Important Product Information

Country Meadow Creations will not be creating/shipping any Glycerin Soap items from June-August, 2009.

We will resume Glycerin Soap sales in September, 2009.

In the meantime, check out our simply luxurious All Natural Soap Bars. These soaps are made by cold process and are offered in a variety of nose-pleasing scents. They are made with skin-loving oils and are formulated to be skin-friendly for all skin types. You can view the base oils, butters, and essential oils we use in our all natural soaps to find out if you are allergic to our ingredients before you purchase: All Natural Soap ingredients.

If you ever have any questions about our soaps, please feel free to email!

Sale has ended

The big birthday bash sale has concluded. I would like to thank all who ordered during this sale. To those that received free orders, congratulations!

I hope that everyone will enjoy their handcrafted soaps!

Big Birthday Bash Sale!

Big Birthday Bash Sale

In celebration of my birthday and my daughter's birthday this weekend, I am offering 40% of $40 or more purchases of handcrafted soap and every 10th order is FREE!

If you are the 10th order, your purchase price will be refunded.

This offer is valid 3/27 - 3/29.

Offer is not valid on previous orders, wholesale orders, supplies, or Kat's Coffees & More orders.

Offer is valid on handcrafted soap orders only.

Visit Country Meadow Creations today!

Birthday Spectacular Coming Soon

Keep an eye out for the super spectacular birthday sale to be posted the evening of March 27.

I will be celebrating both my birthday and my daughter's birthday with a huge sale March 27-29.

Stay tuned for the details!

Catch a Precious Little Duck!

There's a precious little glycerin duck swimming in a pond and he's waiting to swim into your life!

This handmade glycerin soap duck and pond are made from all natural vegetable glycerin soap base. They contain cosmetic grade mica and liquid colorants and are scented with high quality fragrance oils. The details on the duck are hand painted with non-toxic paint.

The scent of the pond and duck soaps is Ocean Splash - Light, airy, breeze off the water scent.

Your duck pond soap will arrive packaged in a cello bag, tied with a coordinating ribbon and ready for gift-giving!

This special soap is available only through our Etsy Soap Site!

Happy 2009!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of my customers and supporters a wonderful New Year and to thank you all for a successful 2008.

I will be publishing an update soon on the top selling scents for 2008 so please stay tuned.

While you're here I'd like to remind everyone that the 10% off sale ends today and you can view the details on the sales page of the website.

I'm on Etsy!

I know it's been a while since my last blog post. I've been extremely busy with college work this semester. It's been a challenge keeping up with school, business, and family.

While I have not rolled out any new products, I have joined Etsy for some added exposure. I've heard great things about the site & I'm amazed at all the beautifully handcrafted items for sale.

If you get time, please check out my Etsy shop. There are only a few items listed now, but I hope to add more soon.

Handcrafted Soap - Wholesale

Do you have a business interested in selling high quality hand crafted soap? Country Meadow Creations offers both Glycerin Bath Bars and All Natural Cold Process Soap at wholesale prices.

Glycerin soap is made with a natural soap base and fragrance oils. Cold process soap is made with all natural oils and butters as well as essential oils for scent.

All soap is hand made by the owner and created especially for you. Once an order is placed and paid for, the soap is hand made for you. Your order will be freshly made, not one that has been sitting in an inventory for months!

All terms and conditions are listed on the Wholesale Soap page of our website.

Free 4oz Glycerin Bath Bar - August Sale

Month of August Sale:

For the entire month of August, purchase $15 or more of handmade soaps and receive a FREE 4oz bar of Glycerin Soap!

Please make your choice of scent from our list, and place your request in the comments section of the shopping cart. If no scent is chosen, we'll choose one for you from our popular sellers.

**This sale applies to handmade & decorative soaps only. It does not apply to wholesale orders, previous orders, or Kat's Coffees & More products.

Where I spent my summer vacation...

Our family traveled to NY state for our summer vacation to visit family and friends. We had a wonderful time and even did a "touristy" thing, going to Boldt Castle in the 1000 Islands. I had never been and was just in awe of the amazing detail, scenic views, and just the thought of living in a castle was mesmerizing. I am hoping to upload my pics to Flickr soon and will post an update when they are viewable.

A highlight of my vacation was attending the CNY SoapMakers 8th Annual Soap Makers Gathering. This is a Yahoo group of soapmakers living mainly in NY state and the group gets together for food, fun, product swaps, demonstrations, and a wealth of sharing about our field once a year. This is the first gathering I've been able to attend in a few years, since moving to SC. It is a good opportunity for new soapmakers and experienced soapmakers to get together to network and share information about handmade soap.

One of our members gave a shrink wrapping demonstration and another talked about herbs. I would like to incorporate more herbs/botanicals into my all natural cold process soaps and this was just the information I was looking for! I hope to put what I learned to good use in the near future.

