A new leaf for a new year....

Milk, Honey & Almond Coconut Milk Soap, 6.5 oz each

 So today is the day I have chosen to break away from Etsy. It has been on my mind and 'to do' list for some time. I love Etsy, always will. I was a true blue fan long before I opened my shop with them.
Now it is time for yet another chapter in my journey, Artfire. The only thing I will be cooking for a few days are these listings. I can not wait until I can share my entire collection with you. I make over 64 different products in over 100 scent varieties, essential and synthetic.

  I strive not to use harsh chemical preservatives, SLS or Parabens. I started making soaps for my daughter and myself. I have unusually sensitive skin and Avi(age 3) suffers with severe eczema from time to time. I would leave her doctors office with three topical prescriptions that had to be put on in a certain order on the skin or it was very painful and a oral dose as well. The first night at home with those creams I couldn't remember which cream went first. Burned her skin and I had never felt like such a horrible parent as I did at that moment. I could not do that to my daughter. We ditched the 'xyz creams' as we called them because we couldn't pronounce the formal versions. I started researching and next thing you know the 'crazy candle lady' had turned into the 'crazy, but smells good, soap & candle lady'. my life as been full ever since. I owe it all to 'xyz creams'.

  When I put something on my body or especially my daughters skin, I have to know what's in it? How was it processed? Natural or GMO ingredients? Sustainable farms? What kind of testing was used to qualify it as safe? When dealing with allergies and miserable skin conditions and a conscience, those questions are important. I fear I have started a personal rant here, (easy to do with me) moving it along, I swear.

Paper glazed mosiac with stamping, sealed

   I am not saying that my products are superior. What I try and stress is that I am there through almost every process my herbs, botanical, powders, fruit extracts, milks go through. I Know. That makes a world of difference to me. When I go to shows I get to share a lot more of my process one on one to the people that feel the same way. If they do not, I offer a little information to hopefully get their wheels turning and leave it at that. I am not a pushy type. I don't want you to buy something that you truly do not want or care about. I want my customers to love my creations as much as I do and I want them to know what they are taking home. I was that way even with my soy candles. Guess that's how the "crazy" got thrown into my title:) I embrace it proudly because that crazy comes from the heart and that's the best kind of crazy if you ask me.




   No matter where I take my soaps and candles to sell them I always meet people and interact with some of the most memorable vendors and customers and families too. I do my best to carry those same type of relationships through the online market as much as I can.  I always do my best to maintain excellent customer communication because that's what I miss about doing the sale face to face. You can meet someone, talk about life and what they like in a product and I can get a feel for what it is they are after, even if they are not sure themselves. Although, I still do my craft show and fund-raisers, it took some getting used to not having that opportunity to interact with my customers on a friendly level before they dive right into the listings. I like being there for the questions, the "mmmm, that's smells good" I wonder if that will help with....?

  I have a lot of brightly colored, eye catching products when I go to my shows. After they are all laid out it almost looks like an edible buffet. I have kids come up all the time, "Oh! look, cupcakes!" or "Ma! cookies, she has cookies!" Eyes lite up with the optimism that says "those could quite possibly be the best cupcakes I would have ever tasted, and then, like clockwork here comes the same long face, when I have to tell them it's not what they think it is. "Oh, it's soap..."
  Most little girls still love it anyway, dying to be like mommy and all big girl and smelling fabulous. I think to myself "one day little lady" as I hand her a free sample of bubble bath cake or a glitter covered soap sucker just to show it's not all about the money just because I am there selling.

  Honestly, my husband makes me. I would be perfectly content giving it away but he is always ranting something about "bills" this and "homeless" that. That's a little something else that is necessary in life and love, a good sense of humor. He is the best support a gal could ask for, thanks hon.

  When it's your hearts work. It helps keep the supplies rolling in of course, but all the money in the world can not make you desire and need to create things to make other people feel good. I don't desire to be rich, I just want to do what makes me happy and if that happens to make you happy too, well, Double win for us.