the skin where it’s much needed.

Vitamin E – Acts as an antioxidant. It also helps to keep your lip balm fresher for longer, though it's not a preservative.

Color – Colorants used in lip balms should be FDA approved for use on the lips. This means that a colorant could be safe for use in a wash-off product like soap, but may not be safe for use in leave-on products like lotions or for use on the lips or eyes. If in doubt, ask your seller.

Coconut Lemongrass lip balm by YouStinkSoap.

Although some of the most common ingredients used in lip balm making are animal products (beeswax, honey, milk or lanolin), it doesn’t mean that vegans are out of luck. There are plenty of Bath and Body sellers here on Etsy who make lip balm with no animal products.

A close-up of morganstreet pouring her mixture into the lip balm mold.

morganstreet also shared this fun fact: "Did you know that flavored lip balms don’t actually have a taste? (Except for lip balms flavored with essential oils.) They are actually scented with lip-safe fragrances! When we apply lip balm to the lips, we’re actually smelling their scent. Since the nose is so close to the mouth, the brain is tricked into thinking that we’re tasting it. This experience is further enhanced with the use of sweeteners added to the lip balm to give it a sweet taste."

Deodorant

When I asked urbaneden what she wanted to tell shoppers about deodorant, she said, "I can’t remember. No, actually, that’s a little joke because I stopped using aluminum out of fear of Alzheimer’s disease, which runs in my family. The evidence linking aluminum — the active ingredient in commercial antiperspirants — with Alzheimer’s isn’t conclusive. But it’s a risk I don’t want to take. Besides, sweating is good! Sweating keeps us cool. Sweating allows our skin to breathe. Sweating sends chemical pheromones out to potential mates, maybe even leading to love at first sight. However, when the bacteria in sweat multiplies and stinks…well, I can live without that."

So she, along with many Etsy sellers, prefers to make deodorants which work not by blocking sweat, but by blocking odor. While she's seen many types of deodorants on Etsy that neutralize odors with baking soda or vegetable protein, or with bacteria-inhibiting essential oils, she uses lavender, tea tree, rosemary and myrrh. "This combination works for me," says urbaneden. "But there are other anti-bacterial essential oils whose scents you might prefer, including patchouli, lemongrass, geranium, and the citrus essential oils."

There are also different methods and ingredients which give deodorants their glide-on-but-not-too-mushy texture. urbaneden uses beeswax in her deodorant which helps "keep it solid in hot weather," but there are vegan products too. Searching for "vegan deodorant" turned up this item from SpaTherapy, for example.

If you are concerned about damp pits, check out items like BehaveLittles's deodorant, pictured below. She uses it herself and says, "My own underarms are soft, dry, and comfortable for the first time since junior high!"

Lotions

This customer's boyfriend got hooked on lotion, so much so that they special ordered custom extra-large size — The Tub o' Zen!

The not-so-scientifically named bunnybuttapothecary came to her Bath and Beauty business to fill "the big void that pursuing a PhD in the humanities left in the scientific half of my brain. For me, formulating and concocting my products is kind of like a cross between baking and high school chemistry — it smells good enough to eat and sometimes things explode (well, rarely, but one can dream)." The intellectually minded bunnybutt suggests that shoppers do some research on which oils work for you. "For instance, something like cocoa butter, or even shea and mango butters, will result in a thicker cream with more body (especially if they're high up on the list of ingredient). Lots of liquid oils, on the other hand, will generally produce a looser lotion that goes on a bit lighter."

bunnybuttapothecary filled me in on the difference between lotions, creams, and butters, and some of their common ingredients:

Butters — You will find that some butters to be pure butters and oils blended together (for instance, our Death by Chocolate butter will indeed be just that) and usually whipped to a creamy consistency. Products such as this contain no water and therefore do not require the ingredients which are crucial to their water-based cousins; namely, emulsifiers and preservatives. Many of the mass produced "butters" on the market today are technically thick creams.

Lotions and Creams — These can be grouped together on the grounds that they are both aqueous — meaning, water containing water — in the sense that they are an emulsion of water and oils. Creams will generally have a higher proportion of oils, but the general idea is the same.

Emulsifier — Every lotion needs an emulsifier. That's the stuff that keeps your oils and water blended together (think mayo as opposed to straight oil and vinegar dressing). Some common examples are the polysorbates (20, 60, or 80) or soy lecithin. These are derived from various sources, generally plant-based, but strict vegans may want to inquire as many common ingredients (like stearic acid, which is often used as a thickener to support an emulsion) do have variants that are derived from animal materials.

Preservatives — Another key ingredient in any water-containing moisturizer, and one that has undeservedly gotten a bad rap in recent times. There are conflicting studies on both sides of the great preservative issue, but the crux of the matter is that you simply cannot have a regular lotion or cream without some sort of preservative. Simply put, a preservative is a chemical agent that works to prevent the growth of undesirable critters in your creams (like bacteria and mold and the like). These nasties thrive in water, so any water-based product has little chance of surviving unpreserved for longer than a week or two. A preservative will generally be one of the last things on the list (most require a usage rate of less than 1% to be effective) and can be a single compound or, as is more likely, a combination of several.

Butt Naked Body Butter from TenDigitCreations.

So remember, as urbaneden puts it, "Unfortunately, as soon as you combine water and oil, bacteria starts to grow. So this is an area where natural is not necessarily better." ...Unless you want to treat your B&B like food that will spoil after a relatively short period of time.

Fragrance

So how do you find a fragrance just right for you over the internet? While you might want to test your nose against some common fragrances (Go ahead and sniff the roses! Sniff some scented candles at the mall!) and see what you like, you can then go to Etsy sellers who will often give you a custom experience that you can't get anywhere else.

Anhoki, a perfume seller, recommends searching for "a specific ingredient. Sandalwood, for instance." One of her best selling items is a "blend that came from an Alchemy request. It is a blend of Amber Sandalwood and Vanilla. Thanks Ami!" With fragrances, part of the fun is feeling an emotional pull to the item. Some of the perfumes and colognes on Etsy have a personal story behind them. Anhoki is inspired by "everything. My latest perfume creation is actually based on a weekend getaway I recently had with my hubby of 13 years!"

While exploring the Fragance subcategory of Bath and Beauty, keep in mind some basics. Anhoki shares some information:

Perfume —Made with a base of 90 to 95% alcohol.
Eau De Toilette — A base of 80 to 90% alcohol.
Cologne Splash — 80% or less alcohol.
Body Sprays — Usually NOT made with alcohol at all.

