3 Days of Soaping This Wknd!

This weekend we are having our last "Soap From Scratch" classes of 2009. It's just a few days away and we still have a few spots left! If you make Hot Process (HP) soap, and give it away for the holidays, it can be used immediately. Cold Process (CP) soap technically needs 4-6 weeks to cure before it's ready to use, but you can still give it away for the holidays with a cute little note saying "please do not use until fully cured on 1/15/10" (or whatever your date is).

For the upcoming 3-day soap bonanza, we start with the 2-Day Soap Making Boot Camp on Saturday & Sunday (12/5 & 12/6), which covers Cold Process 101, Cold Process 201 (swirls & layers using slab molds), Hot Process (all taught by yours truly) and Big Batch or Production Soap Making with our "tell it like it is" soap expert David Critchfield of Mission Peak Soap.

Then, the day immediately following the 2-day soap boot camp is an optional third day, yet another opportunity to "take your soap to the next level" with the Advanced CP Soap Design Class using loaf/log molds, taught by Ruth Esteves of Sirona Springs. It can be taken just a single day (without the boot camp) if you already know how to make soap (or have taken our CP 101 prerequisite class).

Here are pictures of the amazing soap that was made in the last Advanced Soap Design class, with notes from the teacher Ruth underneath:

First, I showed how to make this vertically layered soap with a swirl.
This may be my favorite technique. I love how delicately the swirls turn out.

Is anyone else reminded of a lava lamp with this “In-the-pot swirl” technique?

There are tons of options for shapes that can be embedded in soap.

The funnel swirl technique always results in some interesting bars.
It’s a very modern, graphic look.

Ruth had to say “Bon Voyage” to these amazing soaps as she packed them up to ship them to the students (each student got 4 full-sized bars, one of each technique, all made in the class). With a tear in her eye (and maybe a little soap too), Ruth commented, "But I’ll always have my pictures."

Join Me: HSMG Forum Experts Panel

I'm excited to be answering questions at the HSMG forum next Thursday, August 20, 2009, from 10am-2pm (pacific standard time). I believe you have to be a member in order to join the forum. What a great excuse to finally join! Very much looking forward to your questions.

Here's the ditty about the Experts Panel, taken word for word from the HSMG Blog:

It is with great anticipation that the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild, Inc. opens its new season of the Experts Panels with Lori Nova of in our Experts Panel. Many of you had the opportunity at the HSMG Conference in Palm Springs to hear Lori’s presentation “Coloring With Confidence.” Besides plying her with your questions about “Coloring”, she will also entertain your questions, comments about Cold Process Soapmaking, swirling and layering.

Lori will be available Thursday, August 20, 2009 from 10am to 2pm Pacific Standard Time so post your questions to the HSMG Forum area entitled, Experts Panel, today! Lori will reply during her scheduled timeframe and answer your other questions with extra Expert advice on Coloring with Confidence and also anything to do with Cold Process Soapmaking, swirling and layering. I know her time with us will be rich and informative. If you did not get to hear Lori at the Conference, now is your chance.

Review: New 4-Day Boot Camp

What do you get when you mix 15 energetic women, a multitude of recipes for beautifying, cleaning house, pampering pets and rejuvenating body? The Nova Studio’s new 4-Day Natural Product Making Boot Camp!

The brand new 4-Day Product Making Boot Camp took place from June 25th to 28th, 2009, at The Nova Studio in quaint little Point Richmond. Some of the Boot Campers traveled all the way from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Maryland, Indiana, Arizona & Los Angeles to take part in four days of product making goodness.

[A rainbow of mica powders for eyeshadow making.]

The first day, taught by Lori, was all about Making Mineral Make-Up. We learned the pros and cons of each of the different ingredients use in most name-brand Mineral Make-ups. Did you know that most mineral foundations on the market cost only dollars to make? Did you also know that it only takes about five minutes to make a whole batch of said makeup? It’s amazing! We also learned how to mix mica powders and create eye shadows as well as blush and bronzers. I think most of us were in agreement that there is absolutely no reason to buy commercial make-up after learning how to create the products ourselves, especially since it can be tailored to our very own skin type and color.

[The rosy mortar & pestles after we created our beautiful blush & bronzers.]

Day two was an exciting one! Lori taught the first class of the day, Eco-Friendly (Aromatherapy) Home Cleaning Products. Amazingly, most essential oils have some antibacterial properties and are wonderful for use in home made cleaning products. We made yummy smelling window and surface cleaners – no toxic chemicals here! We also made a scouring powder and a Multi-purpose Bathroom Spray. I used orange & clove essential oils in mine and now my sparkling clean bathroom smells just dreamy! Try and say the same thing after using one of those bubbly scrub products on your shower and tub. Yuck! It's homemade, eco-friendly products for me from now on. (I think Lori mentioned she was going to make this into a full day class next quarter - so check the website for that.)

[Students siphon freshly made eco-friendly window cleaner into bottles.]

The second half of the day was filled with herbs and flowers, oh my! Alice's Herbal Extracts class was amazing! We learned how to make tinctures, teas and decoctions, herbal and floral oil extracts and glycerites. Our noses were blessed with the aromas of lavender, mint and rosemary. Bliss!

[Alice proudly shows us her bounty of lavender, freshly picked that morning.]

Day three was all about making products! The first half of the day, Alice showed us the ins-and-outs of making Balms, Gels and Serums. We all took home freshly made samples of Alice’s Facial Serum, Aloe Body Gel and a Soothing Body Balm. Ahhhh!

After we came back from lunch, we learned how to make Aromatherapy Momma and Baby Products. Did you know that there are only a handful of essential oils that should be used on babies under the age of one? With our new found knowledge, we crafted a Zinc Diaper Cream, a Baby Cleansing Lotion (for little bottoms!), a Calming Chamomile Hydrosol Spray and as a bonus, a sachet of Soothing Bath Tea.

[Caroline and Marisel have fun while they work.]

Our last day (#4) of camp was wonderful! Alice and Lori each taught a class and it was so great to see both of them before the Camp concluded.

[Bottles of Hydrosol for our sniffing & spritzing pleasure. ]

Alice taught the morning class - Handmade Hydrosols. There were herbs and flowers galore! We got to smell samples of both Alice’s hand made hydrosols and the store bought preparations. There really is nothing like hand made, that’s for sure! Alice showed us how to take ordinary household items and create a mini “lab” for hydrosol making. When you realize how easy it all is, it blows your mind, in a soothing, peppermint-scented kind of way.

Our final class of the day (and of the Product Making Boot Camp) was Lori’s brand spanking new, All-Natural Aromatherapy Dog Product class. If you have a dog-child like I do and you want to get into creating handmade concoctions, this class is a must take (look for it in early 2010). Do you know that some essential oils are toxic to dogs and also that the proper ratio of essential oil to product is WAY different for dogs than it is for humans? We made and took home samples of a doggy shampoo, a doggy cologne spray (my boys now smell like beautiful little Lumberjacks!), a natural ear cleaner and a natural flea powder. I give the new class four paws up!

[Cami, the mascot of the b-camp made a rare appearance for 3 of the 4 days!]

After four jam-packed days of making goodies, following recipes and absorbing information, I think we all walked away satisfied and inspired! Just another wonderful weekend at The Nova Studio.

Video: 2009 Soap Conference

I *just* saw this short video on the 2009 Soap Guild Annual Conference (held this past May in Palm Springs, CA) and had to share it with you!

I was very surprised to hear my voice (and see my mug) at the beginning of the video. I was interviewed immediately following my "Coloring Soap with Confidence" presentation... and I was SO sleep deprived, I didn't think I said anything coherent, let alone something that they would end up using in the video.

While watching this video, I had a huge smile on my face and it totally brought me warm & fuzzy feelings to see all my soaping friends there with me, having an amazing time... very heartwarming to know that I'm part of such a truly special group.

I have been SO busy since the conference, I haven't had a chance to share (on this blog) all that I learned and what a great time I had. I still plan on doing that, but in the mean time I wanted to this quick blog post just so you could see what it was like (those of you who couldn't attend). Click here to see the official HSMG 2009 conference summary with comments & more pictures/videos.

The HSMG Conference for 2010 will be April 30 - May 2, in Denver, Colorado. I certainly plan on being there (it will be my 5th conference!) and I *highly* recommend the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild to anyone who enjoys making soap as a hobby or wants to be in the business of selling soap. [Note to Self: Renew membership ASAP - expires on 7/18/09!]

Now back to prepping for my 2-Day Soap Making Boot Camp which starts tomorrow morning at 10am! 14 people will be here, so I'd better be ready :)

Review: Hands-On Soap Lab

Last Sunday, 6/7/09, was an exciting day at The Nova Studio. Seventeen soap makers made their first batch of soap at our Hands-On Cold Process Soap Making Soap Lab.

The lab, which was offered twice (once in the morning and once at noon), was a hands-on opportunity where first-time or unsure soap makers could make a batch of soap while getting help and instruction from a more experienced soap mentor.

