Handmade Shea Butter Soap and Lotion Giveaway from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

Looking to try handmade shea butter soaps and handmade goat milk lotions for the first time? Or are you just a fan of handmade bath and body products? Either way, Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen is sponsoring a giveaway at Ginger Snap Crafts blog through the end of the day on August 5th, 2011.

Handmade Mango & Papaya Scented Luxury Shea Butter Soap

The prize package is valued at over $30 and includes the following handmade bath and body products: Mango + Papaya Luxury Shea Butter Soap, Mango + Papaya Goat Milk Lotion, Pomegranate Cream Goat Milk Lotion, Red Currant Shea Butter Soap and a Bar of Rebecca's Bestselling Unscented Goat Milk Soap. So be sure to swing by Ginger Snap Crafts blog before the end of Friday to enter!

Also, if you've been waiting to buy my new handmade Mango & Papaya Shea Butter Soap it is now available for sale at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen. Also, don't forget to check out my handmade soaps on sale for 50% off. Bars of Tequila Sour, Hot Toddy, Bayberry, 202 Latin Night, and Orange & Ginger Spice are all just $2.50 each while supplies last. Plus, my Falling for You Soap, Lemon Lavender Soap and Big Lick Salt Bars are now discounted to $4 per bar. Place any order during the month of August and receive a coupon code with your order good through the end of September!

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Sucker Punch - A Movie Review

Last night the boy and I rented Sucker Punch from Redbox. I'm ending my dvd subscription to Netflix and switching over to streaming only at the beginning of August to avoid the $6 increase, and they put this dvd on a long wait, so Redbox came to my rescue. (Really digging Redbox, plus they are sending out a coupon code for a free dvd August 1st if you rent two movies at the same time this month. I got True Grit for the boy and dad as my second movie.) Anyway, I thought the movie was amazing. While it's certainly not for everyone, if you're keen on social references and have an appreciation for visual arts this is one movie you should definitely see. Sucker Punch reminded me of a Sailor Moon hero who fights her way to freedom with a burlesque entourage kicking steampunk Nazi soldier butt. I found it visually stunning and interesting to watch, although the ending made me sad. It's one for the home dvd collection for sure. Has anyone else seen this movie yet? If so, what was your take?

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Pinterest - The Creative New Way to Bookmark and Plan Your, well, Everything!

If you're a regular reader of Soap Deli News, you know I've mentioned my boards on Pinterest in a few of my blog posts as places you can go to discover more topic related craft projects and recipes. But just what is Pinterest? Aside of being one of my new favorite finds, Pinterest is a new kind of social bookmarking that allows you to share your bookmarks as well as plan things like weddings and birthdays or even decorating your home, planning your wardrobe or keeping track of the books you want to read or have read and would like to share with others.

A Screen Shot of My Pinterest Pins and Profile Page

Described as a Virtual Pinboard, Pinterest is my favorite new way to bookmark and share any and everything I love on the web. As long as the web page has a photo, you can pin it!  (Though if there is no photo you can upload your own.) I like that it gives me an overall view at a glance of everything I have pinned with photo thumbnails. It makes it quick and easy to find things again and to organize my pins into categories for visual reference. This is especially handy when planning things like weddings and birthdays or decorating your home or restyling your closet. But I also like it for planning out blog articles or finding inspiration.

The trick to pinning, is to pin things you've found - that you like, of course! - to boards that you create. Each board is unique. While you are given a handful of blank boards to start with such as Products I Love, My Style Pinboard, Favorite Places and Spaces, and Books To Read, you can easily delete any boards you don't need and create ones that you do! You can be as broad or as specific as you like with your boards so you can have general categories for DIY Craft Projects or create more specific boards such as DIY Paper Crafts. This is also great for recipes! You can categorize boards for desserts, dinner, lunch, and appetizers to find things easily the next time you refer to Pinterest for reference in case you need to say, plan for a last minute dinner party. You can also create wishlists of things you want to buy or that you're looking for others to buy for you for holidays and events.