KreatedbyKarina filled me in on solid perfume:

Solid perfume — A unique and discreet way to make yourself smell amazing! Because they are solid they don't leak, you can carry them on a plane, and you can scent your body without spraying it everywhere else. Solid perfumes tend to come in smaller sizes, but I've used a larger tin because this way you can really access the surface better. Don't worry — it's still fashionably flat, and perfectly purse and pocket-sized so you can take it with you where ever you go. Simply rub your fingers over its silky smooth sheen to liquefy slightly and then rub your pulse points, behind your ears, over your neck — anywhere you want."

lsmith31's solid perfume is "very deep, rich and warming fragrance that is softened with a whisper of sweet vanilla." Mmmm, makes you feel like you're wearing a "comfy sweater"!

If you're intrigued and want to try your hand (or nose?) at making perfumes or sprays, check out cowboycrow's e-book, The Alchemy of Fragrance Blending.

Men

Don't worry, exploring the Bath and (ahem) Beauty products for men isn't a strange Mars-like planet. You'll find a lot of the same types of items, but with a masculine look and different scents. Many of the products have a humorous twist on "macho" manly man products. I know quite a few ladies who just plain prefer these scents and quite a few dudes who "like to smell like flowers."

SeattleSundries "started making soap many years ago because I enjoy knowing how the things I use each day are made. I have continued making it because there’s always something new and interesting to try, which is amazing since the craft of soapmaking has been around for thousands of years."

If you look at her items, you see that many of them are unisex, but for some reason her "shop seems to draw a large number of men, and women buying for their men. If you’re a woman who has a husband/brother/father who is difficult to buy for (as many men seem to be), a bar of soap is great because you know they’ll use it, it’s not a big-ticket item, and (in the case of my soap) they can get a nice chuckle from the label." For some men, knowing they're already going to spend "$2.00 because the soap dish is empty, it's not too big a splurge to treat yourself to a lovely handcrafted bar…especially when they last so long compared to a bar of Ivory or Irish Spring." It's a practical luxury.

The Smooth Shave Soap was originally made for SeattleSundries' dad "because he has used a shaving mug and brush his entire life and I wanted to come up with a scented soap that he would enjoy using every day. A traditional 'wet shave' style is coming back into vogue, for whatever reason, and this bar has become very popular."

urbaneden adds, "My husband has coarse, rough facial hair. When we first met, my face would get red and raw from rubbing against him when we nuzzled. Now that he uses Smooth Face Shaving Soap, the nuzzling is better." So ladies, there's something in it for you too!

Soap from Positano by saponissimo.

Our trek is not over, my friends! Join us next week for more treats from the Bath and Beauty Category.

In Part 2, we'll get the inside scoop on makeup, hair, skin care, and more.

And as Donna Maria suggested, don't hesitate to contact Etsy sellers with your questions. These folks, after all, are people like urbaneden, who can't remember the last time she took a shower...in a good way — she loves taking baths too much! "I often work 70 or more hours a week, but my tub time is my daydream time and I never go a day without. That’s where I think of scent combinations, color combinations, and how to meet my customers’ special requests."

Bath and Beauty Showcase | Bath and Beauty Category

More Bath and Beauty Posts | Facts and Fancies Series

Further Resources:

Etsy Teams —

The Soap Artisan Friends of Etsy (SAFEteam) is a group of soapers and Bath & Body sellers who are committed to quality and safe products. They're also friends who like to laugh a lot!
The Soaper Stars is another team full of wonderful and incredibly talented soapers, and they are affiliated with the Dish forum – one of the best resources on the web for soapmaking and B&B information.
The Green & Clean Guild - EGCG is a group of Etsy sellers who specialize in all things Bath & Body. Together we try to help educate the public about the merits of well crafted products from small businesses who care about their customers, as well as promoting Etsy in general. We also serve as advocates for Truth in Advertising and full ingredient disclosure for bath & beauty makers. Our blog can be found here: http://egcgswag.blogspot.com/

Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild

Men's Shaving Resources

Fragrance —
naturalperfumers.com and their Facebook group

BlackPhoenixAlchemyLab.com
sniffapaloozamagazine.com/

Special thanks go out to Donna Maria and swanmountainsoaps for sharing their expertise with me.

More about Donna Maria:
Donna Maria Coles Johnson is the founder and CEO of the Indie Beauty Network, a trade organization providing business services to independent manufacturers of soaps, cosmetics, jewelry, candles and aromatherapy products. She the host of the weekly #indiechat on Twitter and is an award winning small business advocate. Her legislative outreach was instrumental in removing language that was detrimental to small businesses from the draft of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. Her efforts continue with the FDA
Globalization Act of 2009. You can find out more at http://www.IndieBeauty.com and join Donna Maria on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/IndieBusiness.

More about swanmountainsoaps:
Christina Seine, aka swanmountainsoaps, is a homeschooling mother of 5 who lives on a little lake off the beaten path near Wasilla, Alaska. Her business is named for the family of trumpeter swans that nests near the lake their house sits on. She began making cold process soaps about 5 years ago, and that hobby-turned-addiction got her through many a sleepless night when her husband was deployed to Afghanistan. She’s a member of the Homefront: Military Spouses team and Soap Artisan Friends of Etsy (SAFEteam). She makes her Bath and Beauty products with as many natural ingredients as possible and grows many of the herbs she uses right in her own gardens.

swanmountainsoaps and the SAFE team have been instrumental in organizing Etsy's Bath and Beauty sellers around safety issues and best business practices in a series of Virtual Labs chats: The Virtual Soap Symposium, held each Monday through the end of April 2009, with workshops on melt-and-pour soaps, cold process soaping, marketing your shop and pending FDA legislation and current Good Manufacturing Practices. Contact her for more info.

Gift Ideas: Spa Day

2009-03-31T14:42:00-05:00

If there's one person who deserves a little pampering, it's Mom. If you're on a budget this Mother's Day, don't fret! Give her a d.i.y. spa day to remember with Bath and Beauty goodies from Etsy. I've put together a collection that will leave your mouth watering. I want to take a bath already!

Water Lily and Jasmine Whipped Soap - Travel Size

By FairyBubbles, $4.50. Search for more fragrant soap.

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Gateau de Citron -- Body Mist

By savor, $10. Search for more fragrances.

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Orange Cinnamon - Whipped Body Butter - 8oz

By freshandclean, $10. Search for more body butter.

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Rose Water - Essential Oil Hydrosol

By 4thAveSoapCo, $12. Search for more essential oils.

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Herbal Shampoo Bar for dry scalp with Raw Honey, Tea Tree and Nettle Extract

By mountainmamachic, $5.75. Search for more shampoo.

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Bay Rum and Lime Shea Butter Soap by Sweet Petula...featured in O Magazine

By sweetpetula, $7.95. Search for more soap.