Students mixed their own lye and water, measured the temperature of the mixture, picked out their colorants, fragrances and additives, lined their molds, mixed their soap (both by hand and with a stick blender), poured the soap into their mold and cautiously cleaned up their mess. Lori Nova (owner of The Nova Studio), David Critchfield (owner of Mission Peak Soap) and a few experienced Teacher's Assistants (Tom Accettola, Marie Mason, & Alana Rivera, owner of Etta + Billie) helped the students go through the each step of the soap making process.

[Christian looking through Lori's box of soap color samples.]

[Weighing Essential Oils for a fresh batch of soap.]

As luck (ha!) would have it, the power went out during the morning lab! No power meant non-working stick blenders, which meant that the students had to stir their soap by hand! There were still two students (below) still stirring their soap when the second lab began. Luckily, the power came back on and all of the students were able to bring their mixture to trace (the beginning of the saponification process) with their stick blenders.

[Mixing raw soap by hand.]


[Lori helping Karen check to see if her soap is properly mixed.]

[A student stirs safflower petals into her soap.]

[At the end of the soap lab... Lori experiments with embedded loofa soaps.
NOTE: Lori said that the trace was a bit too thick for this technique!]

Both of the labs ended up a success! The students went home with fresh batches of soap and left feeling satisfied and confident in their soap making skills.

Just another great day here at The Nova Studio! We hope to see you soon :)

[Lori Nova, David Critchfield and T.A. Alana Rivera go from serious to silly!]

(Post written and photographs taken by Stephanie Violet, a volunteer at The Nova Studio.)

Review: 2-Day Boot Camp

A few weeks ago, we worked ourselves into a soap-filled frenzy! With the help of Lori Nova (owner of The Nova Studio) and David Critchfield (of Mission Peak Soap Products), 14 students, all varying in their soap making abilities, learned how to make soap from scratch. The Two-Day Soap Making Boot Camp, which took place on May 30th and 31st, filled two days with four classes worth of information. The Boot Camp format is very convenient for anyone who wants to learn all about the craft of Soapmaking, but doesn't have the time (or patience!) to wait for each class individually. The Boot Camp covered all of the materials of each of the four basic soap making classes: Cold Process 101 Soap Making, Cold Process Swirls & Layers, Crockpot Hot Process Soap Making and Big Batch/ Production CP Soap Making.

Saturday started off with general introductions. The students got to learn a little bit about the soap making goals of each of their classmates and learned about the history of both The Nova Studio and actual soap making. The students were given thorough hand-out with recipes, conversion tables, soap making resources and trouble shooting tips for each class.

[Raw, uncolored soap.] Lori's first demonstration was making a batch of what she calls Pickle Soap. After measuring the lye and water, the students were shown the proper technique for mixing the two. She demonstrated how to measure the solid and liquid oils and heat them to the proper temperature. After the two components were allowed to cool, each of the students put on their gloves and goggles and helped stir the mixture!

[Raw "Dill Pickle" Soap.] The students got to see, up close, the different stages that the soap goes through as the chemical reaction takes place. After the soap was thick enough (at a thick trace), the students watched as the soap mold was lined and the green soap was poured into it's temporary home (a shoe box), bundled with a towel for the night, and now it was time for lunch!

Lori had conveniently prepared a list of restaurants and eateries that were open, so, during the lunch hour, the students wandered the quaint streets of Point Richmond in search of grub. The studio stayed open during lunch, just in case anyone had brought a brown bag lunch or wanted to bring their purchase back and hang out in the Studio.

The second half of Saturday was all about advanced design techniques with CP soap. The students were shown Lori's technique for making her award winning swirled soap, and also layered soap.

[Students look-on as Lori pours the base color in her swirled soap demonstration. We used a little too much purple color here!]

[Swirled soap, fresh from the mold. We nick-named this soap: Barney Purple vs. the Incredible Hulk Green. It was scented with essential oils of Lavender & Rosemary. Can you smell it?]

On Sunday morning, the students arrived with a fresh perspective and settled in for an exciting lesson in Hot Process Crock Pot Soap Making. All of the same lye precautions were used, which helped re-enforce the top priority in soap making: Safety, safety, safety!

[Lori and a student add color to the Crock Pot full of soon to be Lemongrass Loofah hot process soap. Lori was proudly wearing her new Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild T-Shirt from the recent conference in Palm Springs, CA where she taught a Coloring Soap with Confidence class.]

During the lunch break, the students left to get sandwiches from a local Deli, while David Critchfield prepped the studio for his portion of the Boot Camp, Big Batch / Production CP Soap Making.

David taught the class how to make big batches of soap -- up to 100 bars at a time! He used the Cold Process method, mixing his raw soap in a 5 gallon bucket with a power drill and a mixing attachment. He showed the class his huge, handmade soap mold and shared his techniques for lining the mold, curing the soap and also cutting the giant block of soap into single bars (cutting 100 bars in about 10 minutes.. insane!).

[David pouring a massive amount of raw, traced soap into his budget handmade mold.]

[David demonstrating how he cuts soap in mass quantities.]

After David finished his Big Batch class, Lori came back and we unmolded all four batches of soap that were made in the boot camp (with the exception of David's batch that had just been poured). Lori said a few more words to conclude the weekend and then passed out feedback forms and customized Certificates of Completion to each student.

A little green cabinet in the front of the room housed soap making goodies that were for sale and many students purchased supplies and ingredients for their own soap making adventures. Both teachers were available to answer any questions or concerns that the students had about the Boot Camp.

The class really enjoyed seeing the difference in teaching styles, as well. Lori is very precise and follows her directions to a "T", whereas David is very laid back and has a "little of this, little of that" type of attitude towards soap making.

If you're interested in taking part in a future 2-Day Soap Making Boot Camp, click here for upcoming dates & more information.

(Post written and photographs taken by Stephanie Violet, a volunteer at The Nova Studio.)

New Class Calendars - Just Posted!

We've been working non-stop here at The Nova Studio and we're very excited to announce that the class calendars for July, August & September (26 different classes for this quarter) are now up and enrolling! Have a look at our website, www.thenovastudio.com, or check out the links below to take a peek at all of the classes we're offering!

New Classes:

• Packaging Your Bath and Body Products, with Joan McCoy.
  
  Learn all about how to increase the sales of your products, attract or repel customers and keep your current customers coming back for more, all through the use of packaging!

• Creative Digital Inkjet Printing & Transfers, with Angela Silva.
  This workshop is geared towards Angela's past students (of her first Image Transfer Intensive) or anyone who would like to learn more about transferring images using their inkjet printer! Join Angela as she shares her knowledge with hands-on examples!
  
  
• Herbal Extracts; Infusions, Tinctures and Glycerites, with Alice Duvernell.
  In this demo and hands-on class, Alice teaches the fundamentals of herbal extractions using oil, alcohol and glycerin. Learn how to save money by making these expensive bath and body raw materials at home!
  
  
• Precious Metal Clay (PMC) with Gold, with Patrik Kusek.
  Join Patrik in this day long "Advanced Beginner" class where you'll learn how to incorporate gold into your PMC pieces. This is a hands-on and lecture style class!
  
  
• Melt and Pour Soap: Engraving, Painting & Transfers, with Debbie Chialtas.
  Another brand new all day class with Celebrity guest instructor Debbie of Soapylove fame. Learn how to transfer designs, use special paints, engrave and embed items in your melt and pour soaps! See website for the impressive soaps you'll make.
  
  
• Advanced Cold Process (CP) Design with Loaf Molds, with Ruth Esteves.
  Join our newest teacher, Ruth Esteves, in this day long, hands-on class where she'll cover layering, swirling, embedding and texturizing soap in loaf molds! This is a perfect next level class for anyone who has taken our Cold Process 101 or our 2-day Soap Boot Camp.
  
  
• Coloring Soap with Confidence, with Lori Nova.
  Join Lori, owner of the Nova Studio, for this Power Point & lecture style class that is jam packed with information and examples (77 different colors were tested!) on how to color your soap with confidence!
  

Boot Camps:

Want to take a multitude of classes, but don't have the time or patience to wait until each class is available? Take one (or all!) of our three different Boot Camps! Be sure to sign up A.S.A.P., as they fill-up fast!

• Almost Full! Four Day Natural Product Making Boot Camp II
  


• Original Four Day Bath & Body Boot Camp
  


• Two Day Intensive Soap Making Boot Camp
  

Week Day Classes:

We've decided to schedule a few classes during the week! Check out our Intro to PMC Mini Class, Coloring Soap with Confidence class and our Advanced CP Soap Designs with Soap Molds class!

Business Classes

We will once again be offering our 3 different classes that are geared towards the business side of selling arts/crafts. Teacher Chelise Stroud Hery is excited to teach you all about On-Line Selling, Social Networking and the Art & Craft Show Circuit. These are classes are rare -- be sure to reserve your spot soon.

We hope you have all had a wonderful Spring and we can't wait to see you this Summer at The Nova Studio!

Point Richmond Stroll 5/13

You're Invited!

The 20th Annual POINT RICHMOND STROLL is NEXT WEDNESDAY, May 13, from 4-8 pm. It's a big open house for the town (those of you who have been to the studio know that Point Richmond is a cute little quaint historic town). Once a year, just about all the businesses open their doors and offer wine, some food, and raffle things off (it's all free). There will also be live music. A fun event for adults & kids of all ages. To the left is a picture from last year's Stroll. We had a great time.

