SavonMarie

New Items

2009-11-23T05:16:00.000-08:00

This has been a very busy week. I have been working on a few large orders and putting together some new items. This box of pears is the first thing I completed. I love the scent of fresh juicy pears, the look of a bowl of pears and the delicious taste of pears. These little soaps are guest soaps, and I stamped the hand colored design on the lid of the box.

I also made some soap in the shape of coal. They come with darling little beaded Christmas stockings. They are scented with the fragrance of Holiday Candy. These are so cute. The coal soap is colored with black oxide, which is a natural pigment.

My last offering is a golden sled. I love the look of this soap. It is elegant and traditional. The fragrance I used for this one is Vanila Champagne, a new favorite of mine and my customers.

I'll have more next week, but for now I want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. May you and your families and friends share the joy of being together as we begin this holiday season. Thanks for visiting my blog this week.

The Ultimate Gift Basket

2009-11-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate Gift Basket. What a great idea! Members of Make Mine Pink are preparing another wonderful surprise for everyone. Each participating member is contributing one fabulous item for the Ultimate Gift Basket. One lucky person will have the opportunity to win this fabulous prize. However, even those who do not win have a special opportunity. Make Mine Pink Members are all creating an Ultimate Gift Basket category in their boutiques. Each item in the Ultimate Gift Basket will be available for purchase.That means buyers can create their own Ultimate Gift Baskets.

I just love that idea. Pictured above is my contribution to the Ultimate Gift Basket. It is a Pfaltzgraff Candy Jar in the Winterberry Pattern filled with hand crafted soap in the shape of mini snowballs. I used my new camera to take this picture. I just love my new little PINK camera. But I love Christmas and Make Mine Pink even more.

Thanks for visiting!

Joy!

2009-10-04T12:29:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I have been busy working on holiday items. This year I am going for another look for some of my soaps. I decided to make some soaps in pastel pink (of course), pale blue, light lavender, and soft aqua. They will all have silver, gold, and pearl highlights. I have also created a golden angel. I hope this one appeals to the angel lovers. On a more traditional note, I have a cardinal soap. He is made of red and white soap with hand-painted highlights.

It feels good to get ready for the holidays early, but now I wish I had spent more time on next week's Pink Friday theme. Oh well.....

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful week.

Marie

Trick or Treat

2009-09-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Signs of fall are here. It started with September in the Rain, which happens to be one of my favorite songs by Dinah Washington. The sunny days are breezy and bright, and the air feels crisp. School has started, and Halloween is just around the corner. Or at least if I believe the mammoth display of candy and assorted pumpkin items at the local supermarket, it is.

So I started working on a Halloween Soap for some of my favorite customers. This is what I came up with. This one is called Trick or Treat, and the fragrance is everything fall or Indian Summer is made of: apples, cinnamon, and that woodsy leafy Autumn fragrance that we all love so much. No wonder so many people say Autumn is their favorite time of year.

Thanks for stopping by.

Petite Cherie

2009-08-31T05:14:00.001-07:00

Hello Everybody,

Just one of the things I have been working on this week is another soap box. This one is called Petite Cherie. It is named after a favorite fragrance of Sherri Mitchell, from Punk Rose Paper. Sherri is the talented lady who made the tag featured on the lid of the box. I must confess, when I first smelled the fragrance, I was not crazy about it, but like so many scents, its true beauty comes out after being soaped, as we soapmakers like to say. Petite Cherie is one of those fragrances. Fresh, green, and floral, Petite Cherie it is a fragrance of innocence and simplicity. This tag seemed a perfect match. Thanks Sherri inspiring a new fragrance for Savon Marie.

Out to Sea with Smooth Lips

2009-08-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody,

As some of you know, I have been decluttering all week. It has been very rewarding, but I am beginning to run out of steam today. So I decided to take a short break and let all blog readers in a closeout sale in advance. The Rubber Duckies and the lip balms will be discontinued. The Rubber Duckies are already part of the Friday Flea Market and the Lip Balms will be up this Friday. Blog readers can order now.

I want to focus more on making soap, so the lip balms will be offered on sale. For $2, you will recive a large tube of all natural lip balm and a smaller one free. I will also include one in each order until supplies run out.

The Rubber Duckie soap is being dicontinued even though it is a good seller. Shipping the Duckie soap has always been a problem. The Rubber Duckies will be on sale Buy one Get One while supplies last.

The Body Wash, Lotion, Lotion Spray, Body Mist, and Primrose Moisturizing Cream will continue to be part of the product line.

