FEATURED ETSY SHOP - ETHEREAL BEGINNINGS..."The Time for Luxury is Now!"

Body Butter Pomegranate Mango Free Shipping

WELCOME, Marie and her Etsy shop, ETHEREAL BEGINNINGS!  As Marie, states in her shop announcement...."The time for luxury is now!" 

Don't we all deserve to take some time and pamper ourselves with delightful, good smelling, "Lotions, Butters, Creams, Perfumes, Spritzers, Body Wash, Shaving, Bubble Bath, Bath Salts and more ~ Naturally Handmade"....OF COURSE WE DO!  These are some of the delightful products you will find when you pay a visit to ETHEREAL BEGINNINGS.  Marie also offers free shipping.

Take a moment to learn a bit more about Marie and how she started on her venture of creating bath and beauty products. You really must read her shop's "Profile", to see all the delicious sounding indredients used in her products.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I have always wanted to have my own business; to be my own boss. But I wanted my business to be something I was passionate about. A friend of mine came to me one day and said that she had developed allergic reactions to the soaps and perfumes she had been using for years. She was quite disappointed as she really loved the scents she had been purchasing. She felt that she would never be able to use anything scented ever again. Then at a social gathering she had an allergic reaction after she had drank a glass of wine. It was discovered that she was allergic to alcohol. I began investigating and we discerned that it was the alcohol and chemical additives in the soaps and perfumes she was allergic too and not the scents as she had originally thought. During my research for her, I became enthralled with learning about aromatherapy, essential oils, botanicals and naturally made products. I began experimenting and formulating. Now two years later, here I am selling my handmade bath and beauty products and loving every minute of it.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I am a stay-at-home mom with two beautiful daughters and they are just not ready for me to work outside the home. A friend of mine told me about Etsy and how wonderful it would be to be able to stay at home with my girls and run an online business. The best of both worlds.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you the the most enjoyable?

Developing the scents is my favourite aspect of my craft. While it can sometimes be comical and disappointing when I experiment, I know that somehow I will come up with the right formulation. There are so many new things I still have yet to try and master. I'm looking forward to continuing with my experimentations.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable to describe your art/craft, what would you choose and why?

A fruit or vegetable, oh my...I would have to say something exotic like passion fruit because it describes the image of what I make. I want my customers to feel pampered, luxurious and exotic when they use my products.

Men's Shaving Cream Midnight Sun Free Shipping

"Our shaving cream provides the ultimate shaving experience. Enrich your skin with luxurious lather that softens the skin, leaving it refreshed and silky smooth".

Scent: A mysterious sweet, earthy aroma. Notes of amber, patchouli, rose and sandalwood blends with nuances of jasmine and citrus to bring out the subtle spice undertones. Base notes of vanilla and powder completes this scent.
 
If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your "creativity", what would that be and why?

Someday when my girls are grown, I would love to have a B&M (brick and mortar) shop. It is my ultimate dream.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

 My message is "The Time for Luxury is Now". In our society today, we don't take enough time for ourselves. My favourite thing to do when I have time to myself is to soak in a tub with luxurious bubbles or aromatic bath salts. I want my customers to experience that same dreamy feeling that my scents can bring.  They don't have to wait for a two or three hour block of time to themselves. Just 10 minutes in a quiet place massaging their wrists and hands with my body lotion or body butter can lift a person's spirits ten fold and turn a stressful day into a stress free day.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

I have learned so much in my short time on Etsy. It has been a blessed experience. My advice is  a) to befriend many online sellers, their advice and support is boundless; b) think outside the box, don't recreate the wheel, but try to be inventive when it comes to promotion, advertising etc. and c) even when you are having a slow sales period, remember why you started this venture, let your crafting rejuvenate and re-center yourself ~ you'd be surprised how it can suddenly turn things around.

Marie, thanks for a great interview.  You have some delightful sounding products!  May your dreams all come true.


To learn more about Marie and her ETHEREAL BEGINNINGS products, be sure to visit the links below.

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FEATURED ETSY SHOP - BATTY'S BATH

Apple Cinnamon Crisp - Sugar and Oatmeal Body Polish by Batty's' Bath

Did someone say APPLE CRISP?! This body polish was inspired by the love of my life who just can't get enough of my homemade apple crisp! I decided why not treat his skin to some handmade loving too? Trust me, food isn't the only way to a mans heart - handmade bath products that smell and feel like their favorite food is too! Made with my luxury whipped soap, this formula is made with two naturally exfoliating ingredients: oatmeal and sugar! This formula includes white sugar to polish and brown sugar for a deeper exfoliating experience. With the crisp scent of ripe apples and the sweet smell of sugar & cinnamon, combined with the skin loving properties of oatmeal, your skin (or your sweet pie's skin) will be left feeling totally pampered!

WOW, now that looks good enough to eat!!  I'm always so amazed at the different body/bath creations one can find in the various shops on Etsy!

