Welcome

Welcome to my Blog. My little creative corner all about handcrafted soap creations and bath products. This is a place for me to share my ideas, photos of test runs, finished products and to let you know how they turn out.

I discovered soapmaking by accident. At work in an office 2009, I originally stumbled across a website about owning your own skincare business, making your own lotions from scratch. This intrigued me. You can your own moisturisers and scrubs? I thought this was totally awesome and started my journey from there.
It didn't take me long to come across my favourite supplies site "Aussie Soap Supplies" (http://aussiesoapsupplies.com.au)and ordered a melt and pour soap kit, and a body butter kit. Fell in love.
 
At the beginning of this year I created a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/maylillysgardenparty) and "Maylilly's Garden Party" was born. I love to make fun 'foody', almost 'tea party' style soaps and bath fizzies/melts - perfect for any garden party, and I also love the earthy, natural style soaps and bath treats. It is also mix of my daughters names Lilly Eve and Zoe May :-)

I often use a glycerine base which allows me to customise them by adding my own colours, fragrances, botanicals, clays and exfoliants.
A product that is proving surprisingly popular is my Bath Truffle Melts. Made of mostly cocoa butter they leave your skin feeling lovely. My mind is always coming up with new designs :-)

I am also enjoying making cold process soap (the traditional "from scratch" method, using Olive, Coconut, Rice Bran, sustainable palm oil and Sweet Almond Oil, and the luxurious cocoa and shea butters.

Here in Australia, soap manufacturers are required to be registered with NICNAS (a government regulartory body) in order to sell their cold process soaps. After an incredible amount of hard work by some Australian soapmakers, the annual fee of $400 plus dollars has been dropped to $133 per year. I am now proud to say I have applied for registration and am pleased that I will be able to start selling my cold process soaps as of September. Yay! 

My favourite Soap Artists include:

Erin Nute from Inner Earth Soaps in Bondi Australia (http://www.innerearthsoaps.com.au) 

Karen Morland from Eden's Secret (http://www.edens-secret.co.uk)(she has her own business in the UK), and also "Petals Bath Boutique" (http://petalsbathboutique.bigcartel.com) from the US. I have learnt so much from Soap Queen Ann-Marie from Soapqueen.com. She has built her own business from the ground up and has lots of tutorials on Youtube :-)

Be sure to keep checking in on my blog to see my progress in the world of Soapmaking :-)