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THISTLEWOOD MANOR SOAP

Small Business Saturday

11/29/2019

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 Everyone has heard of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when many businesses have big sales.  However, have you heard of Small Business Saturday?  That's the next day, when you are encouraged to shop small, locally owned businesses.  Many small businesses can't afford to sell our products at a big discount because they are made by hand, by us, in our spare time from other jobs.  However, if you buy from a small business you can expect good quality and good service because we put our names and faces on our businesses.

​Today, my husband and I visited C & M Acres Fiber Mill near Maxwell, IA ; which is only a few miles from us.  Their shop is open today till 3 and tomorrow 10-3.  As we drove up, all the alpacas stood in a line staring straight at us!  They have a nice little shop filled with yarn, blankets, rugs, roving and more.  It's fun to support a neighbor!

​Another small business I want to support is Dwarven Workshop.  They make wood boxes, cutting boards, combs, games and more.  Recently they also made some inkle looms for me to sell and they are excellent looms.

​I hope you enjoy your shopping and support small businesses too!

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What's the difference?

11/19/2019

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We sell two different kinds of soap;  shampoo and regular.  Many times people ask us what the difference is between the two, so I am here to explain.

First, our regular soaps.  They are made with Lard, Coconut oil, and Olive oil.  This combination creates a soap that is hard and long lasting, cleansing, creamy and sudsy.  It's a great hand and body soap.  Sometimes we add herbs to it, or light abrasives like coffee grounds or pumice.

Shampoo soap is made with different oils.  They are Olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil.  This makes slightly softer soap that needs to dry longer before it can be used.  It is also very sudsy.  The castor oil is conditioning so you don't need to use extra conditioner on your hair.  

How do you use shampoo soap?  It seems odd, but you just wet down your hair and rub the bar on it.  Then set down the bar and suds up your hair.  Rinse and you are done!  You can repeat if your hair is dirty or you  have a lot of it.  Unlike commercial shampoos, shampoo soap doesn't strip the natural oils from your hair, making your scalp produce more oil and making your hair look greasy soon after washing.  Many people can skip a day or three of washing their hair, making shampoo bars great for camping!  They are also great for travel, especially plane and overseas travel where containers are a concern.
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What's an inkle and what should I do with it?

11/12/2019

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You may have noticed that one of the categories in my shop is inkle weaving, and wondered what that is.  "Inkle" just means "narrow" and it's a method of weaving narrow bands.  These bands can range from very narrow to around 4" wide, depending on the loom used.  They are popular in reenactment groups from Viking to buckskinners, and also with anyone who loves using colorful handmade items.

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How do you use inkle woven bands?  Here are some ideas:
  • Sashes or belts
  • bracelets
  • pet leash
  • pet collar
  • purse or bag straps
  • key fob
  • headband
  • watch band
  • choker
  • lanyard
  • clothing trim
  • shoelaces
  • camera strap
  • guitar strap
  •  mitten strap
  • pacifier tie
  • canoe tie down
  • package wrapping
  • drawstring
  • hat band 
  • bookmark



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    Deb Keller

    I started making soap about 10 years ago, and began selling 7 years ago after perfecting my recipes.  This is where I will share extra information and ideas.

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