10 Reasons for Shopping for Handmade/Handcrafted Products

1. Unique one-of-a-kind items
2. Products created using natural ingredients
3. Like supporting small business owners.
4. Better customer service than a large company that only offers automated service.
5. Meeting the artisan/crafter that created the product.
6. High quality & excellent craftsmanship of the item/product
7. Made with love and pride in the product
8. Helps small entrepreneurs live their dream
9. Shopping local farmers markets, craft malls, etc. helps build the economy in your area
10. Skill & craftsmanship put into the product/item.

I’m sure you can think of many other reasons for buying handmade/handcrafted. Please feel free to share those reasons with us. Personally, I support small business for the simple fact that our country started out with businesses such as these and I like handcrafted products. I have met many interesting people buying or shopping handcrafted and I've found some fantastic products. The customer service is tops!

Many artisans depend upon your patronage to keep their businesses afloat. Some crafters run a business to supplement their other income, as a hobby, or as a full-time job. If you are looking for quality, one-of-a-kind products remember to shop for handmade/handcrafted products. There are many websites that offer products that are fully created and crafted by a real live person. You may find handcrafted items on sites such as Etsy and Artfire to name a couple of places. There are many other places to buy handcrafted, including individual business websites. If you look around you may find some places that support handcrafted such as Indie Public, Handmade Highway, Snowberry Creek, and many other blogs. Look around….you may be pleasantly surprised by the quality of products out there. We have many talented e-tailers in our sample box….be sure to check them out while you’re out browsing around.

Tuesday Parade

I was looking for a Tuesday meme that I thought would fit our blog. I couldn't find one that I could showcase the e-tailers so....I decided we will have a Tuesday Parade of Creations. It's not a meme but it is our own personal parade and you are welcome to join...if you would like to show off something that you have created or a product you carry. Valentine's is quickly approaching & people will be looking for that perfect something for their honey.

Here's a few photos of some of our e-tailers creations or products. If I have left you out, I'm truly sorry. I probably didn't have a picture that I could use. This was a spontaneous decision. Add your link, picture or send me the picture and I'll be happy to add it. If you're not a e-tailer, but would like to be - it's easy - send us your product & we will promote you. For more details on being an etailer, please visit the Snowberry Creek Sample Boxes.

Hope you see something that you need ~ please feel free to rush right over to the e-tailer's website and order it!

Hope everyone has a creative Tuesday!














Heaven and Earth Essentials - Wild Berry Botannical Scrub
Brings you exquisite bath & body products along with a
variety of handmade creations.










SBS Teas - Tea for One
Offers a variety of teas,
coffees, cocoas & accessories.
You may be interested in
the tea of the month club.












Ye Olde Chandler - Handmade
soy candles in over 60
scentalizing fragrances. Choose
from a variety of styles.
Handmade specialty soaps
including the popular -
Fleur-de-lis.















Candles & Woodcrafts -
craftsman of many wooden
products. Painted items such
as the snowman, wooden
plaques, clocks, and wooden
soap molds & displays for the
artisan.


















Mrs. Sterlings - a bath & body boutique offering
the finest products for pampering yourself.
Products to help you create your own spa
retreat at home. Don't forget to pamper those
feet with the pedi products!



















Overall Beauty - brings you many products
to beautify yourself with including
mineral eyeshadows, nail polish, magic lash,
and many accessories. She writes a beauty
blog, too.






























Lathered Up - Handcrafted natural products,
including soaps, scrubs, bath & body items.
Pictured above is the shaving bar - this will
soften up your honey's skin...ooh lala!












Soap That Makes Scents -
Handmade vegan soap bars,
lip balms and perfumes. Made in
small batches to ensure optimal
freshness.

















Just Right Candles - fragrant wickless
candles in many sizes. The gift box
above includes a burner.








Don't forget your 4-legged
friend! A shampoo bar
created especially for your
dog by Heaven and Earth
Essentials.












The Soap Corner - creator of
many handmade soaps-including
beer & coffee soaps, butter
bath melts and tarts.
She is revamping
her store & may be found on
Etsy at this time.










Reviyve - Fresh Radiant Skin -
Natural ethnic skin care products
for women. She has a product
for any condition that may be
plaguing you & writes informative
articleswith tips and advice.













Delightfully Wed - for the
horselover. A bar soap enclosed
in a burlap bag. Many scents &
color available. Cake toppers,
soap favors & many other
wedding & party necessities.

Hope you've found something that will help you out with your Valentine's Day shopping. I know these e-tailers offer excellent customer service and quick shipping. Many of them offer gift certificates if you would rather let your honey pick the gift.

Toot-toot....the parade has ended! Hope you enjoyed it!

Sneak Peak

The Soap Corner sent us some pictures of some of the full-sized items she sent in for the May box. Some lucky people will receive one of these in their box. I think she sent in 5 extra nice products, along with her other items for the box. Wishing everyone luck in receiving one of these fantastic products! All of the products from The Soap Corner are very nice - but the extra nice ones are her from new line of gift sets.