If you are interested in purchasing the closeout items, you can order from the web site. Just visit the At the Flea Market Page. Thanks for stopping by.

The Beautiful and The Adequate

2009-08-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

It has been a while, but this has been a very busy summer. New soaps are coming soon. Look for Halloween soap, a modern cameo, and more. Today however, I am featuring some soap boxes. One set was made by me. The other set has very little of my work, and they are beautiful. (I call them as I see them.) Pictures of both boxes are shown here. Let's start with the beautiful boxes. The focal point of the box is a tag made by Sherri of Punk Rose Paper. I was introduced to Sherri's work by Susan of The Dutch Rose . Sherri sells wholesale only, and her prices are as incredible as her work. You can see how beautiful her work is. The tag can be removed from the box, so the buyer has an extra little gift in addition to the free gift I always include with my orders. Thanks Sherri for your beautiful creations and for solving a problem for an ameteur crafter who happens to be all thumbs.

That leads us to the second set. These boxes are my attempt to make a soap box reminiscent of a jewelry box. Each of these boxes is painted to create a marbled or shabby chic look. Faux gemstones have been adhered to the top of the box. I plan to use these for next week's Make Mine Pink Friday. The theme is "Mother's Jewelry Box. These boxes, which are made of wood, hold 2 bars of Savon Marie soap and will be included free with any purchase of 2 Savon soaps.

Well, that's just part of what I have been doing all summer. I am very happy to say that I have been very busy for the past few months with orders. I am very grateful to all of my customers and friends. You have all inspired me. Thanks to you, I am always trying new ideas...in soaping that is, the crafting thing has got to go.

Thanks for stopping by!
Marie

Summer Porch & More

2009-07-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

It has been a while. Since my last post I went to Cape Cod to attend the Mini Retreat sponsored by Make Mine Pink . I'm glad I did. It was a very restful and informative week. When I returned, I was ready for lots of new orders. So I have been up to my neck in suds all month. It's good to finally catch up.

I am posting two items for Show and Tell, part of Make Mine Pink's way to help members promote new products, communicate with friends and customers, and to have a little blog fun.

The first, pictured above, is my floral soap for Pink Friday on July 1oth. The theme is Summer Porch & Garden. I am fortunate enough to live in a house with a porch and a garden, quite an accomplishment for someone living in an apartment in Bronx, NY. I thought this soap was perfect for the theme. It features blue forget-me-nots and pink roses. The fragrance is Fresh Cut Flowers. It's light and airy, just right for summer.

My next item is the result of a brainstorm I got while working on an order. I am also a member of Friday Flea Market, and they seemed just right for a flea market sale. I made soap with honey and goat milk in the shape of an egg. The soap "dish" is a charming egg cup. These sweet little soaps are on sale here.

Now I must tell you all that I am going away once again. This has been quite a year for me in terms of traveling. I guess I got carried away in my first year of retirement. Next week, my family and I are cruising to Canada for 5 glorious days. When I get back, I plan to settle down and start working on a few more new ideas. Keep your eyes open!

Honesty is the Best Policy

2009-05-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody,

I received this award from Debbie of Cozy Cottage. I feel honored. Thanks Debbie. In order to accept this award I must link to Debbie's blog. Just click on Cozy Cottage above. As you can see on the left, I must also display the Honest Scrap widget. Then I must tell 10 true things about myself and give the award to seven other lucky people.

Okay, in all honesty, I

1 have to say ice cream is my favorite thing to eat.

2 am absolutely thrilled to be retired.

3 enjoy true crime stories, reading them or seeing them on 48 Hours Investigates

4 wish I could live in Nice, France

5 would rather spend time with my grand daughter than with her parents. She IS more fun that they are. (Don't tell.)

6 got a personalized license plate to avoid a trip to DMV

7 love champagne

8 think Tracey Ulman is hilarious.

9 am fascinated by almost anything related to World War Two

10 have never had a new car and don't care if I never get one.

Now my turn to bestow the honors.

Melissa at The Casual Cameo

Marie Antionette at Creations by Marie Antionette

Pat of Patricia Rose

Helene at Sisters Gift Company

Lynn at Tres Belle Boutique

Lisa at Lisas Creative Gifts and Antiques

Lynn of The Vintage Nest

Sunflower Soaps

2009-05-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Well I have been at it again. I decided to try to take some pictures of my Sunflowers Soap for the upcoming Pink Friday theme, The Secret Garden which features all things floral. I took so many pictures just to get one decent shot. This is the result; it will have to do. I've got to move on to Greta's Wild Orchids. That could be tough, since I have no orchids, but sometimes I do feel a little wild, like this morning when I had too much caffeine.

