Sunday, November 25, 2012

Saponification Sunday. Display Drama

Another week. Another few bars of soap. Still happily struggling to keep up with Christmas orders and the supply I like to keep on hand in our own little farm store. Finally got to the point that several batches hit the magical CURE date (which basically means the burns I had on my arms from sloppy soap slinging had been cured) at the same time and could be put up for sale.

I was tired of the old wire rack in my store that looked ugly and never kept the bars upright so I recycled an old wooden silverware box for a new display. I covered the vintage blue velvet which was probably keen in Elvis's day but over time had taken on the appearance of tacky, with some new burlap. Final result, not too glam, not to shabby, good enough for my farmy store.



I stayed up late trimming bars, wrapping with my label and then adding the ingredient label before I arranged each of the bars in a charming and attractive manner, or so I told myself. Pleased with my new display box, I lovingly carried it to my store cooing all the time "Who's the prettiest box on the farm? No, YOU are, No, YOU are..."

After settling it into its new home on top of the antique childs school desk, I reluctantly walked away. Thats when the unthinkable happened. Why oh why didn't I lock the farm store door??!

Some heathen, some dirty heathen hiding behind the innocence of an infant, BOUGHT my soap. Lots of my soap and before I could recover someone else came in and bought more and before the day was over 2/3 of the boxes contents were gone...POOF...just like that. Don't you just hate that? You work so hard brewing the stuff, unmolding it, trimming it, wrapping it with care and love and then you blink and it's just gone. If I had meant for people to buy my soap I would've put prices on them.

Opps.

I may have to go back to paiting mason jars using the Donna Dewberry method. No one ever bought that junk piece of original art.

14 comments:

  1. The drawer with the new trendy and sheik burlap demands to be called upcycled. That's what all the kids call it nowadays, because recycled might be something their parents would say. LOL ;-)

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  2. Typical; you leave something in a shop and some twit comes along and buys it. Whatever next!

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  3. Bummer! At least you got a picture of all your soapy babies before the unthinkable happened. You can always look back and remember....

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  4. Lovely display. You made it look so enticing that people could not help but buy them, in the hopes that their homes could have a touch of that beauty. I see the tag on the second soap from the left says felted soap, what exactly is felted soap?

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  5. Silverware box upcycling/recycling now that was a clever idea so clever that people could not resist buying the contents of said box.

    Get back to work, we want more soap!

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  6. Doug. "Upcycled" ? Hmmm. OK got it. Next I will work on "Crosscycling"

    Cro. I am surrounded by twits. 'nough said

    Jocelyn. Yes, thank God. I do have afew pics. 16,000 on my pc to date. I have issues no doubt

    Roslyn, You are very sweet and kind, you must be new. My regular followers tend to be a little rough around the edges. Watch your back :0

    Felted soap is a bar of soap covered with real wool and worked under hot water in such a way for the wool to bind together and become felt. I then use a needel to embed more wool in different colors to make a design like that complicated Christmas tree. After that the ownwer uses the felted soap like a combination washcloth and soap. As the soap shrinks so does the felted wool. Kids love them

    Martha. Thanks so much and yes I will. (Did you see that Roslyn ? This follower strated out all sweetness and light and then turns on me. Demanding MORE soap. It's never enough for these people !)

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  7. Lovely soap in a lovely display case. Love the burlap!

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  8. Donna, yes I am new and thank you for your kind words. How would I go about ordering some of your fabulous soap? And would the felted soap be good for rough man hands? My husband wants to know if it helps get ground in dirt off. lol.

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  9. Roslyn, email me at opies99@gmail.com and I'll give you all the sudsy details. And yup very good for man hands. My hubbie works outside all day, had very rough hands until I fixed him up with the real stuff. He's now my number one fan.

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  10. Very cool word. Crosscycling! Needs a cool definition.

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  11. Donna, I am so pleased for you! Funny how packaging, a display or a name may make a difference in sales? Or is it just that buying season is coming on. Or maybe people trying your soaps, loving them and coming back for more!!!!! xoxoxo Jen

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  12. Noooooooooooo! It's rather like the Thanksgiving Meal, isn't it? All that work and then POOF! Nothin' but a memory....
    I guess that tan bar I wanted is gone....:(
    Congrats on the sales though -how exciting! Soap on my sister!

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  13. Your display looks great, Donna! Congrats on all of your sales!

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  14. One of the funniest things I've ever read! I've felt that way before about a certain blanket...

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