I’m going to need a business card and a label template for 1oz soap samples, which means it’s time to play with logos.
This is fun, although I’m glad I don’t have to try to please anyone else with my designs. I am going for an Art Deco look.
#33-34/365
That’s what I was thinking about all day today. First I fiddled with the settings on the Etsy shop and moved on to ‘what should I make next?’
The only oatmeal-honey soap I have left is from an old tallow batch and I’d like to make a non-tallow version to sell. Cocoa butter would be a good choice and I reviewed my notes about how much honey and oatmeal to use. The hard question: should I add a fragrance or not? Unscented, the oats and honey give the cured soap a faint graham-cracker smell that I like. There is also a very popular fragrance called “oatmeal, milk and honey” that I know is a big seller and I have enough on hand for a batch. The problem: I don’t really care for it. It’s a very almond-vanilla-foodie smell and just a bit too heavy and sweet for my tastes. Leave it out? Use it but go lightly? I haven’t decided but I’ll need to make up my mind before Sunday.
What else? The oatmeal reminded me that should make another exfoliating soap and my household has been after me to make a coffee soap. It will turn dark anyway so this might be a good chance to try my vanillin powder to see if any of the vanilla scent comes through. Add some cocoa powder and a bit of orange essential oil. This is starting to sound more like a cake than soap.
My most recent soap that I just got around to photographing. This one is designed to be especially mild but still lather well and I used aloe juice in place of water as something of an experiment. Even though it has a high percentage of olive oil, I took a bit of a risk and tried to get a purple swirl in it. (Purple is a challenge because the olive oil is a bit greenish, which can make purple turn gray.)
I think it came out quite well. This one will be ready for sale in another two weeks. I think I would like to re-do the outline of the text on the label.
#32/365 Creative somethings.
I could spend all my time writing copy and trying to get my photography just right, but at some point, done is better than perfect and I promised myself I’d have this running before the end of the month.
Blue Sun Soap Etsy shop is now live!
Only five items are listed so far but I should have another 5 up before the end of the week.
Edit: Now 6 items and a coupon. Use the coupon code “ETSYLAUNCH” for 15% off.
I was trying to explain today how my father looked and acted almost exactly like Calvin’s dad. I needed visual proof too.
What makes a great holiday? For me it’s friends, food and low-key social interaction. Thus this new holiday was born. Sometime after the frantic pace of the winter holidays have passed but before you’re ready for outdoor BBQ it’s time for Hobbit Fest.
The plan: watch all 3 LoTR movies (or all 3 Hobbit Movies, your choice) back to back in a single day while enjoying all 6 hobbit meals: Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevenses, Lunch, Tea, Dinner, Supper.
The first year we tried to make authentic meals mentioned in the books (think rabbit) but that turned out to be too much work, and this holiday is about food and hanging around.
This year we are doing a potluck and my contributions will be coffee, eggs, bacon, tiny pancakes with strawberries and cream, hard cider, fresh-baked bread with jam and butter and, during a lull in the movies, potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce.
I think this should become an official holiday.
These are the rest of the images from our hike that I think are not-bad. They at least capture the setting well.
Looking across the Pond
I had high hopes for this one but the depth is just not there.
If the light isn’t good, the photo isn’t going to be that great.
#28-31/365
I’ve been trying to come up with a very stylized fox to fit with the tree & owl and so far that’s not been working out so great. I may need to go back to some sort of ancient technology like paper and pencil to get the sketch done first!
Instead I made another color-block fox. This time I tried to use simpler lines, but I may need to ‘cartoonify’ him even more to get him to fit the scene. Still, I like him.
#27/365
For the last few years my garden has fallen into disarray. Some of that was laziness on my part and some was circumstance, but this year, my youngest child has expressed an interest in having her own garden patch and I therefore purchased seeds.
I can only garden in a smallish areas so I’m going to have extras. If you are local to me and want some, or want to exchange seeds, let me know! I would especially like to have someone else try to germinate the blue poppies with me. They are amazing but I think I’ve had trouble with them in the past.
Vegetables & herbs: cherry tomato, cucumber, blue lake pole beans, snap peas, rainbow carrots, dill, parsley. I have asparagus and strawberry plants for the taking
Flowers & ornamental: coleus, calendula, red yarrow, california poppies, blue himalayan poppies, nasturtium.
What I want: oxalis, compact ornamentals that do well in shade, things that are easy to grow and don’t take up tons of space.
We hiked almost 4 miles today on Gold Creek Trail in Snoqualmie Pass.
My photos today were near misses. I really need to pay more attention to my settings and actually look at the photos in the camera before I just presume that it’s OK. And I need to zoom in to look at more details. This one is my favorite and it’s because I love the color and swirls that came out in the sky.
