Part 3: Hidden Costs

It's really easy to get caught up in the fun of making these awesome products, but it is also important to get organized and keep track of everything you've purchased. I have a few recommendations below for methods that I've used in the past to keep organized.


1.  Set up a spreadsheet of ingredients and costs. This will be useful for determining a price for the soaps. 

             - Time spent researching soap making. You may not want to include this in your prices initially 
                since you can spend a ton of hours researching.
             - Computer/printing costs  (Keep track of paper, print cartridges and anything else you use to 
                make labels, tags, business cards, brochures.)

Melt and pour soap   Nature's Garden

Colorant

Lavender buds

             - Material costs:

                        a. soap
                        b. colorant
                        c. scent
                        d. additives
           
             - Labor: how much do you think your labor and time are worth?  Don't undersell yourself!
               - Travel Expenses: gas, vehicle costs. You can track your mileage and take the expenses 
                off your taxes. 
              - Obtain a tax exempt form and use to obtain tax exempt status for purchases. 


2. Create labels and price tags for soaps

              a. You will need sticker paper for labels which are to stick on an item. 

Amazon

              b. For price tags I use regular cardstock. 
              c. A software program. I use Swift Publisher 3. It allows me to move items all over the place, 
                  to change colors, crop, fancy cropping, etc. 

3. Create brochures. 
              a. You can purchase nice brochure paper or
              b. Use regular cardstock. It is good to start out with cheap cardstock in case you have 
                  problems lining things up. My printer is really annoying in printing things the way I 
                  want them to be. 
.

Part 2: Process to Product

What I want to do is answer some basic questions about creating art.  A lot of you might be thinking, How do I create my art items? How long does it take?  What is needed? What does it cost?

For this post, I want to share the process for creating my newest product, herbal soaps.  I am so excited about making soaps that feature the herbs I've been learning about because their benefits are twofold: clean hands and any other benefits from using herbs.

Also, it's AMAZING the amount of work that goes in to making such a basic staple.

Lavender Soap

A. Growing Lavender:

I promised you that we would start at the very beginning, didn't I?  I've been growing lavender crops since the nineties because they were so easy and effortless to produce. I used the lavender in candles and various body products.  Since I moved in March to the city, where there is only a small landscaped area to work in, I've started working on growing lavender indoors from seeds. Despite working hard to grow lavender from a Burpee Seed starter, I ultimately did not grow any lavender from scratch.  By August, I finally had a plant produce a few blooms.

B. Drying blooms:

This involves cutting stems of lavender and hanging them upside down to dry. Then when dry, I crunch them up or blend them in the food processor for use in products later.

 C. Gathering materials:

My shopping list: shea butter soap, molds, colorant, scent.

-  Make sure to use colorant that is made for soaps. I add one drop at a time until I get the color
   I want.
-  You can use a chart to figure out how much scent to add (Fragrance Calculator.)

A lot of the materials needed are not available at local craft shops, so the best thing is to investigate online shops.  My favorites are Amazon and Nature's Garden, and I'm a fan of comparing prices and saving money where possible.

D. Grinding up lavender buds and oatmeal:

      Why put Lavender in soap?
   
           - It has a calming effect on the skin and nerves.
           - Lavender's antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-fungal
             properties can benefit mild cases of eczema
           - It smells great!!

     Why put oatmeal in soap?
 
          - Oatmeal is a great moisturizer for your skin.
          - Oatmeal is a mild exfoliating agent
          - The protein and polysaccharides in oatmeal can help
             improve your skin's natural barriers

(Treatment of rosacea with herbal ingredients.  Wu J.,  Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2006 Jan; 5 (I): 29-32.)

- Oatmeal has phenols, which provide it's anti-inflammatory properties.

Ground Oatmeal

- Oatmeal acts as a pH buffer and helps to correct the pH of your skin.
- Oatmeal has been used for centuries to soothe skin and help relieve itch.


E. Make It:

     a. Melt the soap. I used a glass measuring cup and microwaved 40 seconds and then for 10 
         second increments thereafter. Stir in between.

Soap

Melted Soap

Ground Lavender Buds

Add Lavender and oatmeal

Add Color

Add fragrance oil

b. Add about a Tablespoon of lavender buds and oatmeal. 

c. Add color, if desired and scent. 

d. Stir and pour into a mold. You may need to reheat for 10 seconds. 

