Motherhues...An Artisan Soap Company

2009-08-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow! It's been a long time since I updated, hasn't it?

Its been a fun and crazy summer of family drama, sunshine, rain, days at the lake and general fun and mayhem! The last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of getting the kids and I ready for another year at school.

Long days standing in line, buying books, hoping for classes, getting Chloe set up in her new preschool, Drs appts for check ups, school clothes, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

I can't beleive that summer is over and a new semester has begun. Good luck all of you students! Let's wear a smile and keep our hearts open to new possibilities!

2009-06-15T19:36:00.001-07:00

Look at me! I am in an etsy treasury! http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=57662

And among such pretty colors and creative products :)

Thank you Fancy Lamb!!!

2009-06-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I have been busy making dolls lately. My son has gone to spend a couple of weeks with my Mom and Step Daddy and the two doggies. It's a bit odd to only have two children! I keep doing the mental count "1, 2....um... oh yeah, 3 isn't here" LOL!! I know he is having a good time though I do miss him.

Would you like to see a picture of the dolls? Oh, of course you want to ;)

They are all listed at my http://www.madebymotherhues.etsy.com/ site, Thanks for looking!

2009-05-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Ahh, spent the day today making soy wax melts. They are lovely. I have created a whole line of Aromatherapy blends and I am just LOVING them. Look for them at my etsy shoppe by the end of the week!

Yesterday I spent the day sewing dolls. I haven't sat down and sewn a lot in the last few months so this was nice. The kids played outside all day. I stitched away happily to the sounds of laughter, screaming, water spraying and sunshine flowing in the window. Well, that and the sound of killing demons .... made it up to Season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD, whooo hooo!!

These are available for sale at my sister site http://www.madebymotherhues.etsy.com/ along with a lot of wonderful creative Machine Embroidery Designs :D Thanks for looking!

2009-05-24T08:01:00.001-07:00

Good Morning! I am cleaning my kitchen in a very sanitary fashion today so I can make some lotion and body butters! Whooo hoooo! I also may make some Soy Wax Tarts. Pretty excited about those... I just need to find an electric tart melter so I can test them in a tealight potpouri burner and an electric wax melter. If you are a fan of soy wax melts, please post a comment! I need a few testers and would love to choose from my blog readers!

2009-05-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

I have listed some beautiful soap today! Gorgeous wee little unscented rounds. These are great for those of you who prefer unscented or just want something to take a long with you. They are filled with Calendula Infused Olive oil, Coconut oil and rich Shea and Cocoa Butters. And they look so pretty in the clover!

You may purchase them at either my etsy shop www.motherhues.etsy.com or my hyena cart http://hyenacart.com/motherhues !

2009-05-21T21:04:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I reopened my hyenacart shop! I love the simplicity of the cart and how pretty my shop looks there ;) http://hyenacart.com/motherhues/ please come take a look!

Spent the day gardening today. And I discovered my morning glories are blooming! Wow! I know they are weeds in southern states but here in the Northern California dry heat with clay soil... I have spent 10 years trying to grow them! WHOO HOOO I did it! with a little help from the Shasta College Agriculture Department ;)

The color is so beautiful and vibrant that it glows! Oh, I just love the growing season!

2009-05-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

Lookie! I am in someone's blog :D http://audreyscountrycrafts.blogspot.com/ whooo hooo, thank you, Audrey!

I also added a few soaps to my etsy shop http://www.motherhues.etsy.com/

This is my creamy Rosemary Soap. I just love the gentle green...

This is French Lavender. Nothing so lovely as a bar of Lavender... pure and simple...

This is Blue Moon. Originally named "Twilight", but I didn't want to look like I was sellin' out to the man...err, Vampires (but yeah, Team Edward all the way...)

I just dearly love natural colors. The Green soap comes from Parsley. The lavender is Alkanet and the Blue is Indigo :D so fun!

2009-04-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was just noticing today that there is a decided lack of color in my blog lately...I made this soap today

Nope... no color... lol. But it sure is pretty, isn't it? Very simple... but I am thinking tomorrow I need some VIBRANT color!!!

I joined Twitter today. Go look over there --------> and see what I am up to!

2009-04-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have now added Room and Body sprays to my lineup :) Simple with Pure Water and Essential oils. These are more of a splash than a spray lotion as they are not made with conditioning oils. Those are coming later!

I have currently listed my newest Aromatherapy Blend--Spring Mint! Spring Mint is a blend of the sweetly herbal Clary Sage, Bright Peppermint and soft Spearmint. Its minty and "green" and just a lovely sweet herbal note for the Spring season.

Spray on you, in the air, all around, everywhere!

http://www.motherhues.etsy.com

2009-03-20T07:22:00.001-07:00

Hello my friends!

