Maker of the Month: Oavender
Cassie with Oavender loves the sweeter things in life. Her soap is inspired by desserts, and she often uses baking techniques like layering and frosting. Her customers can't get enough - they love the bright colors and creative designs. Most importantly, they're a treat to use. Get to know Cassie below!
How long have
you been making soap, and how did you get started? How long have you been selling
your products?
I have been making soap for almost
four years. I started to learn after watching all the fun soap making
videos on Soap Queen and YouTube. I was very interested in how it was made. And I
was very impressed that soap can be made like a piece of artwork. My curiosity was
aroused. Then, I read a lot of articles about handmade soap. I thought I could try
it. And my journey of soap making started at this point. I have been selling since
2019.
What do you love most about making
bath and body products?
The thing I love most is I
can choose my own ingredients and scents in each product. And I can create a design
on a soap bar. I love to see how my clients love my products and how it feels on
their skin. It is joyful to hear their words and thoughts. I am proud of what I make
and I love to see that everyone is happy. I enjoy every moment of the soap
making process. It is a pleasure to be creative.
You use a
variety of cold process techniques - frosting, embeds, swirls. Do you have a
favorite?
I love all of them. Each of the techniques
has their uniqueness. I like frosting when I make cake soap. I love cakes and I hope
I can turn into a pastry chef one day. It is a very fun way to make the soap top
using a cake frosting technique. And I love to add embeds to make the
finish look 3D and more realistic on the
design.
What inspires you to
create?
My creativity comes from all delicious food,
desserts, and cute cartoons. I think soap making is just like baking cake. Once I
found the right recipe to work with, then I started to make cake soap with all
different kinds of cake decorations and frosting. I designed a lot of cake soap and
made them look yummy because they are skin food. They are designed for our skin.
Cake baking inspires me with the technique. And the design inspiration came from
Japanese cartoon characters and desserts. They both inspire me with most of the
designs.
Who’s
another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
I love the soap artists from Nocturn Soap. Their work
is just incredible. Every batch of soap contains a beautiful design. It is a piece
of art. Just amazing!
What advice would
you give to someone who wanted to get started?
I
would recommend the person to do research, and read all kinds of soap making books
and articles. And watch videos on the Soap Queen channel. It can help with
everything from basic to advanced techniques. I started to make my first batch of
soap from here too. My other advice is to be patient. No matter if you are doing it
just as a hobby or going to start a new business, it needs a lot of attention for
the whole process. The soap making process is very time consuming - that
includes the saponification process, setting takes days, and curing time
takes months... I think patience is an important key. Once you are getting used to
the routine, you will definitely enjoy the process and the whole journey of a
business.
Have you
experienced a fail? How did you work through it, and what did you
learn?
Yes... so many times. One time I failed
because the fragrance accelerated my soap batter very badly. I
wasn’t able to continue my original design. And there was no time to think
of another way to change the design. I needed to pour right away. After this
experiment, I will need to test every new fragrance before making a big batch. This
is an important part of the process. I learn a lot by actually having failed
experiences.
What plans do you have for
your business moving forward?
I would love to have a
Soap Studio as my business moving forward. The plan is to invite people who are
interested in soap making to learn together so they can make their own DIY soap.
There are a lot of people asking me how to make this, why it looks like a cake? Is
this edible? Especially kids, they are very curious about the making. I am hoping I
can share my soap making experience with everyone. I think it will be fun to make
together and share ideas.
Cassie's top Bramble Berry picks
- Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit - The first must-have product is the Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit. This is a kit that I first purchased to start learning. It has everything you need to get started and it includes detailed instructions. I am thankful that I purchased this kit to start my journey.
- 9 Bar Unfinished Birchwood Mold - This is also a must-have product. I did not have a professional soap cutter in the beginning, so I purchased this mold. I do not need to cut because it includes dividers. It is very convenient to use.
- Wildflower Honey Fragrance Oil - This is my favorite and my customers' favorite too. The scent is incredibly sweet. I love to make Honey Soap with this fragrance. It’s a perfect match.
- Orchid Mica - This is my favorite colorant. It has a vibrant purple tone. I think this is the perfect color to make lavender soap.
What’s
your favorite Bramble Berry project?
Pumpkin
Pie Cold Process Soap is my favorite project. I couldn’t believe
that soap can look like a slice of cake. It’s amazing that pumpkin pie can
turn into a delicious looking cake soap. I told myself I needed to try this project.
And this was the first time I tried to make a frosting soap top after so many fails
and continued practice. I fell in love with making cake soap. I have tried to make
Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, & Strawberry Cake Soap based on this tutorial. It
was very fun.
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