Actually, this floral theme will coincide with my Flowers & Showers Sale. For this event, anyone ordering a floral soap will also receive a 5 ounce bottle of our Aloe Body Wash in the same floral fragrance. The sale starts on Friday May 29th and lasts until June 11th. Thanks for visiting. Hope to see you at the Flowers & Showers Sale.

2009-04-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Members of Make Mine Pink Step up and adopt a hope chest for Enchanted Makeovers 2009 vision project.
First let me introduce you to the non-profit organization that Make Mine Pink is joining hands with this year. I'm sure you've heard of Terry Grahl of Enchanted Makeovers? Well, for the past several years Terry has been donating her time and gathering resources to refurbish women and children's shelters. This year the 2009 Vision project is Terry's shelter makeover. We're proud to be able to help her with this worthy project.
Please visit the Enchanted Makeover site read more. http://www.enchantedmakeovers.org/
Part of Terry's plan is to have a hope chest for each girl in the shelter that would be filled with items that they will need when they move on from the shelter. We all had or knew someone that had a hope chest, and understand the significance of giving these girls something to look forward to..dream about.. hope for.
Terry had a company lined up that expressed interest in providing the hope chest for all 20 girls but unfortunately the company that was planning to donate the hope chests is no longer able to. Terry has asked MMP to help. Two hope chests have already been donated, leaving 18 for MMP to raise funds for. As I doodled 18 hope chest at 200.00 each = 3600.00 on a piece of paper, I started thinking. 18 people (only 18) could adopt/provide a hope chest for 200.00 contribution. Two Hundred dollars each didn't sound all that bad. I could do that for such a worthy cause. But I doodled some more and thought.. 36 people - 2 to a chest would be 100.00 each - that was even better! But what about teams of 3 people? That would be 67 dollars each? That would be so within many of our reach, making it easier for more to participate. I just knew we could do this if we formed teams to adopt a hope chest. Suddenly the plan for 18 hope chests and 3600.00 didn't seem out of reach at all. A plan was formed and the adopt a hope chest program began.
As of April 20, 2009 we have 11 Hope Chest Funded. We have 7 to go in the next month. If you'd like to join a team or adopt a hope chest, please email me at info@makeminepink.com. Please let us know if you will
Adopt a Hope Chest Myself: 200.00Adopt a Hope Chest with 1 other person 100.00Adopt a Hope Chest with 2 others 67.00
Some of you asked if the hope chest will go with each girl. No.. it will stay at the shelter offering hopes and dreams to every new resident. When one graduates, she'll take with her the contents (some of which we will contribute) and make room for a new resident to plan and dream of a time when she'll be ready to move on.
Terry has a gentleman that will be constructing each hope chest.. so time is not a luxury we have. The 2009 vision project is due to be completed by August, so we need to move fast! Monetary donations for the hope chests will be due by May 30th.
On behalf of Terry and the Enchanted Makeover Committee at Make Mine Pink..thank you for being a part of the 2009 Vision Project.
Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

A Treasure from Andie

2009-04-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Well it looks like I am an addict, A Show and Tell Addict. This is the second week in a row that I have purchased something from one of my Make Mine Pink sisters as a result of visiting their blogs for a feature called Show and Tell.

Last week, my friend Andie of Brown Bee Studio shared a lovely pinkeep she made as a tribute to Marie Antoinette. Well, as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted it. It did have MY name on it. Take a look at the packaging. It is so bright and cheery, just like Andie. I love the colors. her tag is qdorable, too. It has a touch of glitter and even a real button. Once I opened it, I was delighted to see that the beautiful pinkeep Andie featured on her Show and Tell is even prettier in person.

These pictures show the front and the back of the pinkeep. Andie created the design in cross stitch. A few pearls and blue stones grace some safety pins on the bottom left corner. Andie even added a few pins and a needle on the top right. The floral print on the back is a perfect choice.

Visit Andie at The Brown Bee Studio on Etsy or stop by her blog for the latest buzz at the Brown Bee Studio

Lavender and lace

2009-04-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

We are so excited about this week's Pink Friday theme at Make Mine Pink. It's a favorite of ours, Lavender and Lace. We even created a special soap box for the occasion. All of our soaps on sale this week will fit into the box. We are offering special prices on all of our lavender scented soaps, lotion, body mist and more. Be sure to visit Make Mine Pink and Savon Marie on Friday, April 24th. All participating boutiques have lovely items this week. One or more is just right for you.

