Mineral makeup trends. Creating your own personal color style.

Mineral makeup has become the new alternative to traditional store bought cosmetics. Not only are major cosmetic companies jumping on the bandwagon, but small businesses are forming everyday creating their own handmade versions of eye shadows, foundations, and lip colors as a natural alternative to chemical laden cosmetic brands.

rainbow eyes, originally uploaded by Erinna.

With a little practice and some basic ingredients you too can create your own custom color eye shadows. Point of Interest Blog provides multiple tutorials on how to make your own mineral makeup. From explaining the basic ingredients that go into the recipe to creating that first eye shadow, Point of Interest gives you recipes and tips for creating eye shadows in a variety of basic colors along with a run down of the basic cost of supplies to get started. There are also recipes for making foundations, lip colors and more. To get started on making your own eye shadows, visit this page. Links to the follow up tutorials are listed in the comment section. You can view all of the tutorials by clicking here. Click on older posts to continue viewing all articles. There are approximately 72 in all. 

Aside of the mineral makeup basics, there are also things like primers and sealants to help your makeup look it's best and stay put throughout the day. You can experiment with creating these type of products as well or you can purchase them from other companies who specialize in handcrafted mineral makeup. The All Natural Face makes a Vegan Eye Shadow Primer that is applied to your lid before applying your shadow and eye liner. Not only does it help your shadow to stay put but it also gives you more freedom to blend your shadows and build up a nice bold color. Their Seal It Eye Shadow/Eye Liner Sealant is a natural alternative to keeping your eye shadow and liner smudge proof and in place all day while giving your shadows a foiled, wet look. Both products are excellent. My favorite eye shadow shade from The All Natural Face is Lemon Ice. It's lovely as a highlight color on my brow bone with a pretty shade of pink on my lids.

Do you currently use mineral makeup? What is your favorite brand(s) and color(s)?

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Bitsy Creations $25 Gift Certificate Contest

Bitsy Creations is an all in one shop for beautiful handmade greeting cards and custom graphic design services for your small business. From wedding, birthday and baby shower invitations to  logo design and web ads, Bitsy Creations offers fully customizable options so that every product you purchase is tailored just for you. To celebrate the diversity that Bitsy Creations offers, indie owner Joan, is offering a $25 gift certificate to one lucky winner who enters this contest. It can be used on any of her services whether it's toward purchasing a business card design or her new customizable KIDLET mommy cards.

Bitsy Creations was founded in 2006 by Joan Orchard in order to give her the ability to be a stay at home mom. She currently resides in Maryland with her fantastic husband and two beautiful children. She loves to learn and is constantly trying new techniques in order to bring her customers new products and designs with 100% customer satisfaction. As a mom  herself she of course offers other new and expecting moms some terrific options in birth announcements and baby shower invitations. She has also recently expanded her line to include Customizable KIDLETS, which include personalized items such as invitations, stationery, tote bags, mommy cards, plates and bowls.

If you'd like to enter to win a $25 gift certificate from Bitsy Creations, you'll just need to visit Bitsy Creations and leave a comment with your favorite item from Joan's shop. This contest will end on August 12th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per person per entry method. Open worldwide to persons ages 18 and up. The winner will be chosen at random from among all eligible entries using random.org. Your information will not be shared except in the case of the winner, your email and shipping information will be shared with Bitsy Creations for the creation and shipment of your prize. The gift certificate will be redeemable at any of Bitsy Creation's shops: BitsyCreations.com, BitsyCreations.etsy.com, and BitsysGreetings.etsy.com.

The first method of entry is required to enter this contest. If you'd like additional entries into this contest, you may complete each of the following tasks for one additional entry each.

1. Fan Bitsy Creations on Facebook. Leave a comment with your Facebook name stating that you've become a fan.

2. Follow Bitsy Creations on Twitter. Leave a comment with your twitter username.

3. Follow Bitsy Creations' Blog. Leave a comment stating that you're a follower.

4. Tweet this contest on Twitter. Include @soapdeli in your tweet so I know you've done so. Leave a comment stated that you've tweeted this contest.

5. Blog about this contest. Leave a comment with the link back to the blog post.

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Make a skin nourishing salve.

Herban Lifestyle blog has a wonderful tutorial on making your own skin nourishing salve. The recipe calls for plantain and violet leaves which can be found growing wild in most lawns.

My lawn in particular has violets growing like crazy, but they're always so beautiful when they bloom so there's no sense in getting rid of them. The leaves of both of these plants have wonderful skin nourishing properties, so an herbal oil infusion of these two plants make up part of the base of this salve. The finished product can be used for insect bites, minor itching and irritation, minor cuts, and also as a nipple cream for those of you who may be the lucky recipient of a newborn. You can find the full recipe for this salve here. 

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Cool kitchen aids.

