Soap Deli News has moved. Soapdelinews.com will now redirect to http://soapdelinews.blogspot.com. Soap Deli News will now only offer updates to Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen (market dates, new products, contests, and sales) and soap, bath and body, and craft tutorials. I have made layout improvements and also made it easier to search for specific material. I will be adding all back posts relevant to this spot over the next few days. For reference on the old blog, you'll find all past content at http://blog.soapdelicatessen.com.

If you're interested in artist interviews and shopping finds, please visit my new blog Shop ByHand at http://shopbyhand.blogspot.com.

        

Wonderful, handmade finds for your home.

        

 

This month's prize consists of these fabulous gifts: Shamrock shaped Green Clover & Aloe Candles by Soy Scentual, a jar of Pamper Your Hiney Lime Cooler Lotion from Shine Your Hiney Soap, a bar of Lime Margarita Salt Bar Soap from soapdeli, The Birds, set of 6 notecards by Barbara Neely Designs, Run of Luck Shamrock vinyl wall decal by studiojk, an Irish Flag Shamrock Luggage ID Handle Wrap from Binhog Designs, a 5x7 print of Dandelion by Joanna's Photography, a Swarovski Emerald and Clear Bicone Inline Bracelet by Alisun's Custom Crafted Jewelry, a Tiny Green Aventurine Beaded Pendant by RockyCreek Gems & Gifts, and Emerald Acorn earrings from Risky Beads. Finally, the products are being photographed on an Olive Green Baby Ruched Tote Bag from jennyndesigns. Please see this listing to see the style of the bag. It's just a smaller version! There's also a tube of Creme de Menthe lip balm from Nella Scents thrown in as a freebie! These products retail for $160.00!!!

This contest ends Saturday, March 14 at noon. Enter at Risky Beads Blog.

        

Ben-David's Art Studio sells a mix of eclectic items in this family owned shop based in Israel. You'll find jewelry, figurines, stained glass, polymer clay creations, and more. Check out this shop online at http://mgilinfo.etsy.com.

Q. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

My name is Liron and I'm from Israel. Crafting and Art is pretty much a trait we were born with in our family. It all began many many years ago when my mother used to have a kindergarten class in which she handmade all decorations and toys. Throughout the years in my family, each family member has had their share of creativity. Around 8 years ago we opened a very famous art studio in the city of Eilat where we offered many courses and made contacts. But throughout time we finally found ourselves in a small town called "Giva't Avni" which is near Tibrious (Jesus walk on water etc..)

For over 20 years of art crafting, learning new methods of working with materials and teaching in courses at our studio we made a pretty amazing collection of over 50,000 items from different kinds of crafts. That's how I learned about Etsy and from Etsy I got to this great site called Made By Hand.

Q. When did you first begin crafting?

Well, ever since I remember I've always made something from simple things to very complicate ones.

Q. Tell me a little bit about what you make and the materials you use.

I don't want to be arrogant, but I do almost any kind of craft. It pretty much depends on the mood and the thoughts passing through my head at the time.

Products for sale at Ben-David's Art Studio.

Q. What inspires your creations?

The thing that most of all inspires me when I craft my artwork is the fact that I'm going to create something from simple materials - something that will last for many many years and make people who see it say "WOW!" And most of all it's getting that little good feeling of taking one step backward... looking at the creation and saying : "I did it..."

Q. How do your current works differ from your earlier ones?

These days I take much more time to make something. In the past I would have sat 14-15 hours straight without a break until I finished the piece I was working on. Nowadays I usually spread out the time so it is very not rare to see me at the studio with 4-5 works in process for several weeks.

Q. At what other venues have you or do you sell your work?

First of all the family studio is the main business here - courses and a gallery with a materials shop.

Secondly, I've recently opened a shop at Etsy: http://mgilinfo.etsy.com and a shop at Art Fire: http://mgilinfo.artfire.com

Q. What tips do you have for other artists for selling their own handmade creations?

Most important of all - DON'T undervalue yourself. Who cares that a bottle of color for your painting cost $5? Didn't it take you a lifetime to make that painting?

Q. What mistakes have you made along the way that you wish you’d had advice on before you started selling?

Conduct market research. For example, if you see for a search at a venue site (like art fire for example) you get 50,000 results for an item you want to sell and you get 2000 results for another item choose the more unique item, don't bury your art at page 100 of a search page.

Q. Share one thing most people wouldn’t know about you?

Actually my profession is PC IT Technician. I have a small Computer services business. Don't ask why it's a terrible job but I am a neutral talent .

