Mother’s Day Sale, new gift sets!

Grace Soap, Mother's Day 2009

I’m back from a fun, successful day at the Orange Art Fair.  Thanks to all of you who came out and visited… the show was a great success, and it was great to see you!

Mother’s Day is this Sunday (yes, already!).   So I want to offer you a special discount while you shop for Mom (read on for the discount code, at the bottom of the post) and show you some brand new gift sets that were very well received at their debut today!

There is also a brand new soap just in time for Mother’s Day!  In the frenzy of preparing for this weekend, I never had a chance to get it photographed… but it will be on the site by early Monday afternoon, and it’s beautiful!

“Grace“, $6.95,  is made from the same base formulation as popular Purity, which is 95% grade A olive oil.  Grace has an exquisitely divine heady rose/geranium/rosewood scent, formulated to showcase the sustainably harvested rosewood essential oil I recently obtained.  It’s a creamy white soap topped with organic rosebuds.  Simply stunning.  Grace will, of course, be included in the sale, so if you’d like to purchase that soap, be sure to stop by the Sarva web site, in the Spa Series section, on Monday afternoon.   EDIT:  It’s now on the site, found here.

And now, the four new gift sets!  I’m so excited about these, and they ARE already on the Sarva web site in the Gifts and Sets section.  The Artisanal Soap Trios are eco-friendly luxury at its finest… a set of three soaps (you get to choose the soaps!) from either the Cottage, Gallery, or Spa Series (or a set of one soap from each Series), packaged in a gorgeous 100% postconsumer recycled box.  The finishing touch is the vegetable-dyed, biodegradable paper ribbon that is hand-tied onto the slide-open box.  Each soap is individually labeled with a beautiful, ornate paper label, which is also 100% postconsumer recycled paper!

I’ve worked so hard to bring you these gift sets in some special earth-friendly packaging (please recycle on your end!), and I finally sourced out everything I wanted!  I hope you, and your recipients, enjoy them!  Pricing ranges from $15.50 to $20.50.    Here’s a photo of the “Mixed Series” gift box:

Artisanal Soap Trio - Mixed Series

Of course, the other lovely gift sets are still available… check them all out here!

So, I’ve saved the best part for last!  When you shop today through midnight Wednesday, May 6, please enter MOMLOVE in the “discount coupon code” section at checkout to enjoy a 15% discount.    I’ll need to receive your order by Tuesday night at the absolute latest to “guaranteed” get it to Mom… I ship USPS Priority Mail… but I’m extending the sale for an extra day in case you’d like to still see if we can get your gift to her, or you, in time!

Happy shopping!

Things to come…

Many new soaps coming, and some great new changes/additions to the site!  I think you’ll all be so surprised and pleased.  I don’t want to say too much yet… but in the meantime, here are some sneak peeks of a few things presently on the curing rack.   

 

 

 

Last-minute holiday gifts!

Just a few days left, folks!  (are we having fun yet?)

Place your online order at Sarva Natural Artisan Soaps by Wednesday, December 17 and arrival in time for Christmas is guaranteed.

All orders ship Priority Mail, and orders of $50 or more get free shipping!

Sarva’s gorgeous holiday-themed soaps make fabulous last-minute gifts, stocking stuffers, gifts for teachers… you name it!  Relatives visiting?  Holiday soaps also are a great way to spruce up your guest bath!

So, without further ado and for your shopping pleasure, following is  Sarva’s Holiday 2008 product line!

Holiday (6.75, 4.5 ounces):  I personally think Holiday represents everything that’s good and right and true about this time of year.  All of your fondest memories wrapped up in a bar of soap… a melange of traditional holiday spice, berry, the faintest hint of pine and peppermint, and an undeniable sweetness, perhaps special treats fresh from the oven.

Orange Spice ($6.75, 4.5 ounces) is going fast, so hurry! Orange predominates in this soap; the cinnamon and clove blend harmoniously with the uplifting scent of fresh oranges. And, yes, you can smell the real cocoa powder that gives the top of this soap its color!

Pumpkin Pie ($7.95, 5 ounces) has been a runaway best seller.  There’s real pumpkin in this soap, which gives it such a lovely color. Scented with an all-natural essential oil blend that mimics your favorite autumn dessert, but without being cloying or synthetic. Just a touch of honey in the soap’s “crust” provides the right amount of sweetness, and, of course, it’s topped with soapy whipped cream… calorie free… the best kind!

