Adventures in Soap Making

How does soap clean?

2011-07-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

Much thanks to David Fisher for posting this clever demonstration about how soap works. David is a DFW area soaper who writes the Candle and Soap Making forum on About.com.

Demo: How Soap Cleans

For a more scientific explanation, take a look at the chemistry forum on the About.com site:

The Chemistry of How Soap Cleans

This is a great explanation, but David's demo has better pictures!

Enjoy your day!

make room for soapin'

2011-05-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

There's a 50 lb bucket of baking soda in my living room...more apparent because I just moved out 5 storage bins of various bottles, jars, pumps and sprayer tops.

There are miscellaneous bars of soaps in various places. Everyone has soap ends on their dining table, don't they?

Our home is smallish (abt 1200 sq ft) - a 3 bedroom 1 bath home built in 1953. 3 humans, 3 cats, a dog and a soap business coexist here (although the dog- a 90 lb lab - stays in the backyard). It gets crowded. And cluttered. And messy.

There is soap-related stuff EVERYWHERE. Except maybe my son's bedroom. Nothing could exist in there very long and come out unchanged.

There are labels, stickers, bottles, jars, misters, sprayers, buckets and pails of oils and butters, soap molds, essential oils, ultramarines and micas...loaves of uncut soap, stock of cut and labeled soap, baskets, shred for baskets, organza bags...you get the idea.

I have a dream of a separate space for my soap-making activities. It's a lovely dream, particularly the part where I can reclaim kitchen and dining room space.

Until then, just step over the mess and come on in.

Farmers' Market Coupon and Drawing

2011-04-25T05:26:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm still beating the drum about being at the 6701 Burnet Road Market every Thursday.

Speaking of percussion, in an effort to drum up some business, I'm offering a special deal for this Thursday's market. Bring in the attached "coupon" and get 1/2 off of any single item! That's right...soap, lotion, scrub, bath salts...Half off one item purchased at the Market this Thursday!

Click here to get your coupon!

Okay, that's the coupon part...what about the drawing???

Everyone that stops by to say hi on Thursday can register to receive $20 worth of luscious Violet Crown delights. No purchase required...just a visit. I'll draw at the end of the Market (8pm) and post the winner's name here & on Facebook.

So, I'll see you Thursday between 4 & 8, right???

Update on 6701 Burnet Road Market

2011-04-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

Update! Update! Great news!

I'm going to be at this wonderful new farmers' market EVERY Thursday! Pastured meat, organic dairy, local produce, food, beverages, and music every week from 4-8 on Thursdays and 9-1 on Saturdays. For the duration of Eric's baseball season, t hough, I will only be there Thursdays. Hope to add Saturdays later on in the summer.

I am VERY excited to be part of this market and hope you will support it (and me!)

6701 Burnet Road Market

2011-04-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to be part of the Third Thursday group of non-food vendors at the 6701 Burnet Road Market. Current plan is to have non-foodie types there the third Thursday of each month. Violet Crown Soap hopes to be a regular participant.

In addition to mahvelous soap, I have a good stock of lotions, scrubs and after-bath oil spray - all the stuff you need to keep your skin looking and feeling good this summer.

Hours for the Thursday Market are 4-8. Check out their website, or visit them on Facebook. And visit me at the Market this Thursday!

COME SEE ME!!!

2011-04-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited about Shop Crafty this Saturday (April 16) at the Marchesa. Here's some information about the vendors who will be there (We are in Part 2)
Meet the Shop Crafty Vendors, Part One
Meet the Shop Crafty Vendors, Part Two
Meet the Shop Crafty Vendors, Part Three, & That's a Wrap!

May 7 I'll be at the Violet Crown Spring Festival. This year, it's at the 6701Burnet Road Market

This is always a great time and the new location promises to be a lot of fun!

And I will be at the 6701 Burnet Road Market April 21 (Third Thursday evening market 4-8). Very excited about that...love me locally grown food! I'm hoping this will be a regular thing.

So, come see me and buy some soap, lotion, skeeter beater, etc. You know you want to!

Website Woes

2011-04-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

My poor website still suffers the lingering effects of the winter cold & flu season...meaning it was hacked and I haven't fixed it yet. So I took it "down" until I can make sure it is a fun, safe, happy place for my Violet Crown friends!

If you want to browse online, please take a look at "soap selections" at the top of this blog. Pictures! Descriptions! When do you think Google will develop scratch and sniff???

In the meantime...I have events coming up!