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Peppermint Rosemary Vegan Handmade Soap

By DeShawnMarie, $4.95. Search for more vegan soap.

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Solid Shampoo Bars Shampoo That Rocks Set of 2

By inalather, $15.75. Search for more hair products.

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Sweet Citrus and Lavender Body Polish

By ThePigAndThePeacock, $6. Search for more scrub products.

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Lulamae Perfume...an elegant FREESIA blend

By lulubeauty, $25. Search for more perfume.

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Cucumber Aloe Sugar Scrub 16 oz - Diva-Licious Scrubbability

By FavorsRUs, $14. Search for more exfoliating products.

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Looking for more Bath and Beauty items? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Bath and Beauty Category | Mother's Day | Gift Ideas

Etsy Finds: Hopping Down the Bunny Trail

2009-03-30T10:42:00-05:00

With the arrival of spring comes one of my favorite childhood holidays: Easter! Every year my family would go to my grandma's house, where we'd have an enormous Easter egg hunt that took over the entire yard. Eggs would be hidden in drainpipes, on the roof (!), and underground. (My family knew no mercy when it came time for the hunt!)

Whether you're celebrating the holiday with friends and family or are simply excited for the arrival of new bunnies and chicks, these Easter themed finds should put you in the mood for a milk chocolate bunny. Enjoy!

Felted Easter Egg and Chick

By magicalgarden, $15.

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FUNNY BUNNY White Rabbit Fleece Hat Custom sizes infant toddler child

By tiedyediva, $20.

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Mr Cotton Tail--Chocolate Brown Wool Bunny

By beeperbebe, $20.

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Bunny and Wren

By margiemoore, $95.

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Easter Bunny Decorated Sugar Cookies, 1/2 Dozen

By sugarandflour, $22.50.

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A Chirp to Faberge (OOAK)

By Middleburg, $49.

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Bunny with Carrot Background - Letterpress Note Card Set (6 per package)

By PaisleyDogPress, $16.50.

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Easter Bunny Soap

By LoveLeeSoaps, $3.50.

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Turquoise and White Spring Flower Basket

By muddyfingers, $45.

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Spring Season Wool Playscape with Animals, Cave, Toadstool and Easter Eggs

By asherjasper, $85.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Easter Gifts | Easter Category | Search for Items Tagged "Easter" | More Spring Posts

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

Handmade Weddings: Natural Grooming Tips from GreenUnion

2009-03-27T11:37:00-05:00

Whether you're getting married or are simply looking for some beauty tips to make you look and feel great, look no further! From her roots in creating gorgeous, stylish and sustainable celebrations, Rosie Ames founded eco-friendly wedding website GreenUnion. The inspiration for GreenUnion came from her interest in ethical issues and understanding that, while couples are less interested in excessive over-spending and over-consumption, smaller more handmade events are becoming increasingly popular. Stroll through Etsy's Bath and Beauty Category with Rosie.

It's a well known fact that every couple looks radiant on their wedding day, but if you feel you can't rely on your own sheer happiness alone to ensure total radiance, here are some natural, organic, and ethical alternatives to give you a boost on your big day.

We suggest the very first step to all natural beauty is to take care of your overall health and well being in the run up to the big day. This applies to brides and grooms equally.

Munch away at a balanced, healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, drink lots of water (be green, avoid bottled water and tap into faucet water which is perfectly good for you) and reduce your intake of alcohol and caffeine. Do plenty of exercise like walking or swimming, preferably in the fresh air, and get lots of sleep. This will help keep your body, skin and hair in tip top condition.

If you practice what we preach, then using a natural or organic facial and body lotion on the build up to your big day, feeding your skin precious nutrients and oils, will be all you'll need to radiate that natural beauty to the world.

Look out for organic skincare products that are free from artificial colors, fragrances, parabens, petrochemicals and phthalates. Try Pai Skincare or Spiezia Organics or check out these fantastic products on Etsy from ArtSpot:

Makeup Magic
Make sure you try new products and shades well before the wedding day, especially if you have sensitive skin. Once you've found something that suits you, stick to it and don't make the mistake of trying new products or colours on the day, it could end in tears. Askmemakeup on Youtube has some helpful tips in her series of videos:

Your skin will be extra wonderfully radiant if you don't wear any makeup for a week before the wedding and keep your skin moisturized. On the day, apply makeup to a well moisturized base and keep your colors natural. Have a lip gloss handy for touching up throughout the day. If you're not sure about doing your own makeup, let Orglamic create a beautiful bridal look with natural, organic cosmetics or ask a makeup artist to use your own natural products.

Everyone's asking about mineral makeup — it’s pretty good for you and your skin, but choose wisely and always try them out before committing yourself. Everyone's skin is different and every bride's after a different look: experiment because practice makes perfect. On Etsy you can get samples from Lollibomb:

They say mineral makeup is so natural, you can sleep in it. But if you still want to wash your face and go easy on the environment, you can get reuseable face pads from laksaware on Etsy:

In case you've never used mineral makeup find out how on Youtube:

Here's a handy hint: when getting ready on the day, wear something which buttons all the way up so you don't end up mussing your hair and splotching your makeup when it's time to get into that dress!

Healthy Hair
With a balanced diet and heaps of exercise, your hair will have no choice but to shine out naturally. Having it trimmed regularly (every six weeks, even if you're growing it, or less if it's a crop) will get your hair into peak condition. If you're thinking of coloring it yourself, think again, and have it done professionally at least 3 months before the big event, just in case you hate the result and need to take alternative action!

Whether you're having your hair styled professionally or doing it yourself, it's a great idea to experiment with your style. Try out different accessories like a veil, fascinator (such as the one above from myrakim) or flowers in plenty of time and once you've made your decision, stick to it on the day (see the post in this series about Do-ing it up with Veils and Hair Accessories).

Happy Hands

Your hands will be on show on your wedding day, so a little attention won't go amiss. Lots of moisturizing on the run up to the big day and a pampering manicure always hits the spot. Pictured above is GudonyaToo's all natural hand and nail scrub for a little exfoliation. Here's some cuticle crisis cream from parrotfeathers:

Etsy has some gorgeous manicure sets which would also make great bridesmaid's gifts. This one is from sparetimecrafts:

A good buff will make most hands sparkle, but if you plan to polish, check out a kinder product than those on the average high street (or for the US-readers, convenience store?), like Suncoat's water based nail polish.

Good Grooming
While their brides are pampering themselves for the big day, grooms may feel a bit of pressure to devote a little time and effort getting into shape themselves!