Candy Cane ($5.75, 4 ounces) is just what you’d expect… Red, white, and pink peppermint stripes… just like the real thing! Scented with refreshing peppermint essential oil. I’ve colored this, using a special (and really complex!) 12-layer process, with red and pink clays. Do use caution with cotton washcloths to prevent transfer of pigment.

Forest Path ($5.75, 4 ounces):   What was originally a holiday soap became so popular that it’s now available year round! Breathe in and experience the fragrant, woodsy, balsamic crispness of a tall, thick forest. Notes of cedar, pine, and juniper connect you to nature.

There are also several adorable and fully customizable gift sets available.   Each gift set contains either three or eight half-sized bars of Sarva soap, and YOU get to choose exactly which soaps are in each set!  Just make your selections with drop-down menus on each product page – it couldn’t be simpler!    Pictured above is the Soap Sampler Trio ($11.00, 6-7 ounces), a premium selection of 3 adorable half-sized bars of Sarva soap… 1 from the Cottage Series, 1 from the Gallery Series, and 1 from the Spa Series or Limited Editions… ready for gift-giving in 100% postconsumer recycled and recyclable tissue and gift box.  There’s also an eight-bar Soap Sampler for $29.50.

Lastly, check out these absolutely adorable Soap Truffles ($7.75, 3.6 ounces). Soap Truffles are perfect when you just want to offer someone special a little something. Contains 6 hand-rolled soap balls, approximately 1″ diameter, in different scents and colors… ready for gift-giving in 100% postconsumer recycled and recyclable tissue and gift box.

So many choices!!! Can’t decide?  No worries, we’ve got you covered!  Sarva Gift Certificates to the rescue! Choose the amount of your gift certificate, and Sarva will send an e-mail directly to your intended recipient, including your name, your personal message, and instructions for redeeming the gift certificate.

And, of course, I’m here if you have questions.  Happy shopping, and have a wonderful holiday!

It’s pumpkin pie season!

Pumpkin Pie soap, a Holiday 2008 Sarva Limited Edition.

It’s coming up on that time of year! Family, great food, gift giving, special memories…

Up and coming are some Sarva holiday goodies to help you celebrate, and Pumpkin Pie soap is one of them!   It’s available NOW and in limited quantity, so hurry!

The locals who have seen this soap are snapping it right up.  It’s even cuter in person than in the photo – yes, it really does have a fluted pie crust!  And yes, this is real cold-processed soap, not melt and pour!

Soaps such as this are true works of art.  The crust was painstakingly hand-pieced into the mold, as was the “whipped cream” topping.

There’s real pumpkin in this soap, which gives it such a lovely color. It’s scented with an all-natural essential oil blend that mimics your favorite autumn dessert, but without being cloying or synthetic. Just a touch of honey in the soap’s “crust” provides the right amount of sweetness, and, of course, it’s topped with soapy whipped cream… calorie free… the best kind!

It’s also a pleasure to use with a great lather, and pumpkin is rich in antioxidants and exfoliating enzymes.   Speaking strictly personally, my skin always seems much less moody/breakout prone when I use pumpkin products.

Finally, a holiday treat that won’t augment the waistline!  Go ahead and indulge!

Get it now! Pumpkin Pie soap, a Sarva 2008 Limited Edition.
A generous 5+ ounces at $7.95.
Limited quantity available!

All Hallows soap SOLD OUT!

All Hallows soap, Holiday Edition 2008. Click image for enlarged view.

Thanks to all my great customers!  All gone!  A sellout!

The above photo shows you how incredibly, irresistibly fabulous this soap is in its Black Veil of Fear.   (ok, I’ve gotten lame with the Halloween puns…)

This is all-natural, handcrafted, luxury soap… a work of art.  Read more about it in this blog post.

All Hallows Soap, 5+ ounces, $6.95

A slice of Pumpkin Pie (soap)…

Sarva Pumpkin Pie soap, a 2008 Holiday Limited Edition. Click photo for enlarged view.

Sarva’s new Pumpkin Pie soap turned out great, don’t you think?

