Apple Festival 2013 with Heather Applegate Photography and DynamiteFibers

I had an amazing weekend at Apple festival 2013 in Erwin, TN! This was my first year selling at Apple Festival, but not my first year shopping there! I was lucky to get to split a booth with two if my really great friends: Michelle from Dynamite Fibers and Heather from Heather Applegate Photography. 

I brought along my soaps, lip balms, bath bombs, and soy wax tarts. They filled the booth wonderfully with Michelle's marbled paper and dyed scarves and Heather's photography, both serious and fun marshmallow microcosm. 

I was so happy that my soaps were a big hit! I sold out of a few of my soaps and loads of my tarts. I've already started restocking the big favorites, getting ready for Heritage Days next weekend. 

I also held a #TweetUp during the festival, but I am not sure that remote Erwin, TN was the best place for this... I'm going to give it a go next week at Heritage Days and see if I get any bites. 

I had a blast Friday and Saturday, and I was a little sad to see our fun weekend end. But now I get to look forward to Heritage Days next weekend, and it is the craft show that I have been attending since I was a toddler! I hope the weather is beautiful and clear, the food is great, and the folks are ready to get clean!! 

Appalachian Fair 2013

Tractor soaps in
three colors and scents!

I am so excited about this coming week! My soaps, along with loads of other locally made goodies, will be for sale at this year's Appalachian Fair in Gray, TN!

All of my soaps, body butters, body sprays, lip balms, and bath salts will be there! And part of the proceeds go to the Farm and Home Building at the fairgrounds!

Here is a list of the other vendors that will be attending with me! Check out their Etsy shops:

Jeri's Jewels

Simply Grace Bows

Heather Applegate Photography

W.E.Creationz

Dynamite Fibers

Sisters Act Two

Shout for Soy

Chicken Coop Stamper

Fabled Fields

Robin Rene Art

Dichroic Glass Art

Sophisticated Junkie

... and me, SecondSpringSoaps!

Salt soaps!

The fair will be going on from Monday, August 19 through Saturday, August 24. Come on over to the Farm and Home Building and look for the Artist and Crafter's Corner. If you are interested in learning more about the fair or see the hours and ticket prices, click here.

Spring Fling Festival, May 2013

Last weekend was the Spring Fling Festival in Chucky, TN at Mountain View Bulk Foods. This is the second time I have been to this gathering; I went last year in October on a cold, windy day. Saturday was gorgeous, and it was great to see everyone coming out in support of small business!

My booth has had a complete makeover since my last time at this show. I'm slowly working my way to a green theme with accents of yellow and purple. I am extremely happy with the booth! I've even started adding some decorations to help draw in folks!

My booth! Loving the green...

I brought along most of my products, including my newest soaps scented with coffee, honeysuckle, and grass! My grass soaps were my most popular, and I almost sold out of them! I am making more this weekend, and I hope to have them up on my Etsy shop soon.

Green grass soap

I also brought along my lip balm, bath bombs, bath salts, and body sprays. I debuted my bath bomb cupcakes, which will be photographed and listed soon.

Next weekend I will be at Grogan Park in Gate City, VA! Come out and see me, Southwest Virginia!

3 weeks and one final exam to go...

It's finally getting closer and closer to summer break, and I am looking forward to it more than ever! I have so many ideas and plans in my head... But first, I have to get through two end of the year projects, one 10+ page research paper, and one killer final exam. Three more weeks and counting!

I spent last weekend at Tusculum College attending the Old Oak Festival. It was a blast! I was there with a bunch of my friends from Etsy, including PinkMouse, SSBaud, ChickenCoopStamper, JaneyLaughs, JerisJewels, and W.E.Creationz. We had a blast through the cold and the rain, and I got to meet some great people and had a bit of fun as well!

This coming weekend, I am looking forward to heading to the Spring Craft Show at the Boones Creek Baptist Family Life Center in Johnson City, TN! This show is being thrown by my friend Cathi at SistersActTwo, and more of my Etsy people will be attending!

I am planning on bringing my soaps and lip balms, as well as new products like whipped body butters in 5 scents, water-based body sprays, and scented bath salts! I am featuring new scents in soap, as well as classics like lavender, vanilla, and sandalwood.

