Happy Halloween!

Stringing up the twinkie lights, lighting up the pumpkins and trying not to eat all the candy before the kids get here :)

Wishing you the happiest Halloween celebration evaaahh!  Boo!!

Sneak Peek . .

The finishing touches are happening on the big Winter Holiday newsletter which will arrive in email inboxes early Saturday morning, and snail mail boxes probably Monday or so. The website will be updated and ready for early birds on Sat too, so stop by and check out all the new goodies. Just a sneak peek . . .

Eastlake Holiday Bazaar

Just a heads up that I'll be at the Eastlake Holiday Bazaar this coming Saturday. It's a one-day show packed with local, handmade, unique holiday gifts and crafts. 

Saturday Nov 1st from 9am to 3pm
Eastlake High School, 400 228th Ave NE, Sammamish

We're spread out around the hallways on the main floor near the cafeteria this year, not the gym. And the bake sale will be rocking! Really good odds on the raffle items that we all donate too - and everything goes to support the PTSA. 

Hope to see you there!

Free Shipping Day - Wed Dec 18

Mark your calendars for Wed Dec 18. It's Free Shipping Day for a gazillion online retailers, including Soapworks Studio. I don't have a link listed on this site at the moment, but was just accepted as a merchant in their program the other day. If you shop on our site that day, shipping charges are zip, nada, zero. Get your shopping list ready!

http://www.freeshippingday.com

Tips for Keeping and Storing Soaps for Holiday Gifts

Buying handmade soap for the holidays? I probably haven’t shared this for awhile, but there are a couple of things to know about handmade soap and how to store it for future gifting. 

The bars are constantly “curing” meaning they are continuing to harden and evaporate moisture as they age. This is good, because it means that your bar will last longer if it has aged a bit more. But it also means that the bar may shrink a bit in size.  

More importantly, they should never be stored in something that is airtight – like a ziplock plastic bag. If moisture is accumulated in the bag or tight space, it may cause the soap to transform – changing the scent, creating spots, causing any of the fresh ingredients to “turn” or make the oils go rancid. You will notice this as an “off” smell or the bar itself will be oily or oozing. At that point, it’s still usable and not harmful, but it won’t be pleasant smelling either. 

Since my bars have so many fresh ingredients and extra emollient oils, the best rule of thumb is to give it and use it within a 6-month window. Many will last a year, but to be safe, go fresh. And tuck it into a drawer or linen closet shelf while it waits – that way you get nicely scented linens (or undies!) as a bonus. Nothing too warm, no direct heat or light, just a bit of air and quiet resting time.

If you ever have questions or concerns about the products, please don't hesitate to contact us! And our new-ish FAQ page has all kinds of answers to a pretty awesome list of questions too.

Best of the Northwest - October/Part 1 (I'm in Nov/Part 2)

It's Monday.  Are you already thinking about the weekend like I am?

This coming weekend is the first part of the fall Best of the Northwest shows. It's so big, it comes in two parts - but the bests part? is that if you go to the October show, you get a free pass to see the November show too.  Plan ahead, because I'll be there in November, not this week.  No artists get to do both, so it's a completely different group each time.  So much to see!!!

Here's what they say:

Fall Best of the Northwest Art and Fine Craft Show 
in Two Acts, Oct 24-26 and Nov 14-16 

110 Artists in each Act. Attend both shows and meet over 200 different artists!

Amazing handcrafted work, everything from jewelry, designer clothing, paintings, works of glass, metal, wood, clay and more. Find unique gifts for holiday shopping as well as decorative items for your home or office. While you're there, nosh on local cuisine from our food vendors, bring your kids to the free children's art table, and watch demonstrations by a number of our talented show artists--inspiring.

Hours: Friday and Saturday 10am to 6pm; Sunday 10am to 5pm. $6 entry at the door.

Come to the show in October, get a FREE pass to the one in November and see ALL of the Best of the Northwest talent, 
over 200 artists.

Take a look at the show program and see the artists of each Act HERE.

One final note from me - if you do happen to click on that link and look for me in the program, again - I'm in November.  And I'm incorrectly listed as "WorksStudio" instead of Soapworks Studio, in the Other category.  I will be in booth A-9 along the right side wall, past the doorway to the food area.  And of course, I'll do a big reminder of all that next month too :)

Vasa Park Fall Show This Week

Can you believe it?  It's already time to hit the dance floor for the fall craft shows!!

This week is the fall show at Vasa Park. There's a winter/holiday themed show there again in November, so this one is all about fall and pumpkins and scarecrows and Halloween etc.  Of course there gifts also if you're shopping early for Christmas, but the overall theme will be autumn leaves and pumpkins.

The building where we have our shows is across the street from the park on Lake Sammamish. It was THE spot to be back in the day - a hopping ballroom for dances and weekend dates. Now it's a rickety little wooden building in a parking lot. But it's a wide open floor plan, easily accessible, with a big parking lot - perfect for a craft show. We set up Wednesday, and it will be a wonderland of crafts by Thursday morning when it opens at 10am.  

If you're looking for handcrafted fall decor, halloween gifties, and great handmade goods, here's the scoop:

Dates: Thursday through Saturday, Oct 16-18
Hours: Thurs and Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-5pm
Location: Vasa Park Ballroom, 3560 W Lk Samm Rd SE, Bellevue
Country Creations Website

October's Party

"October gave a party
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band."

George Cooper, October's Party