Both functional and fun, it's easy to incorporate these commonly used kitchen tools into your  everyday workspace. While these gadgets may not look the part, they pull off their job with the ease of your existing, everyday utensils.

From left to right.
1. Hands on Salad Bowl, $39.95 from Patina
2. Pac-man Oven Mitt, $18 from Fred Flare
3. Eco-friendly Apple Corer. Mayor Corey Green!, $9.99 from Pop Deluxe
4. PIZZA BOSS 3000™ - Power Saw Pizza Cutter, $15 from The Spoon Sisters
5. Rainbow Fish - Bone to Pick Toothpick Holder, $20 from Uncommon Goods
6. Chrome Fruit Bowl, $39.95 from 1 of a Kind Gifts
7. Magimix Vision Toaster, $299.95 from Williams Sonoma

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Amplify Lip Color from The StarShine Company

Amplify Lip Color from The StarShine Company is a handmade, natural lip color created from StarShine's own custom lip balm base and a special blend of mineral colorants to give your lips a bit of moisture and a touch of color. They are created without cheap fillers, preservatives, harmful chemicals, bismuth oxychloride, talc, or other known irritants. They use organic minerals  for color and are cruelty free.

I recently purchased an Amplify Lip Color from The StarShine Company in Chocolate Kiss. This colored lip balm is a rich, chocolate brown that contains a bit of shimmer. When used on my lips, I found that it provides a bit of color without being completely opaque. As a natural balm it feels fantastic. It's not greasy or heavy, but rather feels just perfect on my lips. The base is made with quality ingredients like soybean oil, beeswax, sunflower seed oil, cocoa seed butter, shea butter, vitamin e, mica, and colorant. It is unscented and unflavored. I could wear this stuff year round and be free of chapped lips forever. The color is just a bonus. 

Amplify Lip Colors are offered in five shimmery shades: Chocolate Kiss, Pink Blush, Ruby Crush, Polite Plum, and Orange Blossom. The only drawback is, like all lip balms, it needs to be reapplied throughout  the day. This product is priced slightly on the high end for a lip balm, but on target for a lipstick. It runs $6.25 per stick. It can be purchased online from The StarShine Company.

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Cute and crafty tools for your sewing room.

If your hobby is sewing, then you know that storage and organizational tools are priceless to have around. But that doesn't mean they have to be dull. Here are some fabulously fun tools to keep you organized while you do your thing!

1. Pin Cushion with Thread Catcher, from Kate McFaul Designs
2. Small Bag for Knit or Crochet Tools, from Stellar Babble Creations
3. Sparkle Snappitray - Large Vinyl Tray, from Anne B. Vinyl
4. Bobbin Babes - Set of Three, from mqsquare
5. Tinker Spool - Needle Case, from my friend amy

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Summer eats on the go.

Summer is the perfect time for picnics and family get togethers. But what do you bring to eat when it's insanely hot outside. Marichelle of lifeflix blog has the answer. She came up with her own delicious summer pasta recipe perfect for a hot summer night. Made with seasonal roasted zucchini, grape tomatoes, shallots, garlic, pasta, shrimp, some seasoning, and a little white wine, you'll want to have this dish again and again. Substitute the zucchini as your local crops change for a new dish every time. Read the recipe here.

To keep the flies out your dish while in between servings, skip the aluminum foil and saran wrap and opt for a more eco-friendly option. This bowl cover is perfect for short term storage at picnics and parties and can be custom made to fit any bowl in your house! This Eco Travel Lid was created by Allyson Hill. She provides complete step by step instructions on how to made this project yourself on her blog. Don't have the time or talent to make your own? You can buy handmade, reusable bowl covers online from Sew Much Style.

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Making your own terrariums.

Terrariums make for delightful home decor, are easy to make and fun to grow. These tiny little eco-systems are practically self sufficient and are very inexpensive to make. Here's a simple how to on getting your own terrarium started.

this morning i made terrariums., originally uploaded by abchao.

First you'll need to gather a few supplies. You'll need:
A glass container with a lid
Damp potting soil
Activated charcoal
Small stones or pebbles
Moss and other small plants such as ferns
Tiny decorative items you wish to include

To create your terrarium start with a clean, dry glass container. Layer your stones along the bottom of the jar so they are about 1 inch thick. Follow with a thin layer of charcoal, then add a layer of potting soil over the charcoal. The soil should take reach about 1/4 the height of the jar. Plant the moss and other plants in the soil. You may need to use chop sticks to help you arrange the plants. Finally, add any decorations you'd like to the terrarium to personalize it and then close the lid. Occasionally spritz your terrarium with water to keep the soil moist to the touch. Take care not to over water. Enjoy your new creation!

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My mom's a freaky old woman!