You can pin anything you find on the web with a photo. So whether it's an ecommerce site that showcases those shoes you love or a blog with a home decorating idea or tip, you can save it for an organized pictorial reference later on. There are currently two ways to pin - or bookmark - your favorites. You can either visit the Add a Pin page under Add and manually insert the url you wish to bookmark. This also allows you to choose the board you wish to add it to - you can add boards under Add as well - and a description. If for any reason, the page you want to bookmark does not have a photo you can upload a photo from your computer with this option. Alternately - and this is my method of pinning my favorites - you can drag the Pin It link to your browser toolbar and easily pin any page you happen to be on without ever leaving the page by simply clicking the Pin It button on your toolbar. It allows you to choose a photo from the page, your category and add a description. When adding a pin, you also have the options of auto-tweeting or auto-sharing your pin on facebook.

In addition to collecting your pins, you can also share your pins with others by allowing others on Pinterest to follow you. You can also follow other Pinterest members' boards that you find appealing and when you visit Pinterest you will see the latest pins from the boards you choose to follow. Alternately, you can also discover new pins by browsing their topics found under Everything - which is everything from Art + Architecture to Film + Music + Books to Fashion - or browse by Gifts. There's also a terrific search function that shows you what you are looking for. Search results are shown with the latest pin in that topic first so you always see the freshest pins. For easier browsing, you can tag your pins with keywords by using a hash mark (#) before each word or designate products for sale by including the price with a dollar sign ($) before the price.

Pinterest is still relatively new so right now you can either sign up by requesting an invite or receiving an invite from someone you know. Once you have an invite you can easily join by manually creating a new account or signing up automatically through your facebook or twitter accounts. I hope you'll consider visiting my boards on Pinterest and giving me a follow once you've signed up. You can find me here. Some of my boards include DIY Bath and Body, Jonesing for Crafts, Pretty Packaging, Printables, and Office Organization. In total I currently have 24 boards and 1,070 pins. And that number somehow just keeps growing. Maybe because aside of being such a great tool, it's also pretty addicting. And apparently I'm not the only one who feels this way. Pinterest gains millions of new pins every week from people all over the world. So be sure to check it out for yourself, request an invite and sign up! You'll love it!

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DIY Embroidery Project - Craft Framed Stitched Furniture Silhouettes for a Fresh Approach to Home Decor

Last month I discovered some of my mom's old embroidery she'd crafted as a teen and posted about it. This month I stumbled across a lovely diy tutorial for making Stitched Furniture Silhouettes and so I just had to share those too!

Stitched Furniture Silhouettes from Flamingo Toes Blog

You can visit Flamingo Toes Blog for the full, detailed photo tutorial on how to make these beautiful framed fabric works of art. You'll just need a collection of frames - this is a great way to recycle old frames that you no longer use or have missing glass as spray paint will restore them to their former glory with a new look - various colored fabrics - have fabric scraps lying around? - some thread, embroidery floss, fusible fleece, cardboard for backing, a hot glue gun, and the patterns for the pieces which are found on Flamingo Toes. 

For more fun embroidery ideas, you can visit my Embroidery Board on Pinterest. And, if you have your own awesome, diy craft projects to share, be sure to visit Flamingo Toes every Sunday for Think Pink Sundays! You can link up your blog posts to share your favorite tutorials, diy's, and recipes!

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Homemade Coffee Body Lotion Recipe - For a Pick Me Up Anytime.

Since my days have been switched around lately for my new work schedule, I've discovered just why my boyfriend loves Starbucks so much. Coffee definitely gets you through many a rough morning and makes the day easier. While I prefer my caffeine in the form a mocha or chai latte or even a cup of Earl Grey loose leaf tea or Diet Mountain Dew, I see the appeal of just plain old coffee. Mine just have to have flavors. So I was pretty psyched find this recipe for Homemade Coffee Body Lotion.

Homemade Coffee Body Lotion from One Mom's World Reflected in Photographs

While research suggests that caffeine can't be absorbed through your skin if it's found in soap, a caffeinated lotion is a different story. So you can probably expect a little pick me up from the use of this product. It's also suggested that caffeine can reduce hair growth suppression caused by testosterone. However, if you're vying away from caffeine for any reason, simply use a decaffeinated coffee in your recipe. 

The Coffee Lotion Recipe from One Mom's World Reflected in Photographs Blog calls for 1 1/2 cups of real coffee - your favorite of course! The author used Hazelnut Cream Coffee for her handmade coffee body lotion. She then scents the body lotion with essential oils of her choice. However, if you happen to be a ridiculously huge coffee fan, you can also add a bit of coffee scented fragrance oil. Just be sure to refer to manufacturer guidelines of any fragrance oil you choose to see what the maximums are for using in lotions. These can vary wildly from .2% - 2% depending on the fragrance. I'm partial to the Coffee Mocha Fragrance myself as it smells like Starbuck's blend of chocolate, vanilla and coffee.