Follow to a good diet and exercise regime, choose products that work for your skin and moisturize regularly and thoroughly. A well groomed head may require a bit of application, but make sure your hair is squeaky clean. Here's some natural shampoo from SoapStore:

You might want to take some time to experiment with some styling products till you find one that suits your hair and then 'stick' to it. Doesn't hurt to have a sibling, friend, or your partner check you out and give you their honest opinions!

On the wedding day, have a good shave, shower and moisturize well, smooth down the bed head.

JoyfulGirlNatural's Organic Aloe Herbal After Shave Gel Natural Man

HeidisHandmades's Shaving Soap Mug & Brush

And don't forget the natural deoderant by SpaTherapy.

Then you should be fit to climb into your outfit looking like a million dollars!

In her spare time Rosie grows flowers in her cutting garden, plants trees, keeps hens in the back yard and walks the Devon moors and windy beaches. This article has been refreshed since its original publication in April of 2008.

Further Resources:
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
Chemical Safe Skincare
Womens Environmental Network - 'Ending the Cosmetics Cover-up'
American Botanical Council

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Bath and Body Category | Bath and Body Showcase

More Spa Posts

Etsy Finds: Gift Giving on a Budget

2009-03-27T10:15:00-05:00

With Mother's Day approaching in just six weeks, I've got mom on the brain and I'm doing my best to plan ahead. I think each of the deals highlighted below would make a great gift for the mom on your list and will save you some cash while you're shopping! For additional Etsy shopping promotions, check out this week's forum thread.

Momma's Boy, Daddy's Girl Custom Silhouette Pillow

Grab a custom silhouette Momma’s Boy, Daddy’s Girl Pillow and receive a free custom silhouette brooch. (It must be the same silhouette to qualify.) This would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift set! Just mention "Weekend Special" in the message during checkout! By diffractionfiber, $45.

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ginko hoops

Free shipping and a free pair of surprise spring earrings with any multiple purchase. Simply mention “Primavera Italiana” in the message to seller during checkout. By alibli, $18.

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Summer Melon 4.5-5 oz handmade soap

20% off yummy spring and summer scents! Enter "SPRING" in the message to seller during checkout and wait for your PayPal refund. By LaveMeSoapCo, $5.50.

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A day at the Museum - 8X12 Floral Fine Art Print

Free 5X7 print of your choice with any purchase. Please use the code "Spring" in the message to seller at checkout to receive a refund through PayPal. By janeheller, $35.

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Amy Butler's Olive Acanthus Corriander and Full Moon Dot Linen Fat Quarter of Each

Maybe you want to make a handmade gift for your mom? Classic! Free 1/4 yard of fabric with every yard purchased when you mention this weekend deal in a convo or message to seller during checkout. By fabricplace, $7.50.

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XO XO Stud Earrings aka Hugs and Kisses

Free shipping all weekend! Check out the special sale section debuting this weekend for additional price cuts. By KathrynRiechert, $12.

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Sweet Leaves - Garden Green Branches (set of 3)

10% off any purchase! Simply enter "sale" in the message to seller and wait for your refund via PayPal. By janejoss, $21.50.

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White Bunny

Free shipping to Canada and the U.S. for all paintings and sculptures. By TheSecretNest, $85.

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The Delilah bag - Pleated Blue Jersey Tote

Price cuts just for you! Large totes originally $35 are now $18, and zippy pouches originally $18 are now $9.50. By HazelHoney, $18.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Mother's Day Gift Ideas | Guest Curators | Trends | More Gift Idea Posts

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VOTE! April Fools' Day Fun

2009-03-23T13:15:00-05:00

Everyone enjoys a prank every now and again, so make sure that you're in on it this April Fools' Day! We've collected our favorite gag gifts and novelty items (with your nominations included as well!), and we want to know which one will be crowned as the best.

VOTE HERE!

We collected these 60 items and asked sellers to suggest their picks too. Now it's your turn to vote! The top choices will be featured in the Gift Guides and here on the Etsy blog, so show your favorite sellers some love and get out the vote!

Want to get involved in the next round? Comment below with your suggestions for Fall Fashion. We want our friends in the Southern Hemisphere lookin' good!

More Voting posts | Gift Guides | April Fools' Day Gift Guide | Items Tagged "Gag Gift"

Etsy Finds: Potential for Growth

2009-03-18T10:34:00-05:00

Every spring I get the gardening bug. While I love the idea of nurturing a new seedling to its fullest potential, my green thumb always seems to fail miserably. No matter how many times my garden withers, I never cease to be inspired to try again. With all of the great garden themed accessories on Etsy, this just may be my year.

Clean In-Style Gloves - trimmed with Black and White Gingham and Red Lace Oilcloth

By JulieMeyer, $12.50.

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NO 19 BLACK/WHITE GRAPHIC POT/PLANTER SHABBY VINTAGE CHIC NUMBERS

By mysweetsavannah, $6.

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Vintage Coors China Personal Creamer of Graptoveria Succulent

By monkeysalwayslook, $14.

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Herb Garden Plant Markers - Mini - Nickel

By NinaGibsonDesigns, $28.

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Ceramic Owl Desk Planter Vintage Design in Chartreuse

By fruitflypie, $24.

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Early Spring Gardener's Handsoap

By SUZworld, $5.

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Ceramic Watering Can Autumn theme

By georgiesmom, $24.

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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Planter

By FloatUpstream, $14.

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French 'n' floral, vintage seed packet lavender sachet

By Raggedroses, $7.30.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Guest Curators | Plants Category | Earth Tones

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

Etsy Finds: Irish Eyes Are Smiling

2009-03-17T10:07:00-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I grew up with a very Irish mother, so St. Patrick's Day was always a holiday I looked forward to as a kid. My family would always get together for a big corned beef and cabbage feast, with handmade Irish soda bread and artificially dyed green treats. The house would be covered in shamrocks, and the sound of Gaelic music would fill the rooms while my brother and I would pretend we knew how to dance a traditional Irish jig.

I hope you enjoy my St. Patrick's Day inspired Etsy Finds, and I wish you lots of luck celebrating a day filled with meat and potato feasting, leprechaun chasing, jig dancing and frothy beverage drinking. Cheers!

Modern Moss - 14k Gold and Tourmaline Ring

By stamp, $128.

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s c o t t i s h WOOL

From foxlor, $25.

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Clover Print Sachets

By veronicasun, $13.50.

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Corned beef and cabbage - St. Patrick's Day dinner felt food set

By ivers, $20.

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I'll Have a Pint Greeting Card - Size A2

By yayforfidgetart, $3.

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Felted Leprechaun Pillow

By aronlowe, $65.

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Flock of Sheep - handspun merino artyarn

By AuthenticFiction, $49.

