The Imaginative Arts of Carol Ochs - Soaps, Fantasy Art! http://www.carolochs.com/blog Finding magic in every day! Handmade artisan soaps, magical fantasy art! Tue, 15 May 2012 16:29:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Soap Of The Day – Twilight-Inspired Amore Eterno! http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/15/soap-of-the-day-twilight-inspired-amore-eterno/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/15/soap-of-the-day-twilight-inspired-amore-eterno/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 16:29:38 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=188  

“…the balance of the different fragrances was subtle and flawless.  Orange blossoms…lilac…freesia and roses.“ 
We’ve captured a flawless balance of these glorious scents in our blend we call Amore Eterno!  
(means “eternal love” in Italian)
So spring-like!
 

 

 
Don’t forget our current thru-may sale, 15% off anything on our website!  Use discount code “May Sale” on your shopping cart order!
 
G’Day!
~Carol :)
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/15/soap-of-the-day-twilight-inspired-amore-eterno/feed/ 0 Treasure Chest soaps are BACK! And Soap A Day! http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/07/treasure-chest-soaps-are-back-and-soap-a-day/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/07/treasure-chest-soaps-are-back-and-soap-a-day/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 18:18:32 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=187
 
 
 
 
A comment I frequently hear from soap customers is “You have so many soaps, I can’t decide!”  
So I thought what might be fun is to feature a soap-a-day/week, to introduce each soap we make and that way folks can become familiar gradually (if they read our blogs) and not be overwhelmed with choices as you might be with one website trip!
 
Today’s featured soap is Russian Fir Needle, a soap from our Rustic Soap Collection - virgin African shea butter enriched soaps!
 
The inspiration for this soap was the great outdoors!  One of my all-time favorite places on Earth is the Lake Tahoe area — truly heaven, in my humble opinion!  There’s many hidden lakes in the area in addition to Lake Tahoe proper, including Angora Lakes, two fresh water glacial bowl lakes hidden at a higher elevation (7450 ft.).  You have to drive a loooong, very bumpy dirt road to reach them, and then hike a 1/2 mile hill to get to the lakes, and there is a quaint resort nestled among the trees and a refreshment stand that serves the most delicious homemade lemonade!  
 

 

 
Anyway…..at the shoreline on one side of the lake, pine needles gather heavily and float on the water surface where the pines hangover the lake.  Once when I swam there, I came out and my skin smelled so fragrant of pine, just from swimming in that water, I SO loved smelling of pine the rest of the day!  
 VOILA, it inspired a pine soap!  Russian Fir contains Russian fir needle essential oil, spruce and pine!  Added virgin African shea butter (handmade made by women in Ghana), and green clay makes this a nice shaving soap, and a sprinkling of poppyseeds gives a bit of tickly exfoliation!  Transform your bath or shower into a bit of Angora Lakes, or whatever your favorite outdoors spot is!  I feel like I’m visiting again and again…if only in my mind.  That’s how powerful aromatherapy can be! 
 
 
Don’t forget our May long 15% off sale!  Use code words “MAY SALE” while checking out online!
 
~Carol :)
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/07/treasure-chest-soaps-are-back-and-soap-a-day/feed/ 0 Mothers Day is next Sun., May 13th? Shopping Done yet? http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/06/mothers-day-is-next-sun-may-13th-shopping-done-yet/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/06/mothers-day-is-next-sun-may-13th-shopping-done-yet/#comments Sun, 06 May 2012 18:59:51 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=185

Finished your Mothers Day shopping yet?! Why not let  ♥Mom♥ leisurely browse our informative website and pick her own gift via a Gift Certificate! (Can be delivered via email!) Our specialty soap lines include: Ancient Alchemy, Rustic Soap Collection, Wylde Faerie Soaps & Wylde Wytch Soaps! Something for EVERY bathing fantasy! Simply Soap–the natural addiction! www.simplysoap.com

 

 

 

If you read our newsletter, you’ll know the code to use to get 15% off anything on our website, the entire month of May!  

 

~Carol  :)

]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/06/mothers-day-is-next-sun-may-13th-shopping-done-yet/feed/ 0 May Newsletter and 15% off Site-Wide Sale! http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/04/may-newsletter-and-15-off-site-wide-sale/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/04/may-newsletter-and-15-off-site-wide-sale/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 17:04:49 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=183

COME FOLLOW US!

