SUDS

~ SUDS Has Been Featured ~

2009-11-03T11:48:00.002-06:00

Thank you to Erica at The Bonnie Bath Co. =)

You can read our full interview here http://bonniebathblog.blogspot.com/

~ SANDALWOOD VANILLA ~

2009-11-03T07:01:00.004-06:00

We like to have fun with our soap and we are always looking for better ways to enhance the beauty of our designs. After some experimentation, we have found the perfect look for SUDS own Sandalwood Vanilla. This is one decadent shea butter bar and we are thrilled with the design! This new bar will be available soon at www.shopsuds.com =)

~ CHOCOLATE MINT SWIRL ~

2009-10-29T13:25:00.003-05:00

CHOCOLATE MINT SWIRL
Ok, seriously!! Aromas do not get any better than this! Imagine the richest, smoothest, creamy dark chocolate swirled with icy cool peppermint. Think about devouring a Peppermint Patty or Andes Mint and you’ve got the picture. ~ Absolutely delectable!

~ SUGAR BABIES ~

2009-10-26T13:21:00.004-05:00

Ooooooh.......Brown Sugar!! These scrumptious SUGAR BABIES are now on the curing rack! We are so incredibly excited to be adding them to our new line at www.shopsuds.com, this November! These gourmet bars are packed with goodies such as real Brown Sugar, Olive Oil, Safflower Oil, and skin loving Shea Butter...... simply decadent.

~ DRAMA QUEEN ~

2009-10-23T13:38:00.003-05:00

Every good Drama Queen requires a lot of attention and knows exactly how to go about getting it. Our new Drama Queen Shea Butter Bar is no different! With it's gourmet ingredients and bold coloring, this bar has everything it needs to keep you coming back for more!
These beauties are currently on the curing rack. Look for them on the www.shopsuds.com website November 2oth!!

I'm So Excited... And I Just Can't Hide It!!

2009-10-15T20:03:00.008-05:00

I'm about to lose control and I think I like it!! .......Oh Yea!

Ok, for those of you who don't know, those are the lyrics to a song.... a really old and uncool song, but a song nonetheless. Have no fear though. I have not gone completely insane, only partially =) You see, we just received our new company stamps yesterday and I ADORE THEM~ Seriously I LOVE them!! I just started playing and I am totally digging the new look. I have so many new ideas floating around in my head and I cannot wait to make them happen!

Pucker Up, Baby! It's Lemonylicious!

2009-10-07T13:46:00.005-05:00

I am in love.......... with a soap bar! This ultra fresh lemon bar has my whole house smelling AMAZING!! The very moment, Hubby walked through the door, he got a whiff of it and asked if I had made lemon meringue pie! I could hear the excitement in his voice. Sadly, I had to tell him, no. The poor man.

Made with additional luxurious ingredients such as Shea Butter and Silk, this beautiful new lemon is a total keeper!! Let me tell you people. Soap making is the perfect occupation for a fragrance junkie. Oh, how I love my job! It just doesn't get any better!

It's the most WONDERFUL time of the year~

2009-10-01T10:26:00.004-05:00

This is our favorite time of the year for soaping! With the cool weather upon us, there is something even more satisfying about stocking the curing racks, than at any other time of the year. Maybe it is the special mouth watering scents that tend to come with the cold weather months (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, vanilla, mint, baked apples, pumpkin pie.......). Sorry, I lost focus there for a moment.... now wiping away drool. =) We tend to thrive on a little bit of chaos around here, so maybe it is the mad rush of Holiday orders and the fun that we have during our late night soapathons trying keep up. Maybe it is the burst of creativity and inspiration that all of this excitement brings to us. Whatever the reason...... the time is now and we are totally LOVING every minute of it!
Ok... have to get back to work! ;)

The Hot New DETOX FOR HER!

2009-09-24T11:47:00.005-05:00

Detox For Her is a very special SUDS bar. Packed with activated charcoal and natural clays, this gorgeous, fragrance free facial bar gently draws out impurities and pollutants that will clog pores and cause fine lines and wrinkles. This bar is geared specifically for women with not only common sense, but also, fashion sense......so we wanted to make it even more special!