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Essence Beer Soap- Made with Stiegl Pils Beer

By thebeersoapcompany, $5.

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NEW EXCUSE ME MISS SCARLET. . . emerald irish green fascinator head dress piece ... by Houseoftelsa

By houseoftelsa, $85.

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Real Four Leaf Clover under Resin Pin Brooch

By AardvArt, $12.

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Are you doing anything special to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Saint Patrick's Day Gift Guide | Guest Curators | Trends | Gift Ideas

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

Etsy Finds: Spring Cleaning

2009-03-11T10:15:00-05:00

In fairytales, when it's time to clean up the lovely maiden simply begins a joyful tune and all the creatures of the forest turn up to happily lend a hand. While this may be a far cry from my actual cleaning routine,
a few cheery helpers in the washing-up department sure couldn't hurt.

Added bonus: check out the eco-friendly cleaning products included below which do work hand-in-hand with Mother Nature (and our animal friends) — definitely something to sing about!

Green Appliqued Linen Tea Towel

By murdockdesign, $15.

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Eco-Friendly Natural Liquid Dish Soap- Lavender EO- 16 oz

By showertreatsoap, $8.

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My Grandmother's Clothespin Bag, With 4-Way Entry

By mountainashdesign, $30.

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All Natural Laundry Detergent / Soap - Full Size (32-64 Loads)

By CleanRinse, $9.

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Organic Cotton Waffle Crochet Dishcloth Scrubbie

By katyscrochet, $4.

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Scrub N Suds

By snappyshop, $52.

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Vintage floral and foliage lavender sachets

By cricketapollo, $10.

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4 oz Room Sprays - Your Pick of Any Three Scents

By RiverCitySoaps, $14.

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drawstring laundry or tote bag

By simplethings, $24.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Environmentally Friendly Gift Guide | Guest Curators | Trends | Earth Tones

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

News from the Etsy Labs: 3/9 Craft Night

2009-03-04T13:00:00-05:00

Have plans on Monday night? Well, you do now! Dust off your crafty pants and come join us for our weekly Craft Night at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8pm EST at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York. Craft Night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and make new friends.

This week, on Monday, March 9, we'll be whipping up some melt-and-pour soaps with Diana of SweetBuddha on Etsy and the NYC Craft Circle Meetup group. Come out and learn how to make your own skin care products with us. This project is open to people of all skill levels and all supplies will be provided. You'll go home with your very own bar of soap.

Not in Brooklyn? Join us for a live broadcast and demo from Craft Night online in the Virtual Labs starting at 5pm EST. Click here to see what time 5pm EST is around the world (though we usually take some time to get settled and ready to go). If you are attending Craft Night virtually this week and would like to craft along with us, you'll need a few supplies:

Melt and pour soap base

A crock pot, double boiler, or microwave

Herbs for color and scent (such as lavender, mint, and rosemary)

Essential oils and/or fragrance

Colorant

Soap molds

Freezer paper

Or, just be ready to take some notes and see if this is a project you'd like to try out later on.

Upcoming Craft Nights:

3/16: Macrame with Dari

3/23: Glass Etching with Danielle

3/30: Open Craft Night

Would you like to lead a Craft Night project? Send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group!

Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Will we see you Monday? Let us know in the comments!

Guest Curators: Sarah Rara and Luke Fischbeck of Lucky Dragons

2009-03-02T17:36:00-05:00

Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara (aka birdsofpreyLA) are Los Angeles-based artists working collaboratively in sound and performance as Lucky Dragons, drawing and design as Sumi Ink Club, and an open field of other ideas as Glaciers of Nice.

Our aesthetic plays with ways of connecting high and low technology as a means towards fostering creative social equality — as well as the mystical power of everyday people, places, and things.

Plain Triple Leather Sandals

Sarah: This beautiful pair of handmade leather sandals is an amazing reminder that handmade items are best when they go beyond decoration and ornamentation and comprise the simple things we use everyday, thereby truly replacing factory made goods. I love the idea of walking around Elysian Park in Los Angeles wearing these handmade shoes — true fantasy summer. By sandali, $40.

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Cocobolo Magic Wand, Pagan, Wicca

Luke: Magic wands! The level of attention to specific qualities associated with the material is unparalleled. "This wood tends to lead toward adventure." By gildedquill, $38.

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Bargello Trip Around the World

Sarah: As someone who is frequently on the road, I love to come home to my own bed, piled with an array of colorful handmade quilts. The visual allusions to DNA, pixelation, and outer space imagery that come together in this quilt are truly mind-blowing. What could be better than curling up to read under this techno-color quilt aptly named "Trip Around the World"? I am deeply envious of anyone with a quilt like this. By Quiltsbybarb, $350.

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Barnes-Lewis Atmospheric Disturbance Detector.Mod 7 accessory for S.T. Amp

Luke: Homemade meteorological sensor, for entertainment purposes only. By SoreThroatGuitarAmps, $26.95.

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Hickory Bark Wood Bowl 180

Sarah: The best thing about this bowl is that it involves the story of a wood-turner helping out his neighbor by clearing out wood from a sick and dying hickory tree. I appreciate handmade things crafted from the materials around us that recycle instead of depleting resources, such as this bowl created from a local neighborly exchange. Wonderful! By Hendywood, $40.

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Cold Gold 10 Foot Basic Contact Microphone

Luke: We use contact microphones all the time for recording and building simple instruments. They're inexpensive and great for amplifying everything from the floorboards to vocal cords... These glittery gold ones are perfect! By ColdGold, $32.

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God Can Spiritual Prayer Box AA tool

Sarah: Write down something you have no control over and put it in the God Can, and then you don't have to worry about it anymore. According to the description, it is "the essence of our faith and our relationship with God," but I think it also speaks volumes about our relationship with objects: what we expect from them and what we project onto them, and the powers we attribute to them, especially if they are handmade. By gammyssmidgeons, $11.95.

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2 Pounds Crispy Fake Fried Vegan Chicken Vegetarian Eco Friendly Food Spicy Hot Blend

Luke: Vegan fried chicken! i'm a little scared about buying food over the internet but this looks delicious. By pitseel, $20.

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Dark Desert Sage Soap

Luke: Handmade objects with a connection to a specific place or time are especially powerful. Desert plants are especially fragrant. This desert soap wins twice! By AuntNancysSoap, $5.50.

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Medium Wool Christmas Socks - Timber with Brick and Olive

Sarah: I love these socks. They are made in San Francisco using an old turn-of-the-century knitting machine. I feel relieved just looking at these socks — a better way of life. By SFMichael, $25.

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Looking for past Guest Curators? Check out our archive.

