Bath Bomb News

With the start of the new year, my bath bombs got a new look, new ingredients, and new fragrances!

Instead of the old, usual ball-shaped bath bomb fizzies, I have transitioned over to thick circle-shaped bath bombs! They're almost as big as a bar of soap! On the inside of the fizzies, I have ditched my shea butter additive for a combination of epsom salt and almond oil. Sometimes, I noticed that my shea butter would not melt in the tub if the water wasnt warm enough, so the switch to almond oil was a perfect one. The added epsom salts also brought some body to the bath bombs, and I really love the salts in the bath.

The colors now have more pop and pizzazz to them, too! Since I've brought my focus around to bright, fun products with loads of color, I quickly realized that my pastel bath bombs were not going to cut it. So, with a little research, I've been able to start coloring them brightly! I'm so pleased with these colors!

New Orange!

Old Orange...

Keep an eye on my Zibbet shop for new fragrances coming soon! I've kept the old favorites, like Green Apple, Eucalyptus, and Sweet Pea. New bath bombs to look for include Cherry Almond, Nectarine, Chocolate Brownie, and Sandalwood!

Got a scent that you are dying to see in a bath bomb? Comment below and let me k

now!

Fantastic Supplies for Fall/Winter!

It may be June, but my eyes and nose are already deep into Fall and Winter! This month, I will begin making my fall soaps and other items, so I've started getting in new fragrances for fall and winter, as well as working on summer makeovers for my wax tarts and bath bombs.

Lets get to the good stuff first! Fragrances!
I made an order with a new company this week: TheCandleSource.com! I found them through eBay, but I ended up buying directly through them. I picked up three fragrances: Kumquat, Sleigh Ride, and Monkey Farts. I've had many requests for Monkey Farts, so I was anxious to get this one in. I am so delighted with my goodies, the shipping was fast, the prices were excellent, and I cannot recommend TheCandleSource enough!

I also made an order with AromaHaven. I love selling wax tarts, but this summer I decided to give my tarts a makeover from the single tart to clamshell breakaway tarts. My wax also got a makeover: All of my tarts are now being made with soy wax! I picked up some great clamshell molds/packaging from AromaHaven, and I am so pleased with the results.
While at AromaHaven, I picked up four new fragrances:
-- Wild Muscadine: A sweet grape scent with hints of musk... Totally Southern!
-- Applejack N' Peel: An apple, cinnamon, and cider blend. Another heavily requested scent!
-- Corn Husk: A combo of citrus, sweet fruit, floral, and amber musk
-- Red Maple Leaf: A lighter scent with maple leaf, patchouli, sandalwood, and fern.

I also ordered some new molds off of eBay for my upcoming craft shows.

First, I ordered a new Snowflake silicone mold, which arrived today. I am already thinking of Peppermint soaps, Eucalyptus soaps, Sleigh Ride Soaps, and lots and lots of glitter!

Second, I ordered a cute Apple silicone mold. I picked up the Apple mold because I recently applied to attend the Apple Festival in Erwin, TN, and if I am picked to attend (cross your fingers!), I'll have apple-shaped soaps with me! (Sneak peek: My apple soaps will be scented with applejack n' peel, apples and mint jelly, and granny's green apple!)

This fall is going to smell amazing! I cannot wait to get started!

So much for a slow summer...

My summer is off to a running start... I barely had time to catch my breath from a grueling finals week before I was staring in the face of three back to back craft shows. My next three weekends look like this:

Super secret new project!

May 25 - Mountain View Bulk Foods Spring Fling Show
Chucky, TN from 8am-7pm

June 1- Scott County Art Bazaar
Gate City, VA from 10am-6pm

June 7 - Boones Creek Day
Johnson City, TN from 9am-5pm

Fun times! I am actually enjoying keeping busy. It keeps me moving, rather than becoming slothy and stagnant over summer. I'm in full production mode, stocking up on 18 different flavors of lip balm (including 4 new ones that have not made their debut on Etsy yet). I'm also working on reformatting my bath bomb recipe. I love my round bath bombs. The shape is so classically bath bomb... But I am working on a new formula, which will help me create new shapes, like hearts and flowers. The bath bombs will be bigger (yay!) and I'll be able to offer more fragrances.

