2013 in Review

2013 has been absolutely wonderful for me! I am so happy, thankful, and blessed!

I attended more craft shows than ever this year, starting in April and running all the way until last weekend! It has been a fun ride, but I am grateful for the break coming up. I have already started cleaning out my craft show gear and packing it away until April.

I was so blessed online as well! My blog is hopping, my twitter is tweeting, my facebook page has over 700 followers (my gosh!) and I hit 400+ sales on Etsy this year! I also branched out by claiming my domain name and I have started listing gobs of new goodies on Zibbet!

I finished out two complete semesters of school with my eyes squarely focused on the prize of an Advertising degree! With only 3 semesters left, I am ready and pumped to knock it all out just to grab that sweet sheepskin.

Kiddo turned 3 in July and potty trained right after!

Husband graduated from King College in May and snagged a wonderful job right before he graduated!

We got a new car!

2013 was an amazing year for my family and my business. I cannot wait to see what 2014 brings!

Happy Holidays!

Dead Week...

So, it is dead week for me at East Tennessee State University.

I already feel dead.

I'm lucky that one class is essentially over, barring a quiz later this week. Another class will be over Wednesday when I present my mock ad campaign for Hershey's Kisses. The last two will involved final exams, one of which should be a breeze, but the other will involve some intense studying. I'm looking forward to next Wednesday when school will officially be over for me (for a little while, at least!).

I am also excited to be covered up with orders! As you may know, I am running a sale in my Zibbet shop and my Etsy shop, featuring all of my products 15% off their original prices. I've seen loads of great, positive response and I've been working hard all weekend making lotions and bath bombs and filling my orders.

Oh! And I am working a 4 week craft show, which started this past saturday and runs through to Christmas. I'm stationed at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, TN, and I had a great day out in the sunshine.

So, as you can see, I am a little covered up with craziness at the moment. And it seems like my blog is getting ignored for more pressing matters... SO! I have decided to take a small hiatus from my blog until I get through my finals, which are next week. My friday features will still run as scheduled, but my weekly Monday updates will have to wait.

I will see you all on the flip side! Happy Holidays!

Friday Spotlight: Pearberry Mistletoe Soap

With Thanksgiving officially behind us, I am so happy that I can embrace my Christmas spirit fully without judgement! So today, as I plug up the lights on my Christmas tree and play my Glee Holiday Pandora station, I will be featuring my Pepperberry Mistletoe Soap!

I love this soap. This soap is layered, with a green bottom with embedded mint leaves, a red clay pencil line, and a white top. I even played with some soap stamps and stamped the top with two birds on a tree in green mica. I was REALLY feeling the Christmas spirit with this one!

The scent of this soap is complex and perfect for the holidays. It starts off with top notes of cedar and fir with middle notes of oranges, spice, and cranberry, and rounded off with a low note of deep musk.

Wanna grab a bar? CLICK HERE!

And remember, from now until Tuesday, 12/3, catch everything in my Zibbet shop 15% off!

Black Friday - Small Biz Saturday - Cyber Monday Sale!

It's that time of the year... It's time to announce my Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend Sale!

Grab everything in my Zibbet shop and my Etsy shop  15% off! 

No coupon needed... the prices will be lowered just for you!

My sale will run from Thursday, November 28 through Tuesday, December 3!
This is my last sale for 2013, so make sure to stock up!

Country Christmas Soap, Exclusive to Zibbet!

Friday Spotlight: New Hand/Body Lotions

Over the past two years, I've had loads of requests for lotions along with my soaps. I've been a little resistant, starting with solid lotions, then moving on to whipped body butters (which I only sold at craft shows), and I have finally moved on to lotions!

After trying a few different lotion bases, I am really happy with the base that I have ended up with! It is perfect, a gorgeous white, and holds scent beautifully! It leaves my skin feeling really soft and smooth without any greasy or sticky feeling. It's perfect!

I am going to start off with 23 different fragrances, with three holiday scents that you can purchase separately or in a gift set. They are currently being offered exclusivly in my Zibbet shop and you can find them HERE.

Holiday Shipping Dates

The holidays are fast, fast approaching! I wonder if you all are getting into the holiday spirit, too!

My holiday shipping deadlines have been announced:

• Domestic(US) Shipping Deadline: December 20
• Military Mail: December 10
• International Shipping Deadline: December 2

Make sure to place your order before these dates in order to receive your packages on time. These  dates are guaranteed by the United States Post Office.

To order on Zibbet, Click Here!

