Feature Friday: Jasmine Solid Lotion

One of my biggest sellers in the realm of solid lotions is my Jasmine solid lotion!

What is a solid lotion?
A solid lotion is a bar of lotion that is made from mostly hard butters and waxes that melts on the skin when applied. My solid lotion is made of cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax, making it very moisturizing and your skin will love it! Just hold the small bar in your hands and let the oils and butters melt, then rub them into the skin! Super easy and a wonderful way to get soft!

Out of all of my solid lotions, the White Jasmine sells the best. This scent is very true-to-the-flower: a lovely floral filled with the perfect Jasmine notes.

My solid lotions are packaged in travel-size tins, so it keeps the bars contained and clean when not un use, and it makes it easy to take your lotion on the go with you.

Interested in my Jasmine solid lotion? CLICK HERE to head to Etsy and check it out!

Feature Friday: Cherry Almond Bath Bomb Fizzies

Happy Valentine's Day! Since it's friday, its time for my feature friday! Today the spotlight is on my cherry almond bath bomb fizzies!

Cherry almond is a classic scent that almost everyone loves! Sweet maraschino cherries melt beautifully with mild, nutty almond... I've had folks asking for this scent for ages, and it finally made its debut last fall. My bar soaps in Cherry Almond sold out at one show! Wow! Because of all of its success as a soap, I'm starting to make bath bombs in the scent as well.

As always, my bath bombs are made with baking soda and citric acid as a base. When baking soda and citric acid combine together and mix with water, it sets off a fizzing reaction which creates sodium citrate, a skin-softening byproduct. The fizzies are also jam-packed with sweet almond oil and epsom salts for extra skin-softening benefits and to help relax you as you soak. 

Wanna check out my cherry almond bath bombs? CLICK HERE!

Feature Friday: Pomegranate Sea Salt Soap

With Valentine's Day one week away, I thought I would take this last Friday before the holiday to feature my Pomegranate Sea Salt soap! This soap would be a perfect gift to give for Valentine's Day. The pink heart shaped soap fits in well with the classic theme!

The soap is made from a base of coconut oil for cleansing and moisturizing and castor oil to increase lather. Finely ground sea salts are added to soften your skin, aid with exfoliation, and helps offset the cleansing power of the coconut oil. Salt soaps are excellent for your skin and give you a wonderful healthy glow!

The soap is colored a bright pink and shaped into a large heart, making the bar of soap a little over 4 ounces in weight. The soap is scented with Pomegranate fragrance oil, a light, sweet version of the fruit. The scent comes alive when the soap is wet.

Interested in this soap? Make sure to check it out in my Etsy shop and in my Zibbet shop!

Feature Friday: All-natural Peppermint Lip Balm

My peppermint lip balm has always been a huge hit at craft shows and it is growing in popularity online! The balm is completely natural, made with waxes, butters, oils, and real peppermint oil for a delicious bite of mint!

The balm's base is made of the perfect combination of beeswax, unscented cocoa butter, and coconut oil. The three work together to make a firm balm with smooth glide, which protects and soften your lips as you use it.

The balm is flavored with peppermint essential oil, which is distilled from the herb to create this natural flavoring. As you use the balm, you will smell the peppermint and taste it, too! It even gives your lips a bit of a tingle!

Interested in this lip balm? Head over to my Etsy shop now and grab a tube or five! CLICK HERE!

Feature Friday: Salted Caramel Soap

Now that I am finally crawling out of my Winter break laziness, it is time to start up my Feature Friday segment again! So, let's get started with my Salted Caramel soap!

I love the rich, gooey, caramel scent of this soap! I modeled the soap after a piece of salted caramel candy, using a nice tan-caramel color for the base. I topped the soap off with a nice layer of real sea salt to help exfoliate the skin as you wash!

The soap itself is made with my classic recipe of olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil and tinted with cocoa powder for a natural colorant. The scent is a warm caramel scent with just a hint of sea salt to round out the blend.

