Does it Lather?

That's a common question I get when people are checking out my booth. I think I need to set up a portable sink so I can give them the answer to their question with a demonstration, because look at this stuff!!

Still working on it

Inspired by the turquoise bar I did a while back, I've done a batch of soap "rocks" to test out how it works with cold process in the first pour rather than a rebatch style which is how I did the turquoise. Most rock or gem type soaps are made in melt & pour which is a different beast altogether and not my forte. So I'm trying it out with my method, and my first attempt was interesting and instructional if not quite what I was hoping for. Some things went right and others not so well, but I hope to do better with the next batch. Since they aren't up to the standard I am going for, I'm not planning to put them up in my Etsy shop.

Mosaic Soap for Spring

My latest Mosaic soap, each tile placed by hand. These bars are a bit thicker than my usual bars, a very generous 6oz, and are the perfect fragrance for spring - a blend of bergamot & chamomile.

Soap Gem

I played around with some soap yesterday and came up with this:




They are fun to make but more time-consuming than making a regular batch. I'm trying to decide whether to list it at my shop and make more... I'd have to list it at a higher price point than my regular bars. What do you think?

It's a sunny soapy day

and the right way to start a sunny day is to get up, have your tea and unmold a couple of logs of soap... stare at them while sipping, pondering what might be inside. Go about your morning chores with a feeling like there's a surprise waiting for you - that's a good feeling. Put it off a little longer to make it last. Finally, go get your soap cutter. Take one last look at the long smooth sides of those gorgeous logs, and cut them up. Ahh. Now that's how to start a sunny soapy day.

Yes, Saponification can be Fun!

I know I just posted about lye, but I ran into this page and had to share it. Even kids will understand this super cute explanation of how lye and oils turn into soap, with a little extra info about how soapers must calculate their ingredient amounts properly and why it's important.

How Soap is Made.

Hint of Spring

Here in California, the narcissus has bloomed, and plum blossoms are beginning to give the plum trees a pink misty look as they begin to unfurl. We always say that when the plum blossoms are in full swing, then it snows! In spite of the balmy days we are enjoying now, there will be a few more weeks of blustery coldness coming up in March. So in anticipation of spring, and to encourage us through the last of the gloomy winter days, here is the latest listing at my Etsy shop - Fresh Mint, a leafy green bar with spring written all over it. Not a pure mint scent but a blend of a sporty juniper fragrance with a touch of brisk mint, this bar cheerfully reminds us that winter always, well, leaves!

Shea Butter Scrubs!

I decided to make another batch of shea butter scrubs to offer at my Etsy shop. Although they are not as long-lived as the cocoa butter recipe, I've been using one and it is so nice on my skin, I haven't had to apply any lotion after my shower. The shea sinks in so well and leaves my skin soft. I just couldn't keep them all to myself! This batch has lots of soothing oatmeal as well, so they are a creamy natural color instead of the bright swirls I've done on past scrub bars. I added Blackberry Sage fragrance, and it's the perfect sweet/tart/fresh scent, lingering lightly on my skin after I get dressed. Click on the photo to go get some - Enjoy!

The Soap Bar blogs about Savonara

Joanna of Product Body has published a lovely post about my soap at her blog, where she says some very nice things and shares a few photos of bars I did a while back. Thanks for the mention, Joanna, very kind of you. :)
I hope to cross paths with Joanna again soon as I will send a few soaps for review once they are cured.

Rebatch Tutorial

Sometimes the "soap fairies" show up and get their sticky little fingers into the process of creating your latest masterpiece, and the result is, well, entertaining (as in the case of my famous ham colored soap, lol) or just plain disappointing. Or, maybe your flurry of soaping activity has resulted in a bin full of trimmings, scraps and end pieces. Whatever the reason, every soapmaker finds themself facing a rebatch now and then. I happen to enjoy the opportunity that a rebatch presents, so I thought I'd share my method of reclaiming those bits and nibs of soap and turning them into something entirely fabulous and interesting.

1. Choose your scraps - select compatible colors and shades.



2. Weigh it all out so that you will be overfilling your mold by about a quarter inch.
   
3. Have your mold lined and ready.
   
   
4. If your scraps are not all mixed, you have the choice of selecting which will become part of the background blend, and which will be more prominent. Separate the color/s you want to be more distinct, and save them to add at a later step. If the soap scraps are older or very dry, you may want to mist them with water til they are just damp. Newer, softer soap doesn't normally need any water to start.





5. Begin melting the soap. Some use a double boiler, but I prefer to microwave the soap. Keep a spray bottle of water at hand and mist the soap after stirring every few minutes.



6. Continue melting and misting and stirring til the soap slumps off your spatula like thick oatmeal.





7. Now you are ready to add any colored shreds that you left out earlier. This is also the time to add fragrance oil if you need to. When you mix in your shreds, they will cool and thicken the soap so it will need to be heated and stirred again.
   