Dawn is quite creative. Not only is she the proprietor of Freaky Old Woman, a fabulously fun, indie novelty shop for Freak Them Out Eye Masks, but she is also a single mom to two boys. I can only imagine the creativity that is required with a job like that. Selflessly, she worked the graveyard shift for many years in order to be active in her son's lives. She slept while they were in school, and of course with it being daylight outside, she utilized an ever so lovely eye mask. Unfortunately, instead of eating the boys' homework, the family dog ate Dawn's mask one day. Desperate to find a new mask she liked, she came up with her own prototype. After putting around in her craft room, she developed a mask that had her eyes on the outside of the mask. Thrilled with her creation, Dawn wore it to take a nap on the couch that day. When her son came home from school and saw her, he was really freaked out by the mask! Thus the "Freak Them Out Sleep Mask" was developed. Dawn's youngest son helped with designs, they took some pictures, listed the masks on Etsy, and the rest is history. The original prototype mask that Dawn created is called Freaky Old Woman and continues to be one of her best sellers.

Dawn's knack for sewing was taught to her by her grandmother. She still remembers back in 1966 when she went to visit her grandmother at her job for lunch. To her, Grandma was a magician. She made coats out of lumps of fabric and her motto, one that Dawn has adopted, was "Stitch or starve". It was then that she learned to sew on a real sewing machine - a beautiful Singer model 66-8 - that she still owns. Over the decades Dawn has owned 8 machines, 6 of which she still has. It was hard for her to accept that her grandmother really worked in a sweat shop.

Nowadays though, Dawn crafts with just about everything, and has sold just about everything that's she made across various venues. She doesn't throw much away, and instead recreates many new items from older ones. In addition to selling eye masks, Dawn also makes and sells record album shoulder totes and other fun, er, crap. Visit Dawn's online shop on Etsy and you too can have your child claim that you're a freaky old woman.

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Green Beauty Cosmetics

I really like the idea of natural cosmetics, however, I like to use a liquid base rather than a powdered one and then follow with a loose translucent powder to finish my look. I have been using Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind The Eraser Treatment Makeup Foundation. I like that it's not a heavy foundation and that it also moisturizes just enough that I don't need to apply a separate moisturizer underneath my foundation. It provides a light coverage that just evens out my skin tone and has an SPF18. I wasn't aware that there were indie cosmetic companies offering alternatives for liquid foundations until I stumbled across Green Beauty Cosmetics.

Green Beauty Cosmetics is an all natural, chemical free, non-toxic, green cosmetics line that gives health conscious women an alternative to toxic skin care products. Their products contain no genetically modified substances, parabens, petro chemicals, phthalates, synthetic dyes, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, or triclosan. All products are preserved with an ECOCERT certified corn derived preservative and ECOCERT certified plant based emulsifiers. These products are not tested on animals and you receive a free sample with every order. 

I of course wanted to try the Tinted Moisturizer for Light Skin for my own fair skin so I purchased the sample size for $3. The purpose of this tinted moisturizer is to even out skin tone while providing sheer coverage and just a hint of natural color. I am happy to say that this product produced the intended results. The product is thinner than I expected, but it goes on quite easily and absorbs quickly. You can add additional product for a slightly darker tone. It  also provides the perfect amount of moisture without going overboard and it smells amazing. The scent is very herbal and reminds me of lavender and chamomile. While it does not have a stated SPF it does contain titanium dioxide, which is known for it's natural SPF. However, if you are concerned about the sun, you may want to apply a sunscreen underneath this moisturizer or wear a loose powder on top that offers SPF coverage. As far as pricing for Green Beauty Cosmetic's Tinted Moisturizer, I found similar that it is quite similar to that of Maybelline's Foundation. 1oz. of Green Beauty Cosmetic's Tinted Moisturizer is $19.95 while about half that amount - .68oz. - of Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind runs $9.99 at discount stores like Target. Additionally, if you buy a sample sized product, Green Beauty Cosmetics will refund the cost of your samples when your buy their full sized bottles. 

In addition to the tinted moisturizer I received from Green Beauty Cosmetics, I also received a free sample of Eye Makeup Remover for Waterproof Mascara. While I hadn't specifically requested a sample, I am so glad it was sent to me. I have had a heck of a time getting my waterproof mascara off lately. Often times I'm applying mascara over top of mascara that I couldn't get completely off from the day before. This product worked perfectly at solving my this issue. I applied a somewhat generous amount to my lashes with my eyes closed, rubbed back and forth gently, then wiped clean with a wet washcloth. And voila! No more mascara. And better yet, it didn't irritate my eyes which are often plagued by seasonal allergies. This is a must have if you're looking for a natural alternative to your eye makeup remover. 

Have you tried these or any other additional products from this company? If so, feel free to chime in with your feedback and reviews. I'd also love to hear about some of your other favorite, natural cosmetic companies!

