Introduction to Three Sisters Soap

In the year 2011, we had a pretty good soap making year. We attended some festivals, and the local Farmers Market. We met many great people.  It taught us through trial and error what soaps people bought as far as fragrances go.  Most were taken aback by the looks of our soaps.  Nothing that they were used to seeing.  Especially the cupcake soaps.  But through it all we now have a good understanding as to what direction we will be going in. 

I opened an artfire account and have been listing when I can some of the recent soaps that are made.http://www.threesisterssoap.artfire.com .  I will be listing more soaps as I can.  My sister Kim does not know how to use a computer.  She is interested in getting one in the future.  So there is lots to teach her. I know some people might say "she can't use a computer" but you have to remember too what is a need for some may not be for others, and she never found a need to have one.
So I am doing the grunt work for now.

Kim and I get together, and we have many brain storming ideas. If we are not soaping.
I've come up with some great ideas in the months to come and will be blogging on here, as a way to share. And when the time comes, Kim can add her own thoughts as we go along.

But for myself alone, I have always been a crafter.  I love to sew and make things. Which over last few years I have not been able to get back into sewing like I want to.  I will make time for it soon enough.  Anyway I work in all kinds of mediums. I can admit I am not a painter as far as creating a fabulous piece of art.  But I do well in other areas.
I guess around 1994, I started into my biggest interest of all Aromatherapy.  I am self taught and love this area of learning. Aromatherapy can lead you down so many paths.  As it did for me. It also lead me into handmade soap. Back when I started I did not have a computer.  All of my learning had to be from borrowed books from the library.  After I used up their resources,  I went out to bookstores and would purchase books to build my library.  Honestly I have more books than one person should own. But I put all that I learned into use. I should also say there was no computer in my home, I relied on magazines or suppliers from ads in books.  I would have to write and ask for a catalog. This is how I was able to obtain the supplies I needed.   It took a lot of investigating to find suppliers, and I should mention I did shop at a co-op when I could.
Many people today are making handmade products that I was making back then.  I made the soap, bath salts, perfumes and anything you can think of. I did not make anything to sell, I made for my family and friends. But things had to be put on hold when I went back into the work force.  So for the next 8+ years I pretty much had to give up my aromatherapy and soap making. I still did my sewing projects. Since fabric was easily bought and local.
My background also included working in a greenhouse.  I started out in perennials which I adore these plants. No fuss plants that return year after year. I was switched over to the Herb barn, and that was where I wanted to be.  I learned all aspects of the herbs and growing them. I was in heaven.

I had a large herb garden at home. Loved working with these plants. I grew everlastings to make my dried flower wreaths.  I was in my zone.  My aromatherapy knowledge played a big part in being successful in the herbal area. I was able to grow and dry my herbs at home and use them in my soap making.  I have an extensive knowledge of years of learning’s, growing, preparing, and so forth to bring to our soaps today.  I certainly did not wake up one day, and say I want to make soap. We are lead down paths sometimes we know not why, and we may question what we are doing?  I always say there is a reason for everything and one day it will be revealed.
In 2009 was a turning point for me. As far as a reawakening so to speak. I left my job that I dearly loved, I worked there for 4 years. And as anyone knows it's so hard to leave your fellow co-workers too.  I would get up at 3:15 am, and get ready for work headed out the door at 4:45 am, to be at work by 6:00 am. I would have to go to bed early and get up early. I always said I had the bedtime of a 1st grader.  I really had no life.  Not Monday thru Friday.  I had been driving 50 miles total a day just to go to work. I had been dragging myself up and down the highway for 8 years and I just snapped one day and said I've had enough. Which it sounds so simple but I will have to save the issues at hand for another day. It wasn't just a rash decision that made me snap, it was a decision to save myself.  Again the story will be told at a later time.  Here is a little word that to help you understand how I came to my decision....Iraq.
Ok so I am home now what?  No job, what will I do to fill my time?  Well I decided to start off where I left off.  I started back making soap.  I did this at first just for my family.  It was relaxing and healing for me.  I had to do something to heal my soul.  Something for me to put my heart into.  I just got tired of working for someone else and no time whatsoever to put towards the things I loved to do.

One day I called my sister Kim and had asked her what she thought about going in together and making soap.  She was thrilled to say the least.  We actually spent some time making soap before we decided if we wanted to do this or not.  I mean as far a making products to sell.
So in 2010 we began our journey. I had to teach Kim all the aspects of making soap.  And at this point we are fine tuning which areas we are the strongest in between the two of us.  So that we both can produce items and concentrate in the areas we are best at.
This is how Three Sisters Soap came to be.  Still we are missing one of the three, but as explained we will get her involved.  Suzie used to be a buyer for a major company which I cannot reveal at this time. This company is a big part of the holistic and natural products you see on the shelves today. So her knowledge should play into our business down the road at some point. We are blessed she has this experience, and knows the right people.

So this is just a small introduction as to how Three Sisters Soap came to be. We will be making 2012 as a turning point for our little company.  Youtube is a great way to get our products out there to the vast majority of people.  Great advertising tool.  So there will be many video's on the horizon for us.
I want to thank anyone who took the time to read this.  For me again, this is part of my healing process and a labor of love. So with that thought I will stop here and be ready for a new post coming very soon.

Debby