Art Category | More Art Related Posts

Artistic Endeavors series | Artwork for Every Room Showcase | Art Gift Guides

The Most Tempting Bath and Body Items!

2009-03-02T11:46:00-05:00

We asked for your opinions on some scrumptious Bath and Beauty items and we've got a winner! Congratulations to mmmmhandmadesoap and her Coffee Mocha Fizzing Bath Melts (Fair trade, organic, vegan) Mmmm...

You can see all the results here. Look for the top 21 favorites, pictured below, in the Gift Guides as well.

Vote in this week's poll — a collection inspired by St. Patrick's Day. A little luck might rub off on you! Suggest Spring Fashion items for the next poll in the comments below.

More Voting posts

Vote! Which Bath and Beauty Item are You Betting On?

2009-02-23T16:30:00-05:00

We here at the Etsy blog are on the hunt for the most delicious, refreshing spa items to rejuvenate your bod during these winter doldrums. Etsy's Bath and Beauty Category to the rescue! We filled up our fun little voter tool with 60 handmade items and now we want you to send tempting ones to the top.

VOTE HERE!

Winners will be featured here on the Etsy blog and in the Gift Guides.

Want to get involved? Comment below with your suggestions for Spring Fashion. You might find the item in the next round!

More Voting posts | Gift Guides | Bath and Beauty Posts

Top 10 Signs That It's Time for a Fresh Start

2009-02-19T15:00:00-05:00

Realization that I've had the same toenail polish on since my friend's wedding in November. (I also realized that one's toenails grow very slowly. No, they do not look like these nails.)
I picked up a pile of mail on my desk only to reveal the cards I meant to send out for Christmas that had turned into Happy New Years cards, but will now be sent out as awkward St Patrick's Day/Please-don't-write-me-off greetings.
Begging my co-workers to crack my back. Massage oil is inappropriate, right?
Chaperoning my husband's college age sister to Ft. Lauderdale for Spring Break because I'm that desperate for sunshine. I'm scoping out the swimsuit styles.
Yoga after I don't know how long, muscles I didn't know I had a-quivering. When the instructor said "child pose" I interpreted that as "fetal position."
SPLIT ENDS SPLIT ENDS SPLIT ENDS. Help me, Jojoba!
Rationalization of pajamas as elements of my "look." These slippers work, right?
I want to buy this spa kit as a post-Valentine's Day gift for myself.
I'm thinking about writing my representatives to have Daylight Savings (just the "Spring Forward" day) made into a national holiday. I am really, I mean really, excited that it's staying light out past 5pm. (There are some fun vintage sunset items BTW.)
While browsing Etsy, I caught myself saying, "Ooo! I need these super cute Carpal Tunnel Syndrome arm-warmers!"

You feel me? Post in the comments below!

Top 10 Lists | Rejuvenation | Redefine Your Style Gift Guide

Etsy Finds: Rub a Dub Dub...

2009-02-17T09:00:00-05:00

Did your Valentine's Day turn out to be a dud? Don't fret: treat yourself! This collection of bath and beauty indulgences will spoil you (or a loved one!) rotten. If you love handmade bath and beauty as much as we do, check out our specialized Pampering Gift Guide and the Bath and Beauty Category on Etsy!

Plum Blossom and Silk Shea Butter Soap

By MookaSoap, $5.50.

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4 PACK OF SHEA BUTTER BATH BOMBS are different than the rest

By dancingsisterssoap, $12.

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Matcha Tea Shaving Soap with Bentonite and Rhassoul Clays

By DressGreen, $5.

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Raspberry Walnut -- Creme Fraiche

By savor, $11.

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All Day Moisture Spray For Men and Women

By ShopRedLeaf, $10.

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migraine, stress headache targeted hot and cold therapy packs - natural remedy - yes it works - black and white

By theferriswheels, $21.95.

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Wash those sorrows away with happy tears

By LoveLeeSoaps, $4.

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Biscayne Bay - Handmade Natural Spa Soap

By AlchemicMuse, $6.

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Kumquat Body Sugar Cubes - solid sugar scrub

By naiad, $13.50.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Guest Curators | Trends | Gift Ideas

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

Redefine Your Style Showcase: On Sale Thursday, February 19, 2009 12 PM EST

2009-02-16T11:30:00-05:00

We're reaching that mundane time of the season where it feels like you've been wearing the same things over and over again for months. Whether you're looking to spruce up your wardrobe by adding a few fresh accessories or you're just taking a breather with some bath and beauty products and refreshing scented candles, the Redefine Your Style Showcase will be a great place to find items to make you feel like a rejuvenated person.

We encourage sellers to promote items that will help buyers redefine their style in this Showcase. Examples might include accessories, jewelry, bath salts, aromatherapy candles, as well as a wardrobe pieces. Sellers will need to have their items in one of these Categories: Accessories, Bags & Purses, Bath & Beauty, Candles, Clothing, Jewelry or Vintage.

Redefine Your Style Showcase goes on sale Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 12PM EST. (Click here to translate this time on a world clock.)

Go to the Showcase Gateway to purchase a spot.
This Showcase will run from Monday, February 23, 2009 12am EST through Sunday, March 1, 2009, 11:59pm EST.
For $15 USD, Etsy sellers can purchase a 24-hour spot, which will be linked from a prominent banner on Etsy's homepage.
Sellers determine which item will be featured in your Showcase slot. Sellers must use the tool in Your Etsy > Promote > Showcase. Learn more about this process here.

Future Showcases

If you are thinking about planning for other Showcases that may be more appropriate for your items, here are some of the front page Showcases we will be highlighting:

Artwork for Every Room Showcase: On sale February 26, 2009; the Showcase will be live from March 2, 2009 through March 8, 2009.
- This Showcase is back by popular demand. Think all artwork that will liven up a home or office.
Spring Showers Showcase: On sale March 5, 2009; the Showcase will be live from March 9, 2009 through March 15, 2009.
- Think all things bridal shower and baby shower this spring.
Spring Fashion: On sale March 12, 2009; the Showcase will be live from March 16, 2009 through March 22, 2009.

What is this Showcase thing? For a general introduction to Showcase, read Matt's Storque article 13.5 Questions about the Showcase, and for deeper thoughts on figuring out if Showcase is right for you, see Beth's Showcase Deconstructed article.

News from the Etsy Labs: 1/12 Craft Night

2009-01-07T12:00:00-05:00

Have plans on Monday night? Well, you do now! Dust off your crafty pants and come join us for our weekly Craft Night at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Each craft night is also broadcast live into in the Treehouse room of the Virtual Labs. All demos will be shown both in the Labs in Brooklyn and in the Treehouse online.

Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8pm EST at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York. Each week the Etsy Labs organize a skill-sharing project. We provide supplies, tools, snacks, and know-how. Participants are also welcome to bring their own projects to work on independently. Craft night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out.

This week, on Monday, January 12, we'll be creating sugar scrubs with Tammy of LailasEssentials. Come out and learn how to make for very own skin care products to combat that dry winter skin. Sugar scrubs are quite easy to make and so much fun. This project is open to people of all skill levels and all supplies will be provided.

If you are joining us virtually for Craft Night this week and would like to craft along with us, you'll need a few supplies:

8 oz containers
natural turbinado sugar
grapeseed oil, coconut oil, tea Tree oil, vitamin E oil, jojoba oil
essential oils
colorant
spoons
pipettes
ribbon to decorate lids and labels for the jars

Or, just be ready to take some notes and see if this is a project you'd like to try out later on.

Want to make more of your own bath and beauty products? Check out this video with Sudzi about how to make your own fizzy bath salts.

Photo from a lip balm making craft night.

Upcoming Craft Nights:

1/19: Craft Night Canceled for Martin Luther King Day

1/26: Open Craft Night

2/2: Make Valentines with Julie

2/16: Presidents Day--Craft Night Canceled!

2/23: Open Craft Night

3/2: Glass etching with Danielle

3/9: Melt and Pour Soaps with Diana

Would you like to lead a craft night project? Send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group! Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. If you'd like to receive email updates, join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Will we see you this Monday? Let us know in the comments below!

Etsy Finds: Spa Day

2008-12-30T08:00:00-05:00

New Year is the perfect time to rejuvenate body, mind, and soul. Why not give yourself a day of pampering and relaxation with a few of these Etsy Finds? May you emerge clean, refreshed, and new!

Patchouli Sandlewood And Ginger

These bath salts contain Dead Sea salts, which have "deep relaxation and softening skin qualities." By kimberquinn, $4.

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Set of 4 Travel Size 3-in-1 Sprays For Linens, Body or Room

These sprays are vegan and are paraben free. Use them anywhere at home or on your body that needs refreshing. By WendyLousNaturalBath, $11.99.

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Rosemary Mint Shampoo That Rocks Fragrance

My new love is bar shampoo. It's good for the environment because it doesn't have unnecessary packaging. By inalather, $8.25.

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Energizing - Ginger Orange Soy Glass Pillar Candle

Soy candles are great because they burn longer and don't smoke like paraffin. By BazilEssentials, $22.

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Rosemary Mint Heel Butter

Time to heal those dry winter feet! A rich foot salve is just the thing to get them back in shape. By seaspritesoaps, $4.50.

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Mate, My Sweet - 4oz loose yerba mate and lemongrass tisane

Why not stop the coffee habit and start drinking healing, healthy teas instead? Mate is known for its natural energizing effects. By TeaNoir, $10.

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Deluxe Facial Kit

This kit has everything you need to treat your face. By rainwaterbotanicals, $37.

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Cleansing Organic Facial Steam

To use these herbs, you simmer them, put your face over the hot herb water, and then cover your head with a towel. It's a cleansing, relaxing ritual that you're sure to enjoy. By SpaGoddess, $9.

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Cotton Crochet Facial Scrubbies - White - Set of 8

These little scrubbies are for gentle, daily exfoliation. By buyhand, $10.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Bath and Beauty | Related Shopping Posts

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

Top 10 Soaps with Substance

2008-12-18T10:00:00-05:00

Think of the dullest present you received last year. I bet you're picturing a bar of soap. It's mass-produced, same old boring scent. It's hardly the most original gift idea. Yet year after year, surprised by a last minute Christmas gift from someone at work, or unable to think of a birthday present, many people find themselves handing over blocks of soap. Oh the shame.

The soap sellers at Etsy are determined to rejuvenate this product, and make soap the most exciting stocking stuffer of the season. Their handmade soaps now come in a range of inventive shapes and exotic scents. Suddenly soap has substance.

	1. Rubber Ducky Soaps Custom Five by DuckySoaps DuckySoaps has taken the simple rubber duck soap and reinvented it. You can find ducks dressed for every job in this shop, where cheerleaders and ninjas cohabitate. With this soap sample package you can choose any five ducky soaps and fill several stockings at once. $23.
	2. Pancakes, Eggs and Bacon Soap by sunbasilgarden Not only is this bar designed to look like a scrumptious breakfast but it smells like one too. This soap gives off a maple syrup scent sure to attract nice comments. Despite the handcut bacon and eggs design, this full breakfast is actually vegan friendly. $5.
	3. Global Warming Soap by dugshop Watch the world melt away in your hands. This vegan soap shows the fate of the world as global warming takes a grip. The land disappears, then the water until you're left with a spicy, clove scented orange core. A fantastic gift for those committed to a cause. $15.
	4. Sugared Spruce Christmas Tree Soap by HelloCrafty The whimsical tree design of this bar will appeal to all Christmas revelers! $5.25.
	5. Opium Stripes Soap by BeautifulSoaps Highstreet shops have made a success of shower goodies made from hemp. At Etsy, sellers like BeautifulSoaps are interested in exploring cosmetic uses of other natural products that may previously have been misused. Using alternate stripes of white opium and sweet opium give this bar its attractive finish. $3.
	6. Cupcake Soaps by LilyBaySoap Colourful cupcake soaps will make any girl's day. A variety of scents are available, such as raspberry vanilla and chocolate cherry. A dozen for $42.
	7. Blackberry Sage Dragonfly Soap by freshandclean This soap is perfect for the cool people in your life. With its black, sophisticated design and grown up scent, it would be a fantastic addition to any minimalist bathroom. $5.50.
	8. Citrus Sunshine Kumquat Soap by RiverCitySoaps Kumquat soap offers a unique take on the refreshing citrus soap. $3.20.
	9. Beer Buzz Soap Set by dennisanderson If you want to buy handmade but struggle to find things for the more "macho" people in your life, let me direct you to beer soap. This set consists of two bars, one made from Guinness and one made from Samuel Adams. This shop carries lots of soap made from different beers and many are vegan friendly. $10.
	10. Goat Milk Soap - Frog Set of 2 by carvelcountrysoaps Kids will jump straight in the tub if you buy a set of frog soaps. They come scented with a mixture of sweet orange and creamy vanilla, but custom orders are encouraged. If you would like a different scent, check out carvelcountrysoaps's profile for all of the available fragrance/essential oils. $5.