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Tequila? Agave? Lime? Margarita?

I very recently made a new salt bar soap that is scented with agave lime. My intention was to name it lime margarita. However, the scent is not quite limey enough to pull off this name. So I tried searching key words to see if I could come up with something creative to name this new soap. I typed in words like lime, margarita, tequila, salt, agave, and Mexico. I still haven't come up with a name, but I did stumble across a great recipe for making Lavender Margaritas.

Lavender Margarita, Photo Credit Taste Spotting

This complex recipe calls for tequila, blue curacao, coconut milk, lime juice, raspberries, blueberries, sugar, ice and dried lavender blossoms. It's the perfect drink for summer! You can find the complete recipe for this alcoholic drink at MyRecipes.com. Also be sure to stop by Taste Spotting to browse for more great food and drink ideas by picture! Taste Spotting allows users to create a profile to share their own food photos or to heart their favorites.

Meanwhile, if you can think of a creative name for my new soap and comment with it here, I'll send you a free bar of this new soap if I choose to use your name! The soap scent is a shimmering citrus blend of lime, lemon, and orange essential oils highlighted by accents of liquid ozone. Tropical floral notes and exotic agave greens balance out this fragrance, while musk and sandalwood add a subtle background scent.

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When guinea pigs fly, smiles happen.

Who cares if plain old pigs fly; what we want to see is guinea pigs fly! When Guinea Pigs Fly is a shop that celebrates the completely adorable but sadly often overlooked and misunderstood guinea pig. Humble, squeaky, fat, always hungry and so cute, When Guinea Pigs Fly is owned by artist Lesley of Burlington, MA. Her indie shop is full of guinea pig artwork and other cute animals that are created to spread smiles to others and live happily in your home. 

Frustrated by the lack of art and resources for guinea pig fans on the internet, Lesley soon became aware that not enough people are aware of these fabulous little piggies. Nor can many people actually tell the difference between a guinea pig and a hamster. Worse yet, she discovered, many guinea pig owners do not even know many of the basics for proper guinea pig care. These reasons, combined with Lesley's love for art in general and her love for her own guinea pigs Gus and Max, sparked the development of her shop - When Guinea Pigs Fly. Lesley, however, doesn't solely focus on drawing and painting guinea pigs. She has also been working toward including even more animals including otters, hippos, an elephant, and a chipmunk.

When not drawing and painting, Lesley serves as proud music director, composer and accompanist for Cellar Door Productions, a Greater Boston theatre company. 

Be sure to visit When Guinea Pigs Fly to add a fun addition to your home.

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A little creative break.

I was browsing blogs yesterday when I stumbled across this amazing little project for creating your own mid century clock magnets. I fell in love with these little beauties right off the bat!

This crafty diy tutorial was created by Jessica over at How About Orange Blog. She gives full instructions on making these little delights for your fridge and even provides a downloadable pdf file of the clock graphics she made. The tutorial for this project is located on How About Orange here.

Need to write down that recipe your Aunt Anne gave you at the Fourth of July picnic? Volume 25 has a cute little recipe card you can print onto card stock to add to your recipe file. There no need to use an index card when something this cute is just hanging around! Download the card here.

Too much time on your hands this summer? Well, really, there's no need. Not with a book like Show Me How available for sale. Show Me How is an illustrated encyclopedia of 500 things you should know with instructions on how to do them all. You can purchase this book for $24.95 from The Curiosity Shoppe.

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Major fiber problem? Erin.Lane has the answer.

Do you have a major fiber problem? Well Lindsey, of Erin.Lane Bags and More, does. She's a knitter and has an obsession not just for yarn, but for fabric as well. Struck with the desire to stay organized, she started sewing needle cases and knitting totes with her mom on the weekends. This daughter/mother duo have been working on what they call their KNIT Packs and bags for what seems like forever. They've even saved most of their failed attempts in what they lovingly call the Erin.Lane graveyard.

After taking their creations to a knit night, Lindsey and her mother started a frenzy of interest at their local yarn store and people quickly began making requests. This led to the development of Erin.Lane. And with additional ideas sent in from other knitters, Lindsey and her mom were soon sewing every night of the week. While Lindsey spends her nights sewing, during the daylight hours Lindsey is a full time teacher who is trying to stay sane while teaching 8th graders to use commas. She hopes that eventually her sewing will allow her to sell full time on etsy and quit her day job. 

Erin.Lane has designed a full line of organizational tools with the fiber artist in mind. As knitters themselves, they certainly understand the addiction to all things fiber and therefore have designed all of their products around keeping you organized so you can keep crafting. Be sure to visit Erin.Lane Bags and More for knitting project portfolios, knit packs, bags, sacks, and other organizational systems.