For the rest of this recipe you just need some emulsifying wax, a carrier oil like olive or almond or even coconut oil, and a little Vitamin E! It's not difficult to make and wildly scrumptious on your skin. If you're looking for organic ingredients for your recipe, be sure to check out Mountain Rose Herbs. In the meantime, you can view the full diy for making your own coffee body lotion here.

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Coconut Body Whip Recipe - Things You Can Make with Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an amazing product. Not only can you use it for cooking - like in this great recipe for homemade, organic Elephant Ears - but it's also perfect for bath and body products. In soapmaking, coconut oil helps to create a fluffy lather; in skin care products it lends its moisturizing properties.

Coconut Body Whip from Phemomenon Blog

If you're looking to make your own bath and body products using coconut oil to give this oil a try, you may want to start with the Coconut Body Whip Recipe from Phemomenon Blog. The recipe yields a 1/3 cup of lotion from a coconut oil base and serves as a great recipe for beginners as there are no advanced techniques. Just melt, mix, and strain. Keep in the fridge after making and enjoy it on your sunburn as an after sun lotion.

Have a great bath and body recipe you've created? Don't forget to link up to my Bath & Body Link Party through the end of July! Also, don't forget to enter to win your choice of handmade, crochet washcloths and facial scrubbies from Melissa G Hollis for your bath and body care routine through July 28th. You can enter here.

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Solid Shea Butter Sugar Scrub Cube Recipe

Solid Sugar Scrub Cubes have become the new trend and are now taking the place of traditional sugar scrubs. One of the main reasons is that these scrubs are in a solid form so there's no separation and less mess. It also means it's less likely that you will transfer water into your sugar scrub during usage since you are simply removing one or two cubes at a time for use and then resealing the container before use.

While there are a handful of recipes for solid sugar scrubs floating around, I came up with my own recipe that I'd like to share with you. It's not greasy when applied and easy to make. It's also gotten a lot of great feedback from my customers who shop with me online at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen.

Here's what some of my customers have had to say about my Solid Shea Butter Sugar Scrub Cubes:

Cucumber Solid Shea Butter Sugar Scrub Cubes

My mother LOVES this!!! She opened up the container and said the cucumber smelled like she had just cut one up. So fresh and clean. Like me she uses her hands a lot and they're very rough. One use and they're now baby soft. Thank you so much for the pretty packaging. She actually giggled when she opened it.

Natural Lavender Solid Shea Butter Sugar Scrub Cubes

These are the most amazing bath item I have ever used. I am a macrame artist and have very rough hands. After a single use my hands felt like silk. AMAZING! I used them on my feet and legs and they are baby soft. HIGHLY RECOMMENDING THESE! I have sensitive skin and there is no negative reaction, which in my case is very rare. When I run out I'm ordering them again. THANK YOU!!!!

Love these sugar scrub cubes!

Great lavender scent, I love how these are softer and squish easily in the shower. Thanks again!

If you're interested in buying my Solid Shea Butter Sugar Scrub Cubes, you can shop for them online at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen. Otherwise, here's the recipe for you to enjoy for your personal use.

Solid Shea Butter Sugar Scrub Cube Recipe

© Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen - For Personal Use Only

Ingredients:

2.5oz Natural Shea Butter Melt and Pour Glycerin Soap

4oz. Refined Shea Butter

16oz. White Sugar

2 Tablespoons Fractionated Coconut Oil

1 Tablespoon Fragrance Oil (or 1/2 Tablespoon Essential Oil) of Choice

Pinch of ultramarine or oxide pigment (optional)

Instructions:

I use my soap molds to make these. One batch fits into two molds. You can use a square baking pan or two disposable tin loaf pans instead. Line your molds with plastic wrap or food service film taping the film at the top of the mold. (Alternately you can use decorative silicone molds for this.)