This year the Stroll coincides with the long awaited Grand Opening of the Point Richmond Farmer's Market. The Market will run every Wednesday from 4-8 pm.


The Nova Studio will be here (in our location - 24 W. Richmond Avenue) with our doors wide open and we'd love to see you! We'll have complimentary wine, soap samples and a raffle for a $50 gift certificate towards any class. We are also offering a coupon for anyone who signs up for a class during the stroll (see below). Unfortunately, Lori won't be here since she will be presenting at the Soap Guild Conference in Palm Springs, but studio assistant Debbie will be here greeting guests, answering questions & signing people up.

Last but not least, we are looking for two more HELPERS for this event. If interested, please call 510-234-5700. It's always nice to have a few extra smiling faces at events like this!

Save $5 off class(es) you sign-up for during the stroll!	Anyone who comes to the Point Richmond Stroll on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, from 4-8 pm and signs up for a class in person will get $5 off of each and every class they sign-up for (with any teacher). The discount applies to cash or checks only (sorry, no credit card payments). Don't forget to print & bring this coupon!
Offer Expires: 5/13/09 (at the end of the stroll or 8pm).

Lori's Top 10 Essential Oils in CP Soap

While preparing for my upcoming 2-Day Soap Making Boot Camp, I began to realize that there are some essential oils that are crucial to me for Cold Process Soap Making. Even though I occasionally use oils that are not on this list, without these oils I would be hard pressed to make amazing soap at an affordable price.

The reasons that I use/choose these oils time and time again is...

1) they smell great in CP soap,
2) they are reasonably priced and I can afford to buy a 16 ounce bottle of them, and
3) many of them blend well with each other, creating dozens or more of possible combinations.

Here's my Top 10 List:

1: Lavender (use .7 ounces per pound of oil/fat)
2: 5-Fold Sweet Orange (use .5 ounces per pound of oil/fat)
3: Petitgrain (use .5 ounce per pound of oil/fat)
4: Lemon (use .9 ounces per pound of oil/fat)
5: Litsea Cubeba (use .5 ounces per pound of oil/fat)
6: Spearmint (use .5 ounce per pound of oil/fat)
7: Lime (use .9 ounces per pound of oil/fat)
8: Peppermint (use .5 ounce per pound of oil/fat)
9: Rosemary (use .5 ounce per pound of oil/fat)
10: Anise (use .5 ounce per pound of oil/fat)

My favorite COMBINATIONS with these ten Essential Oils:

~Lemon & Litsea Cubeba
~Lavender & Litsea Cubeba
~Lavender & Any Citrus (Orange, Lemon, Lime, etc.)
~Lavender & Any Mint
~Lavender & Rosemary
~Rosemary & Lemon
~Rosemary & Spearmint
~Lime & Spearmint (aka Mojito)
~Anise & Lavender
~Anise & Sweet Orange
~Petitgrain & Sweet Orange
~Peppermint & Lemon
~Peppermint & Spearmint (aka Doublemint)

How to figure out how much essential oils to use in Cp soap making:

Refer to "my list" above about for how much is recommended to use per pound of oil/fat.
How many pounds (of oil/fat) does your recipe have?
Let's say you are making a 4-pound batch of oil/fats (fyi - 4 pounds = 64 ounces)
You multiply 4 x the amount of E.O. recommended.

To demonstrate, I'll use Anise & Lavender.
Anise is recommended at .5 per pound of oil/fat.
So... 4 (lbs of oil) x .5 = 2.0 ounces of Anise (if you were using only Anise for the entire 4-lb batch).
and 4 (lbs of oil) x .7 = 2.8 ounces of Lavender (if you were using only Lavender)
Since you are using a combination of oils, divide each by 2.
So for Anise, it's 2 divided by 2 = 1 (ounce of anise for the whole batch, in combo with lavender)
So 2.8 divided by 2 = 1.4 (ounces of lavender for the whole batch, in combo with anise).

So the end result for an Anise & Lavender Soap would be:
1 ounce of Anise AND 1.4 ounces of Lavender

Remember - these are guidelines for Cold Process Soap Making only and this is only a place to start. After making your first batch, if it comes out smelling more like one oil and you want it the other way around, feel free to adjust the amounts until you find exactly the scent you are looking for.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this blog post and find it helpful in scenting your Cold Process soap.

Please feel free to post a comment below and share your favorite "can't live without" essential oils for CP soap making and also the combinations you love the most.

If you are interested in information on Coloring Soap, join me at the HSMG Annual Conference in Palm Springs where I'll be presenting on "Coloring with Confidence."

Vote 4 Your Favorite Swirl

A little "soap porn" for those soap addicts who just can't get enough... Saponifier Magazine is having a Soap Swirl Beauty Contest!

To see all the amazing entries go here. It's really amazing some of the soaps people are producing today. Very inspirational!

The winner gets their soap photo on the cover and runner-ups will be featured in the March 2009 Issue of the on-line magazine. I don't really think mine is the best, but it would be great press for The Nova Studio if my soap made it into the runner-up category. My entry is #46. You can vote for your favorite here. It only takes a minute, but hurry... the voting ends this Friday 1/30/09 at 10pm.

If you would like to learn to make wonderful handcrafted swirled soaps like the ones pictured above, I teach this technique along with several others in our popular 2-Day Soap Making Boot Camp in Point Richmond, CA at The Nova Studio. Click here for upcoming details & dates. The February date is sold out, but the April & May weekends still have openings at this time.

What do U want from me?

HELLO loyal blog readers!

I can't believe my last blog posting was 11/13/08. That's almost 2 months ago (I'm ashamed to admit). Are you still there? Have you given up on me? I'm having a difficult time with my blog (knowing what to post) and I'm hoping YOU CAN HELP!

There are 3 main ways I communicate about what's going on here at The Nova Studio.

1.) I have a NEWSLETTER you can subscribe to (or see if you are subscribed to) click here. I send out newsletter emails about 1-2 times per month and announce upcoming classes, sometimes offer coupons, and general "what's happening" at the studio announcements. These newsletters usually take several focused hours to create (from start to finish, to create all the content, links, pictures, etc.) and they are only opened by about 30% of the people that I send them to (it's always strange to me that someone would want to be signed up for a newsletter and not even open it). I've had a newsletter for about 4 years and currently have about 2,000 subscribers to the newsletter and to date it's the best way for me to "communicate to the masses."

2.) About 6 months ago, I joined TWITTER. Now I "tweet" almost every day, mostly work related stuff, but occasionally a little personal stuff too. Twitter is super easy because it's only a few lines of text and an occasional picture - so it doesn't take much time to post (usually less than 1 minute), and I can even do so from my cell phone. It's a great way for me to keep everyone posted on the latest and greatest from inside the studio to what's going on around the web, with other students, recommended suppliers, etc. There are great conversations going on daily through twitter and if you are not on there you are missing out. I've made many friends in the bath & body business and had great collaborations that started through twitter. Currently, I have 260 people following my tweets. If you want to be a follower of my tweets, click here.

3.) And last but not least, there is this BLOG. I just looked up when I started this blog, and in 1 week it will be the 1 Year Anniversary of The Nova Studio Blog! For some reason, it's easy to figure out what should be in the newsletter and how often to send it, and the same goes for twitter. But the blog falls somewhere in between the two and I just haven't been able to find my groove with it. Perhaps part of the reason is that according to feedburner, I only have 38 subscribers. Now, it is possible to follow a blog without "subscribing" and some people (including myself) find it difficult to sign-up for and follow blog posts. Sometimes, I just don't think anyone is out there (reading the blog, that is). So... THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN!

What would you (the blog readers) be interested in seeing on this blog? This is your chance to let me know!

Please leave a COMMENT on this blog post and let me know what YOU would like to see in this blog.

It's a new year... tomorrow is a new day.... I eagerly await your response!

January - June 2009 is Posted

Hello loyal blog readers,

I wanted to share with you a rose that was SO beautiful, I just had to take its picture.



I am looking forward to stopping to smell the roses a little more now that The Nova Studio's six month class calendar (January through June of 2009) is finally posted. I still have a few links to link and two 4-day boot camps to finalize, but you can click here to take a peek at all the rest.

Thanks for looking :-)

*Soapy Love is Coming 12/13*

EXCITING NEWS - JUST ADDED TO OUR DECEMBER CALENDAR

~ SOAPYLOVE IS COMING ~ SOAPYLOVE IS COMING ~

We are tickled pink to have soap artisan Debbie Chialtas of "Soapylove" coming from San Diego to The Nova Studio for one day only to teach 2 spectacular classes on Saturday 12/13/08.

The first class is 4 Fun & Festive Holiday Inspired Soaps Projects:

The second class is 4 Deliciously Tempting Sweet Treat Soap Projects:

Here's a great little video where Debbie shares how she got started in Melt & Pour Soaping:

SOAPYLOVE DISCOUNT FOR BLOG SUBSCRIBERS: Sign-up for both classes & receive $10 off ($5 each class).
Call 510-234-5700 to sign-up with a credit card or mail in a check and deduct $10 from the total price of the class fees. Note: Cannot be combined with other offers.

