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Handmade Toiletries Weekly Newsletter
November 26, 2000
A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630
November 26, 2000
Issue 46
----->THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR: WWW.SUNSOAP.COM
Full Service Web Site For Soapmakers!!
December specials: 30% OFF Jojoba Oil, 20% OFF Patchouly Essential Oil, 20% OFF FD&C Color Chips, FREE THERMOMETERS!
* Essential Oil of the Month Sale
* Chat Room for soap crafters
* Large selection of educational & reference materials
* Newsletter, Creative Alchemy & the Poetry of Soapmaking
* Exclusive discounts in our SoapMakers Club--up to 20% OFF!
* New Soap Stamps & Melt & Pour ShampooTM base!
WWW.SUNSOAP.COM | (315) 265-3648
Call for a full color Soap Maker's GAZETTE & SUPPLY CATALOG
1. BEAUTY NOTES (from HBC readers)
2. HBN UPDATE ~ WELCOME NEW HBN MEMBERS!!
3. HANDMADE BEAUTY TRIVIA QUESTION ~ win a sample of a special holiday essential oil
4. HANDMADE BEAUTY PRODUCT REVIEW by Joan
5. SOAPMAKING WORKSHOP AT THE SMILE HERB SHOP on 12/2/00
6. TUNE IN FOR DONNA MARIA ON HOME MATTERS ON 12/27/00!!
7. READER RECIPE ~ ANISGUETZLI COOKIES
1. BEAUTY NOTES (from HBC readers)
Dear DM ~
"Thank you for the beautiful gift of Gratitude in the special Gratitude Giving Day issue. It was a lovely sentiment and so nicely written. I think as we get caught up in just trying to make it through the stuff our daily lives throw at us, we forget to stop and take a deep breath and remember all the good things life has to offer. Thank you again for the inspirational words." Libby Claridge, California.
Dear DM ~
"Thanks for the kinds words and beautiful prose in the Newsletter today! It inspired me to send a similar letter to my email list with several wonderful people who received a letter of Gratitude thanks to HBC's inspiration." Pat Fountain, New York.
Send your beauty notes to donnamaria@handmadebeauty.com.
2. HBN UPDATE ~ WELCOME NEW HBN MEMBERS!!
~ Self Essentials | Lora Juge-Self | California
Supplier of raw materials, with a product line coming soon
~ ShadyBay Soap Works | Robert Chance | Washington state
Handmade bath salts and other luscious toiletries
~ Highland Soaps & Scents | Janet Chordegian | Georgia
Vegetable-based handmade & handcut cold-process soap
~ Renewing Members!! Thanks for your continued support!!
~ Chelmsford Herbal Soap Co. | Rebecca Lucich | Massachusetts
~ Sunshine Garden Soapworks | Stephani Halderman | Wisconsin
~ Bear Creek Soaps | Debra J. Birkholz | Colorado
Visit these and other HBN member Web sites through our online Member Directory!!
3. HANDMADE BEAUTY TRIVIA QUESTION ~ Last week's winner was TJ Currey of Snoqualmie, Washington. TJ won a sample of geranium absolute from the Reunion Islands off the eastern coast of Africa!
LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: Name the person credited with this quote: "When I was a boy, I thought scent was contained in dew drops on flowers and if I got up very early in the morning, I could collect it and make perfume."
LAST WEEK'S ANSWER: Oscar de la Renta
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: In the Old Testament book of Exodus, the Lord provides Moses with a recipe for a holy incense which He instructs must be made "according to the art of the perfumer." This recipe called for a vareity of different herbs, woods, sweet spices and other ingredients. One of those ingredients is typically associated around the world with the celebration of the Christmas holiday. To win this week, name that ingredient.
Be the first to answer this week's question and win a sample of that ingredient in essential oil form - a perfect addition to your holiday aromatherapy or incense blend.
Read our contest rules before submitting your answer!!
4. HANDMADE BEAUTY PRODUCT REVIEW by Joan
Joan is our newest product review panelist. Click here to read about Joan and our other beauty product review panelists.
~ Patchouli Soap by Joan's Gardens
5.5 oz. ~ $6.50
Joan's Gardens soap is aesthetically pleasing, wrapped in simple but elegant corrogated paper and tied with a colorful silk ribbon. Flecks of Joan's own home grown patchouli add visual interest to this 5.5 ounce bar of fine handmade soap. Made with all-natural ingredients, this soap is leagues above commercial specialty soaps.
My skin is hyper-sensitive and generally requires cleansing with non-soap alternatives. Yet even continued used of this soap has neither dried out nor irritated my skin. In my experience, all soaps leave a bit of a film on my skin after rinsing, and this one was no different. So I just rinsed like I always do with lemon water (1 teaspoon of lemon juice per cup of water). Sometimes I substitute vinegar for the lemon juice. Morning or evening, bath or shower, I enjoy the mysterious Patchouli fragrance and the rich lather of this soap.