Wanna snatch up a bar of this soap? Follow THIS LINK to my Zibbet shop and check it out!

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!

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.

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!!

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!

Friday Spotlight: Oct. 2013 Soap - Candy Corn

It's officially October and I am overjoyed! October is one of my favorite months in the year. From the changing leaves to pumpkin EVERYTHING, I love it! And best of all, it's the month for Candy Corn!

So, while me and my family gorge ourselves on this tasty treat, my Candy Corn soaps are going to be sold as the soap of the month! Catch this creamy, delicious soap discounted all month long! (Warning: soap is not delicious. Please dont eat the soap!)


Wanna grab up a bar? Head on over to my Zibbet shop and check them out! Click here!

Friday Spotlight: Halloween Soap Trio

It's getting more and more spooky around here, with Halloween coming in just over a month! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and I started making my Halloween soaps months ago, so they would be ready to go. These three spooky little soaps were just too cute to split into different listings, so I kept them together and my Halloween Soap Trio was born!

The soap trio features three different soaps: an orange Jack-o-Lantern soap, a white ghostie soap, and a black bat soap!

My Jack-o-Lantern soap is scented with pumpkin cheesecake, which is a sweet, delicious scent filled with pumpkin notes, cream cheese notes, and notes of graham cracker crust. The little pumpkins are colored orange with black eyes.

The little ghostie soaps are scented with Oak Barrel Cider, which has lovely notes of oak, cinnamon, cider, and just a hint of apple. The soap is dyed with titanium dioxide, making the soap white.

And last, there's my spooky bat soap. My bat soap is scented with Tibetan Black Tea, which is a rich, deep scent with lots of musk notes. The bat is a dark gray, with black for the eyes and spooky smile. 

My Halloween soap trio is only around for a limited time, and as of this blog post, there are only 4 sets left! Pick up these sweet soaps quickly, because once they are gone, they will not be back until next year! Wanna know more about them? Click here to go to my Etsy shop!

Friday Spotlight: Halloween Spider Bath Bombs

Halloween is right around the corner... just a little over a month away... and I thought I would share with you my spooky Halloween bath bomb fizzies with fun spider rings on top!

I love these bath bombs! They are made with baking soda and citric acid, which combine together to make the fun, fizzing action in your tub. I also include epsom salts and sweet almond oil. The salts help you relax and soothe any aching muscles, and the sweet almond oil softens your skin as you soak!

I made four different colored bath bombs this year for All Hallow's Eve...

First up, I have my purple bath bomb with purple spider ring topper, scented with Lavender!

Second is my orange bath bomb and spider ring, scented with Candy Corn!

Third in green is my green bath fizzie and spider buddy, scented with Green Apple!

And last but not least, it's my no-dye bath bomb in white with black spider ring, scented with Wild Grape!

 These bath bombs will be around for Halloween, but after that, you wont be able to catch them again until next year! They make great gifts, fun party favors, or great treats for your neighborhood trick-or-treaters.

Want to see more of my Halloween goodies? Click here to head to my shop!

Friday Spotlight: Wild Grape Witch Hat Soaps

Halloween is getting closer and closer, and what better way to celebrate the spooky holiday than to decorate your bathroom with some fun witch hat-shaped soaps scented with wild grape!

These witch hat soaps are perfect to give out to trick-or-treaters, use as hand soaps by the sink, or give to guests as guest soaps! The fun shape makes them great for the Halloween season.

The scent of these soaps is a sweet and fun wild grape scent. The aroma is filled with notes of juicy, sweet grape, with just a hint of musk for a low note to round off the blend.

You can find these awesome little soaps on my Etsy shop. Click here to check them out!

Friday Spotlight: Green Tractor Soap

My tractor soaps have been a huge hit at the Appalachian Fair for the past two years, and I figured that while the fair was in full swing, I would feature these fun melt and pour creations!