I would also like to thank all of the very generous soap making suppliers and other companies who donated items to the group for goodie bags for all attendees and for our door prizes. The companies who donated can be found on our website: CNY SoapMakers

10 Uses for Hand Made Soap

"The soap is too pretty to use. I'll just put it in the soap dish in my bathroom."

Those are two of the top statements many handcrafted soap makers hear when potential customers see their decorative soaps. Soap is a consumable product. The soap maker can always make more. This is something others don't seem to understand. Handcrafted soap makers enjoy creating their products and love to see the look on others faces when they see the uniqueness of handmade soap.

What is the greatest compliment you can give to a soap maker? Use their soap and order more!

Here are some great uses for hand made soap:
1. Hostess gift
2. Travel soap
3. Leave small bars wrapped and put in drawers like a sachet
4. Gift sets
5. Wedding/Baby gifts
6. Put it in the guest bath with a cute note that guests can & should use it
7. Soap favors for parties
8. Seasonal decor
9. Fun baby/kids soap
10. Take it in the bath or shower!

How Do You Make Your Soap?

I often get this question when people see my soap or purchase it. Is it hard to make soap? What do I need to make soap?

Here are the basic instructions to make glycerin melt and pour soap bars:
1. Purchase high quality soap base, fragrance or essential oil, colorant, and soap mold.

2. You will need a good quality scale to measure your ingredients.

3. Know how much soap the mold holds. The supplier will typically list this on their website.

4. To make a basic bar of soap you will need to cut the soap base and measure it to the exact quantity the mold holds. (I use a Pyrex measuring cup to hold the soap while weighing.)

5. Using small intervals and watching carefully I melt the soap base in the Pyrex cup in the microwave. (Caution - You need to watch the soap to avoid boiling it. The soap base and/or cup will be hot when taking it out of the microwave.)

6. If the soap base is steaming when you take it out it is probably too hot to add your fragrance oil. The fragrance will dissipate if the base is too hot. Let the soap cool down as you gently stir it to prevent a "skin" forming on the top.

7. When the soap is cool I add the colorant, either liquid or powdered, and mix well. I then add the fragrance oil and stir gently to incorporate.

8. When it is all mixed, slowly pour the soap base into the mold.

9. If there are small bubbles on the top of the base you can spritz with rubbing alcohol and they disappear.

10. Let the soap air dry in the mold (times will vary depending on ingredients used, size of soap bar, and mold used). When it is hardened, gently release it from the mold.

And there you have it, your first bar of glycerin melt and pour soap!

*Please note that this is not the only way to make melt and pour soap and the above is the method I prefer to use. Other soapmakers may prefer other methods.*

New Product - Half Stack Sampler Packs

Just what is a "Half Stack Sampler Pack"? It's a set of all natural cold processed soap in half bar sizes. You choose the number of bars and the scents that you will receive. These sampler packs are perfect for travel soap, hostess gifts, college students, and small gifts.

The Petite Half Stack Sampler Pack is your choice of 2-2oz bars of cold processed soap. The Regular Half Stack Sampler Pack is your choice of 5-2oz bars, and the Grande is your choice of 8-2oz bars.

These sampler packs are subject to current inventory as listed on the All Natural Soap pages.

If you're overwhelmed with scent choice, just want to try a small bar of a new scent, or looking for a travel soap or small gift, these sampler packs are for you!

Closing for Inventory - Notification

Country Meadow Creations will be closed July 17-28 for mid year inventory.

Look for some great deals on soap making supplies and extra stock items when we re-open.

All orders placed during our closed period will be process on July 29 and you will receive email notification when your order will ship. This includes both handcrafted soap orders and Kat's Coffees and More products.

Thank you for your continued support of our business!

1st Week of July Sale

To celebrate July 4th, Country Meadow Creations is offering a $5 discount on all handcrafted soap orders over $30.

This sale is being offered July 1-7, 2008. The discount applies to handcrafted soap orders only. It does not apply to prior orders, wholesale orders, or Kat's Coffees & More products.

To receive the discount, you only need to place an order of $30 or more through the website and the shopping cart will deduct the $5 discount.

You can order as many times as you'd like during the sale period to receive the discount.

Happy Shopping!

How Do You Define Success?

What is your definition of success? How do you determine if you have become successful in your business?

Each of us has our own idea of what a successful business is and how we're going to get there. I have created a new blog to showcase women-owned businesses and to help women find success in their lives.

A flower in bloom shows growth and prosperity that are supported through nourishment from soil, water, and nutrients.

Are you a woman in business? Do you want to share your success story with others? What type of bloom are you?

Businesses will be featured on a first come, first serve basis for no cost. This is a great way to highlight your business, network, and get some free advertising.

Please visit Success in Bloom Blog for more details!

