Sunday, November 22, 2009

Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sale!

Get ready to stock up on your holiday gifts! Angie's Suds 'N Such is having a Black Friday - Cyber Monday sale!

Sneak Peek at one of the deals:
My 8 bar listing will have FREE worldwide shipping!



Be sure to check out my whole shop for great deals that weekend!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Shows, New Products, and the Cherry Blossom Festival

It's show season! The last one I did went fairly well and I'm hoping the rest do the same. If you're in the area I'd love for you to stop by and say 'hi' at one of my shows! Here are the locations of my next 2:

November 14 - Centreville United Methodist Church - 6400 Old Centreville Rd, Centreville, VA

December 12 - Gar-Field High School - 14000 Smoketown Rd, Woodbridge, VA

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New Products!

I've been busy here in my 'lab' experimenting with new recipes. My two newest products will be lip balms and lotion sticks! I'll be listing them in my shop sometime this week.

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Cherry Blossom Festival

So, what's given me the push to create those new products? The Cherry Blossom Festival committee! I submitted a cherry blossom soap for consideration for their online boutique and they loved it! BUT...they wanted more items to make it a gift set. I'll be including a few more items other than the lip balm and lotion sticks as soon as the recipes are perfected. I have to send the set in for a final consideration and as long as they like it all, I'm in!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Parents Magazine!

Some of you know, some of you don't, that Parents magazine recently did an article on bartering and interviewed me! Well, here it is! They featured it in the October 2009 issue. Page 99 to be exact:)

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Making Room for New Soaps!

New seasons are coming which means new soap scents! Not only do I have new scents coming but I have new packaging! Before I can list these new soaps I need to get rid of the old ones! Help me out! I've reduced all my cold process soaps by 30% to help make room for the new ones. All prices have already been marked down. Please take some time to stop by my Etsy shop and check it out!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Mini Soap-on-a-Rope Tutorial

Today I'm going to show you how to make your own mini Soap-on-a-Rope! Yay!

Here's what you need:

Approximately 4 ounces of melt and pour soap base
Mini bath puff (I got mine from Parasox on etsy)
Fragrance oil (I used Cherry Blossom from Sahara's Supplies)
Blueberry seeds for exfoliation (also from Sahara)
Bath bomb mold (from...you guessed it!...Sahara)
A spoon for mixing
Knife for cutting
Measuring glass to melt your soap in

Have all your supplies? Okay, let's get started!

First you need to cut up your soap base and measure out 2 ounces. Melt it in the microwave (about 20 seconds should do the trick), add about 1/4 tsp fragrance oil, a bit of blueberry seeds, and mix it all together.

Now, set your mini puff in one half of the bath bomb mold. I recommend greasing the mold a bit so your soap doesn't stick.

Carefully pour your soap mixture into the mold. You'll need to pull the puff away from the sides a bit to get it in there. Pour slowly so the puff has time to absorb some of the soap. Now, go grab a cup of coffee and wait for this to dry.

Is it dry? Alright, next step!
Measure out another 2 ounces of your soap base. Melt it and add your fragrance and blueberry seeds like last time. Pour it into the other half of your mold. (Don't forget to grease it!)

Unmold the dry soap that you made earlier. I tried doing this with the first half still in the mold but the mold won't close completely and you'll have a little gap between the two halves.
Very carefully and very slowly set it into the melted soap, puff side down. You'll want to put something under it to catch the soap that runs out over the side. Trust me, now matter how slow you go it's going to happen.

We're done! Well, almost. Go grab a book or watch tv for about 3o minutes and then come back and unmold your creation!
Congrats! You just made a mini soap-on-a-rope!


P.S. I don't recommend making your soap outside like I did. I only did this for the purpose of taking pictures in the natural lighting.

Friday, August 28, 2009

New Product and Weekend Deals!

It's that time again! Time for Weekend Deals!


This weekend I'm offering Buy One Get One Half Off on everything in my shop!


Not only am I having a sale but I have a new product. Suds 'N Such now makes shower gel! I currently have 3 scents listed (peppermint, orange, and green apple) but more will be coming soon. I'm also taking custom orders for scents that I don't have listed yet so if you don't see your favorite scent, feel free to ask!



Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Make Your Samples Work for You!

After a few years of sending and receiving samples I thought I’d share a few tips that I’ve come up with. Please remember, these are tips for *samples*. Samples and promos are not the same thing. Samples are a smaller version of something that you sell in your shop. Not a pen or button with your name on it. Promos are nice but not always memorable.

First of all, make sure your sample is an accurate representation of your work because that’s what potential customers will see it as. Don’t send seconds/mistakes! You want the customer to *want* your item. Your samples should be as good as the full sized item.

Send samples that the customer can *use*. If you are a soapmaker, send soap. Jewelry makers, how about a small pair of earrings? If the potential customer can use the item, they are more likely to fall in love with it and purchase more later.

Here are a few questions that the potential customer will want to know about your product sample:

1) What is it?
A customer can’t buy it if they don’t know what it is. Not only that, but a lot of my soap looks like food. I don’t want anyone to eat it! Soap and tarts smell and look alike. If a customer doesn’t know what it is, they won’t use it.

2) What’s in it?
This is especially important for bakers and bath & body makers. Please list all your ingredients in case anyone has allergies.

3) What do I do with it?
If it’s not obvious, please give details on how to use your sample.

4) How can I buy more?
Don’t forget to include your business card or website info! If the customer can’t find you, they can’t buy anything from you!

Now who do you give these samples to?

Try to focus on your target market. When you ship out an order include a sample of something else that you think that customer will like. Submit to sampler boxes that focus on your target market. Keep a few with you so when you strike up a conversation with someone about your business you can hand them a sample to remember you by. Hand them out to friends and family. Even if it’s not something they’ll use, there’s a good chance they’ll still support your business by promoting it to others.

I hope these tips help someone. If you have any tips of your own, feel free to post them here!

Monday, August 24, 2009

And the Winner is...

I just put all the names in a bucket and let my daughter pick out the winner. The name she picked is...
CarolSue! Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Back to School Sale!

You need soap. My daughter needs school clothes. SO...



Back to School Sale!



Everything in my etsy shop is Buy 3 Get 1 FREE! When you buy any 3 items you can pick a 4th item of equal or lesser value for FREE! Just let me know which free item you would like when checking out.

These are great for keeping in a backpack or for college students to keep in their shower caddy:


Monday, August 17, 2009

Giveaway! Soap and Soap Dish!


Want a chance to win a bar of soap from my shop and a soap dish from CrochetGal? Entering is easy!


1)Visit both of our shops and pick out your favorite item from each.

2)Comment on this post letting us know which items were your favorite.

3)Include your email address so I know how to contact you.


Links to our shops:




Want more chances to win?

-Every order from my shop during the time of the contest (now through August 24 at 12pm EDT) will receive another entry.

-Write about this contest on your blog, twitter, or facebook for another entry. Be sure to leave an additional comment with a link to your post.


Winner will be picked on Monday, August 24th at 12pm EDT. Winner will receive their choice of one bar soap from my shop and a soap dish from CrochetGal.


Good luck!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Weekend Deals!

In honor of Etsy's free shipping weekend deal, I'm offering FREE shipping *within the US* on all Yarn items in my AngiesOthers shop! This includes all Scarves, Blankets, Coasters, and Crocheted Food! Sale will run from Friday, August 14th through Sunday, August 16th.

Of course I can't leave out my soap shop! Soap weighs a little to much for me to offer free shipping but instead I'll give you a discount of 20% off you entire order!

How do you get these great deals? Simply enter "weekend deals" in the notes to seller when checking out. I will refund you via paypal once your order and payment is complete.
Don't forget to check out my new "Make Your Own Soap" listing! You design it, I make it!

Have a great weekend!

Monday, August 10, 2009

What do I do when I'm not soaping?

I make scarves! Here are my two newest that I made for my other Etsy shop.

I crocheted this one using a beautiful autumn colored yarn:

I knitted this neckwarmer in a delicious raspberry colored cotton:

Don't worry, I'm still working on soap! I have some new fall scents on the curing racks and they'll be listed soon!

