In Process...

Eeep!  I've been so busy.  Not just with soap, but in general.  It's exciting and a little intimidating, but I am living!  I'm about 2 months post-op and going on about life with nary a blink.  Have to say, I'm proud of myself.  I'm risking lots of fails, but that means I'm working towards lots of potential successes and much achievement regardless of outcome.  Vague, I know, but this post is about soap and weddings and soapy wedding favors.

Each wedding favor project is a multi-stage operation, and I'm in the middle of three of them and about to start a fourth after this post.  Thought I'd update with some pictures, as that's one of my favorite parts, the sharing of the creativity that's flowed through me over the last month.  Here goes...

Allison & Charles

A&C are both outdoor people.  My kind of people.  Charles had first discovered my soap in a swag bag from a mountain bike race in North Georgia.  After he started dating Allison, she contacted me and I did a custom order of Gravel Road Grunt for her which in turn was a surprise gift for him.  She's since become a regular Sudstress customer.  Then, a short while ago, she emailed to tell me she'd gotten engaged and wanted Sudstress as her wedding favors.  Yay!

So, I met up with Allison and her new fiance to show her samples and discuss the design of her favors.  Her soon to be husband is very down to earth and is perfectly suited to his profession - owner/operator of an outdoor guide company - Atlanta Outfitters.

If I remember correctly, their wedding is going to be outdoors with a rustic, outdoor feeling.  Allison will be wearing the most amazing turquoise and brown cowboy boots and there's a 'carved in a tree' theme going on.  They basically came up with the design idea here and I found it a very exciting, playful twist on my normal favors.  They are scented with mint and chocolate.  Delicious.

    

Emily & Nate

Emily is a co-worker whom I met the very night she got engaged, maybe six months ago.  When I asked Emily if I could bring her some samples of favors, she agreed and quickly got back to me saying that she and her fiance Nate loved the favors.  They wanted to do a set of each for the guests at their beach wedding.  This sparked a new level of creativity - beach themed favor set.  

Along with each couple comes a vision.  Their vision inspires the creative process and a certain kind of alchemy occurs and the next thing I know, I'm looking at a unique creation that could not have come only from me.  The energy of each couple flows through me as I work with the oils, lye, pigment, knife, letter press, and gift tag design.  The more I understand about the couple, the more of that energy I can put into the creation.  The way this project turned out, their is a definite yin-yang in the set.  The 'hotel' soap is more masculine with the exaggerated pigment while the cutie pie slices embrace a more feminine feel.  They are scented with a bright champagne citrus scent and will be presented in a satin trimmed organza wrap encased in a rough jute netting.  Masculine/feminine theme within a beach theme.  Lovely.  And handsome.

 

 

 

Meghan & Joel

Meghan, a geologist, and her fiance Joel, a land manager, are having an outdoor affair where they will be wed under a tree.  Their reception will be under a tent where the theme is somewhat antiqued.  There will be a soft, romantic feel.  The tent lit only by candles; mismatched china & flower vases; her dress, a simple ivory ensemble with a lace overlay.     

When Meghan emailed me about my soap rocks as wedding favors, I wasn't sure about the logistics of this one, but I had a good idea of how to figure it out.  This project took much longer than I'd anticipated, but it's a wonderful addition to my portfolio.  I have often thought that melt and pour made for better 'replica' type soap, but I have to say, I think these are just lovely and turned out quite realistic.  They remind me a bit of quartz I've seen on hiking trails that have the green stuff growing on it.  I should consult the geologist on what exactly that 'stuff' is.  In my soap, it's pigment.  

Her story and request led me to a new level of skill with Photoshop.  I am by no means trained in design, but there are other people who have developed this talent and I can stand on their shoulders and mold it to the project with my limited self-taught skills.  J&M time is a personal reference of the couple's.  Their special phrase.

These are scented with Lavender & Patchouli essential oils and will be packaged in sheer, ivory, organza drawstring bags.