With the hot pink and jet black color palette, I'd say we reached our goal!

Suds Soap Log ~ Candy Land

2009-09-17T14:23:00.013-05:00

Soap logs can be so much fun! Everytime I unmold a log of

Candy Land, I think to myself, "I have to get a picture of this!!"

Well, this morning I finally did.......... :-) This one has me drooling!

SUDS SOAP DISPLAY

2009-09-15T07:05:00.011-05:00

This past weekend we had such a great time at our SUDS show! We met so many nice people and had a lot of laughs. It seems that the world is full of scent junkies......it is good to know that we aren't alone! We'd like to welcome of all of our newbie SUDS addicts to the greatest addiction in the world. :-)

DETOX FOR HIM - Detoxifying soap bar for men

2009-09-14T19:36:00.003-05:00

This SUDS special recipe includes active charcoal and bentonite clay, making Detox For Him a superb facial bar for men. The charcoal and the clay both work to gently draw out impurities from pores while the nutrient rich oils (including Olive, Safflower, and Shea butter) create a fresh, natural and moisturizing bar. Detox for him is fragrance free and a must have for every man who cares about his complexion!

Who says that cold process soap can't be bright and colorful?

2009-09-05T15:43:00.011-05:00

Time and time again, we hear people say that they like melt and pour soap because it is fun and colorful. While the bright and colorful soap that you see, many times is melt and pour soap base, it is also often filled with undesirable ingredients, such as surfactants. Because melt and pour can be made with very little time and effort, it is a commonly found "handmade soap" on the market. The process of making melt and pour is quite simple. Just melt down the commercial soap base, add your color and fragrance, pour in your mold..... voila! Cold process soap from scratch, on the other hand, takes a month to ready and a great deal of skill and knowledge regarding the various ingredients involved.

The overall consensus is that soap from scratch looks plain and boring. Well, the truth is that, many times, it is. However, we have worked really hard to go against the grain on this one. We do make our soap from scratch and we do make it bright, colorful and fun. You can have the best of both worlds.

Suds Black and Red Soap

2009-09-05T14:11:00.006-05:00

I was playing with some masculine scent ideas and came up with this fun new bar. Hubby says that we should call it SCORPION........I like it! This one isn't ready to hit the stores just yet, but this is definitely one to consider!

I love uncut soap logs!!

2009-09-03T19:27:00.014-05:00

When they are good they are Oh So Good! These uncut soap logs are absolutely droolworthy. Lemon Head makes one gorgeous log of soap ..... and that makes me one happy soaper! =) I think that I will post more pics of uncut soap logs in the future, for your viewing pleasure. They are so darn cool that I think they need to be seen before they are chopped up into individual bars. I can't be the only one that appreciates their unique beauty........ can I?

Spice So Nice!

2009-08-26T15:02:00.002-05:00

With the start of a new school year just around the corner, that good old Fall feeling is creeping into my bones. I decided to play with two of my favorite "cozy" kind of scents, cinnamon and vanilla. The result is a fabulous shea butter bar with the most AMAZING fragrance!! Warm cinnamon and spices swirled with the richest, creamy, french vanilla. This is so incredibly dreamy! I have not stopped sniffing my hands since washing with this bar...... I think I've done it 5 times while typing this entry! :-)

This recipe is definitely going to be added to the SUDS line, the moment that it is finished curing! This is a must have!

Playing With Patchouli

2009-08-19T15:20:00.003-05:00

My business partner in crime, Samantha, was playing with Patchouli last night. She whipped together some fabulous ingredients, including shea butter and goats milk, got crazy with some color, and let the soap do it's thing. I am really digging the results! They're groovy, man..... groovy. We may have to add these babies to our site!

Looking like a Rock Star!

