Reaching the Climax :)

EEK! So its been almost a year since my last post... so much for promising to post more last year.... I'm going to try really hard this year to make more of the blog and post more ramblings!

Reaching the Climax

So anyone who has met me pretty much gets it that I have a passion for what I do. That the chemistry behind soapmaking excites me and gets my creative motor running.  That experimenting with new ingredients is thrilling. That seeing a colourful dress, or flower bouquet, or even colours of candles sitting beside each other can set off sparks in my head of colour combinations to make with soap. I find inspiration everywhere! Truly…  everywhere…  My brain is wired much like other artists, except, I see colours in soap instead of on a canvas. 

Preparation

Measuring out the oils – ok so this part is probably my least favourite – however it is super important  to pay attention to the recipes – if I screw it up its good money and good ingredients wasted. Never mind, creating a potential safety issue. Soapmaking is a chemical reaction between the oils/butters and the lye. (Yes I use lye. One simply cannot have natural soap without it).  If ingredients aren’t measured properly then it will be a flop or even be dangerous. There are many, many variables and many different results one can have but accurate measuring is the start to something beautiful. 

  

I use high quality ingredients and while I stated that measuring is my least fave part – I do find an enjoyment in smelling the rich and creamy cocoa butter which is really intoxicating with its natural chocolately scent. And then there is the shea butter which isn’t the greatest scent (in my personal opinion) but it sure is lovely to work with.  Finding joy in the mundane…

Mixing of the goodness – well this could be a book length story but it won’t be. At least not today. 

I carefully plan out each batch – I even sketch out new designs or colour combos – heaven forbid if someone touches MY pencil crayons.  A couple times a year I sit down with whatever family members are present and willing and we will use scent sticks to come up with new blends.  Some of my best selling essential oil blends have been created by my kids. 

Sure I could make a 25lb block of soap that is plain or single coloured or even a two colour swirl to then cut it into individual bars. And sure I could crank out 200 or so lbs of soap a day like that. But seriously – where is the fun in that?? And honestly I love to say AND I am proud to say I make my soap in small batches. 

Don’t get me wrong – I do make plain looking bars that are devoid of design – my Unscented and my Bastille soap lines are basic looking bars and I love them very much, however, I also love the designs and the swirls and lines and colours. OMG I love colours!!! Colours can come from soooo many sources - clays, herbs, spices, oxides, roots, and micas.  I would rather make less soap each day is it means I can have more time being creative with its looks. I also love in the shower how the look of a bar changes with each use. Secret swirls become visible or morph into a new look as the bar is used. 

One of the worst parts of soapmaking is the wait! Once the soap is poured into the awesome custom wooden molds Mr Wylde Rose made me, it has to “go to bed”. In a nutshell it’s wrapped up in blankets and sits for 24 hours begging to be peeked at and explored but I have to wait. 

The Moment

After the 24 hrs, this is the climax. No seriously this is one of my favourite parts about what I do. Every time I cut open a batch – even if it’s something I’ve made 100 times before still gets me excited to see the look of each new slice. Each swish of colour, each line, each unique look.

This is the pinnacle.

One of my daughters, Kenzie, who is a regular at the Cambridge Farmers Market with me, was the photographer during some of these shots. *Enjoy – it’s rare shots that I am in. One of my other passions is hobby photography and I am usually behind the camera – not in front. *

There is really only one thing that excites me more – it’s the comments from my customers, the feedback on how it’s helped their skin or how much they love that new scent. Its seeing the customers come running down an aisle at a show or the Market to see me and pick out their soap like its manna from Heaven. 

I'm really proud of the bars that we make with options for everyone's tastes and wants. We have a simple philosophy. Simple. That's it. Wylde Rose Handmade Soap has experience, knowledge, wholesome ingredients and creativity poured into each handcrafted small batch but also one that is very proudly overloaded with oodles of love. 

On that note of keeping things simple, back to basics and love, here's to a personal goal this summer. Mr Wylde Rose and I love to camp. Sadly we have not been able to go camping previous summers since finding each other again after a long time. Its awful I know. On behalf of all trekkers, campers and paddlers I am ashamed to say my beautiful paddle hasn't seen water in far too long.  I haven't been in a canoe in ages and my soul is longing for it. This summer will see us doing what we love. Setting goals!

Sitting in this canoe with this kind of a view... yep that's our kind of happiness. 

PS I'm not sure how my body will cooperate after this long - thinking air mattress needs to be thicker... Methinks although the train derailed over the holidays its time to get back on track to healthy.