Simmons Soap Shop Part of the 60′s back-to-the-land movement, Dottie Simmons simmonsnaturals.com relocated to rural Northern California due to allergy/sensitivity problems aggravated by the San Francisco Bay Area atmosphere. In 1968, she started “homesteading”, raising goats, poultry, other livestock, and gardening. Here she met her husband, Dennis, raised three children and, in 1977, they purchased [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Spotlight category.
Member Spotlight – Earth Essentials Soap
Barbara Downey- Earth Essentials Soap Barbara Downey wanted to learn to do something that would create greater self-sufficiency in her life. She had been buying hand-milled soap at local stores and fell in love with good soap. Since she had a love for cooking and appreciated following a good recipe, cold process soapmaking seemed like [...]
HSMG Experts Panel Forum “Grow Your Business” Day
Hello Members, Kelly Bloom is one amazing lady and we will have her at the next Experts Panel – “Grow Your Business” Day at the HSMG Forum. She does it all as a Supplier of Extraordinary soapmaking supplies, Soapalooza! Soap Arts Studio owner, Blog: southernsoapers.com/news/ & Southern Soapers Yahoo Forum owner as well as mother [...]
Member Spotlight – Get Real! Get Wild! With A Wild Soap Bar LLC
Maggie Hanus, Soap Bartender http://www.awildsoapbar.com Maggie’s nostalgic story comes from reading Sandy Maine’s first book. It inspired Maggie to give soapmaking a try and over 14 years later she is hopelessly addicted to the craft. Maggie taught herself many handcrafted skills like crochet, beadwork, jewelry, pressed flowers, nature prints and even home building! The same [...]
HSMG Volunteer Spotlight – Pat Allen
HSMG Volunteer Spotlight – Gran’ Nanny’s Goat Milk Soaps, Inc. – Pat Allen Goats got Pat started in soapmaking when looking for ways to use surplus goat milk. Introduced to goat milk soap by a neighbor, she started researching and in Pat’s words “Whooooo … I had no idea that goat milk had so much [...]
Lifetime Member Spotlight – Jackie Thompson
Gaily Rebecca Soaps – Jackie Thompson It all started with a runaway herb garden! Jackie was trying to find more ways to utilize all of her herbs and came across Susan Cavitch’s soapmaking book in the public Library. Intrigued, she made some soap and the rest is history. Jackie now works with her daughter, Gaily, [...]
P&S Committee Spotlight – Rachel Timmerman
Athena’s Olive Tree Soaps – Rachel Timmerman Rachel first started out by making her own skincare products, mostly masks and scrubs, for her own personal use. Amazed at the results, she started researching other products that could be made at home – like soaps! Initially dabbling in CP, HP, and MP, college dormitory life and rules narrowed her focus [...]
First Member Spotlight – For Your Glory Soap Inc.
Like many of us, Lori Bettendorf had a family member in need to get started in soapmaking. Her teenage daughter’s skin condition did not respond to OTC products. Also discouraged by the chemical load in skin cleansers, she researched and was enamored by all of the advantageous qualities in natural base oils and pure essential [...]
Spotlight – Denaige Shanks
Denaige is the owner of Bubble Hut www.bubblehut.ca/ and bases her business near Edmonton, Alberta. She has been a member of the HSMG since January, 2007. Denaige was elected to the Nominating Committee in 2008 and served there briefly before being appointed to the Board of Directors. She is currently Chair of the Policy, Procedures and [...]
Spotlight – Cathleen Timberlake
Taking a Higher Path to Soapmaking Cathleen Timberlake joined the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild in 2002. Six years later she became one of our Board members and now Chairs the Membership Committee. What’s so special about that, you may be wondering? (After all, lots of Guild members catch the “servant leadership” bug and end up chairing [...]