A+ Soapmaking Studio, currently teaching soapmaking, business classes and more to students in the local southern California area and beyond, had an unexpected start. Owner Kerri Mixon had just joined the HSCG as the owner of Pallas Athene Soap and attended her very first conference that same year in Tucson, Arizona. Inspired by the incredible …
Angel investors are a well-known concept in Silicon Valley, where their deep pockets help start up cash-strapped businesses. Have you ever heard, however, of the soap angel concept? Photo by Flickr member Paul Esson. Used under a Creative Commons License. Soapmakers are a generous bunch, as the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild has witnessed many …
Join the crowd and be certifiably awesome. At the 2012 HSCG conference in Portland, we awarded certifications to 35 soapmakers – some of whom achieved certification in more than one testing track and more than one level! The 2013 HSCG annual conference in Raleigh is fast approaching and once again, we will be offering certification …
You’ve unpacked your soap, set up a killer display and the first person who walks into your booth picks up a bar and asks, “Why handcrafted soap?” Luckily, there’s a brochure for that. Of course your soap is awesome, but we don’t ever want to leave you tongue-tied for a response in the heat of …
Southern California-based Certified Lye, supplier of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and the necessary personal protective equipment, has been an HSCG supporter from its inception. It is a company that was years in the making, driven by market need and a soapmaker’s ingenuity. It all started in California’s central valley, where owners Kerri Mixon and David …
“‘I get so tired of looking at soap all day long,’ said no soapmaker ever” as the meme goes. Here at the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild, we tend to agree. We recently spotted these sushi soaps out on the HSMG Facebook page and had to know how they came about. “These were for a young teen’s …
It all started with Google. No, really. Marla Bosworth, CEO and Founder of Back Porch Soap Company, and Amanda Griffin, the brains behind Lovin’ Soap, both HSMG members and speakers at our 2013 conference, recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Haiti. There, they taught two dozen women from OFEDA (Organisation des Femmes Devouees en …
The Lebermuth Company has been part of the HSMG for over a decade and in business for over ten decades. Lebermuth, which stocks a wide array of both fragrant and essential oils, is based in Mishawaka, Indiana, an area in the midwestern US commonly referred to as Michiana. Current President Rob Brown’s great grandfather started …
Sharpen your pencils and tell us why you deserve a full ride to the 2013 HSMG Conference. If you’ve been as eagerly counting down the days to next year’s conference as we have, but can’t afford it, we have some very good news. Photo by Flickr member -Weng-. Used under a Creative Commons License. Veracity …
Calling all soapers! Have you heard? We’re having a Holiday of Hope Soap Drive. We know that you are already giving soap in your communities, to causes ranging from local food banks to canine rescue. Photo by Flickr member Darren Tunnicliff. Used under a Creative Commons License. Thank you to everyone who’s shared their donations …
We’re deep in the winter craft fair season, which begs the question: have you ever paid a fee for a craft fair or boutique show only to find out as the show drags on that it was not a good fit for your soap business? Even worse, you’ve wasted a lot of time and energy …
Our Black Friday promotion was so much fun we’re bringing it back for the WHOLE month of December. YAY! From December 1st to the 31st, get 25% off your purchase in the HSMG store. What is included in this deal? Books: From aromatherapy to basket weaving, we have a little bit of everything in the …
If the thought of Black Friday makes you shudder, we have just the deal for you this upcoming Black Friday (that would be Friday, November 23). Photo by Flickr member Michael Holden. Used under a Creative Commons License. For one day only (okay, 27 hours, to be precise), we’re running a few specials across the …
We are so excited to bring you a new, improved Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild website. Watch the video below to learn more about the special requests feature and how to set up a brick and mortar location (whether temporary or permanent). If you have Windows Media Player, here’s a larger, higher quality version of the video …
The HSMG is proud to report that two of its members have recently been featured in the media. Our first member is Lauri Isle of SAC’s & Co.com, whose business was featured recently in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Lauri and co-owner, her sister, Marta Bardonner, create soap and other bath and body products for …
Recently, we caught up with Alabu Skin Care founder Maryclaire Mayes. Alabu, a soapmaking and natural products company based in Mechanicville, NY, has been an HSMG member since 2001. Says Maryclaire, “I wanted to be part of a professional group that supported handcrafted soapmakers”. Making soap fits so well into Maryclaire’s lifestyle that it’s hard …
The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild is a trade association, but have you ever wondered exactly what it means to be part of the Guild? We thought Executive Director Leigh O’Donnell gave a pretty amazing definition in her final President’s Report at the 2012 HSMG Annual Meeting. Photo by Flickr member anyjazz65. Used under a Creative Commons …
Do you sell your soap? Are you trying to expand your reach? Do you have a website yet? The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild has partnered with HSMG member The Template Place to bring you Soap Guild Stores, a fully customizable webstore available expressly for HSMG members. The Soap Guild Stores combine all member webstores into a …
Welcome to September. The days are slowly shortening, summer’s gradually winding down, and school is back in session, which makes this a perfect time to ponder continuing your education. You don’t have to stop learning just because your formal schooling has ended. In fact, many soapmakers don’t discover their passion until well after primary and …
If you live in the US and have been crafting soap for any length of time, chances are you’ve heard of Bramble Berry. Bramble Berry, based out of the western US city of Bellingham, Washington, has been a vendor member of the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild for six years. “HSMG helps to further soapmakers in all …