I love ETSY. It’s such a great place to find handmade goods. I wanted to find some nice soap dishes to give as presents with our soap this Christmas, but also to use here to help prevent these soaps from melting away in a pool of water. Before checking out ETSY, I had found several sources of wood soap dishes, but they were made of varnished wood and/or made overseas. Then I came across Andrew’s Reclaimed shop on ETSY. He and his wife Melissa make the items in their store from recycled cedar. I liked the idea that it’s reclaimed and recycled. Cedar is a natural for soap dishes, not only smelling great, but helps wick away the water preserving the soap longer.
Cedar wood soap dishes with Lavender Goat Milk soap
But they don’t just make soap dishes. They also make plant hangers, bird feeders, Mason Bee houses, and even cat and dog dish stands! Check out their neat cedar products here.
I’ve not said anything about our Lavender Goat Milk soap since it finished curing. It has such a great lather and such a nice smell. We seem to love all of the soaps we are making. It’s hard to pick a favorite.
Lavender Goat Milk Soap
Our next soap will be a castile soap with 90% olive oil and 10% castor oil. But instead of only using half goat milk/half water, we will use 100% goat milk. I’m interested in the difference between the feel of an all-milk soap and this soap. More on that later.
Changing the subject here completely, I have started writing a column for the local newspaper. It’s called Telling Your Story and will involve not just the traditional writing of the story, but will also cover other creative activities – quilting, papercrafts, knitting and weaving, etc – that tell stories. I’ve always been fascinated by writing and story telling which has led me to this new adventure. I also love all kinds of crafts and tend to dabble in most of them. As my dad used to say, “A jack of all trades and master of none!” As for my writing, I’ve kept a journal since 6th grade – way too many years ago to count. I also have been teaching journal writing for 11 years, locally and online. My last class taught through Heartwriting.biz was Writing Your Story. However, I put my online teaching and website on hold after we moved web hosts. Due to some technical problems, my huge site could not be relaunched on the new web host without me spending a lot of time reworking it. And with gardening, I just don’t have a lot of time right now. Hopefully I can get it up and running again in some form by fall. Anyway, back to my column, my first one is on art journals. Below is the picture of the art journal page featured in the article.
Spring Discovery Art Journal Page
Here is the link to the online version of the column. If you are interested in Kelly’s class I mentioned in the article, you can find information here.
Well, that’s all for now. I’m off to see if any new irises have opened after the rain.
HI Lyndah!!!!
Lovely art journal page!!!!! Just beautiful work! Thank you so much for sharing this with me! I looked at your column and think it is wonderful!!!! And I also looked at Kelly Kilmer’s site and it is incredible! I have always loved her altered art look! I love the idea of an art journal!!! I really do think it combines the best of both worlds for people who love to write and also love the wonderment of visual beauty! I just signed up for a 6 week digital class.. you might want to check it out… http://lostaussie.typepad.com/
Thank you again for sharing your art and writing with me!!! Please, please, please continue!
love, stephanie
Beautiful soap dishes, I am always amazed at the gorgeous things you can find on Etsy
) I had a hard time finding nice soap dishes as well (it seems in the days of liquid ’soap’ lots of shops don’t even stock soap dishes anymore!), so I am adding that shop to my favourites 
Love your art journal page and the photo!
I think you are the cleanest gal around! lol I like the idea of a lavendar soap made with goats milk — yours has wonderful suds.
Sounds like you are enjoying the new job, although when doing something that you love to do, is it a ‘job’??
Art journals and collages can be so fun to construct. Once I have the spring gardening finished I want to start one with my granddaughter. She loves getting glue on her fingers so I figure she’s a natural.
Your rusty trowel tells a tale….
Kristina, I know what you mean but the wonderful things on ETSY. Love that site.
Lynn, No it’s not a regular gig. Just something I’ve wanted to do and not sure how often at this point. Dave says it’s for my “scrapbooking” money which really is now more like my “soaping” money!
That would be fun with your granddaughter. I’ve been spending a little time with acrylics and watercolor paper making the background paper for a new art journal. I’m excited about the colors and exploring something I’ve only read about. Yep, that rusty trowel was such a surprise that cold snowy day. I remember how tired I was planting those alliums between the dead hostas and glad at that time that gardening was over for another season.