Soaps I would love to receive as a gift!

I have wonderful customer, Kay, who lives in the UK. She is not only a customer, but a special friend. We were recently chatting by phone, and she mentioned that as a soap maker, she aspired to make and sell quality soaps like those pictured at Gianna Rose Atelier.

These soaps have been featured in a number of major magazines and I can see why. Their packaging is incredible and they certainly spare no expense in displaying their lovely products. If you find yourself looking for unique gifts for that "hard-to-buy-for" person this holiday season, this is a place to start. Yes, they may be a bit pricey, but look at the presentation!

Their triple-milled soaps and hallmark scents are certainly a step above ordinary soaps. And best of all, most every product this company offers is made in the USA (sorry Kay, I know you live in the UK).

A near hit.... Tornado devastates our Fenton town

My hometown was hit by a Level 2 Tornado on Friday, August 24. As you can imagine, it's had devastating effects, not just on our community, but on how we will be doing business during the recovery period. Crews are working to restore lost power and cable, but it's a slow go.

Thankfully, no lifes were lost and only a few minor injuries have been reported. The damage is great and it will take some time before the community is able to function at full capacity.

You will need to bear with us as we work to process orders in a timely manner. PLEASE, do not burden us with questions like, "when will my order ship or, "what is my tracking number". Tracking numbers will be emailed as soon as UPS picks up the order.

We have both cable and electric power as of Sunday, but this could change as crews work to restore power to other hard hit areas of the city. Our entire staff is sooooo thankful that we did not take a direct hit (though the home of one of our co-workers did). Our facility was in the direct line of the storm. In fact, just 1/8 mile down from us there was devastating damage. We were fortunate, but the effects of the damage around us is still leaving its impact.

Photos by Art Parnell. All rights reserved.

Is it OK to fire a customer?

I answer with an emphatic YES!! It does not matter what type of business you’re in, there are those rare occasions when no matter what you do, how you respond, and the solutions offered, a customer just can’t be appeased. I determined many years ago that life is too short and precious to be spending time trying to fix those things out of my control. I can’t fix customers who are angry by nature and I refuse to become engaged in their tongue lashing fits. Thankfully, in all my years of business, firing a customer is rare but sometimes absolutely necessary.

So what’s my point? Well, you have probably guessed I’ve recently fired a customer. From a business owner’s perspective I wanted to point out a few things to keep in mind when presenting a complaint to a company.

1) When you have an issue, email or call. State the problem EXPECTING a solution. Most companies are very willing to work toward a resolution as long as they’re not put on the defense. Sending emails with angry undertones that are accusatory, or stating “I will never order from you again!” are probably not the best way to get a company or individual to work with you.

2) Don’t immediately assume that the problem or issue is the fault of the company or a result of inferior product. Is it possible that you did not use the product as directed or for its recommended purpose? Example cited:

A customer emails that a mold cracked and bowed on first use. Since the mold was received in good order, there should be some level of responsibility on the part of the customer. Plastic molds don’t just crack and bow for no reason. Was the soap poured at too high of a temperature? Was excessive forced used to release a mold? Was the soap completely set-up before trying to remove from mold? Obviously the company supplying the product can’t be held accountable for improper use.

Another example: A customer contacts a company with accusations that the soap colors ordered are defective. Their once pink soaps are now turning orange and the entire batch of soap is ruined. The customer wants full compensation for the ruined batch. Further investigation reveals this customer used food grade colorants in the soap base. The company specifically indicates on their web site that food grade colors are not colorfast in soap base and should be used in shower gels and lotions only. The customer made a uninformed choice even though the information was clearly posted. At what point should the customer assume responsibility?

3) Be flexible when trying to negotiate compensation. If it’s truly a defective product then state your case and what you believe is fair compensation. If you’ve received the wrong item, politely ask for a “prepaid call tag” so the product can be returned for the correct item. Certainly, it would serve no purpose for a company to intentionally ship incorrect or damaged product. It costs a company added expense every time they have to reship or replace items from a previous order. Remember, companies are operated by humans. Like it or not, they are subject to human error.

