Naturally Amy

What Is She Doing Now??

2009-04-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

I get asked that question alot. Sooo... to assuage curiosity in the event you were wondering, I have an additional blog.

Bohemia Fibers. Come and see. And get assimilated into the world of Fibery Wonder.

V is For Violets

2009-04-15T06:31:00.000-07:00

Want to see some gorgeous fiber? These are batts of Merino and Kid Mohair created by BeingV over on Ravelry.

Batts of the most beautiful fluffy fiber, that V so kindly made for me.

And made 200 yards of this:

Isn't that the most pretty yarn? Plyed with some metallic to accent the gorgeous shades of lavender.

Thanks V, you are an amazing fiber artist!

Who's Your Daddy?

2009-03-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

I recently connected with one of my favorite people. My cousin Dan. Dan and I grew up together literally. My grandmother, helped to take care of him during the day and his brothers and sisters, while his mom taught school.

We were like siblings, more than cousins, as we spent mornings before school together, afternoons, vacations, and weekends. And I have memories that will last me forever of our childhood, and more importantly our adulthood.

Dan grew up to be a pretty amazing man. He's smart, handsome and he has lived in many places in the world that I only have a chance to dream about. He battled cancer and thank God today he is doing well and has retired.

I'm extremely proud to not only know him, but count him among my best of friends.

And recently Dan has settled back in the States. And the best thing is that we are having a chance to reconnect and work together on a project Dan started a very long time ago. The geneology of his maternal tree.

His maternal grandmother and my maternal grandmother were sisters. Dan and I remember some great stories of family members growing up.

We had an Uncle that was a grave robber, some would not be proud of that, but I am. He was like Robin Hood and did what he had to, to help support his family. He had 8 brothers and sisters and at the turn of the century times were tough.

Kudos to you Uncle Eddie. We don't need our teeth in heaven anyways.

We had a cousin that was nuttier than a fruitcake and we are positive we have some Native American Indian blood running through our veins.

Where that blood came from is a different story. Some say it was a hush-hush scandal and no one talked about it, but somewhere there is an answer and Dan and I are on a pursuit. Kind of like when we little and went on adventures roaming woods and hiking trails. We had to see what was at the end.

I'm fascinated with geneology. Who I am, where I came from. I find it all very exciting.

Each day new questions arise. What happened to the teeth? Where is Roland's knife? Who was the Micmac indian that gave us swift feet?

We may never find the answers but we're having a hell of a good time looking.

Knit One, Purl Three

2009-03-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

I decided to teach myself to knit. I know, I know. I don't need another obsession. Well yes I do life is short and creativity long.

So I ventured off to my LYS (that's local yarn shop for those not in the knitting know) and purchased two balls of Jo Sharp's Silk road Aran Tweed in the Taffeta color way.

Then I found this pattern: The Lano Gatto Bambini Scarf

And have made this so far:

I really love this yarn. And I love knitting.

I also love to spin raw wool.. So me being me I purchased a spinning wheel. A Kiwi

And two pounds of top roving. So now I can dye my roving, spin the yarn and happily knit away. Yes I think I've completely "lost it" but I'm blissfully ignorant to the obsession.

Eric has taken to calling me "Little Amish Amy" but is my number one fan and appropriately "oohs's and ahhs" over every little obsession I bring to life.

I sure do love him.

Rapid Fire As Martha Says...

2009-02-28T17:57:00.001-08:00

Is a good thing.

Artfire has now brought all of it's Artisans a new feature, Rapid Cart. I like the phrase Rapid Fire better. It sounds cool. And my stuff is cool. So.. a preview is in the sidebar. 28 second checkout, no registration. How easy is that? Now all the cool kids can buy from me!

Peta And The Sea Kittens

2009-01-13T07:32:00.001-08:00

It's too much to comprehend, but I made a sea kitten unicorn. I'd still eat it.

Create Your Own Sea Kitten at peta.org!

Field Of Dreams

2009-01-12T05:57:00.000-08:00

I am a plan ahead, look ahead person. And I'm looking right now at a snow covered field and thinking of what it will become in 5 months. I'm plotting and planning the herb and vegetable garden as well as my many beloved annuals and welcoming in my perennials, but I have a vision.

Of turning this:

Into this:

A gorgeous field of naturalized wildflowers.

I think it can be done. I want Dante to be able to run and play in a field instead of uniformly cut grass, and I have a few places lined up to procure wildflower seeds to sow.

I can just see my laundry flapping around in a field like that, and a rubber tire for Dante hanging off the old Elm Tree.

Plus it will save Eric 4 hours a week in mowing time. Time that we can spend on the deck partaking of Summer drinks!

What's The Difference In All The Soaps Out There?

2009-01-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

What's the Difference Between all the Soaps out There?