I want to allow the essential oil blend a little time to see how it matures, but it seems great so far!  So let’s give it about six weeks to cure, and this newest arrival will be ready to sell in October for $6.95 per 5-ounce bar as a Limited Edition at Sarva Natural Artisan Soaps.  I’ll probably package them in a special gift box to protect the delicate detailing.

EDIT:  Pumpkin Pie is now available for you to enjoy!  Click here to buy (page will pop up in new window).

Remember:  This will not smell exactly like pumpkin pie.  I feel it’s important to clarify for those who might be searching for an exact copy, which is typically achieved through a synthetic fragrance.  I use essential oils instead of fragrance oils, so my creations are often “interpretations” rather than duplicates of the real thing.  I take great pleasure in using the materials Mother Earth gives to us, and my hope is that what I do stands on its own as a lovely little impermanent work of art!

BOO!

All Hallows soap by Sarva. Click image for enlarged view.

Oh, did I scare you?  Just kidding.

It’s a real creative time here at Sarva!  Another new soap just got born!

Here’s “All Hallows”, just for… well… Halloween!  Unless, of course, your birthday is on the 31st, in which case it’s your birthday soap!  (shoutout, you know who you are!)

I’m THRILLED (pun intended) with how this turned out.  There are all sorts of goodies in here.  Pumpkin gives All Hallows its orange color.  Mugwort-infused olive oil just for that little extra “oomph”.  My newest toy, activated charcoal, gives the creepy streak and swirl throughout.  Each bar looks different and very very cool.  Lots and lots of character.

And the essential oil blend… what can I say.  It’s a scent painting.  Each whiff is a bit different.  Bonfire, smoky pine.  Spiced hot drinks.  Yes, a little pumpkin.   A little orange.   Maybe a bit of a hayride in there somewhere.  Definitely not your typical soap!

Now, this is a challenging one to make.  And I’m not going to be making a lot of this, as clearly this won’t be a big seller after the 31st!

Therefore, I’ll be taking advance orders only for this very limited edition!

I will stop making All Hallows as of Tuesday September 30.  Thus, I’m afraid (boo!) you have until Sunday night, September 28, to reserve your bars!  This WILL go fast, and I can make enough if you tell me how much you want ASAP!

Here are the gory (ha!) details:

• Price: $6.95 (yes, it’s WELL worth it).  Ohioans pay sales tax.  Shipping based on ZIP code.
• Size: Approximately 5 ounces.
• Shipping out:  10/24, after they’ve rested in their chambers and prepared to face the light of day without melting.
• Packaged in: A spooky, mysterious black veil!  (OK, a black organza gift bag.)
• How to order: Contact me directly to place your advance order.  Give me your shipping info and quantity desired, and I’ll send you a PayPal invoice.  Upon receipt of your payment, your order will go toward determining how many I need to make.
• Don’t want to place an advance order?  OK, but you are going to have to take your chances! 

Benigara gets a makeover.

BEFORE: Benigara 2006-2007. Click image for enlarged view.

I’ve always loved my Benigara soap… I love the essential oil blend and the whole concept of the soap.   I do tend to go very conceptual with my creations; I enjoy bringing things to a new level, infusing them with meaning… I see art in that… and this soap was no different.

Benigara was “born” in 2006.  Named for the oxide red stain of traditional Japanese buildings, “benigara” refers to that very particular shade of red in the Japanese language.   This luxury formulation contained rice bran oil and macadamia nut oil, both very popular in Japanese culture for skin care.   I decorated each bar with Japanese Genmaicha tea for visual effect (well, and because I just LOVE Genmaicha tea!).

At the time, Yuzu was an amazingly popular scent for body products, much in the way pomegranate has been this year.   Yuzu is a citrus fruit with a lovely sharp, clean citrus scent, much like grapefruit.  In fact, it is sometimes referred to as “Japanese grapefruit.”

I did some research and discovered that most of the yuzu-scented products were being created with synthetic fragrance oils.  Certainly the use of yuzu essential oil would have led to an outrageously priced soap, and I believe in offering all of you an affordable luxury!

So, I created my own interpretation, pulling from the personality of yuzu and other fragrant elements of Asian culture, many of which I know and love from my own natural incense making.   I combined things like pine, pink grapefruit, lemongrass, and cedar.   The scent was divine!!

Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of my best sellers.    The deep “benigara” red might have turned off some shoppers; can’t say.  Maybe the Genmaicha tea on top.   In any case, I decided to give Benigara a whole new look.

So, Benigara… it’s time to come from behind the curtain and share your new look with the world!!  Everyone… give it up!

AFTER: Benigara 2008. Click image for enlarged view.

Benigara soap from Sarva, 5+ ounces, $6.95, available in six weeks, just in time for holiday giving!

What are scraps?

Hourglass Soap by Sarva. Click image for enlarged view.

In discussions about how soap is made, particularly the hand-detailing process, I’m often asked, “well, then what do you do with your soap scraps?”

I guess I don’t think of anything as “scrap”.   Every sliver of soap I’ve ever made eventually ends up either sold and enjoyed or given a new lease on life.

Take, for example, this bar.   This is one of two new soaps I created over the weekend.  Would you call this scrap?  Me neither!

I’m going to call this Hourglass.   I have several reasons for this moniker:

• Looking at it, I’m reminded of Grace, the cool neighbor lady I fondly remember as I look through the hourglass of my childhood.  Grace was a stained glass artist and used everything from her workshop (yes, even “scrap”) to create new and beautiful works of art.   And, of course, this soap definitely resembles stained glass work.    Mrs. O, if you’re out there, I still have the wreath you made for my family and I still smile when I think of you.
• This bar contains activated charcoal, which is deeply purifying to the skin.   Be a little careful around cotton washcloths with this one, in case of tinting, but it produces a wonderful soap.   Purified skin turns reverses the sands of time, doesn’t it?
• And if that weren’t enough hourglass goodness, I’ve also given it a healthy dose of pink grapefruit essential oil.  (The pink grapefruit mingles with the other lovely scents in the pieces-parts throughout the bar, and every use will render a different experience!)  Researchers have discovered that after having test subjects sniff pink grapefruit essential oil, these subjects rated the average age of people in photographs significantly younger than if they hadn’t smelled the essential oil.   I am no scientist, but I figure my method for spreading the Pink Grapefruit Effect (PGE, right?) can’t be half bad!

But let’s talk about scraps again.  What do you have in your life that’s sitting around, collecting dust, getting in your way?  Why exactly do you consider it “scrap”?  How can you look at it with new eyes?  In this day and age of thinking green, how can you repurpose it?  You might be surprised by what you get!

“Hourglass” soap by Sarva, available in about six weeks, $6.95.

A special mid-autumn soap

"Gratitude", a Sarva 2008 Holiday soap. Click image for enlarged view.

Here’s another new soap for the autumn season.  I’m SO pleased with how this one turned out!

As a meditation instructor, I really enjoy meeting people of different faiths, learning about their beliefs, and finding meaningful things to incorporate into my own spiritual path.  I’ve come to know some wonderful people who practice Earth-based spirituality, and I’ve discovered the gift of truly, deeply connecting with the cycles of life.

This is a commissioned soap, specifically requested for the autumnal equinox, which is often called Mabon.  Falling on September 22 this year, Mabon is a time of giving thanks for what the Earth has given us during the course of the summer harvest.  It’s also a time of looking at balance:  Night and day are of equal length, and the final harvests are brought in, balancing our summer abundance with our need to store away food for the winter.

How can we look at balance within ourselves, too, at this time?  Can we appreciate the many things within us that come together… and express gratitude for them, appreciation for the balance they have the potential to create in our lives?

Thus, Mabon is a pre-Thanksgiving of sorts.   (Hey, who doesn’t want another excuse to eat pumpkin pie?)

To that end, I’ve used natural clays to recreate the dazzling colors of autumn leaves (ask me to post my photos of Vermont sometime!).  I created a beautiful essential oil blend, one that smells different to everyone who experiences it… but all agree that it’s amazing.  Notes of lemon, eucalyptus, clove, cinnamon, and more get together to play in the leaves, and the overall effect is crisp, cool yet warm, spicy yet comforting… everything autumn is in our best memories.  All that’s missing is a blue, cloudless sky!

Don’t celebrate Mabon?  That’s okay!  You can still enjoy Gratitude.   It won’t be on the Sarva site for a couple weeks, but you can contact me and reserve some for yourself, $4.50 for 4.5 ounces.  I will be making more this week to offer throughout the holiday season.