Karess Krafters

Product Line 2012

2011-11-10T08:01:00.002-05:00

We are in the midst of the holiday season and things have been picking up slowly but surely. Last year about this time we were up until the wee hours of the morning filling orders and restocking products. This year is different, largely due to us being better prepared, but also due to folks not shopping like they have in the past. Even though we are currently experiencing a 30% decrease in sales, we are still blessed and fortunate to have sales rolling in on a daily basis. So this gives us hope that things will eventually turn around for the good of ALL.

We wanted to make you aware of what our thoughts are for our product line in 2012. We have been at this since 2005 and have offered a large array of products to see what our niche was. Thankfully, our favorite product, handmade soap, is the staple for our business. They are the reason we are able to stay afloat. With that said, we will be expanding our soap line to include an additional 5 scents that will be part of our regular rotation. We will continue to offer limited edition soaps that cater to the season and/or holiday.

Moisturizers will remain the same, we think. We have really been contemplating on bringing back our Olive & Honey lotion. If we decide to bring it back it will come in the 3^rd quarter of 2012.

Our Hair Care line will expand. We have been testing and tweaking formulas for a Leave in Conditioner/Hair Lotion and a Liquid Shampoo. The shampoo has been tested forever and is ready to be made in larger batches. Now the Leave in Conditioner/Hair Lotion is perfect the way it is as far as defining curls, adding sheen and conditioning. The only problem that we have with it is it is too thin to go in spray bottles and squirt out instead of stream out and too thin for bottles with a pump where it comes out nice and creamy. So we are still tweaking to get it just right. The most important thing is the combination of ingredients is PERFECT. We have been thinking about a water-based hair butter too, but to me that is more so on the same lines as a hair lotion….still pondering. Not sure if we will do the hair butter or not, but the other products will be available the 2^nd quarter of the New Year.

Foot Care will expand also. We will be reintroducing our foot soak, foot scrub and nite-time repair cream, but with a twist. We plan to have these products available the first quarter of the New Year, which will be just in time to start getting your tootsies right for sandal season.

That is all for now, until next time

Be Blessed and Safe

Rochell

What We've Been Up To

2011-10-31T09:22:00.000-04:00

Whew! It seems like it has been ages since I last blogged. Too much to do and not enough time in the day to get it all done. I am sure many can relate to the act of putting priorities FIRST and everything else sort of falls in where they fit it - that is how it is for me with blogging. It is one of my least favorite tasks and often times I don’t have much to talk about. Well, let me say, not much that I think others would like to read about, but since it is my blog, I will babble about what I please. With that being said, I will share how things have been for Karess Krafters.

We are now in the Holiday Gift Giving season and things have really been busy for us. Our website has had more sales than it has ever had and I am so grateful for that. Customers who have purchased from us on different online venues that we sell on are now purchasing directly from our site. Our Facebook fanpage has really seen much needed growth in the last 4 months. We have grown to 849 fans, which is a huge jump for us. So we thank everyone who has bee spreading the word. Word-of-mouth has been key ingredient to the success of Karess Krafters. Thank you, Jesus!

Also, we’ve added our hair care favorites back to our catalog. Our Hemp Hairdressing, Babassu Shampoo Bar, Fruit Nectar hair and body oil and Honey-Hemp Conditioner are BACK and are here to STAY. We had so many requests for the shampoo bar and conditioner that we just had to bring it back and the line would not have been complete without the hairdressing and fruit nectar hair and body oil formerly known as Tropical Fusion.

One more thing, we have picked up two more wholesale accounts, which is always a blessing. We are hoping for a continued business relationship with the two new account holders and much success for their businesses.

Finally, we will be adding more new products to our line in the first quarter of 2012.
Karess Krafters will soon be your one-stop shop for ALL things that pamper from head-to-toe. Remember that ALL of our products are created by me, Rochell Selvey, NO BASES, NO KITS, just research, create, test, critique, research and test again – and if necessary the process starts all over. So know that you’re getting a quality, true handmade product that has gone through many stages before it is available to the public.

Rochell

Limited Edition Soaps are HERE

2011-08-07T16:12:00.000-04:00

Just finished taking photos of our Limited Edition Soaps for the Fall 2011 season. Our main soap line are ALL vegan friendly and some are even enhanced with Coconut Milk. Since we had received numerous request for some of our soaps that contained Goats Milk, we decided to do a limited edition line of soaps that are enhanced with Goats Milk. These soaps will only be around until they are GONE. We have a decent supply now but things can change quickly. Our advice is to get your bars while they are still available.

WASHED HAIR

2011-08-01T14:02:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a Hair Conditioner making day. I got up extra early on Sunday morning to make my fabulous Honey-Hemp Hair Conditioner. It had been a while since I made a batch as well as used it on my hair (been going to the beauty salon too much).

Instead of going to my regular hair appointment I decided to save my husband and I some cash. So I washed, conditioned and styled my own hair. I washed my hair with Organix Tea Tree Shampoo. I just love this brand. I am not particularly fond of their Tea Tree Shampoo. It’s okay. I mean it gets my hair clean, but it doesn’t leave it conditioned like the Coconut Milk one. Now the Coconut Milk one has my hair feeling cleaned, soft and silky with a little sheen.

After washing my hair I applied my Honey-Hemp Deep Conditioner and slapped on a plastic cap. I wore this cap for at least two hours I am sure because I did my household chores while the conditioner did its work. Running the water through my hair to wash away the conditioner felt great, it felt even better once it was completely out. It is soft and healthy looking. It even appeared to be a shade or two darker in color (my hair is black, but not jet black).

Let me add that prior to washing my hair some areas felt hard on the ends because of me abusing my hair with the flat iron. After the conditioning treatment if felt like salon finished hair.

Anyways, using my hair conditioner just reminded me of hour great my hair care line products are (and getting emails from customers wanting more adds to it too :-) )

Hair Care

2011-07-28T19:24:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I’ve entertained the thought of making hair care products mainly because it has come almost impossible to find Mowrah Butter. Mowrah Butter was the staple ingredient in my Hemp Hairdressing. It did the hair some good. It wasn’t too heavy, the consistency was just right and the sheen it imparted was outstanding all while nourishing the hair with essential vitamins. I mean what more can you ask for in the triple whammy product. You got sheen, moisture and conditioning.

Well due to the many request for us to bring back our Hemp Hairdressing as well as Honey-Hemp hair conditioner we’ve decided to get our feet wet again with hair care products. We are aiming for the first of the year with a small possibility of it happening sooner. Thankfully the recipes have been perfected and will only require a few minor changes for the good of the products and the availability of ingredients.

The Honey-Hemp conditioner will not change much ingredient wise. However, I do plan to introduce Broccoli Seed Oil into the mix. Now the Hemp Hairdressing will have a few changes. Due to the shortage of Mowrah Butter and me not wanting to pull my hair care line again due to its availability, I will be replacing it with a comparable Amazonian Butter and adding some Jamaican Black Castor Oil (still thinking on this one). I have also been entertaining the fact of replacing Candellila Wax with some type of floral wax, but am not sure what as of yet. Don’t want to run into an availability issue with floral wax nor do I want to have labels printed with ingredients on them and have to switch up in the middle of the game.

I will be doing some formulating and testing in the coming weeks. I am too excited to be bringing the line back to my catalog. Also, I plan to change the labels as well. Not a drastic change, but a look that is consistent with our green theme but different enough to distinguish the skincare from hair care line.

Hopefully my next post will be filled with the results from the re-tweaking.

Until next time, Be Blessed

Soap Bar Sample Cutter

2011-04-20T14:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, it has been long time since I last blogged. I have been really busy with the new little one (Wynter), wife duties, the boys (EJ & Bubbas), son (EJ) getting ready to leave for college, full time work outside the home and running Karess Krafters. It has been a whirlwind at my home and some days (time wise) are better than others. But nevertheless I decided to blog today about my new bar to sample cutter.

I purchased this beautiful piece of craftsmanship from Darlene also known as Flash on the Soap Dish forum because I was tired of inconsistent sample bar sizes. Besides sales have picked up like crazy for us which means we had to step our game up. The cutter as I mentioned is beautiful. I had a small learning curve with it in the beginning. I was not placing my bars on the cutter to the point they line up with the groves, therefore I was getting a very odd shaped soap sample. But after talking with Darlene and getting a few tips, I am not getting beautiful and consistent sample bars. Sorry I don’t have any pix of my cut bars to show, however here is a picture of the cutter.

Soap Sampler - $7.50 : Karess Krafters, bath & body inspired by nature

2011-04-20T14:25:00.000-04:00

Soap Sampler - $7.50 : Karess Krafters, bath & body inspired by nature

FIRST BLOG GIVEAWAY - KARESS KRAFTERS

2010-07-06T09:59:00.000-04:00

****WELCOME****

Hello Blog World and welcome to our FIRST bi-monthly giveaway. We are too excited about our new journey and hope that you’re just as happy.

Karess Krafters will be offering a blog giveaway every two months as a way of giving back as well as spreading the word about our wonderful handmade skin goodies. Our giveaways are a wonderful opportunity to get pampered or shower that special someone with quality handmade products inspired by nature with ingredients found around the globe.

****GIVEAWAY****

This month’s giveaway is a chance for one winner to win one full size bar of Fabulous Handmade Soap, a 2 oz jar of Luscious Whipped Cocoa Butter and a Moisturizing Hemp Lip Balm. This contest will end on July 28th, 2010 at midnight EST and is open to US residents only (don’t worry we will be expanding our giveaways internationally soon). Winner must be at least 18 years of age to participate and will be notified by email (please leave your email address in ALL comment entries). The winner, who is selected via random.org, will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

MANDATORY ENTRIES:

1) YOU MUST FOLLOW OUR BLOG VIA GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT (right side bar) TO ENTER THIS CONTEST **be sure to leave a comment

2) Visit Karess Krafters and then tell us in a comment your favorite product from Karess Krafters

BONUS ENTRIES:

1) Heart CCrafter's Etsy shop, leave a comment with your Etsy name, telling us that you did so.

1 entry

2) Follow Karess Krafters on Twitter, leave a comment with your Twitter name, telling us that you did so.

1 entry

3) Fan Karess Krafters Facebook page, leave a comment with your FB name, telling us did so.

1 entry

4) E-Blast (email) your contact list informing them of this giveaway and cc karessrafters@yahoo.com. Leave a comment saying you did so.

3 entries (note you must leave 3 comments to count for 3 entries)

5) Subscribe to Karess Krafters newsletter (left side bar), leave a comment telling us you did so

2 entries (note you must leave 2 comments to count for 2 entries)

6) Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post. Leave comment with link to your blog post.

5 entries (note you must leave 5 comments to count for 5 entries)

7) Purchase from Karess Krafters, leave a comment telling us you did so.

10 entries (note you must leave 10 comments to count for 10 entries)

This giveaway will end July 28th with the lucky winner selected on July 29th and notified shortly thereafter. Please be sure your email address is valid. If the lucky winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected.

Whipped Cocoa Butter

2010-06-10T17:39:00.002-04:00

Cocoa Butter - The Ultimate Moisturizer!

Cocoa Butter has been used for centuries to hydrate and tone the skin, diminish scars, heal wounds and keep the skin supple while giving it a healthy glow. Our Whipped Cocoa Butter is sure to supply your skin with the nutrients it deserves.

Whipped to a creamy perfection is quality cocoa butter with nourishing oils that will lock in moisture and soothe your skin from the harsh environmental elements. Our Whipped Cocoa Butter

• softens and lubricates skin
• protects dry, chapped, sensitive skin
• soothes irritated skin
• treats rough, dry skin
• smooths marks and scars (excellent for expecting mommies)
• evens tone and moisturizes

This luxury whipped butter begins with prime-pressed cocoa butter with drizzles of Coconut, Avocado, Jojoba and Rice Bran oils along with a dab of Mango Butter and Vitamin E. The silky smooth texture melts upon skin contact and protects the skin from environmental elements while keeping your skin soft and supple. Great for FEET and HAIR too!

For the month of June, we are offering FREE shipping on all orders. You must enter the code Hydrate in the voucher section on our webstore and in the comments section in our Etsy shop. Etsy shoppers will receive a refund for the shipping amount. Happy Saving.

Memorial Day Sale

2010-05-28T14:10:00.000-04:00

SAVE!!!!

In honor of Memorial Day we are offering 20% off ALL products in our stores. You must enter code MEMWK10 to receive the savings.

To ALL of our Etsy shoppers, please enter the code in the message box at check out and we will refund the discounted amount to you. For those who shop on our site, you may enter the code in the Voucher field, click recalculate and the discount amount will populate.

Be sure to check out our Bargain Bin, we have slashed prices on many soaps, lip balms and perfume oils to make room for the new. With the discounted prices and additional 20% off, the savings is GREAT!

Ingredient of the Day: Dea Sea Mud

2010-05-20T08:52:00.001-04:00

Ingredient of the Day: Dead Sea Mud

What is the big deal with putting mud all over your body?

Applying ordinary, yet extraordinary Dead Sea Mud on your body has many skin loving benefits.

The mud comes from the Dead Sea based in Jordan and Israel. It has attracted many visitors from around the world for thousands of years and is known as the world’s first health resort according to Wikipedia. Due to the layout of the Dead Sea, high concentrations of salts and minerals are produced that are excellent for the skin. Its most precious resource is the Dead Sea Mud.

Dead Sea Mud contains a large range of minerals that
• improves circulation and natural skin generation
• cleanses the skin and removes any residue, impurities and toxins
• provides effective relief for skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema and acne
• moisturizes the skin and keeps it hydrated
• gently removes dead skin cells to reveal more youthful, healthier skin

Dead Sea Mud exfoliates, cleanses and hydrates the skin all while infusing it with minerals. In addition, it helps improve the skin quality of various skin conditions thus making it a staple product for your household.

Check out our Spa Bar with Dead Sea Mud, it exfoliates, cleanses and hydrates.

