Me:  Tell us about yourself.

Deb:  My name is Deborah Robinson but everyone calls me, Deb. I’m a 57 year old
homeschooling, housewife, who happens to have a soap making business that I run
from my home. I’ve been married to my fantastic husband, Bill for over 35 years
and we have five kids ranging in age from 30 to 15.

What inspires you?

My customers for one. There have been times when I have thought about
“quitting” but the comments and testimonials that I get from them keeps me going.

My son, Chris, is another inspiration. Chris was diagnoised with Sarcoidosis when
he was 19. Over the years of battling this disease he lost over 70% of his lung
capacity and was told 2 years ago that in order to live he would have to have a
double lung transplant. On September 17, 2009 he got “the call” and we headed to
Barnes Jewish Hospital in St Louis for his transplant. He was there from
September 17th until December 15th. I spent a good deal of that time with him as
his caregiver. I have never heard him complain, ask why me, or be cross with any
doctor, nurse or tech that was trying to help him. His courage and patience are
inspiring. He is an extrodinary young man and I am proud to be his mother.

How did you get your start in soapmaking?

In 1998 and 1999 I was getting ready for Y2K in a VERYBIG way. I bought my
goat in 1999 from a friend who was also getting ready for “the grid” to go down.
During that time I learned several new skills….soap making was one of them. The
first bars of soap I ever made were better than the Dove that I had used for over
30 years. I had Crisco, Lard, some Coconut Oil, Lye and Water. My mold was a
shoebox lined with wax paper. I’ve been making my own soap since then and haven’t
used a “commercial” soap since 99.

Favorite soaping rule to break?

I don’t wear safety glasses when I’m working with the lye but I do wear gloves and
long sleeves.

Do you have a favorite ingredient that you add to your soaps?

Fresh goat milk  is my favorite soap ingredient. It makes a world of difference in
the quality of the soap.

What’s your favorite FO/EO?

Oh, that’s a hard one I have so many. Warm Vanilla Sugar, Egyptian Musk and
Autumn Leaves are my personal favorites.

Do you have a favorite supplier?

Columbus Foods- their base oils are very high quality and priced reasonably. Lone
Star Candle Supply and Candles and Supplies are my usual choice for some great
Fragrance Oils at good prices.

What piece of advice do you have for someone new to soap making?

Have fun and don’t be afraid of the “lye”.

Do you have any other hobbies?

Reading is my favorite pass time, the problem with it is that once I start a book I
won’t put it down until I’m finished with it.  I really enjoy hanging out with my
family, I’ve got a great one and we have some major fun when we all get together.

Favorite book, movie, song and website?

My favorite book: Janet Evonavich Stephanie Plum series. Her books make me
laugh until I cry.

My favorite movie: McClintock with John Wayne and anything with Veggie Tales ( I
got hooked on them when my kids were younger and still love them).

My favorite singers: Mark Schultz and Stephen Curtis Chapman speak to my soul.
The Eagles make me rock and roll and oddly enough I enjoy techno; Muse is one of
my favorite in that genre.

My favorite websites:

Site Build It is one of my favorites because it gave me the ability to actually build
and maintain my own website without help from anyone else.
http://www.sitesell.com/Deborah68.html

Another one is the the Soap Making Forum: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/.
It’s interesting watching what others are doing and it is a really friendly place to
visit.

My other favorite is http://www.pgs-goatmilksoaps.com… Ok, I admit I’m
shameless in promoting my own business.

Thanks for stopping by, Deb! 

Be sure to visit her website to see pictures of her adorable goats!

Amanda

Why do I 100% absolutely adore Lyn’s soap?  Her tops!  I love the creamy, swirly, piled high tops!  I first saw her soaps on the Soapmaking Forum.  Browsing Etsy one day I spied a soap and it just screamed Lyn.  Sure enough it was hers!  Lyn has managed to brand her soaps giving them a look that’s unique and easily recognizable.  Paired with bright happy colors, Lyn’s soap is the perfect pick-me-up for that morning shower.

So, now I introduce you to Lyn, aka Lyn4078 on Esty.

Me:  Tell us about yourself.

Lyn:  I am a mother of two who loves to cook, garden, collect teddy bears, make candles and soap. I am a registered nurse and have worked as a nurse since leaving school. I am a shy person and don’t like big crowds. I am homely and I treasure and love dearly my friends. My father told me many years ago that we may think we have lots of friends but that true friends are like diamonds…precious and rare. As I get older I see how true this statement is and I hold my true friends close to my heart.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by smell and also colour. I love the idea of creamy and soft and I think that is where my creamy look and toppings of my soap come from.

How did you get your start in soap making?

As a candle maker for many years I came across many posts by candle makers talking about how fragrance also worked well in soap for them. I did a swap with someone from USA; they included a bar of handmade soap in the swap and that was it. I never wanted to use commercially produced soap again. So at this point I began to research and read all I could about making my own soap. My first batch was a kit I purchased with all the ingredients and instructions provided. From there I was totally hooked.

How do you set your soap apart from all of the rest on Etsy?

Hmmmmm what sets me apart…………..I am not sure. I feel I am still on a journey of discovery :0)

What’s your favorite soaping rule to break?

I would have to kill you if I told you LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think let’s not live inside the square…dare to experiment. Some of the best discoveries have happened this way.

Do you have any favorite soap ingredient?

At the moment I am having a love affair with Tussah Silk. Oh I love love love it in soap. I think that and cocoa butter and you have some heavenly soap going on.

Do you have a favorite FO or EO?

Now fav FO/EO is a toughie as I love so many fragrances. I recently discovered Lemon Verbena from Sweetcakes and so enjoy it. I love Patchouli and would love to start experimenting with this EO in soap

Who’s your favorite supplier?

