Turmeric Soap Knowledge and Give Away

Thank you to all who have participated in this give away. Amazingly, 4 of the give away winners were local! So very exciting!

Be on the lookout for another giveaway coming soon.

Turmeric is a spice that has been used for centuries and has fallen out of favor in the last couple of decades, mostly due to the introduction of more exciting spices from other, far away eastern places.


But turmeric is now starting to make a comeback, both as a spice to add color and taste our dinnertime food, but also because of its reported health benifits. A great deal of research has been done the last number of years on the benifits of this spice. And while there are many reasons as why one should add tumeric to food, here are some reasons as to why one should start using turmeric on your skin:

1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.

2. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.

3. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.

4. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.

5. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

6. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.

7. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.

8. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.

9. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.

-- information gathered from EAT THIS - HEALTH DIARIES

As if this were not enough, here is some futher information gathered from another site with medical news:

1) Turmeric is a natural healer for skin conditions such as eczema, acne, dry skin and psoriasis.

2) The use of turmeric in cosmetics and skin care products helps to naturally slow the appearance of aging and restore youth. Continued use decreases the formation of deep creases and wrinkles.

3) Turmeric is helpful in speeding up the recovery time for smallpox, chickenpox, hot skin disease and red rashes.

4)Turmeric is sometimes used in natural cleansers, such as a mixture of turmeric powder and milk.

5) Turmeric can help to improve overall skin care. Washing with a cleanser that contains turmeric will reduce hair growth and give the skin a healthy glow. Facial masks and bath oils can also be made with turmeric.

My turmeric soap has been selling quite well locally, but it seems to be quite lonely in my Etsy store. I suspect it is because there are many who do not know the great benifits of using tumeric.

To remedy this, I am offering a give-away in my store. The next 5 people who purchase 2 bars of soap will receive a 3rd bar of turmeric soap completely free, and for no extra shipping.

Just click on my store name to come directly into ULTIMATE ORGANIC SOAP, and let your journey begin.

Interview from Finland

My next interview is from a women on the complete opposite side of Scandinavia from me. Minna comes from Finland and has a very unique type of artistic style that goes straight to my heart. Her Etsy store KARUSKI is also the word used for candy in the local Finnish dialect that she speaks. This is what her products remind me of: pure and simple candy from days that have long gone by; candy which is sweet and savory, but not too sweet. And not guady with neon colors, 10 different layers of taste as well as the artificial chemicals that are so present in today's candy and today's world.


I am very proud to present this interview and hope that everyone takes a chance to sneak a peek at her works.

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Name: Minna
Age: 36
Married/Children: In a long term relationship
Occupation: crafter/designer, self employed
Important Links: etsy, blog, site, twitter

Where do you live and what is the best part of living there?

I live in Southern Finland. This is a small town within an hour drive to Helsinki. The best part of living in here is definitely the beautiful nature.

What term would you use to describe your creative talent: artist/craftsman(woman)/creator/other. Why is it you see yourself in this way?

I'm formally educated as a textile designer. However I feel I'm more into making by hand than drawing patterns. So I'd call myself a crafter. It holds a holistic idea about good life in general.

How did you begin with this creative process and how does it add to your life?

Even though I have wandered several paths in my life I don't think there never was another bearable solution for me than what I'm having right now. Being a full time crafter and living a self employed life suits me the best (regardless some occasional obstacles and financial insecurity I have to face).

Were you creative before this time? If so, what other creative arts did you dabble in?

I started with drawing and painting at kids art school at the age of 6 and went to these classes on weekly basis until I turned 12 or 13. That was the start and later on I've studied basics for other mediums of fine art and aesthetics (philosophy of art). However at some point it was clear to me I wouldn't be able to live as a free artist so I sifted towards textile studies.

When you have a quiet moment to indulge yourself and there's no one around to bother you, what is it you like to do best?

Most of my days are as you described. Almost everything I do throughout the day is craft related in a way or another. Of course sometimes I get interfered by our pesky cats;) As my days are rather quiet, I really enjoy occasional meet ups with a good friend in the city or other social gatherings.

How would you envision the perfect dinner?

I fancy a nice dinner for two. It can be at home or at a small restaurant in Helsinki, Paris or a place in the middle of nowhere. The place doesn't matter that much as long as I'm in a good company!

Where is the place that you have visited in the past, that you have particular fond memories of? Why?

I've been trekking in the Northern part of Finland with my boyfriend a couple of times. The open landscape is really extraordinary there, I haven't seen similar anywhere else. It just felt great to spend almost a week in wild life with a map, compass and a tent (+ some food of course!).

Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview that you feel our readers should know?

I hope all of us find our own way how to lead a happy life

Thank you Minna for taking the time to show us a little bit of your life!

The Winner!

The winner of my weekly challenge is BLUETERRACOTTA who came up with this amazing fish.


I actually did not choose the winner myself. Since my son was the inspiration for the contest (he is 7 and has wanted to be a marine biologist for almost 3 years now, with a bookshelf full of books to prove it), I let him choose the winner.


After looking at all the entries, he thought that this fish was just about the coolest thing he'd ever seen. So aces to BLUETERRACOTTA - you've got the ability to go straight into the heart of a future world scientist. :)


To find out what BLUETERRACOTTA'S theme will be, do check out her blog.

The Winner of the Weekly Challange -

The theme was "Spring", and I put in my TULIP SOAP to compete with all the other great creations of my Etsy Collegues.


