The benefits of a great helper!

I had the pleasure of teaching an introduction to soap making classes on Monday night.  We had a fantastic groups of ladies and a few kids to boot! My daughter Ivy even helped out.  I was so proud of her and a JOB WELL DONE!  GREAT JOB IVY!  I am very glad she getting bigger and can enjoy the same things as her momma. 

More FDA Oversight Funded by Big Business?

I received this in my email this morning!  This should all make us very afraid, because ultimately what this does is pave the way for bigger government and business. What this bill proposes to do is to eliminate the homemade/handcrafted body care industry by installing laws enacted that the small businesses do not have the funds or the means to complete.  Guess who this one is backed by?  Large Cosmetic Companies that see the new revolution of handmade items as a threat to their sales. If you don't believe me just check out all the new packaging at "Walmart" for instance. The big cosmetic companies are making their products look more like something you can buy at your local farmer market.  If you only read part of this article please go down to the "The Council Plans Include"

You decide....  If you agree with what you see please past this information on!  If we sit back and let the changes take place where will we be tomorrow?  What's Next?  They'll want to regulate any handmade items because the Ink you use to paint with maybe toxic because it included an ingredient that may cause cancer if you use it at 1 million the times that you are suppose to? 

Press Release from The Personal Care Products Council:
Groundbreaking Initiative from Personal Care Products Council Would Establish an Additional Layer of Federal Oversight & Enhance Existing Consumer Safeguards

WASHINGTON, July 15 /PRNewswire/ — In a groundbreaking initiative intended to enhance existing protections for millions of American consumers, the nation’s cosmetics industry today announced plans to support legislation that would strengthen and modernize regulatory oversight of the industry and create a greater role for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in assessing ingredient safety for personal care products.
The proposal represents the culmination of more than three years of planning and research by the Personal Care Products Council (the Council), the cosmetics industry’s trade group, which has consistently advocated for more FDA funding to support additional regulatory oversight. The Council detailed its proposal in a letter to key health policy leaders in Congress. The proposal would enhance current FDA and industry safety initiatives.
The Council is seeking to create formal processes for FDA to review ingredients for safety at the request of the public and stakeholder groups and to review all safety determinations made by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. No such FDA processes currently exist.
“For decades, the industry has had an impeccable safety record under the existing requirements implemented by FDA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Our products remain among the safest in the marketplace,” said Lezlee Westine, the Council’s president and chief executive officer. “Nonetheless, we believe it is time to develop a more contemporary approach that includes a greater federal regulatory role. In fact, for the last 30 years, we have aggressively implemented numerous safety initiatives and processes to strengthen industry safety practices. Our consumers deserve multiple layers of protection and transparency.”
Westine emphasized the proactive nature of today’s announcement, which is being made in the absence of any specific public health risk or legislative mandate involving personal care products, which remain safe to use. Rather, the industry is responding to American consumers who are requesting and deserving more transparency from government and industry while ensuring their ability to keep pace with continued demand for innovative products.
“From Wall Street to the Gulf of Mexico, we have seen what can happen when there is a breakdown in the relationship between government and the private sector,” said Westine. “Our initiative recognizes the need to establish a more collaborative and constructive relationship with federal regulators.”
Toward that end, the Council’s five-point plan includes mandatory industry reporting and mandatory Good Manufacturing Practices, two provisions currently in HR 759, the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2009, introduced by Congressman John Dingell (D-MI), and three additional provisions that industry is seeking.

