Hello everyone on homeschoolblogger! Today I have the privilege to interview my friend and my third cousin Amy from Great Cakes Soapworks! We went to college together, she was in my wedding and now she is featured on my weblog! Everyone say a great big hello!
So, Amy, how are things?
Great!
I am so glad!
Ladies, Amy is a proud mother of 2 girls and a proud wife of her husband. How on earth does she have time to make soap much less sell it?! Well, today we are going to find out how she does it and uses it as a ministry tool too!
Amy, how did you get started in the soap making process?
I was looking for something I could make for Christmas presents in 2002. I found the instructions for making soap on the internet. After that first batch, it was an almost instant addiction. LOL!
What possessed you to start selling it?
Actually it possessed me! I got so excited about making soap, that I had too much. I read an article in the newspaper about our local farmer's market and decided to give it a try. In 2004, I started with five different kinds of soap set up on my neighbor's old card table. Now I have two 4-ft tables covered with soaps, lotions, lip butters and more! My website has been up & running since March 2006, and I still get excited when I see orders from people I don't know. 
How has this been a positive experience in your life and your family's life?
Soapmaking is a creative outlet for me, as well as a way to tell others about Christ. I came up with the name "Great Cakes Soapworks" for my soap company, and one morning I woke up and it was as if the Lord gave me the slogan: "A great cake of soap can cleanse your body, but only a great God can cleanse your soul." I use the slogan and reference to I John 1:9 on all my labels and signs. Customers at the farmer's market will often comment about it, and then I have the opportunity to talk about my faith. I have several customers who buy the soaps as gifts for their own witnessing tools.
My DH has been able to help out by designing displays and making my soap mold and cutter. He watches the girls on Saturday mornings while I'm at the farmer's market, and is great for bouncing off business ideas. DD6 and DD4 are starting to learn more about the soapmaking process and can be great helpers! They love using the soaps and lotions that are just for them. DD6 had a bad eczema breakout last winter that seems to have cleared up using some of Mommy's concoctions.
How many kinds of soap do you sell?
At the moment, I have 11 different soaps for sale. About half of the soaps are kept in stock all the time, including Stress Relief, Patchouli Beer Bar, and the Dead Sea Spa Bar. The other half will rotate as I find fabulous new fragrances or a new type of recipe. There are five new soaps that are curing at the moment and will be available in several more weeks, including Banana Berry, Grapefruit Jasmine, Apples & Spice, Pumpkin Pie, and a coffee soap that still needs a name!
What makes your soap better than say the stuff at a grocery store or super store?
There's no comparison! Almost all "soaps" that you find at the store are actually going to be detergents made of synthetic surfactants. My soaps are made from quality vegetable oils & butters. The end product is about 75% soap and 25% glycerin. The glycerin is what draws moisture to your skin and how your skin can feel the difference in a handmade soap. Most people say they no longer need lotions (especially in the summer) when they switch to handmade soap. Other great benefits are all the options available - with or without colors or fragrances, all the different types of fragrances, all the different types of additives like oatmeal, herbs, clays, goat's milk, etc. I also like to add my own handmade touches like stamping the soap with a butterfly or flower that has been dipped in a shimmery mica.
If I was wanting a stellar bar of soap how would I get a hold of one?
Well, you can order stellar soap and other fine skin care products from my website: www.greatcakessoapworks.com. (Actual shipping charges are automatically calculated by the shopping cart and there are no handling fees whatsoever.)
Rumor has it that you have a contest going on right now! What is it and how do we play?
Oh yes! There's an opportunity to win a FREE SOAP! All you need to do is help me name my new coffee soap. The contest starts immediately and ends at midnight on Friday, September 7th. Go to my website to get all the details, including the full scent description: www.greatcakessoapworks.com. The winner will be notified by email, and will receive one of the new coffee soaps in the mail.
Thanks so much for joining us today! It was fun hanging out! Now if you don't mind, I need to place an order for some of my favorites!
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Sep. 11, 2007 - Untitled Comment
I think it would be GREAT FUN to have a table at a farmer's market. *sigh* One day... but I'm too busy in this season of my life.
Thanks for sharing this-- it was an interesting interview. And I have NO idea who my third cousins are...