Indie Beauty Comes Clean

Guess who loves our soap? The founder of the Indie Beauty Network. Here she is giving rave reviews about The Nova Studio soap from (where else) her bath tub!

By the way... Today is the last day (10/31/08) to get the early bird discount at the Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild annual conference, which will be in Palm Springs, CA in May of 2009. Click HERE for details and the schedule as it stands currently. I'll be speaking on "Taking the Mystery out of Coloring Soap" and our very own David Critchfield of Mission Peak Soap will be speaking on "Properties of Fixed Oils in Soap." It's sure to be yet another amazing event. We hope you'll join us!

Soap & Cosmetic Labeling Class

*NOVA NEW FLASH - JUST POSTED*

Marie Gale, president of the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild and author of "Soap & Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow The Rules & Regs Explained in Plain English" is going to be HERE at The Nova Studio for one night only - NEXT Wed, 10/15/08 from 7-9:30pm for a class on Soap & Cosmetic Labeling. Now is your chance to get your labeling questions answered in person, by the expert. If you are already selling or considering selling, don't miss this rare opportunity.

Limited Seating - Click Here To Sign up

I'm Confirmed!

Exciting News - I've been invited back to speak again at the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild annual conference. Next year it will be in Palm Springs on May 12-14, 2009. It's such an honor - I feel so fortunate to be included with such a wonderful and knowledgeable group.

The topic I proposed was COLOR WITH CONFIDENCE: Unlocking the Mystery of Coloring Soap. At the last conference when I was demonstrating my swirls, so many people had questions about what colors to use, how they work, etc. On the bus ride up to Sandy Maine's place (the optional tour the day after the conference), I was brainstorming about what I could teach in 2009, and my friend Sherry suggested a class on color color. Right there on the bus (it was a LONG ride - about 3.5 hours each way), we constructed an outline for the entire presentation. The more I thought about all the different options, the more complex my outline became. There is definitely enough information to cover a full hour and then some. I mentioned it to Leigh at the end of the last conference, and she liked it!

I'll most likely be doing the class a few times here at my studio before taking it to Palm Springs and shortening it to 1 hour (the time for most of the presentations there). I'm really excited as once I started getting into all the specifics about color - my sheet was covered with cross references (for different soap types and different color types), categories, sub categories, etc. My goal is to write up a VERY comprehensive guide (perhaps laminated?) that soap makers can use when ordering colors and then again just before making soap to ensure the right color for their soap master pieces (no surprises like a lavender-scented, brown soap - yuck).

For those of you who aren't members yet, here's the latest email about the conference from Leigh O'Donnell, conference chairman. Note the early bird deadline is October 31:

September 11, 2008: From The Conference Committee Chairman

I would like to personally invite you to attend the largest soap conference in North America! It will be May 12-14, 2009 at The Miramonte Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, California. With almost 300 handcrafted soapmakers expected to attend this will be an event not to miss!

Erin Brockovich
There will be exciting and informative speakers covering a wide variety of business and soapmaking topics, all intended to help you improve your business and your products. The keynote address, generously sponsored by Essential Wholesale, will be from well-known speaker, environmentalist and award-winner, Erin Brockovich, who will share her personal story and the life lessons she has learned.

Further speakers and topics will be:
* Donna Maria Coles Johnson - Become Your Own Media Outlet
* Jamila White, The eCommerce Diva - Blog Your Way to More Web Sales
* Linda Stevens - Profit Margin Killers and Setting Up Shop
* Kelly Bloom - Trademarking and Stars & Stripes Forever, CP Soap Design
* Kevin Dunn - Temperature in Soapmaking
* David Steinberg - Preservatives & Preserving Cosmetics
* Susan Ryhanen - Booth Design for Maximum Profits
* Lori Nova (that's me!) - Color With Confidence - Taking the Mystery Out of Coloring Soap
* and more to come!

There will also be several special events you won't want to miss.

The lowest rates for registration is available expires on October 31st. Don't wait, sign up now! This is a good investment in your business. As one conference attendee said, "Attending the HSMG Conference is the best thing you can do for your business. The sharing of ideas, information and techniques is priceless!"

*New Calendars Posted*

The October, November and December 2008
calendars have been posted!

Please help spread the word by forwarding this message to friends. You can click on the individual links above or access all upcoming calendars by visiting our Main Calendar Page.

Calendar Highlights: We have some really cool NEW classes like Liquid Soap Making with David, 3 Types of Balms for Lips, Eyes & Body with Joan along with 2 different all-natural candle making classes: Soywax and Beeswax, a brand new one from Alice - Aromatherapy Mama & Baby Products and one more Hands-On CP Soap Lab with Lori and David just in time to make a whole batch of soap (18 bars) for the holidays. Also, we've lowered the price on a few of Patrik's wonderful PMC classes - the PMC Rings (with a new option to make "stackable" rings) and his brand new PMC Perfume Amphora (which comes with a free sample of Lori's all-natural perfume).

Coming up on Saturday, 9/13/08, from 1-5pm, don't forget to mark your calendars for our 5-Year Anniversary Party! We're constantly updating the description page with the latest in demos & donations that will happen that day. Some generous companies are donating some very cool items with more being added daily. If you would like to get involved in the celebration (more details about all of these can be found on the anniversary page here). Feel free to call 510-234-5700 or email(at)thenovastudio.com

Here are some way for you to get involved:
~Simply SHOW UP to the event on Sat. 9/13, between 1-5pm and enjoy yourself
~PARTICIPATE in a soap or bath/body product SWAP (advanced sign-up necessary)
~DONATE products or services for the goodie bags or raffles
~VOLUNTEER a few hours of your time at the event
~DO A DEMO or a service to show off your talents or products
~More details for all of the above can be found here.

Hope to see you soon!

p.s. We are currently taking requests for classes January through June of 2009!

8/13/08 CA Soapers Meeting

I wanted to let everyone know about a brand new Google Group created by Nova Studio student Feleciai Favroth. Here is a picture of us at the Soap Guild Conference in Vermont this past April (exhausted - but loving every minute of it!).

Feleciai had the great idea of starting the Google Group (californiasoapmakers) after the conference. There are many soapmakers in the state of California, yet no one was getting them together! She said she would start the group and I said I would support it by offering my studio as a meeting space.

We are happy to announce that the first meeting of the group is coming up! It's next Wednesday Night, 8/13/08, from 6:30-9:30pm at The Nova Studio. I just added a link to my August 2008 Calendar.

This group is for individuals dedicated to the art of handcrafted soaps and skin care products. Our goal is to expand our knowledge about the products and network with other soapmakers. All are welcome! There is no charge for the meeting - just show up (soap in hand, or not!).

If you can't make it to this meeting but are interested in joining the group - visit this link for more information. If you have questions before joining, you may contact Feleciai directly at: Feleciai.Favroth@gmail.com

For those who haven't been to The Nova Studio before, we are located only 20 miles away from downtown San Francisco in historic Point Richmond. You can find directions by visiting our Location Page. Our address is: 24 West Richmond Avenue, Point Richmond, 94801. Our phone number is 510.234.5700.

If you are planning on coming to our first meeting (how exciting!) Wednesday, 8/13/08, please RSVP (to Feleciai.Favroth@gmail.com) so we know how many people to expect. There is no charge for this event - and all types of soapmakers (cold process, hot process, melt & pour) are welcome!

Feel free to forward this invitation along to any other soap makers you feel might benefit from meeting and networking with other soapers in California!

5-Year Anniversary

Is the picture of the cake big enough? I usually choose "small" or "medium" for my images, but this one deserved "large."

I can't believe this September is going to be FIVE YEARS in business in Point Richmond! It's unbelievable really that it's been that long. It's literally flown by. I posted a page on the website about our BIG Anniversary Party which will be on Saturday, 9/13/08, from 1-5 pm (mark your calendars!). I really hope you can join us! You can get involved by joining the product swap, coming for the free make & take projects & demos (schedule soon to be posted), or volunteer your time to help out. If you want to be involved but don't live close by, we will have a raffle table and hopefully goodie bags so we are in the process of accepting donations from our on-line friends & recommended suppliers. If you donate something, we will proudly display your website and donation on the anniversary party page here.

I just spent the last several hours gathering pictures & setting up a slide show from pictures of the last 2 anniversary parties. It was my first time creating a slide show so it took me a little longer than it should have. I have so many great pictures of the events that happen here at the studio and just not enough time to share them, so I hope you'll be patient as I share them when I can. I hope you like it...

Citrus Oils in CP Soap

I am a HUGE fan of citrus essential oils in Cold Process Soap. They smell SO good and make me happy when I smell them. Even though they are currently out of season, somehow to me they are the essence of summer.

Here is a great article by Snow Drift Farm (linked with permission from Trina - thanks Trina!) that gives more detailed information about citrus oils in soap. Trina did a talk at the St. Louis Soap Guild Conference a few years ago on blending scents for handmade soap.