I'm very excited about Shop Crafty this Saturday (April 16) at the Marchesa. Here's some information about the vendors who will be there (We are in Part 2)
Meet the Shop Crafty Vendors, Part One
Meet the Shop Crafty Vendors, Part Two
Meet the Shop Crafty Vendors, Part Three, & That's a Wrap!

May 7 I'll be at the Violet Crown Spring Festival. This year, it's at the 6701Burnet Road Market.

And I will be at the 6701 Burnet Road Market April 21 (Third Thursday evening market 4-8). Very excited about that...love me some local victuals!

SXSW Handmade Artists Market

2011-03-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have been making soap like a crazy person these last couple of weeks...getting ready for thr SXSW Artists' Market next week. Lots of great music, shopping and fun.

I'm very excited to be included in this year's market and hope to see you there.

What's Next?

2010-05-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

New Soaps Coming Soon: Working on a couple of new bar soaps. Pomegranate soap, for my dear niece Laura, and Beer Soap just because I've always wanted to make some. Beer soap makes some great lather. My plan is to use Shiner Bock. Hoping this soap will be ready in time for Father's Day. I'll keep you posted. (Thanks to Margie, Roxanne and Maggie who gave me excellent advice and tips for working with beer in soap at our last Austin Area Soapmakers' dinner.)

Next Event: Our friends and customers often ask me when and where we'll be out selling soap next...

I don't have any events scheduled right now. The reason is our son plays baseball and we are committed every weekend until the end of July! While I love participating in shows, supporting Eric (and his teammates) is my #1 priority. We were lucky that the team didn't have games scheduled the Saturday of Violet Crown Festival. Always amazed at the way things just work out.

I'd love to participate in the 78704 Artisan Market on South Congress. Maybe we'll have a Saturday and/or Sunday open up. I'll be sure to let you know if/when that happens.

In the meantime, if you need soap, visit the website, email or call...I'll get it to you! Want to sniff before you buy? If you live in the Austin area, we can arrange that, too. Shoot, have a soap-sniffing party. Invite your friends! I'll bring the wine!

Peace,
Lea

Spring has Sprung, or Why you need After-Bath Oil Spray

2010-05-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

May 11th and high in the 90s with 70% humidity. Aaaah, Spring in Austin. Aaaaa, air conditioning.

Sitting in the AC all day and/or night can dry out your skin just as much as sitting in the sun. Violet Crown's After Bath Oil Spray is a wonderful way to give your skin some much-needed moisture. Spray it on after you get out of the shower or bath, before you towel off, and pat it in.

It's made with Liquid Shea, Passionfruit, Kukui Nut, and Coconut oils in a cyclomethicone base. You're probably familiar with Shea Butter and Coconut oil. You can read about them on our website under the Ingredients link. But I'd like to tell you a little about the more exotic sounding oils, and about cyclomethicone.

Hawaiians have been using Kukui Nut Oil for hundreds of years. It contains very high levels of linoleic and alpha-linolenic essential fatty acids. This oil is readily absorbed into the skin and provides important essential elements. It's particularly good for use after sun exposure, as well as for dry skin.

Passionfruit Oil is renowned for its soothing properties. It is emollient and rich in vitamin C. Passionfruit oil contains high levels of linoleic acid, which nourisht and moisturize your skin.

Cyclomethicone is an unmodified silicone that stays on or near the surface of the skin. The molecules are too big to enter past the upper living cells. Instead, they associate with the upper layer of drying skin. They evaporate quickly after helping to carry oils into the top layer of epidermis. From there, the oils may be absorbed by the skin. Cyclomethicone is non-toxic, does not stain and is not harmful to humans or the environment. I promise - I wouldn't put it in Violet Crown products - the same products that my family and I use - if it were.

After-Bath Oil spray is available in several fragrances, scented with either essential oils or fragrance oil. Visit the Violet Crown Soap Company website and see what's on the menu today. If you don't see your favorite scent, let me know - this spray is easy to customize.

Do your skin a favor - try some. Warning - once you try it, you won't want to be without it. Honest.

Here's the fine print: The information presented here and throughout our website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical problem or to replace the advice of a health professional. We are not making any claims that our products heal or cause or contribute to physical or emotional changes.

time keeps slippin' away

2010-04-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

I'm making a batch of liquid soap with olive, sunflower, castor & coconut oils. Should be yummy, and ready for the Violet Crown Spring Festival next weekend! I'm going to make it in two scents - Lavender Tea Tree (essential oils) and a fragrance oil. The testers who tried the Enchanted Apple scent really liked it. That scent is Ellis' favorite bar soap. Another thought is watermelon - it's light and fresh. Great for kids of all ages. Any thoughts?

