Give Thanks & Remember Them

Photo is one of my Grandaughters and a

handmade sweater I gave her one year for Christmas-Lil Bunny belly was pockets for her hands to keep warm-As I

searched for a photo to fit handmade and also thinking about Christmas- I am Remembering those who have given

their lives in serving our Country and fighting for our Freedoms, so that we may even have the liberties to make

handmade items something to be proud of and call our own- Merry Christmas-God PLease Bless Us Everyone...

Gramma, 54, disabled/retired, hyenacart.com/WoolieBoolieBums
Northern MN
Friday, December 3, 2010 4:02 pm

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Confesstions of a soap-a-holic and how it all started

I never knew what I was

missing until I started making handcrafted soap. I used to think soap was just soap, it was something to wash with

and that was that. Then one day when I was working for a fair trade company I was chatting with one of my friends

there and we started talking about what we would do if we could do anything we wanted. My friend Dawn said she

wanted to make handmade soap. I said “you can make your own soap?!?” I had never given that any thought, I didn’t

know you could make your own soap. Wow that got my head spinning in all sorts of directions. So I asked her a

million questions about making soap. I could not stop thinking about making my own soap.
I used to buy my soap

from the grocery store or drug store. It’s cheap as can be and you get several bars. Well after talking with my

friend Dawn, I started reading ingredients on the soaps in the grocery store. Yuck! I could not pronounce half of

the ingredients and the other half of ingredients I had no idea what they were. So that sent me into research

mode. I am the queen of research, I love to look stuff up and find all I can on the subject. I checked out all of

the ingredients in the soaps from the grocery store. Boy was I grossed out after reading all of that. I started

thinking I can’t believe I have been putting this junk on my skin for years.
So of course I just had to

research the best things to put into soap. I found that soap does not have to be made with cheap or harsh

ingredients, or with ingredients that you couldn’t pronounce. It could be made with wonderful nourishing oils,

butters and essential oils that make your skin really healthy. I had dry skin and eczema and I thought I was just

going to have to live with it. My son also had skin problems. We went to the doctor’s and got lots of medications

that never really helped.
Well I started making my own soap. It was quite the experiment at first. I made a lot

of really bad soap. They looked horrible and didn’t smell nice. But practice makes perfect. I finally started

making very nice soaps that actually made a huge difference in my skin and my son’s skin. So I thought I would

share this with my friends. Well they were not that interested at first. They said soap is just soap what’s the

big deal! Well I wasn’t going to take that lying down. So I explained to them about the ingredients in the soaps

they were using, for example: most large soap manufactures use beef fat in their soaps. They were not happy to

hear this, but still not that interested in my soap. Geez, what was I going to do with all of that soap I made. So

I decided to give all of my friends some soap as a gift. Well that really changed their minds. They used my soap

and became hooked on the good stuff. They discovered how lovely the lather was and how soft their skin was, and

that they no longer needed to use lotion, and they smelled really nice after their showers. Now they can’t seem

to get enough and could not imagine ever using the soaps from the grocery store ever again.
I must confess

that I am totally hooked too. It is so fun to try a new soap fragrance or a new soap blend. Sometimes I have

several soaps in the shower and a different one in every bathroom and at the kitchen sink. Sometime I wash my

hands just so I can play with the soap and feel the great lather. Ok I admit that I am a soap-a-holic, I just

can’t help myself, and there is something very nice about a great handmade natural soap.
Come on, ditch the

grocery store and drug store soap and buy handmade natural soaps. You will be so glad you did. Be good to yourself

and the planet, use natural soaps.

Veronica, 49, Soap Maker, www.cupertinosoap.com
Thursday, November 25, 2010 2:19 am

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"Memories of Homemade/Handmade"

I look back to growing up and make comparisons to

the way things are now- I was handed down handmade clothing that had belonged to each one of my 3 older sisters,

and now, unfortunately, some clothing will not last beyond one child let alone 4.. Not even those fancy brand

names we pay so much for/ Also look at homemade candies, breads,treats. Mom baked 12 loves bread every week, and

as children, we wanted boughten for a treat. Now, WOW, homemade bread becoming a lost tradition.. SO Moms,

Grammas, Aunts, Dads, Grandpas, Uncles everywhere- keep your homemade/handmade traditions alive in your kids and

grandkids.. So much to be Thankful for in keeping Treasured Memories alive to last an eternity...God Bless and

Happy Holidays.

Gramma Loves to Create, 54, disabled/retired, hyenacart.com/WoolieBoolieBums
MN
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 10:03 am

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Humecta Body Essentials

I'm inspired by intoxicating scents, natural

ingredients, and achieving soft supple skin. My family also is a driving force behind my craft and occupation. My

oldest son is three years old and needs extra attention because of his developmental delay. So, by living my craft

and loving my son, I can enjoy a few of the most important things in my life at the same time.

Jackie, http://www.etsy.com/shop/humecta
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 7:17 am

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Old text flower brooch - Romance Novel Reincarnated!

I love the idea that each item has a story behind

it - this item has a literal one! Though one of my favorite romance novels fell apart, I am reincarnating it as

art - so that others can also own a piece of something unique!

Rebekah Holguin, 25, Artist, rebekahholguin.etsy.com
Los Angeles
Monday, November 15, 2010 11:20 pm

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