I have three types of tractors: Pink tractors scented with Cherry Almond, my Blue tractors scented with coconut, and my green tractors scented with green apple. The green apple scent is one of my most popular, and kids just love playing with these soaps in the bath. It's one of the only ways I can get my son to get clean!

Come on down to the Appalachian Fair in Gray and pick some tractors up, or you can find them in my Etsy shop! Click here to head to my shop!

Featured Post: Pam of PeeGeeJewelry

Meet Pam of PeeGeeJewelry! Pam makes fun and funky jewelry that I absolutely adore! Learn more about Pam below...
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I am Pam George and I sell Country Girl, Gypsy Chic jewelry with a kick of Vintage Boho. I round it out with Shabby Chic!

I am an art quilter at heart, but I love to make jewelry when I'm not quilting. Now the jewelry has seem to taken over. Although I do have a quilt going usually at the same time.

I love to work with cold porcelain and air dry clay. I tend to get inspired by nature and vintage things. I love to create plants and flowers and work a lot with my photography for inspiration.

Right now I have been making vintage camping trailers that I have cut from steel. I paint each one to have it's own retro feel. I hope to create custom pendants for people who "Glamp" , thats glamorous camping. I also would like to reach out to the vintage campers.

I have a Face Book page called PeeGee Jewelry at www.facebook.com/PeeGeeJewelry and I share a blog with my daughter called Family Style Living at Wordpress. familystyleliving.wordpress.com/
We are both DIY girls and I talk about my quilting and jewelry on the blog quite frequently. We share all our decorating projects and cooking and gardening ideas. Life is great!

Feature Friday: Eric and Dustin of KnitsbyED

Eric  and Dustin of Knits by ED features fun knit toys along with a sampling of gorgeous vintage finds. Learn more about him below:
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1.Who are you and what do you sell?

We are Knits by ED; a small town business, producing hand-knit plushies and home décor made from recycled materials. We can recycle any blankets, clothes, knitted items, and even plastic bags. The items are cut into strips (or in the case of knitted items they are simply unraveled) and attached at the ends to create yarn; then we can turn that yarn into unique creations and critters.

2.What inspired you to get started in your craft?

We got a lot of our inspiration from our childhood memories with stuffed plushies, Beanie Babies, and the like. But we really wanted to start our business to help save our environment. Most of the materials used to make our items are recycled. We wanted to turn plastic bags, old sweaters and other knitted items, and even old t-shirts into something useful and memorable instead of them ending up hidden in the back of the closet, or stored away forever in the garage, or even worse, littering our precious Earth.

3.What is your favorite part of your process?

Our favorite part of our craft is seeing the joy that one Knits by Ed creation can bring to a person and knowing that we’re helping the environment in the process.

4.Handmade: What inspires you the most while you create?

We gain a lot of inspiration from nature and animals. We have two cats running around at home plus multiple aquatic critters. Whether it’s from the sea, the sky, or land, all of Earth’s creatures are beautiful and deserve to be recognized and kept safe.

5.If you could pick, what is your most favorite item in your Etsy shop?

Our favorite items to create are the octopi. We love them all too much to pick just one, though!

6.Got any social media links?

Please like us at www.facebook.com/knitsbyed.

7.Anything else that you want to share?

10% of all sales from Knits by Ed are donated to Oceana to help maintain our oceans. We’re just two guys running a small business in a very small town but we believe that everyone can make a difference when it comes to keeping our planet clean and beautiful!

Feature Friday: Lisa of W.E.Creationz

Meet Lisa, of W.E.Creationz fame! You may know her from her bright and fun creations, or you may know her from her colorful, happy presence at craft shows, or you may know her from her Zulily.com fame! Learn more about her below!
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1.Who are you and what do you sell? wecreationz....anything and everything shabby chic and for children!!!! I love creating for children and it needs to be things you can't really find any where else!

2.What inspired you to get started in your craft? I have sewn all my life, I make my own patterns, and when grandchildren started coming along I realized this was the funniest stuff of all to make!!!!!