 

 

Hello Wonderful Folks!

Happy May! My favorite month, …my birthday month! To celebrate, I’m giving all of you 15% off EVERYTHING at our website (not all of us Tauruses are stubborn and mean! lol!)

When you shop online and are checking out, use discount code word – MAYSALE – in the box that asks you for a discount voucher code, hit “recalculate”, and your discount appears! Sale in effect through the month of May. This is a great time to stock up on your handmade soap stash, indulge in some fantasy art, or fiber art…and plan upcoming gift-giving!

NEWS:

There’s a lot *in-the-works* at the workshop!

As per inquiries, I’m still working on the new “Wylde” soap collections…however I wasn’t altogether pleased with resulting scent longevity on test batches I concocted. With soap, it’s a case of allowing it a significant shelf life to determine and *test* how those scents hold up over time. So I’m back to the drawing board on those, tweaking and fine-tuning.

There’s also another project I’m working on that has moreless been in-the-works for 14 years, but gaining steam now…a sort of culimination of many passions that I have come to realize are also the passion of many others! I’m dying to talk about it, don’t want to be a tease, but don’t want to give it away till it’s ready to unveil. Needless to say, these type projects require a lot of time and attention in development, so when people keep asking me why they don’t see me blogging, or on Facebook or Twitter much these days, that’s why. The elf is hard at work in the workshop!

As always, with much appreciation to my terrific customers & friends who allow me to continue doing what I do…make soap, art and fiber wrappings, for YOU!

ENJOY THE SALE!

Sincerely,

~Carol

The Imaginative Arts of Carol Ochs

Simply Soap, Wild Oaks Art & Enchantasies

ALL at: www.carolochs.com

To unsubcribe, follow directions at bottom of this newsletter.

To tell a friend, http://www.carolochs.com/newsletter.php (And thanks!)

 
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/05/04/may-newsletter-and-15-off-site-wide-sale/feed/ 0 dAY aT tHE bEACH http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/04/10/day-at-the-beach/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/04/10/day-at-the-beach/#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:47:06 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=182  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 It’s been busier than any normal person can sustain lately…so yesterday, on daughter Steph’s last day of Spring Break, and after I’d already gotten up early and put in 6 hours of work, she and I decided our heads would explode if we didn’t run away for a bit and find our sanity again…..
 
…..at Sunset Cliffs.
 
 Steph…
 
 Never ones to follow ALL the rules, we decided to hike down the cliffs of course…..
That’s what a path is for, right?
 And the reward was a private-ish beach, almost all to ourselves!  
(And that’s RARE here in San Diego!)
 
Sanity found again!  
Now I can’t stop thinking about MERMAIDS! 
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/04/10/day-at-the-beach/feed/ 0 Lookin’ Rosey! http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/29/lookin-rosey/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/29/lookin-rosey/#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:29:59 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=180  
 
All this crazy warm-one-day, cold-the-next weather seems to have forced early rose blooms!  I’ll TAKE IT! Love it for all our rose soaps! 
 
Some of you have asked me how I keep my roses pesticide-free………I spray them regularly with onion/garlic water.  Yup!  Keeps aphids and all manner of pests a-way!  I just slice-up one of the stinkiest onions I can find (usually red onions are great for this), plus add a couple of garlic cloves, put them in a big spray bottle of water and let them marinade a good week before using as a spray and voila!  Great natural pesticide!  I also re-spray right after hard rains that will have washed the formula off, and when I water, I keep the spray or sprinkler direction aimed at the bush roots rather than spraying off the leaves. And no, the onion spray does not interfere with the scent of the roses.  :)
 
Anyway…..been gathering and drying lots of rose petals already and doing some planting……when I haven’t been making soap and working on some new art.  The new soap lines are still in-the-works–testing phase.  Stay tuned!
 
Enjoy your day!
~Carol
carolochsarts(at)aol.com
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/29/lookin-rosey/feed/ 0 New Painting – “Ostara Prayer” http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/19/new-painting-ostara-prayer/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/19/new-painting-ostara-prayer/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:42:33 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=179 In celebration of spring, and all things green, and of the magic of Earth…..
 