Speaking of Violet Crown Spring Festival - I will have plenty of bar soap, just not as many varieties as usual.

You know, I thought when I retired that I'd have more time for soaping. I guess technically I do, but other pursuits/demands/interests have presented themselves and are gobbling up my time.

One soap-related pursuit is making liquid soap. Developing and testing the liquid soap really ate into my "regular" soap making time these last few weeks. Making liquid soap is a different process, and requires frequent (every 20-30 minute) tending for at least 4 hours. I'm not experienced enough to try to have a pot of liquid soap going and make my regular cold-process bar soap at the same time. Hope I'll get to that point one day. Multi-task!

My teaching schedule this semester is different and takes more time, because I'm teaching two different classes (Principals I - Financial and Principals II - Managerial). I've taught both classes before, but I still have to prepare assignments, tests, and quizzes, grade said assignments, tests, and quizzes, and prepare for two different lectures each class day. NOT COMPLAINING. Love teaching this stuff and my students are great. Just saying it's more time consuming this semester than in recent experience.

And baseball with Eric takes big blocks of time for games. Again, not complaining because I love, love, love watching him & the other Wings players play ball. But we've had a couple of out of town tournaments, and we played last Sunday in San Antonio. No soap-making last weekend.

Point is, everything seems to be taking more time. Only so many hours in a day and not enough of them.

All this adds up to less time to soap. I'm hoping I'll have your favorite when you stop by at the Festival next weekend. If I don't, I hope you'll find something new to try and love.

This and that...

2010-04-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Not much exciting to report on the soap making front...things are rockin' along, though. Making soap and stuff in between teaching and watching Eric play baseball.

Violet Crown Spring Festival is coming up just in time for Mother's Day - Saturday May 8 in Brentwood Park. Lot of fun stuff and a great way to spend a few hours on a spring Saturday in Austin.

Had a great time at Martha Cole's spring show this past weekend - thanks for letting me participate, Martha. The beautiful necklace featured above is one of her creations. In case you didn't make Martha's Spring Show, or just want to see more of her work, here are links to Martha's etsy shops:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/motsdots

http://www.etsy.com/shop/notsodotty

And thanks to my wonderful friend Kathleen Johnson for selling my wares while I was pulling baseball-mom duty for Eric.

Speaking of Kathleen - is anyone out there interested in paper crafting (rubber stamping, cards and such) but you don't know where or how to start? Get in touch with Kathleen! She has monthly "stamp camps" that are way cool. And fun. And no-stress. You can see some past projects and a schedule at http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/kathleenstamps

Here's a sample:

I'll post more details about the festival soon.

Peace!

Liquid Soap Test Batch...FINALLLYYYY

2010-04-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, my test batch of liquid soap is diluting as we speak! Keep your fingers crossed. If this works out (and so far it's looking pretty good) Violet Crown Soap will add all-natural liquid soap to our line in the very near future! I hope to have it available by the end of the month...definitely in time for the Violet Crown Spring Festival in May!

Holiday Crazies

2009-12-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

What a crazy few days! I participated in several Christmas sales events over the last couple of days, and still managed to sneak away to see my son Eric play with his middle school band in the state capitol building on Friday.

Thanks to everyone who organized and hosted the events - Martha Cole of Mot's Dots, Kathleen Johnson for hosting the Handmade Holiday at her home, Jane Frederick who helped me at the American Statesman event (and covered so I could watch Eric play the trombone) and Laura Gibson for the wonderful Austin Flea event at the Ghost Room yesterday. Thanks to all the friends old and new who came to shop and spread the joy of Violet Crown Soap this holiday season!

Now to finish up the semester teaching at Austin Community College and make sure I enough soap for the 4-day Keep Austin Bizarre Bazaar December 18-21.

We spent the day clearing the decks around here after the flurry of soaping. Also took some time and bought our Christmas tree - just have to clear out the knitting corner so we'll have a place to put it! Found some PromiseLand eggnog at the grocery store. Bought a bunch of stuff to make cookies for our neighbors ... so much Christmas, so little time.

Watching the bowl announcements as I write this - congratulations TCU! It will be a great Fiesta Bowl. Go Horned Frogs! But of course the BIG news is the championship game - HOOK 'EM HORNS!!! National Championship, here we come!

Back to the routine tomorrow - teaching, soaping, school for Eric...but tonight enjoying a little eggnog and celebrating the Big 12 championship win. And enjoying a few quiet hours with my family.