2009-08-13T08:05:00.003-05:00

We've decided that like any true rock star, The Rock Star Suds Bar, demands a bit more style. So, within the next few months, we'll be walking on the wild side and introducing an all new look to this spectacular bar. This new look is sure to have the crowds gathering, women screaming and the paparazzi swarming!!

OOPS! When Good Soap Goes Bad

2009-08-08T10:10:00.008-05:00

Oh, I've heard tale of it happening..... but I never thought it would happen to me! Everything was going along as planned. It was just an ordinary day with the soaping pot. Suddenly, out of the nowhere, it happened. "BAM!!!" My entire pot of beautiful Cedar & Saffron became quick cement! I drew upon the wisdom of soaper's past and all of the inner strength that I could muster, and feverishly glopped it into the mold.

Here are the sad results......... Looks?? Uhhh, not so much! But, hey, it does smell AMAZING! Hubby named it Cammo and with the olive, beige, and brown coloring, I'd say he's dead on! Admittedly, this look will not be winning any major awards. Nor will it make it to the shopsuds.com website. However, like an ugly child, Mama is seeing the beauty in it :-)

Are you a Lemon Head?

2009-08-05T07:10:00.005-05:00

I have unmolded and cut the new log of Lemon Head and I am pretty happy with it. It's fun and it smells incredibly fresh and zingy! If you are a true connoisseur of everything lemon, this bar is sure to make you one seriously happy Lemon Head!

Soap is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.

2009-08-02T06:52:00.004-05:00

Well, yesterday I poured a log of Lemon Head and a slab of White Tea & Ginger Me. I felt really good about it because, due to the work involved, I normally average just one pour a day. Being able to squeeze two pours in, as well as take care of the family and keep the house clean, is quite an achievement. I should be able to unmold them tonight and send them to the curing rack. I can't tell you how much I wish that I could just unmold and sell. This is the reason that a lot of the handmade soap that you buy is actually just Melt & Pour soap base that people buy, melt down, add scent, color, wrap and sell. They can do that in one day, whereas soap from scratch is a serious exercise in patience. The 4 week cure time is quite difficult for me. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I lack patience. Perhaps that is why the Lord has led me to soaping..... He is teaching me something that I have somehow failed to learn along the way.

The funny thing about making soap from scratch is that the colors you end up with can often be quite different from what you started off with. I look forward to waking up in the mornings so that I can run to my mold, uncover it, and see what colors and textures I have created. It is very exciting because it is very much like Forest Gump had said. "Soap is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Sometimes I am very happy with the results and sometimes I think to myself, "Here is another one for the Misfit Box." In case you are wondering, the Misfit Box is going to consist of all of the miscolored or mishapened soap bars. Although, they will still be wonderful Suds bars, we will offer them at a reduced price, due to the fact that they did not fit our vision for that particular scent.
This is my 3rd attempt at Lemon Head. I have called this soap my nemesis. It isn't that it has misbehaved at all. There has been no ricing or tracing. It is just the color. I have a vision for this bar. I can see it in my head.... I just haven't been able to pull it off. After I get the bars cut, I'll be sure to post pics.

Our new soap packaging!

2009-07-31T12:48:00.002-05:00

Well, we spent quite a bit of time trying to find the right packaging to convey Suds fun & unique style. For now, we are quite happy with the results. What do you think?

..... had a nice little break :-)

