Discover This: a Breath of French Air

After a much-longer-than-anticipated hiatus, the Discover This series is back! YAY! As you may know, I love giving a big shout out to my fellow Etsians, and this here is no exception. I am a huge fan (HUGE!) of handmade soaps and, after trying my first handmade bar years ago, will never ever go back to using store bought soap again. Enjoy this Q&A with Elizabeth of aBreathofFrenchair on Etsy who makes some decadent soap in her own St. Louis, MO home. As an added bonus, take a peek at Elizabeth's creative process in her videos on youtube and while you're there be sure to subscribe to her channel. So without further adieu, I present to you aBreathofFrenchair....

Name: Elizabeth L.
Location: St. Louis, MO
Occupation: Soap Maker

How long have you been creating your items? I have been making soap since 2007.

How did you get started? I started out by researching soap making on the internet. I read about soap making and I also watched lots of videos on Youtube. I started with melt and pour soaps, and a year later started making my soaps from scratch.

All Natural Olive Oil Shea Butter Soaps

(one word:  WANT)

Where do you get your inspiration for your products? I get most of my inspiration from my garden. I have a huge garden where I grow many of the seeds that I use in my soaps. I also love to read cook books. I recently started making whipped soap and I use this to decorate my soap cakes and cupcakes, so books with lots of cake pictures are fun to read.

Do you sell your items? If so, where? I sell my soaps on Etsy and I also am part of an artist co op at Fusion. Our shop is located at Chesterfield (MO) Mall, on the second floor.

Do you have any formal training, or are you a self-taught artist? I am self taught.

Bright Red Star Shaped Soap (what guest wouldn't love these?)

How would someone benefit from purchasing your products? Handmade soap is much gentler to the skin. My soaps are mainly made with olive oil and can be used by all skin types. I don't use chemicals in my soap and many consumers have commented on how much better their skin feels after using my soap.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers?  I have started making videos on how I make my soaps and body wash on Youtube. I love to show people how soap is made and what goes into my bars/body wash. Click HERE for my channel.

Ruby Red Grapefruit Solid Sugar Scrub Cubes

(hello yummy!)

Special thanks to Elizabeth for participating in the Discover This series.  Go check out her Etsy shop now!

Wednesday Wishlist: Circle of Friends

It's been a while since I posted a Wednesday Wishlist...heck, it's been a while since I posted at all (shame on me!)...so today I'd like to pay tribute to some of the fine, talented folks that can be found in my Circle of friends on Etsy.  As of last count I've added about 90 artisans to my Circle and am always on the hunt for more.  I'll dedicate more Wishlists to these fabulous friends of mine but for now, I present you with a random selection of pure awesomeness.  To learn more about the featured item and the artist's shop, right click on the shop links to open up a new window. 

Handmade Coptic Bound Journal with Skeleton Key

in Pale Green by Thenibandquill

Fine Art Photo Print ~ Nesting in Numbers

by TheGinghamOwl

Magnetic Denim Pocket ~ Leopard Spots

by ItsSoSue

 Handmade Knit Hat ~ The Seed Beret in Citron Yello

by pixiebell

Brown Trout Coffee Mug Etched Glass

by bradgoodell

Hand Felted Light Green Scarf/Shawl

by avivaschwarz

Mini Men Crayons

by LilDoodlers

Light My Fire Hand-dyed Wool Yarn

by dye2spin

Dirty Bugs Cocoa Butter Cold Process Soap

by BuzzPlanet

Small Blue Ceramic Watercan

by NicePots

Wednesday Wishlist: Embrace The Dark Side

Whew, FINALLY posted another Wednesday Wishlist!  This week I invite you to walk with me on the dark side...the dark side of Etsy that is!  I don't know if it's because Halloween is coming or because I've been in a bit of a dark place myself lately, but I am LOVING all these goth items I found using Etsy's search tool.  They're wicked, wonderful, delightfully delicious additions to my Wishlist!  Right click on the shop links to open the item in a new window.  I dare you.  Muahahahahahaha!

Neo Victorian Scarab Jewel Necklace

from tempusfugit

Prison Riot Striped TuTu

from mtcoffinz

Unique Skull Pendant

from ParadiseFindings

Mini Purse Elizabeth Gothic Victorian

from UniquelyDifferent

Skeleton Key Soap Raygun Scented

from SteamBathFactory

Purple Plum Rose on Black Filigree Ring

from ForevermoreCreations

Witches Magick Candle Large

from whitemagic

The Blushing Vampire

from darkfaerie

Pyscho Soap from ArtSpot

Monsters and Lace Striped Hoodie

from TheLunaGirls

Wednesday Wishlist: I Wish You Liked My Stuff

OK, I admit it. I was too lazy to actually put together this week's Wishlist, so I decided to take this opportunity to shamelessly promote my own creations. I'm entitled to do that every now and then, right? I mean it is in my and my business's best interest to put forth some effort in the promotion, advertising, and marketing departments, and this blog is part of my business, so what the heck. Just go along with it, will ya? :) Anyway, I've selected five items from each of my Etsy shops for a total of 10. To see a complete product lineup from each shop, right click on these links to open the shop in a new window:

Jean May Originals

Survivor Arts

Thanks for visiting, and I promise to be back next week with a brand new theme!

from Jean May Originals

Give Peace A Chance Crocheted Pin

Crystal Blue Persuasion Earrings

Wild Thing Fabric Tube Scarf

Floral Puff Pin No. 3

Color Splash Pillow

from Survivor Arts

Raspberry Lace Crochet Shawl

Aqua and Lavender Treasure Bowl

S is for Simply Superb Sudsy Scented Soap

Tranquility Knit Shawl

Linen and Lace Aroma Bead Sachet

And The Winner Is....