News, News and more News

2009-11-25T15:28:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to announce that Violet Crown Soap is now being sold at Authenticity Gallery at 910 Congress Avenue in Austin. They have a variety of scents. Please pay them a visit. Mary Ober, owner, has a very cool shop.

Also pleased to announce that I'll be participating in the Keep Austin Bizarre Bazaar December 18-21. I will be sharing space with Bead Adornments - more on this as details develop.

And I'm making lotions tonight - 1) Eucalyptus and 2)Confederate Jasmine. At my darling sister Sherri's request, I'll be making them in the Body Souffle base - which contains kukui nut oil, mango butter, jojoba oil and cocoa butter. It is a deliciously light lotion that is wonderfully moisturizing. It also contains silk protein and vitamin E. Feels goods, smells good, is good.

I'll also be making an Apple Crumb Pie. Hope I don't confused about what to put in the bottles and what goes into the pie shell.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

SSL Problem fixed

2009-10-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Finally! I was able to work with my hosting provider and get this handled. No more nasty warnings that the SSL certificate is bogus - it never was; there was just an issue with the way it was registered. The difference is that you no longer get scary warning messages!

All is well - so shop to your heart's content!

http://VioletCrownSoap.com

Violet Crown Fall Festival

2009-10-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendar

Violet Crown Fall Festival
Saturday November 14
Crestview Shopping Center
7100 Woodrow Avenue

A fun and neighborly way to spend a few hours on Saturday...maybe do a little early Christmas shopping. We'll be there and hope to see you.

Holiday Shows

2009-10-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

I didn't get selected for the Cherrywood Art Fair this year - after participating for 5 years! There's a new artist coordinator and I understand they wanted to shake things up a bit, but I'm bummed that I got shaken out.

I will be participating in the Violet Crown Fall Festival on November 14. I'll post more details soon. And my friend Kathleen is hosting a home show; let me know if you're interested in details.

And, of course, you can order on line or give me a call. Just don't look for me at Cherrywood this year (sigh)

suggestions for name

2009-07-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

I made a soap with a new (to me) essential oil blend - Rosewood, Rose Geranium, and a touch of Sweet Orange. It's mildly floral, a little woody. Let's have a contest! Help me name my soap and I'll send you a bar!

Test batch- personalized soaps

2009-07-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

Out of the mold and ready to cut and stamp - an uncolored batch of soap scented with a beautiful fragrance oil called Confederate Jasmine. Stay tuned for pictures of this sample batch

Personalized Soaps Available Soon!

2009-07-03T09:46:00.001-07:00

Violet Crown Soap will be offering personalized individual-sized soaps very soon! The soaps will be small (about 1.5 " square) and can be personalized individually. Use them for baby and wedding shower favors, wedding party gifts (bridesmaid and/or groomsmen),etc.

The soaps will weigh about 1.5 ounces each, and will be sold in sets - 8 for $16.

You'll be able to personalize each soap with a different name or sentiment, with a date, or with the same information. I'll have samples ready to photography in the next 10 days.

Watch for pictures! I'll be adding the soaps to VioletCrownSoap.com and to our etsy store (www.violetcrownsoap.etsy.com) as soon as they are available.

Special Orders

2009-06-15T10:00:00.001-07:00

Violet Crown has received a couple of special orders in the last few weeks. One is for a business, and the other for a baby shower. We have verrrrrry low minimum requirements, so don't think custom soap is out of reach! Think of us for wedding favors, shower gifts, corporate thank you gifts...We can custom cut and label the soap with your message at extremely reasonable prices. Email Contact@VioletCrownSoap.com to get started.

Split Soap

2009-05-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Violet Crown soap bars are fairly large. I recommend cutting the bar in half. They are easier to handle that way, and your soap will last longer. Put one of the pieces in with your towels or lingerie. I keep a piece in with my knitting so my yarn smells good.

But don't save your soap too long! Our soap is made to be used and enjoyed...don't be afraid to use it. We'll make more!

Price Rollback!

2009-02-22T10:35:00.001-08:00

Price for soap is rolled back to $5 per bar!

As I talked about in an earlier entry, the price I was paying for Olive Oil skyrocketed in the last year. Since Olive Oil is the majority of my soaps, I had to raise the price to recover some (not all!) of the price increase. Happily, the price I'm paying for olive oil has dropped back down - almost to the old level.

SO...I am dropping the price of my soap back down, as well. Sadly, the prices for essential oils - notably lavender and patchouli - haven't shown any indications of decreasing. But I think I can live with this.