“Ostara Prayer”
 
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/19/new-painting-ostara-prayer/feed/ 0 St. Pat’s at the McOchs House…. http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/16/st-pats-at-the-mcochs-house/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/16/st-pats-at-the-mcochs-house/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:51:40 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=178
  
A funny thing happens around our house every mid-March! I take on a funny wee leprechaun accent, all my Celtic CD’s come out and get played over & over, and I feel a strange yearnin’ to go back to the old country……
 
AND I’M NOT EVEN IRISH!
So why do I feel so Celtic?  I dunno.  Must be fae spirits haunting me again!  Or maybe there *is* a bit of Irish in us all…..just like we’re all a little bit of everything!
 
I don my favorite magic jig-dancing socks….
 
 
 I green-up the house with springtime…
 

 

 
 
Line-up the Irish entertainment……

 

 

And put on the pot of corned beef.  
Of course that would be Mr. Jameson and Mr. Smithwick helping to stir the pot!  Won’t do to be forgettin’ those two fine gentlemen!
Sláinte!
 
 
“May God grant you always…
A sunbeam to warm you, 
a moonbeam to charm you, 
a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you. 
Laughter to cheer you. 
Faithful friends near you. 
And whenever you pray, 
Heaven to hear you.”
 
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/16/st-pats-at-the-mcochs-house/feed/ 0 Children’s Books as Art Inspiration http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/15/childrens-books-as-art-inspiration/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/15/childrens-books-as-art-inspiration/#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:42:35 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=177
 
To this day (and I’m a very up grown-up), when I want to de-stress, or be inspired for art, I pull out the ol’ kid’s books, …mine and my own childrens’.  They bring back SO MANY happy memories as a child, and reliving childhood through my own kids!  I get lost in the beautiful illustrations!  It’s what made me want to first try art and writing as a kid!  It’s what made my imagination learn to run wild….a wild that has yet to be leashed.  
I curl up with a big pile of books and pillow, throw open the window and let the breeze blow over me, carrying me along with the images and story before me.
Our beginnings stay with us a lifetime…….
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/15/childrens-books-as-art-inspiration/feed/ 0 The Angel Trumpets are Trumpeting! http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/14/the-angel-trumpets-are-trumpeting/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/14/the-angel-trumpets-are-trumpeting/#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:56:45 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=176

They say, plant angel trumpets in your garden if you want to see an angel appear! 

(But don’t always believe “they”!  Angel trumpet sweet-smelling nectar can attract devilish types, too!  Don’t let the wings fool ya!)

I started all my angel trumpet bushes with wee slips of cuttings from my Mom’s gorgeous garden and they are blooming like crazy now!  Wish I could use them in soap somehow…but the datura flower is poisonous as well as a hallucinogen.  The angel you see is a hallucination…..yup.

]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/14/the-angel-trumpets-are-trumpeting/feed/ 0 *GREEN SOAP* Sale Reminder! Thru St. Pat’s! http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/14/green-soap-sale-reminder-thru-st-pats/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/14/green-soap-sale-reminder-thru-st-pats/#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:32:40 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=174 Quick Reminder!
 
Take advantage of our *GREEN SALE* through St. Patrick’s Day (3/17), this Sat., till midnight!  Every soap that is green or has green in it is 10% off!  Includes:
 
Baja Bar, Mint Mud Cake, Spirit, Blue Cypress, Mountain Meadow, Howlin’ At The Moon Summer Soap, Big Sur, Linden Blossom, Green Tea & Spearmint, Tea Garden, Wylde Faerie – Fern, Moss & Mushroom, & Absinthia, Wylde Wytch – Encantado, Midnight Margarita Bar, & Yule, Wylde Mermaid – Beneath The Sea Salt Soap, Rustic Collection – Russian Fir Needle.
 
ENJOY!
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/14/green-soap-sale-reminder-thru-st-pats/feed/ 0 FULL MOON Art Sale, Today Only! http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/08/full-moon-art-sale-today-only/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/08/full-moon-art-sale-today-only/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:23:31 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=172  Last night my middle child Nick, age 24, called me…”Mama, go look at the moon rising!” GLORIOUS! He knows how much I love the moon. And the story book Goodnight Moon was an evening ritual when my three were wee ones growing up! Made me smile that they don’t forget these simple pleasures! **************************************************************************