I'm also working on a super secret new project... If I tell you, can you keep a secret? ;o) Ha! It's cupcake bath bombs! I am so excited about them... I am working on mini ones (like the photo above) and normal size ones. I'll be debuting them at my next craft show, so if you are in the East Tennessee area this Satuday, come down and see them!

So, I am headed back to the grind!
For homework, leave a comment below and let me know what new bath bomb scents you would like to see!

Spring Break!

Whew! I am so grateful for the person who first dreamed up the concept of spring break! I really needed this week off... School has been kicking my booty up and down the road, and it is great to take some time off and relax... and make soap!

I've got lots planned for my spring break week (wait, wasnt this supposed to be relaxing?!?), and I'll give you a quick taste:

• I am planning a HUGE project for this summer, and I am so excited about it I could burst! The planning stages are going to start this week.... :oD
• New bath bombs are coming!! It has been ages since I made any new fragrances, and they're going to feature some of my most popular scents!
• I'll be soaping once a day for 5 days straight! I've got everything planned out, and I am going to make YouTube videos of each one. I'll be doing different techniques, from in-the-pot swirling, to using embeds, to piping. It'll be fun on the bun!
• By the end of this week, most of my solid lotion fragrances will be listed on my Etsy shop. I'll also be playing around with my whipped butter recipe, tweaking it as I go.
• Two words: Body. Spray.

Relax?!? Who ever said anything about relaxing?!?

Coming Soon in 2013

Last year, I ended 2011 with a post about what I was working on for 2012. I figured I would keep up the tradition and give everyone a preview of what I am working on for January 2013 and beyond! 

Pipe Smoke Salt Soap with Nettle

First, I am excited to announce that I will be debuting a whole new line of soaps, starting this week! They are salt soaps, made with real sea salt! All of the soaps will be made with coconut oil and castor oil, so all of them will be vegan friendly. They will come in many different scents and colors and shapes! I love the salt soaps because the salt works to exfoliate the skin and soften it at the same time.

Next, be on the lookout for three new lip balm flavors! I was excited to get these for Christmas from my husband... The new flavors are Blueberry, Peach, and Margarita! The blueberry is sweet and juicy, the peach has a creaminess to it that reminds me of peach oatmeal, and the Margarita has a little bite to it. Yum!

Blueberry Lip Balm

My face scrubbies are going to be getting a makeover soon. Before now, my face scrubbies have been a grab bag of mystery colors. Starting soon, you will be able to purchase the exact colors or patterns that you want! It makes shopping much easier!

As 2013 gets underway, I am looking forward to adding two new products to my shop: solid lotion bars and sugar scrub! I have formulated good recipes for both products, but I am still working out the kinks with packaging and shipping. As soon as I can get the technicalities worked out, these two new products will be live on my Etsy shop!

Also, keep an eye out for new YouTube videos, new tutorials and featured posts on my blog, and new scents in my Etsy shop!

2013 looks to be a fun, fabulous year, and I am excited for you all to see the fun new soaps I have been working on! Happy Bubbling!

New Supplies from Aroma Haven

Right before the end of the new year, I found myself with only 4 empty lip balm tubes left in my stock! Oh no! So, before I ran out (my lip balms were very popular this year as stocking stuffers!), I put in a quick order from Aroma Haven. And whenever I put in an order to Aroma Haven, I cant get just one or two things...

Peach and Blueberry Lip Balm Flavors

So, here's the fun, new goodies I got!

First, I decided to add a few more flavors to my line of lip balms. Instead of unique or "strange" scents (like Snow Cone... That one really intrigues people!), I got some old faithfuls. My new lip balm flavors are Blueberry and Peach! They are both very true to their fruit counterparts, with just the right amount of creaminess that makes them perfect for lips!
And, of course, I restocked my lip balm tubes and my tamper resistant bands.

