Not Much Logic Needed.... It's the Best Soap Ever!

It all began last December when I participated in a secret holiday gift exchange through the Etsyveg team. I'd signed on in November, listing, as requested, my likes and dislikes and such specifics based on the questionnaire created by Kylie aka SilentLotus. Then I patiently waited to receive an email with the name of the person to whom I would sent a gift. In mid-December, I wrapped up a handmade necklace especially picked out for my secret person and sent it across the country to California.

Shortly thereafter, I received my package from my secret person... no longer secret at that point... the one and only lulubugjewelry. I was excited, expecting one of her wonderful artisan silver pieces... such as this one, which I just love! However, I had a different surprise! She'd sent me a gift certificate to Krug's Eco-Logic shop. I'd seen Erin's soaps and read her posts on the team thread, but I hadn't tried any of her products as yet. Right away, I checked out her website and had absolutely no trouble spending my gift certificate! Previously, I'd purchased some other handmade soaps from other Etsy shops and had already decided that from here on out, I would use handmade rather than commerically made soaps. But once I received my Ecologic soaps in the mail... well, there was no turning back. I quickly became a Krug's Eco-Logic girl. Today I just received the products in the opening photo above... two soaps for hubby and one more for me, along with some facial toner which I'm very excited about trying. I've also purchased Body Butter (Vixen) and it is so wonderful for my skin.

So I decided that I need to share this fabulous maker and seller (who was, by the way, featured on CNN in January of this year!) here on the blog. Erin graciously agreed to an interview, and so... drumroll... here she is!

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm a former science teacher turned stay-at-home mom. My #1 job and passion is my kids .. I love to run, and am desperately trying to 'add' that to my crazy schedule. The only time I have for myself really is before the kids wake up and that's about from 5-6am.

2. Five words that describe you best?
Caring, Empathetic, Open-minded, Passionate, Giving.


3. What influenced you to begin creating your product and how long have you been at it?
When I discovered my children both have super-sensitive skin, and after reading a lot of 'greening your home' type materials, I decided to start buying only natural products (cleaning and skin care). After a few weeks of that, I decided I might as well try my hand at making it. I read for months and months about oils and their properties, about soap making, and trouble shooting issues.

4. What is the most interesting part of being an artist / online seller to you?
That people enjoy what I do. People can share in something I create and it's useful - it benefits them. I am not much of an artist ... my mind just doesn't operate in that fashion ... but creating something useful is something I LOVE doing !

5. What is the most difficult part of creating and selling?
Time. There just isn't enough hours in the day. Between kids, the business (finances, formulating, testing, experimenting, production, labeling, ordering, etc... ), and the house (cleaning, bills, laundry, groceries, etc.. ). I really desperately need a good 5 more hours each day to be even close to being caught up with everything.

6. What is your favorite product that you make?
This is a difficult one, since each one has a specific use... and all are equally needed/used in my house. I probably feel BEST about the natural soaps. Everyone uses soap ( I hope ;-) ) and it rids homes of synthetic chemicals and detergents and is just SO much better for your skin than ultra-drying commercial detergent 'soaps'.

7. Of all the handmade items that you own, what is your favorite and why?
I love my headband - from an etsy seller - Weezawear. I have a black one and LOVE it !

8. Tell us about your other interests or passions.
Running !! I used to run competitively in (Div II NCAA ) college and afterward. I don't have much time now, but I'm trying to get back into that. It consumes a lot of time though, that I just don't have. My super-awesome former coach (and Olympian), Steve Spence is my running idol and is just such an awesome person. He was a great coach and I help others run using what he taught me.

9. What is your vision for your life in ten years?
Hmm... since I'm a dedicated mama, that all depends on where the kids are at in life. My son will be 17 (YIKES), and my daughter will be 13 (MEGA YIKES). I'll probably have more time for the business, so as far as that goes, I hope to be able to put in 8 hours of uninterrupted work. Hopefully, I'll be able to fulfill LARGE wholesale accounts and make my business a full time job (paying, and working). I'd love to also have a handmade shop, but in my head I have more time than I know I actually will ;-)

10. What is the best life lesson you have ever learned?
Wow. Great question. I feel like I'm learning something new every day. New experiences, and reinforcements of old lessons ... every day is a lesson. If I had to chose just one - I'd say to just enjoy each day. Life is so, so short and precious. Make each day the best - and try and focus on the positive. My kids make it easy for me to do that. They're the light in my life and really - the only reason I do anything I do. They make enjoying each day very easy.