Q. Use five words to describe yourself.

A. Nice, Polite, Professional, Responsible, Creative.

Q. Who are some of your favorite etsy artists?

There are really many of those fellow artisans but I want to mention one artist whose work I really love.
Her Etsy name is rathina and she make amazing pieces.... check out her shop! http://rathina.etsy.com

Q. Anything else you'd like to share?

Share and be a member of a community! You don't realize enough how the Internet has made the world a small place. With websites such as Made By Hand, Flickr, Etsy, Art Fire etc.. you can contact with people all over the world and be a part of international creative community as well as meet new people you'd not be able to meet in other ways.

        

This tutorial was written by and is reprinted with permission from Nicki Leigh Bath & Body.

Some of you may know that I have been working on a sugar scrub recipe for my business. While I have not set on a particular one as of yet, here is one that you can do with items you may have in your kitchen.

You will need a seal tight container such as a jar or even an old shampoo bottle. Make sure the container is washed out and dry before you use it. Now, you can use 2 different types of sugar. Also, the amount of sugar you use will determine how exfoliating the scrub becomes.

So here we go.

You will need:

1 Jar or plastic bottle
3-4 tablespoons of a light vegetable oil such as olive oil
1 cup of brown or white cane sugar

Again, be sure the container you use is cleaned out and dry before using it. Now that you have the jar or bottle ready, the first thing you need to do is to add the sugar. A jar really is best for this, but if you cannot get a hold of one, an old shampoo bottle will do.

Add in your sugar and then add the light oil. Mix it as well as you can.

Test it out in the sink. If you used more sugar than you'd like, continue to add small amounts of vegetable oil until it reaches the consistency you prefer. If it is too thin, you can add more sugar.

Another fun thing to try is to grab your favorite shampoo and use it in place of the vegetable oils. Just do not use the scrub in your hair. I tried it and while it felt nice at first, it gets oily very fast.


Just be careful in the tub or shower. Use the sugar scrub first, then rinse and use a body wash if needed. If you did a mix of shampoo with soap, this step is not necessary. Be sure to clean the tub or shower out after you are done! The oils can make it very slippery and we would not want anyone to slip and fall in the shower.

NOTE: Keep the scrub refrigerated and discard it after 1 month if you do not have a preservative in the house.

There you go! Go ahead, pamper yourself! I promise not to tell anyone.

You can shop Nicki Leigh Bath & Body online at Etsy and Artfire. She currently sells lip balms, soaps, body balms, roll on perfumes, and salves.

Products from Nicki Leigh Bath & Body.

        

Haven't had a chance yet to try the soaps at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen? Or do you just happen to be a big Soap Delicatessen fan? Either way, here's your chance to pick ANY eight soaps from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen with the chance of winning ALL EIGHT bars you pick!
Buy any SIX soaps now and I'll ship them for free within the US or take $5 off Priority shipping worldwide. Just make your purchase at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen by March 21st, 2009 and I'll refund your shipping fees (or $5 internationally) when your order ships. (You are also welcome to request a revised invoice.) Use coupon code PICKITWINIT.

To enter this contest simply visit Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen and pick your favorite eight soaps from my shop. Then leave a comment below letting me know what your choices are! The winner will be contacted via email for his or her shipping information and will receive the choice of soaps they made when entering. This contest is open worldwide to anyone ages 18 and up. Limit four entries per household, one entry per action. Contest ends March 21st, 2009 at 11:59pm ET.

For additional entries leave additional comments for each of the following:

1. Tweet about this contest on Twitter.com - comment with your tweet.
2. Blog about this contest on your blog - comment with your blog post.
3. If you've used my soaps, leave me a product review on my ByHand profile - post your ByHand username.
   

        

To create your own wishlist, just log in to ByHand.me and click on My Wishlist. Not a member? Registration is simple and free. Just visit ByHand.me to sign up.

What are wishlists?

ByHand.me allows you to create a wishlist of items from a multitude of handmade venues including Etsy, ArtFire, 1000Markets, DaWanda, SilkFair, Made It Myself, ShopHandmade, iCraft.ca, WinkElf and Zibbet. A wishlist is many things to many people. It's a great way to keep up with gifts for friends and family, or to compile a list of those must haves for your own indulgences. ByHand's wishlists allow you to keep organized by creating lists of items, allow you to send your wishlists to friends in an email, either as All Items, or just a particular list.

Wishlists are as easy as clicking a link when viewing a product on any of the supported handmade venues. The products you choose to Wishlist are then added to your Wishlist back on ByHand without ever leaving the page you're on!

You can read more about Wishlists here.

        

I have donated four of my handmade soaps to Triage From Home to help support Helen's efforts to raise money to fight breast cancer. These soaps will be auctioned off at the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. Helen's goal is to raise $4000 before the walk in August. She has been auctioning donated handmade items on her blog to help benefit her fund raising efforts. Please contact Helen if you'd like to make a donation to help this cause!

        

This tutorial is written by and reprinted with permission from Jennifer Ladd Handmade.