8. As soon as the last shreds are well mixed and any fragrance oil is fully blended, drop by spoonfuls into the lined mold. Push it into the corners with your gloved hands. If the soap seems dry when you glop it into the mold, you can mist it a little with water before the next scoop and that will help prevent the individual scoops from creating a seam that separates later. It may help to bump the entire mold on the counter a few times to get the soap settled. Smooth the top as best you can with your hands. It will look very rough.





9. Allow the soap to cool overnight.
10. Unmold and cut the rough top off the loaf, then cut into bars.

Here are a few different rebatch soaps I've done:

Selfish Tinkering!

Well, in honor of spring and the March theme for the Etsy SoapDish street team, "green", I was playing around with green for my latest batch of cocoa butter scrub bars... except that, after all the other ingredients were measured out I realized... no cocoa butter!! Ack. So, rather than order more and wait, I subbed in some shea butter, knowing they'd be softer than normal but with an ulterior motive, considering how much my skin adores shea butter.... the stuff I buy is unrefined, free trade shea - creamy, thick and super active with good things my skin responds to with joy and comfort. Selfishly, I determined if they are too soft to put in my Etsy shop, I'll just have to keep them all, muwaaahaahaa!! No, I'll keep a couple and hand out the rest to friends, lol. If you made it this far reading all my evil musing, here is a meager photographic reward. Don't drool on the screen. I promise I will order some cocoa butter and make some pretty, yummy smelling scrub bars for my shop, really.

Blackberry Sage scented Shea Butter Scrub Bars

Two new soaps for my Etsy shop

On the curing rack now, slated for listing at my Esty shop

Update: these two soaps are now available at my shop!

Lemongrass & Ground Apricot Seed

Unnamed Fresh Linen fragrance soap

Please enjoy this gallery of previous batches. Find my current offerings at http://savonara.etsy.com

Come on over...

To our new Etsy shop, where you can see what is currently in stock and purchase your choice of items.

Savonara's Etsy Shop

Spring is sprung

A spring update for everyone: Big news in the Savonara family, we are blessed to be awaiting the summer arrival of a new baby!

We will likely either cut back or cut out the farmer's market this summer due to the new arrival, but not to worry, we will keep soap in stock that you may order directly from us. As always we are flexible in arranging delivery when possible or mail order if needed. Give us a call!

MidWinter Update

Soon it will be time to get back in the soap kitchen and make up wonderful fragrant batches of creamy bars in my new oversized molds! The new molds will enable me to make more soap in fewer batches.

I would love to hear from you about what your favorite scents are - this year I will be keeping about six basic scents in each of my two soap recipes. You can have a say in which scents get to stay and which will be dropped for this year. Just leave a comment here telling me what fragrances you and your family enjoy the most, or if you are calling to place an order, you can let me know then.

Enjoy this winter sunshine while it lasts & we will see you when the People's Mountain Market opens in June!

Take a look...

A pair of colorful soaps just for fun.

Island Splash, a brightly colored layered soap that smells fruity and tropical. Sold Out





Next, a soap that is truly one of a kind - yep, there's just one bar. Like mosaic tiles, each piece in the design is placed by hand to create a unique pattern. This is just one of eight different Mosaic Soaps you will see at our booth in the next few weeks. Sold Out

New from Savonara: Olive Oil Soaps!!

In response to customer interest in natural olive oil soaps, we are introducing a new line. These Castile-style soaps are made with a blend of olive and rice bran oils and will also incorporate herbs, essential oils, clays and botanicals. We have been enjoying this unique recipe for over a year but recently decided to share it with our market customers due to the demand for a naturally colored & scented soap that fits the vegetarian lifestyle. But you don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy the natural aromas and dense foamy lather of this rich, creamy soap!

Here are the first three offerings in our new Olive Oil Soap line:




From front to back: Lemongrass Mint, Lavender Tea Tree and Orange Clove.



*Update*
Wow, response to the new line is great, and at the moment Lavender Tea Tree is sold out, with Orange Clove going fast... don't worry, we are making more! New scent blends are in the works as well, so check back now & then to see what new Olive Oil soaps are curing!

Announcing...

Savonara handmade soaps are now available at the Lotus Art Studio in Lotus, Ca. If you can't make it to the farmer's market in Garden Valley for our soap, please stop in and choose from the variety of bars that the Studio carries. At the moment you will find my regular line of soaps there, but in the near future you will be treated to an exclusive line of bars made only for the Studio with design & scent combinations you will not find anywhere else.

While you are there, check out what new owner Betty Norvell has done with the place - amazing! and well worth the stop. The Studio is becoming a valuable resource in our community, offering not only art and beautiful things to enhance your well-being, now there are yoga, bellydancing and drama classes going on!! The Lotus Art Studio is located on Highway 49 in Lotus, pull in at the pizza place and stay left down to the two story green building on your right.

Farmer's Market Schedule

Hey everyone,
it was so nice to get back out to the market and see all the familiar faces! We'll be attending the market twice a month whenever possible this summer. Once we come back from vacation at the end of the month, we'll be back on track. We will post any changes to the schedule if needed.
See you July 1st!!

August will see us at the market on the 5th and the 19th of the month. Hope you can make it!

September schedule as follows:

Sept. 02
Sept. 30
Oct. 7 not definite yet