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Wexford Jewelers Rose Garden Ring Giveaway

Named "Black is the Color of My True Love's Heart," this simple, handmade Rose Garden ring from Wexford Jewelers is permanently blackened with liver of sulphur. This chemical process turns the metal a deep blue-black, leaves no residue, and will stay on the item through repeated hand-washings. Eventually, the silver shines through in the high spots, making a realistic antique finish that is absolutely lovely. It's retail value is $58. Now through July 31st, 2010 you can enter to win this amazing ring in your choice of size and finish. This ring is exclusive to Wexford Jewelers and is available in sizes 3 to 10 and in white silver, black silver, or antiqued finish.

Wexford Jewelers creates unique, handmade items in their Northern Michigan foundry. They offer a growing collection of rings, pendants, earrings, and art. Jewelry making and art is part of this family company's passion so it's natural that they specialize in custom designs. They began as a freestanding store in Cadillac, Michigan in May of 1995 and were pleased to find that their designs captured the hearts and imaginations of so many people over the years. As time has moved forward they decided that they wanted to share their product with the world, which in turn led to the creation of their online store Wexford Jewelers.

If you'd like to enter to win this lovely rose garden ring you'll need to visit Wexford Jewelers and leave a comment with your favorite item from their shop. This contest will end on July 31, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per person per entry method. Open worldwide to persons ages 18 and up only to countries where shipment of jewelry is allowed. If winner lives in the USA, UK, or Canada Wexford Jewelers with pay for shipping. Outside of those countries, the winner must pay for shipping. The winner will be chosen at random from among all eligible entries using random.org. Your information will not be shared except in the case of the winner, your email and shipping information will be shared with Wexford Jewelers for the creation and shipment of your prize. 

The first method of entry is required to enter this contest. If you'd like additional entries into this contest, you may complete each of the following tasks for one additional entry each.

1. Fan Wexford Jewelers on Facebook. Leave a comment with your Facebook name stating that you've become a fan.

2. Tweet this contest on Twitter. Include @soapdeli in your tweet so I know you've done so. Leave a comment stated that you've tweeted this contest.

3. Blog about this contest. Leave a comment with the link back to the blog post.

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Grab a bag and get a deal!

Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen now offers grab bags for sale. These will be available for a limited time only so be sure to get your hands on one - or three - while supplies last.

Each grab bag contains a set of six handmade, cold process shea butter soaps for a special low price of just $3.33 each. These bars are regularly $5 a piece. While you don't know what soaps you're getting, you can save $10 by taking advantage of this special offer. The only thing wrong with these soaps is that they are a little shop worn from handling. You are guaranteed to receive six different types soap of soap. They may be any of the fragrances of soaps I carry and for any skin type.

Buy these fragrant or unscented soaps to keep stocked in your closet for use in your shower or to use by the sinks in your home. You can also use these soaps to grate and use in homemade laundry detergent. See recipe here. This offer is available online only.

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Long live the Singer Featherweight.

Pook & Thy is an indie shop on etsy run by Wendy of Toronto, Canada.  Wendy has always been artistic rather than athletic. Her mom helped to cultivate her artistic side growing up  through pottery classes, drawing and art camps. But her true love lies with sewing. Taught to sew by her mother at five years of age, Wendy eventually learned on an old Singer after her Holly Hobby machine refused to hold up and kept having to be sent off for repairs.

Wendy's mother was trained in home economics during the 1960s and exuded a classic style that Wendy continues to be drawn to and that is reflected in her work. Sometimes Wendy  feels like in a way as of she was born in the wrong decade. She has a true love for the classic fabrics and styles of the 50 and 60s. Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn, Chanel number 19, liquid black eyeliner and powder blue eyeshadow. 

Everything created for Pook & Thy is made on vintage Singer sewing machines primarily from recycled materials. Being a collector of Singers, Wendy finds that vintage Singers are excellent machines and loves the distinctive smell they have. If she could bottle that scent along with Chanel number 19, she would.

As a wife and mother of two young boys as well as being employed as a full time nurse, Wendy finds herself very busy. However, Pook & Thy is her passion and the greatest escape from the busy daily grind. Not only does her shop provide a platform for her art and drive to create, but for Wendy it also creates a link between the past and the present.

Visit Pook & Thy for unique and classic inspired handmade items from new, vintage and recycled fabrics. You'll find a variety of purses, clutches, handbags and wallets.

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A soapy toast of Strawberry Champagne.

I cooked up a batch of Strawberry Champagne Shea Butter Soap the other day. This soap is scented with a sweet blend of red fruits combined with lily of the valley and apple cider. It really is a delectable scent. It is naturally colored with oxides and contains poppy seeds for light exfoliation. This red and white soap is currently curing and should be available for sale in the next three weeks or so. Keep an eye out for it in my shop.