To order on Etsy, Click Here!

To order directly from me, Click Here!

Friday Spotlight: Christmas Cookie Soap

With the holiday season drawing closer and closer every day, I figured it was the perfect time for me to pull out my Christmas Cookie soap!

This soap is made using the hot process method with swirls of red and green on top. I scented the soap with the perfect mixture of buttercream scent and butter cookie, for a sweet, delicious bakery scent that's perfect for Christmas.

Wanna grab a bar of Christmas Cookie soap for the holidays? Head on over to my Zibbet shop and CLICK HERE!

Jonesborough Christmas Market

I had the great pleasure this past weekend of showcasing my soaps alongside Jeri's Jewels at the Jonesborough Christmas Market in Jonesborough, TN!

Jeri's Jewels is the brain child of one of my dear friends, Jeri Jones. I was so excited and honored that she asked me to keep watch over her gorgeous creations, and very happy that my soap was able to sit alongside them! 

The show ran from Friday to Saturday, and I had an excellent time hanging out with other amazing creatives, as well as talking to new and old customers. I had such a blast! I can't wait to do it again next year! 

If you are interested in checking out Jeri's Jewels, you can find her on Etsy at http://JeriDieHard.etsy.com 

I am taking two weekends off from craft shows before heading over to the Joneaborough Storytelling Center for the Christmas in Olde Jonesborough market! That show will run for 4 Saturdays in a row, starting on November 30th! I'm looking forward to catching up on a bit of sleep before the madness of Black Friday/Cyber Monday and my 4 week show! It's goin to get crazy around here!! 

Feature Friday: Elizabeth King from ElizabethKingPhotography

As we head into the holiday season, I wanted to take a moment to promote my sister in law, Elizabeth King, and her interesting nature photography. Elizabeth has been taking photos since she was a young teacher, and she has recently ventured online and now has a shop on Fine Art America.

Here are a few of my favorite images of hers:

At Rest

Black and White Barb

Appalachian Wildflowers

If you like Elizabeth's photography, please head over to her website and check her out!

Twitter Feature Wednesday: #ArtFire

It's hump day, and it's time for my weekly Twitter feature! This week I was searching the Twitterverse for amazing things from Artfire.com, and I found some gorgeous handmade goodness! So... Let's get started!

This first amazing creation was by @poppysgarden and features her Marvel comics themed tote bag!

The second handmade item from Artfire comes from @yarntwisted and her first item on Artfire: this gorgeous crochet headband!

And last for this week comes from @keejewelrybox. This double snake necklace is amazing!

 

It was great searching through #artfire for these beauties. 

Next week I will be looking for handmade items shared with the hashtag #geek! The geek in me is so excited... I cannot wait to see what pops up on Twitter next week!

Greeneville Women's Club Craft Show and Christmas Bazaar

I. Love. This. Show!

This was my second year attending the women's club craft show at Hal Henard elementary school in Greeneville, TN, and I had an amazing time! 

My space trend out amazing. I am still in love with my sage green tablecloths and my displays are looking clean, neat, and professional. My stair step soap displays will be retired after December, but me and my woodworking dad are collaborating on a great, new display that I can't wait to share with everyone. It's going to rock! 

I was amazed at how many folks remembered me from last year. I love seeing repeat customers, and this show was full of them! I sold out of quite a few soaps and lip balms! It blew me away how much folks were loving my creations! I feel so blessed! 

I'm already hard at work making up some hot process soap for my next show next weekend. You can find me at the Jonesborough Visitors Center in Joneaborough, TN. I'll be there with Jeri's Jewels, my favorite local jewelry maker, so stop by and see me! 

Friday Spotlight: Nov. 2013 Soap - Pumpkin Cheesecake

It's time to announce my November soap of the month! I am in love with this non-traditional soap that was inspired by a cake... Pumpkin Cheesecake soap!

My little soap cakes are made with a bottom layer of dark brown with a top layer of warm, dark orange. The orange will change over time to a warm orange-brown mixture due to the fragrance. The top of the soap, or the "icing" was hand-piped, dusted with cocoa powder, and topped with a real cinnamon stick!

The scent is pumpkin cheesecake, a warm, inviting scent filled with notes of pumpkin, sweet cream cheese, graham cracker notes, and fall spices like cinnamon and clove. It has been one of my most popular scents this fall!

This soap is discounted this month, so make sure to catch it during November! Head on over to Zibbet and grab this soap quick!!