One of the great things about Aroma Haven is that when you purchase an order over $15, you get to pick out two fragrance oils to try for free! My original thought was to stock up on scents for Valentine's Day... But, as I looked around the site, it hit me... MEN! So, I grabbed two masculine scents that caught my eye, and I made excellent choices.

New Masculine Scents: Pipe Smoke and Barbershop 1920's

The first scent is called "Pipe Smoke." My husband adored this fragrance as soon as I told him it was on its way. It is light and musky, with some cherry middle notes. It is not heavy or over powering. I was so excited about this scent that I have already used it! I used the fragrance in a salt bar paired with nettle for a natural green color... That soap will be cured and in my Etsy shop in the first week of January.
The second scent is called "Barbershop 1920's." It really reminds me of the old timey barbershops, with that classic shaving cream smell. I do smell hints of bay and maybe a dash of rum or nutmeg. This would make a great shaving soap, or maybe a new beer soap? Not sure yet, but I'm definitely inspired!

My new soaps and lip balms will go live in January 2013! My little Kodak camera is on the fritz, so I am hoping to get a new camera for Christmas (*HINT MOM!*). :o) Keep an eye out for them!

Presenting New Lip Balm Flavors

Naked lip balm - no flavor

After a flurry of brainstorming and experimenting, I have come up with four fantastic new lip balm flavors, just in time for the holiday season. And I wanted to take out a moment to show them off. :o)

My first one is one that I have had in my head for ages: Naked Lip Balm! No flavors, no essential oils, just beeswax, cocoa butter, and coconut oil! It's perfect for folks who just need a basic lip balm, but want to buy handmade.

Tea tree lip balm

Second, it's one that my husband suggested: Tea Tree lip balm! My husband uses fabulous little toothpicks that have soaked in tea tree oil, and he begged me for this lip balm. I just had to oblige! Tea tree essential oil is known to have many properties to help your health, but I just like the taste. It's an interesting blend of herb with pine and fir and other needle trees.

Mint Tea Tree Lip Balm

Third, it's a combination: Mint Tea Tree lip balm! This one came after some brainstorming and combining of what I already had around, and this great lip balm was born! Mint and tea tree blend together perfectly; they work together to balance each other out.

Mint Chocolate... my fave!

And last, my favorite: Mint Chocolate lip balm! I am a HUGE mint chocolate gal, and I cannot believe that I have not come up with this combination sooner. I already have a peppermint lip balm and a chocolate lip balm... I guess if it was a snake, it would have bitten me ages ago. And best of all, I used cocoa powder in the balm for the chocolate scent, so the finished balm is a lovely chocolate color.

Come by my Etsy shop and check them out: SecondSpringSoaps

Felted Soap

I've been seeing a lot of felted soap lately. I've seen it on Etsy, and I saw TreatMeBathandBody felting soap on Instagram. What finally pushed me over the edge to try it was having more than two people asking about felted soap at Heritage Days last weekend. So, I grabbed a few skeins of wool yarn and some stray bars of soap, and went to town!

I started first by cutting the yarn and pulling the strands of fibers loose. I laid them flat and pressed them into "sheets", similar to the fibers that I've seen others using on YouTube. I then felted my soaps by using hot water and my hands... and voila!

Felted soaps! They look like mossy rocks!

I'm in love with the felted soaps! I am hoping to start listing them on Etsy before November, and I am going to have them for sale at the Greeneville Woman's Christmas Expo and Craft Bazaar the first weekend in November.

Happy Creating!

New Supplies for January!!

Translucent Lip Balm Tubes

For my birthday this year (I celebrated my 28^th on January 2nd!), my husband gifted me with a supply order for my shop! Best. Gift. Ever!

The very first thing that I grabbed up was a set of translucent lip balm tubes with caps, as well as tamper-evident wraps for the finished product. Since I started making lip balms, I've had a few people (my sister was the most vocal!) who have asked for tubes instead of tins. So, I obliged!