Anyway…it got me deciding to have a Full Moon Art Sale to celebrate it! Four of our most popular moon art prints on sale TODAY ONLY, only $10 each! These are giclee-quality prints, Folks, printed on Velvet Fine At paper with archival inks. (NOTE: The discounted price will not show up on the shopping cart, we take it off on our end manually. If we forget, you get a print for FREE!) Find these prints at: http://www.carolochs.com/e-gallery-openedition.php

 
 “Moon Potion”
 
 “Witching Hour”
 
 
 
 
 

 ”Come To The Beltane Fire”

 
 
“Spirit Grove”
 

Luv, ~Carol

carolochsarts(at)aol.com

]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/08/full-moon-art-sale-today-only/feed/ 0 Soap of the Day = Mood of the Day http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/07/soap-of-the-day-mood-of-the-day/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/07/soap-of-the-day-mood-of-the-day/#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:17:02 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=171
“Encantado” – means “Enchanted”
A Lavender & Rosemary Soap
“Plant rosemary at your garden gate, grow lavender for luck!” – Witches Proverb
Many of you know this proverb from the popular witch movie Practical Magic which enjoys a continued & popular following!
 
*********************************************************
Folks often ask me, “Which of your soaps are YOUR favorites, Carol?”
 
Truth is….it depends on the day, my mood, what my skin or pysche is crying out for at the moment.  Because bathing or showering for me is more than just “Quick, get clean!  Get on with the day or off to bed!”  And lucky for me, I have a wide selection readily-available.  Nope, we never run ot of soap at my house!  
 
I approach every bathing ritual as an opportunity to not only cleanse my skin in as nurturing a way as possible, but to feed my soul through aromatherapy, and celebrate the ingredients IN my soap!  
 
I’m sure many of you have noticed that many of my soaps have specific intentions associated with them.  This
follows a long, long history of herbalists including their garden’s bounty in the soaps & others remedies, poultices, and salves they used on their skin to cleanse and heal.  Back in the good old days when every home had it’s own garden to gather from, …from the lowliest poor living in huts, to the richest of the rich living in castles. Herbal gatherings (dried and fresh) were used for each family like a medicine chest, or traded for a neighbor’s goods.  Every village had a “Wise Woman” who knew plant values and how to apply them.  Many referred to her as “a witch” because her knowledge and healing prowess with plants could indeed seem magical!  Some feared this “power”, most embraced it because it worked!  These were some of the earliest of medical professionals…….
 
I was fortunate to have had a Gran who had a magnificent garden she gathered from for every meal, for every ailment, for every food seasoning, and for every gift (bunches of flowers and herbal sachets!).  T’would be unthinkable to not include the garden’s bounty in anything you could possibly use it for!  It was her pride and joy, whether served on the table in great platters of food, stored in jars or bushels in the cellar for winter, hanging from rafters drying, or powdered and put-up as ready-to-use herbs & seasonings!  
 
It’s a shame more homes do not have a garden to draw from nowadays, or to teach children the blessings of plants and how to use them in their own lives.  It’s sadly, becoming a dying art or financial & time burden no longer worth pursuing for many.  I attribute my Gran’s devotion to it that she passed on to me, an oral education to pass on and keep alive……..and I have; to my own kids as well as in my products for you to enjoy!  
 
 
 
This fine day, Encantado is my soap of choice! 
 
 
 For I adore the herbal scents of lavender and rosemary and their astringent purifying properties on my skin, especially after a vigorous work-out when I’ve sweated-out toxins, and now want to wash them away, and renew my state of mind, to tackle the day with heightened awareness! The lingering soft sweet herbal scents on my skin remind me of the rosemary and lavender bushes in my yard that I gather from.  How one of my cats likes to sleep in a giant potted lavender bush and then saunters into the house smelling of it and I nuzzle my nose in her fur…wondering if she slept so well in that pot due to the calming effects of lavender…..or because it’s right next to my pot of catnip! She and I will both smell lovely today, one with the garden…..
 
And Encantado (because it contains GREEN, including finely-mortared & pestled rosemary powdered herb)  is one of our soaps on sale at 10% off, as mentioned in our March Sale through St. Patrick’s Day!  
Enjoy! 
 
~Carol 
carolochsarts(at)aol.com
 
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/07/soap-of-the-day-mood-of-the-day/feed/ 0 Huge March GREEN Sale — on Soap, Art, Fiber Art! http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/06/huge-march-green-sale-on-soap-art-fiber-art/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/06/huge-march-green-sale-on-soap-art-fiber-art/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:12:15 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=170

Happy, Beautiful, GREEN March!

cup o gold

(Cup of Gold vine in my backyard garden….)