The Council plan includes:
(1) Enhanced FDA Registration. It requires that personal care products manufacturers who market their products in the United States comply with the following:
* Register with FDA all facilities where those products are manufactured.
* File with FDA product ingredient reports disclosing all of the ingredients used in those products; and
* Report to FDA any serious unexpected adverse event with a personal care product experienced by consumers.
(2) New Process to Set Safety Levels for Trace Constituents. When requested or on its own initiative, FDA would be required to establish safe levels for trace constituents in cosmetic ingredients and products;
(3) New FDA Ingredient Review Process. Once a request has been made, or FDA unilaterally determines action is warranted, the agency would be required to review the safety of any ingredient intended for use in a personal care product and set safety use levels for such ingredient on a specified timetable;
(4) New FDA Oversight of CIR Findings. FDA would be required to review current and future findings on the safety of cosmetic ingredients by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel and determine if these findings are correct. If there are instances in which it determines a CIR finding is not correct, FDA would determine by guidance or regulations if, or under what conditions, the ingredient can be used safely in personal care products;
(5) FDA-Issued Good Manufacturing Practices. FDA would establish industry-wide “Good Manufacturing Practices” requirements.
Westine. “Our companies commend Rep. Dingell for his ongoing work to better protect consumers and increase transparency. We look forward to working with the current and next Congress to ensure these changes are meaningful and attain the full force of federal law.”
For more information about cosmetic and personal care products, visit www.cosmeticsinfo.org.
Based in Washington, D.C., the Personal Care Products Council is the leading national trade
association representing the global cosmetic and personal care products industry. Founded in 1894, the Council’s more than 600 member companies manufacture, distribute, and supply the vast majority of finished personal care products marketed in the U.S. As the makers of a diverse range of products millions of consumers rely on every day, from sunscreens, toothpaste and shampoo to moisturizer, lipstick and fragrance, personal care products companies are global leaders committed to product safety, quality and innovation.
SOURCE: Personal Care Products Council

Need Advice On A Die Cutter

With our addition of our new line of wedding favors, I thought it would be good idea to look into buying a die cutter?  Will the Die Cutter be able to cut out favor boxes?  Is it really just for scrapbooking?  How have you used it?

Soy Candles in waiting...

I wanted to share...  I made some soy candles yesterday.  My 1st batch.  

They turned out really good, don't you think?

The Local Farmers Market

In the middle of peach country right here in the south, it's a hot one! Temperatures will in the high 90's and my daughter I will be heading off to the local farmers markets. I think we'll go straight to the Wesleyan College Market this morning. Looks like they have a really good market with a variety of items for sale, which is open every second Saturday of each month (during spring, summer, and fall) on the front campus. They have local items ranging from flowers, baked goods, and organic fruits and vegetables to fresh shrimp, hand-made soaps, and local artwork for sale. Go to their web www. wesleyancollege.com

We will also be looking at the Perry Georgia Farmers market, it may be small but it's local and I love to support all my local farmers and artisians. I feel I should be out there selling but this time of year..it's just too hot! My soap will not melt, but I worry it's still too hot for some of those delicate oils that can go rancid in the morning heat. I just don't want to chance it. I have to wait until September.

Check out our local community in Perry, Georgia right here! www.perryga.com

Have a happy Saturday (Caturday as my daughter would say..)!

Start up your online website for less than $100?

Wow?  Is this really possible? ....  YES! It is.  I started my website www.mossycreeksoap.com over a year ago this way and have never been happier!  When you're a small business owner who makes handmade/handcrafted items and sell through your local market through shows, it's tough to spend a lot of money on having a website.  But in today's market you need one to be on the map.  In the end you end up losing business because you did not take the leap. Not making your millions yet to afford a website/design/web host? Well you decide.  Being the froogle person that I am I wanted to do just that.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money monthly to keep it running either, so then what's the use? Right? Well my monthly fees run about $11.95 a month for the host alone and every 3 months $24 for an upgraded account on my shopping cart provider. So here it goes...Go to Shoppe Pro Web Hosting, start with with a domain name (better hope by now yours is still avail) for $12.95 a year, pick a web hosting plan.. $11.95 (no contracts ever!), one time license fee $15, then go to  boutiquemama.com and search through one of her beautiful templates to personalize it mine was $49.99 and then you need a credit card processing company (right now I am using paypal.com) or you can use your own just contact the shopping cart provider to set it up for you that's it!  Sound too easy?? Well it's not and I can reassure you that I have not had any problems since I started. And since it doesn't take too much away from my bottom line I can afford to keep it going.  So what's stopping you now???  GET BUSY!