I have pretty good luck getting citrus essential oils to "stick" in my cold process soap, but a lot of people seem to have a problem with it. Of the things mentioned in the article, I have personal experience with blending lemon with litsea cubeba with very good results (that's been my "lemon poppyseed soap" blend for a long time) and I also use the folded citrus oils whenever I can. My other top citrus blends include Lime & Spearmint (aka Mojito) and Orange & Petitgrain (I would add Neroli if it wasn't cost prohibitive).

One last thing to remember about citrus oils is that they are phototoxic - so be aware that if you use personal care products with citrus oils and then go out into the sun, your skin will be more vulnerable to sun burn/exposure. It's probably more important when using citrus oils in a leave-on product (like lotion/cream/body butter/lip balm), but even in a soap I'm sure some amount of penetrates the skin. If you are worried about sun exposure, just be sure to either wear sunscreen or use your citrus oil products in the evening (and personally I NEVER use citrus oils on my face).

Hope you are all having a JUICY summer!

p.s. Isn't this lime picture amazing! I found it on-line. It was taken by Javier Cuervo.

Join Me Live On Indie Radio

In twenty minutes (10am PST / 1pm EST) I will be a guest on the Indie Business Radio Show Today! You can join the show live by calling toll free: 800-773-0355.

I will be joined by two fellow Business Boot Camp Speakers, David Critchfield of Mission Peak Soap, Elizabeth Hagen, author of Organize With Confidence. The theme is sort of "Open Mike" where you can call in with questions.

You can tune in live and ask questions by going to http://www.indiebusinessradio.com at 10am (PST) or 1:00pm (EST) and clicking on the Listen Live link at the top of the home page.

A few days after the show, the free download or streaming audio will be posted here:
http://www.indiebusinessradio.com

We hope you can join us!

Here's a description of this Internet Radio Program:

Your Life | Your Business | Your Way

Launched in October 2005, Indie Business Radio offers practical advice and workable strategies to achievement-oriented, independent entrepreneurs (Indies) who are trading in the traditional corporate ladder to enjoy life and business on their own terms. Guests have included Paula Deen and Warren Brown (both of Food Network), Julie Clark (Baby Einstein founder), Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul), James Ray (from "The Secret") and other well known and not so well known Indies. Indie Business Radio is for people who want to break all the rules and build their own corporate ladders so they can enjoy the freedom and flexibility they need to enjoy life and be more available to contribute to their families and communities.

Thanks Ideal Bite

Thanks to "IdealBite.com" for mentioning our upcoming Fresh Facial Masks & Exfoliants Class on their website here. The class is this Saturday, 7/19, from 3-6pm and at this time still has several spaces left.

Here's what they said:

Title: Bossa Nova
The Girl from Ipanema didn't get tan and lovely without a little beauty help. Get some for yourself by samba-ing over to the Point Richmond's Nova Studio and picking up a few homemade beauty skills. NS hosts weekend DIY classes on stuff like lip balm, bath salts, and soaps. Claim a spot in the Fresh Facial Masks and Exfoliants class, where you'll learn how to turn pantry items - such as fruit (cleansing powers), and grains and nuts (great exfoliators) - into spa-quality treatments. It's a big step up from rubbing paraben-laden, overly packaged products on your kisser. You'll leave with two fresh masks, as well as a pair of two-ounce jars of mix to use down the road. Jazzy.

Here's a blurb about them from their website:

Ideal Bite offers bite-sized ideas for light green living – ideas for real people who lead busy lives and want to make small changes that add up to big results. Our Daily Tips cover everything from biodynamic wine to eco-pet products to organic cosmetics. The secret sauce? A spoonful of “incremental environmentalism” combined with a keeping-it-real attitude.

The mission of Ideal Bite is to create a more sustainable world by connecting enlightened companies with responsible consumers who are ready to make small changes that add up. Ideal Bite is a sassier shade of green.

2008 Conference Video

How exciting! The Soap Guild just released their video of highlights from the 2008 Conference in Vermont. I'm in it several times (how could I not be - I don't think I slept the entire time I was there) and there is a great shot of my lavender swirled cp soap demonstration. If you are not a guild member yet, this will hopefully push you over the edge if you are on the fence about joining. I can't say enough good things about it. They really did a great job capturing the excitement that you feel being around all the other soap makers. Check it out here:

Please Sign This Petition

Donna Maria of the Indie Beauty Network has put together an amazing campaign against the 2008 FDA Globalization Act. If you don't know what this is about, see the short video below that explains it. If you have heard about it but haven't yet taken the time to sign it, please do so now. It will just take a few minutes (I just signed it myself yesterday).

If this law passes it will impact anyone & everyone making and/or buying natural personal care products.



You can all help spread the word by sending this link to friends/colleagues. If you have a mailing list of customers who buy your products (or even a list of friends/family members who use & love your products) please ask them to sign it too.

Twitter Huh?

CHIRP!


Okay - so everyone is talking about Twitter. I've ignored it as long as I can. So I went to their website (www.twitter.com) and saw a cute little bird. Okay, I'll admit it - I have a "thing" for birds - you got a problem with that?

After realizing that this service is something that might actually help me and my business (it's part of the whole Social Networking thing), I finally pulled my head out of the sand and joined up a few weeks ago. I've been stalling on actually "twittering" - and people are already "following" me - so today I've done it. I've crossed over and I'm a tweeter - (i don't know what we are called really). I'll give it a shot for a while and see if it's worth continuing.

If you are wondering what the heck Twitter is, here's the skinny:
Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

They have a cool video that you can watch here (I love simple animation):


If you care to know the answer to the question "What I am Doing" you can click here to "Follow Me On Twitter."

So for those who are paying attention... yes, I'm blogging about twittering and next I will go and twitter that I've blogged about it. What is the world coming to?

Student Spotlight: Brenda's Body

CONGRATULATIONS to Brenda Tucker-Johnson of www.BrendasBody.com - she was recently featured in the June 23, 2008 edition of The Indie Experience (an on-line publication of The Indie Beauty Network). You can read the wonderful interview in full here.

Brenda is a good friend of The Nova Studio. She first came here in November of 2006 and has taken just about all of our group classes and several private lessons with me AND she was the first official sign-up for our 4-Day Business Boot Camp coming up at the end of September.

Below is a picture of Brenda's lovely soap:

Brenda has worked very hard and we are SO PROUD of how much she has achieved.

YOU GO GIRL!

Technorati Registration

This post is necessary for me to register my blog with a service called Technorati. I learned about Technorati at our Social Networking Class with Chelise last weekend. Her class was very informative and useful for me - loaded with great tips about how to network and spread the word about your business on-line (and where not to waste your time). Hopefully we will offer this class again next quarter (October-December 2008).

Here is the link that I need to post so they can "verify" my blog:
Technorati Profile

Radio Co-Host Gig

Just a quick heads up - I'm going to be an "indie guest co-host" on The Indie Business Radio Show this Monday morning (6/23 at 10am PST).

The topic for Monday's show is Starting and Sustaining a Business in Tough Economic Times. The main guest speaker is Rieva Lesonsky, author and former editor of Entrepreneur Magazine. She wrote a book called "Start Your Own Business."

If you would like to listen LIVE click here, the show will start at 10:00 am this Monday morning (pacific standard time). I will be speaking approximately in the first 10 minutes but plan to stick around for the whole show (they are each about 1/2 hour long). If you miss the show live - there will be a download link available at a later date (and I'll try to remember to post a link here or on my website too).

If you haven't yet checked out the massive archive of Indie Beauty Network Radio Programs you are really missing out. There are hours of valuable information there for the taking. That's where I found expert organizer Elizabeth Hagen (who will be part of the 4-day Beauty Business Boot Camp in September). She has a very helpful system that got me organizing some "problem areas" of my home after listening to her for just a short time.

Hope you can join us!

My Retreat

Everyone needs a retreat. This is a bit about mine. I have mixed feelings about sharing personal stuff here on this blog. It may not be the proper place for sharing of this kind, but I decided to do it anyway.

You know what they say, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." And, quite simply, I am the nova studio's mama. Even though *many* individuals contribute to its success and really make it what it is, at the core it's me... here... making decisions every day that determine the future of the studio - and that can be stressful.

The problem is that I've been working like a dog, non-stop for as long as I can remember and I don't take enough time for myself. Nearly two years ago, I experienced a traumatic life-changing event. My husband decided to abruptly end our 12 year relationship. In an instant, my solid foundation was shattered and dealing with this has made these past 2 years both the most difficult/challenging and also the most personally informative/rewarding of my life thus far.

I'm getting better at recognizing when I'm pushing myself too hard, so last Friday, I dropped off my beautiful constant companion canine Cami at daycare/boarding and drove three hours away to a place called Esalen in Big Sur for three days. I've been there twice before for workshops (in January of 2007 and January of 2008), but this time I was on a "personal retreat" (which just means no workshop). My intention was to treat myself (for my 37th birthday) and relax, recuperate, and renew. Get back in touch with me, myself and I.

When I got there, I was wound up like a top. I soon realized most of the tightness and tension in my body was due to the fact that I was not really breathing (just taking very short shallow breaths). Immediately, the themes for my retreat started to emerge:

Breathe.
Put Myself First.
Stop. Slow Down.
Listen.