Friday, July 31, 2009

I'm Sorry!

I just realized that I haven't posted anything in over a month! I'll be back later with an update. I promise!

Friday, June 26, 2009

My First Front Page Feature!

For the first time ever, my soap has been featured on the Front Page of Etsy! That's my Lemon Poppy Seed soap in the middle of the 3rd row! Thank you to CurlyGirlCrochet for including me in that treasury!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

For All My Loyal Customers

Angie's Suds 'N Such now has a customer loyalty program!

With each order from my Etsy shop you will receive one of these cards. Save 5 and redeem them for a free bar of soap!

You get to pick from any bar soap in my shop at the time of redemption!

To make it even better, I won't charge you shipping for the free bar!


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

One Lovely Blog Award!


I got an email yesterday letting me know that I had a new comment from Megan of mdstudio, who had chosen my blog to receive the "Lovely Blog Award"! Be sure to click the links above to check out her awesome blog and Etsy shop!


Here are the rules:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.


These are the great blogs I am passing the award on to:


Thursday, June 11, 2009

Anyone hungry for cookies?

I've been working on a few things for my other shop recently. I just listed these yummy chocolate chip cookies:

Sorry, you can't eat them but they'd make a great addition to your little baker's kitchen set!


Speaking of food, I finally listed my Pizza Soap! It's available as a whole pizza or by the slice.


Hungry yet?

Friday, May 1, 2009

$30 raised for the Autism Society of America!

Thank you everyone who purchased a Puzzle Set during April to support the Autism Society of America!

Some of these awesome customers include:
AudreysCountryCrafts
sarawestermark
msumbie99
meArtDesign
gifteddesigns
queenjane0

$30 was raised for this wonderful charity!

I also want to thank everyone who helped spread the word about this fundraiser.

THANK YOU!

Monday, March 30, 2009

April is Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. You can help support the cause by purchasing a set of puzzle soaps. For each set purchased in April, I will donate 50% to the Autism Society of America.



Sets are $5 each and can be found in my Etsy shop. You can choose from the fruit set (shown above) or the childhood set which includes bubblegum, creamsicle, popcorn, and cotton candy scents.

Please consider supporting this great cause!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Make Your Own Make-Up Remover?

I'm running low on make-up remover and instead of buying a new bottle of commercial make-up remover with ingredients that I can barely pronounce, let alone know what they are, I decided to try to make my own. I found a few recipes online but this one seems to be the most popular:

1T. Olive Oil
1T. Castor Oil
2t. Canola Oil

I didn't have any canola oil so I substituted it with sweet almond oil. It was very easy to make. I mixed it all up and stored it in a little bottle.

Now for the real test...did it work? Well, it took off my eyeliner and eyeshadow really well. The mascara, not so much. I had to hold it on my eyelashes and let it soak in for a bit before it did anything and even then it left a lot on. Not to mention it made me feel quite greasy.

I'm not going to give up though. I'm sure there's a solution out there instead of using chemicals. I'll keep you all posted on what I come up with and if you have any recipes, feel free to share!

Friday, March 6, 2009

$.75 Shipping!

Yes, you read that right! Almost all my soaps are currently only $.75 to ship within the United States! Discounts for other countries also.

Stock up now! This is a limited time offer.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Pizza!

Just as I promised...another new soap! This one is also shaped like food. A delicious pepperoni pizza! Here's a peek:


Keep an eye on my shop for details and more pics. I hope to have it listed tomorrow.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Mmm...Ice Cream!

I've finally had a chance to work on some new soaps! Here's a sneak peek before they hit my website:

The chocolate layers smell like chocolate and the ice cream smells like vanilla! I just need the sun to come out so I can take better pics and get them listed. I have some more ideas up my sleeve so check back soon!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Coaster Crazy!

While waiting on an order of soap supplies I decided to work on my other shop. What have I been making? Coasters! And lots of them! Here are a few pics:







If you have any ideas for more color combos let me know! Oh, and if you mention this post you'll receive a 10% discount on any coaster set! Yay!