Weigh out your melt and pour soap base using a scale, then melt in the microwave or a double boiler. Weigh out your shea butter and melt. Stir the shea butter into the melt and pour soap base. Measure out your fractionated coconut oil and fragrance if desired using a Tablespoon measurement and stir into the melted shea butter and soap base. In a separate bowl, weigh out the sugar. If using a pigment for color, cut in a pinch of color using a butter knife or spatula. (Keep in mind if your fragrance oil contains vanilla, your sugar scrub cubes will darken and turn brown depending on amount of vanilla content.) Finally, quickly pour the sugar into the shea/soap mixture and mix well. Scoop into your mold and level with a spatula, then place in the refrigerator until solidified.

Once your scrub has solidified, gently remove the scrub from the molds by lifting it out of the mold with the plastic wrap from the top edges of the plastic wrap. Then remove the plastic wrap from the scrub. Use a Chef's knife to then cut the scrub into cubes. Place cubes in an airtight container until use.

To use these scrub cubes, simply crush one or two cubes in your wet hands and slather over your body.

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You've got what?

I apologize for the lapse in regular blogging. My hours have increased temporarily at work and my boy has been fighting the dreaded "kissing disease" for about two weeks now. Apparently teens play the blame game if someone gets mono though the dr. said it's quite common and even babies get it. Apparently babies are a little luckier though, mostly sniffles and congestion. Since I had it in high school I should be safe from getting it again. My parents on the other hand have never had mono so are a little freaked out. The boy made a joke about them catching it from him. Something about a senior going to the doctor for mono and telling the doctor that they had a very active lifestyle. It was actually kind of funny coming from a boy who can't breath through his nose and lisps all of his words. 

I do feel bad for him though. I can't imagine barely being able to breath through my mouth and nose for an entire week. I've been renting him dvd's from Redbox - especially after scoring a few coupon codes for freebies and we've been watching bad horror flicks on Netflix Instant Queue. Dead Snow and Dead Alive. They were amusing to make fun of at least. That's generally our thing. Tearing apart bad movies. He did get some steroids today though - after trip three to the doctor - to help with the throat and sinus inflammation. Unfortunately there are no anti-virals for mono so it's a waiting game. Anywhere from one week to several weeks to get better. Then next month, he has surgery to repair his shoulder after dislocating it several times. Not the best summer for him. He'll be starting his first year of high school in recovery and has to blow off playing soccer in the fall. So if you all could keep in him in your thoughts that would be amazing. And as a special thank you, I'll share my solid shea butter sugar scrub cube recipe will you all tomorrow!

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After Sun Skin Care Recipes

It seems as if a large number of my friends on facebook have been posting about some rather serious sunburns as of late. Of course, the best way to prevent this is to lather on the sunscreen BEFORE you go out in the sun. In case you forgot though, or the sun was being extra tricky that day, I thought I'd share some after sun skin care recipes on caring for your sunburns.

Many years ago I created a Sun and Skin Soother Cream as an after sun cream. I shared the recipe for this handmade cream on my blog a few years back and transferred it over to my new blog when I moved it in 2009. You can still find that recipe here.

My Sun and Skin Soother Cream was the original idea behind my Lavender and Peppermint Foot Cream Recipe before I expanded on it and changed a few things. If you want a richer after sun cream, you can use my Lavender and Peppermint Foot Cream Recipe with a few changes. Depending on how sensitive your skin is you may want to omit the peppermint essential oil and the tea tree oil. The remaining ingredients of the recipe will make an extra nourishing cream that will really moisturize and help relieve your burn. The shea and cocoa butters, vitamin E, and avocado oil will penetrate and moisturize your parched skin and help it to heal while the glycerin and beeswax will help lock that moisture in. The addition of lavender essential oil and aloe butter will help to soothe the burn and the Restorative Skin Oil is just the icing on the cake though it is optional as well. You can find that recipe here. 

If you'd rather opt for an after sun lotion, Soap Queen has a great recipe for making a Healing, Soothing Sunburn Lotion. Note that this particular recipe, however, does require a scale as you'll be weighing your ingredients rather than measuring them out. It yields five 4oz. bottles so you can make some for yourself, your family and your friends to carry with them and slather on whenever the burn gets to be too much.

Healing, Soothing Sunburn Lotion Recipe

(Recipe courtesy of Soap Queen Blog.)

Ingredients:

18 oz. Aloe Vera Water
1.2 oz. Shea Butter
1.7 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
1 oz. Avocado Oil
1.2 oz. Emulsifying Wax
1 oz. Stearic Acid
.2 oz. Phenonip
.1 oz. German Chamomile
.1 oz. Lavender Essential Oil

You can also buy the Lotion Kit here and substitute the water portion with Aloe Vera (gel) Water.
 