Twitter Feature Wednesday: #Knit

It turned off super cold in the Appalachian mountains this week, so I figured I would get warmed up looking at all of these wonderful #knit items from Twitter!

The first person I found was @Ethnicdesign featuring her adorable scarf pattern!

The second amazing handmade knit product that I stumbed across was from @shop_elisemade. Her cute little pompom was shared from her instagram and her website is filled with adorable knit things!!

And last, my inner nerd squealed when I came across @Traceyknits and this absolutely killer Yoda golf club cover! Need this, my father does!

Now that I am feeling all warmed up from these great #knit products, I will be looking next week for amazing items featuring the hashtag #artfire! So, make sure to tweet me your listings using #artfire and come back next week to see if you are featured!

Mountain View Fall Craft Show

I spent last Saturday at Mountain View Bulk Foods at their fall festival. I've attended this show twice before, and even though it was chilly and windy, I had the best time!! 

The morning was very chilly and a heavy frost was thick on the plants, but it didn't matter for me or the other 100 vendors in attendance. The sun soon came out, the frost melted away, and I was ready to share my soapy creations! 

I had the best time and made some great new friends, as well as indulging in a few treats from the bulk foods store! It was so nice seeing my old friends, an it was Ben nicer meeting and remeeting my customers! 

  I debuted the first of my many new soaps... Cherry Almond came out with me to the show and was a big crowd pleaser! My Christmas soaps will be joining me next weekend, including Country Christmas, Christmas Night, and Christmas Cookie (my favorite!). 

Next weekend I will be at Hal Henard Elementary for the Greeneville Women's Club Craft Show and Holiday bazaar! This is one of my favorites! It will be indoors (yay!) and all weekend long, so let's bring it on!! 

Friday Spotlight: Licorice Lip Balm made with Anise Oil

Since Halloween is right around the corner, I figured it would be a good time to spotlight my licorice lip balm! I have a confession to make... I really do not care for licorice! It is one of my least favorite candy and I put off making this lip balm for ages! But, my husband adores licorice and begged me to make the balm for him. So, I figured that other licorice lovers would enjoy it, too!

My licorice lip balm is made with my usual combination of beeswax, unscented cocoa butter, and coconut oil. I love this combo because it makes the balm firm, yet it glides smoothly across the lips. I flavor the balm with anise essential oil and add a touch of sunflower oil for moisture. One of the best things about this lip balm is that it is completely natural. There are no synthetics at all, just natural goodness!

Anise essential oil is extracted from the anise seeds and is often used as the flavoring of licorice candy. While different from actual licorice root, the flavor of anise essential oil is extremely similar to licorice root, even though the plants are not related.

Licorice candy is a staple at Halloween, Absinthe is becoming a staple in the hipster scene, and my anise flavored lip balm is a staple in my lip balm lineup!

Wanna check out this interesting, classic flavored lip balm? Head over to my Zibbet shop now!

Twitter Feature Wednesday: #Handmade

It's time for another twitter feature Wednesday! This week, I searched for handmade awesomeness using the hashtag #handmade, and I found some amazing things made by amazing people! 

The first is an upcycled soap dispenser by @LovesOldStuff!

Next is a gorgeous wire wrapped nest ring by @SugarHillGems! 

And last for this week is a hand knit cranberry infinity scarf by @joysazplace! 

What a wonderful selection of #handmade goodness! Make sure to follow all of these handmade artists on Twitter for more #handmade goodness!

For next week's twitter feature, I will be looking for items with the hashtag #knit! 

With the weather outside getting colder, we all need something knit to keep us warm. So, fire up those hashtags and I will see you next week!

Kid-free Weekend and some Soap Porn

This past weekend, for the first time since our son was born, my husband and I had a child-free weekend! Benjamin spent the weekend with my in-laws, working on the farm...

Giving hay to the cows...

Driving tractors...

And indulging in a few s'mores at Myers pumpkin patch! 

While all of the fun was being had at Tunnell Farms, me and my husband enjoyed a lovely date night, filled with trips to antique stores, a stop at the Nutty Java (our new favorite coffee spot!) and dinner at Mad Greek in Bristol! 

I also found some time to knock out two great holiday soaps! 

This first one is called Country Christmas, which is a great blend of wood and pine, orange peel, berries, and snow scents. I colored the soap with a warm green base and swirled the top with some gold mica. Super simple, but I am in love! 

My second new holiday soap is one that I am calling "Christmas Night". The soap is a dark black soap, scented with black currant and topped with some white and gold sugar pearls and some iridescent glitter. 

