Soap Making Boot Camp

Maybe this holiday season, give yourself or a loved one a soap making class. I know of two places that specialize in this that I would love to do in a heartbeat...(wink wink).

The first:

The Nova Studio in California with Lori Nova and David Critchfield

They are holding a 2 day Boot Camp on Saturday, January 26th and 27th (8 hours per day-16 hours total). See the description here. The cost is a mere $250 + a $25 materials fee.

Day one will be the basics on learning cold process soap making, including history, chemistry, using herbs and clays...etc. Second half of day 1 will be the "intermediate class" learning scent and color technique, embeds and swirling techniques.

Day 2: The first half of the day will be about hot process soap making and all that entails and the second half of day 2 is called,"Big Batch/Production of Soap" class. David teaches about making large batches of CP soap and offers tips on selling your soaps as a business. Limited to 14 students.

Amazing. I want to do this!

The other soap making classes I know of are taught by Anne-Marie (the soap-queen blog) or one of her soap making gurus of Otion in Bellingham, WA. My luck, both class offerings are on the West coast.

Otion has a Basic Soap Making class that is offered on Monday December 10th, from 5:15 pm- 7:15 pm. Limited to 7 people and costs only $25, but bring your apron, goggles and gloves.

Two very different classes, obviously. One is 16 hours of learning and the other 2 hours. So, if you live near Seattle, I'd say,"go get some classes at Otion", but if you live far away, it sounds like The Nova Studio would be an intensive workout for someone who can splurge for airfare, hotel accommodations, food and the class.

Update: Back Porch Soap Co. teaches soapmaking, natural skincare formulation, liquid soapmaking, anti-aging as well as bath & body business classes in Boston, NYC and San Francisco. http://www.backporchsoap.com

Learn From The Masters

pic: Anne-Marie at Brambleberry with protection.

I am looking for a soap making class here in sunny south Florida. I need a mentor.

If you don't already know Anne-Marie Faiola from Brambleberry, Otion and her blog, Soap And The Finer Things In Life, allow me to introduce her to you. She is a young entrepreneur (I think she is 28??), owns at least three successful businesses, writes a popular blog, teaches soap classes and has time to run, boat, fly and take on being an official soap judge in the latest soap competition for the American Dairy Goats Association among a million other things I have no idea about. I am sure I have completely forgotten some glaring accomplishments she's achieved, but this is what my brain can conjure up at the moment.

She teaches soap classes at Otion, The Soap Bar location in Bellingham, Washington. I really wish I could do that with her. I have so many questions and am so interested in learning everything I can. In fact, I'd love a whole series of classes to try out soaping under a master's critical eyeball. In the quest to find soaping geniuses, I think I've found that Florida in general is lacking people who do this. As you know, I am originally from Brooklyn and stuff like this oozes from every alley and neighborhood. No lack of artistic genius and certainly no lack of sharing one's talent. It is almost a prerequisite to be the knowledgeable one in whatever the art might be.

I think everyone wants to be a guru in something!

I would love some input about soap classes in your area, so that I can share them with other folks. Folks like me who are chomping at the bit for some soap making fun. If you are a Florida Soap Queen and want to teach me, let's talk. If you teach or know of soap classes, give me info so that we can all get good at keeping this an art form that hopefully will never die. Yeah? (As Chef Ramsey would say).

ps: I love Chef Ramsey :)