More Holiday Shopping Posts | Gift Guides | Top 10 Lists | Soaps on Etsy | Soap Deli News

Top 10 Gifts You Can't Get at the Mall

2008-11-30T21:15:00-05:00

Friends — doesn't receiving a gift that millions of other people have leave a little something to be desired? The thought of giving that type of gift isn't very appealing either. To cure our shopping malaise, here's my list of the top 10 unique and rare items that you won't find anywhere else:

	1. Your Book Rebuilt by TYLERBENDER Send in your favorite retired book and get back an amazing decoy journal to stash in your library. It's a great way to recycle old books, and keep nosey-rosys out of your business! $50. Find more journals from recycled materials.
	2. Hudson Valley Yarn CSA by MVKnits I'm not even a knitter, but supporting an independent fiber farm (and adorable sheep like this) has got to be really good for the karma. Personally, I'd take the yarn and make a lifelike sculpture of this sheep's head. $140 per share in the CSA. (See the video Etsy did with MVKnits.) Find more handspun yarn.
	3. Bunny Rabbit Feltidermy by girlsavage Feltidermy is taking the Etsy world by storm as a less-expensive and more-fun way of preserving the likenesses of pets that have unfortunately 'eaten the big one.' This seller will work with you to preserve the memory of a loved one's recently deceased pet, but will be "announcing the cutoff date for Christmas custom creations soon." Act now (or forever hold your peace!). This large size bunny is $120.
	4. Blue Baseball by LemonBall These unique handstitched baseballs are so old school it hurts, and are made in the ol' US of A. Speaking from experience, they make great gifts for all the sports fans on your list (who are notoriously hard to shop for.) $24. Find more balls in the Toys Category.
	5. Brief jerky by mixedspecies In economically difficult times, gifts that can serve multiple functions are the best gifts. These briefs are not only unbelievably fashionable, but they're also a great source of emergency protein. One size fits/feeds most. $139. Find more men's underwear.
	6. Cut Your Own Loaf Soap by chasestreetsoapco For all the dirty birdies in our lives, this custom soap loaf* (where you choose your own scent, color, and exfoliant) is just what the doctor ordered. Literally. *Each loaf normally yields 15-17 3.5 oz bars. $45. Find more vegan soap for men.
	7. Recycled Wine Bottle Glasses by SurfsideCreations Besides being an amazing display of craftsmanship and ingenius recycling, these wine bottle glasses would be much easier to drink out of than the hundreds of broken bottles that litter my apartment. $70. Find more recycled glassware.
	8. Commission a Pet Portrait by candiceart For the people on your list who would rather have a portrait made of their pet than get a portrait of you. $75. Find more pet portraits.
	9. Custom Thumbprint Ring by chrisparry This seller will create a true-to-life portrait of your thumbprint onto the top of a silver ring, so that future generations will always remember how OOAK you are! $249. Note: Leaving this at a crime scene would be disastrous.
	10. Custom-made 3D Island by AdmiralSlade For the recluse in your life who would rather spend the holidays on his or her own island! This little model is meant for gamers, but I think it could work as an intriguing element for your home decor. $6. You might also like terrariums.

Good luck, friends. Get out there and "cut your own loaf."

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Quit Your Day Job: Follow-up with DennisAnderson

2008-11-17T13:10:00-05:00

Just over 6 months ago, I did an interview you might remember, highlighting the fact that Etsy soap maker DennisAnderson was able to quit his day job in order to sell his bath and body products on Etsy full time. He had just taken the plunge and was both nervous and excited about his immediate future. With dreams and goals for his new full time business, he was just beginning to make it work.

Now, just 6 months later, he is successfully making a living selling his line full time, and has even bigger goals for the business. Keep reading to find out more about Dennis's story.

Happy anniversary! So, how's it been going since you started focusing on your bath and body business full time?
Life has been a little crazy, but I knew that I would be busy working for myself. I find my workdays are now close to 15 hours instead of the traditional 8. I have set huge expectations for Anderson Soap Company, and I intend to meet them; I want it to be able to grow enough to support my family.

I started putting myself out in the world by contacting many shops locally/abroad and it has paid off. I was able to set up a few accounts, and soon Anderson Soap Company's soaps will be in many brick and mortar shops, which is really exciting for me and my family. I wouldn't have even dreamed this up two years ago. I've started to use a daily calender to organize my time so I don't forget what I have to do in case I get side-tracked. I also didn't realize how important networking was when I took the plunge, so I'm a busy bee these days. I was also able to find a local who is also an Etsy seller — purekatherine — to help pack up soaps for shows through the holidays.

Have you noticed an increase in the success of your business since taking the plunge?
Yes! Both in business and home life. I would say the soap company has doubled in daily sales. Right now I am exceeding the sales I had last Christmas, which is both exciting and scary. It's exciting, because my business is growing, but scary because I don't know what to now expect for my second holiday sales push. It's amazing to see the things that happen when you're able to have the time to call a client, do the extra fair and go to local gatherings to meet other artists and business owners.

I find myself working longer hours now. Some days I put 15 hours into my soaps, but it doesn't feel like a job: it's a lifestyle. I'm also learning more about being a father. I can stop at anytime of the day to spend time with my girls; they are the biggest hoot and the smartest kids I've ever seen (I think all parents think this, but in my case, I know).

Since quitting your day job, what new challenges have you found yourself faced with?
I like challenges. There are a number of challenges I have faced since I quit my day job, so I will list a few.

The first was finding the right insurance for my family. I wouldn't even think about quitting a job to work on my own unless I had health insurance.
The second is time management. Working at home with a 1 and 2 year old can be difficult, so I try to create and make soap during their nap or bedtime. I am able to pack orders, answer customer questions, promote and network in the forums while they're awake.
The third is expanding my business. I'm starting to branch out and am booking slots at shows, working with other companies getting wholesale customers, and doing private label soaps.

If you could go back in time to when you first quit your day job, what piece of advice would you give yourself, knowing what you know now?
I would have told myself to wait and network a bit longer to gain more of a client base. Fortunately, all the pieces have started to come together and it's working out just fine. I just have to say that I have the best customers in the world and that I love each and every one of them.

If you could do it all over again, would you?
In a heartbeat! For real, I am not "living in luxury," but all my bills are paid and my family is taken care of. I set a goal when I quit my job to move to Oregon within 2 years, and it should happen by next April or May, unless something unexpected comes up. I still want to open up a store within 5 years, and I know it will happen. If it doesn't happen in 5 years, it will happen in 6. If you believe you are going to be successful, you will be a success. Etsy has been a great place for me; I love the community feeling and how passionate everyone is about this site.

I never would have found the confidence or believed I was able to have a small business if I hadn't discovered Etsy. It's been a blessing for my family and has opened doors I never knew existed.

Thanks so much for letting us check back in with you, Dennis! You can see a sampling of his products for sale in the gallery below.

Check out some of our previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.