Yep, that's right ladies and gents, Bright Ideas has officially come to a close. It's been a long and very successful week, but I'm pooped! I'll be taking a two day break from blogging so I can focus on some other stuff and to relax without panicking about whether or not I scheduled a post at the right time!
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the following people: Jena, Jenny, and Debbie. They provided excellent answers to my questions and offered some amazing insight. My email box is full of notes and site-submitted comments complimenting the interviews, but I just thought of the questions - they made it magic. Thank you - all three of you - for the time and thought you put into these posts.
I'd love to hear any feedback you have regarding Bright Ideas. Would you like to see it twice a year? Annually? Should it be more interview-heavy? Should it have more supplier posts? Any suggestions for people you'd like to hear from in an interview? If you have any opinion, I'd love to hear it, so please comment here. I hope you enjoyed this week, and please, stop by again soon!
There's a lot of great areas of the independent design community that aren't part of the staple industries, which is why finding stuff that really makes you sit up and take notice feels even more inspiring and rewarding. They may not be part of the usual categories people shop for, but the fact they're unique makes them all the more worthwhile to check out.
Butter Cream Cup by Greenware Design: I'm a sucker for a well-styled succulent terrarium. I love the fact that the ceramic planter it comes in is also crafted by the person who planted it - the amount of passion that clearly went into this is completely evident, and is utterly inspiring.
Red Delicious of the Fruit Head Gang by Sewing Stars: How heartbreakingly adorable is this? A super sweet (or tart, if you would prefer its Granny Smith counterpart) take on the traditional stuffed animal, all the different Fruit Heads have different expressions and outfits and take on their own personalities. I love the details and the style!
Cute Doggie Collars by Retro Pet: Dogs may not be as finicky as cats in general, but that's no reason to give man's best friend a boring collar! Retro Pet has a lot of really cute patterns to make your furry friend fashionable, and many have matching leashes for the ultimate trend-right pooch.
Designer Collars by Kitty Cat Boutique: Does your feline "speak" with a British or Scottish accent? Lucky for them, Kitty Cat Boutique is on their side of "The Pond" and offers a lot of options where mass retailers are lacking - cute, trendy patterns that will make any cat feel like a million bucks one half of a million pounds.
I posted earlier that I had purchased a number of cat toys on Etsy from Jezzi4Ever, and I thought I'd take this opportunity on Bright Ideas to update you because, we'll, it's an awesome product. I got the first two a while back, and the cats loved them so much they started hiding them from me - they started stashing them in various places, including under the couch (you're not taking them from us, Mommy!) I started emailing Jessie, the shop owner, back and forth about them, and she ended up making several of them for me in custom colors. They turned out so cute, and I wanted to share them with all the other kitty owners out there - these are phenomenal! They're little two-colored felt goldfish stuffed with Marlow and Jocko's favorite catnip, Cosmic Catnip, which is some powerful stuff! They're simple, affordable, and cute - unique as well, as they're much different from anything else in my kitties' extensive collection of cat toys.
They shipped in little Ziplock bags, with two toys per bag. I decided to slowly introduce one toy after another, but as you can tell from the above photo, my impatient little Jocko decided he wanted all of his toys now.
Jocko enjoys / stares down one of the added bonus toys Jessie sent their way. The kitties (and I) were very grateful for the thoughtful extras! They were a big hit, as well - instead of being a more dimensional goldfish, these were more graphic.
Marlowe, hoarding his goldfish (not like he doesn't have enough, but after all, what's his is HIS.
Three dimensional design was never really my strongest subject, but my college roommate was an amazing furniture designer whose work I always found to be really inspiring. You may or may not be interested in doing design work in this field, but it's always great to look outside of your own category to push your work forward- after all, I wouldn't have designed my favorite poster to date if it wasn't for Christina!
Flowering Pillow by Julianna Holowka: while definitely out of my price range, I still love this pillow. It comes in different colors, and the selection is beautiful. As a designer, I'm also in love with the composition of where the flowers fall on the area of the pillow.
Pretty Much Anything at Beccalights: the Blush candle, above, is by far my favorite so far, but all of Beccalight's candles are well made. The packaging is really cute - an especially amazing job was done on the Holiday collection. When it comes to photographic and packaging presentation, Beccalights definitely raises the bar in the indie community.
Josephine Lamp by Julianna Holowka: another really great piece from the designer of the Flowering Pillows. I love the lampshade - it reminds me of many different organic things, from layered feathers to layered leaves, but its also so slick and clean.