 

I love this cute business card case, and I thought others might, too, so I wrote a tutorial for you! It's an easy-to-make, quick project and it has such a big impact when it is finished. I love how easy it is to customize to your own taste (by choosing different colors and different ribbon) so it can really represent your own business style. I use a sewing machine to make it, but it would be perfectly fine to hand-sew the case if you don't have a machine.

*Please use this for personal use, only.

Supplies needed:
-1/8 yard of wool felt
-12" of ribbon (I used two pieces of 12" ribbon in my case)
-thread
-optional: pinking shears

1. Cut four pieces of wool felt: two pieces are 5.5" by 4.25", the other two pieces 4.75" by 4.25".

 

 

2. Fold the smaller piece in half so that the folded edge is the one that is 4.25" across. Sew along the folded edge. I use the edge of my zipper foot as a guide when I sew to help make this seam straight - just line the edge of the fold up with the edge of your foot.

 

 

3. Optional: I use pinking shears to trim the seam and give the edge a more decorative look. You don't have to do this step if you would like your edge straight.

4. Repeat with the other small piece of fabric.

5. Cut your ribbon in half. Pin one piece of ribbon onto each of the shorter edges of one of your larger pieces of felt. Fold the edges under your felt before you sew so they will be caught by your stitching and held securely in place. Stitch a seam across both edges of the ribbon to hold it in place.

 

 

6. Make a sandwich with all of your pieces: first lay your felt with the ribbon face down, then the other large piece of felt. Then place one of your folded pieces at each edge (with the stitched edges toward the center). Pin all these layer together so they don't move while you sew them.

 

 

7. Stitch carefully around all the edges.

 

 

8. Optional: I use my pinking shears again to add a decorative edge to the bottom.

9. Yea! You're finished! Fold your case in half, insert business cards into each side, and enjoy!

 

 

Jennifer Ladd sells handmade purses, bags and baby items online at http://jenniferladd.etsy.com.

A Selection of Goods Available from Jennifer Ladd.

        

Megan has been sewing since she was fifteen and sells her work in her shop, Lemonade Accessories. Visit her online at http://lemonade-accessories.com for coin pouches, headbands, make up bags, scarves, totes and wristlets.

Q. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I'm a 20 year old newlywed, crafter, and barista. I recently moved from central Florida to Anchorage with my Air Force husband and we have two cats, Olive and Jude. When I'm not working in the coffee shop or creating, I like reading, cooking, yoga, running, and sipping tea. My husband recently taught me to snowboard so when the weather's nice, we like to hit the slopes.

Q. When did you first begin crafting?

I've always been crafty but I learned to sew when I was 15 years old. I started experimenting with different handbag designs as well as tops, dresses, and skirts. I like making bags because they can be one size, you don't have to worry about it fitting someone. I learned to crochet when I was 16 or 17 and I taught myself to knit when I was about 18. I also started making cards around the age of 18. My wonderful nanny (not a real nanny, my mom's mom) taught me to sew and crochet.

Q. Tell me a little bit about what you make and the materials you use.

I make wristlets, pouches, and other small accessories. I use fabric (Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Tina Givens, etc.) as well as things like zippers and interfacing. Without those two items, your items would20not close and they would lose their shape.

Q. What inspires your creations?

All kinds of things inspire me! It's something new everyday. To document my inspirations, I've started a feature on my blog called "Inspire me Wednesday." You can find it at http://lemonadeaccessories.wordpress.com.

Q. How do your current works differ from your earlier ones?

Oh gosh. They're certainly better made! I'm using higher quality fabrics and I can sew in zippers now. When I started sewing, everything was very basic and I was really cheap with my fabric. I've learned so much since I started.

Q. At what other venues have you or do you sell your work?

I sold on Etsy under Lemonade for about 3 years. I still have a shop with paper goods on Etsy but my accessories are all on my site.

Q. What tips do you have for other artists for selling their own handmade creations?

Have good pictures. It's so important for selling online. As for in person selling, just believe in your product and put yourself out there. They can't buy from you if they don't know you exist! Customer service is also very important both online and in person.

Q. What mistakes have you made along the way that you wish you’d had advice on before you started selling?

I wish I had been making more cohesive things when I began. I just sort of made things out of whatev er fabric I felt like. Now when I get a new fabric, I make one of everything out of that fabric and it becomes sort of a "line."

Q. Share one thing most people wouldn’t know about you?

I'm a very quiet person so people don't know a lot about me! The thing that surprises people most is the fact that I have 2 plates and 12 screws in my right arm from a car accident when I was 17. I'm a small girl so people don't believe all of that is inside my tiny arm!

Q. Use five words to describe yourself.

Quiet, creative, smart, caring, motivated.

Q. Who are some of your favorite artists?

One of my favorte Etsy sellers is EllaDean. She is such a sweetheart and makes the absolute best lip balms in the most creative, delicious flavors. I have so many favorites...far too many to list!