JMO is excited to announce the winner of the First Ever Giveaway is Craft_Mom a/k/a Jennifer Flory! Congratulations, Jennifer! You are the winner of not just one, but TWO bars of JMO's new April Showers Cold Process Soap plus a 100% Cotton Crochet Washcloth. WOOT!

I had so much fun sponsoring this giveaway, I think I'll have to do it again real soon. I'd like to thank everyone who participated and left such wonderful comments. JMO is always dreaming up new product lines, so be sure to check the website often. You never know what you'll find!

JMO's First EVER Giveaway!

For the first time ever, Jean May Originals is sponsoring a Giveaway! Here's the lowdown on how it will work:

WHO - Anyone and everyone is invited to participate. Tell all your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors.

WHAT - Winner will receive 2 bars of our new April Showers handmade soap (approx. 2 oz. each) and a 100% Cotton Crochet Washcloth. This batch of soap was made using the cold process method and is rich with skin loving ingredients like Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, and Olive Oil. Infused with Rain fragrance oil...a very clean, fresh scent suitable for men, women and children...these lather-rich bars are a treat for your skin and gentle enough to use as a facial cleanser.

WHERE - Just visit the new and improved JMO website here. Check out everything we have to offer including our newest product lines--Handmade Soaps and Photo Cards. Then return here to the blog and post a comment on which item you liked the best. If you don't see anything you like on the website, tell us what you would like to see! Winner will be chosen at random using random.org. When posting your comment, please include your email address name (just the part before the @). I will only use this information to verify the winner.

WHEN - Post your comment by midnight, June 27. All participants will be tossed into the list randomizer and a winner will be chosen on June 28. I'll be announcing the winner in a blog post so check back here on that date to see if you've won!

WHY - This giveaway is our way of kicking off the new website and rolling out our newest product lines. These are exciting times for JMO and we want everyone to know about it!!

Open to U.S. & Canadian residents ages 18 and up. Only one entry per person. Comments must be posted by midnight on June 27 to be eligible.

Mother's Day Specials -- LIMITED TIME OFFERS

Mother's Day is fast approaching and JMO has a few beautiful and affordable offers just in time to honor Mom.

Handmade Soap Bundle

JMO now offers handcrafted bar soaps in a variety of scents and colors. Made using only the finest ingredients, our soaps are lather-rich with superb moisturizing properties that are a luxurious treat for your skin. For a limited time only, and just in time for Mother's Day, May 10, we are offering 2 full size bars (approx. 4-5 oz.) in your choice of Pink Sugar (pink), Ocean (robin's egg blue), and Coconut (pale yellow). In addition to the full size bars, Mom also gets 2 guest-size "candied" soaps in Mango Papaya, as well as a Mini Crocheted Cotton Scrubbie. The entire set will be beautifully packaged and ready for giving. Regularly $25, we are offering this set for $20, and that includes shipping & handling! All soaps are made to order to ensure freshness. We ship anywhere in the U.S. via USPS First Class Mail. (Sorry, no international shipping at this time.) Hurry, this offer expires Friday, May 1, 2009, so we encourage you to order NOW to ensure delivery by Mother's Day.

Everlasting Bouquet

A fresh flower bouquet is a lovely and thoughtful gift, but unfortunately a short-lived one. So we've created the Everlasting Bouquet, a collection of 3 crocheted flowers complete with it's own bud vase and rock filler. These beauties will never wilt, never need watering, and last year round. This is one bouquet that will last forever!

To introduce this newest item to the JMO Home Decor collection, we are offering an Everlasting Bouquet for just $20 (includes shipping & handling). If intended as a Mother's Day gift, we MUST receive your order no later than Thursday, April 30, 2009. We realize it's really short notice, but we want to be sure we are allowed enough time to create your flowers and ship your package so that it arrives before May 10. We ship anywhere in the U.S. via USPS First Class Mail. (Sorry, no international shipping at this time.) Flowers will be created using our choice of colors--we promise it will be FABULOUS!

These offers are not available on our website. Prices good through May 1, 2009. The only accepted method of payment for these offers is Paypal. To place an order for a Soap Bundle or Bouquet, please send us an email at jmm@jmayoriginals.com. If ordering soaps, please include your 2 color/scent choices. We will send a request for payment within 24 hours. ITEMS WILL SHIP ONLY AFTER PAYMENT HAS CLEARED.

Give Mom the gift of handmade this Mother's Day!