\

3. Let cool and set. Then press carefully on back of mold until the soaps fall out. Ta Da!! Marvelous natural soap!

Check out my next post, coming soon!

Part 3: Hidden Costs

    

Part I: How I became an artist

Part 1: How I became an artist

In my childhood, I made doll clothes and furniture for my dolls. I illustrated a story I wrote for a Girl Scout contest. In second grade, I made a paper mache worm reading a book, with a  graduation cap on it's head that was loaned out to the local library and, as far as I know, they still have it.

I learned to knit and ended up making an ugly sweater for my brother.  After a semester of sewing in 8th grade, I devoted a lot of time to making my own clothes.  Again, I regret a lot of my sewing choices as it was the seventies and those styles were pretty garish.

I went on to make overalls,  cowboy shirts, and dresses for different members of my family as I was growing up. This habit extended into my adulthood, and I loved making Halloween costumes and Easter dresses for my little girls. Most recently, I've been making purses and bags.




The only clothing item I really regret attempting was the two piece bathing suit, which, when wet, came apart at the neck. Oops!

It wasn't until someone commissioned me to draw their portrait that I realized that I could expand my hobby into something more.

I've been selling commissioned portraits for almost 30 years, and most of what I've learned over the years comes from trial and error. I went on to sell my art and crafts in art fairs, shops, and eventually I opened my own Artisan Shop.

In my next few posts, I want to go into more detail with the processes for creating different styles of art. Keep an eye out for my next post: PROCESS to PRODUCT

A Trip to the Lavender Farm

While on a trip to Virginia, we happened to stop by the Oak Tree Lavender Farm. Wow! Not only is purple my favorite color, but Lavender is my favorite herb. 

The great thing about the Lavender Farm is you get to pick your own Lavender. Since it was early October, I didn't know if there would be any Lavender to pick, but fortunately, there were still plants in bloom.

                    

I highly recommend visiting this farm or any other Lavender farm you may find. So inspirational and sweet smelling!!

Recycling: Never throw away anything...

This post goes out to everyone that recycles regularly.  I can't tell you how helpful it has been in this start up business to recycle our daily goods.

I save everything, much to the chagrin of my husband, who is a minimalist. If there is a bottle or jar that can be reused, I keep it.  I used to save everything to reuse for crafts, but I have been trying really hard to cut back since we downsized after our kids flew the nest.

However, there are still a few things that I can find another use for...

PREGO JARS: Or any other jar. I use these for mixing, storing candle wax, storing dry shampoo mix,  making witch hazel infusion. There are a multitude of things one can do with jars!! The problem is finding space for all the jars.

TIN CANS:  Cover with fabric and use as pencil holder.

PLASTIC BAGS:  Are great "Picking Up Poop" bags. No need to buy rolls of plastic baggies at the pet store.  Just use your plastic grocery bags!

PAPER BAGS:  Are great for putting your recyclables in to take to the recycle bin!

BOXES: I never throw away boxes since I'll be bound to need one sooner than later. Amazon loves to send me items in as many boxes as possible, so I have a huge collection.

USED SHAMPOO BOTTLES:  Keepers for storing your homemade natural shampoo, conditioner, or lotion.

USED SOAP BOTTLES: Make more soap and fill up those old bottles!

OLD T-SHIRTS:  Don't toss them! Use them for rags or make T-shirt yarn from them!

Made from tee shirt yarn. Great dog toy and great use of old tee shirts!!

"Natural" does not mean "harmless"

As a proponent of natural products, I am not saying that all natural plants are good for you or that they are perfectly safe. Let's be smart! Do your homework. 

Many plants are poisonous to one degree or other; some will make you sick or alter your mental state. Nature's deterrent is that most toxic plants smell horrid! Ever sniffed a lily?  Blech! There are a few that in small doses can kill you, like Caster Bean seeds. The onion family is toxic to dogs as are tomatoes and potatoes (the foliage, not the produce). Even parts of many fruits are toxic if ingested in sufficient quantities. 

So what are the most toxic plants?

• Lilies are one of the top 5 poisonous plants in the world for both humans and animals!  Many pets, livestock, and young children die each year from eating lilies! You can still have them in your garden, just keep the kids and pets away. As mentioned above, they are not pleasant smelling.