Tools:
Digital scale
Stick Blender
one 16 oz. wide-mouth container
one 32 oz. wide-mouth container
Five 4 ounce bottles

Why German Chamomile? German Chamomile has a high azulene content. Azulene helps calm skin inflamation and decrease redness. Lavender is useful for helping to reduce the sting in the burn and the aromatherapy properties may help to provide emotional stability during the painful sunburn recovery period. Aloe Vera Gel (water) is a well known healing and soothing plant for all kinds of common skin issues, from cuts to bruises to sunburns.

Instructions:

For step by step instructions on completing this recipe as well as photos of the process, visit Soap Queen blog. You'll also find recipes there for crafting your own Soothing After Sun Oil and Making an After Sun Spritzer.

What's your favorite product or raw plant material to use on your sunburns?

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Handmade Giveaway for Crochet Lovers from Melissa G Hollis

Handmade crocheted washcloths are amazing! If you've never tried them, then you should. You'll be amazed at how well they work not only in the shower but also in the kitchen on tiled counter tops and stove tops - even dishes - as they really dig in without scratching! I use mine all the time and am in love! Which is why I'm so pleased to offer you a chance to win a $25 gift certificate from Melissa G Hollis. Melissa's shop sells a gorgeous selection of handmade crocheted washcloths you can choose from if you win. You can also choose from her handmade facial scrubbies, hats, scarves and fingerless gloves!

Cotton Kitchen Washcloth Set from Melissa G Hollis

Melissa, owner and designer for Melissa G Hollis, loves crafts and has been crocheting and knitting for around four years. She is a Christian and a stay at home mom to her 13 month old, Milo. She and her husband, who she adores wildly, are expecting another little one in September - a little girl who will be named Brooklynne. So, of course, Melissa's life currently revolves around cuddling her adorable son, trying to keep a clean apartment and crafting.

Hand Crocheted Feminine Blue Lace Scarf from Melissa G Hollis

I asked Melissa to tell me a little about her handmade shop and how she turned her passion for crafts into a business. This is what she had to say:

I got into etsy because one day my husband made a bucket list while he was bored at work, so I decided to make one as well. While writing that list I realized how cool it would be to someday sell something that I had made, so I started making things. Most of my first pieces were baby themed since we had just had our son. Later I started making other more practical items like washcloths and then finally broke out and started making women's scarves and a few hats. The scarves are my real passion, but they are a little more time consuming than the baby items and washcloths. My shop is very much a work in progress. I have so many projects that I am experimenting with at the moment! For example, I am in the process of developing a line of market bags. I would also love to be able to do a few pillow covers, but am afraid they are probably too time consuming to make selling them worth it. Mostly, I just try to get new listings into my shop, something that is terribly difficult to do when you are 31 weeks pregnant and have a toddler running around. Sometimes I envy other etsy sellers who seem to have all the time in the world to create and network because they either don't have kids, or else their kids are much older and in school or simply playing outside, but then I think about it and realize just how precious this time is with my little ones, and it makes not having so much time worth it. So, I crochet and knit during nap time and after Milo goes to bed, and that's good enough for now. I hope you enjoyed reading about me and checking out my work. :)

If you'd like to keep up with Melissa and her work, be sure to follow her blog, Hooked: My Life As A Crocheter. You can also fan her shop on facebook or follow her on twitter!

Bright 100% Cotton Washcloth Set from Melissa G Hollis

To enter to win a $25 gift certificate to Melissa's shop, simply visit Melissa G Hollis on etsy and pick your favorite item from Melissa's shop. Then leave a comment with your favorite item. This contest will end on July 28, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per person per entry method. This contest is open to those residing in the USA ages 18+. The winner will be chosen at random from among all eligible entries using random.org. Your information will not be shared or sold. The retail value of this prize is $25. 

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 Melissa G Hollis on Facebook. Leave a comment with your Facebook name stating that you've become a fan.

2. Follow Melissa G Hollis on Twitter. Leave a comment with your twitter username.

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

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

5. Pin any product from Melissa G Hollis to one of your boards on Pinterest. Leave a comment with the link to your board containing Melissa's product.

