Beware of Pseudo-Soap!

A few days ago I was browsing my local "all things imported" store, (which shall remain nameless) and since I had a little time to kill, I worked my way through the imported furniture, imported pillows, imported baskets, imported foods (do you get the picture?), and stumbled into the bath and body section...imported of course!

I thought I'd check out the competition in bar soaps. And first impressions were fantastic: Lovely packaging with colorful labels. Nice, chunky bars with exotic names and intoxicating scents. The price was right...only $6.00 for a 4-5 oz. bar.

But then, I looked more closely. "Made in China" and "Made in India" was the name of the game on these soap bars. And upon even closer inspection, the ingredients contained many chemical names I could not even pronounce. No mention of olive oil, jojoba, or shea -- the ingredients I have come to know that make great, handcrafted soap!

Then, it got even more interesting...

In even smaller print, the label said:

- avoid contact with eyes (O.K., all soap can burn if it gets in your eyes)
- avoid contact with lips (Huh? How am I supposed to wash my face with this?)

AND...

- avoid contact with sensitive areas

So, exactly how am I supposed to use this soap? Isn't all skin "sensitive" since it is porous, with a direct path to the bloodstream?

Back to my title. One meaning of "pseudo" is "fake," or "not genuine." And I would go so far as to say that the imported soaps I was investigating the other day were just that. They were compressed, processed chemicals in disguise to look like soap. Real soap I WOULD put on my skin. I'll pass, thank you very much, on the fake soaps -- regardless of where they are mass produced.

Bottom line: Read the labels on the soap you purchase. Where is it made? Can you pronounce or recognize the ingredients? Are there warnings in fine print?

My shop, SoapSense, and many other reputable handcrafted soap sellers on Etsy take great pride in their soap ingredients. We are very conscious about taking care of your skin, and not introducing any harmful elements.


Do a little research, and happy soap shopping!

Hand Formed Earwires 101

Ready to shift from manufactured earwires to hand formed earwires in your earring designs...read on!

Every beader who tackles earring design eventually gets tired of manufactured earwires over and over again. With the exception of leverbacks, and possibly the twisted wire "no slip" french earwires, it is easy to create your own and give your designs a little more uniqueness! And, it is actually cheaper if you buy wire in bulk by the foot!

You would be surprised at how easy it can be. First, you'll need some 20 gauge or 21 gauge wire. I use sterling silver...always. I prefer dead soft wire, but half hard will also work if you have some extra strength in your hands to bend it.

Then, cut two pieces of equal length, 2-3 inches is a good place to start. Use a pen or pencil to make the uppermost bend, and a pair of round nosed pliers to make a hanging loop and provide any extra shape to the backside of the wire. It is best, and makes for more consistent earwires, if you bend and shape both pieces of wire at the same time. The possibilities are endless!

Then, when you have mastered this and want to go a step further, you can consider a small jeweler's hammer and anvil to flatten portions of the wire. Also, a tumbler and steel tumbling shot with a little Dawn dishwashing soap will polish and harden your earwires in about 30 minutes of tumbling time. Any small nicks or scratches from cutting and bending the wire will also be removed!

Finally, invest in a small rounding tool, often referred to as a cup bur. Use it on the exposed tip of the earwire prior to tumbling to remove any sharpness from the cut edge.

I've scattered some pictures throughout of earwires I have formed. Good luck with yours!

DLPom Handcrafted Expressions on Etsy

Soap, Soap, & More Soap

I've found it difficult lately to get any new soap on Etsy. Seems my regular customers want to buy the stuff by the whole soap loaf...and it is all I can do to keep up with their requests. Maybe someday life will afford more time for more soap making in a 24 hour period!

In the meantime, I wanted to give a little tip on Lavender soap. Lavender seems to be a "love it" or "hate it" type of scent. And, lavender soap (the kind that is scented with lavender essential oil), is a bit temperamental to make because it has a tendency to develop a white ash coating on the exterior as it cures. It is just a cosmetic thing, but many soapers, including me, don't want to sell soap with white ash.

However, if you are going for a straight lavender scented soap, just add a little ylang-ylang essential oil to the batch to keep white ash from developing! Yes, it works! A teaspoon or so of ylang-ylang will not alter the lavender scent, and it will prevent the white ash from ever developing.

Some other good mixes with lavender, either essential oils or fragrances, that prevent the white ash include: orange, rose, and mint.

Enjoy your own soapmaking...or just purchase from those of us who do.

Soap Sense on Etsy

Are Anklets "In" or "Out"?

...doesn't matter, I still enjoying making them for summer. I think they are very cute with sandals, maybe when other jewelry is just a little too heavy in hot weather.

I like to design all my anklets (or ankle bracelets) to be adjustable. You can wear one above the ankle, tight enough so it doesn't slip down...or, more loosely below the ankle. It is impossible to wear an anklet directly across the ankle, otherwise, even the most sturdy construction will snap with the pressure from bending your foot.

I've found that 9 inches is about medium-sized for an anklet. So a small section of chain makes it adjustable up or down by 1/4 inch. Wrap a cute little Swarovski dangle at the end of the chain, and the anklet is ready to go.

The anklet shown here was made with Hill Tribe, hand stamped tubular beads, tiny rounds, and pastel freshwater pearls in pink and aqua. This piece is for sale in the Anklet Section of my Etsy shop, DLPom Handcrafted Expressions.

Enjoy your summer!

A New Venture - Hand Stamped Sterling Silver Pendants

I love it when a little window of time opens up and there is a chance to try something new! Creative people always have a thousand more ideas on their list than what they really have time for. With my little window of time, I tried my hand at a new jewelry venture that has been on my list for quite some time...or should I say "adventure!"

Hand stamping sterling silver jewelry does take a little practice, and you will likely "mess up" your first few attempts. (So don't try this for the first time on your expensive sterling silver!) But it really is easy once you get the hang of it.

For beginners, I recommend measuring twice, just to be sure! And take into consideration any holes at the top of a pendant which will lower the visual center of your piece. When ready to stamp, I've found that 2-3 confident whacks with the hammer give a better quality stamp than 9-10 tentative taps. You will also need a very smooth, steel surface on which to stamp so as not to introduce any unwanted marks on your project.

I had previous experience with oxidizing, brushing, and repolishing silver pieces. So these steps came naturally after the hand stamping was completed. The results of this entire process are some nice, organic pieces that look awesome on a ball chain!

Check out my website for more pictures and details: DLPom dot com

Smaller, Rectangular Soap Bars

For those that liked smaller, rectangular soap bars in my poll --->, here's the perfect solution. The same amount of generous soap, just sliced down the middle for convenience. These are my Feng Shui soap bars, just recently listed on Etsy. Let me know what you think!?

And the scent, well...it is a blend of bamboo and cedar entwined with lemon, tangerine, and ginger. A must try for all handcrafted soap lovers!

Etsy Treasury!

Thank you, curiousmess, for featuring my new batch of Gardenia Goat's Milk Soap in your Etsy Treasury!

The Best of All Compliments

...when someone else features your shop on their blog, of course! Lisa, of yourgreenshopper, recently did this for my Etsy shop, Soap Sense. I really love her ambition to become as sustainable and self-sufficient as possible! Please check out her blog and Etsy shop, WinterDreams, for ecofriendly art, clothing, and accessories.

More blog posts coming soon, I hope.