New Spring Soaps!

sweet magnolia

ozone

cloud 9

stargazer lily

Euca-Lemongrass

soap sampler

emerald isle

victory garden

Later this week, you'll be able to find these soaps in the local Atlanta area at Young Blood Gallery & Boutique.  Otherwise, head over to my online etsy store to purchase.

Also a quick update: I'm headed in for surgery on March 20th and will be putting my etsy shop in vacation mode until I feel well enough to pack and ship soap.  This could be a few days or a few weeks.  I'm sorry I can't be more definitive than that.  So, if you are going to want soap soon, please order by Wednesday, March 14th.  If you'd like to learn more about my experience with Graves' Disease, you can go to my other blog:  a lump in my throat.

Thanks for your support and thanks for looking. 

one of three

You know how sometimes when one area of your life is going kinda crappy, the universe has a certain way of lifting your spirits by introducing exciting possibilities in other areas? Well, in the last couple of weeks, surrounding my break-up with Peter, three big possible opportunities for either wholesale or press have popped up. I will not reveal all three to you, but rather make you wait and wonder and work yourself into a tizzy with anticipation. *insert evil cackle here* I have learned over the last few years to allow myself to get excited about possible opportunities without blowing my load right off the bat, only to be crushed if and when it falls through or falls flat. With that said, nothing as big as these three has come my way before now, so I'm taking deep breaths, working hard and keeping everything crossed.

I just got home from Java Monkey where I met up with Jen Ray who has been working with Etsy this summer. She came to Atlanta to interview artists who will be featured in the upcoming Etsy City Guide, of which I am one! (I'd provide a link, but it doesn't exist yet) We had more of a conversation rather than the standard interview. We talked about soap, of course, but I rambled as I tend to when I'm nervous and we ended up talking about factory farming, bacon and people that we discovered we both knew from working in bars around Atlanta. I'm glad she recorded it, because I can't remember most of it; another unfavorable result of the nerves. We ended the interview with a short photo session wherein I babbled nervously and made awkward motions while looking anywhere but the camera. It's not that I'm uncomfortable with my picture being taken, it's just that if the specific purpose is to have a picture of me, I get all weird and don't know how to relax and act natural.

So, the feature should be out in the next month or two. I'm super excited about it and so thankful that she found me. Actually, she went to school with Maggie of Young Blood Gallery & Boutique. When Jen asked Maggie for a recommendation, she recommended me! Maggie has popped up at some of the festivals I've done over the years and they even sell my soap in the boutique. I guess networking can be more subtle and genuine than shoving your business card down people's throats and putting on a fake smile.

Speaking of Young Blood; I will be there from 7-10 p.m. this coming Thursday, selling my wares at Kraftwork. If you've never been to one, please come by. There are always several very talented artists selling all kinds of high quality, neat stuff. Here is a list of this month's participants.

Soapy Sales.

I just got an email from Jen at Youngblood Gallery & Boutique.  They're almost out of Black Raspberry and Autumn Spice, so they need more.  Also, they're adding Sugared Lemon and Healing Waters to the lineup.  I went a couple of weeks ago, without my camera, to check out how they'd chosen to display my soaps and to look at all the cool stuff.  It's pretty awesome, actually.  It's just how I would've done it if given the choice.  They're on a table almost immediately upon entering and they're displayed in a vintage suitcase.  It's pretty cool.  If you're in Atlanta, you need to check this place out.  It's on North Highland Avenue at the corner of North Avenue, next to North Highland Inn and across from North High Ridge Apartments.

Submission and Acceptance

I'm going to ride three gap today, backwards, and even though I'm not leaving until about 12:30; a chain saw, a jackhammer and a solicitous phone call have all conspired to not let me sleep in. I guess I've done enough sleeping this week while I was sick, anyway, so I figured now is as good a time as any to update.

The other day I received an email inviting me to consider consigning my soaps and scrubs at Youngblood Gallery & Boutique. Coincidentally, I had sent an email to the person I thought was in charge of artist submissions that same day unbeknownst to the aforementioned sender. I think that qualified as automatic acceptance! So yesterday I brought samples by their new location on North Highland Avenue to see which items they'd like to carry. As a side note, I used to set up a table every so often at their previous Grant Park location for Kraftworks which took place on the first Thursday of every month. Any local artist/crafter was welcomed to come and set up a table to socialize and peddle their wares in an indie/urban art environment. I have been told that kraftworks may be reinstated at the new location, which would be great. Also, an extremely talented artist and friend of mine ;jimiyo has done some work for them, I believe.

I will be delivering the goods next Tuesday and I imagine from there, it won't be but a day or so before they're on display for all to see, sniff and purchase. One of the best things for me about their new location is that it's right down the road from where I work, so when people ask me where they can get my soap, instead of giving them a website, I can send them two blocks south where instant gratification awaits. Available on the shelves at Youngblood will be nine different varieties of soap, all three 'flavors' of soap cake and two different sugar scrubs. I am very excited.