This Pink Sugar Candle and Body Bar set is packaged in a pink organza bag. It is ready for gift giving. This set will make a nice thank you gift.









I don't have pictures of the other items, but I can tell you about them.

The Lemon Chiffon Set is packaged in a peach-colored organza bag. Items include: 8 oz. candle, a sun-shaped soap and a 1 oz. melt.

One Sweet Pea Set is packaged in a purple organza bag and includes a 8 oz. candle, a .60 body bar, 3 heart-shaped melts and 2.5 oz. molded soap.

One Sweet Pea Set packaged in a peach colored organza bag and includes a 8 oz. candle, .60 body bar, 3 heart-shaped melts and a 2.5 oz. molded soap.

If you're not lucky enough to receive one of The Soap Corner's gift sets, you may receive a full-sized bar of handmade soap (various fragrances), melt, or tarts.

Hope you've enjoyed the sneak peak of The Soap Corner's products. You may visit The Soap Corner at www.bonanzle.com/booths/thesoapcorneror at www.myspace.com/thesoapcorner.

Places to Consider - Selling Your Products

You have developed your products and you are ready to sell them. Wait, you don’t have a website….there are other options. While we all want a website, this is the dream, it may be more economical to start out with one of the other selling venues available. Most of the selling venues offer low cost startup for the beginning entrepreneur. Selling this way will may enable you to discover if there is a market for your product. Taking advantage established venues, where customers regularly shop may help you develop your own customer base. After you establish yourself as reputable business and accrue the funds needed you will be ready to get that website built.

The upside of opening a store on any of these sites is that it is quick. You will be up and going in no time. You will need to consider which is the best fit for your product and which offers the best deal. Some of them offer low monthly fees or no fees for stores, listing fees and final value fees vary. You will have to decide which is best for you and your product.

Here are some venues for starting out or for supplementing your website sales. At many of the venues you may open a store, while others are auction sites.
We are not endorsing any of these places, simply giving you the information to make your own decision.

www.etsy
www.ecrater
www.madeitmyself.com
www.artfire.com
www.fuzzb.com
www.ebay.com
www.rubylane.com
www.georgielove.com
www.ushops.com
www.icraft.ca
www.handmadecatalog.com
www.artsefest.com
www.silkfair.com
www.lov.li
www.winkelf.com
www.blujay.com
www.artisansmarket.com
www.buysellcommunity.com
www.craftersbuzz.com
www.craftmall.com
www.crafty-ones.com
www.freecraftfairauction.com
www.homegrownmarket.com
www.handmadecatalog.com
www.hyenacart.com
www.inetflea.com
www.pinkdoodle.com
en.dawanda.com
www.yessey.com
www.strictlyhandmade.com
www.mintd.com
www.ioffer.com
www.kinfolkcrafts.com
www.lillysplace.net
www.yabblebabble.com
www.cafepress
www.zazzle.com
www.bigcartel.com
www.imagekind.com
www.shopify.com
www.supermarkethq.com
www.1000markets.com
www.elsewares.com
www.craftersbuzz.com
www.gozabo.com
www.youcraftylot.com
www.folksy.com
www.erayo.com
www.trunkt.com
www.ebid.com
www.lollishops.com
www.plumdrop.com
www.seekingdesigners.com
www.youcraft.org
www.coriandr.com
www.handmadefusion.com
www.girlshopspot.com
www.bonanzle.com
www.buyitsellit.com
www.webidz.com
www.ubid.com
www.bidz.com
http://onlineshoppingmall.ning.com/

There are many other places to sell your products. These are the ones that came to mind. If you have any places you would like to add to our list - please feel free to post them.

"E-tailer Spotlight" - The Soap Corner

Teresa of The Soap Corner has some wonderful smelling soaps! The postmaster wanted to keep the box of items she sent in for the sample boxes. I have sniffed and sniffed - hope you are lucky enough to get one of her full-sized bars in your box. Teresa also sent in bath teas, lotion bars, tarts, lip dews and massage oils along with her full-sized bars of cold process soap.


Visit Teresa’s website or My Space to read about how she makes soap.

Visit Teresa at The Soap Corner, E-Crater, or My Space return to this blog – post about a product you like or would like to try. You will be entered into a drawing for a bar of Teresa’s fabulous handmade cold process soap. Drawing will be held on Monday, March 2, 2009.

Homemade Soap and Bath Essentials. Enjoy the Natural Form of Handmade Soaps. All products are formulated with good skin care in mind. 'Simply Homemade' by The Soap Corner.

Hi, I am the owner of The Soap Corner, my name is Teresa.

My small homebased business is located in Northern KY. I have been creating handmade soaps and bath products for a little over 2 years now, mostly selling at craft fairs in my area.

How or why did you start your business? After receiving a bar of homemade soap for a gift, and experiencing what a treat they were, I was hooked! I immediately had to find out more about this craft! I began reading and doing online research, joining soapmaker groups where women who have been in this industry for years were available to learn from.