2009-07-25T07:56:00.004-05:00

Well, hubby and I decided to take the kids on a much needed mini vacation to Cedar Point. It has been a long time since we have gone away, so we were determined to make it happen. We loaded 7 of us into the van and headed off to Ohio. The drive itself wasn't too bad. The baby slept most of the way, and that always helps. I have to say, I wasn't too happy with the hotel, though. We stayed at Comfort Inn Cedar Point South. The name is misleading, as we ended up driving much further to Cedar Point than I had figured we would. The cleaning, also left a lot to be desired. It was difficult to find accomodations for all of us in one room, however, and this hotel offered 3 double beds, so this was where we ended up. We spent most of the first night swimming and then headed to Pizza Hut, where we proceded to stuff ourselves to the point of immobility. My family and I are pizza fanatics... and Pizza Hut has our all-time favorite crust!! Ok, back to the story.....
We got up very early the next morning, had breakfast, and made our way to the park. The forecast called for rain so we were a bit concerned, but it was light rain, so it didn't hinder us one bit. We threw on the ponchos and ran all day from ride to ride. Hubby is a total thrill seeker. While he is completely geeked to ride on The Dragster and The Power Tower, I was pushing my limits to ride on The Mantis... but I did it, and I loved it! The kids had an absolute blast. We all screamed and laughed until our voices were gone. We stayed right up until the park closed and then drove nearly 4 hours home.
I am exhausted, but so happy that we went. The kids will never forget it, and I will never forget the looks on their faces as we hit that first hill on The Gemini. :-)

...... now I just need to muster the energy to make some soap!!

Candy Land! Cocoa Butter Soap Bar

2009-07-17T19:45:00.005-05:00

Lately I have been wanting to do something a little more fun with my recipes, so I decided to let my imagination take over. I set reason aside and came up with this yummy new concoction. After throwing together some hot pink curls, green and purple cubes and a few dashes of glitter. Voila! ......... Suds delectable new soap was born.

My husband walked by as I was unmolding it and said "Candy Land"! The name was a perfect fit! I've got these babies on the curing rack now and can't wait for them to be ready!

Oooh, theres a new bar in town! :-)

2009-07-15T14:54:00.003-05:00

Sporting a happy hot pink and yellow, Suds shimmering Plumerian Princess bar is sure to put a smile on your face! This all new bar is packed with cocoa butter goodness and the scent is fabulous!

White Tea & Ginger Me

2009-07-04T18:59:00.006-05:00

Happy Independence Day..... God Bless America!

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday. We had planned to get together with extended family tonight and enjoy some crazy fireworks, courtesy of my fun-loving uncles. Unfortunately, our lil guy isn't feeling well, so we are going to have to miss out on the big event. I am pretty disappointed, because we all really enjoy it when everyone gets together.

Ok, I know that it isn't exactly fireworks, but I do have a little eye candy for you...... Get your minds out of the gutter! :-) I poured White Tea & Ginger Me yesterday and I just got them all cut. I really like the way these turned out. I love the natural, woodland look of the green swirls, and the smell is AMAZING!!! I already know that this is going to be one of my all time favorites.

SUDS new website is open!

2009-07-02T18:33:00.005-05:00

Wooo Hoooo! This is an exciting night for Suds! Our website http://www.shopsuds.com/ is now open for viewing!! Although our soaps are not quite ready for purchasing, we do have a lot of information about our company as well as what it is that sets us apart from the rest.
Within the next few weeks, we will have the store open for purchases... ..and that will be so incredibly exciting! We are having so much fun and we really appreciate your interest and support.

~Beautiful Girl~

2009-07-02T17:34:00.003-05:00

Well, I poured Beautiful Girl last night and I just got a chance to unmold it. The colors are not quite what I was going for. I intended on making the background color much darker, but it is kind of growing on me. The background is a soft pink and I was attempting to get a very bold and dark pink. The softer color is very pretty though...... it suits the name.

Next time, I am going to try to get that bold color that I had envisioned. I think that it will look pretty cool.

How To Follow Suds Blog...

2009-07-01T08:05:00.003-05:00

What is Following?
Following is a way to track your favorite blogs and show others that you are a fan.

How do I become a Follower of a blog?
There are several ways to become a follower of a blog. One of the easiest ways is to click on the "Follow" button to the left of the screen.

You'll then see a popup window with the options to either follow publicly or privately.
Select how you'd like to follow the blog, then click the "Follow this blog" button. It is that simple, you are now a follower of the blog!

Simply sign in using an account you've already created. You can sign in with a Google, Yahoo, AIM, Netlog, or OpenID. You can also, very simply create a sign in account, if you don't already have one. It's that simple!