By NaturallyAmy

I get a lot of folks asking me about handmade soap. How it's made, how it's better than store bought and some just wanting to learn the craft. I had someone recently ask "What's the difference between all the soaps out there?"

Great question. The selection of handmade soap can be so overwhelming. There's basically cold process, hot process, liquid soap and melt and pour. I get so many people asking also "What's better, what's safer? What about lye? Oh my God there is LYE in soap." So with that, I hope to clear up some myths and have those of you that never used handmade soap have an incentive to give it a try.

So.. that said, all soap starts as oils, and a base alkali. Soap makers use lye as that base alkali.

Each oil has a specific amount of lye that it needs to mix with to create soap. Soap makers refer to this as the SAP value (the saponification value) and yes even melt and pour soap starts with lye.

You need lye to make soap. Period. Anyone that tells you that their soap wasn't made with lye is fibbing. Once the oils and the proper amount of lye are combined and go through their chemical process, (saponification) the lye converts to natural glycerin. Well made soap no longer contains lye. It's been converted into glycerin and becomes a safe skin product.

Let's look at the different types of handmade soap out there and the processes used to create them.

Cold Process Soap:

This is one of the favorite and best known soap making methods that many soap makers use. I'm a Cold Process or CP soap maker for short. Cold process soap is soap that undergoes the saponification (turning to soap) process in the mold. The natural chemical reaction of the mixing of the lye and oils creates heat and once that begins the lye and oil starts to convert to glycerin. Properly made soap has no lye left in it after it's done.

All of the lye has reacted with the oils, and pure glycerin is left behind. I use a variety of sustainable oils, known for their skin loving properties, and they can include sunflower, coconut, palms, olive, rice bran and shea butters, sometimes hemp seed oil depending on my recipe. The correct amount of lye is measured and mixed with water, or a liquid of choice to the soap maker. Sometimes I use coconut milk, goat milk, butter milk or a combination of liquids. The oils and lye solution are then combined and blended.

I next add any essential oils, and or colorants, herbs or botanicals if I am using them, mix it all again and then pour the soap "batter" into handmade wooden molds, insulate them to further help the gelling phase and then the soap continues to saponify in the mold.

When it's done, it starts to harden. I then unmold the log of soap 24 hours later and it's cut into bars and I let it cure it for a few weeks. The curing removes excess water in the soap and makes it harder and longer lasting. Then it's packaged.

Some soap makers (myself included) "superfat" their soap. That means we use a bit less lye then needed and some oils in that recipe don't change to soap and are left circulating freely in the bar. That helps with moisturizing. Cold Process soap appears smoother than it's cousin, the Hot Processed soap.

Hot Process Soap:

Some soap makers do what's called Hot Process soap making. They do the same thing I do but they use a crock pot or stove top pot to add heat to the mix to speed up saponification, rather than let it happen in the soap mold itself.

Once gel phase is reached in their pot, they scent and color then pour into molds. Hot Processed soap can be used as soon as it's cooled and set up.

Hot process soap tends to look more rustic, not as smooth as cold process, but it is the same end product as cold process soap.

Melt And Pour Soap:

Melt and Pour is basically a pre-made glycerin soap base that has a few additives in it, that make it easy to melt in either the microwave or the stove pot, then poured into waiting molds. It's a great medium for those that have kids and don't want to deal with lye.

Melt and Pour base comes in many types. Clear, opaque, goat’s milk, olive oil—to name a few. Once it's melted it's ready for scent, color and the additives of choice by the soap maker.

There is great creativity to be had with melt and pour and some of the designs I have seen by other soap makers are truly works of art. If you've ever seen those cute little soaps molded into fun shapes, and colors, those are probably melt and pour.

I consider melt and pour soap making an art unto itself and have the greatest respect for those soap makers that create with it. Sometimes I do use melt and pour, if I want to make soap with my son, or just have fun and be creative.

Some soap makers will argue that melt and pour is not a true soap. I say "bah" to that. It is no different than for example baking a cake from scratch vs. using a box mix. The end result is still cake. And so it is with melt and pour soap. It is still soap, and good soap at that.

So why is handmade soap better than store bought? Well for one it's kinder to your skin.

Large soap manufacturers in the process of soap making often remove the natural made glycerin from their soap. This makes their soap long lasting, and harder. They then turn around and add the glycerin they removed from the soap and add it to their lotions. Which is a great marketing ploy. Without the glycerin their soap is much less moisturizing and you end up with dry skin.

So what do you do? You reach for their lotion that has the glycerin they removed to moisturize your skin. Vicious cycle huh? Well that's large scale commercial soap making for you.

Handmade soap is an affordable luxury today. Once you experience the feel and scent of fresh herbs, and botanicals, mixed with pure oils and then combined with the goodness of pure essential oils and fine fragrances that we soap makers use, you will never, ever want to use store bought soap again. I know if I stop making it, I will buy from another soap maker. I will never go back to store bought soap again.