New Look

2010-05-10T14:24:00.002-04:00

What's New?!

We have been really busy in the Karess Krafters shop with creating new soaps and a new look for all of our products.

New soaps such as Avocado Mint with real avocados, Sandalwood & Vetiver with Coconut & Beer and Whipped Cream Lemon-Almond with Heavy Cream will impart extra moisture on your skin with its luxurious creamy lather. And the new packaging adds great eye appeal.

Our appearance has taken a 360 degree turn. You will find as you browse our site a more uniformed look through out. Our new labels were professionally designed and printed to give each of our products a vibrant and cohesive appeal through out our entire catalog. In addition, our soap packaging has gone GREEN. We now wrap all of our soaps with eco-friendly fiber paper with a recycled paper band and seal it with our NEW soap label. Our change in packaging took much consideration and we hope you like our changes as much as we do. **Please note, we are still working through some of our old inventory. Therefore any soaps that are clearance will be packaged in the old packaging.

Keep up with what is going on with Karess Krafters by becoming a fan of our fan page on Facebook. We advertise sales, promotions, new products, where we will be, etc. on our fan page and we want you to stay in the KNOW.

Be sure to check out our Bargain Bin. We have slashed prices on many of our soaps and lip balms to make room for the new. Once these products are gone they will not return. A few products that will be leaving are our Coconut & Lime, Patchouli and Sugar Cookie soaps along with Cappuccino, Caramel Crunch and Honey Bee lip balms.

Check us out on Etsy or at our webstore

Home Party

2010-05-06T09:58:00.001-04:00

What’s up Blog World,

I am still in prep mode as I prepare to do my first home party this weekend. I think I am over my fear of speaking in front of folks and am ready to take this home party thing to another level. I have some plans in the works but need to confirm with a few friends/business partners before going forward. Anyway, here is what I plan to do on Saturday.

1. Inform the guest that I am a fast talker, so if I start to VRRROOOOOM!, to please ask me to slow it down
2. Introduce myself and thank the host for the opportunity
3. Give a brief history on how we got started and talk about the main ingredients we use.
4. Talk about our soaps what is in them and why
5. Elaborate on our moisturizers with the emphasis on Shea Monoi and the benefits of Shea
6. Share about our Hemp Lip Balms and why we use hemp for the main ingredient
7. Mention that we have a Foot Care Line, Sugar Scrubs and Shampoo Bars
8. Will inform guest about our deep hair conditioner coming out in the Fall
9. Have guest sample sugar scrubs and Shea Monoi
10. Hopefully take orders and schedule new parties
11. Mingle, thank the guest, pack up and go

Plan to do everything in an hour and half to two hours.

I plan to bring along the following items
• Of course a gift for the hostess
• Soaps
• Moisturizers (Shea Monoi and Whipped Cocoa Butter)
• Lip Balms (Top Sellers: Coconut Lemongrass, Mango and Raspberry Lemonade)
• Sugar Scrubs

Hopefully everything will go well and it will be a taste of all the good things to come with having home parties.

What is NEW with Karess Krafters

2010-05-02T17:43:00.003-04:00

Good Day Everyone,

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been home nursing two broken toes. I went to the chiropractor on Friday and they put me in an aircast (thank goodness), a tight sock that looks like a stocking and said I needed to keep my feet elevated to get rid of the swelling. They also released me to go back to work on tomorrow, Monday, May 3rd.

Things are a lot better than I thought they would be. I am able to move about without the assistance of the crutches. Well let me say from time-to-time I do need the extra support from them, but not all the time. I am not fully back to myself and will not be until this aircast is GONE, but am to the point where I can do some work in the shop.

I spent all day yesterday in the shop. The new labels arrived for our Shea Monoi, Lemon-Mint Foot Balm, Soaps and Hemp Lip Balms. So of course I had to play to see how everything would look on the jars, tubes and the wrap for the soaps. The jars for our moisturizers and scrubs are the same, however the new label really makes them pop in my opinion and it does the same for the lip balms. The only packaging we changed completely was our soap packaging.

Our handmade soap is the staple for our business. It is the product that we sell the most of and generally sell 6 or more bars at a time. Therefore, we spent a great deal of time researching and asking questions about what GREEN packaging would be best for our soaps. We wanted the packaging to be eco-friendly, easy to package as sales rise and BEAUTIFUL. Therefore, we are wrapping each bar of soap like a present with 100% recyclable Forest Green Mulberry paper with a 100% recyclable chocolate brown wrap and sealing the packaging with our new oval shape labels. We hope our changes are received well as we begin to give our company a more cohesive look. In addition, in the coming weeks you will see new photos on our site with our new packaging, so bare with us as we move forward.

Til next time, stay FOCUSED on your GOALS.

P.S. Here is a picture of our new packaging, tell us what you think

The Broken Toes

2010-04-30T07:23:00.002-04:00

Good Day Blog World,

I have been home the last past two days with my foot propped up. Why? Because I slipped and fell at work and landed flat on the floor. How did this happen? I really don’t know because it happened so quickly, but what I do know is this.

I was walking from my boss’ office back to my desk. I was about 10 feet from reaching my destination when all of a sudden my upper body was moving but my feet were not. Now here is what I call a freak accident, my sneakers became stuck to the carpet. More like when you wear a new pair of sneakers (mine are really old by the way) and the friction from the sole of the shoe comes in contact with a clean surface and become stuck to the surface. Well my experience was much like this but my sneakers are very worn and the carpet is extremely worn.

Was there a lesson to be learned from it? Seems to me there is always a message in everything that happens, it is up to the individual to see it for what it is. This experience opened my eyes to a few things
(1) To avoid putting anyone on blasts, I will say this, you really see people for who they are in a time of need.
(2) I really needed the rest as I have been in overdrive for the last month and a half getting Karess Krafters new look on the rise.
(3) To always rebuke the enemy in Jesus Name (I already knew this). I say this because I am prepping to do my first house party on the Saturday before Mother’s Day. When the call came in to do the party I was very reluctant. Not because of the person who asked that I do it, but because of my fear of public speaking. I can sit and chat with someone one on one all day about nearly anything. But to stand before someone and have all eyes and attention on me is another story. This is an area I had been asking God to help me with and when the opportunity came I agreed to it and of course I am continuing to ask God for his strength.

Now my fall in my opinion was suppose the be the golden opportunity for me to back out of doing the party, but I refuse to let my broken toes hold me back. I will execute what I have been asking for and my Lord will see me through. Till next time, stay prayerful, strong and faithful. God Bless

Etsy Milestone

2010-04-23T09:48:00.001-04:00

We have hit a milestone with our shop on Etsy and are proud to say that we have reached our goal of 500 sales by 12/31/10 in April. We’re not even half way into the year and we are celebrating our victory. We are too excited about this and would like to share with you the DO NOTs about Etsy.

First, don’t make the mistake we made. We opened our Etsy shop in 2006 and did noting and I do mean nothing with it. It just sat there hoping to be recognized. Unfortunately, the same ole same ole NOTHING happen in 2007 and part of 2008. It was not until late 2008 when we finally decided to do something with our Etsy shop after being asked countless times “Are you on Etsy?”.

Second, don’t just promote one avenue of shopping for your items online. We were extremely focused on promoting our webstore to the point that we ignored venues like Etsy. We have learned the more places such as Facebook you promote your products/services, the more likely you’ll be seen in Cyber world. .

Third, don’t forget to add your Etsy url to all your marketing items, brochures, catalogs, business cards, etc. Etsy is extremely popular and is becoming more recognized with each day. Therefore, you may have customers who shop Etsy exclusively and if you’re not informing your customers of all the avenues they can find your products then you may be missing out on sales, relationships, networking opportunities, etc. You never know who your customer(s) may refer your product to.

Fourth, don’t be intimidated by the Etsy forums. Get in there and make yourself known, join groups, street teams, network, work out trades, promote, have specials, etc. Remember I said Etsy is getting more and more popular by the day so you never know who is lurking around, it could be your lucky day.

Finally, don’t forget to have fun and to be respectful while doing so. Your business is a reflection of you and in today’s world we can find a great deal of information about a person with the click of a button. So please remember while taking part in online discussions not to forget you are representing your business.

I hope these don’ts will help someone in one way or another. It took us a while to catch on, but once we did we saw light at the end of the tunnel.

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-22T07:45:00.008-04:00

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day according to Wikipedia is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment and this year marks its 40th Anniversary.

In honor of Earth Day, we have decided to promote 3 items that were inspired by nature from the creation to the final packaging.

First up is our Cucumber & Aloe Soap by CCrafters

Soothe and heal your skin from the harsh environmental elements with our pure Cucumber & Aloe handmade soap. This 100% natural soap is true to the plant. It is made with organic cucumber puree grown here in the fertile soil of North Carolina, Organic Aloe Vera Juice, quality vegetable oils, exotic butters and premium plant-based essential oils. This bar is sure to give your skin all the attention it deserves and will do the body good! This bar is packaged in deli paper with a label made from recycled material.

Second Up Ginger Juice & Berries Hairdress by Lavida Given by Nature

This hair care product is defintely true to nature. It is formulated with many hair loving herbs, such as Alma and Brahmi along with vegetabls oils and waxes and plant-based essential oils. It is designed to coat and protect the hair all while nourishing and strenghting at the same time, now who doesn't need that. It is not heavy, doesn’t leave build-up and it smells nice and earthy. It comes packaged in a recyclabel clear jar with a nice silver label and matching lid.

Third Up Recycled Envelope Paper Necklace by Hippie Kingdom

According to Hippie Kingdom, the Eco Friendly necklace made of paper beads from Colorful Telephone Bill Envelopes was carefully handcrafted. The paper beads are strung on natural hemp and are connected in an interesting pattern to form a rectangular pendant. It will even arrive at your front door packaged in recycable mailing material. Now this is certainly a nice upcycled item. Very creative

Facebook Fans

2010-04-20T09:14:00.001-04:00

We have become addicted to FACEBOOK. The more we chat, post, network, etc. on FACEBOOK the more addicted we become. We are so addicted to it that we have ordered new business cards with our FACEBOOK link on them.

Anyway, we are looking for more FACEBOOK fans and would like your help. Help spread the word about our fan page. We have a goal of getting 250 fans by mid-May and the 250th person will receive a FREE bar of our Pink Ginger Milk soap. We will also send our Hello Sunshine soap to the person who informs the most people about our FACEBOOK fan page. So start spreading the word. Happy Facebooking.

Revamp in progress......

2010-04-20T07:53:00.000-04:00

Hello Blog World!

It has been a whirl wind at the Karess Krafters shop. We have been working hard to revamp our image (new website look, new catalogs, new label design, etc.) and we are sure you’ll like the new look.

Our first order of business was to streamline our product line to offer the goodies that ALL of you have come to love. This was a hard decision since we LOVE all of our products. We will only carry Handmade Soaps, Herbal Salve, Shea Monoi, Whipped Cocoa Butter, Hemp Lip Balms, Shampoo Bars and our Foot Care Line. We will be adding once ALL testing and FEEDBACK is taken into consideration our Honey-Hemp Deep Hair Conditioner.

Prices have been slashed on our Perfume Oils and many of our fragrant soaps. We will soon be adding more essential oil scented soaps once they leave the curing rack. We will be back tomorrow to show off our new catalog that was designed by RAS Artworks on Etsy.

Soap Packing dilemma again.....

2010-04-01T08:35:00.004-04:00

Well we are still at a cross road with selecting the perfect “eco-friendly” soap packaging. Right now we use a band much like the Dan’s bands for our soaps with a recycled cigar band style label. This packaging has worked well for us. It allows the customer to see the beauty of the bar, breathe in its captivating aroma, protect the bar without slippage or getting soap residue on the packaging and we’re able to give details about the bar and how to get more on the label. In addition we can fit up to 8 bars in a flat rate envelope which saves on shipping.

Since we are trying to be as “green” as possible we have been experimenting with different ways to package our soaps. We did the wrapping with tissue paper and affixing a label and ribbon, but as the demand for our soaps go up this can be too time consuming. We even tried the corrugated wrap with band and weren’t pleased with this style either. We’ve also tried the small flat merchandise Kraft bags with label but it just didn’t cut it for us…too much wiggle room as was the same case with boxes. We also cut strips of card stock paper that coordinated in color with the soap and printed a cigar style band on clear vellum paper. This look was nice and certainly eco-friendly but we were still not satisfied. So at the present time we are back to our Dan’s style bands with recycled label. The only thing we’ve done differently is we had a graphic designer on Etsy design a label for us that we will use for all of our products. This way all of our labels are consistent and the branding process will begin.

Here is a picture of the way we packaged the soaps with the card stock and vellum label and a picture of how we packaged our soaps with the Dan’s band sans the new label.

March 30 Promo Item

2010-03-30T08:52:00.004-04:00

The promo item in our Etsy shop today is our Pink Ginger Milk handmade soap. We bathed with this bar the other day and the bubbles are fabulous. It left my skin feeling so soft that hubby was oohing and aahing. The softness it added to my skin is derived from the loads of coconut milk in this bar. We even added a little Pink Kaolin clay to give the bar a little slip and let us not forget the beautiful aroma derived from plant-based essential oils. This bar will be a pleaser for males and females and it has been added to my favorite soap bar list.

Pink Ginger Milk is on sale in our Etsy shop today for just $2.75. Get your bar while supplies last

Zibbet Store Front

2010-03-29T19:15:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of talk on Etsy about Zibbet on whether or not to sell strictly on Zibbet or Etsy. The census was to have both which I feel is the best way to go. You know how the saying goes “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” and with the way the world wide web is the more places you have your products/services the merrier in my opinion.