The garden is bursting with blooms here in San Diego! Spring is here-ish…or trying to stay, in-between bouts of cold weather. Regardless, it’s got me in a Spring state-of-mind! And…… thinking GREEN, very GREEN!

SOAP NEWS:

From today 3/5 through St. Patricks Day 3/17…..every soap we carry that is GREEN, or has green in it, will be 10% off! Yup! Save some GREEN ($) by buying GREEN! That gives you a pretty broad selection to choose from, Folks!

Baja Bar, Mint Mud Cake, Spirit, Blue Cypress, Mountain Meadow, Howlin’ At The Moon Summer Soap, Big Sur, Linden Blossom, Green Tea & Spearmint, Tea Garden, Wylde Faerie – Fern, Moss & Mushroom, Wylde Wytch – Encantado, Midnight Margarita Bar, & Yule, Wylde Mermaid – Beneath The Sea Salt Soap, Rustic Collection – Russian Fir Needle.

Order as usual using our online shopping cart, and we will apply the 10% discount on our end—so don’t worry when your cart total does not reflect the savings. If we neglect to apply the 10% you get a free bar of soap! This sale in-effect 3/5 – 3/17 midnight. Stock up!

simply soap review opportunity lol

Opportunity LOL kindly invited us to submit soap for a review! Here it is:

http://www.opplol.com/reviews/2012/simply_soap.html

They make the great suggestion to fill your spring Easter baskets with SOAP instead of sugar!

As mentioned in a previous blog post/newsletter…we’re discontinuing some soaps from our Regular Lines. All of our specialty line soaps are staying intact though! Some of you have expressed dismay at some of your favorites no longer being available. If there’s something you REALLY REALLY want kept, shoot us an email and we may bring it back via our Treasure Chest Limited Edition Soaps! simplysoap@aol.com :)

ART NEWS:

Decorate your space with GREEN spring magic! And at a savings! The following Wild Oaks Art giclee-quality art prints are available, also through 3/17 for only $10 each! And again, you won’t see the savings in your online shopping cart, we apply it when we run your order through manually! If we accidentally neglect to apply the 10% off and you let us know, you not only get the savings applied, but a free art print as well!

fairy fantasy art Carol Ochs fairy fantasy art Carol Ochs fairy fantasy art Carol Ochs fairy fantasy art dandelion Carol Ochs

fairy fantasy elf forest art Carol Ochs airy fantasy art butterfly Carol Ochs fairy fantasy art Carol OchsCarol Ochs green fairy art

And from our Enchantasies – Bewitching Art Collection: (same $10/per print sale thru 3/17!)

witch art Carol Ochs witch art Carol Ochs witch art Carol Ochs witch art Carol Ochs

FIBER ARTS:

And, also in the spirit of spring cleaning through 3/17 in our Fiber Arts.…every ready-made item is 10% off! Stock up now on scarves, beanies, etc.! And again, you won’t see the discount in your shopping cart, we apply it manually on our end. If we forget and you have to remind us, you get the discount AND a free bar of soap!

March always has me taking out my favorite Irish movies….Tristan & Isolde, Far & Away, Waking Ned Divine….and a bevy of Celtic CD’s. My St. Patrick’s Day feast is a sight (and scent) to behold! You’d practically think I’m Irish, eh? But alas, I am only an honorary Irishwoman…..::curtsies:: (I’m Polish, German & English) Husband and kids have some Irish in them! I just LOVE Spring and all things green!

Hope you enjoy, and take advantage of our stock up on GREEN SALES!!!

As always, with much appreciation to my terrific customers & friends who allow me to continue doing what I do…make soap, art and wrappings, for YOU!

Sincerely,

~Carol

The Imaginative Arts of Carol Ochs

Simply Soap, Wild Oaks Art & Enchantasies

ALL at: www.carolochs.com

]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/06/huge-march-green-sale-on-soap-art-fiber-art/feed/ 0 Art Features http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/02/art-features/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/02/art-features/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:44:17 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=169 Some recent extra art exposure…..

