Soap making workshop

Diana's Vintage & Gift Shop in Hubbard, Ohio

where you can ~ Experience Luxury, Naturally !

I have a variety of all natural gifts that were handmade by me using all-natural herbs and flowers... many of which I grew in my own chemical-free gardens.

I sell these in my Hubbard, Ohio Gift Shop at:

6177 Youngstown-Hubbard Road

and on my website at:

http://www.OrganicGiftsByDiana.ecrater.com/

a 24 foot workshop to make my soaps, balms and perfumes...

Here it is !

On October 15, 2008 - I bought a 24 foot travel trailer and it is going to be used for my new soap - lip balm - Rescue My Skin balm/salve - perfumes - sachets ... Diana's Hubbard Ohio WorkShop.

It is a 1973 Coachmen, but it still looks GREAT !

The flooring is in really good shape except right by the door. The roof will need to be coated in a few places which is an easy fix.

There is a lot of storage in there !

I have even more in here than I did in my kitchen AND there is more cupboard space too - I am so excited about being able to expand my business !

Want to see more ?

Go to my blog and read the rest and see the other photos too.

Diana's blog post about expanding the business

Winter 2008

Well, it has been way too cold to work out in my travel trailer so I have been using it to store my extra containers and shipping materials... .

I will have to use this the other 3 seasons to make my products.

For the Winter, I'll have to stick to my kitchen for most products and just about anywhere else for my handsewing projects.

Diana's Soap Workshop will get put to good use

Pretty soon it will be warm enough to work out in my Soap Workshop.

For now, I am making up a bunch of my "Rescue My Skin" balm and my "Save My Skin" balm.

I also need to restock my Handmade Perfumes, lip balms, bath salt teas and my soaps... .

All the while keeping my eye on the lilacs and other flowers so that I can harvest the blossoms at the perfect time.

It is going to be a very busy Spring !

UPDATE:

I have been making good use of my soap shop and I now have soap curing/dryin all over just about every flat surface - LOL

Now I am working on making more of my balms and perfumes from the herbs and flowers... that i have been infusing in oils for a few weeks.

I have a huge amount of work to do to get ready for the big show that i was invited to at our local botanical gardens at the end of May.

I sometimes think that I will never get it all done.

Work-Work-Work !

I have finally expanded the business so that I could better serve my loyal customers.

Once I get rolling, there shouldn't be such a long wait for my All Natural handmade products because I will be able to make more now.

My All Natural products are still handmade and take a while to make, but I will be able to make more of my goat milk soaps ... ahead of time and store them so I shouldn't run out of them so fast.

My oldest wants to learn to make soap and help me

May, 2009:

This last year or so I have used what they call rebatch (which is real soap made fresh and left plain - it is not cured yet - but by the time I add my herbs and extra oils... and give it a few weeks to cure - it is just perfect) to make my soaps because my hands are going bad and I could not handle the lye solution because it if too dangerous is spilled.

I have had to buy my natural soap (plain base only and then I added my own herbs... and oils to it) from another soap maker because I was afraid of spilliing the lye as my hands do not have full strength anymore.

Now, it seems that I wont be alone trying to make it.

Together, we can have a awesome soap business.

She can do the measuring and mixing to make the soap base and then I will turn that into something wonderful by adding my homegrown herbs and flowers as well as other great skin loving and great smelling all natural ingredients.

My soap shack trailer will really come in handy now !

Update - June 27, 2009:

I just heard from a dear friend who I haven't seen in years.

She wants to learn to make soap and other things too - so I will be getting together some recipes and tips for her.

It will be so nice having a good friend to "talk" soap.

August, 2014

My own business had to take a back seat for a while:

My Mom, daughter and another woman started a little gift shop in Hubbard, Ohio almost 5 years ago (in September, 2009) as the flea and antique mall where they were set up was closing due to the owner's death and the building being sold.

My Mom was battling cancer for the second time and needed the distraction, my daughter was just starting out and the woman begged my Mom and daughter (me too, but I didn't have the capitol to join) to start a little store with her.

The 3 were to be partners and all of us were very close - before the shop was born. The woman changed SO much in the first days after they opened. All of a sudden, she was the boss and it was her store... .

The woman treated my daughter and I terribly, but loved my Mom so I let it go.

A few months after the shop opened, I was planning my parents' 50th anniversary party and then we had the party and all were happy

A few months after that, my parents took a month long trip out West as their anniversary gift to each other.

Mom had to start chemo when they got back.

While they were gone, I watched Mom's booth (my daughter had already left due to ill treatment) the woman started packing up her things and I thought she was just changing out for the season.

I offered to help her, and was told that she was closing !

Mom paid her rent before she left and had no idea what this woman was planning

I called the landlord and he said that I was right not to bother my Mom on what could be (and was) her last vacation.

He then GAVE me a free month to allow me to talk to Mom when she got back to see if she still wanted to make a go of it and to find new vendors... if she did.

So, I had no intentions of having a store and so had NO ad/rent/utility/stock/supplies... money and started out in the hole.

But, I did it for my Mom as she loved her customers and talking about/selling her vintage jewelry.

We lost Mom last year, but I am still trying to keep this place going for my Dad, daughters and myself now as I gave up most of my own business to keep Mom's going and I need to make it work now.

I am slowly building my handmade business back up to where it was online and now sell it in the gift shop as well and have also made an online store for Mom's vintage jewelry to help bring in some money.

It has been a huge struggle and now my health is not great, but I'm not giving up

I have written a few business pages that share what I have learned over the years and you can find them on my profile page here.on Squidoo.

updates

Hubby coated the roof a while back and so far no leaks and all is looking good !

I have some fabric to make new curtains - they will be so pretty and really brighten the place up !

Now, to find the time to get them done.

I just never had the time to sew new curtains.

I still have the fabric and will get to it in 2010 I hope ;)

Just where does the time go - I work all day and into the night and can never get caught up.

Of course, helping everyone else out really cuts into my time, but there is nothing to be done about that.

Now, why can't I find helpers ?

I've had to put my business on hold.

I hope to be able to keep up with all of the orders for my All Natural Products now that I have more room to work and to store my finished products.

I added a "Save My Skin" balm which has even more herbs infused into it than my "Rescue My Skin" balm does. I also added avocado oil and olive oil to this one.

Locals can shop in my Hubbard Ohio Gift shop at 6177 Youngstown-Hubbard Road

Or you can order through my website if you're not local:

http://www.OrganicGiftsByDiana.ecrater.com/