Additionally I also just unmolded some Pink Grapefruit Salt Bar Soaps. Made using the same fabulous recipe as my Lemon Verbena Salt Bars and my Big Lick Salt Bars, the only difference in this soap is the scent. Be sure to look for it as well in the coming weeks.

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Hardware that's not so hard to wear.

Additions is an innovative shop that puts a fun twist on recycling. It turns recycling into wearable art in the form of fantastic pieces of jewelry that remind you of anything but the materials they're made from. This fresh, handcrafted jewelry shop takes recycled and re-purposed hardware to create earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings for  both women and men in a variety of styles from simple and chic to sleek and contemporary.

This indie jewelry shop is owned by jewelry artist, Valerie, and her teenage daughter cohort. Looking for an opportunity to try a new medium, experiment with new techniques, and create jewelry and accessories that were young, fresh, and affordable Valerie and her daughter started a collection named Additions. When this collection first began Valerie was unsure  what design direction the duo was going to take. Then one day, Valerie walked into hardware store. Her entire design process was recharged from that day forward. She realized she could create jewelry that looked like silver, but using hardware to make it affordable. Since then Valerie has found a great resource for recycled hardware in order to create the jewelry and accessories in their collection. Visit Additions now on etsy.

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Budget savvy wedding rings that look anything but cheap.

My cousin got married yesterday and that got me thinking about less traditional wedding rings. Sam and her husband had simple gold bands with their names engraved in them. Sam & William for hers and William and Sam for his. With the economy still in a crunch, lots of couples may be looking for a way to scale back on the cost of a wedding and perhaps, even the cost of the rings as well. That doesn't mean your rings can't stand out.

In fact, there are wedding bands that not only take the cake, but come in under $1000. I took the time to seek out some amazing hand crafted rings that not only look amazing, but are also budget savvy. Don't be afraid to do something a little different, especially if you're able to put more heart into it than diamonds.

1. Personalized Rustic Wedding Band, $55 from Tina Dee
2. Rose Garden Wedding Set, $657 from  Wexford Jewelers
3. Ivy Wedding Band, $130 from Iacua
4. Titanium Ring Set Wedding Bands Beveled Edges, $80 from TitaniumKnights
5. A Way of Life - Sterling Silver Integrated 9K Rose and Yellow Gold Filigree Band, $160 from Artisan Look
6. Lo Fi, $159 from Design 22
7. Spin A Name Stamped Spinner Ring, $63 from Clay Chic
8. Bocote Wood Inlay Titanium Wedding Bands, $288 from Custom Jewelry by Johan

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My Top Eight Favorite Etsy Shops

I love to shop, but I really love to shop for handmade and vintage finds.  So of course Etsy is one of my favorite online destinations. Following are my top eight favorite shops that I've purchased from on Etsy in no particular order.

1. Starlet Vintage

Not all vintage shops are created equal. This vintage shop is exceptional in my eyes. Starlet Vintage carries clothing and shoes that are the most fabulous, must have fashions. All of the clothing comes cleaned and ready to wear from lovely Vancouver, B.C. I always have shoe envy when browsing this shop.

2. Bean Pickle Sprout

I love Bean Pickle Sprout for the super cute kitchen hand towels and pot holders. They hold up and wash well and add a wonderful touch to my kitchen decor.

3. Tea for All Reasons

If you're looking for a delicious loose leaf tea, you will not be disappointed with Tea for All Reasons. Located in my home state of Virginia, Tea for All Reasons creates a wide selection of black, green, rooibos, herbal and white teas. Not once have I been disappointed.

4. Oktak 

Because sometimes smaller is better, this is where I go for well made clutches. I especially love the frame purses with handles and carry mine whenever it suits the occasion.

5. Dahlia Soleil Collection

Dahlia Soeil carries the perfect handmade hat styles for fall and winter. I love my Blush Pink Cable Knit Mary Jane Hat and have received many compliments on it. It's well made and looks great on!

6. Laksaware

Extremely high quality, eco-friendly, hand crocheted kitchen scrubbies, coasters and dish cloths. These dish cloths are crocheted extra tight and are superb at scrubbing the tile on my kitchen counter tops.

7. Artwear by Caron

There are thousands of places online to shop for handmade jewelry but very few really stand out in the crowd. Artwear by Caron is one of them. She uses all semi-precious and precious stones in her finely handcrafted rings and pendants which are made by hand from sterling silver. I was blown away by the necklace I purchased from this seller. It was well worth the price I paid. You won't be disappointed with this shop.

8. six06 - art by julie zarate

Beautiful dark and even erotic original art and prints. I own several ACEO's from this artist 's earlier work.