Dishtowels by Sweetpea Handcrafts: the dishtowels at Sweetpea are great! I love that it's mostly white - it really gives the pattern and the trim the ability to pop out without being too busy. My favorite by far is the one above.
For most, there's nothing better than a wonderful warm, relaxing bath. For the creative, there's always an added bonus knowing you made the soap. Or the bubbles and bath salts. Heck, you even made the lotion you're going to use after you come out! Does that sound like it should be you? Here's the goods to get you into crafting Bath and Body product.
Suppliers - Multiple Bath & Body Areas
Bramble Berry: supplies for making soap, lip balm, lotions, bath salts, and more. Includes molds, colorant, exfolians, fragrances, and more. Just starting out and don't know what to do? They also offer kits.
Wellington Fragrance Company: despite their name, Wellington stocks various bases (including body gel, liquid hand soap, bubble bath, lotion, shampoo and conditioner bases), molds, flavor oils, and salts. Not surprisingly, they also stock fragrances (what a shock!).
Save on Scents: I love these guys. While they originally primarily fragrance oils (their selection is great, they've started to expant their collection to packaging (vials, bottles, rollons, and more), melt and pour soap bases, colorants, and a variety of other bases including shower gel, lip balm, scrub, lotion, and other various bases.
Sweet Cakes: if you're looking into bath and body as a business opportunity, Sweet Cakes offers bulk supplies for melt and pour soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion bases. They also supply packaging, lip balm bases and flavor oils, and a wide variety of fragrance and essential oils. Want to test out the scents? They also offer themed 1 ounce fragrance sampler packs.
Wholesale Supplies Plus: offering molds, fragrances, various bases, and packaging, WSP has a good selection that covers all of bath and body crafting. There's a particularly good selection of melt and pour bases to suit anyone's personal preference.
Suppliers - Soapmaking Exclusive
Creation Herbal: offering essential oils and soapmaking ingredients, Creation Herbal also offers organic alternatives for those crafting for that market. If you're interested in doing a more advanced soapmaking process than simple melt and pour, they have beginner recipe kits complete with all necessary ingredients and a step-by-step book to help you through it.
Suppliers - Fragrance Exclusive
Scent It: various fragrance oils available in various sizes, including sample sizes if you'd like to experiment before you buy a bulk size.
Suppliers - Packaging Exclusive
SKS Bottle: a really, really great variety of packaging options for bath and body products. I've used them before while I was in school developing a fictious bath and body line for a packaging class - and I'd use them again.
Books - Soapmaking
The Soapmaker's Companion by Susan Miller Cavitch: featuring recipes and techniques, this book helps inspire new ways of making your soaps unique. Probably the best feature of all, Cavitch also offers insight on soapmaking for profit, including the hardest part for all of us - understanding the government's rules and requirements!
The Natural Soap Book by Susan Miller Cavitch: also by Ms. Cavitch, this book features soap recipes in the cold process method using all-natural ingredients. In addition to the recipes, Cavitch also discusses ideas for creative packaging and presentation.
Soapmaking for Fun and Profit by Maria Nerius: geared slightly more towards the business side of soapmaking, including pricing and marketing, it also addresses how to develop recipes and setting up a workspace.
Melt and Pour Soapmaking by Marie Browning: through great imagery and easy to follow directions, this book will help you make your melt and pour soaps even more unique with discussions on fragrance, additives, colorants, embossing, embedding and more. Though the title would suggest it's only a book about melt and pour, there are also recipes included on hand milled soaps, bath salts, bubble baths, massage oils, and bath powders.
Making Natural Liquid Soaps by Catherine Failor: in addition to all-natural recipes for shampoos, bath and shower gels, and bubble baths, this book gives insight into the chemistry behind bath and body product, and how to use different hard fats and soft oils to the best advantage. There's also information included about how to formulate your own blends, and addresses basic techniques that everyone can follow.
Today's interview features Debbie Chialtas, the soapmaking gal behind San Diego, California-based Soapylove Glycerin Soaps. Fun, fresh, and often wildly unexpected, Soapylove has become an important must-watch craft business in the bath and body world.
So, tell us a little bit about your business. I’m a
naturally creative person whose original inspiration was in fashion
design. For the last 10 years I have worn many hats in the apparel
business but a little over 2 years ago found new creative energy
when I started experimenting with glycerin “melt and pour”
soap. Thanks completely to Etsy, Soapylove has evolved very
naturally and I hope to one day make it my new full time job!
