Interview with Nora's Soap Shoppe
Nora with Nora’s Soap Shoppe is well-known in the soap making community. Her wispy swirl designs and expert use of color are instantly recognizable when you’re scrolling social media. She’s also known for her positivity and kindness – she makes sure to let people know when she loves their creations. Learn more about how Nora got started, what inspires her, and her soapmaking tips.
How long have
you been making soap and how did you get started?
Back in 2010, I started dabbling in melt and pour soaps. It was such a joy
to create handmade soaps for my family knowing what ingredients I put in. By 2012, I
transitioned to cold process soapmaking. I became so mesmerized by
the whole process of cold process soapmaking that I spent many hours and months
researching and learning all there is about this technique. I came across the lovely
Anne-Marie, the Soap Queen, online. I watched her first four episodes of
cold process soap making and couldn’t resist purchasing
Anne-Marie’s book, Soap Crafting. Having a resource that gave me
the foundations of soaping techniques, safety, equipment, methods, SAP
values, etc., was truly valuable to my learning journey as a soapmaker. I am a very
visual learner, so having the book and tutorial videos accessible to me was very
helpful.
What inspires you to
create?
What surprised me the most was the creative
side that blossomed in me I really didn’t know I had until I started
making soap. I think back to when I was around maybe 10 years old, my mom took me to
a cake decorating class. My class project was to make a Barbie cake with a beautiful
dress like Cinderella. I can still remember the enjoyment I felt decorating that
beautiful cake with pink and white frosting. I think of this time with my mom when I
decorate the tops of soaps. With that said, this moment in my life to this day
inspires me to create.
You just never know what could be the foundation of inspiration for creating. Family, memories, travel, flowers, the weather – I like to always keep things simple and lovely using inspiration around me. I truly believe this is what makes your soaps that much more special and unique to your brand.
What advice
would you give to makers just starting their businesses?
Research is key and learning all you can about handmade businesses in your
area and state. Find out as much information as you can and understand it. This is
my least favorite part, as at times it can be very confusing. Never be afraid to ask
questions. We have a wonderful soapmaking community and there are many gifted and
talented makers out there who are willing to give some helpful insight and guide you
in the right direction.
Spend time creating a good quality product and know your costs, create a good marketing plan so in time you can become profitable in your business. Feeling confident and having the knowledge of your product is very important, too!
How
did you come up with the name for your business?
Choosing a business name can be tricky and needs a lot of thought
put in. It seemed that almost every name that I thought of wasn’t
available. Basically, I thought to myself that I was always told I had a unique
name, Nora, and being handmade soap was my main product, I decided on
Nora’s Soaps. But the name still needed something else. The
thought of owning my own soap shop one day is most makers’ dream and goal.
So putting that into perspective, I added a little twist of an
“e” and there you have it, Nora’s Soap Shoppe. Shoppe
has a quaint feel, so it felt just right.
What is
your favorite type of product to make?
My absolute
favorite product to make is cold process soap. From my very first batch of soap, I
knew there was something special about this whole process. There is something just
so satisfying about watching the lye and oils mix together into a gorgeous creamy
soap batter. I love creating hanger swirls – they have become my most
favorite signature technique and they create a gorgeous wispy swirl in each and
every soap bar.
What is your favorite
Bramble Berry product and why?
My very first soap
supply order was from Bramble Berry, and almost every other since. So this is a very
difficult question because I love just about every product they have! What is my
favorite? I’ll have to say their colloidal oatmeal. This was one
of the first ingredients I ordered and I continue using today. It blends in so
smoothly and I also love its benefits. I also must say that even though we were
asked for one favorite, I must add in BB’s lavender 40/42
essential oil, which is a perfect lavender essential oil and a must-have for
my Lovely Lavender Soap.
Tell us
something unique about yourself.
I love everything
nostalgia, taking things back to the artisan way of life. A strong focus on family,
whom are the most dear to me. Many fond memories of being in the kitchen baking and
cooking with my mother and still using family recipes to this day. Reading the
classics such as Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables. I
would even say that this nostalgia that I am drawn to inspired me to make and create
soaps.
What are some of your other hobbies
and interests?
If I am not spending time with my
family or soapmaking, I am an avid scrapbooking queen. In this time of everything
digital, I do enjoy to print out real photos and create beautiful meaningful
scrapbooks for my family to enjoy. My scrapbooking creations are a conversation
piece in my home when we are entertaining family and friends and to be able to share
those memories is very special to me.
I also still love to ski with my family. I can’t keep up as fast as I used to, but I still love being up on the mountain and the feeling of peace and tranquility you experience is just so satisfying.
What is your
number one soapmaking tip?
Stay positive! In anything
you do there can always be a negative side. One thing I learned in the soapmaking
world is just to stay positive and keep moving forward. Don’t let the
haters and negativity get you down or affect your creativity. Soapmaking is a happy
place for most of us, so keep positive, encouraging, and supportive people around
you and keep doing what you love.
If you
were to give one of your products to a stranger, what would you choose and
why?
I would have to choose my Summer Melon
Soap. Summer Melon is loved by just about everyone with its juicy, fruity appearance
and it smells absolutely scrumptious. I give credit to the Soap Queen and Bramble
Berry for the inspiration of this particular soap. I use my own recipe but follow
the creativity of the design posted on their tutorial. I don’t
think this soap creation will ever go out of style because of the gorgeous
watermelon soap creations I see season after season. It is a perfect summer soapy
treat for all.
Have you ever
experienced a soapy fail? How did you work through it and what did you
learn?
Never be in a hurry. When you are in a hurry,
you could miss the most crucial steps in soapmaking. Even your research on
particular ingredients matter. I had one soap batch fail that resulted from not
reading the reviews and the description of the fragrance oil I used. I got
my soap mixture ready then added a gorgeous purple mica for color. Now comes the
fragrance oil, so I poured it into the mixture and oh my goodness! The color started
changing to a most awful looking dark brownish greenish color. I tried adding other
colors hoping it would change some but nothing helped and it started to set up fast,
so I poured it into the mold as fast as I could. I really thought it was a ruined
batch but actually turned out to be a great bar of soap that my family ended up
using, just not too pretty to look at. Always check the reviews on fragrance oils on
how they behave and do small test batches in case your soap batch goes wonky.
;)
What do you love most about crafting
bath and body products?
It’s such a joy to
be able to go into my soapmaking happy place and be able to make and create
something beautiful. Each maker has such a unique perspective and a beautiful touch
to their soaps. I truly believe it’s a way to express ourselves and let
our creative streak run wild. To have the opportunity to share such passion in our
handmade products makes me love soapmaking even
more!
Also, I have never been great with calculations and chemistry, and to now be great at it for soapmaking and creating recipes has become something I most love in my handcrafting journey. A continuously learning journey that keeps you coming back for more.
Thank you for taking the time to read my interview with Bramble Berry. I am so honored and feel so overwhelmed with joy that my passion for soapmaking has led me to such a wonderful company that supports us makers. I love supporting Bramble Berry because they have the best quality ingredients for all my soapmaking needs. Thank you, Bramble Berry! -Nora
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