The next time you have an issue with a company, whether it’s a damage claim, a wrong item, or something missing, keep it in perspective. Blowing up, lashing out, and placing blame will surely not put you in the good graces of the person who is empowered to “fix” the problem and could get you fired!

NOTE: To the supplier who inherits this recently fired customer, I say GOOD LUCK!

1st in Best Soap Competition

My good friend PJ from pjsoaps.com recently attended the ISOCAN (Illinois Soap & Candle gathering) and won 1st place in the best soap competition. We have pictured PJ's winning soap. Of course, the gang here at GoPlanetEarth are grinning from ear to ear because this soap was made using one of our Mold Market molds. It's done in multiple colored soap pours which is PJ's specialty.

Way to go girlfriend!

Sidebar: GoPlanetEarth carries the complete line of Mold Market molds.

Converting Grams to Ounces, Vice Versa

I've had a number of customers asking for help in converting fragrance and/or essential oils from grams to ounces. I've posted a handy chart to help you make these conversions. It's pretty straight forward, but for those of you who struggle with basic math, keep the following in mind. Approximately 28 grams equals one ounce. If your recipe calls for 14 grams of FO/EO, you would add 1/2 ounce of fragrance.

Converting Grams to Ounces:

If you can't find the number you want in the chart, multiply your grams by 0.0353 to convert grams to ounces.

Converting Ounces to Grams:

If you can't find the number you want in the chart, multiply your ounces by 28.35 to convert ounces to grams.

Here is the link for the conversion table.

Posted courtesy of GoPlanetEarth.com. Your complete source for soap making supplies and soap molds.

I'm taking a brief respite

To those customers who have emailed asking if everything is OK, I answer with a wholehearted YES! Some of you have grown concerned that I may have dropped off the face of the planet because I haven't been posting to the Blog. Not true! I'm just taking a much needed respite to regroup, enjoy the remainder of our short Michigan summers, and to prepare for the fast approaching holiday season.

I have several upcoming speaking engagements which require special attention and am also working on some "how-to" videos. Oh, and did I mention spending time with my ailing Dad who has bone cancer. So you can see, the Yadda Yadda soap making blog has been temporarily side-stepped to enable me to attend to more pressing business.

Honestly, I was quite surprised to find that a good number of you read the blog on a regular basis. Thanks! If I can ever find a moment to catch a breath, I hope to post soon. I have some great projects in the works and want to get them posted pre-holiday season.

Till then, Happy Soaping!

Scrum-dilly-ious Works of Art

Can you believe that these are actually cakes? I was stunned by their beauty. They are all created by artist Shinmin Li who owns I Dream of Cake in San Francisco. I don't think I could bear to cut into one of these signature style masterpieces. It would be akin to taking a knife to a Van Gogh painting.


You might be wondering what one of these stunning cakes will cost. Prices range from $8-25 per serving, depending on size and design and custom cakes start at $350. They come in flavours from chocolate to pumpkin spice.



As I admired these delicious works of art I started wondering if this same artisry could somehow be applied to soap. No doubt it would a daunting task, but I'm convinced it could be done by someone, just not me! I would love to claim that I have risen to this type of artistry in soap, but if challenged, I would fail miserably.

What do you think? Are any of you up to the challenge? I'm thinking that a tiered type soap cake is doable. Hmmm... it's got me thinking. Many of you are pretty talented soapers. What's your thoughts? Some little pea size balls of soap dusted with shimmering mica could be threaded onto fishing line to look like an elegant strand of pearls that drapes over the top of the soap cake. My mind is starting to race with ideas. For now I'll have to sleep on it; but, it's certainly an idea I will revisit.

Bacon Soap?? Now this is recycling to the extreme!