I had three WONDERFUL days of...
~relaxing by soaking in the natural hot springs for hours each day,
~getting back in touch with my body through yoga, dance, massage & feldenkrais (I haven't felt so loose in years),
~clearing my mind through meditation, contemplation & conversation,
~filling my stomach with nutritious organic food three times a day,
~and connecting with other amazing people, one in particular, at Esalen.

It was EXACTLY what I needed.

[By the way - these are all pictures I took this past week at Esalen - I hope you enjoy them.]

The teacher in me (and my desire to connect) always leads me to share my experiences and what I've learned with others. This time, my purpose for sharing all this is really just for me. But, if in doing so my story inspires you to find what you need at your own retreat (even if it's in the bathtub for 20 minutes) that would be a bonus gift.

I'll end with a chant from one of the meditations that really resonated with me:

May I be happy.
May I be free.
May I be peaceful.

May you be happy.
May you be free.
May you be peaceful.

May all beings by happy.
May all beings be free.
May all beings be peaceful.

The Mother of All Business Seminars

okay - so it's been three weeks since my last post. what have i been doing you ask???

lying around, eating cake, drinking pineapple iced tea, basking in the summer sun with my faithful companion cami dog by my side. I WISH.

i've literally been working non-stop day and night on planning the mother of all business seminars. this was something that donna maria (of the indie beauty network) and i spoke of almost a full year ago and it's so exciting to finally see it on the schedule.

click here for details on the 4-day bath & body BUSINESS boot camp with bath & body experts galore!

oh yeah, and i also posted our next quarter of classes (july, august & september). we have some really exciting new classes and fantastic new teachers (more on that to come).

for those of you in driving distance... SAVE THE DATE! our 5-year anniversary celebration will be on saturday, september 13, from 1-5pm. you won't want to miss it!

now i'm going to hide out on the coast of big sur for a few days (to rest and celebrate my birthday). i'll be back in cell phone range and checking email again after tuesday (9/17).

hope you are all having a great summer so far!

"Vintage" Art Match Books

I taught a candle making class this past Saturday at my studio. Before the class, I was attempting to organize my boxes and boxes of candle supplies (bewildered at how one person can have so many supplies for just one product - they literally take up all the space under a six foot long table that's about 3 feet deep and tall). With all the products I make, I collect (or stockpile) packaging materials, hoping one day to actually do something with them. Some materials get used/incorporated immediately, others stay in the box for months, or worse, years.

Such was the case with some generic cheap matchbook (boxes) that I purchased YEARS AGO for about $1 for a pack of 8 from a local grocery store. I had seen a layout in Martha Stewart about covering plain match books with pretty papers and I thought, hey, I could do that! And... that would be a great thing to add to my candle class! Well, the candle class is already 3-4 hours jam packed, so I never did add it to the class.

So, I'm cleaning up from my candle class this past weekend and getting the studio ready for Diane Bouchard, a very talented paper artist who teaches classes at my studio. Diane had a class this past weekend on Advanced Beeswax Collage. So there they were... the match books... staring me in the face and I thought, Diane could do something amazing with these. So, I set them out with a little post it asking if she could do something, anything with them.

So I read her blog this morning and how cool it was to see those old boring matchbook brought to life - as mini works of art. The posting that refers to the matchbooks is called "Little Pink Things". Her blog is really great to read - wonderful pictures and information about all the beautiful pieces she creates. She also does great reviews/follow-ups to the classes she teaches. Her blog is called Altered Book Studio.

Thanks Diane - Excellent Job!!

(I have my 5 year anniversary of The Nova Studio coming up in September... maybe I can convince Diane to set up a table and have people do mini match books as a free "make & take" project!)

The Soap Bar Reviews Nova Soap

I've been reviewed! How exciting. So for those of you not in the know, there is a very cool blog out there called "The Soap Bar" by Joanna Schmidt which I've been enjoying reading since it started in August of 2007. It's a fabulous concept: you send her your soap - she tries it - and then blogs about it. It's a great blog to subscribe to because she not only writes about the soap and the experience of using it, but also takes really great close-up photos of the soap.

Joanna and I traded some products a while back (she has an awesome line of handcrafted goodies called Product Body) and on a last minute whim I decided to include some of my soaps to be reviewed. Most of the people who send soaps for review actually have soap to sell on-line, but even though I don't (yet) I thought it would be fun.

You can read my full review here.










So, come on students of The Nova Studio (who are selling soap), let's bombard her with our amazing soap! First check out the blog, pick a few of your best ones, and send them off! It's really that simple.

The address to send your soap for review is:

Joanna Schmidt
The Soap Bar

Box 3773

Tequesta, Florida 33469

You're Invited to The Stroll

I wanted to invite everyone to the annual POINT RICHMOND STROLL this THURSDAY, May 15, from 5:30-8pm. It's a big open house for the town (those of you who have been to the studio know that Point Richmond is a cute little quaint historic town). Once a year, just about all the businesses open their doors and give away wine, some food, music, and raffle things off (it's all free). The Nova Studio (as always) will be doing some sort of a giveaway - a free product make and take. If you are in the area, we'd love to see you!

If you are interested in helping at the event - please give me a call at the studio 510-234-5700. It's always nice to have a few extra helpers during events like this.

Save $5 off any class on 5/15/08	Anyone who comes to the Point Richmond Stroll this Thursday, May 15, 2008, from 5:30-8pm and signs up for a class in person will get $5 off of each and every class they sign-up for (with any teacher). The discount applies to cash or checks only (sorry, but we can't process in person credit card payments at this time).
Offer Expires: 5/15/08 - at the end of the stroll or 8pm.

It's a Soap Frenzy!

This month really is a soap frenzy! We have so many soap classes, I had to create a new Soap Summary Page to keep it all straight!

As I prepare this message to let you know about all the great soap classes we have coming up, I'm also working on final preparation for the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild Annual Conference in Burlington, Vermont.

As you might have already heard, the last 2 years I won "Best in Show" for my swirled soaps (click here to see all the Soaper's Showcase winners for 2006 & 2007). It's basically a beauty contest for soap. Unfortunately they've banned me from the competition this year (they didn't think it was fair for me to keep entering), but they will have a special "honorable mention" display with my soaps on it - which is cool with me. Even better, they asked me to teach my "award-winning" swirling method in Vermont - so that's what I'll be demonstrating this year (last year I did Hot Process Crock Pot Soap Making in St. Louis).

I leave in just a few days and I still have to put the finishing touches on my handouts and also come up with a label and packaging for 200 lavender swirled soap samples that I plan on giving out at my presentation(s). See picture to the right of the samples drying on trays. These were cut from the bars above in the header picture. This is the same soap I will be demonstrating at the conference - a classic lavender with purple & white swirls - similar to one of the soaps that won me the award last year (see pic above left).

As long as I make it to the plane on-time with my handouts completed and my samples packaged, I get to enjoy the first 2 days of the conference as a student. The third day is a definite working day. It starts at 8:30am when I'm on the soap making "Experts Panel," then my first presentation on CP swirling from 11am-12noon, and my second from 1:30-2:30pm. It might not sound like much, but since I only have an hour to show the whole process, the lye solution and oils have to be all measured out and cooled down at the start of the hour. Not quite sure how I'll do that since there is only 1/2 hour in between the end of the experts panel and the beginning of my first presentation, but I'm sure I'll figure it out (no doubt with the help of my trusty friend & superstar TA Sherry, who will also be attending the conference and helping during my demonstrations). Here's a picture of Sherry (to the right) pointing to one of her first swirled batches.

OK - enough about the conference.
What's going on at The Nova Studio?

I'm really excited to tell you about our line up of soap classes over the next quarter. We've always offered soap classes, but never before has one calendar had such a variety of soap classes to choose from - for all levels of soapers.

Those brand new to soap making can enter this fun hobby with Cold Process Soapmaking 101 where students gain a thorough understanding of the basics (and more).

If you've taken a soap class here (or elsewhere) but have yet to make your first batch, YOU'RE IN LUCK. We are debuting our brand new HANDS-ON CP Soap Lab. If you've been itching to make soap, but are still a little nervous about doing it alone, this soap lab is the answer to your prayers! You will get expert advice and coaching from soap making power team David Critchfield and Lori Nova.

For those who already have some experience making CP Soap, and don't need the hand-holding offered in the hands-on lab, how about Cold Process 201: Swirls & Layers where you will learn intermediate design techniques like swirling colors and creating multiple layers in soap. This is very similar to what I will be teaching at the conference (if I ever get my handouts done!).

For those of you who live farther away or prefer to take as many classes as you can while here, we have two great options for you.

Our popular weekend Soap Making Boot Camps - will give you more than you can absorb in two very full days. We have two dates with openings currently - in July & September 2008.

Last but not least, the last day in May and the first day of June, we are proud to announce the return of Alicia Grosso, author of The Everything Soap Making Book, who is making a special studio appearance to teach two different "Pushing the Envelope" soap classes. Her CP Soap: Pushing the Envelope covers advanced techniques that involve energy exchange principles & water discounting. It's perfect for those who want to veer outside the lines of the "recommended" levels of soap making safely and effectively.