Thursday, February 12, 2009

Does Handmade Soap Lather?

There seems to be a myth out there that handmade soap doesn't lather. Boy, is that wrong! With the right combination of oils, your handmade soap will have tons of bubbly goodness! Check out the pics if you don't believe me:

This luscious lather was created by taking a mesh shower puff to a bar of my peanut butter soap.


So, all you body wash lovers...why not switch to a beautiful bar of handmade soap instead? Your skin will love you for it!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Etsy Trading

"What can I get for 2 bars of soap and a washcloth?"

Ask that at your local store and all you'll get is funny looks. Ask that on Etsy and the possibilities are endless! (one more reason I love etsy)

Here are a few of the FABULOUS things I've gotten through Etsy trading:


Wine Stopper by DreaBunny: (custom made to match my kitchen...isn't she awesome?!)




Crackle Glass Purple Earrings by KSchaffter:




Fabric Covered Pocket Mirror by flirtbuttons: (Please note, flirtbuttons is not currently trading)



Pluck Bracelet by relishdress:

You might be wondering how you go about trading. There are a few ways you can do this. One way is to search the Etsy forums. There are numerous trading threads you can search through or add your name to.

Another way is to contact a shop owner directly. Read through the shop announcements, policies, and profile first. Some owners will state whether they are open to trades or not. Please be respectful and courteous when contacting shop owners. Not everyone likes to trade. Ask nicely and don't be offended or upset if they say no.

Some people do trades differently, but the most common way is to agree on an equal trade (example: a $5 item for a $5 item) and then purchase the items from each others shop but don't actually pay for it. Then send out your item! Oh, and don't forget to leave great feedback for your awesome new goodies!

I'm currently on the lookout for some cloth napkins, placemats, and a tablecloth to match my blue and purple kitchen. So...what can I get for 2 bars of soap and a washcloth? :)

Monday, February 2, 2009

Another Sale!

All soaps in my Etsy shop have been reduced by at least 25%!

Wanna know the best deal in my shop?
Fill a flat rate envelope with 8 soaps for only $26.25! That's only $3.28 per bar!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Etsy CREST Inauguration Sale

Along with my fellow Capital Region Etsy Street Team members, I am having a sale ALL week! That's right, from January 17th through 25th everything in my shop is 15% off! Now is a great time to stock up on Valentine's Day gifts or just get that special soap for yourself.

There are a few new additions to my shop as well. I now have salt bars! These bars are loaded with sea salt to exfoliate your skin. The scent will make you want to eat them...Salty Caramel Peanut! Yum!

I've also relisted my Cucumber Facial Bars:

So head on over to my Etsy shop and when you're done stocking up on soaps, do a search for "etsy crest sale" to see what my team members have to offer!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Suds 'N' Such is now on Artfire!

Suds 'N' Such is expanding!

I have recently opened a shop over on Artfire. For those who don't know, Artfire is a great new place to buy and sell handmade. When you get a chance, stop by and check out my new shop.


Thursday, January 15, 2009

Soapers Exposed!

Etsy soapers have been exposed! Here's a peek at myself and some of my fellow CYA (Clean up Your Act) team members:


Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Just in Time for Valentine's Day!

New Pucker Up Soap Pops available in my Etsy store! These soap pops are great for Valentine's Day! Get those luscious, plump lips you've always wanted! When you're tired of being beautiful, just take the soap off the stick to wash with it!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Featured by an Author!

Parenting author and "Chicken Soup for the Soul" editor, Susan Heim, featured my soaps on her blog today! How cool is that?!?!

Recently, a little birdie told me that she was looking for products to feature on her parenting blog. Immediately, I thought of my Soap-To-Go. I wrote to her about my product and she asked me for a sample. I didn't need to think twice about that! The very next day I sent her a bubblegum scented Soap-To-Go.



I had completely forgotten about it until today (not even a week later!) she emailed me to let me know that my soaps were featured on her blog! She wrote an incredible article (what else would you expect from an author?) and made my soaps sound amazing.

She is the sweetest person and I want to give her a great big THANK YOU for the amazing feature. Thank you, Susan!