3.What is your favorite part of your process? Going from a pile of fabric, ribbon and trims to all dolled up kids at a photo shoot. I guess I love the entire process!!!

4.Handmade: What inspires you the most while you create? The love for my grand babies and just how special and cute these little people are in our lives! :)

5.If you could pick, what is your most favorite item in your Etsy shop? My new "Emmelia Grace" set

6.Got any social media links? 
www.wecreationz.blogspot.com
W.E.Creationz on facebook
wecreationz on twitter

7.Anything else that you want to share? Being able to create with your hands are sew gratifying but being able to do this and make your little pint sixed customers and their parents happy is even better!!!!!!

Feature Post: Mary of NeedlecraftbyNan

Place mats, napkins, and ring holders

If you are looking to see some amazing handiwork, then make sure to check out NeedlecraftByNan! Mary Evans, who also goes by Nan, has amazing talents with a needle and thread, and her amazing creations can be found on Etsy! Mary's shop is just getting off the ground, so make sure to head over and show her some love! You can learn more about Mary below in her own words...
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1.my name is Mary[nan] Evans. i opened a shop on etsy.com several months ago. I make quality hand crafted items for babies, mothers and children, home decor, and seasonal items.

2. i started many years ago sewing for my children and friends. both my mother and grandmother were needle artists and it fascinated me to watch them create beautiful things out of fabric, yarn and crochet thread.

3. the favorite part of the process is creating original designs and putting my ideas into a product.

Gorgeous bib ... Original Design!

4.i think making things that are well made and will last for years with a minimum of care. i love having others get enjoyment out of things i make for them

5.my favorite items to make are baby bibs with my original designs on them.


6. i am on facebook, and i have just joined two etsy teams - knoxville creative hands street team and east tennessee crafters network. i'm just learning how to use the computer so hope it will help me to get aquainted through these groups. my goal is to build a local customer base.

Featured Post: Marci of MarcisChainDesigns

Wow, if you are looking for some amazing, unique handmade jewelry, you have found something fabulous in Marci's Chain Designs! Marci, the hands behind these amazing chainmail creations, has an eye for the colorful and unique! Looking for a chainmail bow tie or belt? Marci is your gal!

You can learn more about Marci in her words below. Enjoy!
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Rainbow Earrings

I'm Marci, owner of Marci's Chain Designs (www.marcischaindesigns.com). My creations are accessories and jewelry inspired by chain mail armor from the Middle Ages. Each piece is crafted from links that are woven together by hand, one ring at a time.

I've been fascinated by chain mail since the first opportunity I had to touch a finished piece. There's a captivating quality to an item made from stiff metal rings that, when woven, become a flexible and fluid piece of art. Each item has its own unique texture and movement, making it as much fun to play with as it is to wear.

My favorite part of the craft is engineering. Chainmail is based on repeating patterns, all of which behave differently with different sizes of rings or types of metal. I love the challenge of creating something from the ground up and finding the correct combination of size, metal, color and design to make a piece that is both functional and beautiful.

Chainmail stretch bracelet

In the 10+ years I've been making chainmail the history attached to it has never ceased to amaze me. The process I use is very similar to what armorers used during the Middle Ages when linked rings were used to craft armor that protected troops and saved lives. Since chainmail armor isn't as in demand today, I enjoy finding new and different ways to turn that piece of history into something modern and unexpected.

Chainmail Bow tie

My favorite item currently for sale in my Etsy store is the bow tie. It's quirky, eye catching, and guaranteed to jump start any conversation. That said, I most often find myself wearing a pair of four in one stretch bracelets.

You can always find me at Marci's Chain Designs on Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/MarcisChainDesigns) or my business site, www.marcischaindesigns.com.
Don't forget to Like me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Marcis-Chain-Designs/291322975238) as well, where you can find my calendar of shows and special discounts that are only available to Facebook fans!!