What made you pick up soapmaking in the first place? Where did you learn your techniques? What started it
all was my first pregnancy. I wanted to save money by making my own
cocoa butter lotion. I took a class on homemade bath and beauty
products and rediscovered glycerin soapmaking. I had abandoned it
several years before when I tried to make an oatmeal soap and
accidentally set the oats on fire in my oven - oops! I learned the
basic techniques from books, but mostly made it up as I went along.
What motivated you to make Soapylove into a business rather than a hobby? Probably like most
people, I wanted to make more than I could use. I stumbled upon
Etsy, which was the perfect venue for selling my soaps. What was your strategy for promoting yourself once you decided to start it up, and was it effective? My
promotion strategy was list, list, list until I sold something.
Also, I wasn’t afraid to ask bloggers to write about my soaps!
I think both were (and are) very effective.
What was the hardest part about getting your business started, and why? The hardest thing
was learning that what I think people will love is not necessarily
the case. And also accepting that there are busy and very slow
times in any business, and that I need to be patient and not get
bummed out when it’s slow.
What were some of the lessons you've learned along the way? Is there anything you'd wished you'd known or thought of before taking the plunge? I’ve
learned that in order to grown a business, you need to develop what
makes you unique. See what items people like best and expand on
that. But also keep pushing yourself creatively to keep things
fresh and exciting. [As for anything I'd wished I'd known,] not really. Every experience is a learning
experience.
Is there any particular advice you'd give someone interested in starting a crafting business, online or off? Yes, if you feel
like you’re not selling as much as you should, keep
experimenting with selling venues. You just need to find your
customer! It’s a big world and there are lots of people who
will love your stuff. It’s up to you to find them!
On to your process. Soapmaking has a lot of components to it - color, scent, and you also
play with opacity, suspended pieces, layering, different shapes, and
other elements. What kind of process have you developed to put these
puzzle pieces together into a design? Do you keep a record of your ideas for
future reference? I don’t have
a process, really. It just depends on what I’m inspired by.
I usually make a lot of soap at once. If I get a few hours
undisturbed, I’ll try a few things that have been on my mind.
I do keep a sketch book for ideas, and post virtually every soap I
make on Flickr, which is like my portfolio.
Are there any other designers in the independent design and craft community that you look to for inspiration or whose work you really admire? I find other
crafters extremely inspiring, but I just pick up bits from each one.
I respect people’s work, and always ask permission first if
I’m going to really duplicate something.
Are there any influences outside of the crafts community that has impacted your work? The cake
decorators on Food Network. I love those cake contests!
Your signature pieces are the Soapsicles, but your assortment as a whole are always unique and innovative. How did the Soapsicles, and your other ideas, develop into a final product? I think I saw a Soapsicle online and decided to try one. I had a set of molds from
years ago. It is so gratifying to pull a new Soapsicle from the
mold and see how it came out! My bars are still mostly for fun. I
rarely wholesale them because they’re so time consuming to
make.
Soapmaking seems to have an infinite amount of mediums associated with it, and you chose to work exclusively with glycerin. How did you come to that decision? Glycerin soap has
so many creative possibilities that it was the only way for me to
go.
About the online crafts community: what's your favorite part about being a member? The world wide
exposure is my favorite. It’s so interesting to see that
Australians and people in the UK seem to like my soaps the best.
Without the internet, I would never know that!
Are there any sites or people that you think are really impacting the popularity of the community? Yes – I
think the indie craft shows are introducing the community to many
folks outside of the indie culture. Etsy has also been phenomenal.
Last question: any thoughts on how the community could improve itself? I would love to
see more acceptance within the community regarding “artists”
versus “crafters” or “indie businesses” versus
“small businesses.” We all have one thing in common:
we’re creative people who want to pursue our passions. So
let’s all just “feel the love!”
Thank you, Debbie, for your time and thoughtful insight. For more information on Debbie and her work on Soapylove, visit its primary site or its shop on Etsy.
Since I'm in the process of developing my own stationery line and since the bulk of my experience is in this area, I thought I'd share with you what's really inspiring me at the moment. I hope you feel the same way!
Illustrated Cards at Hello! Lucky: I've always love their cards, but I'm getting into a phase now where pretty engraving-style illustration isn't doing it for me anymore - too many people rely on it too heavily as a design aesthetic without bringing more to the table - I don't mean to say Hello! Lucky is among them, but that part of their collection is beginning to lose its sparkle for me. The illustrated half, however, is really starting to make a bigger impact on me. What I love about the quality of the artwork on these is how well they work to really please everyone - children and adults. When you look at a lot of card illustration on the mass market, it's not very well executed in general and the styles don't often make sense with what the card is for, or who it's for. I find it also inspiring because I can see how I can relate it to my own work, since I have a similar style, with bold line work (I can't help it, I'm a graphic designer!) and thinner line details.