The second day is for you instant gratification folks. Melt & Pour Soap: Pushing the Envelope is appropriate for all levels of soap makers (no pre-req) and covers loaves, geodes, citrus replicas & gemstones. Look at this picture of the lemon soap to the left. I had to do a double take of her lemon look-alike melt & pour soap - I've never seen anything like that - I really thought it was an actual lemon!!

Once again, you can find information about all upcoming soap classes at on our new Soap Summary Page.

Oh, and last but not least, for those of you who are closer to the North-West part of the US, check out the weekend of soapmaking classes offered by Otion Soap in Bellingham. Alicia will be teaching there as well, with Anne-Marie Faiola of Otion Soap, Debbie Chialtas of Soapy Love and Paula Kates from PJ Soaps. I wish I could take more time off - it sounds like a ton of fun!

Save up to $20 on Business Classes

We hear your cries for a creative outlet - and the desire to turn "what you love" into "what you do." Many people come to The Nova Studio for classes because they are interested in turning a hobby into a profitable small business. We fully support the idea - but making the dream a reality is hard to do all by yourself. And why should you have to? Why not learn from experts who have made the mistakes (so you don't have to)?

We've been on the hunt for the right combination of teachers and classes to provide you with the best advice, time saving tips, and information you need to start or grow your existing business. Below is a summary of what's coming up:

Business Branding Basics - April 19, 2008, Sat., 3-6pm
The Art & Craft Show Circuit - May 24, 2008, Sat., 3-6pm
Social Networking for the Artist - June 21, 2008, Sat., 11am-2pm
Online Selling & Marketing - June 21, 2008, Sat., 3-6pm

This current grouping of business classes was designed for you - the budding craftsperson - whether your craft is soap, candles, bath & body products, paper arts & crafts, jewelry or other high quality handcrafted goods.

LIMITED TIME SPECIAL OFFER - SAVE UP TO $20:
When you enroll in at least 2 of our 4 business classes scheduled in April, May or June, you will save $5 off each class! So, if you sign up for 2 classes, you'll save $10, if you sign-up for 3 classes you'll save $15, and if you sign up for all 4 business classes you'll save $20. A great way to start your business off right - by saving money!

Pics Posted on Photo Page

I spend SO much time updating my website - formatting, editing text, uploading pictures, posting comments, adding classes, the list goes on and on. I would probably gasp to find out exactly how much time I spend on it each week - but at least I enjoy doing it - especially making changes or improvements that people notice.

I recently reorganized my photographs page - it's the "eye candy" page that visually tells visitors what we do here at The Nova Studio. The previous photographs page was missing many of our new classes like the business classes and the 4-day boot camps. I've had a hard time coming up with one picture that represents both the original and new 4-day boot camps (one can only use army boots so many times). I ended up going with some "auto-generated" pictures that I made on the web. I could play on those websites for hours - great for people like me who lack the ability/programs/time to create real custom graphics. Here's what I ended up with after a bit of trial & error.

I realize they might be a little bit hard to read - but I decided that was okay since they were interesting. I LOVE the chalk board (have had a "thing" for them ever since I was a kid - perhaps that's why I wanted to be a teacher!) and the "Grand Lake" theater sign is cool because that's an actual theater in Oakland that I used to live really close to.

What do you think?? It's a bit quiet out there in blog land. Not many comments lately. Anyone listening?? (I can only hear the crickets.)

Soap, Drugs and Rock & Roll

If you haven't heard this unbelievable story (posted about a year ago on youtube) - just wait. It's loaded with elements the media love to play up. Simply put, it's a story about soap, drugs & rock & roll.

Above and beyond just being an almost unbelievable story, this video has particular significance to me because the keynote speaker at the Soap Guild Conference that I'll be attending in Vermont soon just happens to be Ralph Bronner, the son of the founder of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps.

Unless you've been living under a rock and haven't bathed in the last 50 years, you have heard of or seen Dr. Bronner's soaps (most known for their liquid soaps that have 101 uses). Dr. Bronner's just celebrated it's 60th anniversary. That's quite an accomplishment. I only hope I'll be making soap for the next 60 years (or until I'm 96!).

Without further adieu, here is the 7-minute video. Before anyone starts freaking out - just to clarify - soap does not contain GHB or any other illegal drugs (it gave a "false positive" reading). But apparently, the cheap drug test kits can be used to distinguish between "real soap" and "fake (detergent) soap." Isn't the list of "non-soap" or counterfeit soap products enlightening?

Mineral Makeup On My Mind

I first learned how to make mineral make-up several years ago from Kaila Westerman, owner of TKB Trading. As far as I can tell, she was the first person to teach a class of this kind anywhere and after she was "done" she trained me to take it over and agreed to let me continue teaching it at The Nova Studio, which I have been doing since. Students who have taken our class can easily make their own mineral makeup, give it as gifts to friends/family, and some even go on to sell their own line of mineral makeup!

It's been a full week of Mineral Makeup on the brain as we prepare for the H-U-G-E 30 person class I'm teaching this Saturday at De Anza Community College in Cupertino. Even though the De Anza class is full - there are still a few spots left in the same Making Mineral Makeup Class here at The Nova Studio the following week on Saturday, April 5, from 1-5pm. Students will learn by seeing (demo) and doing (hands-on) how to make their own eye shadow, blush/bronzer and foundation. Each product you take home will be customized by and for you!

If you can't make either of the dates above and would like to immerse yourself in natural product making, the Mineral Make-Up class will be one of many classes offered in the brand new 4-Day Boot Camp II: Natural Product Making Intensive on June 26, 27, 28 & 29, 2008.

For those of you can't make any of the class options above, Kaila sells all the raw materials you need to make your own mineral makeup at her website (www.tkbtrading.com or www.wholesalecolors.com). You can buy items individually or she has several great kits available as well.

One last thing, Kaila has posted several cool short videos on mineral makeup making at You Tube. Here is one on how to make simple eye shadow. I love the idea of doing your own custom eye shadow party. Can you see it now? You, a dozen of your closest girlfriends friends, all hanging out, having fun & making eye shadow! Check it out:

Bubble Magic, Bubble Fun

Isn't it time for you to take a short break?

If it is - here are 3 neat things below:
1) Watch someone else play with bubbles
2) Play with bubbles yourself
3) Line your soap mold with bubble wrap

This is an 8 minute video that starts out not so great because the audio in the beginning is very low - but he only talks for about a minute and believe me when I say it gets really impressive about half way in. Watching the Soap Bubbler and his bubble magic had a calming effect on me - perfect for a short break from the busy work day.



For you science geeks (I won't name names) - if you have more than 8 minutes and must know more about how all this bubble magic is possible, check out the Soap Bubbler Home Page.

And if "those kind of bubbles" just don't do it for you - here is another kind of bubble that you might enjoy playing with. It's Virtual Bubblewrap. Pop Away!

Incidentally, I've seen some pretty unique designs on soap from people using bubble wrap to line the bottom of the mold. I haven't done it yet myself - but the effect ends up looking like honeycomb (great for oatmeal, milk & honey-themed soap). Here is a bubble wrap soap recipe pictured below from Wholesale Supplies Plus. I just might have to try this out in my next soap class!

Cool Customizable Soap Sign

Are you afraid of lye? This is a soap anyone can customize!

Put your name (or anything else that fits) into the text field and within seconds see an image of your words in soap. Click here for the magic!

Perfume Perfume Perfume

I make so many different products, it's hard to say which is my favorite. But, definitely in the top 5 (this year) is making natural perfume. In the past few weeks, I've been making a lot of them (or more accurately, teaching a lot of people to make them).

On 3/2, I had a perfume making class on the last day of my 4-day bath & body boot camp. On 3/5, I had a really interesting 4-hour private session on perfume making with a chemist. And just this morning, I had my regular group perfume making class. Needless to say, my studio has been smelling pretty good lately!

Anyone who has been to my perfume making class or who has done research on natural perfumery lately knows of Mandy Aftel (www.Aftelier.com), natural perfumer to the stars and author of several really great books on natural perfumery (most notably, Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume). If you are only going to buy one book on natural perfumery, this should be it. Part novel and part do-it-yourself guide, Aftel's book guides you through the relevant history and allure of natural perfumery, beautifully connecting the past with the present. The strengths of this book are not in the number of recipes, but in the fascinating history and the key concepts to help you gain more knowledge in this amazing field. To see Mandy's other books, visit the books that I recommend page on my website that links to amazon.com (more books will be added soon).

Coincidentally, Mandy lives in Berkeley, CA (only about 10 miles from me) but she never has any classes nearby, so in January of 2007, I drove down to Big Sur to take a class with her. It was such a treat to be in the presence of someone so influential in the natural perfume movement and to smell her divine essences (the raw materials). There is a neat article in San Francisco Magazine (February 2008) that features a great picture of Mandy in front of her "Perfume Organ." There is also a recent audio/radio interview with Mandy (on a show called "Homegrown") on NPR. Mandy's part is about 20 minutes into the segment.