I stumbled upon this video the other day. It's amusing and believe it or not, informative in the sense that it does give a generic overview of how CP (cold process) soap is made. I'm not so sure I would ever use "bacon soap", but it's a novel idea. ENJOY!

This link will take you to the step-by-step instruction page and video clip.

http://www.instructables.com/id/E1ZSYTGJ9NEXCFLZ64/?ALLSTEPS

Soapmaking Certification Program

The Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild (HSMG) recently annouced a soap making certification program to members of the guild. If you are not yet a member of the soap making guild, I encourage you to join. They offer many member benefits including a soapmaker's journal that is published several times a year, product and general liablity insurance at group rates, resource library, online forum to meet and chat with other soapmakers, and many other added benefits and incentives.

I am quite excited about the the certification program as it will promote high standards among handcrafted soap makers and will help to establish an industry wide standard of excellence. Three levels of certification will be offered for both CP/HP soapmaking and MP soapmaking. The levels include

1) general soapmaker level
2) advanced level
3) master level

I've been appointed to serve on the certification steering committee to help establish criteria and test questions for all levels of MP soap making pertaining to formulating techniques. The Soap Guild hopes to begin the first level of testing on October 1, 2007 (cost is $25). The advanced level of certification will be implemented April 2008 (cost is $50), and the master level October 2008 (cost is $75).

For more info about the certification program visit http://www.soapguild.org/CertificationCommitteeProposal-approved.pdf

Back from Vacation

Vacation was over way too soon. It seemed as if we had barely gotten unpacked and it was time to go home. I felt a twinge of sadness as we left our Northern Michigan cottage. The entire week was so restful and being with our kids and grandkids was an absolute delight! I hated to see it all come to an end. The weather was warm, sunny, and the evenings just cool enough to make a bonfire by the lake to toast marshmallows for smores. As you can see by the photo, the sunsets were breathtaking.

We spent a great deal of time on the pontoon boat just cruising the lake, swimming, tubing, and fishing. Our 4-year old grandson, Carson, caught his first fish with his mommy and talked about it for the entire day. Our sweet princess Olivia drove the boat with Poppy, swam in her little pool (which we put on the boat), and was showered with plenty of smooches from NeeNee (that would be me).

My terrific staff held down the fort while I was away. They'll be enjoying some famous fudge and cherries from the Travese City area when they return to work on Monday. It's always crazy the week after a vacation, so please bear with us. Apart from the fact that I've gained another 5 pounds this past week, I am refreshed. Seeing myself photographed in my swimsuit was rather frightening. Gosh darn, it's hard to be trim at this age. Why is it so easy to put on those extra pounds, but to lose them takes double the effort? Anyway, it was a great vacation!

Hurray! ON VACATION

To My Dear Customers,

As of 4 PM, Friday, July 13, 2007 I am on vacation. Our entire staff has worked like crazy to ship orders prior to next week's vacation closure. Every one of my staff members deserve a round of applause for their hard work and extra hours. Feel free to order online while we are away, but with the knowledge that we won't be shipping until we return on July 23.

I must give thanks to so many of my wonderful customers who have emailed with well wishes about this vacation. No doubt, this vacation is long overdue. For those of you who run an online business, you are well aware that it's pretty much a 24x7 job and at times overwhelming. I hope to come back refreshed and ready to give you the same great service you have come to expect.

I will check email (on a limited basis). Many of my customers (God love you!) told me I shouldn't even check mail. If it's something I can fix while away, I will. Otherwise, it will have to wait until I return. I need this time with family and I truly appreciate your understanding (as does the rest of the staff).

I won't be posting on the blog during vacation. I'm hoping that each of you are able to take some time off this summer. Life is short! Enjoy family!!

Best,
Denise

Do-It-Yourself Romantic Candle Dress Ups

I love candles, but don't want to fuss with making them. I now just purchased ready-made candles and then look for ways to dress them up. Here are a few ideas that I've used (courtesy of Better Homes & Garden) and all cost very little money. Most of these items can be found around your home.