What kind of products do you carry or make? Cold Processed & M&P Soaps, Homemade Bath Melts,Body Lotion Bars,Bath Salts and Lip Balm. I recently learned to make Tarts and Wax Melts to add to my products. Soap and Candles seem to go hand in hand!

Do you carry handmade products? Yes mostly
everything is handmade except the Melt & Pour soapmaking method.
What is your favorite product to make or create? Cold Processed Soap is my first passion (every batch is unique). But I also love my Butter Bath Melts.

Do you have a store front? No, Just on line.
Do you have more than 2 websites? Yes. I have a store front on Ecrater, that I just got open! http://www.thesoapcorner.ecrater.com/ I also have been working on my main soap store site at http://www.thesoapcorner.com/ but it not as yet completed to the way I want. And My space page at www.myspace.com/thesoapcorner. Come and Visit!
Do you work at another job? Yes. I am a bartender aboard a Riverboat for their lunch and dinner cruises during the summer months.

Do you have a quote or saying? Happiness is..Simply Homemade.

What advice would you offer to someone starting their own business? The research and work can be endless. Be passionate about what you do to succeed. Don't give up! Thank you Snowberry Creek! Teresa
www.myspace.com/thesoapcorner

Handcrafted Soap versus Commercially Made Soap

Today, much commercially made soap is not soap at all. They are actually harsh detergents. Detergents are less expensive and easier to manufacture than soaps. Would you buy a bar labeled as a detergent? I would not, but then many people don’t really read the label on their bars of soap. If you have read the label on your soap bar you may have seen sodium tallowate listed as one of the first ingredients. Many of you may know what sodium tallowate is. For those of you who don’t, I will tell you or you may check with your favorite search engine. Sodium tallowate is a natural result made by combining sodium hydroxide (lye) with beef tallow (beef fat). Tallow has been used in soap making for hundreds of years. Commercial soap makers use tallow due to it being inexpensive, plentiful, processes quickly and produces a hard bar. Some people say that tallow clogs pores, causes blackheads, acne, irritates eczema and is not for people with sensitive skin. The pioneers had no choice but to use tallow. Today we have many vegetable oils readily available for our use in soap making. While vegetable oils are more expensive than tallow, they produce a superior bar of soap.

Some other ingredients you may see listed on the wrapper that are not desirable in a bar of soap are:

Pentasodium penteteate is an inorganic salt used as a water softener, emulsifier and dispersing ingredient in cosmetic cleansing creams, lotions and soaps.
Tetrasodium EDTA is a synthetic preservative - can be irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes. Sodium isethionate is a synthetic detergent. It acts as a moisture absorber, surfactant and anti-static agent.
Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a synthetic detergent. It is an anionic surfactant, which means it reduces surface tension, making water ‘wetter’.
Trisodium etidronate is a preservative and possible skin irritant.
BHT - (butylhydroxytoluene) is a synthetic antioxidant to keep oils in the formula from going rancid. Sometimes used as a food preservative. BHT is sometimes used as a food preservative. When ingested, BHT has been implicated in tumor formation and liver enlargement in rodent tests.
Disodium phosphate is a buffering agent used to adjust pH in the soap.
PEG-6 methyl ether is a synthetic polymer made from oxirane (ethylene oxide) - used as a solvent.
Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid usually derived from tallow or lard and sometimes palm oil. Stearic acid contributes to a harder, more long-lasting bar of soap.

Much commercial soap has chemicals, fat, detergent and petroleum products. While these degreasers will cleanse your skin, they will also remove the natural oils leaving you with dry skin. Some people will say they do not want to use a soap made with lye. All soap has sodium hydroxide (lye) or it will not be soap. One difference in handcrafted soap and commercially made soaps is the fact that the handmade soap retains all of the natural glycerin. Glycerin is produced as a byproduct of the soapmaking process. The cosmetic industry uses glycerin in their products so it is removed from the soap and sold by the commercial soap manufacturers to the cosmetic industry. It is a profitable business venture for the commercial soap manufacturers but results in a less moisturizing soap and the use of harsher chemicals. Handmade soap retains all of the natural glycerin and results in a more moisturizing, superior bar of soap.
If you want to experience a “true” bar of soap with all of the natural, moisturizing ingredients– check with one of our many e-tailers that make their own soap. Soap makers have their own recipes and not all soaps are created equal (so to speak) but I have tried many of our e-tailers soaps and have not been disappointed with any of them. There are several different processes for soapmaking. We'll explore those later.

Give your skin a treat!

Here's a handy list of some of the e-tailers that create soaps:

A Woman With Scents, Candles and Woodcrafts, Country Keepsakes, Delightfully Wed, Ginger's Garden, Lathered Up, Laura's Lathers, Mrs. Sterlings, The Mom Lady, Tuxedo-Enterprises, and Uniquely Pampered.

Candles and Woocrafts has a sale posted on their website.