Winning means that I need to choose the theme for the next week.... and so, without further ado, the theme for this week is: SEA CREATURES. Artists/Craftspeople can use either living, extinct or fictional as their inspiration.


Come back to this blog daily to see what competing contributions have been given from some of the most talented people on this side of the Atlantic.



A lot of hard work and personal sacrifice (and almost a few stitches as well) went into the creation below: Lucy the Octopus by P8Accessories. P8 i located in a tiny village in Germany, and has a fantastic selection of hats, skirts, bags, totes, aprons, wallets, and wrist warmers to name just a few. Do be sure to check her out.




This lovely scarf is made by one of my favorite Norwegian artists, INGERMAAIKE. Born in Holland, she and her family made the move to Norway a few years ago, looking for a better life. They seemed to have found it. Inger's Etsy skills are mostly seen in the felting of wool with spinning and a tiny bit of knitting on the side. Over the years, I have seen developement take a sharp curve upwards and her products become more and more beautiful.


Below is a scarf inspired by sea mythology.


This next entry is from BlueTerracotta. Located in Francem BlueTerracotta works with both textiles and ceramics. She has a fantastic eye for detail and almost always has an element of nature in her work. Here is one great fish that would love to find a blue bed to swim in sometime soon.

This entry is a great beaded starfish made by madebyCsJ's. She is a great new artist from Hungary who's beadwork is just amazing! Do check out her shop and maybe you can be her first customer!

Presented below is a LARGE MOLESKINE, by GUFOBARDO. What is a Moleskine you ask? I had the exact same question a few weeks ago and have since learned that it is a type of notebook. Gufobardo makes all of hers from leather, and hand draws each picture. Each one is OOAK - and a gorgeous piece of artwork to cherish.

This creation below was made by STAROFTHEEAST and is made from a combination of natural and artistic objects. In this frame is a lovely little piece of driftwood and a sand dollar. In addition to this, two hand crocheted sea anemonies are proudly displayed. Very cool for someone who enjoys being by the ocean but lives high in the mountains. :)





This next wearable piece comes from CREATIONSBYEVE, and is made from nuno felt. The colors are fantastic and the textures do make you feel as you are floating in a lovely sea of paridise.

This next entry is from COLOURSANDTEXTURES, located in Surrey, in England. Her store is full of beautiful paintings, some done in water color and some in acrylic. Some done on paper, some done on fabric. I thought this was a beautiful rendition of tropical fish, originally silkpainted on a kimono, and now available as a set of postcards.

This entry is from Kreativlink - she makes the most amazing, handmade workbooks/diaries/notebooks from both leather and textile materials. All the inside pages are hand torn, and the effect is stunning!

I gave a friend one of her books as a gift, and I do think it was a great hit!

A New Soap - Exotic Bouquet with Tulip Petals

Here is a picture of my latest soap, which will be out in a few weeks for sale.

I was a little concerned what would happen with the tulip petals, and I'll explain why. Most flower petals discolor, or if we really want to honest, turn brown/black and completely disintigrate when making soap. I found this out last summer when I was making soap from lots of wild meadow flowers I had spent hours collecting.

Some flowers are strong enough to stand up to soap when using the French Milling process. Rose petals are strong enough. And I've been using rose petals in my soap already.

But I was not sure about tulip petals. I had not read anything about this, despite semi-extensive searches on the net.

So like most things in my life it was just to hop in with both feet and try.

And above is the result: a lovely soap with a little bit of Exotic Floral Bouquet Essential Oil, and beautiful, brightly colored tulip petals.

I could not be happier.

:)

Nominated to the Handmade Olympics

Of all things that I was not expecting - I have been nominated to the 2010 Handmade Olympics!


I knew that it was occuring, but with my busy life and responsibilities, I was not paying attention to it. So imagine to my surprise that out of over 900 different talented people who were nominated, I was one of 80 that was chosen to participate.


First of all, a special thanks to Fluerfatale, whom I think was the person who nominated me. (If it was someone else and that someone sees my mistake, please inform me of it as quickly as possible so that I can fix it).


Secondly, I would certainly appreciate it if everyone who likes my soaps would vote for me. It will only take two minutes of your time.


Simply go to this link: Handmade Olympics Event #4, scroll down through the wonderful other handmade items I am competing against, and vote for me - or vote for someone else if you really do, truly, in your heart feel that their product is better than mine.


Let the best craftsman win!

Long Time......

It's been a long time since I've written in my blog. Things have been incredibly busy at home (but then, when are they not) and creative efforts other than maintaining my store have been put a bit on the back shelf.


But just because I've been a bit quiet does not mean things have been happening. Here are some soaps that are pretty much ready to be put onto my store shelves.


Below is my giant Mocha Soap. The very first Mocha Soap that I made was not French Milled.... this was fine in the beginning, but now I want all my soaps to be French Milled.


The beautiful color in this soap comes from a combination of cocoa powder and coffee.

The next a new batch of Juniper Berry Soap for Men. My last batch sold out quite quickly.

Finally, I have a brand new soap, which is *almost* ready to be sent out. It's still a touch too soft for my liking.... but soon it will come of age.

This soap is actually GRAPEFRUIT AND COCONUT SOAP. Grapefruit is great for greasy skins as it has anti-fungal and astringent qualities. The coconut works as a great exfoliant.

And this is what has been happening in my neck of the woods for the last little while.