Lavender Vanilla

2009-07-01T07:12:00.003-05:00

I am getting a late start on the blog this morning. I got up early again, but I spent the time working on our website. We have decided to open the website a bit earlier. Although you won't be able to shop on the site, just yet, you will be able to learn a bit more about our company and what you can expect from us. Hopefully, I 'll have it up before the week is through.

Lavender Vanilla.... I think that this scent is a winner! Sometimes lavender can be too overwhelming. This is a nice and soft, powdery lavender... very pretty.

Suds will soon be offered in another location!

2009-06-30T19:38:00.002-05:00

Well, as you can see from my title, Suds soaps will soon be offered in another location! The meeting this morning was a success. The owner of the new store was a very nice Christian woman and she seemed so excited about our new line. I just know that she is going to be wonderful to work with. She placed a nice sized order right away, so we have quite a bit of soaping to do. We have two store orders to get poured and curing... and we couldn't be more excited about it!

I unmolded the Lavender Vanilla this afternoon. It is absolutely beautiful and it smells so good. I wanted to take pictures, but my batteries have died on me. So, I'll charge them up tonight and take pics first thing in the morning. It was a great day.. but I am totally pooped out. Time for Mama to get some sleep.

Ooooh, It's A Big Day!

2009-06-30T05:18:00.005-05:00

Well, I got maybe 4 hours of sleep last night. The baby was up nearly every hour! I thought we were past that point, but I guess not. It seemed like he was getting more of a decent sleeping schedule down, but the last week he has been regressing- BIG TIME! Man, I really needed to get a good night's sleep. I've got the coffee on and I am hoping that it will save me from this atrocious head ache that I woke up with.... uggh
We have our meeting with the local store owner this morning. I have gotten most of my paperwork together, some samples, and our scent list. I still have some more information to print up this morning. Hence, me sitting here at the computer at 6:00 this morning, instead of snoozing away like I need to be. I am nervous and excited. I know that I shouldn't be nervous, but that is my standard reaction to just about everything. I guess that I am just hardwired that way.
I poured Lavender Vanilla yesterday. It smells so good. My whole house is filled with this soft and powdery Lavender fragrance. I will unmold it and post pics when I get home this afternoon. It is a really beautiful scent.
... ok, I've got to get the rest of the info. together for this meeting and get ready to go! :-)

I would like you all to meet The Rock Star Suds Bar

2009-06-29T06:55:00.001-05:00

This smells awesome!!! It reminds me of hubby.... all dressed up for a night on the town!

We've switched blogs.... so lets catch up!

2009-06-28T06:42:00.001-05:00

MORE GOOD NEWS!
Posted by: Soap Mama in: ● June 28, 2009

I have recently spoken to the wonderful store owner of Estilo in Brunswick, Maine. Like us, she is a working mommy and she has decided to carry our products in her store. Estilo offers an alternative fashion experience for womens clothing and accessories. I am certain that our bright, fragrant and beautiful soap bars will be a wonderful addition to her charming shop. I can’t tell you how excited I am to get this order out to her!
I am still plugging away on our website. It is looking good and I can’t wait to get it out there for everyone to see. My daughters are on vacation with their grandparents for the week, so it is just me and my boys. Hopefully, I’ll get a lot of soap curing before the week is through.
Well, it is church day… so Mama needs to hurry up and get in the shower! …….hmmmm, which soap to use???? I think it’ll be Strawberry Fields!

I Can Breathe!
Posted by: Soap Mama in: ● June 26, 2009

We got the air hooked up yesterday!! Woooooo Hoooo! It is absolutely amazing how different temperatures effect your whole perspective on things. At 75 degrees, I feel like a totally different person. Mrs. Crank is gone and Soap Mama is back in town!
Now I am ready to get back to soapin’. I talked to a store owner yesterday and have a meeting scheduled for us next week. Things are really picking up and I need to get more soap curing right away. The excitement is building and our creative juices are flowing. The best part about making soap is the way it allows us to use our creativity. It is very much like any art or craft. It is so exciting to see the outcome of your design. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Black Raspberry Vanilla .... Wow.. Yummy!
Posted by: Soap Mama in: ● June 25, 2009

I am loving this scent!! This is an ultra moisturizing soap with Olive, Palm, Coconut, Cocoa Butter, and Safflower oils. mmmmmmmmmmmm!