We have been trying for nearly 3 days now to set up a Zibbet account, but due to the overwhelming response to their $7/month fee their servers got overloaded. Well all is well now their servers were back up and running earlier today and it took us about 30 minutes to set up our Zibbet site. Of course we did a lot of copying and pasting. Instead of paying $7/month well now it is $8/month for the premium account we opted for the FREE listing which allows you to list up to 25 items. We chose this route because with all the fees we pay per month from other venues we thought it would be best to do a FREE trial run before committing to an additional fee per month. So if you get a chance check out our Zibbet store. We hope you like it as much as we do.

Wedding Favors

2010-03-24T08:53:00.008-04:00

My sister’s wedding is this Saturday, March 27 and hubby and I took the liberty to make the wedding favors. We had labels printed by SitckerDiva on Etsy with their name and wedding date on it. We originally were going to use Kraft pillow boxes, but when the labels arrived the Kraft boxes would not have done them any justice. So I spent the better part of the evening shopping for the perfect color pillow box. My intention was to go with white pillow boxes but the craft store only had black and after visiting several other stores, I was tired so black pillow boxes it was. I still had to do even more shopping for the perfect blue ribbon to tie into the label and the perfect color card stock to make round circles to affix the labels to. Now this wasn’t suppose to take much of my time but whew it took partially half of the rest of my evening. The black pillow boxes were slightly smaller than our Kraft boxes, therefore the soaps had to be cut down even more. Then I thought affixing the ribbon to the boxes would be a breeze but that took a deal of time because we had to use double side tape and had to be sure that where we placed the tape was the right place. We didn’t want to run the risk of having to peel the tape off and ruining the boxes. Then we had to cut the cardstock circles to affix the label to, this was easy since I brought one of those circle punch tools. Now the biggest challenge was affixing the circle cardstock to the box. The circle was partially on the box and we didn’t want to run the risk of it falling off. So hubby applied glue with a Q-tip to each one and held each for a few minutes so that the glue would hold. We both were glad when this job was over. The good thing is we had a lot of fun doing it and it was definitely for a worthy person, my baby sis. Here are pix of the favors, we still have to do the Lucky Bamboo favors, just waiting on one more thing to come in the mail for them, should be here today.

Things in the works

2010-03-22T17:23:00.006-04:00

I know it has been a while since I last blogged. I have been really busy getting ready for my sister’s wedding on 3.27.10. I am doing favors for her wedding and I am also participating in the I Do Brunch swag bag giveaway. So it has been a little hectic around here. Then on top of all of this I have an infant, orders to fill, promoting and two kids in school and into sports. There sometimes seem to not be enough hours in the day.

Today I have multiple things going on. I am working on orders so I had to make up more whipped cocoa butter and salve. I had to steep my herbs in the crocket pot overnight last night for my salve. This herbal infusion is with olive oil along with herbs of St. John’s Wort, Calendula, Chickweed and Plantain. We use this infusion in our Salve that is good for itchy scalp, small cuts, dry patches and many other uses.

Here are some pix of our soap favors in the making with labels printed by StickerDiva on Etsy. We have put a couple of the boxes together for the I Do Brunch giveaway. We have not started my sister’s favors yet because I need to go and get some white pillow boxes. I thought the Kraft boxes would look nice but with the label I had printed for her, white boxes would look much better. Thank goodness it is a small ceremony.

Cranberry Spice Handmade Soap Etsy Feature

2010-03-11T11:39:00.001-05:00

Guys I am too excited, I just got out of a meeting and had a post to my FB FanPage (www.facebook.com/kkfans) and discovered that my Cranberry Spice soap (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38780031) was featured on the frontpage. Came to the front page and it had already disappeared so I went to http://www.craftcult.com/etsyfeatured.php to verify it and sure enough it is true. This was a first for me YEAH!

Thoughts on Almond-Crusted Tilapia

2010-03-10T07:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, as promised. I said I would come back and give my thoughts on the Almond-Crusted Tilapia recipe that I posted yesterday from allrecipes.com. It is delicious. I finished dinner right before 6 so I didn’t feel guilty sampling the fish since I am suppose to stop eating at 6. Anyway, I made a few changes. Instead of using Parmasean (which I thought I had in the fridge) I used low fat cheddar cheese. Since I cooked 8 fillets I ran out of the almond cheese mixture, so I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs for the last 3 or so fillets. Also after sautéing the first 4 fillets in the pan, the butter disappeared. So for the rest of the fillets I used 3 tablespoons of olive oil. The next time I make this I will either crush the almonds to a fine powder or save time and use the bread crumbs. I loved the almonds however my youngest son didn’t care for it. I will also use either all egg whites or one egg and one egg white. In addition, I will use whole wheat flour instead of white flour. For my side dishes I prepared brown rice and a medley of vegetables (zucchini, squash, carrots and cauliflower). Tonight I plan to prepare a low-fat chicken lasagna recipe and I hope I can locate a good recipe.

Almond-Crusted Tilapia

2010-03-09T17:20:00.001-05:00

Okay, many of you know that I had a bundle of joy on 1/4/10. Prior to her arrival I was on a serious healthy living kick (which is probably how I got pregnant, eggs that where dormant came to life…lol). I was working out and eating right. Well now that little Ms. Wynter is here I am trying to pick up where I left off. I have eliminated red meat from my diet (the Baconator from Wendy’s was my best friend during pregnancy). I only eat fish, chicken and turkey that is broiled, grilled or baked. I double and often times triple my vegetable servings and aim for much smaller portions all while eating frequently. In addition I am exercising at least 45 minutes 3 days a week (my favorite exercise right now is walking on the treadmill because I can hold my baby while I walk). Anyway back to my eating habits. Instead of having a good portion for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I break my meals up to the point that I am eating 5 small meals a day and 2 snacks. You know how the saying goes, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince(ss) and dinner like you’re deprived. I also make my own snacks instead of buying things like cereal bars, trail mixes, etc. This to me is just like making soap I can control what I put in it, which I love.

Eating just fish, chicken and turkey can become real boring very fast for some people and I happen to be part of the some. Therefore I am always on a quest to find different things to do with my meats of choice. So today I found a recipe that sounded wonderful on allrecipes.com (submitted by Michelle Woolf) called Almond-Crusted Tilapia. I am preparing this for dinner, which my family will eat but I will take it for lunch tomorrow…forgot to mention that I cut my eating off at 6:00. I will hopefully post tomorrow my thoughts on this recipe that received great reviews. Here it is

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets
1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dusting
6 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 sprigs parsley
8 lemon wedges

Directions
1. Beat the eggs with the lemon pepper and garlic pepper until blended; set aside. Stir together ground almonds with 1 cup of Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish until combined; set aside. Dust the tilapia fillets with flour, and shake off excess. Dip the tilapia in egg, then press into the almond mixture.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tilapia in melted butter until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium, and season fillets with salt if desired. Sprinkle the tilapia with the remaining Parmesan cheese, cover, and continue cooking until the Parmesan cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer the tilapia to a serving dish, and garnish with parsley springs and lemon wedges to serve.

Back to work cont'd

2010-03-08T17:54:00.001-05:00

Today was my first day back to work from maternity leave. I must say the day went a lot better than I thought it would. Even though I did some work from home while on maternity leave it was much better doing it from my desk at work. I had very little distraction and it felt good to be able to get out of the house and interact with some adults even though I was working.

I did not do much business related stuff today however I did manage to unpack an order that had been sitting in my foyer since Saturday. I got a load of fragrances in some old and some new. The two new ones that I think will be favorites are Honeysuckle Grapefruit and Stress Relief. Honeysuckle Grapefruit is very nice and the grapefruit has a very strong presence. The honeysuckle doesn’t come through as much however it does mellow the grapefruit out so that it is not as tart, kind of hard to explain this complex fragrance that would be very nice for the summer. Stress Relief in my opinion doesn’t really live up to its name. When I think of a stress reliever I think of something that would have me melting at the moment I smell it. Even though this is a very nice fragrance it is just not the wow I was looking for. It is a balanced soft floral scent.

Facebook Fan Page

2010-03-06T07:10:00.000-05:00

Okay, my day started early as usual. Binka, which is the nickname for my darling baby girl Wynter, woke up around 5 am to eat. Feed her, gave her to daddy, and I went to do my work out. Did Walk Away the Pounds one mile walk this morning. Nothing to strenuous, but enough to get me pumped. After that I made my grocery list, then an avocado shake. I got this recipe from the Dr. Oz show. It is one ripe avocado, 2 cups of low fat milk (I use skim) and 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix in the blender and enjoy. It was right tasty too and had a beautiful pale green color. As I was peeling the avocado I couldn’t help but say to myself, boy I bet this would be nice in soap. We do use avocado oil in some of our soaps but we have never soaped real avocado. So of course it is now on my to-do list. After the shake I hit the Internet in search of how to change my landing page on my facebook fan page. Of course it was a very simple task, just needed to take the time to sit down and do it. For those who would like to know you go to your fanpage, click edit, then wall settings and there is a drop down box to change your landing page. Anyway take a look at our fan page and become a fan.

Back to work....

2010-03-05T19:29:00.003-05:00

Well my maternity leave time is just about over. I return back to work on Monday, March 8th. I am having mixed feelings about it. One part of me is ready to go back since I had what I considered too much time on my hands. Not sure how other people operate, but I am at my best when my plate is running over with things to do. I know…I am just weird. Another part of me was getting use to being home and I am going to miss the opportunity to make soap on a whim through out the day. The last thing that I have mixed feelings about is taking my precious daughter to day care. My goodness Monday is going to be a hard day for both me and dad, which is why dad is the one dropping her off…go figure. So have us in prayer. Anyway on with my day….

Today was more of a tidy the house up day. Since I am returning back to work it was time to get some things in order since I had been overlooking a few home chores while I relished in soap making. I did take the time to make up more sample bags. My hubby and I (mainly hubby) give out sample bags while we are out and about. He generally give out about 10 or so a day. Since we have to hit the mall tomorrow for a few things, I thought it would be a good idea to have plenty available. Each flat style Kraft bag comes with our information printed on it along with a discount code to use for future purchases. We fill each of these little guys with a sample of soap, moisturizer and lip balm. Every now and then we will include a sugar scrub. Here is how they look.

Citrus Blossom Soap in the Making

2010-03-04T07:49:00.009-05:00

Today is PRODUCTION day again. We are running low on a few soaps so of course we had to get more in the molds. We make some of our soaps 3#s at a time and really need to up the number of pounds to at least 9#s. This way we will not make some of our soaps as frequently. Now we will say that we do have quite a few soap fragrances that we make 9#s at a time and those are the ones we sell the most of. Anyway, here are a few pictures along with the process.

Decide what ingredients you want to use and then use soapcalc.com to calculate the lye and water amount as well as the possible finished quality of the bar. Soapcalc.com has a wealth of information about oil qualities.

Gather everything you will need, stick blenders, mixing spoons, colorants, fragrance, etc.

Weigh liquid (water, milk, aloe, etc.) add lye to it and mix thoroughly. For this batch we used ½ coconut milk and ½ water, we mix the lye with the water and added the coconut milk at trace

Weigh oils, butters and fragrance

We do the RTCP method, which means we don’t wait for the lye to cool to a certain temperature. Once we have weighed our oils and butters, we then add the lye water. The lye water melts the solid oils/butters (palm, coconut, shea, mango, etc.) Please note when we add cocoa butter to a batch, we melt it in our chocolate melter and then add to the oils/butters.

Mix until trace, which is a thick pudding type consistency
Add colorant and fragrance. We did a two color swirl so we had our bowls ready with the colorants and just added traced soap to each color and swirled in the bowl. We are a bit swirl challenged.

Pour in mold

Unmold after 24 hours

Cut and Cure for a minimum of 4 weeks

Pictures of New Soaps

2010-02-25T10:01:00.003-05:00

I have been home since late December on maternity leave and have my days when I am bored out of my mind. Since I have the time I have taken the opportunity, while the little Misses is asleep, to make up new batches of soaps, which I discussed in a previous post. Well today, I had the opportunity to take photos of the cut soaps and to learn many features in Gimp. Gimp is a really cool photo editing, enhancement, creation, etc. software that is FREE and from what I have read on various forums it is much like Photoshop. Here are the pictures that I took using my new Sunpak light box that I got for Christmas and my overdue for replacement Sony Cybershot Digital Camera. By the way my 11 year old who is home due to Track Out stamped each soap for me. He has been a great help these past 3 weeks. From top to bottom, Herb & Sprice, Cucumber & Aloe and Brighter Days. Thanks for looking

Soaps in the making

2010-02-18T11:32:00.005-05:00

Today is production day, which is the day we set aside time to restock products and formulate new ones. We made four new batches of soap which are scented with only premium essential oils and colored with either clays and/or herbs. These soaps will not have any fancy look to them like you can achieve using cosmetic coloring however they will have an eco-friendly appeal. Here is a brief look into what we have in the making:

Brighter Days will do just that brighten your day with its inclusion of Aloe Vera Juice, Kaolin Clay, Paprika and essential oils of Pink Grapefruit, Lemon, Sweet Orange and Litsea Cuebeba

Herbal Spice has an herbal water infusion of Hisbiscus, Marshmellow Root, Nettle and Burdock Root and an Essential oil blend of Cinnamon, Rosemary, Black Pepper and Clove

Pink Ginger has coconut milk, orange peel powder and essentials oils of Clove, Ginger, Sweet Orange and Pink Grapefruit

reneU has coconut milk and rice powder with pink grapefruit, peppermint, rosemary and spearmint essential oils.

We used a variety of different vegetable oils and exotic butters in each batch. Each batch contains Olive, Rice Bran, Palm, Coconut, Castor, Sunflower/Safflower and/or shea, cocoa and mango butters.

Here is a picture of Herbal Spice in the making

And a picture of all the logs (don’t laugh we still use garbage bags to line our molds that Hubby took time to make from his busy schedule) From Left to Right: Brighter Days, reneU, Herbal Spice and Pink Ginger

Lip Balm Flavors

2010-02-16T11:11:00.002-05:00

Our lip balms have been receiving a lot of rave around the Net. They are made with wholesome ingredients that will moisturize dry lips with just the right amount of glide. Each tube comes
choked full of hempseed, sweet almond, palm and castor oils, beeswax, vitamin E and irresistible flavor. This is a wonderful way to pamper and nourish your puckers with the finest oils and flavors nature can provide.