We are having unseasonably warm weather lately! Just a calm before the storm, however... 70 today, stormy this weekend!!

I spent this week formulating a wonderful new product for you! Lotion Bars are a wonderful blend of Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Fractionated Coconut Oil and Natural Beeswax in a twist up tube! Utter bliss! If you need a little more than a standard lotion will give you, I think you will be happy with these!

So far I have made 3 varieties for you to choose from
Herbal Bliss ~ A gorgeous uplifting blend of Spearmint and Clary Sage Essential Oils
Cocoa Butter and Shea-Only the pure aroma of Cocoa Butter.. intoxicating!
Bloom-Full Bodied floral with Lavender and Geranium. Uplifting, feminine and sexy!

Come on over to my etsy site to give them a try!

2009-03-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hello again!
I promise, no more confessions today ;)

But I do have exciting things to announce! In the coming week I will be listing some wonderful things at my etsy shop! Perfectly Pink Perfumes go up today! Every little girl (and every woman with a little girl inside...) needs one! Gorgeously fun HOT PINK tubes of scrumptious solid perfume! Our Goddess Blend is a delightful blend of sweet herbal Clary Sage and Fresh Floral Lavender. Perfect for spring and sized well for stuffing in Easter eggs! (hint, hint...)

We will also be listing an indulgent skin loving serum with Borage and Carrot Seed Oils, a light and lucious lotion spray, pure hydrosol sprizters and more!

Take a look at http://www.motherhues.etsy.com

2009-03-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I just had to stop in to say... for the first time ever... I voted on American Idol. Matt Giraud baybeee GO PIANO MAN!

2008-11-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

Good Morning everyone!

Can you beleive that it is almost time for the frenzy of Christmas shopping? I am definitely a home made Christmas kind of gal, myself. But I have a secret... well, not really a secret, but a little piece of my soul to share with you. I have to step out into the frenzy alone at least once in the season. It seems to recharge and reenergize me for the season.

You see, when I was growing up, my maternal grandmother was the evening manager of a large floral supply/craft store in Redondo Beach, Ca. Not the huge megamart type of today, but a place where you could go and find the most amazing things scattered around... they had hideously expensive floral design goodies, baby shower stuff, wedding stuff... and... a WHOLE BACK OF THE STORE dedicated to CHRISTMAS. twinkly lights... decorated trees... trains and ornaments. They started Christmas music on the 5th of July every year and didn't stop unti January. I used to love looking at the gorgeous trees with the most beautiful ornaments on them. Fantastical Birds with feathers, velvet, gems.... Huge toy soldier nutcrackers... wreaths and garlands and the slightly musty smell of faux flowers blended with Pine, Cinnamon and Spice.

And I got to see my Grandma... always working...always creating... My Mom says I am so much like her that it drives her crazy sometimes. one day she would come home from school and see my Grandma building shelves. The next day it would be piles of Chinese Food and cookbooks and ingredients scattered everywhere. Another day would be Doll Clothes, Flower Arranging, Needlework.. Always a suprise, always doing SOMETHING. But my Mother, my mommy, my friend.... she is not crafty. She decorates a mean Christmas tree and is a fabulous cook... Loves to have a warm, welcoming, yummy fragranced home. Loves to make us food and protect us and hold us close and just be there for her family, her children and grandchildren. But she doesn't have a crafty bone in her body. It is as if her DNA stored it up and sent it straight to me in utero....

So. I make a lot of our gifts, or trade and buy handmade from others. I avoid Walmart and Sears like the plague on most days. I step into the mall maybe 2 or 3 times a year. But during the Christmas season.... I go to the Mall... on purpose... and just soak it all in :D

Thanks, Grandma, for sharing the magic and passion of Creating with me. I miss you.

2008-11-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

Autumn is here in full force! Summer fun is over, bathing suits have been exchanged for warm wool and snuggly fleece. The kids are back in school and the holiday season is approaching! Don't forget, during these busy busy weeks ahead, to stop and take a moment to yourself!

On that note, I have chosen to talk about scrubs today! Body scrubs are generally made from a blend of exfoliants such as Sea Salt, a variety of sugars or wonderful grains such as Oats blended with skin loving Oils. They are a wonderful way to pamper your skin, and, with careful choices of Essential Oil Blends, to also nourish your soul!

I have some very special scrub made up for my guest spot with the Club Thread 2nd Annual Birthday Bash! This blend is made of such precious oils as Sandalwood Mysore, Iron Distilled Patchouli, Frankincense, smokey Vetiver and Cocoa Absolute. It is deep, dark, smokey and seductive. My scrub is available in 2 sizes along with many other wonderful items at http://hyenacart.com/clubthread/

If you have never used a body scrub before, here is a quickie how to!