• Foxglove is an old wildflower that can be very toxic. It has been around since the Middle Ages, tucked in between the tomatoes and chives. Authors mention it in many "mysteries" as the poison of choice.  It has been used in the past to produce digitalin, which is used to treat heart conditions. Digitalis toxicity causes abnormal heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia, dilated pupils, tremors, seizures, and death.  Don't try to make your own digitalin!!

  

  Deadly Foxglove, Georgeous Flowers



• Apple seeds contain small quantities of amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside. If you swallowed all the pips from one apple, there would not be enough poison to harm you. However, if you kept eating mouthfuls, you would eventually reach a fatal dose.

• Rhubarb has edible stalks, but the leaves contain oxalic acid, which can cause serious kidney disorders, convulsions and coma. The stalks, however, make a great rhubarb pie!


• Daffodils have bulbs that are toxic and can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  If enough is consumed, it can be fatal. The stems are also toxic and can cause blurred vision, vomiting and headaches.

• More flowers and plants that are toxic: hydrangeas, chrysanthemum, poison ivy, poison sumac, iris, ivy, mistletoe

• Toxic to pets: begonias, python, philodendron, etc. 

• Fruits and vegetables that are toxic to pets: grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, cherries, mushrooms, currants, raw and green potatoes, apricot, rhubarb, apple seeds,  tomato plants

More herbs - new finds

Every time I go to the store, I pick up some new plants- kind of an addiction! This week I bought  several Coneflowers, more Lavender and a Black-eyed Susan plant. 

Find #1: Coneflowers

Coneflowers, also known as Echinacea, have been around since before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth.  They have been used for hundreds of years by Native Americans. They tend to grow in eastern and central North America and thrive in moist to dry areas and woodlands. In the early

1800's, Coneflowers became a popular herbal remedy. 

Echinacea is available at pharmacies, health shops and supermarkets as teas, liquid extracts, a dried herb, and capsules or tablets. Proponents of Echinacea say that the herb encourages the immune system and reduces many of the symptoms of colds, flu and some other illnesses, infections and conditions. HOWEVER, if you have an autoimmune disease or allergies DO NOT USE THIS HERB!!!

Black-eyed Susan

Find #2: Black-eyed Susan

The Black-eyed Susan, while similar looking to Coneflowers, is an unrelated plant that has its own special properties. "Recent studies indicate that extracts made from the Black-eyed Susan root can be beneficial in stimulating the immune system. This herb has been used to treat some of the symptoms of the common cold, usually in the form of tea or infusion made from the root.

The root has been used traditionally as an herbal remedy to rid the body of parasitic worms. The Ojibwa, a Native American tribe also known as the Chippewa, used infusions of the roots to treat worms in children. The Ojibwa also made a poultice or external wash made from this herb as a treatment for snake bites.

This plant has diuretic properties and was used by the Native American tribes Menominee and Potawatomi to increase the flow of urine. A juice extracted from the roots has been used to treat earache. An infusion or tea made from the roots can be applied topically as an herbal remedy for minor cuts, sores, scrapes and swellings. An herbal remedy in the form of an infusion from the roots is used traditionally to treat dropsy.  A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers." Copyright @2015, The Herbal Resource.

Find #3: Lavender

Years ago I planted a few lavender plants in my backyard as I was particularly fond of purple. I was able to harvest tons of flowers from those plants and dry them and use them in bath salts, candles, etc. Only recently have I researched the positive healing effects of lavender.

Lavender is perhaps best known for its calming and soothing effects. There is evidence that it may slow the activity of the nervous system and therefore promote relaxation, improve sleep quality and bring about emotional balance. For this reason, it is often used in combination with other herbal remedies as it treats physical symptoms with a nervous element, such as tension induced headaches, heart palpitations, or stress related digestive issues.  

Lavender’s calming effect on the nervous system has also made it a valuable herbal remedy for the treatment of insomnia. Traditionally, lavender flowers were stuffed into pillows to help restless people sleep and today lavender is a common ingredient in baby bath soaps to promote restful sleep.

This medicinal herb is used topically to treat fungal infections, wounds, eczema, varicose ulcers, sunburned skin and acne.