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Mrs. Tattooed Geek's Candle & Soap Deli's Soap Giveaway

Enter to win a trio of 2oz. travel tin soy candles from Mrs. Tattooed Geek in Sweet Orange Chili Pepper, Secret Crush, and Pink Sugar. The winner will also receive a bar of soap from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen in the scent of his or her choice. The retail value of this prize is $14.

Tattooedgeek inc. is a husband and wife duo that strives to provide high quality, handmade merchandise. This team creates with natural, organic and recycled materials as often as possible. They believe that today's shopper is looking for a stylish product that combines function and flare as well as one that is created with little impact on the environment. Tattooedgeek's products include screen printed tee's and totes, soy candles, air fresheners, accessories and novelties. The graphic designs on Tattooedgeek inc. products draw from the teams love of tattoo inspired art as well as their fondness for the juxtaposition of creepy and cute. 

Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen was founded in 2001 and currently sells a line of handmade shea butter soaps and goat milk lotions. Rebecca's product focus is always on creating the best cold process, handmade soaps. You'll find that many of Rebecca's handcrafted soaps smell like delicious favorites from the kitchen, and all of her divinely scented soaps contain skin loving ingredients like shea butter, rice bran, coconut, and olive oils. They create a wonderfully, rich lather that you can both shave with or use as a shampoo bar. All of Rebecca's soaps are made from scratch using the cold process soapmaking method, never a pre-existing base. You'll love the difference Rebecca's soaps make on your skin.

Entering this contest is simple. All you need to do is visit Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen and comment with the bar of soap you'd like to receive along with your candles if you win. This contest ends on July 22, 2010 at 11:59pm EST and is open to residents of the United States ages 18 and up.

For additional entries you may complete the following tasks for one additional entry each.

 

1. Fan Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen on Facebook. Leave a comment with your Facebook username.
2. Follow Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen on Twitter. Comment with your twitter username.
3. Follow Soap Deli News Blog. Leave a comment stating that you're a follower.
4. Tweet about this giveaway. Be sure to include @soapdeli in your tweet so I keep track of your tweets. Leave a comment that you've tweeted.
5. Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your blog post.

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A Delicious White Tea

I love White Teas. One of my favorite White Teas is the White Blueberry Loose Leaf Tea from Tea for All Reasons. It contains less caffeine than regular black teas and it's perfect for drinking iced in the summer. So of course I couldn't pass up creating a White Tea scented soap for my shop this summer season!

My new handmade, cold process White Tea Loofah Shea Butter Soap contains bits of green colored loofah for a wonderful exfoliating, scrub in the tub! This bar is strongly scented so you are left with a light fragrance on your skin even after you've left the shower and is scented with a blend of tea leaves and ozone. The fragrance is slightly fruity and a little floral and completely delicious. It's one of my all time favorite scents! Each bar weighs 4oz. - 4.5oz. and is all natural except for the fragrance and loofah colorant. It is also vegan.

Like my other quality, shea butter soaps, my handmade White Tea Loofah Soap is rich in moisturizing oils and butters for happier, healthier skin. You're sure to love the thick, creamy lather of this and my other soaps so much, that you'll be back for more before you know it! Great for shaving, too! This soap is suitable for normal to oily skin.

Ingredients are as follows: olive oil, coconut oil, distilled water, palm oil, sodium hydroxide, rice bran oil, shea butter, fragrance, and green colored loofah.

You can purchase this soap now from my online shop.

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Lemon Verbena Loveliness

My lovely, soft yellow colored handmade Lemon Verbena Salt Bar is now back in stock at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen.

My all natural Lemon Verbena Sea Salt Soap is the perfect cold process, shea butter soap for dry or problem skin. Great as a facial bar or all over, this bar contains both shea and cocoa butters as well as an abundance of skin loving oils such as Olive and Rice Bran, both known for their moisturizing properties along with sea salt, known for it's healing properties. This deliciously fragrant, handmade soap leaves behind a bit of your body's own natural excess oil to help smooth and rehydrate your skin. It will leave you feeling moisturized, not oily or greasy, while still getting you clean. It also makes a great shampoo bar.

My Lemon Verbena Salt Bar is naturally scented to smell like Lemon Verbena. It contains no artificial fragrances or colors and is all natural. This bar is scented with a blend of Lemon, Orange, and Grapefruit essential oils. It's a very fresh, clean smell. Each bar weighs 4oz. - 4.5oz and is vegan.

Here's some feedback I've gotten on this soap:

I got my prize from Blockheadradiolive.com 's stinkin good giveaway sponsered by Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen or better know as SOAPDELI! I can not tell you have great this smells. I got a soap and a lotion in Lemon Verbena scent. MMMMMMMM it sure smells good. My kids both said MMMMM. So by now you know it smells good but let me tell ya I did a test run of hand washing with this soap and let me tell ya IT'S AWESOME!!!!!!! My hands are dry and this soap in just 1 washing made them feel very soft. I put the lotion on also and its like silk in a bottle to my hands. I for one will be getting more from rebecca over at soapdeli!!