11. As an established seller, what is the most valuable business tip you can provide to us?
Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Try different selling venues, advertisements, social networking avenues etc... people will find you in different ways and places. I know of a handful of opportunities I'd have lost out on had I only utilized one of my selling avenues, or one social networking site ...
Also - there are some people that are emotional vampires in your life, and that isn't exempt from business interactions. I try (though not always successfully) to not let them drain me too much, and I try to focus on the positive. My mother just told me a saying my grandfather used to always say - "in 100 years, will anyone remember this issue/problem or will it even matter to you?" I try and remind myself of that if I'm having trouble in any aspect of life/business.

12. What concerns you most in the world today?
The care, concern and empathy people have for one another is diminishing. I think people don't realize we're all connected ... we're not as separate as we think we are. My hope is for my kids to think of others first and help anytime they have the ability. I fear that money and power drive so many interactions, that everything else falls by the way side.

Let me wrap up by saying, if you think you want to try a handmade soap, give Krug's Eco-Logic a whirl. The soaps are a whopping 10 - 12 ounces of sheer pleasure and goodness... and are natural and vegan! I love the Vixen scent... very sensual and warm! I think my hubby's going to enjoy the Pale Ale! You can follow Erin's blog where she offers special discounts and provides some very knowledgeable information about bath and beauty products.

What do you do when you're not feeling well?

Everybody handles illness in different ways. My husband likes to relax in his chair and watch old Star Trek episodes and really old horror films. Normally I end up watching those with him when I should be doing something else. We are both big Star Trek junkies. When I'm not feeling well, typically I like to stay in bed and read and drink tea and nap as much as possible. Well, I've been out of the loop for about a week now dealing with some illness I've never had before and finally, finally I'm starting to feel better after nights and nights of sleeplessness, new symptoms arising with each sunrise, and "medication time, medication time" (who knows what movie that quote is from?) that I so do not like to take. But I was not in a place where I could concentrate enough to read or relax enough to nap or do most anything that I would do during a "normal" bout of sickness.

So I'm going to spare you the horrid details and just tell you that at least this sickness gave me a chance to do a little beading over the past two days, which I haven't done in a long, long time. I sure didn't have the energy to paint or to do scrimshaw, so beading was a good choice because it's rather relaxing and I can easily walk away from it if I need to. And no cleaning of brushes... the cleanup that accompanies painting is not such a fun task.

I began by doing repair to someone else's work. I have a friend who keeps me supplied with repair jobs, and this one has been hanging around for too long, so now it's done! Shown below are a few photos of my own new creations from Friday and Saturday. I may list one or two on Etsy, but I'm thinking that my Etsy shop will be foremost devoted to my paintings and piano key necklaces and an occasional unusual or interesting beaded necklace.

Arches of the Desert:
This necklace reminds me of Southwestern Desert colors and the movement in the enameled pendant reminds me of those Arches in Utah. The pendant is recycled/upcycled from an old pair of earrings. I love this piece with its ambers and browns and pinks and blacks. It contains coral, shell, copper, mookaite, red jasper, and oilslick rondelles.


Night Song:
Created with hematite rounds and freshwater pearls for the strand, this is a different kind of piece for me for two reasons: it uses only two stones where I normally use a variety of stones, pearls, crystals in one piece, and its pendant is removeable, so you can wear it with or without. The pendant features a glorious piece of agate that reminds me of the sky at night when the moon is almost full and the atmospheric clouds are lit up with its brightness. Surrounding the agate are tourmaline and a beautifully pale citrine.

Roots of My Soul:
Here's a necklace that features a wonderfully rustic and unique pendant by Etsy's claynfiber, a member of Etsyveg, one of the teams I'm a member of. I'm not sure if I'll list this piece or keep it myself. The pendant reminds me of tree branches and I've included earthy beads to accompany it. There are pietersite, white turquoise, Russian Picasso Jasper, hematite, moonstone, and copper. I think this is an elegant little piece in all its rustic goodness.

And finally, Sonoran Sundown:
Ah those desert colors again! Well, they're here too on the east coast during the fall and winter... the colors of grain growing wild in the barren fields, hay against a dark sky, fallen ash leaves mixed with the browns of oak leaves on the forest floor. This is a long necklace so that the gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous, lampwork glass focal bead nestles in the right spot of cleavage. This focal bead was created by R. Andrew Glass Studio on Etsy. It's large... 22 mm across and long, and it's full of beautiful ambers, creams, peaches, pale greens swirling throughtout the borosilicate glass. I've had it for about a year and waited for the right time to use it. It hangs from a 48 inch strand of a mix of gemstones, pearls, swarovski crystals, and fabulous sterling silver beads... all put in place to complement the focal bead. And sorry, folks, this one is MINE!