And now, it's Monday. Husband went back to work and kiddo and I are back at school... But what an amazing weekend! 

Friday Spotlight: Pumpkin Lager Soap with real Pumpkin Puree

My pumpkin lager soap has been a huge hit on the craft show circut... I love all things pumpkin, and this soap really brings it all together to make a wonderful bathing experience!

The soap is vegan friendly, make with olive oil for mildness, coconut oil for cleansing, and castor oil for loads of bubbles. I added fresh pumpkin puree to the soap, which gives the soap a creamy texture, a light scent, a gorgeous orange hue, and packs loads of vitamins, which are excellent for skin!

The scent is called "Pumpkin Lager", with mixes strong notes of pumpkin with hardy lager notes, as well as a low note of musk and fall spices. It is not a sharp scent, but more of a deep scent that fills the air.

Want a bar of pumpkin-packed goodness for yourself? Head over to my Zibbet shop! Click here!

Twitter Feature Wednesday: #zibbet

I love to talk about handmade and feature handmade artists, so I would love to make my blogging platform a place where I can feature other handmade artists! 

This week I am featuring handmade twitter artists who tweet their items with the hashtag #zibbet. 

First up is Susan from @SpinningCastle and her beautiful  handmade earrings!

Next is Sandy from @BeadCactus and her hand beaded bracelet!

 And last for this week is Diane from @DustysSewing and her handmade apple-themed kitchen set!

For next week, I will be looking for Twitter listings using the hashtag #handmade. Feel free to tweet them directly to me at @SSpringDesigns or tag me in the listings! I cannot wait to see what the handmade community comes up with next!

Heritage Days 2013

One of my favorite craft shows is Heritage Days in Rogersville, TN, and I was so happy and proud to have SecondSpringSoaps there for the second year in a row! This is the show that I have been attending since childhood. It was the main reason that I anticipated the arrival of fall. And this year turned out to be a glorious one!!

My booth was right in the middle of Main Street. It is my perfect spot, although I missed my craft show friends who were a block down from me... 

Saturday was gorgeous and sunny, a nice mild day for the show. It was great seeing everyone! I made new friends, saw old ones, and remet with ghosts from my past! It was amazing reconnecting with my art teacher from elementary school, and showing her my new art canvas: soap! 

Sunday was cool, breezy, and was marked by a slight drizzle. It didn't matter, since our spirits were so high! It was another great day, filled with music and laughter and kettle corn! I was so sad to see it end for the year. So far, Heritage Days is quickly becoming one of my greatest shows! I loved seeing all of my repeat customers... That is so wonderful, knowing that someone loved my soap so much that they had to buy it again! 

Rogersville, it was fun! See you again in 2014! 

Featured Seller: Rhonda Kay from PhotosbyRKDesigns

It's time for another fun Featured Seller Q and A! I am so excited to get to talk to Rhonda Kay of PhotosbyRKDesigns on Etsy! Rhonda's shop features amazing photography... Her talent is amazing! Learn more about her below and make sure to check out her Etsy shop and her Facebook and Twitter!

----- 

The Lily

1.Who are you and what do you sell? 
I am Rhonda Kay Spencer, I am a mother to 3 one of which was diagnosed with severe autism when he was 3. I sell nature, landscape, and fine art prints.

2.What inspired you to get started in your craft/start collecting vintage?
When I was young in my late teen's, early 20's a local photographer gave me photography lessons for about 3 years. Back then it was an all manual camera 35mm and we developed our own film. He started me out in Black and White film taking pictures of an old truck and I loved it. As life happens I got away from my love and life took over. We had 3 kids in 28 months and life was hard and busy. As they have grown I have been able to return to the things that give me piece on stress filled days. When the kids were really little I would travel around while they slept in the car and take pictures, the love of being creative through photography never left me.

3.What is your favorite part of your process?
My favorite part of this process is seeing if I can take what I see in my head and conveyed in the print. 

4.Handmade: What inspires you the most while you create?
I find inspiration in everything around me. I love taking an object whether it's a flower, bridge, or building and getting a view that is unique. 

5.If you could pick, what is your most favorite item in your Etsy shop?
My most favorite item is a hard choice for me. I think the Lilly would be in my top 5. I love the detail in this flower.

6.Got any social media links?
facebook www.facebook.com/photosbyrkdesigns
Twitter twitter.com/rkexpressions

7.Anything else that you want to share?
In this crazy chaotic world, it has been a blessing to be able to create unique photography that hopefully will make people smile.

Red and White Dayflowers