- New Flavors -

Berryliscious

Cappuccino

Caramel Crunch

Cotton Candy

Cucumber Melon

Orange Sorbet

Pineapple & Tangerine

Smackin' Strawberry

Here is what others are saying:

Review 1

Review 2

Sugar Scrubs

2010-02-14T13:47:00.002-05:00

Sugar Scrub, what is it? And why bother to use it?

A Sugar Scrub is a body treatment designed to slough away dry, dead skin. Our sugar scrub is comprised of sugar, vegetable oils, exotic butters and vitamin E and come in an array of fragrances. We even offer our sugar scrubs in a sampler size.

How to use it?
Sugar scrubs are used on thoroughly wet skin and when used properly the skin’s appearance and texture is improved. To use simply rub the scrub on wet skin, particularly dry skin and apply a little pressure then rinse off.

Why bother to use it?
The sugar granules peel away dry, dead skin cells to reveal healthy skin with a glistening glow. The moisturizing ingredients found in our scrubs help retain moisture, thus keeping skin soft, hydrated and supple. This process will help retain the skin’s healthy appearance and texture. It is important to exfoliate the skin, especially during/ in dry and cold weather when the body easily loses moisture.

Why do you use sugar instead of sea salt?
Our main reason for using sugar is because of the size of the granules. Sea salt granules are larger than sugar granules, which makes a salt scrub much rougher on the skin than sugar. In addition sugar is gentler on the skin particularly if you have a small abrasion. Just imagine how it would feel if salt comes into contact with an open cut, it doesn’t leave a good feeling.

So start caring for your skin naturally and properly

Out Of The Box Sampler

2010-02-12T08:56:00.002-05:00

We have wanted to participate in the Out Of The Box Sampler for a while now. Due to family, work, business and just day-to-day activities the time just did not permit us to do so. Finally, once things died down after the Christmas rush, we set one of our marketing goals for 2010 to participate in the Out Of The Box Sampler.

We are officially one of the participants for the month of April. Our deadline to submit our samples is March 20th, but we have already sent our box off with over 60 samples for April’s sampler. That is over a month early…now talk about getting things done!

Since we make every effort to reuse, replenish, and refurbish as much as possible, we wanted to do something that was eco-friendly and presentable. We had bags printed that are made from 80% recycled paper that we filled with product samples of our Sugar Scrub, Soap, Body Oil, Herbal Salve and Lip Balm along with a card with a secret discount code and % off for all orders received from the sampler. Once all bags were filled we tied each one with natural colored raffia ribbon, which was a blast to do, yet time consuming. Due to the nature of the packaging we had to use a fairly nice size box to send the sample bags off. Since the box was rather large, we have decided to keep using the printed eco-friendly sampler bags; however instead of sealing the bags with a ribbon we will now seal it with a label that will have our logo printed on recycled labels. Sealing the bag this way will allow for better shipping options.

Facial Care

2010-02-10T09:14:00.004-05:00

Today we will share tips on how to care for your skin and introduce our facial care line that will help you achieve your facial skincare goals.

Your skin is the largest organ of your body that can be damaged by what it is exposed to and is closely dependent on what you eat. Before deciding on what to do with your skin, you will need to find out what skin type you have, which may be sensitive, oily, normal, combination or has been damaged due to the sun and the heat. The basic facial care regimen should contain: cleaning, toning and moisturizing.

Karess-My-Face Product Line
Step 1: Cleanse

Cleaning the skin is one the easiest things you can do. You’ll need to find a cleanser that will give you good results without causing your skin to become irritated. Our Karess-My-Face facial bar gently cleans and exfoliates all at the same time. The addition of rosehip powder deeply removes dead skin cells, while leaving the complexion clean, refreshed and best of all healthy looking. For an even deeper radiant glow, the use of a complexion brush with boars bristles will stimulate lathering action from our facial bar, ensuring a deep, thorough cleansing.

Tip: If you wear makeup, you should carry out the routine of cleaning, toning and moisturizing each evening, as well as washing the face in the morning.

Step 2: Tone

Toners main power lies in their ability to wipe away any traces of dirt, make-up or cleanser that remain after cleansing. Of course, the majority of residue are removed during washing, but following up with a toner finishes the job. It balances skin pH, and tones your complexion while maximizing your skin’s capacity to absorb your favorite moisturizer. Our Lavender & Chamomile Facial Toner brings Organic Aloe Vera juice together with an array of extracts and glycerin to soothe and balance the skin. Cucumber extract moisturizes and restores radiance, while organic black willowbark extract aids in skin renewal.

Tip: Use morning and evening after cleansing to refresh, tone and deep-clean pores

Sept 3: Moisturize

Without moisture, the skin will not remain smooth and supple. The face is exposed to the drying effect of the weather, so moisturizers - which form a film over the skin - contain and augment the natural moisture. Our Karess-My-Face Orchid Facial Serum is an amazing cocktail of natural oils and emollients working in perfect harmony to add moisture to your skin and regenerate new cells, while improving skins elasticity, hydration and smoothness.

Tip: Apply to damp skin (face and neck) immediately after toning

$3.00 Flat Rate Shipping Sale

2010-02-02T14:43:00.001-05:00

We are having a $3.00 Flat Rate Shipping sale at our web store and Etsy Shop. No need to wait for a revised invoice, both shops are configured to automatically charge only $3.00 for shipping irregardless to how many items are purchased. Therefore if you need to restock on 10 or more soaps, you only pay $3.00 for shipping. See our shops www.karesskrafters.com and www.ccrafters.etsy.com. Happy Shopping

New Item - Tropical Fusion Hair & Body Oil

2010-01-27T08:16:00.002-05:00

Have you been on the hunt for that perfect oil that absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy after feel? If so, your search is over.

Our Tropical Fusion Hair and Body Oil is not your ordinary oil blend. It smells just like you are in the Caribbean with its fresh, fruity smell of mandarin, tangerine, lime and kumquat on a bed of watermelon and honeydew. The fruity smell alone will have you coming back for more, but let us not forget the exotic oil blend that compliments the fragrance perfectly.

Cherry Kernel Oil is light, highly penetrating and moisturizing oil that works well for all skin types. It is non-greasy and is high in vitamin A and natural tocopherols.

Peach Kernel Oil is a light, penetrating oil that is excellent for mature or sensitive skin. It absorbs easily and does not leave a greasy feeling.

Jojoba Oil is highly penetrating and resembles the natural sebum within our skin. It is incredibly moisturizing and works wonders on the hair.

You can get this item at our site or on Etsy

Soap Logs

2009-12-08T18:20:00.002-05:00

It has been a brief minute since we lasted posted. Things have been hectic yet rewarding. We have been really busy this holiday season, which is always a BIG plus and we are nearing the end of our pregnancy. We are nearly less than 3 weeks away before our little bundle of joy will be with us.

Due to the holiday rush we sold out of many of our soaps therefore we have to make more, here are pictures of a couple restocks and 3 new soaps. This is not the best picture. From left to right (new) Lime Sugar test batch, restock of Beer Shampoo Bar, (new) Lavender Oats with Goats Milk, restock of Almond, Milk and Honey (this one will get much darker as it ages), restock of Chai Tea, restock of Cranberry Spice and (new) Carrot, Milk and Honey. We have more to add but that is it for tonight.

New Website

2009-11-17T09:53:00.002-05:00

We have been working hard on revamping our image. We are going as green as green can be for the year 2010. We already offer a large variety of eco-friendly products, however, we do not market them that way. So here is a snapshot of our new site, that we feel has a very green appeal to it.

Etsy Feature

2009-10-22T20:05:00.005-04:00

Here is an FYI we will be featured in Etsy's Weekend Deals this weekend (10/23 - 25/2009). Starting Friday you can save 25% off of all items in our shop excluding Bargain Bin items. You must enter code "Oct25" to take advantage of the saving. We will refund based on qualifying purchases.

Also take a look at our new Glycerin Soaps

What's Going On....

2009-10-20T10:57:00.001-04:00

I know it has been a while since I’ve posted and for that I am truly sorry. One of my new year’s resolutions was to become more active with my blogging, but unfortunately, yet fortunately other things got in the way (my little bundle of joy that is growing inside of me). Anyway just wanted to give you all an update as to what is going on with Karess Krafters and CCrafters on Etsy. By the end of October we will have the following items ready for sale

New Lip Balm Flavors
Cotton Candy
Cucumber Melon
Groovy Grape
Orange Sorbet
Raging Raspberry
Smackin’ Strawberry

We are also introducing a glycerin soap line. We offered these in the past and they went over extremely well for us so we thought we will bring them back. Here is what we have in the making

Cucumber Melon
Orange Sorbet
Lemon Cake
Lime Sugar
Raspberry Cream with Goats Milk
Tahitian Vanilla
Orange Sorbet

Also we plan to introduce a new shampoo bar made from our glycerin soap base. To this base we will add cocoa and mango butters, African Black Soap, a touch of hemp (we love hemp) and an essential oil blend that will be beneficial to the hair and skin.

That is all for now folks. Be sure to check us out at the following networking sites

www.facebook.com/kkfans
www.twitter.com/karesskrafters

Butter Cream

2009-09-25T10:16:00.002-04:00

Butter Cream was formulated for those with dry, thirsty skin, but all skin types can appreciate this super rich moisturizer. Infused with Cocoa and Shea Butters for their ability to treat dry skin, moisturize and retain the skin’s elasticity along with Aloe Vera gel for its soothing properties, this Butter Cream will hydrate, restore moisture and provide a conditioning, protective barrier against the environmental elements. Avocado Oil is added for its historical ability to penetrate nutrients for dry skin and Coconut Oil for its power to absorb quickly and provide relief for dry, itchy skin. Butter Cream will envelope your skin in moisture as well as give your sensory glands a true delight with its rich aroma. Available in Black Vanilla, Cast A Spell, Tahitian Vanilla and Uni. Get it at our webstore or Etsy

New Product - Perfume Oil

2009-09-20T16:21:00.001-04:00

We try to keep things as simple as possible at Karess Krafters and our perfume oil is no exception. Our perfume oil is formulated in a base of nutritional coconut oil for its ability to penetrate the skin quickly without leaving a greasy after feel. Each bottle is highly scented to make your senses come to life by spreading a long lasting aroma along with good thoughts. Very economical too, with an average of 80 uses per bottle. Check it at our webstore or at Etsy

New Hemp Lip Balm Flavors

2009-09-13T17:21:00.001-04:00

We have added some new hemp lip balm flavors to our collection. We have Chai Tea, Lime Sugar, Honey Bee and Vanilla Bean

Update

2009-06-15T10:38:00.000-04:00

I know it has been a while since I’ve updated this blog so please forgive me for my tardiness. In case you’ve been wondering what the hold up has been, hubby and I are expecting in January 2010. It came as a total surprise along with the roller coaster mood swings. Even though we are expecting a bundle of joy soon, this does not change the direction of Karess Krafters or CCrafters on Etsy. We are still soaping as much as possible preparing for the current and upcoming seasons. As an FYI we have the following items in the making

Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Soap*
Jamaica Paradise Soap*
Foaming Foot Soap in an 8 oz size
Sole Glow Foot Soap (deodorize on one side and slough away calluses with the other)*
Pure Shea Butter scented on with essential oils
The return of Whipped Cocoa Butter

*currently on the curing rack

Soaps with a New Look

2009-04-27T14:43:00.010-04:00

Pomegranate Jazz

Orange Clove

Lemon Sugar

Ginger Lime

Honey Almond

Citrus Splash

Coconut Lime

Cast A Spell

New Soaps

2009-04-27T14:37:00.008-04:00

Twisted - a beautiful fragrance blend of ripe strawberries, black berries and pomegrante

Lavender & Tangerine - a well balanced essential oil blend of Lavender and Tangerine. Fresh and Lite

Jack Ale - It is all about spice with this one with the added note of REAL BEER

Grapefruit Mint - an essential oil blend that is fresh and clean just in time for the summer

Eucaplytus Spearmint - an essential oil bleand with the right amount of mint that is not too overpowering

Carrot, Milk & Honey - unscented but takes on the beautiful nutty aroma derived from Organic Carrot Juice, Goats Milk and Honey.

New Product Alert

2009-03-30T07:40:00.001-04:00

Lotion Bars:

Enjoy our solid lotion bar, a convenient and natural way to moisturize anytime. Our lotion bars come loaded with healing shea butter, moisturizing cocoa butter, regenerating sunflower oil and vitamin rich soybean oil that imparts a silky and soft feeling to the skin all while keeping it nice and supple. Net Wt. 1 oz Available in Citrus Blossom and Sugar Passion

Come See Us

2009-03-26T08:09:00.002-04:00

We will be at the Garden Gate Cafe this Saturday, March 28th from 9:00 - 3:00. Come out and shop for wares, household items, smell goods and MUCH MORE!

Garden Gate Cafe

1411 Aversboro Road

Garner NC

Herbal Salve

2009-03-20T12:41:00.003-04:00

Hello Everyone,

Today I would like to share a little about our Herbal Salve. Our Herbal Salve was formulated to treat a friend’s itchy, dry patches due to eczema. The salve has worked wonders for the friend’s skin however it is more than just a dry patch soother.

Recently, my youngest son who is 10 had his hair cut at the barber’s that left a small cut around his hair line from the clippers. Of course he complained about the uncomfortable feeling and I, being mom, kissed it and said it will be all better now. That did not work as those “kiss the boo boo” days are long gone for him. So to make matters better, I applied the salve to his cut. He immediately said mom, this has a little tingle. I replied it will tingle just a little while because of the fresh cut from the clippers. If it continues to tingle after a few more minutes then we will wipe it off. Well a few moments later he did not complain and his cut felt much better.

