Can You Picture The Scent?

I added candles to my Etsy shop awhile back. I have always wanted to make candles and after lots of testing (which was fun!) I listed my candles. I think bath products go well with candles and what better way to pamper yourself!

The problem I have this that I love so many scents, so I get carried away when ordering my oils! I also have a hard time narrowing down the size of candle. I decided to offer tea candles, round tin candles, and glass candles. Tea candles are nice to have around and are pretty inexpensive to ship. I am offering glass candles because they look really nice I am selling them in my shop...so no shipping costs!
One of my favorite scents is Tomato Leaf. It sounds like a strange scent, but it's really a nice FRESH scent! My son was home last weekend and after smelling this candle, he said, "wow, that really smells like a tomato vine". This coming from a young man that won't even walk into a bath and body shop! He even took one home with him. Now that's an endorsement!

How much do you love bath and body? Now you can buy at 50% off!

Coming June 1st - A MONTH long hunting game! Every day I will "hide" a word, number, or symbol somewhere in one of my Etsy listings. I will post the "search" every day and the first person to find it in my shop will receive that item for 50% OFF! I will post the "search" during various times each day so everyone had a chance to find it. Check back every day for the new hint!
So, be sure to check out my shop at ABreathOfFrenchAir every day for fun discounts!

I'm In The Storque!

I was in the Storque this weekend! Check it out....I'm the first shop featured!

Smoke! Cold Process Swirled Soap

I just love how this soap turned out! It's scented with Black Tea Fragrance Oil, but it reminds me of Smoke....so that's what I'm going to call it!
Here is how the company describes it: "This smoky, sexy and sophisticated fragrance is reminiscent of roasted tea leaves with strong overtones of tobacco. With surprising top notes of Italian Bergamot, Sicilian Lemon and Southern Orange, the blend winds down with Black Tea Leaves, Star Jasmine, White Cedarwood, Amber Crystal and a rich musk. This is a bold and unusual scent sure to intrigue."
Now, how can you not want to try this!! It won't be ready for several more weeks, so stay tuned!

Pick Three Handmade Soap - Cold Process Method - With Shea Butter - You Pick Your Scent

I decided to offer 3 soap bundles in my shop. I think it will take the guess work out of how many to purchase and you can't beat the shipping price of $4.75! I picked up this bucket at an Estate sale last year and I really like to use it in my pictures.
I used scrap paper to wrap my soaps in. The paper came in a bundle and they match in color and style, which I like!

Goat's Breath Beer Soap!!

I used beer from a local brewery to make this soap! It's called Goat's Breath and it's made at the O'Fallon Brewery in O'Fallon, Missouri.
I added a little Happy Man scent to the beer just to jazz it up a bit. It's very slightly scented.
For those that are not familiar with Beer Soap, the soap does not have a beer scent when finished. It will sometimes have a slight "nutty" scent.
Wouldn't this make a great gift for any man?
It just looks so "manly"

The Soap Came Out Beautifully!

I think they turned out great! The Lemongrass is divine and the Black Tea adds a touch of a "earthy" scent.

Twenty One Steps To Making Handmade Cold Process Soap

Gather all your equipment. I have my gloves, goggles, scale, lye, beer (making beer soap), and various containers.
Getting ready to pour the beer into the pitcher.
Measuring out the beer. All materials are measured by weight and not volume.
Measuring out the Lye. You can see that I have covered my counter tops with newspapers. It keeps my counters free of soap and makes cleaning up much easier. I just gather the paper and throw it in the recycling bin.
Adding my lye to the beer. I always do this in the sink since it's safer and easier to clean up.
Mixing the lye into the beer.
Watching and stirring in horror as my beer reacts to the lye and foams up and spills all over the sink...see why I mix in the sink!! This is the first time this has happened with any of my batches! It was flat (or so I thought) and has been open (and poured) for two days. Sigh....
Starting over with water this time. LOL!
Measuring out the Lye...
Pouring the lye into the water.....again....
Stirring the solution...again.....! I always wear rubber gloves and (knock on wood) have never been burned from the lye. I also wear goggles at all times.
Here I have my coconut oil measured in the pitcher.
Added the Palm Oil.
Added Palm Kernel Flakes.
Added the Shea Butter. This is 8% of the batch.
All melted and ready to go! At this time I usually leave everything and go about my day for a few hours. My kids are not home, and hubby is away at work. What I didn't show were pictures of adding the other oils in the recipe. These are added to the melted oil and help cool off the oils.
All set to go! I have measured the oils. I'm using lemongrass and black tea.
JUST stirred the lye mixture into the oils. I stir by hand for a bit to see how everything reacts.
I use the stick blender to finish up the batch. You can see it coming to "trace" right here. See how the blender is leaving a "wake" in the mixture....all set to pour!
All poured! Now I cover the mold with a piece of cardboard and then place a few blankets on top. I don't uncover until the next morning.
Thanks for taking the tour with me!

I Was One The Front Page Of Etsy!!!

I was on the front page of Etsy last night! Crazytimecandles, along with several other Etsians, convo'd me to let me know I was on the front page! I'm always so honored when my products are chosen for a treasury. This was in Treasury West.

What Would You Name This Soap?

I love how this soap turned out! The scent is a warm, spicy scent....and I can't come up with a name! What would you name it? The colors are light tan with black spots.

Hot Process Soap

I tried my hand at hot process soap last night. I used the oven, and although they smell wonderful, I'm not sure I like the appearance. Here is a big hunk of soap! It smells soooo good...scented with Patchouli and Ylang Ylang Essential Oils.I also cut some smaller bars for guest bathrooms.
And with the leftover shreds, I made Soap Balls! These are huge and weigh over 4 ounces each!