Sunday, February 27, 2011

19th Century Literature Based Scents

I'm toying with new fragrances based on some of my favorite characters. So far I'm looking at doing two counterpoint fragrances: Elinor and Marianne as well as a Sherlock Holmes scent.
Elinor will be more earthy, Rosewood, Eucalyptus, Ivy, maybe a touch of Orange. Marianne will be sweeter, Vanilla, Lavender, Rose, Cinnamon. I'm still playing with blends currently.
For Holmes I'm looking at a masculine blend of Tobacco Flower and Cedarwood.
I'm also working on an Absinthe soap called "The Green Muse." That will be in honor of the romantic poets.

I have to make up anther batch of my Captain Wentworth soap, I've just sold the last bar.
I've also just listed a new soap, "Summer Stroll" to match my solid perfume by the same name.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Etsy Teams and Branding

With all the new forum changes, teams are springing up left and right to fill the gap. I didn't want to, but I have jumped on the bandwagon, so to speak. I joined the Shop of the Day Team (full of lovely people and enthusiastic promoters). I also joined the Wholligans (or Doctor Who fans) team, because sometimes it's nice to have someone to get excited with over the show. Very few of my friends watch it.
I also started a team. I am now the captain of English Geeks of Etsy. So many members I've seen on forums love reading and writing and many sell literature related items. I thought it would be fun to come together as a community and discuss that love.
With my other shop, I'm a member of the Etsy Bloggers, but I'm still unsure of what to do about my first shop. It's in vacation mode currently.
I'm not sure how to "brand" Crafting Birds, my first shop. I make jewelry, accessories, clothing, and many of my items are made from recycled materials. Do I want to go in the direction of recycled artsy pieces or historically inspired items? I don't know if my shop can support both. It's a lot to contemplate.
I'm planning on selling live at (at least) two different events this summer, I'll be mixing merchandise from both my shops at these events. The main event will be my soaps, but I'll lay out some bags and jewelry as well to draw more people into my tent.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Woodsy new fragrance blends

I've been experimenting with my oils and have two new fragrances I'm playing with. They'll probably become perfumes and possibly then matching soaps.
Nymph- This is a fresh, sweet, citrusy blend. It has base notes of Rosewood with a bit of Bergamot (my new favorite oil to blend, I'm obsessed), Oakmoss, and Amber. There will be a balance of earthiness with a light whimsical quality.
Autumn Woods- It has similar qualities to Nymph, but has a base of Cedarwood, with Vanilla and Rosemary. Bright, herbaceous, I think it could also work for a man.
Both are made from fragrance blends that are mostly comprised of essential oils blended by me. I've been toying with the idea of making roll-on oil perfumes as well, but I'm not sure. I like the solid perfume medium, it's convenient, moisturizing, and a very economical way to buy perfume. However, not many people I talk to are that familiar with solid perfume. The oil would be more expensive to make and I'm not sure how it would do. It's something to consider as I (hopefully) grow my business.