Another incident was a few months back when I received a chemical burn on my scalp from a relaxer that was put in my hair. The burn was not bad however, it was a bit uncomfortable. So I applied the Herbal Salve to the burn and I felt the same sensation, since it was a fresh burn, my son experienced and sure enough a few moments later it felt much better. Now mind you I have had these same type of burns many times over in the past and it would take days for that baby to heal on its own. These burns were so uncomfortable that I would hate to comb or brush my hair in that area because it would irritate it really bad. Almost like the feeling of pulling the scab off of a healing cut.

Just yesterday from my visit to the salon, the Herbal Salve came to the rescue again. This time I got my hair washed, conditioned and styled. Well after coming from under the dryer, my stylist applied some sort of spray to my hair right before styling it. Instantly the crown of my head started itching like crazy. I tried to fight the urge from scratching it but I could not take it any longer. So I dug into my head like there was no tomorrow. My stylist said “girl you are going to scratch your hair out with the way your digging, do you want me to put, as she referred to it, some of your grease on your hair?” (I gave her a sample of it a while ago after I shared my experience from the chemical burn and my son’s experience from the clippers). Of course I replied “yes”. The moment she applied the Herbal Salve to the crown of my head the itch was gone. It went away instantly. It is now one day later and the crown of my head has not itched since. I just love this Herbal Salve it is really a great item to have in all households.

Here is a brief description about our Herbal Salve. It is loaded with soothing oils, butters, waxes and herbs to treat dry patches, itchy spots, and cracked skin or anywhere your skin needs extra attention. This all-natural salve will nourish, replenish and rejuvenate skin all while protecting and healing at the same time. An infusion of olive oil with St. John’s Wort, Plantain, Chickweed, and Calendula combined with Virgin Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E and natural waxes is the perfect prescription for beautiful, healthy skin. A must have in every household.

** This product is vegan friendly and contains no artificial ingredients.

St. John’s Wort – an excellent herb for the treatment of burns, wounds, sores, insect bites, eczema and itching

Plantain – is a general wound healing herb that is especially good for bites and stings

Chickweed – soothing, anti-inflammatory that promotes wound healing

Calendula – soothes and aids in quick healing of cuts and abrasions

***The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

Etsy Feature

2009-03-16T12:20:00.003-04:00

Our Lavender Dream soap go an Etsy feature today from one of the members with the NC Triangle Team.

Turkey Burger

2009-03-13T08:58:00.001-04:00

Well you know nearly everyone is trying to eat healthier and live to eat rather than eat to live. The other day I had a craving for a good juicy hamburger. Since I am trying to do less red meat and more lean meat I made homemade turkey burgers. I have made this recipe several times before with a few substitutions. In the past I would put the burgers on a baking sheet that has a pan that sits on top of it with slits in it. The baking sheet is designed to catch the grease from the food you’re cooking. Kind of hard to explain the pan and I am sure many of you know what I am talking about. It is the same pan that generally comes with the purchase of a new stove. Anyways, I always form my homemade burgers in the shape of a regular burger with a thickness of about 1”. Whenever I would cook these babies in the oven they would swell help into a huge meat ball, which in my opinion made them too thick for a burger. Despite their appearance and triple thickness, my family and I would still eat them as if they were the best thing since sliced bread. Well yesterday, I decided to pull out the good ole George Foreman. Mind you the only time George gets pulled out is when we are taking it on vacation to prepare meals in the hotel to obviously save money. Therefore, George generally only gets used twice a year. Anyway, I used good ole George to cook the burgers and man they came out good as all get out. They retained their beautiful round shape with its one inch thickness and the kicker was how juicy they were. For our side dish, I baked the kids seasoned french fries, hubby had baked sweet potato fries and I had a carrot and raisin salad, which was also handmade. Give this turkey burger recipe a try, you will not be disappointed. FYI, I found this recipe on allrecipes.com by doing a Google search for “turkey burger recipe”. Here it is

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
2 fresh green chile peppers, diced (I subbed Red Crushed Peppers)
1 medium red onion, diced (I used a white onion)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (I used ½ cilantro and ½ parsley)
1 teaspoon salt (I omitted)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground dry mustard
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 dash Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the grill for high heat.
2. In a bowl, mix the ground turkey, garlic, ginger, chile peppers, red onion, cilantro, salt, soy sauce, black pepper, paprika, mustard, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Form the mixture into 8 burger patties.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place turkey burgers on the grill, and cook 5 to 10 minutes per side, until well done.

Scratch and Dent Soaps

2009-03-05T10:23:00.000-05:00

This is a great buy for anyone wanting to try our soaps and/or get quality handmade soaps at an affordable price. Our lost your gain, we simply have too much soap and want to move stock to make room for the new. Therefore, we’ve made our Scratch & Dent One Pound Bundle of fabulous Karess Krafters Natural Handmade soap available to YOU! Each lot consists of one pound of discontinued and/or slightly imperfect soap at a great price for a limited time! These bars are undersized and/or slightly visual and flavor imperfect. All the soaps are high quality created in our signature olive-based recipe. Each 1 lb bundle will be different with each soap bar wrapped with full ingredient label on each. This is a mix of bars ranging from 3 - 6 oz each.

Just an FYI when we say slightly visual and/or flavor imperfect we mean we did not achieve the color results we were aiming for or the fragrance was not what we anticipated, meaning it was too light.

Foam Hand Soap

2009-03-02T11:17:00.001-05:00

We have a new product - Foam Hand Soap

Pamper your hands with our gentle, mild and effective hand soap. We have placed our special soap recipe in a unique dispensing bottle that creates powerful cleansing foam that can be enjoyed by every household. Only one pump of foam is enough to thoroughly cleanse your hands with tropical blend of sweet strawberries, creamy vanilla and juicy pomegranate. Keep one at every sink; it is wonderful and fun for children and adults alike.

New Item - Body Sprays

2009-02-24T08:14:00.005-05:00

Refresh and invigorate your skin with your favorite Karess Krafters’ fragrance anytime you want. Each bottle contains a special perfume blend that will make your (and those around you) senses come to life by spreading a long lasting aroma along with good thoughts. Spray a little on your neck, behind the ears, on your pulse points or wherever you want to smell divine. Special Secret: It is good for the hair too! Size: 1 oz

At the present time we are only offering our body sprays in Cast A Spell and Blue Passion. See our Etsy Shop or Site for more details

Cucumber Sandwich

2009-02-20T11:37:00.001-05:00

You know the famous New Years resolution—Lose Weight. Well I decided not to make that resolution this year, however, I did take on the resolution to eat to live rather than live to eat and I must say I have been very good about eating my daily servings of fruits and veggies and increasing my water intake. I have not had a sip or a glass of soda this entire year and guess what, I don’t miss it.

Well anyway, I participated in a Healthy Pot Luck at work this week and was quite surprised at the array of healthy foods as well as their taste. One dish I sampled was made with tofu, onions, green peppers and rice. Of course, I twisted my nose to the tofu until I tried it. It was DELICIOUS! It was so good that I went out and purchased some tofu just to create this meal. The creator of this dish shared with me that it is best to get firm or extra-firm tofu to avoid the spongy, gross-like texture that many speak of, which was my only reservation about tofu. Of course this sparked me to ask more questions about healthy, creative snacks, meals, desserts, etc.

One quick, simple, and inexpensive meal this person shared with me was a cucumber sandwich. I was like yuck, cucumbers and bread, NO WAY. Boy was I turned into a BELIEVER after I sampled it. This sandwich is so doggone good that I had to make myself one for lunch as well as hubby. Here is what the creator did and I followed it exactly.

2 slices of bread (preferably wheat)
Mayo (next time I will use Veganaisse)
Cucumbers
Onions
Green Peppers
Sprouts
Black Pepper

Spread the mayo on both sides of the bread
Cut your veggies as small or as large as you like
Place them in any order on your bread
Add sprouts
Add black pepper to taste
Cut sandwich (if you wish) and Enjoy!

Shampoo Bars

2009-02-16T13:01:00.002-05:00

Shampoo Bars are making a strong presence in the world of hair care. They are natural, environmental-friendly and a nice alternative to liquid shampoo. The best thing is they only contain ingredients good for your hair. NO synthetic colorants, preservatives and foam boasting agents are added to any of our shampoo bars. They are scented with premium essential oils and are made with natural vegetable oils along with other natural ingredients, such as herbal tea and beer. Our shampoo bars are suitable for vegans and has minimal packaging – no bottle to store and/or recycle.

To Use: Simply saturate your hair with water, rub the bar on your scalp and work the later through your hair. Don’t worry our shampoo bars produce loads of lather.

Special Note: Many commercial shampoos have special additives that will weigh the hair down which causes build up. Once you begin to use shampoo bars, it will strip away all the unwanted stuff from your hair, which can initially cause your hair to be stiff. Please don’t panic. This is a natural occurrence for many first time shampoo bar users. To cure this issue, mix 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar to 1 cup of water and pour all over your hair after washing. Follow with a cold water rinse and proceed with your normal hair care regime (condition, dry, etc.).

Why use the Vinegar Rinse? The vinegar helps rid your hair from any product buildup/residue with the added benefit of balancing your hairs pH and adding body and shine. Continue to use the Vinegar Rinse for at least a week or you may use each time you wash your hair, the choice is yours.

We have created a Shampoo Bar Sampler – an inexpensive way to try these babies out. Included with each sampler is a .5 – 1 oz size bar of each of our Shampoo Bars (Babassu, Beer and Botanical). Get them in our Etsy shop

NEW PRODUCT ALERT

2009-02-10T08:03:00.003-05:00

Our Hemp Hairdressing is perfect for those who have dry, brittle hair, flakey scalp or just want to protect their hair from environmental elements with natural non-clogging oils and herbs. Hemp Hairdressing is a hair-loving infusion designed to enrich the hair with essential nutrients and help prevent dryness and breakage while imparting a subtle touch of sheen. A rich blend of jojoba wax in a castor oil base and moisture-packed vegetable oils add incredible sheen, while controlling the hair. The combination of Virgin Coconut and Hempseed oils with Neem Extract stimulate and moisturize the hair shaft. Mango and Mowrah Butters add moisture and protect the hair and scalp from environmental damage and heat during the styling process. Herbs of Horesetail and Nettle along with natural oils of Soybean, Broccoli Seed and Vitamin E add even more ump to this moisture rich formulation. It is a perfect hairdressing addition for the entire family. Added Bonus Secret: Great for the skin too!

Lip Balms to Keep the Lips Plump and Moist

2009-01-22T14:50:00.003-05:00

Lip Balms was on our “to do” list and thankfully we got them all done. We have THREE new flavors to add to our growing list – Chocolate Mint, Coconut Lemongrass and Raspberry Lemonade. Of course we kept Mango it is one of our best sellers along with LaVanilla which is a balanced blend of lavender and vanilla. The only difference with LaVanilla is it is now in an ALL VEGAN FORMULA along with Simply Herbal which will impart a little tingle on the puckers. Check them out on Etsy and Online.

Our First Newsletter for 2009

2009-01-14T09:13:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year - from Karess Krafters!

We are entering our fourth year and we would like to thank each of you for your continued support.

As you may already know, our focus is formulating superior products for your hair and skin using premium ingredients found around the globe and this year will be NO exception. As we journey through 2009, we will be making many changes to our bath and body catalog that will include vegan-friendly products and eco-friendly packaging.

We have slashed prices on many of our “soon to be retired” items such as our Clean Cut Shaving Soap, Lime Ale soap made with real Beer, Sugar Passion Roll-On Perfume and our Foot Soap with Pumice and Walnut Shell Powder to make room for the NEW! We will be introducing more goats milk and essential oil based handmade soaps like Citrus Splash, Hello Sunshine and Honey Almond Sugar Cookie to name a few. Also, we will be replacing our Roll-On Perfume fragrances with more earthy blends like Nag Champa, Egyptian Musk and Patchouli. Even though we are introducing many new products we will continue to offer our most popular items that many of you have come to love - Blue Passion Handmade Soap, Citrus Blossom Shea Monoi Butter, and our Botanical Shampoo Bar.

Lastly, the staff at Karess Krafters is elxcited to be introducing these exciting new changes. We hope that you all enjoy the wonderful surprises we have in store to share!

Sincerely,

The Karess Krafters Team

Free Shipping for the month of January on all U.S. orders over $25. NO DISCOUNT CODE NEEDED (all etsy and artfire customers, please indicate “free shipping” during checkout and wait for a revised invoice)

Visit Us Online

http://www.karesskrafters.com/

http://www.ccrafters.etsy.com/

http://www.karesskrafters.artfire.com/

Happy New Year

2009-01-07T08:58:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year – hope you all had a joyous and peaceful time during the holiday season. It was a wonderful, yet busy time over at Karess Krafters. Once the Christmas rush was over the Karess Krafters staff was able to get some much needed rest and time to spend with family.

We have started the New Year off with some savings. Check out our Bargain Bin for items that are being discontinued.

As we journey through the New Year, we will be introducing new products and/or scents each month. Here is a tentative roll out schedule of our new items.

February Lip Balms
- new flavors
- some vegan-friendly

March Moisturizers
- new scents
- Whipped Shea Butter
- Lotion Bars

April Hair Care
- Hemp Hairdressing
- Leave-In Conditioner
- Shampoo Bar

May Perfume
-Roll-On Earthy Fragrances

As always we will continue to add new soap flavors to our collection. At the present time
we have added a few already – Citrus Splash, Honey Almond Sugar Cookie, and Sweet
Hemp to name a few.

Beer Shampoo

2008-11-14T07:55:00.002-05:00

Our Beer Shampoo was reviewed with good results. Read about it here

What's New.!?