Wrap gold crafts wire around the clear glass candleholders. Wrap and twist the wire freely, or tightly for a wire motif bow. I like to thread a few glass beads through the wire.

For a natural look, use tiny clay flowerpots for holding candles. Add a base of polished rocks and bits of moss, highlighted with a few larger rocks that offer words of congratulations. Use a stencil for the lettering or rub-on letters.

Stand candles in vase and tie with ribbon. Make sure ribbon is well away from flames.

Fill the bottom of a vase or glass container one-third with sand or gravel. Arrange a grouping of dripless taper candles in the sand, allowing the candles to fall playfully to the side, resting on the container edge.

The next time you have a garden or yard party, tea, or special event such as a bridal shower think outside the box. Candles make great centerpieces and generally cost less than floral arrangements. When visiting a second hand shop, the beach, a dollar store... look for containers, elements, and ideas for making unique candle arrangements. Some of my best candle containers have been found at garage sales. Someone elses junk can be your treasure!

Try your hand at soap painting

Another new design from Mold Market. Very detailed and deep enough for mulitple color pours (for those of you who are patient and skilled in the process). If you don't feel up to the task, why not try your hand at soap painting.

The dragonfly pictured was painted with our liquid gel colors using a good quality artist brush (rounded tip). The foliage was painted in Jade green, and the dragonfly is a mixture of neon purple, blessing blue, radiant gold, and copper for the dragonfly tentacles.

When painting soap be sure to lightly dust the face of the soap with cornstarch. Blow off any excess cornstarch. Soap is oily and the colors get stubborn about wanting to stick; the cornstrach helps the paint to adhere better. Make sure to shake the color pots before each use AND allow paint to dry completely before applying a second coat.

Sad, but true, the colors do come off in the first wash. But they still make lovely gifts and it's a fun way to excercise your creative side. Painted soaps should air dry for at least 2-3 days before wrapping. If there's concern about soaps sweating while they dry, place them in a covered container with some uncooked rice. The rice will absorb excess humidity.

Below are examples of other painted soaps. All molds are from the Mold Market Collection.

New Mold Designs

Two new holiday designs were recently released by Mold Market. The Mold Market brand of molds is comprehensive, well made and continue to be our top selling mold line. GoPlanetEarth.com carries the entire mold collection, which includes a full monogram mold set. In my opinion, Mold Market molds get a thumbs up for quality, value, and selection!

Mid-July is when many of you start gearing up for upcoming fall and holiday craft shows. You'll want to add these two new molds to your holiday line-up. They're in stock and ready to ship!

Masculine Soaps

Yesterday, I had an inquiry from Rob. He stated, "being a guy, I like 'masculine' looking soap... how do I go about making soaps like this?" The site Rob referenced was Juniper Ridge and the soap photo pictured is from their web site. I will be addressing Rob's question in this post, but first, I had to take a peek at the Juniper Ridge web site. I was very impressed with what Hall Newbegin, the owner, has to offer.

All items sold are made from wild harvested plant material with NO essential oils, perfume oils, or colors - all the smell and color of the soap comes from the wild plant. You can enjoy the aromatic pleasures of hiking in the deep, dark woods of the Northwest or the sage blanketed hills of Southern California without ever leaving your tub.

Juniper Ridge makes more than soap. They also sell natural, woodsy smelling wild herb incense, Northwest wild herb berry jams and syrups (the old fashioned pulp style), wild herb teas, and wreaths that stay soft and green for up to two years (they perserve them with an internal glycerin process). While visiting the site I ordered the soap gift pack for my husband who loves all things natural and vegan. He has an upcoming birthday and I'm certain the soap will be a perfect gift.

OK, back to my guy Rob. I can't provide a recipe for the soaps made by Juniper Ridge as this group goes to great lengths to cultivate and gather herbs for their own unique soap recipes. I can tell you they are using a cold process method of soap making which is much different than melt and pour soap making. An Internet google search will provide you with a host of free CP (cold process) soaping recipes. Also, consider joining a soap making forum where soap savvy members are willing to share their soaping knowledge.