And if that's not enough perfume talk for one blog posting, I'll leave you with a cautionary recommendation to see the movie Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. I saw it a few weeks ago when I was home with the flu. If you can get past the topic (a young man with a gifted nose becomes a serial killer while trying to preserve the scent of a woman), the utterly grotesque scenes, and offensive subject matter (you won't want to be eating at any point during this movie, especially the beginning), then you just might be fascinated like I was by the scenes in French perfume shop, the old perfume bottles, and the dialog of perfume notes & construction (by a quirky "has-been" perfumer well played by Dustin Hoffman) and great visuals of methods of extraction such as enfleurage, etc. If it weren't already obvious, be sure there are no kids around while you are watching it as there is also quite a bit of nudity. If you get a chance to see the movie, please post a comment to this blog posting with your favorite part!

Can We Kiss & Make Up?

Okay - so you haven't heard from me in a while. I sincerely apologize for that. You might have been thinking it's YOU, or thought that you did something to make me mad and ignore you. Or perhaps you were worried sick and thought I was stuck in a ditch somewhere. I'm so sorry for making you worry. The truth is, it's not you, it's ME. After not being sick in a LONG time, the sick monster finally caught up with me, not once, but TWICE so far this year - and with all that I had going on, it put me REALLY behind.

I hope you can forgive me and I will try to make it up to you with frequent and interesting posts. I haven't posted for so long there is a back log of things I want to share and I don't know which to share first, so I'll just start by saying that I just posted the massive, bulging at the seams calendars for April, May & June 2008, along with a four-some of boot camp dates for June, July, August & September. Please visit www.TheNovaStudio.com for more details.

We're Going To Be On TV!

Guess What?
The Nova Studio is going to be on TV!

A few weeks ago, we received a phone call from Lesley Nagy, TV Host and Producer of the show "Your Green Life" on TV20 (Comcast cable 13). She was interested in learning how to make "Eco-Friendly Candles." So, they came to the studio and I did a mini-candle making lesson. They were here filming for over 2 hours - all that for a 3-minute segment!

I've just been informed that the piece will air THIS Sunday, 2/24/08, at 6:00 pm. Again, it's TV20 (Comcast cable 13). I haven't seen it myself yet - so hopefully it's good! I'm showing Lesley how to make eco-friendly poured soywax & rolled beeswax candles and talking about the benefits of using natural waxes over paraffin. I will try to get a permanent link added to our Press Page when it becomes available.

How to Sell Soap Video

Here is a cute 2-minute video clip that once again features my favorite main character... "SOAP!"

Soap Teacher: Brad Pitt

When I'm procrastinating from work, I often come across random things that I would like to share. So, welcome the first of many postings in this vein.

Believe it or not, I’m not a Brad Pitt fan… but anyone who has been in my office at The Nova Studio over the last 4 years might have caught a glimpse of my very large Fight Club movie poster. I got it in a record store in San Francisco about 6 years ago, just after I started making cold process soap. It has the Fight Club logo (a huge bar of bright pink soap with the embossed words “FIGHT CLUB”), mug-like shots of the 2 main characters Brad Pitt & Edward Norton, along with the words “MISCHIEF. MAYHEM. SOAP.” As soon as I read it I knew I had to have it! I currently have it high on top of a an old metal mail sorter, serving as a backdrop for my diplomas.

Those of you who have seen the movie "Fight Club" (1999) and liked it, you will love this video clip. Those of you who have not, just a warning... several parts may gross you out. If you can get past the dripping bags of fat, listen for the part where Mr. Pitt educates Mr. Norton on the ancient Roman legend of Mount Sapo (a slightly altered Hollywood version). My second favorite part (yes, I've watched it a few times) is where they show the fat/mixture boiling and the temperature gauge shows a mild 120 degrees F. Inaccuracies aside, I just love the fact that our beloved SOAP played a predominant role in this blockbuster movie. I read that Brad & Edward both learned how to make soap for the movie – I wonder who the lucky “soap consultant” was? A free bar of soap for anyone who can come up with the answer!

A little more soap/movie trivia?

What was the name of Brad’s line of soap?

Answer (spelled backwards): ynapmocpaosteertsrepapeht

Soap Making Boot Camp #5 Wrap Up

Wow - what a whirlwind weekend these Soap Boot Camps are! I'm here from about 9 am to 9 pm both Saturday & Sunday (and many hours to prep the week before), but they are so much fun! I really love being with the same people for 2 days straight - much more of an opportunity for everyone to get to know one another than at our usual 3-hour classes.

It has taken a while to get all the supplies cleaned and put away, all the soap completely unmolded, trimmed and on the rack to cure, all the pictures uploaded & sorted, and all my files & paperwork organized enough to post. As I get this blogging thing figured out - I look forward to posting pictures & blogging about events more immediately after they happen.

We really made some amazing soap this weekend! Here is the soap we made in the first half of day 1 (in CP 101) - a single color, single batch (4 pounds) with peppermint & patchouli with peppermint leaves. we then finished it off with some silver mica for show. First time I ever used mica on a cold process soap - I really like the way it looks. I thought the blue & silver colors went well together - my only hesitancy was the fact that I created this soap for men (the scent & color) and most men aren't attracted by mica (or they wouldn't admit it).

Later that day (CP 201) I demonstrated a double batch (8 pounds) of soap - and one is always a layer and one is always a swirl. It's a lot to do at one time, but this is my Intermediate Class & I'm trying to show as many techniques as I can with one batch. I love this picture where everyone is helping out stirring just after we divided the batch into four different colors. You really don't need 5 hands to make soap, although it certainly doesn't hurt!

Here is the finished layered CP soap - using a new essential oil I had called Gingergrass, with clay in the bottom for a natural orange color, ground sunflower seeds in the top layer for exfoliant with some safflower petals ontop for show. I'm eager to try it to see how the ground sunflower meal feels in the soap. The finished look of this soap was unique - about half the class loved it (look & scent) and the other half didn't (too earthy, too "natural looking"). Different strokes (or soaps) for different folks.

Ah, now comes the one that everyone wants to see... The "award winning" swirls. I was happy with the way this one turned out too - absolutely no soda ash (looks even better after the trim). I will bring some samples of this one for sure to my CP swirling demo at the Vermont Soap Conference in April. This scent/color combination was one I make quite often - Mojito Soap (spearmint & lime) inspired by the Cuban cocktail I was first introduced to about 10 years ago at a restaurant in Emeryville called The Townhouse. I simply can't make enough of this soap.

Day 2 started with the Crockpot Hot Process Soap Class, and we made one of my favorite (looking) HP batches to date - Anise & Poppy with Austrailian black clay for color (on the bottom) and titanium dioxide for color on the top. I never thought I would like a black licorice scented soap - but there aren't many essential oils with a high enough flash point for hot process, so I've been experimenting and have loved this one from the first batch. Several of my friends (mostly men) are hooked on this one.

Last but certainly not least (probably THE class that everyone was really waiting for...) David Critchfield of Mission Peak Soap showed up to do his impressive Big Batch Soap Class. If you look close you can see the oohs and aahs on the students' faces as David masterfully manhandles a 100-bar batch. What I love most about David's soap making style (& teaching style) is that it's SO different from mine, and yet we both turn out amazing soap. It's important for students to see that there is no one right way of making soap.

Here is a group photo - everyone but me (hey, someone needed to take the picture!). Lots of smiling faces, heads spinning with bubbly ideas, some possibly a bit overwhelmed with information, but all eager and ready to go home and make soap!

THANK YOU to everyone who made this (our 5th) soap boot camp a success - and a special Thank You to my TA Stacy for doing a great job. Happy Soaping everyone and keep in touch!

FYI: At this time, there are about 5 spots left in our next 2-Day Soap Boot Camp on April 12 & 13 and about 5 spots left in the 4-Day Bath & Body Boot Camp from Feb 28 - Mar 2, 2008.

Lavender Oat Soap from 1/19/08 CP 101 Class

Here's a picture of the freshly unmolded & cut soap from this past Saturday's Cold Process 101 Soap Making Class. It's a nice simple lavender oatmeal soap for sensitive skin with a little lavender essential oil for scent, lavender hydrosol (in place of distilled water), colloidal oats inside and whole oats sprinkled on top. It was made in a shoe box mold and fortunately didn't get any soda ash. The bar size is a bit irregular due to a warped crinkle cutter I used, but overall I'm happy with the way this batch came out. For those who haven't yet ventured into the wonderful world of handcrafted soap, I just added another class date to the February Calendar.

The first day of the rest of my (blogging) life

Wow... I can't believe I'm actually doing it. I'm *finally* starting up my blog again! Oh happy day! Some of you may remember that I started a blog 2 years ago and for some reason it wasn't the right time because it just never became a habit. Ever since then, I've wanted to start it up again, but something has been keeping me from doing so. Nearly every day for the last year at least I've been thinking in a blogging way in my mind and wanting to share what's been happening at The Nova Studio. I have SO much to say and a blog is really the perfect format for me to share it with you. So why now... why today? I have to thank Donna-Maria of the Indie Beauty Network for inspiring me to start it up again. Thank you Donna-Maria! And to all of you, my loyal Nova Studio supporters, I'm looking forward to a long loving blogging relationship with you!