Great Cakes Soapworks » Featured Products

Fall Soap Giveaway Coming Soon!

Amy Warden — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:54:40 +0000

Starting Tuesday this week, you will have the opportunity the enter a giveaway for three Great Cakes Soapworks fall soaps, plus a small jar of your choice of unscented or Vanilla Hazelnut shea butter. The Reynolds Mom is hosting another Made With Love Event, and she has already posted her review of the unscented Whipped Shea Butter. This is what I use on my hands every night this time of year before I go to bed. It’s also awesome for feet! And we slather it on my older daughter every night during the winter months to prevent her excema from flaring up.

Prize Package!

The three fall soaps that will be up for grabs are: Cinnamon Apple Peach (yes, I saved one just for this giveaway – they are completely sold out otherwise!), Pumpkin Pie (also sold out), and Pepper-nut (not to be confused with Peppermint, this is the one that smells like a spicy holiday cookie!). I will post the link to the giveaway as soon as it’s available.

I’m planning to make several small batches of Christmas-themed soaps this week, and also nail down a good recipe for the solid bubble bars. I’ve mailed out shampoo bars to several ladies who have graciously agreed to test them for me. Can’t wait to get their results in a few weeks! I do have 8 more mini bars of shampoo if anyone else would like to test it – preferably in the U.S. Comment below, and I’ll contact you for more info.

Update: All the shampoo bars have been sent out! Thanks!!

Black Raspberry Creme and Pink Papaya Soaps Now Available

Amy Warden — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:10:40 +0000

Black Raspberry Creme Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks

First, we have the Black Raspberry Creme soap, which has been a Great Cakes Soapworks favorite since 2005. It’s not always in stock, but it does make its appearance at least once a year! Such a sweet, yummy, fruity scent, and there are a couple Jojoba-Shea lotions available in the same scent as well.

Pink Papaya Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks

Next, is the Pink Papaya soap making its debut! It’s also a somewhat sweet, yummy, fruity scent, but with more tangy notes of passion fruit, green fig, and star fruit.

Both of these soaps have added sparkle on top, and sell for $5.95 each. If you buy 4 or more (of any of the $5.95 soaps), the price drops to $5.00 each, plus we have the 10% site-wide discount on top of that! Hope you’ll stop by!

Wrapping Soap and Other Necessary Procedures

Amy Warden — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 21:52:34 +0000

It’s getting down to the wire, folks! Just two more weeks until the Olathe Farmer’s Market opens on the 23rd! I am busy making and wrapping and labeling, leaving less time for blogging. My friend Kathy came over and helped me bag and seal about 200 soaps this morning:

Wrapped Soap

I still have to shrink and label them, but they are getting closer! Yes, this is the smell through shrink wrap that I sell on my website, in case you are interested.

I’ve also made Skin Glow facial moisturizer, Grapefruit & Peppermint foot scrubs, and Strawberry lip butter this week. Still need to make more Jojoba-Shea Lotion, but I’m thinking about re-naming it. I’ve found that too many people have no idea what jojoba is, let alone how to pronounce it. Most people know what shea is, but still aren’t exactly sure how to pronounce that either. I’m sure I’ll post more about the lotion after I get my thoughts together.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! We are planning some outdoor projects for tomorrow – it’s supposed to be 88 degrees!

How to Wrap Handmade Soaps With Smell Through Shrink Wrap

Amy Warden — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I’ve been selling Smell Through Shrink Wrap to other soapmakers for several years now. It’s what I use to wrap all my soaps. I had a short photo tutorial posted on the website, but I’ve been meaning to create a video tutorial for awhile now. Over the weekend, my hubby was kind enough to help me film this little tutorial on how to wrap handmade soaps with smell through shrink wrap:

Of course, we had to make another short video of the outtakes:

Enjoy!