Wallpaper Post Bound Books at Freshly Blended Press: If there's a binding I love most, it's definitely post binding. I love how distinctly modern it looks alongside other binding types, especially when matched with interesting textures and patterns on the covers of a book. I love how smart FB Press was to use vintage wallpaper in the place of bookcloth, but what I appreciate even more is how graphic the pattern on this one is. I think, even though it's not literally modern, it looks like a very hip, contemporary piece when paired with the post bind and the elastic band. In the past, I've bound books like this with bold pattern as well, but in paper rather than wall paper, so I'm really inspired to see other ways I can push my books to be more innovative and unique after looking at these.
Scallop Edged Notebooks at Nantaka Joy: She stole my scallops! No, just kidding of course, but in a lot of design work lately, I've been a little obsessed with scallops (you'll see that in some of my cards, and anyone who saw the original layout for TTAH knows my love for them). What I take away from these is that there are really great ways to use graphic, impactful shapes and patterns while still staying feminine by taking small details into consideration. Other than the scallop edge which I obviously love, I love the light metallics, and the decision to keep all the shapes organic-looking (one reminds me of flowers, the other looks like either mitocandria (don't ask... I may have failed the ink blot test on this one) or abstract pine cones).
Hey, it's what I went to school for! Well, sort of, but it ended up being a large part of my education. Paper arts is one of those craft categories where you can pick a project that's either really, really cheap - or really, really expensive. The best examples would probably be simple card crafting on the cheap end, and bookmaking on the "wait until your next couple of paychecks" end, but both are fun and rewarding. For a paper geek like me, it gets my heart racing. Here are some supply sites and general resources on the web I find to be really helpful. I can't offer you any tutorials on the web because I still haven't found any that I like which illustrate and explain it well for beginners; I've included some good binding books in place of any web tutorials.
Suppliers - Bookbinding
Talas: they have everything under the sun for the book arts and are the first company I went to in college for more advanced supplies. They've got a great selection of book cloth to choose from (sample swatch books available for purchase!), and their book selection is definitely worth checking out (a number of them I either own or have read).
Hollander's: I'd heard about these guys recently. Their retail storefront is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but they also sell their supplies online. If you're a beginner, they have large variety of text blocks already sewn and finished so you don't have to worry about the sometimes frustrating steps of gluing your signatures. All you have to do is add your endpapers and attach to your covers!
Suppliers - General Paper Crafts
Paper Mojo: I could stare at their Contemporary Prints section all day. They've got all sorts of awesome papers to choose from, from patterned to lace to tissue.
Martha Stewart Crafts: whatever, I'm a sucker. Really beautiful ribbon, paper, punches, embellishments, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
Kraft Outlet: I love brown kraft paper. I'm not sure what it is about it, but it's awesome. Kraft Outlet has a whole bunch of nifty things for packaging, stationery and other various paper-based projects in sweet, sweet kraft.
Creative Paper Crafts: I found some pretty cute rubber stamps here. They've got supplies for a variety of crafting techniques including origami, embossing, and quilling, as well as scrapbooking supplies.
Resources and Information - Letterpress
Don Black's First Press Suggestions: want to get into letterpress but you don't know which machine to start with? Here's a good page to get your started.
Briarpress: the letterpress printer's haven. Whether printing is new to you or you're been doing it for a while, there's something for everyone, including classifieds (need a printer?), help forums, and workshop / class announcements.
Martha Stewart Crafts Projects: if you're doing paper crafts, might as well go the patron saint of all things (somewhat) crafty, Martha. There are actually a bunch of really cute projects here that can really inspire new ideas and don't necessarily utilize her product. It's well explained and illustrated, too - heck, I used to design and create place cards for a living (worked at an invitation store), but I'm not sure I could have explained the process of pop up place cards better than the way it's described in the Themed Bird Party place card instructions!
Books - Book Binding
Making Books by Hand by Mary McCarthy: I bought this book back in school during my sophomore year, when I was first getting started in bookbinding. It was a really helpful reference on alternative binds or little things I could do while constructing my book to make it special. I'd definitely say it was a worthwhile purchase, especially for a beginner, because of its clear photos and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions.