All of this to say that I guess you have to make the best of whatever is happening in your life while it's happening. Of course, that's not always easy, but it's often worth it.

Bright Sunshiny Day: Tuesday's Treasures

Well, tomorrow maybe. Today is cloudy, grey, and rainy... but I can dream of the sun, can't I? And there are other ways to make the day brighter! You can be a volunteer in your community, donating your time and energy to improving the outlook and life of someone else. You can donate money to a cause close to your heart, like Haitian relief for children, cancer research, animal welfare, literacy efforts, or so many others. You can simply offer thoughts, meditations, and prayers for those who suffer or for the world at large.

My little glass pin of a happy redheaded girl is offered in my Etsy shop and a portion of the sale is donated to the American Cancer Society. The artists included here are also active in donating to various causes, in an effort to bring a bit of happiness and sunshine to the world around them!

Sweet little fish pins by fionamacneil... donating to Haitian Children's Relief


Softcover journals, many covers and colors available by thisisit... donating to animal welfare groups and who is also working to raise $3600 to save three bulls from the slaughterhouse

A necklace to make you feel happy by LaViejaTunTun... donating to Etsy for Animals monthly charity


Bright and cheery coat rack by veggiecrocker... donating to Breast Cancer Research


Lovely little felted nesting bowls by maddyandme... donating to Haitian Relief


Sunny day mittens by LamaWorks... donating to the American Cancer Society


Beautiful Trembling Citrus earrings by ErikaPrice... who always donates 100% of profits, split between the American Cancer Society and her 14th century parish church


A gorgeous bird photo collage by allieart4children... donating to a children's charity


An Orange Cat Enjoying the Sun by LissaLushHelpingCats... donating to an Ohio shelter for Cats


And to wrap it up, who could possibly resist this face by carolscanvas... donating to Mostly Mutts Rescue in Atlanta


There are so many others out there in Etsy who give of their money, time, art, and energy to make the world a brighter, better place. You can simply do a search on the site for Charity, for teamepe, for Team EFA, for Etsyveg team, for Haitian Relief, for Etsy for Autism, or any other issue that is important to you, and you will find hundreds of sellers who participate in these variety of causes.

Tuesday's Treasures from the Etsyveg Team!

This week's treasures feature members of the Etsyveg team... these are items that will be entered in the January challenge Fresh Start. The voting will start next week, and I'll post the link so if you're interested, you can go vote for your favorite. At the right is my entry for the challenge... a custom oil portrait.


Fresh as a Mango shea butter soap by karramandi

Fresh Green Tree 6 x 9 painting by KathleenMarieKelly

Branches in the Clouds ACEO by jenoconnell

Lunette earrings by artbysusmitha

Silver Heart necklace by Kakirra

First Plum print by silentlotus


Remember, if you're looking for a special piece of art for your home or office, or for a great gift for someone special, check out the shops on Etsy and especially the Etsyveg team shops!

Giveaway Winner, Treasuries, and More!

It's another busy week and this will be a full blog post! First I want to announce the winner of my Holiday Giveaway... it's Jill of GlazedOver on Etsy! Congrats, Jill... your Blue Moon jewelry set will be mailed out today! And thanks to everyone who entered!


This morning we woke up to another very foggy morning! All the fog we've seen lately has been so beautiful and inspired my newest treasury... click here to see it on Etsy.


Finally, I learned yesterday that I won the Etsyveg team November Challenge! I'd entered my Cinnamon Apple earrings for the theme of Autumn Harvest. So I will have a free ad on the Etsyveg Blog for one month. Here are the earrings I entered, and the ad I created.



And now I'm off to the post office to mail out a couple packages! Please check back tomorrow when I will post my Five Favorites Finds for the week!

New Bracelets!

I have completed the photos for these new bracelets, the first that I will list on Etsy. Most are gemstones, a couple are glass... so there's a variety of pricing which is important in Etsy shops.

My personal favorite... Winter Roses... a bracelet and earring set featuring carved agate roses, petrified jasper, pearls, sterling silver, and more:






Presenting Harvest Song, featuring a lovely fossil coral focal bead... very chunky and eye-catching!


Twilight... with Picasso Jasper, Onyx, and Sesame Jasper... for the larger sized wrist...


Another of my favorites... in the rich, warm, earthy colors of fall... November Woods:


And two bracelets with only glass beads... lampworked, cat's eye, seed beads, and more... First, Spring Waters, second, Blue Stars...