While in your shower or bath, take a small amount of body scrub into your hand-about a teaspon or so, and use a circular motion to gently rub all over your body. Add more to the palm of your hand as needed, two to three tablespoons should be sufficient to do your entire body but some choose to use more generous amounts.

Take special care to avoid the sensitive areas of your face, neck and the bottoms of your feet.

Rinse away the exfoliating scrub with water and follow with your favorite handmade soap, if you desire. Carefully exit your bathing area and pat your body dry with a warm towel or air dry.

Always use care while using your scrub and when exiting your bathing area, you and your shower area will be slippery!

That's it! Rub on, rinse off, be careful as you get out! The exfoliating salt, sugar or grain in your scrub will gently remove dead skin cells while the skin loving oils will sooth and shine your skin. Try a mint scrub on Monday morning for a great start to your day and a seductive earthy blend on date night!

You can see our other current variety of scrubs at our etsy shoppe http://motherhues.etsy.com/ Thanks for reading

2008-11-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

And the winner is....

Lorraine! I used a complicated computer selection service... err, well, actually I had the two oldest of my children pick a number between 1 and 35 (the number of entries) and divided by 2 and rounded up! Tada, number 20! Lorraine was the twentieth comment so she gets a free bar of soap! Please email let us know which variety of so you would like!

Lorraine also had a very informative suggestion in an email conversation we shared today, how about clear labels? I have been wanting to PRINT on handmade paper forever and it looks like this is my chance ;)

Here is a photograph, what do you think? I may move the ingredients to the back but I am very pleased with how it looks!

Thank you everyone for participating! Your suggestions have been great!

2008-11-07T06:55:00.001-08:00

I am having a contest! leave a comment and tell me which soap wrap you like best and I will pick a name at random to receive a free bar of soap of their choice!

I have always been incredibly multiple personality like when it came to my soap crafting. I love bright fun colors. I also love clean simple lines. I love soft gorgeous mellow Waldorf like colors. And I like handmade papers. I also want my soaps to be easily identifiable as mine... and and and ;) LOL!!

So... help me ;) I have taken a few pictures of soaps and decided this would be a perfect time for my first contest!!

So, let me know which wrapping you would love to buy and/or receive!

Hand Dyed Fabric Wrapping.
I dye fabric. I LOVE dying fabric :) And I really love the idea of adding one more handmade facet to my soaps! I took these photos at night so the fabric looks a little wierd in the flash but you can get the idea. I will do different colors for eash soap. Or perhaps I will just do different colors as I grab them... no two alike. Haven't decided....

Handmade Paper
I will coordinate paper to the soap color (I have natural cream, green, slate blueish and pink so can pretty much find something to look nice with all of my natural soap colors)

Parchment Carstock Wrap Around
Again, matching paper to soap. It's a little boring but very simple and straightforward...

Quilter's Cotton Fabric Bags
Will do different fabrics for each soap. I chose this fabric as I made this particular essential oil blend for my Mom when she was in the hospital after her heart attack. I wanted something to help combat her lonliness and lift her spirits. This fabric is a mock "Grandmother's Garden" quilt block. My Mom had a quilt from her grandmother when I was little that was in this patten. So, this soap is very sentimental to me, all around :D

Thanks for your opinions :D And be sure to put your choice of soap in the comment box so if you win, you get the soap you love!

2008-11-05T12:28:00.001-08:00

Good Morning!

its a freezing cold day here in Northern California :) I decided today I would work on my blog!

Today I have spent the morning taking photos of new soaps and thinking about the election. I feel energized and excited about the changes that are happening in our government and what it could mean for our country. I recorded Barack Obama's speech to share with my son. It was a pround moment to share with him. He is 8 and starting to become interested in the world around him. I am so proud of him. We discussed why I supported Obama and why his Grandparents supported McCain. I also had him watch John McCain's speech and talked with him about how he was gracious and how they both seem so passionate about our country and willing to work together to make things happen in our world.

Ok, I know, you all don't want to hear about my political views ;) So I will share with you the fun new soaps I have listed!

Please check out my etsy shoppe http://www.motherhues.etsy.com today I added ~Blooming Absinthe ~ a glorious and mysterious blend of Lavender and Anise Essential oils, ~Green Goddess~ a joyfully seductive blend of Ylang Ylang and Patchouli, ~Patchouli~ just divine if you are a Patchouli lover ;) and several others.

Please come take a look! Check out for my Aromatherapy post coming up soon! I will discuss my Aromatherapeutical approach to soapmaking!

2006-09-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know... I have a livejournal account I almost never update... so this blogging thing is new to me. But I figure any creative outlet is a good one, until I get my crafts unpacked, eh?

HI EVERYONE!