As far as what fragrances to use for masculine type soaps, hmmmm, let me think. I would suggest Evergreen Breeze, Spruce & Berries, Sandalwood, Teak & Sandalwood, Pear & Redwood, or Bay Rum. All of these are great men scents and can be purchased at GoPlanetEarth.com. My personal favorite is Spruce & Berries.

If you're looking to reproduce some of the neutral, masculine colored soaps pictured above, I suggest using liquid gel earthtone colors. They produce stable, non-bleeding colors in rich earthy tones. The 1/2 ounce 6-pack is a perfect testing size. Then, there are other earthy colors like tomato red or oriental mustard. All these colors lean toward a traditional male color palette.

Good Luck!!

Flip Flops (a sidebar to previous post)

An absolute must for every handbag! Foldable flip flops. Just drop them in your bag for those emergency situations...

**You had an emergency pedicure and can't put your freshly polished toesies back into your pumps;

**You shopped all day and your feet are on fire;

**You danced all night and your feet are on fire;

**You wore your new Yves St. Laurent 5 “Tribute” platforms for two hours and your pieds sont flambées;

**What – you think I'm walking barefoot through that airport security line??

I love the whole concept. The bag and flip flops come in a number of colors. They even have bags that read "BRIDE" and "BRIDESMAID". A perfect gift to give to the gals in the bridal party when they're getting that bridal day pedicure.

Flip Flops... from Geek to Chic

Flip flops have definitely evolved. When I was a kid they were just a slab of rubbery foam with a V-shaped strap (like the pair pictured in blue). Today, the flip flop, or sometimes called the shoe thong, has morphed into high fashion. They are the footwear of choice for us working gals and guys. At our facility, it's the only thing we wear year round. Rain, sleet, sun, or snow, a pair of flip flops are always in tow or on our feet.

What is our love affiar with flip flops? For me, it is all about comfort. Having worked in the corporate world for many years, the dress code was strictly business suits and heels. No wonder my feet cry out for comfort. Flip flops allow my feet to breath, expand, and show off my pedicure.

So what has caused toe thong shoes to go from geek to chic? Perhaps it started when women abandoned pantyhose which in turn prompted a surge in nail salons and toe rings. Afterall, who wants to hide pretty feet? I have flip flops for every occasion. Some are cheap charlies, others more pricey (for those upscale, dressy events). Target and Wal-mart are my two favorite places to buy inexpensive, yet stylish flip flops. The plaid pair pictured below are from Target and retail for a mere $10.99.

I was amazed to find you can even purchase flip flops with add-on features like a bottle opener nestled in the sole of the sandal, or a place to store your credit card or cash while at the beach. Even, Oprah has her favorite flip flop pick which retail for $23 at havaianasus.com (pictured below).

You may be wondering what flip flops have to do with soap making and why in the heck I'm posting a blurp about them. First, flip flops have nothing to do with soap making. Second, I want you to know that all orders shipped from GoPlanetEarth are processed by a bunch of fun-loving, flip flop wearing employees (owner included!). By the way, we sell a terrific bath size flip flop soap mold made by Mold Market. It's just one of the many cool molds we stock from this company.

Hats Off to the folks at Alabama Soap Gathering

I can't say enough nice things about the Alabama Soap Meeting gang. Every year our company donates a great deal of product to soap gatherings. Without fail, it is the Alabama group that sends a personalized thank you letter once the gathering is over, which includes the hand written signatures of every attendee. I repeat handwritten, NOT copied. AND... it comes by mail, not email. Even better!!