I've been using this soap all week, and I really, really love it! I don't have really dry skin, but it has a nice, softening effect even on "normal" skin, like mine. Great for shaving. I highly recommend this soap. -Jennyjump79

This smells so fresh and springy, but not overpowering. i almost want to somehow squeeze it into a drink and have myself some lemonade...SO great! -fromanywheretoyou

The best soap on etsy. -cdudley17986

Shop for this soap online now.

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Make your own laundry detergent.

Making your own laundry detergent is not only a fun and easy craft, but it's also good for the environment and it saves money versus buying costly name brand laundry detergents. Following is a simple recipe for making your own detergent at home.

Ingredients:
1 Bar of Handmade Cold Process Soap
1 Cup of 20 Mule Team Borax
1 Cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

Directions:
Grate the handmade soap into a bowl using a cheese grater. If soap is damp, allow to dry. Combine with borax and washing soda - note that washing soda is NOT the same as baking soda - along with grated soap in a food processor or blender. Blend into a powder. Store in a container of your choice. Use 1 Tablespoon of detergent for small loads or 2 Tablespoons for large loads. For extra cleaning power on heavily soiled linens, you may add 1/4 Cup Oxi-Clean or generic alternative to your wash cycle.

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The soap dish.

Dish out your soaps in something stylish and fun. There's no reason your soap dish has to be dull. And there's certainly no excuse to have your handmade soaps sitting around in a pool of water where they will get soggy and disintegrate.  Keeping your soaps dry will help them last longer and save you money. Why not try out one of these creative dishes by your sink for function and fashion?

1. Stoneware Dish on Pedestal in Soft White and Blue, $16 from Hummingbird Studio Pottery
2. Sunny Fused Glass Soap Dish, $28 from Jester's Baubles
3. Sea Fossil Soap Dish in Teal, $17 from Emburr's Shop
4. Soap Dish Ammonite, $34 from Rakupferamik
5. Carved Brown Twigs Marble Soap Dish, $10 from Granddar's Knotty Creations
6. Handmade Clay Soap Dish in Blue and Gold, $9.99 from Iktomi
7. A Celadon Soap Dish with A Mouse, $19 from Cedar Pocket
8. Orange Contemporary Soap Dish, $11 from BPR Designs

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Scents so right.

I love fragrances, but I think my favorite fragrances of all are those that are related to foods or places in some way. One of the top ten handmade places I've shopped for handmade fragrances online is Modern Atelier. I originally found this shop on Etsy. However, it has since moved on to it's own domain. 

Located in my home state of Virginia, Modern Atelier sells a line of exclusive fragrances inspired by the scents and sights of Richmond. Much like my own handmade soaps that are inspired my hometown of Roanoke, such as Big Lick, Mill Mountain and Star City Seduction, Modern Atelier carries fragrances aptly named Give Me Liberty, Robinson Theater, and Forest Hill. 

In addition to Modern Atelier's line of Richmond inspired scents, Amy George, the perfumer for this shop, also carries a large selection of many other popular fragrances. There are dupes of designer fragrances, spicy scents, and fresh and clean scents. There are fruit  and citrus scents and flower smells. There are scents for him and fragrances that smell like baked goods and others that smell like cocktails. Each fragrance is handcrafted from many individual perfumery notes, blended with the highest quality perfumer's alcohol, and bottled in a 1 ounce Italian glass bottle with minimalist silver sprayer.

These scents are quite strong so a little goes a long way. And unlike many perfumes, the scent of these fragrances lasts all day without wearing off. They're very reasonably priced at just $20 per bottle or 4 for $60. You can also choose scents from Amy's sale bin for $10 bottles. Empty bottle? Send your empty bottle back to Amy and receive $5 off your next order.

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A peek into a woman's boudoir.

A lady's boudoir can hold many secrets. Some of these secrets are just simple pleasures that we keep for ourselves. A panty or bra that makes us feel special. Or perhaps a corset we're proud to show off. Regardless, these intimate clothing styles are the perfect luxury no matter who may be receiving a peek. 

Blueberry Cheesecake Overbust Corset, $350 from Cinched Tight

1. Silk Satin Cat Sleep Eye Mask, $18 from Naomilingerie
2. Morning Glory Panties, $19 from On the Inside
3. Scarlett, $50 from Little Green Lingerie
4. Lady Libertine Burlesque Boudoir Bustle Breeches, $75 from Lovechild Boudoir
5. Short White Cotton Bloomers, $24.50 from Vilicious

Meschantes Pink Butterfly Venetian Corset, $129 from Meschantes Corsetry

What is your favorite undergarmet that you have tucked away in your drawers?

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