Next, I knew that I wanted to add to my lip balm line with a new, fresh flavor. I wanted to pick one that was different from my other flavors... So, I chose this fantastic Cherry Berry! It smells like sweet, tart cherries, with a mix of strawberries and blueberries. To make the lip balm perfect, I am going to tint the balm with either a rosy pink or a nice red.

New Fragrances and Flavors! Yum!

One of the great things about ordering from Rustic Escentuals is that when you order more than $15 in product, you get the option of picking out two 1 oz. Fragrance oils for free! When choosing my fragrance oils, I decided to go a more masculine route and picked Green Irish Tweed and Lumberjack. Green Irish Tweed is a classic cologne scent that smells sweet and musky. I felt pretty confident about the GIT, but the Lumberjack was a bit more of a leap-of-faith. And I am so glad I took that leap! The Lumberjack scent smells amazing! It is very woodsy, and reminds me of a fireplace burning pine logs with a hint of sweet floral undertone. It was a fantastic leap of faith!

The single best thing about Rustic Escentuals is their amazingly quick shipping! I ordered from them early monday morning, and my package was in by wednesday! And their customer service on their facebook page is some of the best that I have ever encountered!

All in all, I am silly excited about my birthday present! I cannot wait to get started on some great smelling men's soaps and some berry awesome lip balm!

Happy creating, dolls!

2012: A Preview of What's Coming

2012 is coming soon! How exciting! With only 4 days left in 2011, I thought this would be a great time to talk about all of the fun and exciting things coming up for Second Spring Soaps!

Right now (yep! right now!), I am prepping for both Valentine's Day and St. Patty's Day. A few weeks ago, I made some new two-colored soaps in great scents (lilac, honey/almond, oakmoss and sage...), and they will be going live online in just a few days! I've picked up some new yarns as well, for some crochet swag to go along with the holidays!

Oh, and debuting just in time for St. Patrick's Day... Beer soap! Beer soap is made with beer (no way! really?) for some great additions for your skin (barley, hops), but with no beer smell! So, dont worry, you wont be heading to the office smelling like you are coming off a bender.

Exciting news in the world of lip balms!! After many requests (a lot of them from my own sister), I am transitioning from round tins to the traditional lip balm tube! Whoo!! I'll also be adding lots of new flavors, such as a triple berry blend, peppermint, clove, lemon, and (drum roll, please!) chocolate!

There's even more surprises coming... new bath salts, new crochet accessories, and the addition of bath bombs!

Happy New Year!

Bergamot Eclipse and Honey Oatmeal

This week, I have been working on two delicious new soaps!

The first is a new soap of my own design. I call it "Bergamot Eclipse."

I started off by creating a half-circle loaf of bergamot soap, colored a rich gray by using powdered activated charcoal, which has a wonderful detoxifying effect on the body! After letting that set for a few days, it was removed and trimmed. Over the top and sides, I poured a lovely bergamot-scented accent soap colored with powdered tumeric, giving the soap a lovely, pale yellow tint!


Before letting the soap completely set, I gave the top a little swirl, which seemed to give the soap a life of its own!



Well, last night, I decided to venture in to very familiar soaping territory... Oatmeal and Honey! Nearly ever soap maker has made their own version of the classic Oatmeal and Honey soap, so I decided it was high time for me to head that way as well!

I started off by using regular old oatmeal (not the quick-cook stuff, the real oatmeal!) and I ground it up into powder using my Magic Bullet. I added the oatmeal to my soap batter once the batter had reached a nice, medium trace, and I added pure honey as well. I did not add any scents or dyes... I tried to keep this batch as natural as possible!
I am so excited about this batch, and I have not even cut it yet!

I added whole oats on top to give it a nice, country feel! And I had enough batter left over to make a 6 ounce teddy bear bar (one of my favorite molds! And a great thrift store find!)

They will be all cured up and ready for purchase at my Etsy shop by mid-September!