I think Joan's Gardens soaps make lovely holiday or hostess gifts in and of themselves. The beautiful packaging makes them perfect with no additional wrapping.
Handmade Patchouli Soap and other delish treats are available from HBN member Joan's Gardens, listed in our online Member Directory!!
5. SOAPMAKING WORKSHOP AT THE SMILE HERB SHOP on 12/2/00
Join me and my apprentices for "SoapMaking For Gift Giving & Pleasure" at The Smile Herb Shop in College Park, Maryland on December 2, from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Q&A and Booksigning to follow! Learn how to make your own soap from scratch using natural ingredients, and take some of our newly made soap home with you!! Pre-registration is required. Call Smile at (301) 474-8791 for details and to register.
6. TUNE IN FOR DONNA MARIA ON HOME MATTERS ON 12/27/00!!
In September, I taped a segment that will air on the Discovery Channel's Home Matters show on December 27.
I'll post more details later but I hope you'll mark that date on your calendar!!
The taping was lots of fun, but I think the best part was watching Home Matters co-host (and
former Miss America), Susan Powell painting Strawberry Face
Frappe all over the face of her male co-host, Chris McWatt, at the end of the segment. He was very cooperative and
surprised to see how good it felt on his skin! I hope that part didn't end up on the editing room floor!!
I'll be sure to post the Discovery Channel link with the air time details in advance of the show. It was a
blast and I hope you'll tune in!
7. READER RECIPE ~ ANISGUETZLI COOKIES
Last week, our recipe was Gratitude Cookies, which were a big hit at dinner. As I suspected I would, I returned with
a clean plate ... even the crumbs were lapped up! If you missed that recipe, you can get it
here.
Continuing our holiday theme of featuring aromatic goodies designed to be feasted upon, I am delighted to share with
you Franziska Pedersen's recipe for Anisguietzli (pronounced an-is-gu-etz-li), which means anise seed cookies in Swiss
dialect.
Born in Berlin (West Germany), Franziska now lives in the German speaking part of Switzerland, about 20 miles from
Zurich, with her Danish husband, two sons, two cats, a dog, a proofreading service and handmade toiletries business,
"Just A Perfect Day." Franziska has made toiletries since she was 12 or 13.
A year and a half ago, Franziska bought a soap making book. "That was it," she said. "I'm addicted to the craft. People
here in Switzerland find me very unusual; it's like they look at me thinking, 'Will you poison me or are you only a witch?'
I look forward to the day when all Swiss people will love handmade soap instead of industrial liquid shower gels."
Franziska's business, "Just A Perfect Day - The Soap Factory" produces handmade soap, bath items and fine toiletries,
with sales mainly through the Internet.
Says Franziska, "I wait weekly for HBC's Newsletter. I like the sponsor and new member links and the weekly recipes.
I look forward to joining HBN someday."
ANISGUETZLI COOKIES
Ingredients
5 eggs
500 g (@ 17 oz.) confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons anise seeds
500 g (@ 17 oz.) flour
Using an electric blender, mix together the eggs and confectioner's sugar until frothy. Add the salt, lemon
juice and anise seeds and stir well. Add the flour and mix
easily with hands.
Roll the doug out 1/2 inch thick and cut into 2-inch cubes. Place the cubes on a baking tray to dry overnight.
Do not cover the cubes during this time. The next morning, preheat the oven to 284F (140C). Place the cubes in the warm oven
for 20 minutes. Do not close the over door during baking.
Franziska tells me that these cookies have a very special anise flavor and that, in Switzerland, there are special
Anisguetzli-molds which are used to impress the cubes with holiday designs before baking. You can see some of these
lovely molds at http://www.sculptor.ch/Kuchenmodel.html.
Thanks for the great recipe Franziska!!
If you have a recipe you'd like to share, send it to recipes@handmadebeauty.com. If we use it in an upcoming
issue, we'll credit you!!
Thank you for reading the Handmade Beauty Connection. Feel free to visit
our Archives or learn how you can advertise
in the Newsletter!! We always appreciate the feedback received from our readers.
Please send your comments and/or questions and suggestions to donnamaria@handmadebeauty.com.
Have A Great Week!!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Handmade Beauty Connection
The Handmade Beauty Network | www.handmadebeauty.com
Copyright (c) 2000 by The Handmade Beauty Network (HBN)
and Donna Maria. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized
distribution or reproduction is prohibited. HBN does not
necessarily endorse any product, event or ideology featured
in The Handmade Beauty Connection (HBC) or on HBN's Web site.
All information is provided on an "as is" basis and no
express or implied warranties are given. Any use of the
information contained in the HBC or on HBN's Web site,
including Recipes, is solely at your own risk. HBN and
Donna Maria disclaim any liability in connection with the
use of all recipes, products reviewed and other information.
Except for sponsorships, HBC refuses compensation from
companies to feature or mention their names or products.
Opinions expressed in any Product Review are personally those
of the reviewer and do not represent the views of HBN, Donna
Maria or any other person or company.
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