Artfire Has Published An Article I Wrote

2009-01-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

I am truly honored to be part of this site. Artfire I believe will become the Gold Standard in the venue of the handcrafted marketplace.

You can read my article here.

And visit the main website for Artfire here.

January Soap Of The Month Limon!

2009-01-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

Limon, my Mexican Lime and Litsea Cubeba blend is on sale in my Artfire Shop for $6.50 for two bars.

$6.25 what a deal! And you can get your two bars here: Limon Soap Buy One Get One Half Off

Mexican lime essential oil, blended with lemony litsea cubeba essential oil make this the absolute yummiest citrus soap. When this bar hits the shower, it's a citrus explosion!

I colored it with oxide green, and it's one of the most refreshing unisex soaps I've created.

My soap is made in small batches, in handmade wooden molds, poured, cut and packaged in hand stamped recycled kraft soap boxes.

Each bar is at least 5 ounces, weight varies due to hand cutting.

All of my soap is made with only the purest of oils, and may contain Olive Oil, Palm Fruit Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Rice Bran Oil, and Hemp Oil depending on the recipe.

I scent my soap using only essential oils or fine cosmetic grade fragrance oils, or sometimes a blend.

Some soaps may contain mica's and oxides, herbs and botanicals that are used for colorants and additional scent.

All soaps undergo a cure time to ensure mildness

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

I want to wish all you a very Happy New Year,
filled with peace and prosperity.

May the bluebird of happiness fly with you this year.

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all" ....

~ Emily Dickinson, "Hope" is the thing with feathers, 1891 ~

End Of The Season Sale

2008-12-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

Check my Artfire Shop for some great end of the season sales under the "sales" section in my shop!

Lump Of Coal Soap

2008-12-27T08:33:00.000-08:00

This soap took off like gang busters! Holy cow, I never thought it would sell as well as it did. And it's on sale! My retailers were selling this for $5.95. I'm giving a much better deal :) and once it's gone, it is gone!

In my Artfire Shop

Artfire a New Online Venue

2008-12-09T04:39:00.001-08:00

I found this great online venue, Artfire a fantastic place for all handcrafters and artisans.

I created a storefront there, naturallyamy . I figure it can't hurt to have another location where I can sell my product.

Also, no listing fees, and no hassles, I can keep my costs low to my customers.

Come and check it out!

New Directions

2008-12-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

Simplicity and eco conciousness. That's what I've always wanted and I decided over the past few weeks to again minimize my packaging.

No more printed labels, I'm going to be hand stamping them with non toxic soy based inks on recycled paper stock.

I'm moving toward organics and simplicity. More so than I do now.

I don't think it will affect my customers to see a hand stamped label. So what if it is not perfect? Is nature herself perfect? No.

My soap will be packaged in boxes made of 100% post consumer waste.

Like these:

I like the fact the soap is protected but still seen. And Eric is a huge help with stamping.

My incense will be in recycled boxes too, if I can find it. Something similar to the soap box. But I've yet to find a supplier. Either that or in fabric bags perhaps. I want to eliminate the plastic used in the packaging.

So I've ordered my hand stampers and my inks and I will soon be happily making eco friendly labels with minimum perfection. But maximum eco friendliness.

I Found A Fantastic Etsy Street Team

2008-12-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

What's a Street Team? you may ask?
From Etsy's main site.

And I found this awesome team, that I'm hoping finds the need for a soap maker. ~ fingers crossed~

Etsy's DIYScene

Do Violets Grow By The Sea?

2008-12-06T06:15:00.000-08:00

I love color, natural color.

I love oxides, micas and herbs in my soap. I love the pastels, the soft muted colors and then I get something that takes my breath away.

I have two favorite soaps. Seaside, a gorgeous blues and greens that smells just like ocean water. Briny salt air and cold water. I colored it with ultramarine blues and chromium greens.

And Blue Violets. Oh my goodness this soap smells unbelievable.

Violets and Iris, Clover, Angelica, Oaks and Labdanum. Colored with ultramarine blues and purples and a titch of black oxide. Just amazing.

Can you tell I love blues? I wonder if I could combine the two somehow? Sea Violets? Hmm.. something new to ponder.

Welcome

2008-10-12T15:29:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my blog. I'm a soap maker and a chandler, happily raising my son Dante with my fiance Eric. We have a 108 year old colonial home in Massachusetts, where we are busy renovating in between soap making and pouring my all natural soy candles.

I started seriously soap making in 2006 and candle making in 2007. I had dabbled in both since I was a teenager, but became serious with both after I had my son, and became a stay at home mom.

I love what I do, and I wake up inspired every day.

I have a shop on Etsy and Indie Public and I'm a member of the Soaper Stars team on Etsy and The Earthpath Artisans Street Team on Etsy. (EAST)

Please watch my blog for new soaps, candles and other flights of my fancy.