I will be busy lowering the price on each item on the website. If your order doesn't reflect the $5 price, please let me know and I'll correct it before charging your credit card.

Thanks for cleaning up with Violet Crown Soap.

New web things

2009-01-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

I've set up a page on Face Book - very fun. Lots of interesting people, and this seems like a good way to keep up. If I just had something interesting to write!

Also, I set up an etsy store for Violet Crown Soap - violetcrownsoap.etsy.com - please check it out. If you're familiar with www.violetcrownsoap.com, then this will look pretty familiar. Any suggestions?

I have a little bit of free time, but used up all my soaping supplies for the Christmas season - have to visit Holly at Texas Natural Supply next week so I can start experimenting. I got some ideas from some of the folks who are members of Texas Soapmakers - if you're a soapmaker in Texas, you should check this out and really think about joining! Here's the site: http://www.txsoapmakers.org

I've been knitting like a mad woman...I knit many hats for family members over the Christmas holiday. There is no shortage of hats in the Sandoz family. Also made a felted purse, which turned out quite nicely. Felting is very cool. Thanks to Renee for telling me about it and getting me interested.

Stay tuned...

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

Hello, friends and Happy New Year!

I am on extended vacation until my retirement is official at the end of the month. I will teach accounting as an adjunct at Austin Community College, and will also work during tax season at a local CPA firm. But, it's not the same as working a full time job, so I hope to have more time to make soap.

The economy has made it a tad scary to move ahead with my plans to retire, but it was the right thing to do for my family and for myself. I am looking forward to having more time to spend with my husband, sons and sisters, and some very special friends that are an important part of my life.

I also have a few knitting projects on the boards and am thinking about adding a few other knit accessories to the website to keep the washcloths company...we'll see. It's pretty warm in Austin, but every now and then a knitted hat or scarf come in handy.

First on my list of soap experiments is salt bars. I hope to have that going next week. Stay tuned for results.

Cherrywood Art Fair

2008-12-09T19:09:00.001-08:00

I'll be at the annual Cherrywood Art Fair this weekend (December 13 & 14). This is a great event and a wonderful opportunity to pickup some unique and reasonably priced Christmas gifts.

Maplewood Elementary
38 1/2 Street & Maplewood Avenue

For more information, check out the site

www.cherrywoodartfair.org

Hope to see you there!

Site accepting orders

2008-12-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

After some frustrating issues with the ssl certificate, our website is working again! Sorry for any frustration this may have caused. Please let me know if there are any other problems with the website.

Happy shopping!!!

Skyrocketing Costs

2008-10-05T18:48:00.001-07:00

Wow! I just placed my big order for oils and butters to make soap for the holidays and the prices have gone through the roof. Olive Oil has DOUBLED since last year. Since olive oil is at least 35% of my soap, that represents quite a cost increase. Essential oils, particularly lavender and patchouli, have also shown huge increases.

I am struggling with the decision about whether or not to raise the price of my soap, because I want it to be affordable. But I want to be able to afford to keep making it. My cost have increased about 75% over the last 5 years, and I've raised my soap price from the original $4 to $5 - which is a 25% increase. Not quite keeping pace with my costs, but I don't know if I'm comfortable going much higher.

There are many folks who wouldn't consider paying $5 a bar (my current price) for soap, but there are quite a few who will pay a little extra for something hand made with care using good ingredients. I'm blessed that some have found Violet Crown Soap and I can count them as my customers.

I'm considering a 50 cent per bar increase. One thing that I will have to do is reduce the amount of discount I give for the 3-bar price at shows.

If you have any thoughts, let me know.

Learn to Make Soap

2008-05-12T05:07:00.000-07:00

I am a proud member for the Texas Soapmakers Association. One of the things this group does is have a convention each year. The convention is in Austin this year, July 18-20. Registration is open to the public.

This year, we are doing something new -an introductory soapmaker's class will be offered. You don't have to register for the convention to attend this class.

For more information, check this link:
http://www.txsoapmakers.org//meetings/upcoming.php

Why am I doing this?

2008-05-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

In my work-a-day life, I am an accountant. In my real life, I am a wife, mother, sister and friend who makes soap. As I approach retirement from my work-a-day life (less than 9 months!) I thought it might be fun to chronicle my adventures.

My soap-making time is limited, and often happens in marathon sessions when I have a show coming up. Generally, though, making soap is very fulfilling. It requires planning and patience - a lot like cooking. It is very special to me that I can make something that people use and like.

So why a blog? I have many new projects planned - liquid soap for one. Also beer soap and salt bars. I thought my customers might be interested in the process. See you around.