Blog Hop - Week 6!

Welcome to Creation|Collaboration's 6th Women Wednesday blog roll, hosted by Beads & More by Lois, Soaperstar and Plans and Presents

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

Join in each week and you could be the following weeks blog feature. Every Thursday we will use Randomness software to pick someone from that weeks blog hop and announce who will be the next blog feature.

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:

• Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
• Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
• Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
• Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
• Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!

Last week Georgie Baker was picked to be our first Blog Hop Feature!

Georgie Baker makes gorgeous textile treasures by the sea in Southend-On-Sea, Essex. Her textile accessories and jewellery are unique with a quirky style that makes her items stand out from the rest.

We asked Georgie 5 questions so we could find out more about her and her business.

1. Tell us more about yourself and your business.

Hello all, my name is Georgina, and I am a designer/maker living and working in Essex. I graduated from University College Falmouth in 2008 with a degree in Textile Design, and after having a little time out, now design and make textile accessories and jewellery under the moniker Georgie Baker Designs.

My work mainly consists of hand-embroidered accessories and jewellery with a vintage twist. I absolutely adore vintage collectables and anything from the Art Deco period, so I think that tends to influence my designs and thought processes. I try to make every design and piece as unique as possible, and I think this is especially important today when so much is mass-produced.

2. What do you love most about having your own business?

There are lots of things I love about designing and creating...I love the freedom of being able to set your own creative targets and deadlines, and I love getting in touch with other designers and crafters who share the same passion for beautiful things. It's also really nice when someone compliments you on a piece of jewellery or an accessory you have put alot of time and hard work into.

3. What would you like to change?

I would really like to change the space in which I work in. That's the only down-side of working from home. It's sometimes difficult to find the space and the right environment to help put you in a creative frame of mind. It just means that you have to be extra organised!

4. What do you love most about blogging?

I think blogging is so important with regards to exposure and advertising your company and products. Before I had a blog, a facebook page and twitter, I completely under-estimated the power they have to generate 'traffic' to my sites and online shop. I also like the fact that blogging helps you to keep up to date with what other designers and crafters are doing. It's really interesting to see what is being produced.

5. What is your most favourite item you have made?

I am always my own worst critic and a real perfectionist when it comes to my work, but I do enjoy seeing the finished product when it is photographed and displayed. I suppose one of my favourites is the black and white sequined magpie feather brooch. This was one of the first things I made for my accessories portflio. Having said that, there are so many more things I want to do in terms of designing and making, and there is always room for improvement! 

She has recently opened an Etsy shop so check out her lovely designs:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Georgiebakerdesigns

You can follow and find out more about Georgie on her blog:

http://georgiebakerdesigns.blogspot.com/

If you would like to be featured next week, be sure to join todays Women Wednesday Blog Hop!

Soaperstar Press Coverage on Beautycouture.ie

I came home today to a fabulous email from the lovely Niamh from Beauty Couture.ie to say that they featured Soaperstar today!

Beautycouture.ie is Ireland's newest and brightest online magazine and is the place to get your daily dose of celebrity gossip, beauty and fashion news, plus totally yummy recipes, the hottest social pics, the best interviews and more fabulous competitions than you can shake a bejewelled stick at.

You can read the Soaperstar article here - thanks Beautycouture.ie, you made my day!!!

Remember, if you too want be couture and treat yourself to some luxury handcrafted soap and body butters, check us out at our online store today!

Selena just loves Soaperstar!

You may remember a couple of weeks back, I ran our first Soaperstar competition to win a Soaperstar tshirt and soap of your choice.

Anita Karir won the competition because by telling everyone, if she had the choice of any of the Soaperstar soaps, which one would she choose.... she said "Colour Bomb as I love rainbows, can teach my baby daughter colours using it, and it is so bright and cheerful and will put a smile on my face brightening up my dull life". 

Well, at Soaperstar, you know we're all about colour and fun and can't stand the thought of anyone having a dull life! So, the tshirt and soap were duly packaged and sent off with the mail fairies. 

And today, on a day when I was more than a little stressed out anyway, some of the cutest pictures in the world dropped into my mailbox totally making me grin from ear to ear!

Anita had taken some of the most adorable photos of her little girl Selena (just gone 1) posing with the tshirt and soap... have a look see and tell me they don't just melt your heart!!