I have several fav’s. Being in Australia I tried to narrow my suppliers down to two and just could not do it! I adore Elements, Sweetcakes, Brambleberry, Scentworks and Daystar as my fav suppliers.

Do you have any advice for a new soaper?

My advice to a new soaper is firstly beware as this is likely to consume your everything! I even dream about soap from time to time! But with soaping please adhere to the safety measures around using lye and get yourself a good scale. Other than that just have lots of fun :0)

Do you have any other hobbies?

Yes as mentioned above I love to cook and have a library of cookbooks. I love the garden and especially roses but don’t grow them here in Queensland; have more the tropical theme going on. I love boyds bears and have been a collector for over ten years. I also love other bears and have more than I care to admit to. I love to make candles and recently started making melts…….they are so fun and a great way to try small sample bottles of fragrance.

What’s your favorite book, movie, and website?

Now I haven’t read in a long time but only recently saw the movie Boy in the Stripped Pajamas. Oh my I watched this with my son a few weeks ago and I cried and cried so hard trying to hold back the tears when watching that one. This movie has had a real impact on me and so drives home the need for us to live in harmony and to accept that we all have different beliefs and customs. But at the end of the day we are all people of this beautifully created world and we need to embrace each other and walk this journey as one.

Fav website…ETSY! I love Etsy and I love so many of those that chat there. Of course I also need to mention The Soapmaking Forum which is such a friendly and helpful community of soapers. If I could just squeeze one more in it has to be Facebook.

Thanks for stopping by, Lyn!

You can find Lyn’s fabulous soaps and candles in her Etsy shop.  Be sure to also stop by her blog.

Happy Soaping!

Amanda

I recently featured one of Rachel’s soap in my “All stacked up” post and got to looking around her shop.  If you venture over to it you’ll find an old world mix of handmade soap, handspun yarn and the most adorable baby photo props you’ve ever seen.  She even offers a Fiber Arts yarn club where you get a new skein of yarn each month!  Rachel is offering a great sale for our readers in her Etsy shop to help fund her mission trip to Mexico.       

So, now I introduce you to Rachel Johnston, aka Woolgypsy on Esty.

Me:  Hi Rachel!  Tell us about yourself.

Rachel:  I’m a soapmaker and fiber artist. I have been on 7 trips to Latin America during the past 9 years to work with children. 5 of those trips were to Mexico, where I’ll be going again this fall. I travel to the costal town of Bucerias with a humanitarian organization. Each trip is a bit different, as a church that we work with there tells us where we are most needed. On this next trip, our goal is to build a house for a family. In addition to that we will have fun activities for children from area schools and orphanages, and possibly a vision clinic to provide people with glasses. It has been a huge privilege for me to be able to return to the same place so many times. I have wonderful friends there, and I look forward to working with them again to make a difference in a community I have grown to love. All proceeds from my shop go towards my trip.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by lots of things! Natural materials inspire me, that’s why I love both soapmaking and working with fiber. I like being able to take a raw natural material and create something useful and/or beautiful.

How did you get your start in soapmaking and fiber arts?

My mom and I learned how to make soap when I was 17, but I just started making it again and selling it in my shop last year.

I learned to knit about 7 years ago, and after I had been knitting for a while I decided I wanted to spin my own yarn. I’ve been spinning for 4 years now and I love it! I also crochet, dye and felt.

How do you set your soap apart from all of the rest on Etsy?

I don’t really think too much about that, because there are so many talented soapmakers on Etsy. I’m not trying to compete, I make what I love and I hope others will love it too. I think that if you love what you do, your products will reflect that. 

I love asking soapers what their favorite soap making rule to break is. Mine is taking temps. I simply don’t. What’s yours?

I don’t think I break many of the important rules, but I also don’t let guidelines limit me. If I have an idea for a soap that isn’t common, I’ll try it and see how it turns out.

What are your favorite soap ingredients to use when crafting your soap?

I love adding shea butter and/or cocoa butter to make the soap really rich and creamy. I also like to add herbs to my soap.

What’s your favorite EO/FO?

I don’t use fragrance oils but Sweet orange is my favorite essential oil.

Do you have a favorite supplier for your soap supplies and materials?

I love Mountain Rose Herbs. They carry so many high quality ingredients, including oils, butters, herbs, clay, and essential oil. Many of their products are organic and/or fair trade. www.mountainroseherbs.com

I recently started using Mountain Rose Herbs! I love them and they have a great newsletter that you can subscribe to.

Do you have any advice for a new soaper?

Don’t be afraid of lye! Many people hesitate to try soapmaking because of this, but as long as you respect the lye and use common sense, you’ll be fine. Making soap from scratch is fun and rewarding, so don’t be afraid to give it a try.

Favorite book, movie, song and website?

I have a lot of favorite books….my favorite crafty book is Intertwined by Lexi Boeger. I like the book and movie “The Constant Gardener”. My favorite song is always changing, but I like anything by Phillip LaRue and Derek Webb. I love www.etsy.com , www.mountainroseherbs.com , www.rejectapathy.com and www.lonelyplanet.com .

Nice to meet you, Rachel! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Rachel is having a great sale in her Etsy shop through the end of August!  She’s trying to raise money for her mission based trip to Mexico and all sales in her Etsy shop are going towards funding that.  The special in her shop is 10% off everything.  In addition to that she’s giving anyone who ventures over there from here an additional 5% off of any soap purchases!  So that’s 15% off!  Just mention that you saw her interview at www.lovinsoap.com in the comments field when you make your purchase.  Visit Woolgypsy on Etsy!

Happy Soaping!

Amanda