Lavender is thought to be a useful herbal remedy for many symptoms associated with menstruation and other female related ailments. Its anti-spasmodic effect may relieve menstrual cramps and it could be useful in relieving headaches and exhaustion as well as improving mood. It is also thought to stimulate blood flow to the pelvic area and uterus and therefore stimulate menstruation.

I've made use of lavender and lavender oil in many recipes, and I'm looking forward to using some of these other finds.  I hope you found this information helpful, and keep a look out for future posts about these herbs! 

Toxic Chocolate

Normally,  chocolate is a "wonder drug" boosting serotonin levels and improving mood, particularly the dark kind. 

FOR HUMANS!!!

So let's not leave our chocolate on a table that can be easily accessed by an 8 month old puppy lest said puppy EAT IT and have to have her tummy pumped- or the "HOME" remedy of a teaspoon of Hydrogen Peroxide to induce vomiting. 

The toxins in chocolate are theobromine and caffeine.  Their effects are dose dependent.  Pure cocoa  and dark chocolate have much more of these toxins than milk chocolate, which is mostly sugar and milk.  If your pet has eaten dark chocolate, baker's chocolate or pure baking cocoa you may have a toxic problem.  

Naturally I called my vet:  

• If  it has been less than 20 minutes from the time the pet has eaten the chocolate, then make your pet vomit using hydrogen peroxide.  If your pet has consumed a significant amount of chocolate and it has been greater than 20 minutes, call the vet for instructions and possible hospital admittance.
• Measure 1 milliliter (ml) of 3% hydrogen peroxide per pound of dog weight, using either the syringe or teaspoon. One teaspoon is approximately five ml. The maximum amount of hydrogen peroxide to be given at any one time is 45 ml, even if a dog weighs over 45 pounds.

• Squirt the hydrogen peroxide into the back of the dog’s mouth using the syringe or turkey baster. Since I didn't have either of those, I used one of the disposable pipettes I use to measure essential oils. 
• If vomiting has not occurred within 10, administer a second dose of hydrogen peroxide measured out as described above. If vomiting still does not occur, call your veterinarian or the pet poison control center/hotline back for instructions.
• Once vomiting has occurred, clean up immediately so that the dog doesn't try to eat it. 
• Unless instructed otherwise by your veterinarian or the pet poison control center/hotline, take the dog to a veterinary clinic immediately for evaluation and continued treatment.

The Hero That Is Lemon Balm

Kelsey Ligon

June 17, 2015

condorseed.com

Backstory

I've decided to do a series on some different herbal remedies to explain how they have been used in the past and how they are currently being used.  First up: lemon balm.

The Traditional Hero

Lemon balm, one of the great heroes of lore, has been used over the centuries by hundreds of physicians to banish anxiety, boost memory, protect sleepers, and propel digestion.  It bears the mint family crest.  Its given botanical name is Melissa, which is Greek for “bee,” chosen for its general sweet nature and healing properties.

Lemon balm has been found far and wide to be a natural savior to its people.  In France, King Charles V drank lemon balm tea for his health.  In Greece, lemon balm was sacred to the temple of Diana and was likely used by her followers.  In the Middle East, Arab physicians prescribed Melissa, the honey leaf, for those suffering from melancholy. 

The Real Hero (Research done on lemon balm)

Lemon balm has been found to be useful for a variety of ailments, but what the Ancient Greeks, Medieval French, and traditional Arab physicians didn’t know was that the range of uses was even greater. 

Studies have found that tea prepared with lemon balm helps aids subjects in sleep, helps keep subjects focused, and removes agitation.  These applications can help in a wide variety of medical issues.

According to a 2003 article in the Journal of Neurology, a mixture with lemon balm reduced dementia and agitation in Alzheimer’s patients.  It has also been found to treat overactive thyroid. 

In one study, researchers tested children 12 years and under that suffered from anxiety and insomnia, and they found that lemon balm greatly reduced symptoms.  For children 12 and under that suffered from a lack of focus, lemon balm decreased this from 75% to 14%.  For overly hyperactive children, lemon balm decreased their hyperactivity from 61% to 13%.  Finally, it decreased symptoms of impulsiveness from 59% to 12%. 