2008-11-12T19:40:00.003-05:00

We have been soaping for the last past two days and still have a ways to go. We are gearing up for the new year as we prepare to phase out many of our fragranced based products and replace them with skin care treats scented with premium essential oils. Why? It is simple! We want to offer our customers the best product(s) that are formulated from as many plant-derived ingredients as possible. Not only will you see more essential oil scented body care products, you will also see new packaging for our soaps. We are nixing the soap boxes for 1) to help our customers save on shipping and 2) our new packaging will allow customers to see the product. What is the soap packaging replacement? Well, you’ll have to wait and see come the first of the year or you may visit us at Sanderson High School annual Christmas Craft Show on December 6 & 7. We plan to have our new packaging on display provided our old stock is “sold out” at the Christmas Carousel at the Jim Graham Building at the Raleigh Fairgrounds the weekend after Thanksgiving (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Here are a few of our new soaps. Oh, did we forget. We also have a new recipe for our soaps. Not that the old one was bad, but we wanted to incorporate Safflower oil for its moisturizing, nourishing and restructuring properties. And your skin is going to love it. Well here are a handful of our new soaps

New Clean Cut Soap

2008-10-27T08:36:00.004-04:00

Our Clean Cut soap has more to offer than just a sensual smell. It is a gentle, pure and natural way to shave, bath and/or shampoo your hair. Great for shaving beards, legs, underarms or any place else that needs a razor smooth cut. The addition of mineral clays allows a smooth razor glide and a silky feel, while the Avocado oil and Cocoa butter lend a generous dose of moisture. Its beautiful aroma is anchored with a spicy, yet sensual essential oil blend of Sweet Basil, Pink Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon and Lime that can be appreciated by both male and female. Special Hint: Great for bathing and shampooing hair too.

Gift Sets Under $10

2008-10-26T12:10:00.001-04:00

Come and check out our $15 and under gift sets for the Holiday season. Our gift packs are an affordable and excellent way to show that special someone you care. Great for co-workers, mail carriers, neighbors, hostesses gifts, and anyone else who loves and appreciates anything and everything handmade.

SLASHED PRODUCTS & PRODUCTS FOR THE NEW YEAR

2008-10-08T07:32:00.000-04:00

We are gearing up for the holiday season and the new year, therefore, we have slashed prices on many of our products. Please check out our bargain bin for unbelievable prices on fabulous products.

Also, here is a sneak peek on what we have in store for the upcoming year:

1. New Hair Care Line (the feedback we have received from our testers has been remarkable. We hope you will enjoy our new hair care line as much as they did)

2. Olive & Honey Lotion – many of our customer remember the wonderfully moisturizing body lotion that we once offered in only one scent, Honey Almond. Due to the many request and us filling special orders for this lotion, we have decided to bring it back by popular demand, but with a twist. That twist is you will be able to order it in many of our fragrances you have come to love

3. Hand & Feet Rescue Repair – we have had this super nice cream on the market before as Glycerin Hand Cream. We will be reintroducing this as it is a fabulous product that not only keeps the hands soft and pretty, but is also excellent for the feet. This product is great for anyone who wants to minimize the application of hand creams after washing their hands

4. Shampoo Bars – for the longest time we only offered our Botanical Shampoo bar, which have done extremely well. We now have a Beer version of our Botanical Shampoo bar that has all the same benefits of our Botanical bar, but with the inclusion of beer. Now, for the New Year, we will have two shampoo bars, one that is geared towards dry hair, which will contain marsh mallow root extract, honey and a few other goodies. In addition, we are formulating one that is recommended for oily to normal hair. It will have lemon juice, chamomile tea and an essential oil blend that is out of this world.

New Hair Line in 2009

2008-09-09T21:52:00.005-04:00

We have been mad busy the last past 3 weeks trying to get our hair care line in the hands of our testers (actually we have been working on this line for well over a year now). We anticipate launching in early to mid 2009 a hair care line that will nourish your hair with the best that nature has to offer, but in order to do so we need help from ALL of YOU. Here is how you can play an extremely important part. First, just let us know you would like to test our new products by sending an email to karesskrafters@yahoo.com. Second, take notes of how your hair performs while using each item. Lastly, send us anonymous, honest feedback via email or mail (this information will be included with the testers). Once all 3 steps are complete, we will take all feedback into consideration before offering our new hair care line to the public.

Here is a little information about what we will be offering:

Burdock & Neem Shampoo – a gentle and mild hair cleanser loaded with soothing and nourishing botanicals along with the miraculous African Black Soap

Herbal Hair Rinse – rid your tresses of any residue, while conditioning with natural ingredients

Burdock & Horsetail Leave-In Conditioning Spray – protect your hair from the harsh environment elements while maintaining healthy strong hair with a few squirts.

Herbal Hemp Hairdressing – great for protecting hair ends to minimize split ends and excellent for massaging scalp with natural oils and herbs

Hair Food Elixir – enhance your tresses and/or body with natural oils and herbs

Aloe & Flax Sculpting – need to add more volume or hold to your hair, but don’t want to use a product loaded with alcohol and synthetically derived ingredients. Then this is just right for you. We’ve taken natural Aloe Vera gel in a flax seed concoction with panthenol. Wheat protein and jojoba oil to nourish and protect your tresses .

Cocoa Butter Series of Products

2008-09-02T10:40:00.008-04:00

New Products with Loads of Cocoa Butter!

Generally, we do not introduce new products until the new year, but we had to make these items available to you...a new line of products that has a heaping amount of cocoa butter for the most driest skin!

I am not sure how your childhood was, but for me whenever I would get a scrape or burn, my mom would always put cocoa butter on my wound everyday until the scar literally faded away. The cocoa butter not only healed my wounds (and I had many of them), it also toned my skin and moisturized it all at the same time. Thank goodness for a natural miracle product such as cocoa butter that has been used in skin care formulations for centuries.

Our Cocoa Butter is pure, food grade, prime pressed, golden butter obtained from the cocoa bean that has a beautiful, rich aroma of dark chocolate. It is a natural vegetable fat that melts on contact and is most often used to

• soften and lubricate skin
• help prevent and minimize stretch marks
• protect dry, chapped, sensitive skin
• heal wounds
• soothe irritated skin
• great for skin conditions, such as eczema
• helps skin reatin moisture (perfect for winter months)
• and MORE!

Take the time to care for your skin by cleansing with one of our moisturizing Butter Bars made with a generous amount of cocoa butter, then protect your precious skin from the harsh environmental elements with our Cocoa Butter Cream or our luxurious Whipped Honey-Cocoa Body Butter. This delightful whipped butter begins with prime-pressed cocoa butter, shea butter, a dab of mango butter, intertwined with avocado, macadamia, rice bran and um, um, good coconut oil infused with Mexican Vanilla Beans. Whipped Honey-Cocoa is an all natural body cream with a silky smooth texture that melts on contact. Don't forget those puckers. Keep them nice and moist with our Cocoa-Vanilla Lip Balm.

Lime Ale Beer Soap (made with real beer)

2008-09-01T09:41:00.003-04:00

We have been hearing about BEER being used as the water portion during soap making. Of course our first thoughts were, yuck that would be an awful smell from the beer and sodium hydroxide and WHO would want to smell like BEER? Thankfully, neither was the case. Our finished Lime Ale soap smells nothing like beer. It has a beautiful aroma of lime with a hint of sandalwood due to the special blend that we created strictly for Lime Ale. And, the soap making process did not yield a yucky aroma, it was quite pleasant.

We wish we could take credit for thinking of adding beer to soaps, but we can’t, however, we can certainly take credit for our signature recipe of olive, coconut, palm, castor, soybean and shea butter. All of these skin-loving edible oils intertwined with the benefits of hops found in Beer yield a wonderful cleansing and moisturizing bar of soap. Since beer is primarily hops, many of this herb’s properties and benefits become a skin cleansing asset when added to soap and promotes clear skin. So why not get yourself a bar on Etsy or our online store.

Garner Creations for ALL your PROMO NEEDS!

2008-08-27T08:09:00.003-04:00

We received our promo Scratch and Win cards last week from Garner Creations. Boy, when we opened the package and saw how nicely they turned out we were all oohing and aahhing. Garner Creations has a shop on Etsy as well as a website. They do great work, very professional, great communication, reliable service and FAST shipping. Everyone (we would imagine) in business knows how great it is to find a company who can not only deliver in a timely manner but also do exceptionally good work. Garner Creations is only one town over from where we live, which is a BIG PLUS to us because we LOVE to support LOCAL crafters. Thanks Garner Creations for a FABULOUS product and of course we will be back for more.

**Note** We have not taken a picture of the actual cards yet, but we will once we put them with the samples we intend to send in for September’s The Little Black Box give away. The picture here is a copy of the proof Garner Creations sent to us before printing.

Lip Balms Placed 3rd Place

2008-08-17T12:00:00.004-04:00

Recently, we submitted two of our best seller lip balms (Lavanilla and Mango) to Products of the Day for a contest they were hosting. Boy were we surprised that we placed in this contest because the competition was tight. Shortly after the winners were announced we received quite a few orders for our lip balm both on Etsy and our Main Site. One of the buyers, who we did not know at the time, was one of the competitors in the contest. Not only did we get rave reviews from the folks over at Products By the Day, we also we receive excellent compliments from one of the contestants. We're not sure how you may feel about it, but we feel REAL GOOD. You can find out more about it here

Butter Bars Made with Cocoa and Shea Butters

2008-08-12T07:40:00.004-04:00

NEW!

Our butter bars are formulated in small batches using the cold-process method with YOUR beautiful skin in mind! We use only premium vegetable oils along with African Fair Trade shea and cocoa butters for their skin softening and moisturizing properties. Cocoa butter absorbs quickly into the skin to soften, lubricate, moisten and nourish the skin while shea butter penetrates into the skin to help provide a lasting protection. Each bar is enhanced with a beautiful aroma derived from quality fragrance oils and enlighten with approved colorant or herbs.

Rid Summer Blues with Blue Passion

2008-07-30T10:35:00.005-04:00

This month's featured scent is Blue Passion, which can be found in our wholesome olive-based handmade soaps, luxurious bath bombs, hydrating lotion and jojoba-based roll on perfume. Talk about layering your scent! Well, you will certainly be buried in a beautiful aroma that is offered in an array of fabulous products.

So why not..........

Soak
Cleanse
Moisturize and
Smell Good All Day Long

with an aroma that is beyond SEXY! It has a delightful harmony of toasted caramelized sugar and vanilla blended with woodsy notes of cedar and Tonka beans. You will surely please your senses and those around you!

Lip Balm

2008-07-18T10:03:00.006-04:00

What is a lip balm?

According to Wikipedia, a lip balm is a substance topically applied to the lips of the mouth to relieve chapped or dry lips, and cold sores. And guess what? Our lip balms do just that. Our lip balm, which is often referred to as lip smacker, is not your ordinary lip treatment. It is made with wholesome ingredients that will moisturize dry lips with just the right amount of glide while lending a staying power that lasts longer than most balms. Each lip balm is hand produced in our home and come choked full of beeswax, sweet almond oil (or apricot kernel), hempseed oil, castor oil, shea butter, Vitamin E and irresistible flavor/essential oils with no artificial color. A perfect treat for those who want to pamper and nourish their lips with the finest oils, butters and flavor nature can provide. Our lip balm is Da Bomb and others feel the same way.

Recently our lip balms placed 3rd in the Best Lip Balm contest hosted by Products of the Day. We were very delighted to receive this honor as we were among many crafters who have taken their businesses globally (we didn’t think we would top them). To be able to stand out from what we consider some of the big guys makes us feel extremely proud of what we do. You can read all about it here

Blue Passion Da' Bomb

2008-07-05T08:07:00.001-04:00

Da’Bombs are different than the others on the market!
Think of Da’bombs as a combination of fizzing, scenting, and moisturizing all wrapped together in a 2.5” ball that is handmade fresh daily and eager to get into the tub with you! Create a relaxing and soothing spa experience in your own bathroom without spending a fortune. Da’Bombs are not only therapeutic but are a fun addition to any bathtub. Containing shea butter to moisturize the skin and Sodium Bicarbonate to soothe, Da’Bombs are a great way to enjoy a relaxing bath. *Note Da’Bombs are an excellent way to enjoy a foot soak!

How It Benefits You:

1. Soothing and relaxing
2. Highly Moisturizing (no need for lotion after bathing)
3. Loads of minerals and vitamins

Fragrance: This fragrance is the long awaited marriage to our famous Sugar Passion fragrance that is way beyond SEXY! This sweet unisex fragrance opens with a delightful harmony of toasted caramelized sugar and vanilla blended with woodsy notes of cedar and warm Tonka beans. The heart of the fragrance is nicely balanced with Patchouli, Licorice, French Lavender, Heliotrope and Coriander and freshened with crisp bergamot and mandarin with dried down notes of mandarin and anise.

Botanical ShamPOO Bar

2008-07-02T13:33:00.004-04:00

It’s not easy being GREEN, which is why we (Karess Krafters) went on a quest to create a GREEN shampoo. We began our research because we often wondered why our hair always appeared to look unclean after it had been washed several times. It always appeared weighed down or heavy without any volume. Well, thankfully we found the answer. It was the type of shampoo and conditioner we were using. We will not give any product details of the items we poured down the drain many years ago, but we will say that they were commercial items that caused a build-up that did not rinse away with wash after wash.

So the ultimate question is Do you read the labels of your shampoo? Or better yet, Do you know what is in your shampoo? Probably not, because most of the ingredients listed on shampoos are long with words that spell check cannot fix, let alone the online Webster tool pronouncing it for you. Not only are the ingredients full of big words, the front label (the one that really catches the eye) says “Lather Up and Rinse”. Umm! Sounds simple enough…right? This task is so simple that it fails to mention that rather than “clarifying” and “de-frizzing”, your simple “Lather Up and Rinse” shampoo may be washing chemicals in your hair oppose to out of your hair, which is why we created a very simple all natural Botanical Shampoo Bar made from ingredients that can be found in your local Health Food Store or even your local grocer.

