Have a VERY Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Day! Santa has been and dinner is in the oven... thinking about the people who cannot be here, I'm reminded of my Mum's favourite singer, Nat King Cole.  Here's one of my favourite songs ... Merry Christmas everyone!

Pics and New Things for a New Year

I have been very lax about the blog lately and that's annoyed me a lot.

Pretty much, for anyone who makes handmade soaps and body products, from mid November to a week before the Big Day, you're working every hour to make sure that all the orders get out the door on time and that everyone is happy with both your products and, as importantly, customer service.

One area that's really annoyed me is not having enough product photos taken for the website or to show on Facebook or, here, on the blog.  But I hope to remedy that during the Christmas holidays - fortunately I have some time off my full time job over the next week or so, so I'll be actually able to get outdoors during daylight (when I go to work, it's dark and it's dark when I come home... not great for taking product photos!).  I also invested in a good lamp and need to find a good, bright, natural daylight bulb and work on some indoor photos - the key, so often, is good lighting and, to date, I've only been able to do that in natural daylight, outside.

Also I've been planning some new products - I hope to introduce a facial range including a facial oil cleanser, a facial scrub and a new facial serum made from some of the most exotic oils I've found ... and they are utterly crammed with skin loving goodies! Alongside all this, I'll be adding a body serum which will be fragranced to match the soaps so customers can choose either body butters or a body serum (I know that some would prefer a lighter option, especially in the summertime).

So, my New Year's promise is to be more active on the blog and show you more images and bring you more news and products.  I was also thinking of writing some ingredient profiles to show you why I choose the ingredients I choose .. I think this really helps give a context to the products.

So, more to come in the next few months... keep an eye out!

Merry Christmas!

Well the big day is nearing, everybody will be trying to get the last little bits and pieces to make it a very special holiday, and treating themselves to a few things that they might have not been able to afford all year, the tree lights will be on and the Christmas songs playing all the time.  I do love this time of year but it does make me think of family and friends who cannot be with us .. I hope they're all having their own Christmas parties and fun though.

I want to say a huge huge thanks to all my blog readers, my Facebook fans, my fellow Tweeters and, most especially, my lovely lovely customers who've said such wonderful things about our products and who love using them as much as I love making them.

This business isn't just a business to me, it's heart work... something that I cannot be without, everything I make has to be just so.. it's always like it's the first, the best, thing I make.. I cannot do less, be less.  For me, everything I make is a little part of me... my children so to speak, so for people to comment so wonderfully just makes me so utterly proud and happy.

I hope that the joy I get from making everything is translated into the joy others get when using them... that could very well be my most favourite gift of all.

I hope you all have the very best Christmas you can possibly have, have fun and laughter with family and friends, have people you love around you and give and take as many hugs as you can get (there just aren't enough hugs in this world!) and that you smile and smile and smile because you have the gift of those who love you.  For those who we love and can't be with us in person, I know they are watching us, smiling with us and spending the day with us, just as they'd always be.

Merry Christmas everyone and thank you for being such wonderful friends xx

Incredible Review

Firstly, I, yet again, have to apologise for my absence on the blog.  The Christmas season is so incredibly busy and I'm working very late every night for the last few weeks just making, making, making, labelling, wrapping, boxing, posting, making ... well, you know how it is.  


I'm SO not complaining, I'm really chuffed that people want to purchase my products, it really just makes me so happy.

I received this incredible review on my site and I just wanted to show it to you... I was so chuffed and rather blushing to say the least.


"Celine has totally restored my faith in handmade because she is a total perfectionist...no where else will you get the whole package...I love Celine's Double Whipped Body Butter, have loved Pink Grapefruit and Pomegranate is amazing!! One thing I would like to make clear is I have psoriasis and using Celine's body butter along with her fab soaps really do soothe my skin in a way coal tar and other dangerous lotions and injections I use never did! Her beautiful marbled soaps come in the most beautiful packaging and make affordable luxury gifts. It's a joy to receive an I am Handmade order cos even the packaging is so beautiful you don't want to open it!! No order is too small and Celine is happy to source your fav oils and make bespoke items just for you!!! Thanks Celine xxx"


But I have to say, No, Thank YOU Cathy and thank you to everyone who's bought my soaps, scrubs, body butter and lip butters.  I wouldn't be here without you.  

SEO Issues

I've been trying to work out SEO (search engine optimisation for those who don't know) issues for the website to get higher in the Google and other search engine listings. 

I'm not 100% sure what I'm supposed to do (I think SEO is a dark art to be honest) but I've all my keywords in the site, I've titled my images according to what the image is but also keywords such as "handmade soap Dublin Ireland" etc. 

I have my site link in my signature in forums, I post a lot on other people's blogs with the link too (not cos I want to increase my SEO, but because I LOVE reading blogs and responding - nothing like a silent blog to make you feel like billy-no-mates!). 

I've followed all the usual tips and hints and was wondering if there was anything else I should be doing? Any suggestions? And, please.. in plain English... I can just about understand what I'm doing right now LOL! 

Hmmm.. Blogger issues?

Anyone else having any Blogger issues? It seems my latest post is the only one that shows on the page, you have to click "Older Posts" to get the rest of them.  Me no likee! Is this happening to me or everyone? And how do I fix it? HELP!

ETA: Ok I'm the stoopido! I just changed the size of one of the images on the blog and, bingo, it's all back!

It's a D'oh kinda day.  

Another Soapy Giveway - Product Body

Well the ever delicious Miss Jo from Product Body is having a giveaway and I thought you'd like to know.. I like to share the wealth (of knowledge that is, I ain't sharing the prize if I win!)... check it out on her blog now. 

Fabulous Soapy Giveaway

Just a quickie to say that Lori from A Life Deliberate Soap Company is having a giveaway! You can check out all the details on her You Tube video below (or, for those who subscribe by email, click on the link).

I love love love love love her soaps and I'd pretty much kill (or certainly maim) any one of you to get my hands on these! I'd be like the desperate bridesmaid when the bride throws the bouquet!!!

Check them out, Lori's fabulous soaps and her generous giveaway:



Make sure to check out Lori's Facebook Page and her Blog and her Etsy Store.

Another mention and a new soaper!

I just wanted to show you a video from a very new soaper based in Dublin, Ireland.  Amanda can be officially called a soap addict now ... she's gone from being a customer to making her own soaps and it's so fun to watch her spiral upwards to the heights of soap addictness!  And, whooo hoooo, I'm famous cos I got a mention at the beginning! LOL.

Here's her first video of her very first two soap making adventures... I wish I had the idea to video my first soaps, you always have a memory of them then!

Best of luck Amanda and I can confirm, you are now a soap addict!!!

Link to You Tube Video

Ohh... I'm in a video!!

I sent some of my soaps to Julia from http://soapartists.blogspot.com during the summer and she wrote a wonderful review of them, I was more than happy with it (thanks Julia!).

Yesterday, I found she'd made a whole video with all the soaps and soapers she's reviewed and mine are in there .. and, guess what? She called me the Queen of Swirl! How cool is that?!

Check out the video below (for those who receive the blog posts by email, you won't be able to see the video but you can check it out on her blog, right here http://soapartists.blogspot.com/2011/11/video-1-soap-artists.html.

Julia, thanks SO much, you made my day! And to be included with so other fabulous soapers, well it's a pleasure and an honour.