Here soapy, soapy

I am shopping for soaps.  The last purchase I did was back in November, for my birthday.  It was a pretty depressing birthday and needed to treat myself with something nice.  I bought soaps.

Eight months have passed and today I opened the last bar of my birthday shopping spree.  I have cried so much during those months, and most of it has been in my bath, with my soaps.  Today, my spirit is much different.  I am looking forward to new ways of presenting myself to the world, and to attempt a completely different approach for becoming. So, the soaps that I will be buying now will have a totally different task.

And speaking of becoming...  The pictures I have been taking for Fairy Wings Boutique are coming along.  We are planning different shoots and marketing ideas. Here is a picture I took of one pair of wings.  We went to the beach at sunset and the pictures came up pretty nice.  I have no idea what this project will bring.  I am meeting new and very creative people along the way, and is really exciting.  Tonight I will be visiting a Handmade market in North Miami.  As far as I know, this is the only Handmade market in the area.  I have my hopes high so let's see what this visit will bring. 

I encourage these types of Markets.  They gather together a community that would otherwise be secluded. The most cost-effective way for an upcoming Handmade business to actually sell their creations is through a website.  The face to face interaction with clients is out of the picture. So, if you happen to find a Farmers or Handmade market in your area,  go for it.

I will continue my search for soaps now.  I will keep you posted on my final picks.  If you have any sugestions, bring 'em on!

My first Pro Bono Client

I have a client! And of course, a promise is a promise.  I will be taking pictures of her fabulous Fairy Wings free of charge.

About two years ago, she started making little fairy wings and started selling them online.  Little did she know that she would be setting up her own website and having an incredible amount of orders.  Fairy Wings Boutique is an ongoing business.  We met last week and she wants to take it to a new level.  She's doing lots of changes to the website and updating the photography and image.  It is such a wonderful project, and I am really excited to be part of it.  Here's a pic of the kind of stuff she does.  I am still battling some lighting issues, but I will get it right.

These rustic wings are my favorites.  They are simple and delicate and have the Handmade stamp all over them.

FREE Product Photography Set

Since I am starting this Product Photography project and I really need to build up my portfolio pictures, I am offering a FREE 20 pics session.  You will be able to use them on your website or Etsy shop. Anybody interested on doing this with me, please contact me.  I am really nice :) You'll love working with me.

An adventurous Spirit

I am a true follower of the Handmade movement.  I see it as the precise spot where skill meets ingenuity.  Take out the factories and the cookie cutter molds, put in creativity, attention to detail, dedication, and... you got yourself a unique piece.  One special something that will make the difference on this vast sea of random merchandise.

The trick, however, is how to make your handcraft idea into a successful business.

Like any other business, it takes a lot of guts to make it work.  A lot of planning and experimenting.  Practicality, a lot of sense, but above all, a lot of Spirit.  Whenever I meet a new Handmade entrepreneur,  my eyes focus and I get curious on knowing what drives this person into doing it.  What idea is moving this person into putting so much into something that it may not work.

Adventure.  The thrill, the risk, the trust you put in yourself.  Why shouldn't it work? It could be the best idea you will ever have, and it could be THE idea.

Trust your instincts.  Plan carefully.  Enjoy your craft.  Work hard.  It will pay off.

*I would love to hear your story, wether good or bad, or you don't know yet.  Thanks for reading.

Life and Soap

I have come to the conclusion that life is like soap.

Every single decision counts. The ingredients, the stuff its made of, is critically important. Extra care must be exercised when deciding what stays and what goes. Career choices, partnerships, living arrangements, likes, dislikes.... it all winds up in the enormous pot that is your heart, waiting to be mixed. If, for some reason, we rush into this selection, the consistency of the mixture does't flow. Is not right. But in reality, the true test of the ingredients comes with the lye.

The lye's job is to break down the ingredients. It melts them and transforms them into a completely new and unique element. It bounds the ingredients to such degree, that they no longer represent their original state. And so it is with life too. As we grow older, relationships bound us, tide us, and leave profound marks. When we get closer to the heat of tests, our souls transform into something we didn't know we were. And all we are left with is patience. Waiting. Letting things settle, and hope that the soap sets.

It is at this point when we decide if the choices were correct. If we got it right in the first try, or if we need to make adjustments. Go back to the ingredients and shuffle things one more time, and try again. This is the true craft of soapmaking. And I believe it is a craft that lasts a lifetime.

We will end up with a soap in our hands. We will enter our own space, in the bath, our own quiet time, and we will try the soap. It is there, you alone with the soap, where you will enjoy the results and smile. In the end, the smile is what matters. The true satisfaction of a well lived life accompanied by the small luxury of a good handmade soap.