Lotion Fragrance Poll Results

Amy Warden — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:20:35 +0000

Final Results

It was such a close call! Almost Paradise was ahead from the beginning, and stayed that way most of the time the poll was open. There were a couple of times that it was tied with Moonlit Woods, and ended up just barely ahead! I really believe that any of the names would work well for this scent, but it was so great to hear your feedback. It would be interesting to know if the votes would have been different if everyone could have actually smelled it! (Oh, smell-o-vision, where are you?)

I bottled up the lotion last week, and am now printing labels, so I’m making it available for purchase. Just $7.50 for a full 8-ounce pump:

Click Here to Buy Almost Paradise Jojoba-Shea Lotion!

Make it or Buy it?

Amy Warden — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:19:48 +0000

I’m talking about laundry soap! I made a batch of homemade laundry soap, and I’ve been using it on our laundry for the past several weeks. Here is my recipe:

1 bar Great Cakes Soapworks Orange Essence Lye Soap, grated with a cheese grater.
1 c Borax – 20 Mule Team (get it from Walmart or the grocery store laundry aisle)
1 c Washing Soda – Arm & Hammer (I couldn’t find any at Walmart, but I did find some in my grocery store laundry aisle)
1/4 c powdered OxyClean (or generic brand can be found at Dollar Tree)

Combine ingredients in the food processor and pulse to combine. Use 1 T. for light loads, use 2 T. for large or heavy loads. I’ve read that you can add ¼ c. vinegar to the rinse cycle to soften fabrics and reduce static, but I’ve never tried this. We use Bounce fragrance free dryer sheets.

Here are my observations:

1. The first load I used it on, the clothes were noticeably softer!
2. I honestly can’t tell a difference in the cleaning power. Everything seems to be coming out just as clean as before. Now, I’m still adding a bit of Biz to some of the loads that are particularly dirty, but otherwise I’m just using the homemade soap.
3. I can’t really smell the Orange Essence soap on the clothes after they are washed, but I’m not noticing any other odors either.

Here’s my question:

Based on the recipe above and my observations about using the soap, would you make your own laundry soap with Great Cakes Soapworks Orange Essence Lye Soap, or would you prefer to buy it from me already made? I still need to do the math on how much it would end up costing per load, but I’m thinking it’s definitely cheaper than store-bought detergent. Not to mention that it’s better for the environment and your skin!

Bye Bye Bugs!

Amy Warden — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:35:55 +0000

Our insect repelling arsenal is fully loaded! Bye Bye Bugs products come in three different applications, made with the same effective essential oil blend. If you are looking for a natural alternative to DEET, this is it! Not stinky either like some natural insect repellents can be!

I love this story from Fiddledeedee (from last summer):

A month or so ago, my husband and daughter headed outside to do lawn work. As they walked by, my other daughter’s head popped up from her drawing to exclaim, “EWWWWW. WHAT IS THAT HORRIBLE SMELL?” And indeed, it was rank. They explained that they were wearing bug repellent and my husband boasted that it was “all natural.” Well. So is cow manure, but I wouldn’t slather it all over myself. Anyhoo. My daughter continued to complain about the smell for TWO DAYS, and thereafter referred to it as “poison.” I informed them that from now on, they will be using Great Cakes Soapworks Bye Bye Bugs Spray when tending to our yard needs. It has a nice light woodsy smell, so it doesn’t offend the men in the house by appearing too flowery. And most importantly, it’s not poison.

So why three different applications?

Bye Bye Bugs Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks

First, I started with the Bye Bye Bugs Soap. You can use it as your regular soap during the summer, or even just when you go camping. I found out our market manager’s brother-in-law from Colorado hand washes his hiking socks with it. My parents told me they like to wash with it up to their elbows before sitting out on their porch in the evening. One of the other vendors at the farmer’s market took the soap with her on a trip to the Amazon and didn’t have any trouble with bugs!