Our Botanical Shampoo Bar is formulated with botanicals, rich vegetable oils and premium essential oils that your hair will love and appreciate. Here are a few benefits from some of the ingredients found in our shampoo bar:

1.Olive Oil – nourishes, conditions, and improves the strength and elasticity of hair
2.Coconut Oil – great for dry, itchy scalp
3.Avocado Oil – rich in vitamins and excellent for dry hair
4.Hempseed Oil – the riches source of EFAs (essential fatty acids) that increases volume, elasticity, softness and shine
5.Castor Oil – penetrates deep to soften hair, provides moisture and restores natural sheen.
6.Rosemary Herb – encourages hair growth
7.Burdock Root – soothes irritated scalp
8.Nettle – reduces itchiness
9.Chamomile – soothes irritated scalp

We have included a lot of “earth-friendly” ingredients in our Botanical ShamPOO bar that cleanses gently and thoroughly, without harsh detergents that can strip hair. They are also packed with botanicals, African Fair Trade Shea Butter, and Premium Essential Oils to help maintain moisture. To use, saturate hair well, and separate into sections. Then work bar into a lather directly on your scalp, and work the mild lather through the hair. For best storage, keep bar dry between uses.

Note: Please ensure that you rid your hair from any product build-up. To do this, mix ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar to 1 gallon of distilled water. Shampoo and rinse as usual. Pour 2 cups over the scalp and let mixture saturate your hair. Finish with a cold-water rinse. Store any left over mixture in a refrigerator and use it every couple of weeks.

Goat's Milk Citrus Blossom Glycerine Soap

2008-06-16T19:06:00.004-04:00

After many months of researching and testing we are pleased to announce our new line of Goat’s Milk Glycerin soap. Goat’s Milk contains over 50 nutrients, including the vital vitamins of A, B, and E, minerals, calcium, and amino acids along with a variety of other nutrients that nourish and revitalize dehydrated skin. It also has a pH level similar to our own which protects the skin from harmful bacteria and chemicals. Goat’s Milk and glycerin works extremely well together by bringing the natural vitamins and minerals that are easily absorbable to the skin.

Why Use Goat’s Milk Soap?

1. It is noted as the most highly sought after soap for its legendary skin healing and moisturizing properties.
2. Generates a creamy lather that nourishes the skin and leaves your skin silky smooth with a soft feel
3. Milk has long been used for its moisturizing properties and is an ancient beauty treatment. Cleopatra was known for her beautiful skin resulting from her famous milk baths.
4. Has AHA (alpha hydroxyl acids) which breaks down the glue holding dead skin cells together. AHA is well known for softening skin and leaving it rejuvenated for a youthful appearance.
5. pH level is similar to our skin, which helps protect the skin from bacteria and chemicals.
6. It is noted that people with skin conditions, such as eczema, are frequent users of Goat’s Milk soap.

Try a bar or two of our Goat’s Milk Glycerin soap TODAY in A beautiful, clean summer-y aroma of grapefruit blossom with hints of mandarin

FIRST ANNUAL YART SALE ON ETSY, JUN 11 - 20

2008-06-11T07:37:00.002-04:00

Today kicks off the First Annual Summer “Yart Sale” Kickoff on Etsy. The sale will run from Wednesday, June 11 to Friday, June 20.

What is Etsy?

Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. Their mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers that would build a new economy and present a better choice. Buy, Sell and Live Handmade!

What is Yart Sale?
Yart Sale is an Artistic Slant to a traditional Yard Sale.

How do I find Yart Sale items?

To find Yart Sale items go to Etsy’s homepage and type “yart” in the search box and choose the appropriate category from the Etsy drop down menu (handmade, supplies, vintage or all items) to view and purchase items you’re looking for.

Do I have to be a member to purchase from Etsy?

Yes and best of all it is FREE and will allow you to shop for unique handmade items found around the world in one convenient place. Happy Shopping!

Be sure to check out our Yart Sale

Apple Spice Handmade Soap

2008-06-09T12:22:00.002-04:00

Add a little spice to your life with our new soap “Apple Spice”. Formulated in small batches using vegetable base oils of olive, palm, coconut, soybean and castor oil along with a hearty helping of African Fair Trade Shea Butter, this soap will surely uplift your senses and perk up your skin! It has a spicy aroma that is refreshing, yet warm and cozy all at the same time. The delightful blend opens with the crisp, tart goodness of apples with added zing of orange peel that is topped off with the right amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. It is by all means a wonderful long lasting fragrance that can be appreciated anytime of year.

Oil Benefits found in Apple Spice
* Castor Oil is rich in fatty acids and is soothing and lubricating. It is a humectant that attracts moisture to the skin that lends emolliency to our soaps

* Coconut Oil will not clog pores and absorbs readily into the skin as it provides wonderful fluffy lather to our recipe.

* Olive Oil is a good cell regenerator that attracts external moisture to the skin and still permits the skin to properly release sweat, shed dead skin and release sebum.

* Palm contributes to the hardness of bar soap thus making it last longer

* Shea Butter is reputed for its ability to moisturize and retain the elasticity of the skin.

* Soybean has long been cultivated for its protein which makes an effective moisturizing agent.

Give your skin the attention it deserves by Karessing and Cleansing Naturally. After all it does make SCENTS!

Researching and Formulating

2008-06-05T22:05:00.004-04:00

Today was a day of researching and formulating. Tonight, I jumped in and made another test batch of Jojoba-Mint Natural Shampoo made in a base of coconut, castor and jojoba oils with hints of mint and Panthenol. If this batch passes our test (meaning if our willing, tried and true testers say “yay”) then it will be available by mid Fall. Just in time for the gift-giving season. We also have been working behind the scenes formulating a Hair Pomade that would not only benefit the hair but the skin as well (not sure what we will call it). As of today’s date it is has passed all the test phases (thank God!). If all goes well with our Jojoba-Mint Shampoo, the Hair/Body Butter (Pomade) will be available by mid Fall as well. The best thing about both products is they both are all natural, handmade in the USA and will be available for local pick-up at Locs of Love in Raleigh.

Since my mind was in overdrive and I have spent nearly 4 hours making the Jojoba-Mint Shampoo, I had to find something fun to do while I waited for the soap paste to do its thing. Anyways, I created two items that will be included in every order once they are printed and in our hands. This is something we are already doing, but wanted to spruce it up a bit. We will have a Soap Pamphlet printed that tells a little about our soaps and how to maintain them. In addition, we will be printing a new post card to include in every order that offers customers 15% off of their next online purchase (only one use per customer). The good thing about this is customers who have already taken advantage of this offer will receive a new card with a new code. This could not come at a better time with everything around us sky-rocketing. Many of us can appreciate a DISCOUNT!

Gardening and Cleansing

2008-06-02T10:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was work in the garden day. Hubby and I planted some beautiful flowers in a corner in our backyard. We plan to turn it into a meditation area complete with a hammock and water fall. It will be a quiet area where we can go to clear our minds, collect out thoughts, and rejuvenate the thinking process. Of course after spending hours in the sun working with soil I felt really gritty and grimy so I was in desperate need of a good soak and my body, particularly my arm pits, thanked me for it. My hair was in need of some TLC also. So here is what I did:

1. I washed my hands with our Garden & Kitchen soap which contains cornmeal and grits that gently scrubbed my soiled hands clean and gave a nourished, polished look due to the hearty helping of shea butter.

2. Since my hair requires what I consider a pro-long rinse (rinsing hair for about 15 minutes after it’s washed), I have to wash my hair in the shower. I ran a warm, others would say hot, shower and just stood under the shower head while allowing the warm water to open my pores. I stood there for about 5 minutes. Then I grabbed my favorite shampoo Rosemary Mint from LaVida Given By Nature and used only a quarter size to wash my entire head of hair, which is dreaded and about shoulder length. This shampoo is so concentrated that only a small amount is needed to produce loads of lather, which gets my hair squeaky clean. Therefore, you save money and most importantly it is all natural and Vegan friendly. Be sure to get yourself a bottle TODAY!

3. So after washing my hair with loads of lather, I just stood under the shower head for about 20 minutes allowing the water to rinse the lather away and allowing my body to relax. I followed by washing my body with our Sunshine Handmade Soap that really gave my grimy, gritty body a good cleanse. The olive-based bar left my skin feeling very hydrated and the beautiful aroma from a proprietary essential oil blend allow my senses to continue to appreciate a natural aroma (remember the first natural aroma was from the flowers planted, then the Rosemary Shampoo, now the Sunshine soap).

4. My cleaning regime was not over. I had to protect and nourish my hair, so of course I used my favorite Ginger Juice and Berries from Lavida Given By Nature on my naturally dreaded hair. It has the perfect balance, not too thick, too oily or too heavy. Just the right amount of herbs and oils that coat and protect my hair from the environmental elements while still nourishing and strengthening my hair.

So check out Karess Krafters and Lavida Given By Nature to get yourself a natural cleanse from head to toe.

Cast A Spell

2008-05-29T15:25:00.001-04:00

Cast A Spell is a very romantic fragrance that mixes a sweet bouquet of mandarin, bergamot and orange enhanced by luscious hints of peach and berries with an undertone of musk. A true aroma that is soft and sensual just in time for hot summer weather. Enjoy the wonderful fragrance with our wonderful bath bombs while relaxing in your tub full of shea butter after a long day. Then lather up with this beautiful aroma with our gentle and mild olive-based handmade soap. Typically after bathing with our bath bomb a moisturizer is not required, however, if you desire to slather yourself with pure moisture-binding luxury our SheaMonoi is perfect for your hydration needs. Available in a clean crisp fragrance or enjoy the natural aroma from its quality ingredients.

Why Handmade Soap?

2008-05-21T08:33:00.000-04:00

So what is the big deal with Handmade Soap and why should we use it?

Well, commercially made soap usually contains detergents, fillers, chemicals, petroleum, high animal fat content, and irritants. Thus making them less eco friendly and generally less expensive that impacts your skin and the environment in a less than desirable way.

Natural handmade soaps popularity is growing. Many people are beginning to discover the benefits of handmade, chemical free soaps. Handmade natural soaps are made with vegetable oils, have a high content of glycerin, and are better for you and the environment. In addition, no fillers or detergents are added for the sake of cutting cost and they are never tested on animals.

Benefits of Handmade Soap
• Are noted for healing those with skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema
• People who have sensitive skin or are hypoallergenic often times find immediate relief
• Most handmade soaps are made from vegetable oils, such as olive, coconut and palm
• Do not contain harmful chemical or fillers
• Has natural occurring glycerin (which is often extracted from commercial soap and repackaged in higher priced beauty products)
• Gives your skin the care it deserves. By the way, the skin is the largest human organ
• Bathing is gentle and soothing
• If stored properly, it can last twice as long as commercial soap

As you can see, using a bar of luxurious handmade soap makes sense. It is not only good for you and your skin; it is good for the environment.

Soapmaking Methods

2008-05-19T09:51:00.000-04:00

Often times we get asked the question, how do you make soap? We simply answer our soaps are made by combining oils (olive, palm, coconut, etc.) with sodium hydroxide. Once the ingredients are combined, a chemical reaction takes place called saponification. The final result is soap, which is technically Sodium Palmitate (a salt) that has natural occurring glycerin in it (glycerol). So now that the process is out there, so what method do we use and how many are there? Well, you can make soap using the Cold Process (our preferred method), Hot Process or Melt & Pour method. Obviously, like everything each method has its pros and cons. So we will attempt to give you a brief overview of each, along with the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Cold Process

If you have heard stories about Grandma’s soap, then the method she used is “Cold Process” often referred to as “CP” soap. It is made by combining fatty acids (olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, etc.) together with sodium hydroxide (lye). All ingredients are then blended together until what is known as trace (everything is well mixed with no streaks of remaining oil) occurs. Most soapers add fragrance/essentials, color, herbs, etc. at the point. Once all ingredients are blended together, the soap is poured into molds. It then set up in the mold until hard enough to remove (generally within 24 hours). After it is removed, it is then cut and set out to cure for a minimum of 4 weeks before it is ready to use. During the curing process the soap hardens thus allowing for a mild, gentle bar of soap. Just like fine wine, the longer the soap cures, the better it is.

Pros:
• Control over ingredients to use
• Ability to enhance bar with color swirls and layers.

Cons:
• Cure time
• Precise measuring
• Sodium Hydroxide (lye) can cause severe chemical burn and should be stored carefully, particularly away from small children.

Hot Process or HP

In essence this method is the same as cold process, but heat is applied to accelerate saponification. The soap is therefore, thoroughly cooked until saponification is complete. Once this is achieved, the soap is then scooped into molds. We use the word scoop because often times HP soap, once it is cooked, is like gooey, taffy that can be difficult to transfer from the cooking pot to the mold. However, the cure time is not nearly as long as CP soap making.

Pros:
• Shorten cure time, can generally used right after unmolding
• Just as CP, complete control over ingredients to use

Cons:
• Color/design control is limited
• Need to work extremely fast because soap can rise out of pot
• Just as CP, Sodium Hydroxide (lye) concern

Melt and Pour or MP

MP soapmaking is made from a soap base. However, each soap base is not created equal. Therefore, many MP soap crafters have searched out and tested many bases that offer the same beneficial, skin-loving ingredients found in soaps made from the CP or HP method, which yields a mild, gentle bar of soap. In addition, the eye appeal creation is limitless.

Pros:
• Can use soap immediately
• No use of Sodium Hydroxide

Cons:
• Limited to base of choice

Shea Monoi - the ultimate natural moisturizer

2008-05-13T13:27:00.000-04:00

Our SheaMonoi is the ultimate all natural moisturizer for your skin. Its light and fluffy texture is derived from the highest quality; naturally extracted African Fair Trade unrefined shea butter.