Karen White does a fantastic job in making certain that every sponsor is recognized and appreciated for donations made. I wish other soap gathering committees would step-up to the plate and get as organized as this group. The only other gathering this year that has sent thanks to our company for donations (after the event) was the Arizona group. It is appreciated. It takes time and money for companies to put together goodie bag donations and door prizes. For the most part, there is no acknowledgment that the product was received much less given away. Placing a banner on the gathering web site is great, but a personalized thank you is still proper etiquette. If someone gives a wedding gift, it's acknowledged by sending a thank you note. Whenever you receive a gift or donation of any kind, you send a thank you. Maybe I'm from the old school, but I'm beginning to sense that these gathering committees have come to "expect" supplier donations and we suppliers have promoted that expectation (at least in my opinion) because we willingly send off free stuff without question or concern.

In the past, GoPlanetEarth has donated gift certificates of generous value to gatherings only to find they are never used. I have spoken with other major soap suppliers about this issue, they too find that donated gift certificates go unused. Where in the heck do they go? Who wouldn't take advantage of free soaping product? It baffles me; OK, it also slightly irritates me that someone wouldn't use a gift certificate. Our site is extensive and I find it hard to believe you couldn't find something useful.

Next year, I will be changing our polices for donated product. We are inundated with requests for gathering donations and the list continues to grow. I'm finding its time to rethink how it all works. Especially when there is little thanks from gathering planning committees once an event takes place. It would be nice to know how the event went, was it successful, how many attendees, etc. It's not just the issue of receiving a written thanks, it's the disorganized manner that these gatherings are soliciting product. Just this week I received a second email request from a (major) gathering soliciting donations. Our company had already sent donations over 45 days ago (to the tune of over $5oo). It's a bit perplexing to think that the planning committee didn't even know they had received the product.

Anyway, I will be rethinking how I want to handle gathering donations for next year. Between my two companies, we donate a substantial amount of product every year.

Adventures of Whipped Soap (Soap Frosting)

Thanks to a fellow soaper friend from Australia who kindly granted permission to share some photos of "Whipped Soaps", also known as soap frosting. It's not often someone is willing to divulge their soaping secrets, so bravo to my soap friend Terry! I have no doubt that whipped soap will challenge your soaping abilities and stretch your artistic talents to new heights. Terry is the PRO of whipped soap and willing to offer assistance should you decide to give it a try.

The purple basket weave soap was decorated with whipped soap using just a basic round circle colored in blue. Amazing!! A great tutorial, including several recipes, can be found at Terry's website. Below is a photo of what whipped soap looks like.

Also, take a look at this incredible gingerbread house made from soap. Yes, you read it right, soap.

The project started when a few other soapers put out a challenge to discover creative ways to used re-batched soap. Terry decided on a gingerbread house even though there was no logical way to use the soap. Of course, I don't see anything practical about an eatable gingerbread house, either. Do you know anyone who has actually eaten one? Yuck!! Anyway, I love the whole gingerbread soap idea!! Find out how it was done here.

Neat little flowerpot cakes... from Martha

A while back, I came across a neat recipe on the Martha Stewart web site. I remember thinking that the little pebbble candies looked so real that it was hard to believe they were candy. At some point I surfed the web endlessly looking to find these candies at a reasonable price. I was determined to make some of these clever looking cakes in the near future. My web search was a success and I found the candy pebbles at http://www.sweetcandy.com/ for just $9.99 for a 5-lb. bag. A much better price than the place Martha recommended at $8.00 per pound.

Sadly, once these sweet little pebbles were delivered to my doorstep they became forever lost in my pantry. I just never seemed to find the time or the event to feature these tasty little cakes. That is until this weekend.

Finally ... the time and an event! I served the cakes at a cook-out we hosted. They were a hit from the get-go. Instead of a mint sprig on top of the cake, I used an edible flower (carnations). I wish now that I had taken pictures as they really were quite attractive. As for the candy pebbles; well, everyone raved about them, but no one actually ate them. I did try a few. They tasted like jelly beans which is my least favorite candy. Still, they definitely added a realistic touch to the flower pot cake. It was a fun dessert. As for the cake, absolutely delicious!