These studies show just how impressive the minds of ancient physicians were.  They observed the effects of lemon balm and regularly prescribed it.  Their use inspired contemporary researchers to determine just how effective lemon balm could be, and their results have shown that lemon balm is still a very reliable treatment for numerous ailments.

References:

Wolsey, Lindsay.  “Lemon Balm.”  Herbal Legacy Newsletter.  March 2005.

Woodard, Stephanie.  “Ancient Remedies Modern Cures.”  Prevention.  Feb. 2009, Vol. 62 Issue 2, p. 102-108.

Controversy of Medicinal Herbs

by Kelsey Ligon

As someone who is naturally suspicious of anything that someone tries to sell me, I was also suspicious of medicinal herbs.  My thinking was, why not just get a regular prescription from a doctor if something goes wrong? 

The thing is, the more I read about healthcare, the more I realize how fallible it actually is.  Doctors are frequently overworked, and they are constantly being sold drugs by pharmacy sales reps.  These pharmacy sales reps are in hospitals and clinics daily, and they bring with them all sorts of goodies to entice the doctors to buy their goods.  I knew someone that worked in a clinic, and she said that she never needed to bring her lunch because there was always a decent spread of food from one sales rep or another.

Keeping this in mind, are doctors actually prescribing the best medication?  When they are seeing several patients a day and sorting through the information related to symptoms, causes, and treatments, they are bound to slip up or even pick the first drug that comes to mind, which is probably the one that the sales rep with the Jimmy John sandwiches was trying to sell him yesterday.

Frankly, I would love it if my doctor prescribed me more natural treatments than drugs.  I think we need a health care system that focuses more on preventative, natural, and holistic care. For example, the health care system in Japan encourages doctors to look at the patients a long time before symptoms get really bad, and they prescribe preventative options.

Dried Rosemary: can be used in lotions and ointments. 

Additionally, there are some doctors here in the United States that are practicing a form of preventative medicine in which they give their patients a prescription to get fruits and vegetables from the farmer’s market.  In their minds, getting patients to focus on a healthy lifestyle instead of a new trick drug will help patients develop healthy habits and reduce their needs for prescription medication. 

I apply this same kind of thinking to medicinal herbs.  They are plants that are grown locally, and you can even grow your own at home.  They have fewer negative side effects than prescription drugs.  Aside from the difference in side effects, the only difference between medicinal herbs and prescription drugs is the length of time for them to take effect.  Prescription drugs are designed to be fast acting, which is what we typically want when we get sick.

However, because medicinal herbs are slower acting, they are also better for your body and easier for your body to digest.  They follow the same principle as the prescription for natural foods from the farmers market.  The food that you get at a farmer’s market is not going to have immediate and fast results, and in this culture, that can be a turn off because people really want fast-acting drugs. 

Going back to the example of doctors subscribing fruit and vegetables, getting fresh fruits and vegetables to make yourself healthier takes time.  So do medicinal herbs, and that’s fine.  If we really want to take care of our bodies, we have to take the time to take care of them.  We have to give them the nutrients they need and stop filling them with artificial and mass-produced pills.  We have to take the time (and care) to research and read up on the best practices for our bodies. 

Herbs I've grown in my garden and kitchen. 

This is why we’ve started this blog.  We really want to help people understand in their own terms what herbal medicines can do.  These medicines have been around for centuries.  The problem is that when people hear that lemon balm was used in Ancient Greece to banish anxiety, they think that medicinal herbs supported superstitious beliefs because back then, people didn’t really understand science the way we do now.

That’s partly true, but in the case of a lot of medicinal herbs, a lot of those ancient doctors really knew what they were doing.  After hundreds of years of observations of patients, they figured out that some medicinal herbs really worked to alleviate symptoms.  Lemon balm has recently been found to help alleviate agitation in patients.

Furthermore, Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD, a senior attending pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital, says about medical herbs, “Practically all of the most widely used drugs have an herbal origin . . .  Many statins are based on fungi; and Tamiflu originated from Chinese star anise.”

For this reason, I am starting a series to help people understand what medicinal herbs once were to people and what research has shown them to do in recent years.  I hope you’ll be interested in the history and excited to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself.

References:

Woodard, Stephanie.  “Ancient Remedies Modern Cures.”  Prevention.  Feb. 2009, Vol. 62 Issue 2, p. 102-108.