Soap, Soap, Soap SALE!

Time to do a little soap rack clearing.  New bars are moving in, and it is time to clear out inventory to make room.  Also, I'm reworking my soap labeling...so the old labeled soap has to go!

In order to expedite this effort, I'm having a 15% Off Soap Sale while supplies last.  Just use coupon code "FIFTEENOFF" at checkout.

Happy soap shopping on Etsy!  Just click the banner to go!

Dana @ SoapSense on Etsy

Bangle Bracelets: The Tricky Science of Measuring for Your Size

There is nothing worse than a bangle bracelet that falls off...or worse yet, one that you can't get over your hand. Since bangle bracelets are "all the rage" right now, it pays to know your size when purchasing online. Actually, measuring for a bangle bracelet is a mix of science and art. Here are a few tips and alternative ways to measure your hand for a bangle bracelet.

First of all, everyone's hand is shaped differently. But what you need to do is measure around the widest part of your hand with a tape measure. In the photo, the widest part of my hand is just below the pinky knuckle across to where the thumb meets the hand. You may have to experiment a little to see where the widest part of your hand is...just be sure not to measure at too large an angle.

My hand is small - only 8 inches. However, I find that a 7-1/2 inch circumference bangle bracelet fits perfectly. Why the difference? Because your hand can probably collapse down a little more than what you measured with the tape. Again, everyone's hand flexibility is a little different.

Alternatively, you can measure with a strip of paper and then line that up with a ruler. Or even better, measure the diameter of a bangle bracelet you already own, and go up or down from there.

Good luck with your next bangle bracelet!

Dana @

Coil and Flame: http://www.coilandflame.etsy.com/
DLPom: http://www.dlpom.etsy.com/

Christmas Shopping...Already?

Have you started? Have you finished?

I can't even bring myself to think about it yet. The temperature is still in the triple digits, and I want to give Halloween and Thanksgiving a fighting chance.

Still, many are talking about shopping for the holidays. And everywhere I go, Christmas trees and aisles of decorations are everywhere.

So, if you are in the mood for a little holiday color, maybe you might like these selections from my shop:




Until next time,

Dana @ DLPom & Soap Sense

Tweet Earring Contest!

Follow me (DLPom) on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DLPom

Then, just RETWEET my contest tweet!

25th RETWEET wins these earrings from my Etsy shop, DLPom: http://twitpic.com/223sag

Winner will be announced on Twitter. Good luck!

AND WE HAVE A WINNER...DRUMROLL...

@Glambert2169 on Twitter!

Contest Closed!

The Handcrafted Soap Addict's Soap Dish

Can't have only one bar of handcrafted soap at a time? Bits of different soaps globbed together in one dish? Can't wait to finish one bar before trying another?

Yeah, that's me! And I may be worse than the average person because I'm always testing my own bars of soap, and of course that requires using many different bars at a time!

So why fight it? Here's my solution...an attractive, earth-friendly, and organized way to handle your soap addiction. Each bar can have it's own slot to drain and air dry! Perfect!

See this soap dish and many others in the Linen Closet section of my Etsy Shop, Soap Sense.

Lavender Soap, Straight-up...or Not!

Lavender is a love me or hate me scent. Nothing is better than straight-up, lavender soap if you love the scent. If you don't, lavender is a great mixer for other essential oils, and gets tamed down just a bit when blended. I have both in my soap shop, Soap Sense on Etsy. A straight-up lavender soap bar, and another blended scent that is an orange-lavender soap. Neither of these are what grandma used to use!


Aromatherapists recommend lavender essential oil to calm anxiety, minimize depression, relieve headaches, ease the itch of insect bites, soothe muscle pain, and more! Orange essential oil has many of the same aromatherapy qualities. And while I don't tout any of these remedies, I do know that these scents calm my mind and soul at the end of a long day.

Try one...you'll never go back to store bought soap!

The Paper is Handcrafted Too?!

Many people are often surprised to find out that the paper band around my soap is also handmade. When I started selling my soap (rather than just giving it away to family and friends), I wanted to find a way to package it that was unique and professional, and a bit kinder to the environment as well. I had made paper pulp before and had used a mold, deckle, and paper press to shape and dry it. So it was a natural extension to use these handmade sheets of paper as soap bands.


These photos are from the backend of the process. The sheets have been drying in the press for about a week, layered in between sheets of absorbant (and reusable) paper towels and dish cloths. After the finished sheets are released from the paper press, they are torn into narrow strips to wrap around the soap bars as bands.

All of the paper used to make the pulp comes from clean, ink-free scraps that I save from around the house. It might be scraps of computer paper, colored paper, or tissue paper. This paper gets a second life rather than just immediately being thrown away. Collecting different papers really doesn't take up that much space, and what a great way to recycle!


I try to make colorful papers that match the scent and/or color of the soap. The first photo is my Orange Lavender essential oil soap with matching, Orange Lavender paper. Once the soap is cured, you'll find it nicely wrapped on my handcrafted soap Etsy shop, Soap Sense.

What do you do to make your craft even more handcrafted?

Jasmine Soap - A Hit!

My Jasmine Tea Soap has been one of my bestsellers lately. I had been wanting to make a tea soap for quite awhile and a few months back created this soap recipe trying to also capture the scent of the spring-blooming jasmine vine in my own yard. In my mind, this soap needed to be an uplifting but not over-powering floral, with a soothing texture...just like a warm cup of sugared, jasmine tea!

I was extremely pleased with how the very first batch turned out! And it seems others are more and more pleased with the soap as well. Karen, one of my treasured soap buyers from Etsy, featured it on her handmade inspired website, Straight Talk on Natural Living.


She has written numerous reviews on various handmade soaps, focusing on their characteristics as shampoo bars. And even though my Jasmine Tea Soap was not originally intended for the scalp and hair, it has found a niche for those needing a soap with hair conditioning qualities, "especially in the dry winter months, it is perfect!"

Happy bubbles and conditioning for all those handmade soap addicts out there!

An Appreciation for Soap!

I made my castile soap recipe the other day...I had forgotten how stubborn and mean it is, but it always turns out good if you are willing to wait about 10 weeks for it to cure! Yes, I said 10 weeks!

Castile soap is considered to be the first real soap ever made, long ago in medieval times, near present day Spain in the Kingdom of Castile. Later in history, the Italians, Greeks, and French tried to take credit. I'm a purist, and still believe that castile soap should be made from 100% olive oil only.

A few days ago, during the soap making process, I stick-blendered it to death...and it FINALLY traced. Then, I waited 48 hrs. to unmold it...then another 12 hrs. so it would be hard enough to cut into bars. But look out! It was still quite alkaline to the touch, and my hands were stinging just from handling it.

Ah, but in 10 weeks, it will be some of the tamest, mildest soap on the planet! Just wait...