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New Titles for My Home Library and Craft Projects for Old Books on Hand

Books, books and more books. I love to read, but lately I just haven't had the time. I've been trying to finish up the 4th book in the Vampire Academy series, Blood Promise, by Richelle Mead since school let out. I'd been reading it slowly on the days I'd pick my son up from school while I was waiting for him in the parking lot. Now it's just hit and miss when waiting for dr. appointments, etc. I'm hoping to wrap up the hundred pages pretty soon though as I'm dying to dive into two new books I just purchased from series I read regularly.

Last week I bought Bullet - the latest in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series by Laurell K. Hamilton - and River Marked - part of the Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs. Of course, I still need to get my hands on Charlaine Harris' newest book in the Sookie Stackhouse Series, Dead Reckoning. I've been reading these series since I first discovered them about seven years ago. As a result, not only am I hooked, but I'm also a loyal fan of the HBO series, True Blood, based on the books by Charlaine Harris. I anxiously awaited for two years for the show to air between hearing that HBO was going to produce the show and the show actually airing. Now that I've gotten my hands on some of the books I want, there's just finding the time to read. For those of you with crazy busy schedules, how do you find the time to squeeze in a book here and there?

Anyhow, since I'm on the topic of books, I thought I'd share a few diy craft projects for book related projects.

DIY Project: Brenna's Secret Storage Books from Design*Sponge

I love this project for Secret Storage Books from Design*Sponge. Made from recycled clamshell style boxes and cardboard, these tiny "storage units" look like real life books and will neatly on your bookcase blending in with the other books on your shelves. Use them to hide supplies, cash, documents, journals, and secret gifts. You can find the full, step by step tutorial on Design*Sponge blog. What will you hide in yours?

Modern Library Storage Bin from Roadside Photographs

Have old books that are falling apart or can longer be used? Remove the spines from a selection of old books and recycle them by gluing them along a wooden box or crate for an enticing storage space like this Modern Library Storage Bin for sale from Roadside Photographs. Use it to store and organize books, magazines, cds, dvds, scrapbooking papers or anything else your mind can think up! Use the pages from your discarded books to decorate recycled jars into candle holders. You just need a little mod podge and some imagination. Arrow & Apple blog provides a diy tutorial for doing just this!

How To: Not Your Ordinary Book Light from Grathio Labs

I'm also in love with this diy book light project from Grathio Labs. While you start by recycling a hardcover book, the process is a bit complicated and requires some wood, glue, soldering and wiring. The end result though is worth the effort. However, if this is beyond your crafting expertise, you may be able to sweet talk a handy man in your life into the task in exchange for something you're more capable of crafting on your own. You'll find full instructions and a project list for this book light at Grathio Labs.

Have other ideas for recycling old books? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments!

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Christmas in July - Celebrate with a Handmade Ivy Soap Cake

In the US, Christmas in July has no "real" meaning other than an excuse to have a sale and move out extra summer inventory.  I know when I worked at the mall for many years, I'd use Christmas in July sales to complete all of my shopping for the upcoming holiday season by the end of July so I could be done with it and avoid the chaos of shopping in November and December. Some people though, do enjoy crafting "Christmas" themed items during this time. So for fun I thought I'd share a soapmaking recipe for a melt and pour soap cake.

This decorative Ivy Cake Soap Project is from The Soap Kitchen - a supplier for handmade soap and toiletry ingredients in the UK and EU. However, the recipe calls for basic soapmaking ingredients that can be found locally in your area at most craft supply stores if you are outside of the UK. You'll need both clear and opaque melt and pour soap base, cosmetic glitter, cocoa powder, colorant, fragrance, and witch hazel. This particular cake smells like fruitcake, though you could use any scent you'd like. A chocolate and butter cream fragrance perhaps? Something with spice? Just hit The Soap Kitchen to print out the recipe and you'll be making soap cakes in no time! For even more flair, try to this project in a silicone Bundt cake pan. This project would be fun to give as a gift as a whole or broken down into individual slices and wrapped for parties!

What's your favorite cake flavor for the holiday season? And would you scent your soap cake accordingly?

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Turkish Delight Recipe for the Narnia Lover in You

I love the books, The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. I remember reading through the entire series in my school's elementary library as a child. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was, and still is, my favorite book. I was thrilled when I saw the original movie as a child and so I was, of course, insanely excited when they came out with a new version of the movie in 2006. I actually went to see it in the theater, and that's a rarity for me. So when I stumbled across a recipe for Turkish Delight, I just had to share it!