We begin our SheaMonoi with 80% of unrefined shea butter. Then we add Monoi de Tahiti Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, and Vitamin E. Once all ingredients are carefully weighed, it is double whipped into the consistency of frosting making it a luxurious cream with a light, silky smooth texture that melts into your skin on contact, thus creating an intensive moisturizer to pamper your skin. You can enjoy the natural aroma from the fine ingredients or a fresh, clean aroma.

This product is highly concentrated, so a very little goes a long, long way. Be sure to apply less than what you’d need and you’ll be pleasantly surprised as to how far a dab will go.

Benefits:

Unrefined Shea Butter – restore skin’s natural elasticity, protect from UV rays, help prevent stretch marks, nourish hair and scalp.

Monoi de Tahiti Oil – beautifully scented, penetrates and hydrates

Virgin Coconut Oil – yummy aroma of coconut, moisturizes and protects skin and hair

Recommended Uses:
Massage
Daily Body Moisturizing
Dry Skin Relief
Irritated Skin (unscented only)
Razor Burns
Chapped, Red skin
Sunburn
Eczema (unscented)

May is all about the Feet

2008-04-30T14:31:00.000-04:00

Too many of us are inclined to forget that we have feet until something brings our attention to them, such as exposing our toes through peep-toe shoes. Walking with confidence in your flip flops or strutting in your strappy pumps with charming to the eye beautifully formed feet is only moments away with Karess Krafters foot care line. Just in time for the summer shoe season!

A good foot care regimen includes: soak, scrub, wash, dry and moisturize

Soaking your feet helps soften the skin and allows the botanicals and oils to penetrate while you pamper yourself as well as take care of your feet. The nicest foot soak to use are the ones with Dead Sea Salt and mint because the salt draws out impurities, relieve swelling and comfort tired feet while the mint refreshes your tootsies. Our Foaming Foot Soak is a well-balanced formula with hints of mint, Dead Sea Salt and botanicals that lavishly soften, condition, and revitalize feet.

Following an invigorating foot soak, wash and exfoliate with our Pumice Foot Soap that has been formulated with natural exfoliants of blue cornmeal, pumice, and walnut shell to help improve rough and calloused areas of your feet. The inclusion of Cocoa and Shea butters lends a moisturizing, yet gentle soap for sore feet and hardened heels combined with Tea Tree essential oil because of its reported natural infection-fighting properties that ultimately reduce foot odor. *Note: the use of a pumice stone may be required for stubborn calluses.

After you have soaked, washed and exfoliated your feet, it is very important to dry your feet thoroughly, especially between your toes.

Finally, use our Lemon-Mint Foot Balm to moisturize and soothe your feet. Our formula is designed for rough, dry, peeling or cracked feet. The beneficial and healing addition of the miraculous Emu oil, skin-loving Fair Trade African Shea Butter and moisture-binding Jojoba oil lends an extremely rich and penetrating balm that will revive your feet. *Note: If you are doing this at night, a special treat is to heavily apply the balm and then put on cotton socks to allow plenty of time for the ingredients to absorb.

Come See Us

2008-04-21T14:13:00.000-04:00

Where: Bond Park, Cary, NC
When: Sat, April 26, 2008, 9 - 5
What: Spring Daze

-------------------
Local Artist to look for:
Karess Krafters
Brooks Boutique
Orange Cat Art
Cork & Cotton
Vintage Scrap

April is about Karess-My-Face

2008-04-21T13:59:00.000-04:00

It is April and it is all about getting your face in radiant order for the warm months to come with our Karess-My-Face product line. This month we will share tips on how to care for your skin and introduce our facial care line that will help you achieve your skin goals.

Your skin is the largest organ of your body that can be damaged by what it is exposed to and is closely dependent on what you eat. Before deciding on what to do with your skin, you will need to find out what skin type you have, which may be sensitive, oily, normal, combination or has been damaged due to the sun and the heat.

The basic facial care regimen should contain: cleaning, toning and moisturizing

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleaning the skin is one the easiest things you can do. You’ll need to find a cleanser that will give you good results without causing your skin to become irritated.

Our Karess-My-Face facial bar gently cleans and exfoliates all at the same time. The addition of rosehip powder deeply removes dead skin cells, while leaving the complexion clean, refreshed and best of all healthy looking. For an even deeper radiant glow, the use of our complexion brush with boars bristles will stimulate lathering action from our facial bar, ensuring a deep, thorough cleansing. Don’t want to lather up to get a good cleanse, then try our Honey O' facial cleanser in a convenient dispensing bottle.

Our Karess-My-Face Honey O’ cleanser is formulated for sensitive skin with organic aloe juice, oat extract, wheat protein, glycerin, honey and other skin-loving agents to assist in cleaning, lubricating, healing, protecting and moisturizing your skin so that it may function properly. Properly functioning skin is beautiful, clear, and glowing and makes your skin stand out from the rest.

Tip: If you wear makeup, you should carry out the routine of cleaning, toning and moisturizing each evening, as well as washing the face in the morning.

Step 2: Tone

Toners main power lies in their ability to wipe away any traces of dirt, make-up or cleanser that remain after cleansing. Of course, the majority of residue are removed during washing, but following up with a toner finishes the job. It balances skin pH, and tones your complexion while maximizing your skin’s capacity to absorb your favorite moisturizer. Our Botanical Toner brings Organic Aloe Vera juice together with an array of extracts and glycerin to soothe and balance the skin. Cucumber extract moisturizes and restores radiance, while organic black willowbark extract aids in skin renewal.

Tip: Use morning and evening after cleansing to refresh, tone and deep-clean pores

Sept 3: Moisturize

Without moisture, the skin will not remain smooth and supple. The face is exposed to the drying effect of the weather, so moisturizers - which form a film over the skin - contain and augment the natural moisture. Our Karess-My-Face Orchid Facial Serum is an amazing cocktail of natural oils and emollients working in perfect harmony to add moisture to your skin and regenerate new cells, while improving skins elasticity, hydration and smoothness.

Tip: Apply to damp skin (face and neck)immediately after toning

While supplies last, we are offering our facial care products in trial sizes packaged in a convenient take along bag. The set includes a facial bar, honey o' cleanser, toner and serum, just enough product to get a feel of our facial line. As always, spot test any new product.

Designer Market Downtown Raleigh

2008-03-18T12:51:00.001-04:00

School has been kicking me in the rear this semester, thankfully it is Spring Break for me and I can get some much needed work complete. Before we get into what has been happening with Karess Krafters, let me say this year is starting off with a BANG! We have tripled the amount of business from what we did last year and have been getting orders via our home site (www.karesskrafters.com) weekly. We have also had quite a few interests on how etsy site (www.ccrafters.etsy.com). So what is new?

We have brought back our Aloe Body Wash that is a 2-in-1. It can be used as a body wash or a shampoo, which is an all in one treat for a remarkable price of $4.99. Enjoy Aloe Vera Juice with Glycerin and Extracts of Lavender and Chamomile. A true treat that will work your body from head-to-toe!

Also, our long anticipated wait for a full facial care line is over. In addition to our well-received Karess-My-Face Facial bar with Rosehip powder, we have added a Honey ‘O facial cleanser, Botanical Toner, and our super, super, nice Orchid Serum. Give your face the fresh, radiant, and most important healthy glow it deserves.

If you’re in the Downtown Raleigh area of NC on Saturday, March 22, come check us and many other indie shoppers (see list to the left) at the Designers Downtown Market on West St.

Pix of Latest Soapmaking for the New Year

2008-01-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

Well during the Christmas and New Year holiday, I was soaping like crazy. Wanted to get a headstart on soaps for the upcoming craft season as well as try out some new soap flavors. Anyway, here are is pic of our newest flavor, B. Paradise

New Years Eve

2007-12-31T18:09:00.000-05:00

Well 2007 is nearing closer to the end. Before we know it a new year will be here along with the tradition of resolutions. I have never been big on resolutions, I mean I make them, but never adhere to all of them. Well here is what I plan to do for 2008:

1. Participate in more craft shows
2. Watch my spending on supplies (in other words, stop buying thing just because...)
3. Market, Market, Market
4. Advertise with more online venues

More Soaps

2007-12-26T19:48:00.001-05:00

Well today was another soaping and research day for me. My day began as usual, out of bed, tidy things up around the house, and to the soaping area I went (prior to and after we (hubby and I) took our two boys and two nephews to see Alvin and the Chipmunks).

Anyway, today I made a facial bar batch that has Rosehip powder in it for its gentle, yet deeply cleansing ability. This bar has a very high percentage of Olive Oil along with avocado. Once unmold, cut and stored to cure, I tried a sliver on my hands and it felt good. Can't wait until this one is fully cured.

I also, made an unscented batch with infused calendula olive oil. Amazingly, the calendula scent came through the batch, well at least it did during soaping. We will have to see how it holds up once it has reached maturity.

Didn't get around to taking pix, hopefully that will be done tomorrow, after I make a Mango Madness batch of soap, then Raspberry Cream, and maybe some B. Paradise. We will have to see.

New Soaps

2007-12-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

It is 7:39 pm EST on Christmas Day. The kids are exhausted from all the excitement from Christmas, Hubby is realizing catching up on TV time, while uploading new software to one of our computers and I as usual is doing business related stuff. My wheels are always turning and today was no exception.

Our day started early with the kids rising around 6:00 am running to the Christmas tree to unwrap their gifts. Our oldest who is 14 and looks every bit of 17 and sounds like he is 25 received everything he asked for, which was any and everything musical related. Such as a beat maker, mixer, microphone and some other equipment that I can't think of. Our youngest (9) wish came true, he got a Digitial camera, some sort of expensive race car, Playstation games, clothes, and shoes. Daddy is always surprised because Wifey knows how to bring a bright smile to his face, while he does the same for me.

As for business related ventures, I made a Creamsicle Butter Soap that is loaded with cocoa butter and smells just like the old fashion creamsicle ice cream bar. Boy I can't wait to try this soap. It has over 25% of cocoa butter intermingled with our basic recipe which has a high percentage of food grade olive oil. Scented with sweet orange essential oil and a hint of vanilla fragrance oil. Umm! Umm! good. Once it is unmolded and cut I will upload pix.

I also made a shaving bar, something hubby has been asking me to create for quite some time. It has a generous helping of the wonderful Avocado oil that is also balanced with our base recipe. In addition, it has a great slipping agent of mineral clays which allows for one to get a clean, close razor cut along with moisturizing glycerin. I anchored this one with a To Die For masculine essential oil blend that can be appreciated by women as well.

Stay tune, more to come

Welcome to Kares Krafters

2007-12-24T17:33:00.000-05:00

Blogging has been something on our “To Do” list for quite some time. In fact, we have tried it once, but never did any updates. Well, going into 2008, we are going to make an effort to do much better than in the past. Therefore, we are not making any promises of constant posts!

It is great to see 2007 come to an end and with God’s grace and mercy, it will be even better to see a new year…2008! December 8th of 2007 was Karess Krafters 2nd birthday and we were excited to see how much we had grown since 2006. Our sales in 2007, tripled from 2006, largely due to use doing 20 additional Arts and Crafts Festivals than the previous year. Not only did it afford us more exposure, but it was also rewarding to pick up two wholesale accounts and more retail customers. God is AWESOME!

Moving forward into 2008, we will be offering a “Scent of the Month” every month. What this means is at the beginning of each month our newsletter subscribers will be the first to know about the fragrance for the month. Non-subscribers can either subscribe on our site or visit our website (www.karesskrafters.com) at the beginning of each month to get the featured scent’s details. The fragrance showcased will be offered in our signature handmade soap recipe and in some cases a moisturizer and/or roll on body perfume will be available as well. In case you’re wondering why some fragrances will be in a soap only, it is because some scent blends are only suited for a soap. Such as, when we blend a fragrance for our soap that contains Neem (which has a distinct smell of its own), it’s not always suited for a leave on body application, such as lotion. Also, the chemistry in lotion making and soap making are in two different arenas, which in many cases can cause the scent blend to take on another aroma of its own.

We have a great new scent line up for 2008, so stay tuned for more details as they begin to unfold in February 2008!

About Us

1998-02-14T14:48:00.000-05:00

It seems as though every one is extremely concerned with what goes into their body. Low fat this, No salt that, Hold the mayo, No chocolate and the list can go on. We, at Karess Krafters, feel that what you put ON your body is just as important as to what you put IN your body. Therefore, we pride ourselves in offering you the best quality products that are formulated by us from the most pure and finest ingredients found around the globe. Whether you want to bath in the tub with one of our luxurious handmade soaps or give your skin the nutrients it deserves with our hydrating Shea Monoi, you and your skin will appreciate and recognize the difference our products make. We stand by our products and pledge to all our customers – if we don’t karess our skin with it, then we will not and do not make it available to you.

What drives us?
The need for quality skin care products that penetrates deeply into the skin allowing it to receive the nutrients it deserves.

How it all began....
Karess Krafters was born out of the quest to find suitable skincare products that would relieve, protect, and nourish our family’s dry, irritated skin. No matter what skin care item we tried, one of us would have a negative reaction to it. It was not until we discovered a miracle bar of handmade, all natural soap that we found some relief for our varied skin conditions, which inspired us to start our own company.

Launched in 2005, we started with a humble bar of handmade, olive-based soap that not only soothed our skin conditions, but would be the base oil for our entire collection of handmade soaps. Our company has grown to offer over 2 dozen unique products that will cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize your body from head-to-toe with products like solid Shampoo Bars and intense Lemon-Mint Foot balm for the most crackled, tired tootsies.

As our company continues to grow we will always stand on our promises to

To Never Test on Animals
To use the best ingredients nature can provide
To recycle and reuse items within the workings of our company
To purchase as many ingredients directly from local farmers
To use 100% recyclable packaging when possible
To use a hosting company that relies solely on renewable energy
To always use reliable suppliers who cares about our environment and the ingredients it offer

Take the time to familiarize yourself with our products. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.