FDA Globalization Act of 2008

As if rising gas and food prices weren't enough, now small business owners who are struggling to provide for their families may have a bigger struggle ahead. In comes proposed legislation from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Read the Discussion Draft

Read the Section-by-Section Analysis

Read about the hearings held by the Subcommittee on Health

When you are ready to join in with other Indie Business Owners to have your voice heard, head over to Donna Maria Coles Johnson's Indie Business Blog to sign the petition to:
Stop the FDA Globalization Act of 2008!!

All Natural Soap Ingredients and Uses

Country Meadow Creations uses the following ingredients in our All Natural Cold Process Soap Bars:

Cold Process All Natural Soap Bars: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Shea Butter, Essential Oil and/or botanicals/herbs.

Base Oils and Butters

Olive Oil: This oil is known for its moisturizing and gentleness. Olive Oil attracts moisture to the skin while allowing the skin to perform its natural functions.

Coconut Oil: Is used in soap to produce a creamy lather and hard bar of soap that won't clog pores. Note that this oil may affect those prone to allergic reactions to nut products.

Palm Oil: Is water soluble and its firmness will hold up longer throughout use. Contributes to a harder bar of soap.

Avocado Oil: Absorbed easily by the skin and good for all skin types. Contains many vitamins, including A, D, and E, amino acids, glycerides, protein, among others.

Castor Oil: Is easily absorbed by the skin while attracting and retaining moisture. Is softening and emollient.

Shea Butter: This butter nourishes all skin types while soothing and softening dry skin.

Essential Oils

Tea Tree: Anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial. Can aid in the healing of chapped or troubled skin. Uplifting and purifying.

Cedarwood: Has a woody, slightly camphor-like scent. Relaxing and stabilizing.

Eucalyptus: Can stimulate circulation, is purifying, cooling, and invigorating.

Lavandin: This oil is produced from a cross pollination of true lavender and spike lavender. It has a woody scent with a hint of camphor. Balancing and calming.

Lavender: Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Balancing and relaxing.

Lime: Used in facial soaps for its astringent properties. Refreshing and equalizing.

Sweet Orange: Known for toning and circulatory stimulation. Refreshing and uplifting.

Patchouli: An anti-inflammatory that is said to tone and tighten skin while regulating oily skin. Earthy, balsamic, woody, spicy scent.

Peppermint: Is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, and toning. Refreshing, vitalizing, and cooling.

Spearmint: Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Refreshing, cooling, calming, and uplifting.

Tangerine: Antiseptic, astringent, and toning. Cheering and uplifting.

Botanicals/herbs are added to the all natural soap bars for their aesthetic value and gentle emollient properties.

*Please Note* This information was provided to inform and educate our customers about the ingredients we use to make our handmade products. We make no claims as to the effectiveness of the ingredients. This information should not replace advice from your physician.

*As with any product, if irritation occurs, discontinue use immediately.

To purchase natural soap made with these fine ingredients, visit our site:

Country Meadow Creations - All Natural Cold Process Soap Bars

They're Celebrating 8 Years!

My friend Lisanne and her husband Jeff are celebrating 8 years of marriage today. They are parents of two beautiful children. Lisanne currently works from home, juggling freelance work and two toddlers.

If you get a second today, please visit Lisanne's blog - Bathtub Junkie and wish her & Jeff a happy anniversary.

We Met An Author!

Friday was a very exciting day for my daughter & I. We had the opportunity to meet Kathryn Wall, author of the Bay Tanner mystery series. I have had the newspaper clipping sitting on my couch for the last two weeks so I would not forget to attend her speaking engagement.

One of my favorite things to do is go to the library and look through all the books to find an author that is new to me. I love mystery/horror/thriller books. While looking at the new releases last year I came across the book Sanctuary Hill. The cover looked intriguing and when I read the jacket cover I was excited to learn that the author lived in Hilton Head, SC and based her books around the area. I have lived in SC for nearly five years, but have never had the opportunity to visit Hilton Head. This was a great way for me to be introduced to the area.

After reading the first chapter, I was hooked on the main character, Bay Tanner. I could not put the book down, I needed to know what was going to happen to her next. When I read a book such as this, one that hooks me after the first chapter, I then go to the front of the book to see what else the author has written. I found I was actually reading the seventh book in the series and immediately wrote down the names of the previous books so the next time I visited the library I would know which order to read them in.

I have since read In For a Penny, and And Not a Penny More. Mrs. Wall writes the books in such a way that it is not necessary for a reader to read the series in order. She gives enough background information in each book to catch the reader up and inform them of what they may have missed in previous books without giving away the story lines from previous books.

Mrs. Wall was very friendly as she signed books for eager readers. She spoke openly as she explained the process of becoming an author. She was very engaging and entertaining. After she spoke she took the time to answer my 9-year-old daughter's question, "What is your favorite part about making a book?" Mrs. Wall explained that she enjoyed turning on her computer to a blank screen and starting the process of writing, not knowing what was going to happen, and getting to the end to find out how it ends. I appreciated her taking the time to speak to my daughter. She was also gracious enough to take pictures with us!