My mermaid art featured:  http://themermaidlife.com/Mermaid_Art.html

Front cover witch art on the delayed-release: http://www.pagan-mart.com/322-the-witches-hour-magazine-mysteries-of-winter-issue-3.html

~Carol :)

carolochsarts(at)aol.com

 

]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/02/art-features/feed/ 0 Carol, why don’t you write a book? http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/02/carol-why-dont-you-write-a-book/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/02/carol-why-dont-you-write-a-book/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:32:23 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=167 I don’t think a month goes by that I don’t receive an email inquiry from a fledgling soapmaker suggesting I write a book about soapmaking. While I appreciate this kind nod of confidence in me & encouragement, …honestly, I don’t know what *I* could say in a book, that hasn’t already been said, and already said very well, and very thoroughly.  There are so many soapmaking books available!  Kudos to the many authors!  I have many of you sitting on my very loaded soapmaking bookshelf! (Although I have to admit, I stopped buying books when they all really did start to say the same thing, over & over.  Hence my response above to the inquiry of why I don’t write a book.)
 
And for the record, I strongly encourage new soapmakers to please make avail of these publications and really LEARN THEIR CRAFT, especially the chemistry behind it.  Nothing frightens me so much as folks who get the idea to try making soap, get ahold of a recipe, manage to make a successful batch first time out on a weekend as though making a batch of brownies, and BAM!, hang out a shingle to sell soap by Monday!  This, in my very strong opinion, does not a good soapmaker maketh! I can’t tell you exactly *how many* batches qualifies you as a successful soapmaker, or how many books you have to read to fully have the concepts under-your-belt…..but the above described scenario is not it, …….yet happens more often than most who do it, will admit.
 
“THIS was the beginning of what felt to me, like my TRUE education in botanical potion making!  Yes….something awakened in me that day…” ~ Carol Ochs
(What do I refer to?  Read further below…..)
 
The other question I get a lot is:
 
“What books did you read to inspire some of your other soap lines?”
 
After I studied basic soapmaking–which, by the way, was not nearly as easy to get ahold of info for back when I started in the early ’90′s….my first soapmaking book was one I actually had to special-order from Europe and then wait six weeks for it to arrive (torture!)…..info is so much more readily-available nowadays–whoo-hoo!!!  But I wanted to pursue more about the history of herbal lore, how to use soap as a vehicle to deliver herbal & other values.  This very naturally led me to seek out natural plant medicine and shamanistic study.  I grew up with a Gran who had the most amazing green thumb–that woman could plant a Popsicle stick and make it bloom leaves!  ;)  She shared much of her green-thumbness with me, and I think this created a natural assumption that there of course is a green answer for every human problem.  I’ve always believed that Mother Nature provides an answer—*if* we know where to look, how to find and apply her answers. Even if only seeking aromatherapy, not necessarily a “remedy”.
 
Some of the books I own that comprise that study list are:
 
Sastum: My Apprenticeship With A Maya Healer – Rosita Arvigo
Rainforest Remedies  – Rosita Arvigo
Infusions of Healing – Joie Davidow
Back To Eden - Jethro Kloss
Jungle Medicine – Connie Grauds
Plant Spirit Medicine – Eliot Cowan
The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs – Leslie Taylor
Plant Spirit Shamanism – Ross Heaven, Pablo Amaringo
 
……and these are just a drop in the bucket, there are SO MANY more!   Most anyone who has been to my home and soap workshop would likely agree, both are decorated in BOOKS!  They are truly my vice.  
In fact, nothing made me suck in my breath in horror so much as when my husband, who I normally get along with spectacularly, made the grievous suggestion one day that “You know, if you got a Kindle, you could get rid of all these books, actually store them all on one handy little device you could take everywhere!”…and he said it as if that were a “good idea”. Meanwhile I stood shocked at his use of the words “get rid of” in the same sentence as “books”, let alone actually consider such an abomination as DOING it! Just goes to show, you can know someone over 30 years and still not REALLY know them! If he lays a hand on my books there’s no telling what might happen.  Jus’ saying, …if you see me walking around with a Kindle and he turns up dead, you do the math. heh-heh  ;)   I never want to say “never” re: a Kindle....but it will never (<–intended use of “never”) include “getting rid of” my beloved books!
 