Hmmm... Mum, this doesn't taste as good as it looks

Hello, Hello??!! There's no-one on the soaphone!

Ok, so you MUST buy this fabulous soap dahlin' !

Aren't they simply adorable??! Thank you SO much Anita for sending these on to me - they really put a smile on my face today!

Remember, if you want to get your grubby mitts on some of our fabulously luxury handcrafted goatsmilk & glycerine soaps, then hop, skip and jump along to http://www.soaperstar.com/ and buy, buy, buy!!! Limited stock on some items, so order soon. 

Creation|Collaboration's 5th Women Wednesday Blog Hop!!

Welcome to Creation|Collaboration's 5th Women Wednesday blog roll, hosted by Beads & More by Lois, Soaperstar and Plans and Presents

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

We are also in discussions with regard to listing features companies (on a regular basis) as part of our promotional campaign so by joining in with the blog roll we can get to know you and your business and maybe you could be one of our first features.

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:

• Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
• Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
• Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
• Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
• Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!

Creation|Collaboration's Blog Hop - Yep, it's Women Wednesday!!!!

Welcome to Creation|Collaboration's 4th Women Wednesday blog roll, hosted by Beads & More by Lois, Soaperstar and Plans and Presents

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

We are also in discussions with regard to listing features companies (on a regular basis) as part of our promotional campaign so by joining in with the blog roll we can get to know you and your business and maybe you could be one of our first features.

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:

• Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
• Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
• Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
• Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
• Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!

Sorta quiet here isn't it?

Just a quickie post to say that I'm sorry it's so quiet on the blog lately - the outside world is having a huge effect on my soapy world, leaving me exhausted and more than a little brain frazzled.  I'd love nothing more than to go and soap and make body butters all day, believe me... they don't answer back, or forget deadlines, or say "oh, didn't I tell you?".  One of my dearest wishes is that I could work on Soaperstar as my full-time job but the way the world's economies are going, that might not be today or tomorrow! Not to worry, I shall be posting fab pics of new soaps soon enough.  I just wanted to explain the silence - not intended but necessary I'm afraid. 

Creation|Collaboration 3rd Women Wednesday Blog Hop!

Welcome to Creation|Collaboration's 3rd Women Wednesday blog hop, hosted by Beads & More by Lois, Soaperstar and Plans and Presents

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

We are also in discussions with regard to listing features companies (on a regular basis) as part of our promotional campaign so by joining in with the blog roll we can get to know you and your business and maybe you could be one of our first features.

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:

• Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
• Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
• Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
• Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
• Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!

A little something for myself

Well, I'm in the envious position of having a pretty much fully stocked store (if you want to change that situation, check us out at Soaperstar's Online Store and buy tons so I have to make more!!), I decided to make a few things for myself!!

Pretty much everyone who makes soaps and creams and all the yummy bath and body type things you can get, doesn't often get time to treat themselves and make something for just them! But I decided I needed a treat, and here they are:

All the soaps are cocoa butter based (very gentle on your skin) with our normal skin hydrating element plus added Sweet Almond Oil (can't help but make it pure luxury you know!) - the yellow ones on the right are a blend of Grapefruit & Lemongrass, the green ones are Peppermint & Spearmint and the orange ones on the left are Sweet Orange & Mandarin (the little two coloured one is a little bit of left over orange and grapefruit together).  All are scented using pure essential oils and coloured using natural micas (the green one, you'll notice, I could have mixed that in a bit better! D'oh!).

In the middle is a total experiment - handmade shampoo!!! With great hair loving goodies like Oat Protein and Panthenol (the pro Vitamin B you get in some big brand shampoo's).  I've never made a 'poo before so it was an utter experiment but it's a lovely pure white colour and a great texture (thickens up naturally overnight to a cream texture - which is good cos it sort of looked like frog spawn and pond water when I started!).  This is scented with Rosemary & Lavender essential oils - perfect for hair.

So, a few little pressies for me ... I really enjoyed making them and I hope you enjoyed having a peek at what we have in our bathroom!

If you need a gift for someone special or even yourself (and who isn't special enough to buy a gift for themselves!) check out our handcrafted luxury goatsmilk & glycerine soaps - and afterwards you can slather yourself in our Sheer Luxury Body Butter too! We're getting rave reviews back on these! Check out http://www.soaperstar.com/ for details - oh and we've got a new May special offer happening too!!!