Turkish Delight from Sprinkle Bakes Blog

The author of Sprinkle Bakes Blog, Heather Baird, is also a huge Narnia fan. She was psyched when produced with the challenge for creating and featuring Turkish Delight on her blog in response to a birthday request from a girl turning 13. The result was a fantastic recipe for a sugary sweet, pink candy treat that can be made in the microwave! The ingredients for the recipe are simple. The candy recipe calls for cold water, cornstarch, sugar, corn syrup, pure lemon extract, powder sugar, ground pistachios, and little food coloring for that lovely pink. The rest is up to you. You can grab a printable recipe with the full ingredient list and recipe instructions from Sprinkle Bakes here.

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A little local shopping and new handmade pottery.

Yesterday I visited the Roanoke City Market for a little shopping. I bought some local peaches and squash, handmade bread and garlic cheese, a bottle of wine from a local winery and I was able to buy some handmade pottery bowls from a new vendor I discovered a few weeks ago.

If you know me, you realize I have a few addictions. Handmade soap, artisan tea, and handmade pottery. Currently I have an abundance of pottery packed away in boxes waiting for my eventual move into an apartment on my own. I'm boycotting regular dinnerware, and working on a full collection of unique cups, mugs, bowls and plates for my everyday dishes. I'm a little short on bowls and plates so I'm slowly building up my "inventory" of those. So I was super psyched to be able to pick up these two lovely porcelain bowls (pictured above) made by Jessica Wertz. She creates beautiful and functional pottery including bowls, cups, and some amazing teapots. After gaining and losing several great potters over the years at our local farmer's market I was thrilled to find we gained a new potter in Jessica this year. I can't wait for her to have her new website up and running. In the meantime, here are a few of my other new favorite artists I've recently discovered who are already online:

Gingko Dipping Dishes from Hope Johnson Ceramics

Tall Porcelain Beverage Cup from Stepanka Ceramics

Wave Cork Jar from Paulova

Cockroach Bowls from Village Clayworks

What have handmade goods have you purchased recently whether locally or online?

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Homemade Eco-Friendly Dishwasher Detergent Recipe - For Clear Dishes Even in Hard Water!

If you're a regular reader of Soap Deli News, then you know by know that you can make your own diy laundry detergent that not only works great, but saves you money. But did you also know that you can make your own homemade dishwasher detergent?

Simply Designing Blog shares a handmade dishwasher detergent recipe that not only works, but works even in hard water! Her diy recipe results in clean, clear dishes - not the cloudy dishes she had before as a result of hard water. What she calls her "miracle recipe" includes borax, washing soda, salt, and Lemi Shine. Lemi Shine is available at most major big box stores, like Target and Wal-Mart, and grocery stores, like Kroger in my area, and is made with all natural ingredients. It's environmentally friendly and is completely free of phosphates, so you can feel good about using it. You can grab the recipe for Simply Designing's eco-friendly dishwasher detergent here.

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DIY Handmade Tea Soap

Tea and soap. They are two of my favorite things. Combine them and what you've got is something amazing! I, myself, have made several tea scented soaps over the years. I currently sell a handmade White Tea Shea Butter Soap, but I've also created a Chamomile Tea Soap in the past and a super fun Southern Sweet Tea Soap.

My Southern Sweet Tea Soap was reminiscent of tea with lemon, sweetened with a touch of honey. I made it using a sweet tea fragrance oil and then added a touch of lemongrass essential oil. I also included real tea leaves in the soap recipe which were dotted throughout each bar for visual interest and exfoliation. It is sorely missed.

Recently, however, I ran across another fun soap recipe for a handmade tea soap and I just had to share it with you all. The recipe is for a Melt and Pour Earl Grey Tea Soap and comes to us from Cumbersome Blog.

Not only are these handmade soaps super simple to make - just combine your favorite melt and pour soap base with some Earl Grey Tea - but the packaging is brilliant and makes the result of this project perfect for gifting! You can find the full tutorial for this handmade soap project at Cumbersome Blog. It includes a how to for making and packaging the soap, along with free printable tea tags for your soapy creations!

Looking for more DIY soapmaking tutorials and recipes? Then check out my collection of soap recipes and links at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen.

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