Anyone ever just get annoyed when...

[IrishLass]

I though at the beginning of the year if I set my sights to possibly begin thinking about possibly thinking about selling by the end of this year would be a reasonable goal to set for myself. At this stage I'm thinking that in reality that I am better off only possibly considering possibly thinking about it at the end of next year. maybe.

LOL I've been possibly considering possibly thinking about it every year for the past 10 years now.

With my formulas perfected to my satisfaction, and with my loyal, ready-made customer base of family and friends behind me, I'd be a shoe-in for sure, but now that I have all those ducks in a row- I couldn't care less about selling. lol

I'm having too much fun making soap for the pure joy of it. Knowing myself only too well, I have no doubt that selling would suck the joy right out of it for me and turn it into a drudgery. I'd be stumbling out of bed bleary-eyed like the Dunkin' Donuts man in that old commercial, but instead of wearily mumbling, 'Time to make the donuts', I'd be wearily mumbling, 'Time to make the soap'. lol


IrishLass

 

[dillsandwitch]

Exactly! I enjoy making my soaps and I dont want to turn it into work. Hence the only possibly considering about possibly thinking about it, maybeness. And even then if I did go for it it would possibly only be online like on ebay or etsy or something. I dont have the time or the inclination to be sitting at markets and craft fairs. I went to our local market on the weekend and there was 3 different soap sellers there. All selling that crap Chinese hand made stuff. I'm sure I would be able to beat them hands down, but really I cant be bothered to even try it right now or in the foreseeable future

 

[rparrny]

LOL I've been possibly considering possibly thinking about it every year for the past 10 years now.

With my formulas perfected to my satisfaction, and with my loyal, ready-made customer base of family and friends behind me, I'd be a shoe-in for sure, but now that I have all those ducks in a row- I couldn't care less about selling. lol

I'm having too much fun making soap for the pure joy of it. Knowing myself only too well, I have no doubt that selling would suck the joy right out of it for me and turn it into a drudgery. I'd be stumbling out of bed bleary-eyed like the Dunkin' Donuts man in that old commercial, but instead of wearily mumbling, 'Time to make the donuts', I'd be wearily mumbling, 'Time to make the soap'. lol


IrishLass

I agree, selling would take all the fun out of it for me as well. Over the years my reasons for soap making have morphed. First it was to make a soap that wouldn't blotch my skin...then it was to try botanicals...that was my M&P days. Then is was a CP soap that wouldn't blotch me...then it was making simple soaps for the family and friends as gifts. This year is my first time with any design and only recently with a design I love. I find that my older recipes work well with my newer designs as they make a harder bar.
This year my joy will come in donations...to the food bank, to charities...
I find this forum one of the few that doesn't snub me because I don't sell...
After all I need to keep working to support my habit...:-D

 

[mandy318]

I feel sorry for them. But they are so new that they don't even know the questions to ask yet. You need a minimum of knowledge to even grasp how much you have left to learn.

Thank you for extending a little grace and room for over-enthusiasm to us noobs.

I found this forum before I tried my first batch, but after I had done a few weeks of research. If I'd have found it sooner in my soap journey, I may have made the mistake of voicing my desire to eventually sell without understanding cure times and how long it takes to perfect recipes and techniques.

Also, I think some folks aren't really very skilled at online forum communication. Sometimes its a learned skill to communicate tone in a short message, especially for someone who is hungry for information and doesn't use internet forums often.

Susie, you are right--reading this forum helped me to understand how much I really don't know yet.

 

[commoncenz]

This is the first forum I found when I decided to start soaping again after a 10 year hiatus. I originally started soaping because my son had allergies to store bought "soap". After about two years of soaping using recipes found in books and without actually researching things like how to make my own recipes, oil properties, etc. my son had outgrown his allergies.

When I first found this forum, one of my first thoughts was "Wow! Soaping has really changed in the last 10 years." Yes and no. There have been advances in technique, etc. but what had really changed was the amount of time I was willing to put into the "craft/art" of soaping. And I appreciate the exchange of knowledge and experience that this forum provides. I feel that I have grown as a soaper in large part due to the information that others have willingly shared here ("Silk" in soap ... whooda thunk it?!!).

So, again, thank you all for your willingness to share.

 

[TeresaT]

This forum has been an amazing benefit to me. Y'all have been generous and kind in helping me with questions I have. I've gained untold knowledge from reading the various threads. Sometimes someone will mention something in a thread that piques my curiosity, so I search the forum for that topic and Google it, too. I have done a 180 on my initial decision regarding the purpose of soaping. Initially, it was to make unscented, uncolored 100% lard soap Just for myself. Now my goal is to do this for a living after I retire. I'll use FOs and colors, but still have basic "no frills" soaps. Looking at all of your creative and artistic soaps made me want to try to create something not only functional, but beautiful, as well. There is an artist inside of me fighting to get out. This forum reminded me of that fact. Thank you all for your kindness, warm welcome, straight "tell it like it is" attitudes, willingness to share, inspiration, tremendous wealth of knowledge, hilarious humor and developing friendships. I'm glad I stumbled upon SMF.

 

[not_ally]

Me three on how helpful this board has been. I am sometimes afraid that Irish Lass, Susie and DeeAnna will think I am stalking them b/c I "like" their posts so enthusiastically! Seriously, I have learned so, so much here, and am so glad that I had the chance to do it. Otherwise I would have had to join Facebook, and then who knows, maybe I would be telling people that HP did not require curing or that you could selectively superfat for CP

 

[cmzaha]

I am fortunate that selling does not take the fun out of it for me. Unfortunately I do not have a built in family or friend base to take my soaps off my hands. I love making it and to make it I need to sell it, with the amount I make. Just finished up my 1000 soap samples for next month. Yeah!

 

[doriettefarm]

I am fortunate that selling does not take the fun out of it for me. Unfortunately I do not have a built in family or friend base to take my soaps off my hands. I love making it and to make it I need to sell it, with the amount I make. Just finished up my 1000 soap samples for next month. Yeah!

You're a soap-making machine Carolyn! If I didn't have friends and family willing to be guinea pigs for my experiments, I would be drowning in soap. 1.5 out of 3 bedrooms in our house have either soap supplies or soap in curing racks . . . yes I have a slight problem/addiction

 

[dibbles]

Me four! I am lucky to have had a friend show me how to make CP, so my first batch wasn't solo. But there is so much to learn, and such a wealth of information here.
I found SMF when it popped up on a Google search for any of 1,000 things I was trying to learn. What a treasure trove, and I lurked for a couple of months before I joined. When I have a question about something, I can usually find it here, and if I can't so many kind and generous people are always willing to help. I don't know where I'd be without all of you. Thank you.

 

[gigisiguenza]

Me five! LOL... I found this place in my researching and lurked for a long time, reading, before I decided to join in and ask questions. I know not a soul who makes soap besides me and have no one to discuss it with or ask questions about things, and this place has become my goto source for reliable, sane, soaping advice. Without this place and the freely offered assistance, I don't know if I would've made it past my first batch, let alone having shelves full of soapy adventures that are a visual timeline of my growth and development as a soaper.

I just counted my soaps and holy friggin moly, I've got almost 80 soaps curing... that blows my mind.... and the difference between them blows my mind too because they go from my very first batch two months ago to my most recent two days ago. It's like a visual reminder of how much I've learned and improved, both in comfort level working with lye and soap batter, and in technique, as they become cleaner and more professional looking .

None of which would have been possible without the encouragement and support of you lovely folks here.