Show and Tell Bonanza

2009-04-18T16:26:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Happy Spring. I have lots to show today. I want to share with you some items I received from two friends at Make Mine Pink.

First up is Stephanie at Shabby in Pink Boutique Stephanie has a wonderful selection of items in her boutique. Just perfect for Easter or Spring is this rabbit doll all dressed up in a white spring dress embellished with applique and embroidery. I placed her next to a picture of my grand daughter, Lili, who is as cute as a bunny. Maybe even cuter.

I knew the minute I saw this Fleur de Lis that it was meant to be in my living room. I have loved the Fleur de Lis symbol ever since I can remember. It is on my logo and I even make soap in the shape of a Fleur de Lis. I have a few other Fleur de Lis pediments in my living room. I guess you could say I have a small collection.

Finally, here are some wonderful extras that Stephanie included. It was such a pleasure opening that package. She added a little wand with a lovely purple ribbon and picture of violets. You can see it in my planter. Just under the planter is a vintage French soap sign. Since I make soap, this struck me as an especially thoughtful gift. Thank you, Stephanie.

Stephanie's treasures really brightened up my room. Thanks to her, I am ready for Spring. Don't forget to click the link above to visit her site.

Warning! The next image has unladylike language. But it is my page, and I can say whatever I want.

I recently blogged about Tedi, who has a lovely online book shop called The Petite Bookstore. Tedi specializes in titles that appeal to women. What a great idea! It really saves time when I want to purchase a magazine or book. I don't have to sift through unrelated titles. The book I blogged about is The Creative Entrepreneur. As a gift with purchase, Tedi included a journal and matching bookmark. I am now using Tedi's journal to create my own visual journal.

One of the writing prompts is to make a list of things that I'd like to stop doing. I am not an artist, so I used scrapbooking software. On the facing page, I have a quotation that says, "The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you." When I open my book to that page I have a very focused vision for that day or as long as I want.

Thanks for stopping by.

Marie

Lucie

2009-04-13T00:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Meet Lucie. She is featured on my latest soap box. Her background is homemade paper. I chose it because it reminded me of icing. The box has a silver border and is trimmed with blue grosgrain ribbon. The caption reads, "She told enough white lies to ice a wedding cake." A small cake completes the design. The papier mache box has been painted matte silver and was designed to hold one bar of SavonMarie soap. Of course, it is reusable.

Now about Lucie. She was not a bad woman. Her life was full of intrigue, and she did what she had to do. It was all for love. That is all she (or I) will tell you.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Oh Dear! Harriet has gone too far again.

2009-04-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

For Show and Tell this week, I am introducing Harriet. She is my latest soap box creation. The caption reads, "Harriet always took her fashion sense a bit too far." Well, we certainly won't argue that. Harriet is adorned with feathers AND pearls. She just does not know when to stop. But bless her heart, she tries. She is the focal point (of course!) on a matte silver soap box. The box is made of recycled papier mache. It is very sturdy and certainly reusable. It measures 41/2 by 3 by 1 7/8 inches.

I love boxes, and over the years I have kept and reused many of the unique gift boxes I have received. I thought this might be a nice option as gift packaging for my soap and for my fellow box collectors.

Don't forget to stop by at Make Mine Pink this week. There is lots of fun and lots of prizes. Make Mine Pink has a Pink Slots event all week. Try your luck! Thanks for stopping by.

Marie Antoinette

2009-04-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody,

This is just a quick reminder to visit Make Mine Pink and Savon Marie on Friday, April 3, for our Pink Friday event. All boutiques at Make Mine Pink are offering lovely items in honor of Marie Antoinette, which is this week's theme. At Savon Marie we are offering some of our lovely Bath Cakes and Tarts in honor of Marie's love of pastry. Won't you join us?

Buttons & Bows

2009-03-29T21:49:00.001-07:00

Hello Everybody,

Here is something I could not resist. I found this soap mold and knew I had to have it. This is not the greatest photo, but I wanted to share my newest bar of soap. The buttons are colored with mica. I love using mica; it adds subtle color and shimmer.

This bar is in blue, but rest asured, a pink one is soon to follow. All I need now are some bows.

Meet Adele and Francoise

2009-03-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I just could not resist these. They were created by Caroline of caroleecrafts.com I carelessly erased the original set of pictures I took. They were beautifully wrapped. I thought I had downloaded them, but apparently, I did not. Fortunately I still had the card. I just love the way it opens. Also included in Caroline's package was a lovely lace sachet full of lavender, one of my favorites. As pretty as they look in the picture, Adele and Francoise are even lovlier in person.