Another book that was highly instrumental in at least one of my soap lines was a book I tell the story of here: 
 
 
(Excerpt:)
 
One day, prowling an antique bookstore, I found an over 150 year old find-of-a-lifetime; an aged journal with fading notes (entries dated as early as “July 19, 1851″)!  
I couldn’t believe my good fortune coming upon this genuine piece of Victorian era and the perspective of someone who’d lived then!  Being as I’m a soapmaker, as well as someone who has always felt out of place in the 21rst Century anyway, it was a Holy Grail of sorts to me… for in it was recorded hand-penned toiletry, soap, perfume, poultice and remedy recipes!  
Parting with a hefty sum for the journal, I raced home, clutching it protectively, to study every still-readable word,  decipher and convert the Victorian era language and measurements (“put here to with” and “drachmas“) into useable  instruction, and eventually create–or more accurately RE-CREATE the recipes journalized!  THIS was the beginning of what felt to me, like my TRUE education in botanical potion making!  Yes….something awakened in me that day…
That journal created a thirst for old-way knowledge in me, a desire to re-connect with nature and ancestral knowledge in as pure a form as possible, devoid of modern-day chemicals.  It launched an obsession for finding every old recipe book and course of natural study I could to study plant medicine and learn more! 
In my exhaustive and continuing-to-this-day explorations I discovered fascinating history, legend, ritual, and science …most plant alchemy originally was passed “by story” from family-to-family, tribe-to-tribe, before eventual written documentation in journals and published works in more modern times.   Before that, most practical knowledge existed only in the “showing” and “telling” of making concoctions & remedies through apprenticeships of chosen acolytes by skilled shaman or medicine men/women, to carry on the knowledge.  
In this ancient education I was receiving via written works, what most inspired me, I incorporated into the beginnings of this new line of modern day herbal potions I call, Ancient Alchemy.
 
 
 And to this day, I must say, despite my love of and thirst for published book knowledge, some of the very BEST knowledge I’ve acquired when it comes to my education in soapmaking and an understanding of plant values has come from word-of-mouth practice and instruction, much as shamans pass(ed) on their knowledge to trusted acolytes…….
 
Acquire and study your basic soapmaking books, master skills and ingredient familiarity through practice…but don’t forget to look further than the basics to define *your* craft!  
 
If I DO decide to release the book I’m thinking of……you can be sure it will not be like anything you’ve read before, and that is afterall, my criteria. ;)
 
~Carol
carolochsarts(at)aol.com
simplysoap(at)aol.com
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/02/carol-why-dont-you-write-a-book/feed/ 0 http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/02/165/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/02/165/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:30:53 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=165 Howdy Folks….. Percolatin’ along with new soaps we’re testing! Want to remind everyone that if you’re on a tight budget, but still want to enjoy the goodness of handmade soap, consider our White Elephant Soap Scraps (by the lb./$15)! And my “lbs.” are generally more than a lb.!

I’ve been clearing off soap shelves of odd end pieces, so we’ve got a bunch! We also have a ton of soap trimmings! So if you like the idea of rolling your own soap balls, we’ve got the makin’s! You just place trimmings in a bowl, pour hot water over them, let them soften for about 3-5 minutes (no longer or the soap will dissolve!) and then roll into a soap ball! Voila! Our trimmings are a hodgepodge of all kinds of soap though so it won’t be trimmings all-of-one-kind. But that makes it fun! Calico soap! Specify when you order (in the notes section of the cart) that you want “trimmings” if you want trimmings…otherwise you will get the odd end pieces. And in the process, I’ll get neater soap shelves! :)

TTYL….. simplysoap(at)aol.com ~Carol

]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/03/02/165/feed/ 0 RSPO link http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/02/17/rspo-link/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/02/17/rspo-link/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:55:51 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=162 Wanted to thank you all who have, and keep sending me email feedback on two previous blogposts!

RE: Comments I made in this post:

 
Soapmakers, you can find Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil suppliers (and a whole lot of other valuable info!) by going to this link http://www.rspo.org/ and clicking on Supply Chain Certification on the top menu bar, and verify where your supplier says they get their oils from!  :)

 
Thank you for your support, particularly re: the name-use issue.  As said in the post, some users of  Simply Soap haven’t exactly run the other direction from inviting suspicion upon themself.  For my own part, I am basically incapable of separating who someone is as a person, from how they function as a business entity….so yeah, actions speak volumes.

And thanks for ideas for soap scents you’d like to see added! Duly noted!

