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!!

Sweet Lavender For Mother's Day

When I was a little girl, someone gifted me with a bar of Yardley's English Lavender soap. It was a special treasure that I kept in the box and savored before I finally brought it to the tub. Now I can make my own lavender soap anytime I want! Here's yesterday's new listing, a lavender bar that would make a sweet Mother's Day gift or a special treat for yourself.

It's a Keeper

Today I have a helper to present the latest soap on the curing rack:

Sock Monkey presents to you his favorite soap -

This bar is scented in pure almond, yum!

Waiting is the hardest part

I've made four kinds of soap this weekend and if I could I'd list them all now!! But they must cure, so off they go to the curing shelves. I can, however, give you a sneak peek. For right now, here is my favorite of the four, a jasmine-scented pink soap with a bold black swirl.

New Item!

I've added one of my favorite products to my Etsy shop - a deodorant made with (of course!) unrefined shea butter. I've been using it for a couple of years now and absolutely love it. Before I started making my own, I tried switching from typical commercial brands to some of the "natural" deodorant brands on the market. I liked their convenience but found that they didn't work all that well. My formula works much better for me, and I like being able to customize the scent with my favorite essential oils for their antibacterial and fragrant properties. My favorite right now is my Orange & Tea Tree blend. I also offer an Unscented variety for those who prefer to go fragrance-free.

Tea Tree

I've one more Castile-style soap on the curing rack right now, and while the fragrance isn't exactly the kind you'd wear for perfume, I'm finding myself inhaling deeply when I walk by it. Tea tree is an essential oil with antiseptic and antifungal properties, with an herbal, medicinal smell, and it makes me feel squeaky clean just thinking about it. This bar would be appropriate for skin that isn't perfect, like most of us have. Studies have shown that a preparation of Tea Tree Oil can be as effective for acne as bezoyl peroxide. I've added French Green Clay as it is traditionally used for acne-prone or oily skin. These bars will be available for purchase at my Etsy shop the end of April.

Featured At...

It's always fun when other artisans take note of your work, and this week a fellow Etsian has featured my Soapstone Hand Soap at her blog. You can see the entry at Lucky Duck Designs. She's created a perfect gift pairing of the Soapstone with one of her cards, a clever duo to give to someone who could use a little appreciation.

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!

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:

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!

Upcoming for the holidays...

lots of new soaps on the curing rack, will be ready for November's holiday sale at the ALT Gallery.




Red Clover Tea - a sweet pea fragrance ***Sold Out***


Apple Jack - spicy fruity scent Sold Out


Oatmeal Milk and Honey - warm and sweet, a favorite all year round ***Sold Out***


Rose Mint - sold


Dead Sea Mud - for the new Olive oil soap line, a bar that will pamper you silly with Dead Sea Mud and a soothing blend of essential oils including rosewood.


Lavender Tea Tree - classic combination of skin-friendly essential oils in a creamy Olive oil soap, with a touch of geranium oil to brighten the fragrance. ***Sold Out***


Orange Clove - this Olive oil soap shines in a citrus fragrance delicately touched by clove.


Lemongrass Mint - another addition to the Olive oil soap line, a popular and refreshing blend of essential oils. ***Sold Out***

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

Summertime Soaps (sorry these soaps are all sold out!)

Lemongrass Mint, a castile bar with the fresh uplifting fragrance of mint brightened with a touch of lemongrass.






Blackberry Sage, a popular fruity scent with a brisk hint of sage – an irresistible combination! ***sold out***






Herbal Garden – a fresh, herbal scent a lot like the old style herbal shampoo, very unisex & soapy clean.






Pink Grapefruit, a castile bar with energizing grapefruit citrus in a three-color pink swirl. ***sold out***






Lavender, the pure classic scent in a modern color combination that incorporates a chocolate brown sphere against cream and lavender layers. ***sold out***





Just One – a very accurate dupe of a certain cologne by Calvin Klein, unisex, fresh, with a wisp of citrus. ***sold out***






Cucumber - a crisp, sweet refreshing fragrance - surprisingly enticing.

More soaps *update* sorry these are all sold out!

Tannenbaum - perfect Christmas tree scent; sweet, crisp and strong.
***sorry, sold out***


Lavender Chamomile, a soft relaxing blend in an elegant white-on-cream swirl. * Sorry, sold out!*



Pepperberry, a fruity berry fragrance ***sorry, sold out***





Plum Spice, a lightly spiced fruity scent in pale purple with a creamy white swirl ***sorry, sold out***



Clean - a fresh linen scent with a lemony hint.


Oatmeal, Milk and Honey fragrance - a soft sweet scent similar to baby oil, rich and creamy. *Sorry, Sold out!*



Chrysanthemum - an autumn fragrance reminiscent of fallen leaves and crisp November air. ***sorry, sold out***



Patchouli, the classic earthy fragrance. ***sorry, sold out***



Apple Jack & Peel type, the ultimate winter fragrance of apples, cinnamon, clove and a hint of citrus.
Only a few remaining, will be gone soon!


Bayberry, an old-fashioned holiday fragrace - deep, warm and comforting.




Lavender - just the pure scent of lavender, simply perfect. *Sorry, Sold Out!*



Amber - a feminine powdery fragrance, warm and rich *Sorry, Sold Out!*



Blue Moon, a berry blend with a smooth note of patchouli. ***sorry, sold out***


Bouquet - a soft floral blend that combines green herbal notes with a hint of lavender




Sierra Gold - an incense-like fragrance *Sorry, Sold Out!*



Sandalwood, earthy woodsy scent popular with men and women alike ***sorry, sold out***




Other soaps available but not pictured are:



Oat n Honey ( an unscented castile style bar, has a light sweet carmel-like fragrance from the honey, tan with oats sprinkled on top)






Check this out - if you haven't tried the improved version of my Glow Bars yet, you are in for a treat!!

Get Your Glow On! Exfoliating skin conditioner bars, a solid scrub with a cocoa butter base to leave your skin smooth and softly fragranced. A unique and convenient product that combines two steps in one. Priced at $3.75 each or three for $10.20

Below is an example of the appearance of my Glow bars, in stock bars vary. Currently in stock:

Lavender - classic scent, pink swirl on white bar
Cucumber - fresh strong and sweet fragrance, pale green bar



Lotion Bars

Convenient moisturizing for dry fingertips, elbows, heels and anywhere else that needs the touch of nourishing cocoa and shea butters, these lotion bars deliver soothing relief for dry areas, in a clear pushup tube. $3.75 ea.
Scents currently in stock:

*Sorry, sold out for now - new batches in the works so check in & see what pops up!