Here we have Jamie, and her Etsy shop BATTY'S BATH, where we can see some of her delightful creations, and learn a bit more about how she got started in creating her "bath and body" delights!

What led you to start creating your art/craft

I participated in a number of craft shows with my other business, "She's Batty Designs". During a weekend long craft show I ran into Becky from BehindTheCellarDoor , and she had some of her handmade soaps and scrubs there. She had a table right near me so we, along with Kyra of GhostShip, got lots of opportunities to get to know each other and share our crafts. At the end of the weekend I came home with goodies from both girls along with handmade bath products from Becky. After that my shower time was never the same! I was hooked and quickly picked up the craft myself. I can't thank Becky enough for introducing to handmade bath products. I don't know how I got along without them before!


How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?


I wanted to try it all! I picked up soap first, then body butter, shampoo, conditioner, lip balm, and scrubs. Now I'm working on other things like bath bombs, bubble bars, and special formulas for my previous products.


What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?


I love that I can customize everything! My family, friends and of course myself, really benefit from getting EXACTLY what we want in bath products. Whether someone needs a milder soap, or a super moisturizing body butter, I can make it happen! It's such a good feeling being able to help people feel totally pampered and cared for... especially when I can turn a mundane task like showering, into something really special and uplifting.


If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

I would pick a raspberry because it's sweet and satisfying. It also has just enough tartness to get the job done!

Strawberry Bitty Batty Shea Butter Soap

 

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?


I do have another medium I work in - I'm also a paper artist. Actually, paper is the medium I worked with first with my "She's Batty Designs" business. I like working with two very different mediums because no matter what mood I'm in, I always have something crafty to do.

 What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

All-natural, green and ethical ingredients are very important to me. I really feel like we've entered an age where people are realizing that we need to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to the importance of making a better future for the planet and the inhabitants on it. People are starting to seek out products that fit with their values instead of mindlessly buying whatever is on sale. I'm definitely one of "those people". I've always been a bit of a "tree hugger" and I'm very concerned with human rights, prevention of cruelty to animals, peace, and humanitarian efforts. I choose to use local ingredients when ever possible so I can support our local economy. We all know that this is important and the recent recession has shown us why. I also use eco-friendly packaging and bio-degradable ingredients to lighten my foot print (and my products foot print) on the earth - "tread lightly" is one of my mottos.

I also use cruelty free ingredients and most of my products are vegan friendly. When I can't find ingredients locally (or when I'm skeptical about the sources of locally available ingredients) I source out ethically responsible Canadian suppliers who have "Fair Trade Compliant" ingredients. This means that profits go back to the community, that environmentally friendly production methods are used, and that forced labor is not used. I couldn't make my products any other way because it just wouldn't feel right and I certainly wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I was part of the problem rather than the solution.

Cucumber Shea Butter Soap by Batty's Bath

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Do what you love! Don't try to pick up a medium that you can't see yourself doing day-in-day-out if you're looking to do it as business. And secondly, if you are looking to craft as a business, treat it like a business from the start! I would also suggest picking up another medium (or two) just because. It's a great way to expand your horizons and stretch your creative muscle.

Jamie, thanks for a great and informative interview!  I applaud your beliefs, and your products are "yummy" looking! 

 

To see all the delightful products that Jamie creates and to learn more about her, be sure to visit her links below.

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SHE'S BATTY DESIGNS

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FEATURED ETSY SHOP - ELEGANT ROSE BOUTIQUE

Headache Relief Balm - Full Size and Travel Size
by
ELEGANT ROSE BOUTIQUE

I was just browsing through Melissa's Etsy shop, ELEGANT ROSE BOUTIQUE, and loved reading about and seeing all the delightful bath and beauty products that are offered there. I don't think there is anyone that doesn't like to pamper themselves with a beautiful, handmade natural soap, lotions or any other bath product. Melissa offers essential oil soaps, headache/lip balms, lotions, bath fizzies, gift sets and more, so be sure to pay ELEGANT ROSE BOUTIQUE a visit.

SUNNY DAY GARDNER'S SOAP - All Natural

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I bought some homemade soap from someone a few years ago that was going out of business and the rest is history!

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I have been using essential oils for the past 8 years for health issues, like headaches, stomach aches, etc, so using essential oils in soap was an easy progression.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

I really enjoy creating new scents for my soaps and body care products and also love taking the photos.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

In addition to soap making, I enjoy sewing/quilting and making cards, I have always enjoyed working with my hands and creating things.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

I don't know if you would call it a message, but I would hope that people would realize how many chemicals they use daily and try to minimize them. Most don't think twice about their toothpaste, deodorant, or soap. Usually you can't pronounce most of the ingredients, let alone know what they are.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Make sure you enjoy what you do or find something else!

Melissa, thanks for being a featured shop here on DZFANTASY. I think your products are wonderful, and couldn't agree with you more as to the advantages of using products made with natural ingredients.

To learn more about Melissa and her wonderful bath and body products, be sure to visit the links below.

ELEGANT ROSE BLOG

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