 
~Carol
simplysoap(at)aol.com
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/02/17/rspo-link/feed/ 0 A Mermaid, A Fairy, a Witch & A Master Chocolatier…all in one day! http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/02/17/a-mermaid-a-fairy-a-witch-a-master-chocolatier-all-in-one-day/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/02/17/a-mermaid-a-fairy-a-witch-a-master-chocolatier-all-in-one-day/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:55:55 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=160  
 
I can’t help reflect on what a fun job I have, meeting the most interesting people all the time! 
Yesterday, in the course of the day, for both my soap and art businesses, I met and spoke with LITERALLY…..
a mermaid, a fairy, a witch, and a master chocolatier!  
Seriously!  WHAT FUN!
 
The mermaid owns an all-things-mermaid gift shop and works part-time for special events as an underwater dancing mermaid in a water tank.  She wanted to order soaps and some of my mermaid art to sell!
 
The fairy, literally dresses-up as a fairy every day in her fairy shop.  She ordered from my fairy soap line and fairy art!
 
The witch just opened a new shop and wants me to custom-design a line of herbal soaps for her, as well as ordered some witch art greeting cards!
 
And the master chocolatier is someone I order my cocoa pod husks from (a refuse item for him, an ingredient source for me) for a special soap recipe I make, and we got to talking about chocolate-making.  I SO want to try chocolate-making now! 
 
Anyway, when hubby comes home at night, he never knows what I’m going to say when he asks, “So how was your day, Hun?”  
“Well Dear, today I worked with a mermaid, a fairy, a witch, and a master chocolatier.  
Top THAT!”  :::giggles::  
I love my customers!  My work life is magical!  THANK YOU!
 
~Carol
carolochsarts(at) aol.com
Simply Soap – Old World Handcrafted Artisan Soaps
Wild Oaks Art – Fantasy Art
Enchantasies – Bewitching Witch Art
www.carolochs.com
]]> http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/02/17/a-mermaid-a-fairy-a-witch-a-master-chocolatier-all-in-one-day/feed/ 0 Chocolat’ Chicken http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/02/14/chocolat-chicken/ http://www.carolochs.com/blog/2012/02/14/chocolat-chicken/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:21:16 +0000 carol http://www.carolochs.com/blog/?p=159 Chocolat’ Chicken
 
I always drool over the movie Chocolat’, when lead character Viene concocts all her sumptuous, chocolate-y deliciosities!  Especially the birthday feast for Armande! Every course served, is dripping in chocolate, and the dinner guests are overcome with culinary choco-exhilaration!  
 
Anyway, it inspired me!  Instead of going out to battle the Valentine crowds for dinner, I decided to create my own deliciosities for that handsome hunk o’ man of mine and I.
 
I call it Chocolat’ Chicken…..
 
 
…..served with brown rice, and because there’s a bit of spice to the sauce, a side of cooling spring greens & mixed berries salad with glazed walnuts and feta cheese.  Hmmm!
 
Chocolate IS an aphrodisiac, you know…..so take multi-helpings at your own risk! *wink*
 
 
  • 1 1/2 pound boneless chicken, pork or lamb chops
  • 3 tablespoon Mexican chocolate (you can also use powdered, in a can, on baking aisle, Ghiradelli chocolate, or improvise)
  • 1 poblano pepper (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 3 sprigs cilantro
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 3 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Chocolate shavings
  • 1 1/2 pound boneless chicken breast, lamb or pork chops,
    Salt and pepper
    Preheat grill over medium-high heat. Season meat with salt and pepper. Place on grill, grill for 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
  •  
    1 poblano pepper (chopped)
    1 onion (chopped)
    1 clove garlic (minced)
    1 tablespoon smoked paprika
    olive oil
    To saute pan add olive oil, onion, garlic and poblano pepper. Add smoked paprika and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
  •  
    3 tablespoon Mexican chocolate
    3 tablespoon sherry vinegar
    Add sherry vinegar and chocolate. Puree with immersion blender until smooth. (Or if you don’t have an immersion blender you can put mixture from pan into a normal blender or food processor.)
  •  
    3 sprigs cilantro
    Chocolate shavings
    To serve, place sauce on top of grilled meat. Garnish with chocolate shavings and cilantro. 
     
    ENJOY!
    (I’m going to!) 
    ~Carol
    carolochsarts(at)aol.com
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