Good News!!
Posted by: Soap Mama in: ● June 25, 2009

Well, it was another scorcher yesterday. I spent most of the day hiding out in the basement with the kids. I guess that I never would have survived as a pioneer…. 85 degrees, and a bit of humidity, sent me running for cover!

I was finally able to get my soap out of the mold last night. It was quite a struggle. The soap was literally stuck to the bottom of the mold. I had to work quite a while at it, but I do kind of like the end result anyway. It is scented with “Cool Water” and I am naming it “Tsunami”. It was definately inspired by the heat…. although it sure didn’t cool me off any. I am so new to blogging and my internet connection is slooooowwwww, but I will try to upload a pic. …. attempting now….

Wooo Hoo! I did it! This hasn’t been cleaned up at all yet, but I am kind of digging it.
Ok, for the good news….. we heard from a local store owner yesterday, that she really wants to carry our line in her store. The best part? She is in an amazing location where she has a good amount of traffic. This is wonderful, because we are in a very rural area and constant traffic is hard to come by. We are both so excited. Our name is getting out there and our little dream has REALITY written all over it. This definately gives us both a boost of confidence to keep going.
I am still working on the website and we are working on new soap everyday. We have been experimenting like crazy to find recipes that not only look and smell amazing… but feel amazing as well. I have the most sensitive skin on the planet, so if it makes my skin feel good, rest assured that it will be that much better for any of you normal folks!

….. the baby is crying for me…. time to get back to work.

Hot! Hot! Hot!
Posted by: Soap Mama in: ● June 24, 2009

Ok, day 2 of my blogging experience. The summer heat is in full force and it was 85 degrees in here all day yesterday. Even with the windows open, it hasn’t really cooled off much. We recently moved, and we don’t have central air or air conditioning yet. I am dreading these hot days for that very reason! It is too hot for anyone to sleep comfortably, the baby is fussy, and we are all cranky. But, what is getting to me the most, is that the heat and humidity are messing with my soap! Aaargh!

Hopefully, I will be able to get my soap out of the mold today, take some pics and add them to our blog. I think I may need hubby’s help with that though. The soap is sticking to my new linerless molds like a magnet. There is absolutely nothing worse for a soaper than to have your beautiful work destroyed due to a sticky mold!! I may give up on them if this keeps up…… (give up the mold, not soapping!

Well, it is 7:07 am and my little one is up now. Time for Mama to get to work……

Hello world!
Posted by: Soap Mama in: ● June 23, 2009

Well, here it is… our first blog entry. It all seems to feel very “official” now. We have made the leap from being 2 stay at home moms who love to make soap, to 2 work at home moms on the precipice of very exciting careers! We have been building up the stock of our most glorious recipes, in preparation of our grand opening later this summer. We are in the process of creating our website now (http://www.shopsuds.com/). It is going slow, but steady. It has been such challenging, exciting, exhausting, and very rewarding work for us. We love what we do, but we also love being Mommies, and this endeavour has been quite the juggling act. Most of the time, we are up soaping late after everyone else has gone to sleep. Each of us has children and young babies at home, so it seems as though that is the best way to do it. We are both very hard working and determined women. We know that we can be successful, it is simply a matter of getting our product out there. We are supportive of each other and understand the demands of full-time mommyhood and working at home. We also have very supportive husbands and strong faith in Jesus Christ to lean on.

The economy, here in Michigan, is more than troubling and that may not make this the best time to start a new business. But, the terrible economy is precisely the driving force behind us striving so hard to make this work. Our families our counting on us.
We are great at what we do. We make amazing and beautiful soap. Lord willing, we will be successful at getting it out there.