yeah....balance....doesn't seem like I have much when it comes to doing things I love. But then again, if I love it, is it a negative, even if I'm working a stupid amount of hours a day?
until what I love to do funds everything 
Instead, I have other uses for my creative time floating around in my head. Something with reusable bags so I'm not tossing a pile of plastic out, similar to a cloth bag, and some good multipurpose tips. Please & thank you 
I'm in the same boat. I'm starting to question whether I want to keep going or not. With markets, I mean.
I'm guessing it's just the economy now. With inflation making so many things more expensive, people are cutting back on "extras" like handmade soap that's typically more expensive than what you can buy at the store. I have a lot of loyal local customers and so far in the Spring, none of them came out to our regular monthly markets. We moved to a pavillion just across from where we normally held the markets (in an open in a grassy area) and I thought that would give us a boost because now we were covered and it was cooler but the turnout was very disappointing for the four shows we did. We normally do better in the Fall/Winter so I'll keep trying. I talked to another vendor (sells vintage clothes) at our last market in June and she said she had done another event just a week earlier in Austin and she only sold a couple of things.
I'm experiencing the same thing here. People just aren't buying the way they used to. I've dropped one of my two markets as I didn't even break $100 at the last one. Seeing as it's a 30-min drive each way, plus the cost of the table, it just makes no sense to continue there. Plus, out of 40-50 vendors, there were three other soapmakers. I'll continue for the remainder of the year with my usual market and will then assess what will happen next year. I'd like to keep going but, yeah, the economy is in the gutter at the moment and all the market vendors I've spoken to are feeling it.
I seen silicone piping bags that look really nice on either Amazon or Etsy That would work really nice for soap to clean them out, but I don't know how good they work I haven't tried them and I'm not sure about Which tips are good. I don't have experience with piping yet.Finished cutting & polishing that 16 pound goats milk batch with purple Brazilian clay today & decided I like it the way it is, with a plain old textured top, and with no piped embellishments. Not actually sure how I feel about the textured tops as I get tired of seeing them everywhere with soaps in various stores. But I did it because I know that at least one of my retailers will love it.
Kinda relieving that I didn't end up piping. The batch turned out beautifully, very firm 24 hours later, no overheating, no weird gelling issues or cracking, despite using my electric blanket for a few hours to get it up to temperature so I was sure it would gel to get good color from that clay, and then insulating it overnight. I was sorta looking forward to fancy-ing it up a bit but oh well, best to leave well enough alone this time, I think
Can anyone recommend a good quality piping set that they have tried themselves & love? I bought one that ended up being kinda crappy, so would like to have a decent set for the occasions I feel like getting fancy
Time to watch some soaping videos, and maybe even some Perry Mason or other ancient shows which were before my time. I miss having a TV maybe once a year, if that
Do you think the weather, specifically, the very high temperatures, has killed the markets? Are people hunkered down in their homes under air conditioning? One of the ironies of a poor economy is that people sometimes splurge on small luxury items to make themselves feel better, so I’m wondering if there are other forces hurting the soap market right now. Has the foot traffic been the same as in years past? Or are fewer people coming out?
Oh I'm in love these are heavenly I thought I might mention I just seen a dragon fruit FO the other day I'll try to remember what soap supplier has it and I'll let you know if I can right now I'm on my way out the door so I will try to figure it out when I get home. Nice work!
I have found it, it is Dragon fruit and Pear FO at Candora soap supplier in Canada if you can't buy it hear maybe you could buy it some where else. It might even be good for swirling it says no acceleration no ricing no discoloration no separation. @msunnerstood .
Aztec also has one called Dragonfruit Poptail, with is nice.... light and well-behaved.I have found it, it is Dragon fruit and Pear FO at Candora soap supplier in Canada if you can't buy it hear maybe you could buy it some where else. It might even be good for swirling it says no acceleration no ricing no discoloration no separation. @msunnerstood .
I know I am!
I live in a tourist town; we were even commenting at work today that traffic isn't nearly as heavy as it usually is at this time of year. Even the mall had plenty of parking space today; people just aren't shopping as much as in previous years.
Me too!
I got the Pink Dragonfruit from Midwest Fragrance. They have another fragrance I really like and have used in Bath bombs that Im trying in soap next called Midnight Moonflower.