I will be at the show on Saturday, April 27 from 9-4! Come out and see me!

Only three weeks left until I can kick my shop back into high gear... Stick with me, readers! The blog drought is coming to an end soon!

Easy tent weights!

This week, I made my first tent weights! I thought I would share them with you...

You will need: 4 buckets, a small (read: 50 pound bag!) bag of Quikrete, Eye hooks, washers, and nuts.

What you will need!

Start by attaching the washer and nut tightly to the eye hook. This gives the eye hook something to hold on to, and your tent will not pull the hook right out of the concrete!

Next, fill your buckets about 3/4 of the way full of Quikrete. Make sure to wear eye protection and a face mask! Once the dust fades, bury your eye hooks in the Quikrete and just add water! No need to stir! (So easy, a toddler can do it!)

The Quikrete will dry in about an hour! Just add some strong nylon rope and voila! You have home made, fairly inexpensive tent weights for your craft shows!

I have about $16 in these weights, which is WAY cheaper than buying them for $40 at a big box store! I bought my buckets at the Dollar Tree for $1 each, the Quikrete was $5 at Lowes, and I bought 6 eye hooks for $6 at Lowes. I already had the nuts and washers on hand.
All in all, it was a fun, easy, fairly quick project! And best part: I will not have to borrow Jeri's tent weights any more! Ha!

Mountain View Bulk Foods Craft Show

One of my favorite local places to shop is our local Amish market, Mountain View bulk foods in Chuckey, TN. They make fantastic breads and bakery goods, and my husband adores their jerky.

I am excited to announce that I will e attending their craft fair this weekend, Oct 27 from 9am-7pm.

If you are in the area, come by and see us! There will be great artisans and crafters and delicious food!!

Heritage Days 2012

 Heritage Days was last weekend in Rogersville, TN. I've been going to Heritage Days since I was very little and it was always my favorite part of the fall. I've always dreamed of having a booth, and after 28 years, I finally did it! And it was a blast! I cannot wait to go back next year!

My booth set-up! Too bad I didnt get my banner in there...

It isnt Halloween without Candy Corn soap!

Bath Bombs: Rose, Vanilla, Lilac, Green Apple, Blue Coconut

Regular soap, goat's milk soap, and lip balms

Cupcake soap! Loads of people thought they were edible!

More soaps!

Soap displays (aka, why my Dad rocks!)

With two days until Heritage Days in Rogersville, TN, I thought I would take a moment to brag on my sweet and creative Dad. I have been scouring East TN for months trying to find the perfect display, to no avail. I knew what I wanted... I just couldn't find it! That's when Dad stepped in...

My dad made me some fantastic displays put of some salvage wood in his workshop! The displays are 16 inches long by 4 inches deep and over a foot high! They are exactly what I needed!

I cannot wait to display these beauties this weekend!

2012 Greeneville Woman's Club Holiday Expo and Craft Bazaar

I am super excited to announce that I will be showing at this year's Greeneville Woman's Club Holiday Expo and Craft Bazaar! This will be my third of four shows this season... for someone who was a total newbie to craft shows just two months ago, I have really jumped in head first!

If you are interested in learning more about the Expo and Bazaar, here's a link to the event page on Facebook! I am so excited that my bath and body products will be there. My friends Jeri and Lisa will also be there, so if you happen to stop by, go check them out, too!

I'm off to wrap a bajillion soaps! Happy crafting!

Christmas Market in Johnson City, TN

Big announcement!!

I will he heading to the Johnson City Farmer's Market on December 17th to sell at their Christmas Market!!

Here's a link to their web page if you are interested in learning more about them.
And make sure to go and "like" their Facebook page to get updates!

I am a huge supporter of our local farmer's market, and my plan is to be a full-time seller next season, starting in May! So, I am super excited about the Christmas Market... I am calling it my "test run!"

So, if you are in the area between 9am and 2pm, stop by and check out all of the wonderful handmade goodies made by local crafters ad artisans! And say "HEY!" to your favorite soapy gal! ;o)