The Encyclopedia of Papermaking and Bookbinding by Heidi Reimer-Epp: this book really has a bit of everything in the process of making a finished book, from the papermaking process to several varieties of binding. It's well illustrated and explained, so anyone of any skill level in either area can easily pick up the crafts.
The last time I sewed was a long time ago. Once upon a time, Maddy studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design over the summer between her sophomore and junior year of high school, only to realize she hated the industry and... well, frankly, didn't have the patience to sew and liked the design half better. I thought I'd share with you what's around that is getting me excited to hop back into it, and I hope you'll be excited too!
In Stitches by Amy Butler: This book is a tasty looking book. Amy Butler in general I think has an amazing taste level for a lot of the accessories patterns she publishes, and I think this book is a testament to that. The only thing that's holding me back from buying this at this very moment is the fact I don't have a sewing machine here in Minneapolis (yet). It's on my list of priority purchases, but I doubt the boyfriend wants a book laying around while I can only use it to appreciate pretty pictures. Sigh.
Sew U by Wendy Mullin: Another book earmarked for later. The author is Wendy from Built by Wendy, and I think that sort of speaks for itself.
Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter: The third book I'm waiting on. What excites me most about this book is how simply everything is explained and that everything in the book is a functional item that I could see myself using regularly or decorating with. That I find to be pretty rare, as people's taste in patterns don't always match or you just may not have a use for something in particular, but this book makes me want to buy a mass quantity of yards of patterned fabric and just start producing!
Crafty Planet: Don't come to the Twin Cities without going to Crafty Planet. I had heard a lot about this store in the past, but for the longest time had no idea it's literally, oh, ten minutes of a drive from my apartment. It is the fun sewing crafts MECCA of this area. Their online shop is cool, but when you get to see their entire assortment right in front of you, it is at the same time the most motivating and overwhelming thing. You're immediately flooded with project ideas but you'll have no time to complete them all without going back to your college days of no sleep and lots of coffee!
Thanks to the Magic of Etsy, it's easy to find really inspirational and interesting pieces in any category, if you're willing to invest the time to look. Here's some interesting "AH-HAH!" things I pulled up - hopefully it inspires you to create... or to pull out your wallet!
Hooded Jersey Baby Doll Dress by Niceface: Very cute take on the shirt dress. I love the little button details at the top, and the half sleeve is perfect for the upcoming fall.
Western Corset by Mariapozo: First of all, I have to take my five seconds all to congratulate her on an amazing photograph. Okay, five seconds over. Oh. My. Goodness. How incredible is this thing? I'm amazed at how intricate and perfectly symmetrical it is, and how well it's done. I mean, zoom in on that baby! If that doesn't give you sewing craft aspirations (because, let's face it, I was hopeless in Home Ec yet still somehow had an idea that I'd end up doing costume design), I don't know what does!
Paisley Leather Cuff in Turquoise by Hollyhawk: I like the graphic pattern and the blue color. What really fascinates me is that she hand dyed the leather, something I'd never attempted - or even though of attempting!
Cheerful Bee Business Card Wallet in Leafy Green by JennMaruskaDesign: This definitely made me go, "awwwwww!" when I first saw it. It's really sweet, and I could certainly use a card holder (if only people actually needed my cards more frequently!). I love the green color too - it's precious! Card wallets - it's one of those projects you just generally forget about - glad someone didn't!
Thistle Scoop Neck in Plum: What I love about this design and is interesting to me is really in the way the thistle is presented. It's really refreshing that you can see something organic and elegant but isn't as literal as the engraving or hyper-precise silhouettes that are all over the place. This illustration is more loose, and abstract, while still being legible. I think it's a fresh take on a trend that's on its way to getting too watered down.
On My Way to Waikiki Ponytail Holders by Magpiesnest: Another product I hadn't really thought of in the accessories area (perhaps it's because I have short hair that barely at best can make a pony tail?), but is really beautifully executed. I love the graphic design of them, and I really appreciate that they're kept more simple. They're small, so keeping it clean and basic allows the one graphic element to really pay off!
White Eyelet Sun Dress by Cherrypievintage: This is gorgeous. I love the cut, and I love the fabric. If there was any dress to really motivate me to drop those extra college-era pounds, this is probably it! I love the little bows at the top - they're so sweet and feminine and add a simple but unique touch to it.
: featuring recipes and techniques, this book helps inspire new ways of making your soaps unique. Probably the best feature of all, Cavitch also offers insight on soapmaking for profit, including the hardest part for all of us - understanding the government's rules and requirements!