Bye Bye Bugs 100% Natural Solid Stick

Second, I added the Bye Bye Bugs Solid Stick. If you would rather have a quick application available, the Solid Stick works wonders! It’s like an enormous chapstick, only it’s not for your lips! Apply it to the back of your neck, on your arms and legs – especially around the ankles. It’s great for kids too! I’ve had several moms purchase these for their boy scout or girl scout who was going camping. Easy for kids to apply themselves, although the Center for Disease Control has stated that the use of lemon eucalyptus, one of the main insect repelling oils should not be used on children under the age of three – simply because it hasn’t been tested. Use your own judgment.

Bye Bye Bugs Spray - 1 oz.

Third, you can use the Bye Bye Bugs Spray. This came about after one of my customers who is a landscape artist said she didn’t like having to apply the Solid Stick in the middle of the afternoon when her skin was sweaty. Thus, Bye Bye Bugs Spray to the rescue! You can also apply the spray in a wider area than the Solid Stick. Comes in a small 1 oz. travel size or the larger 4 oz. bottle.

Bye Bye Bugs Spray - 4 oz.

Purchase your Bye Bye Bugs Products here.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

Amy Warden — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:01:13 +0000

Old-Fashioned Lye Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks

After hearing about Autumn’s experience with using my Old-Fashioned Lye Soap in her homemade laundry detergent, I decide to tweak the recipe a bit and add some fresh-smelling orange essential oil. If you’d like to try making your own laundry detergent similar to Autumn’s, I found a great recipe at the Modern Cottage blog. I just replaced the Fels-Naptha soap with some Great Cakes Soapworks Old-Fashioned Orange Essence Lye Soap. Autumn recommended using a food processor to really get everything well-mixed, so that’s what I do. Here’s my recipe:

Homemade Powdered Laundry Soap
1 bar Great Cakes Soapworks Orange Essence Lye Soap
1 c Borax – 20 Mule Team (get it from Walmart or the grocery store laundry aisle)
1 c Washing Soda – Arm & Hammer (NOT the same as baking soda—generally sold in the laundry aisle at the grocery store)
1/4 c baking soda

Start by grating the lye soap with a cheese grater or your food processor. Insert chopping blade in food processor, add all ingredients and pulse to combine.

Directions for use: 1 Tbsp. for light loads, or 2 T. for large or heavy loads. Can add ¼ c. vinegar to the rinse cycle to soften fabrics and reduce static. Your clothes will NOT smell like vinegar. However, you can also add 20-30 drops essential oil (such as lavender, lemon, or tea tree) to one gallon vinegar for added deodorant and anti-bacterial properties. I skip the vinegar and just use unscented dryer sheets.

As you can see, I’ve also made more of the plain, unscented Old-Fashioned Lye Soap as well. Some folks like to make a paste and treat their poison ivy or poison oak with it. Of course the FDA has not endorsed this type of treatment and I can’t speak to its full efficacy. If you have a bad case, by all means, please see your doctor!

Does Lye Soap Make Good Laundry Soap?

Amy Warden — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:19:05 +0000

Lye Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks

That’s what Autumn of Autumn Asks Why set out to discover. I sent her three bars of my Old-Fashioned Lye Soap several weeks ago for her experiment. Autumn’s recipe is a combination of washing soda, borax, oxygen booster, and grated bar soap. She has tried four different types of bar soap for in her quest for the best laundry soap, and the results are now in! I may be tweaking the next batch just a little when I make it next week (yes, it’s currently out of stock!). Click here to read her review and find out what might need to change.

Dead Sea Mud Masks Aplenty

Amy Warden — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:11:45 +0000

Once again, I am happy to announce that the Dead Sea Mud Facial Masks are back in stock! The benefits of the minerals are extraordinary. After just one or two applications, it is not uncommon for the skin to appear firmer and toner. The mask will also lightly exfoliate and reveal a much smoother, healthier skin glow.

Dead Sea Mud Facial Masks by Great Cakes Soapworks

Just $4.95 for each packet – enough for one to two full facials, or keep it fastened closed with a paper clip after opening and have multiple acne spot treatments. Check out this post about my friend Chrissi and her daughter. They like to do mommy-daughter facials! Available for purchase here.