Thanks again Caroline. By the way Caroline is in the UK, but her package arrived very quickly. I have had to wait much longer for packages from places like Arkansas. The cost of postage was also very reasonable. Caroline has many beautiful hand made items on her site. You can visit her at www.caroleecrafts.com

Marie

Petite Bookstore & Drawing

2009-03-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody,

Yesterday I received an order from The Petite Bookstore. I ordered two books last week, and Tedi's presentation was beautiful. In addition to the books, there was a bookmark made from a giant paperclip embellished with ribbons. So simple yet, very elegant. Then there was a lovely tag with a gold crown on it, also perfect for a bookmark. Finally, there was a beautiful journal. These were all gifts! The journal even had ribbon tags on it, so there are sections for different topics. I was so thrilled with the gifts that I almost forgot about the books I ordered! So I want to thank Tedi for everything and encourage you all to visit her at The Petite Bookstore. You' ll love her selection and receiving your order will be like receiving a very special present. For some reason, my links are not working. Tedi's site is www.petitebookstoe.com. Maybe that will show.

And now for the winner of last week's giveaway. I used the random number generator to pick the winner. The winner is Carol. Thanks to everyone who participated.

I survived Mardi Gras

2009-03-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody,

This is not me.

I survived Mardi Gras. It was such fun. I really love New Orleans. The people are so friendly and the food was fantastic. And of course Mardi Gras itself was unforgettable. They sure know how to throw a party. I lost most of my pictures, but I did salvage a few. I would like to share one that I call Bachelor Number Three. He was quite charming. I never did get his name. He seemed annoyed though that I did not get his entire costume. He was wearing a kilt, but that picture is blurry, so this one will have to do.

I just loved the parades, especially Zulu, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary. I liked Zulu because their costumes reminded me of the Mummers parade in my hometown of Philadelphia. The Mummers parade is held on New Year's Day, and like Mardi Gras, the tradition goes way back. Below is a photo of the Krewe of Zulu, but they look just like Mummers. I always said Macy's has nothing on the Mummers. Well, they don't have anything on Mardi Gras either. I mean look at all those feathers and sequins. What's a girl to do!

My friend and I tried lots of restaurants including Antoine's, Deenies, The Court of Two Sisters, The Palace Cafe, and a few I can't remember. I tried oysters and lots of other seafood wherever we went. So I got inspired to have a giveaway of my Bombshell Soap. Just leave a comment. I will draw a winner in about one week using the random number site.

Amethyst

2009-02-16T06:45:00.001-08:00

At last! After creating lots of purple soap, I made an amethyst that I like. I realize it is probably not a true replica of a rough cut amethyst, but I like it, and I hope everyone else does too. The fragrance I chose for this one is Lavender Martini. I think it is perfect; it's definitely a lavender fragrance, but it has some zing to it. It's fresh and breezy.

This will be my last post for a while. The rest of this week will be spent getting chores and errands done. On Friday I leave for New Orleans. I will return on February 27th. See you then!

Marie

Jade

2009-02-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,
This is a quick post to show my new addition to
The Savon Stone Collection. It is Jade. The fragrance, also conveniently called jade is a charming blend of sweet jasmine, white lilies and violets; middle notes of lavender, rose combined with a delicate touch of sun ripened pineapple; bottom notes of fresh apple and fresh green melon. In other words, it really smells good.

I am really enjoying the challenge of creating these stones. I am hoping to add Amethyst next.
In time, I will also be adding some meaning behind the stones, but right now, I am still revamping the web site. Since my car is on its way out, a new web site is out of the question, so I am plodding along.

Thanks for visiting.
Sincerely,
Marie

Lavender in Love

2009-02-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

February is one of our favorite months at Savon Marie. Of course we love Valentine's Day, but for Savon Marie, there are two special events in February. One is Lavender in Love, and the other is Customer Appreciation Day. Celebrate with us. Even if you don't love Lavender, we have something just for you.

New

2009-01-25T14:44:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone,
Here is a new item I will be featuring this week. I am planning to create more of these "rocks." Of course they are made of soap. These are marble. I am now working on Citrine. I am planning to soap my way through the world of gemstones, rocks, and minerals.

Between that and working on my photography skills, I have been pretty busy.

Have a wonderful week everyone. Thanks for stopping by.
Marie