I almost totally forgot to mention a really fun inspiration. I want to try making pancake soap! What an adorable idea! It should be markedly easier than the dessert cake soaps, too. Pour several thin rounds to stack, pour two small squares to be pats of butter, and then a super easy drizzling of “syrup” soap. I could have a few completed on the second day with the prep pours all easily done the first day. I think they would be more visually attractive than donut soaps, too. What a great use for my maple syrup FO, too! (Did I ever mention that the sales blurb said simply that it smells like brown sugar? I was a bit surprised then to smell maple, since maple isn’t what would normally come to my mind when using brown sugar. Lol) Anyway, I couldn’t resist sharing the excitement, and you can be my safety net to remind me to attempt these exciting ideas in case I grow too distracted 😉
Daily Archives: March 7, 2012
Alas, more research
I hope that you don’t fully “hear” the impudent smile in my writing. *teasing wink* I fear that I cannot suppress it though. I have found a way to save myself at least $400 a year in overhead! *limited happy dance* While remaining in my sick bed I found that Intuit is offering credit card processing with a free card reader, no monthly or annual fees, no minimum, and no cancelation fees. In addition, the keyed rates are comparable and I would certainly make up the difference at events with being able to swipe in the customer’s presence. I’ve been researching some processing alternatives for awhile, because I pay a monthly fee even when I go months without a credit card transaction. I have had credit card customers express reluctance to continue using credit if I used a company that they weren’t as familiar with as Paypal. However, Intuit is a great option I think. They are a well trusted name in financial/business software and it is beyond awesome that I could sync payments from my phone right into Quickbooks. Wow! I think that as a customer I would like the ability to swipe and sign on a vendor’s phone without having to go through the filling out of a keyed transaction worksheet if I’m at an event (couldn’t care less otherwise, I suspect lol). I like the idea that I can stop at any point if I dislike it and not be out a penny. It’s quite an exciting possibility for me. It is a lot like another processor that another crafter recommended that I liked, but wasn’t as well known, and has some fun options like texting or emailing receipts.
Think of how many new FOs, EOs, and additives that the saved money would allow. *grin* Or even how much less guilt I will have when my bottom line is printed on my business report. It would be nice to see it print in black at some point. Lol. I have developed quite a disliking of the color red 😉
Anyway, I look forward to when I feel up to sitting at my computer and signing up to give Intuit processing a whirl. Okay, okay. Those that know me know that I’m really more excited at getting a new electronic gadget. Lol. It’s exciting, regardless. *grin*
I wish you a healthy and happy day!
One inspiration
I had to share – what a fun idea! Roll thin layers of soap, cut upon, and put into soaps, much like my chunk embeds. So cute!
Odd ramblings
When I start to lose that glow over my products I turn to apps like craft gawker and crafty crafty. Seeing such amazing, endless talent revitalizes me. Not enough to get me over whatever I caught and do more than write notes or save inspirations (not even FB is getting attention from me). I kind of look at this research like an inspiration wall that fashion designers use. Today’s research also helped me finally find out how to do paint accents on my soaps, which I’ve been wanting to do for so long. It is absolutely scary what some suggest, like using acrylic paints and what have you. Thankfully I have lots of immobile time for doing extensive research and quadruple checking everything. I also read a crafter’s review of how she does an ice cream cone soap, which I’ve been puzzling over since I spontaneously bought the mold. (Pour the whole mold in the cone color, let set, and then cut off the top. Prep the set soap to accept more soap, let new pour cool down to the point that it won’t melt the other, and let set. It takes some finesse and experience, but what an easier way than trying to block portions with sculpted playdough!) Now I can paint accents on my princess carriages and have a successful pour of my ice cream cones. Yay!
Anyone that knows me knows how my mind works, so it won’t be surprising that I was simultaneously looking up display ideas for my next event. There is a fantastic idea to stack milk crates with a board across their top to make three tiers on your table. It dawned on me that since I’m fun sized, customers would probably not see me behind the double high stack. Lol. After further scoping of images from farmer markets and craft sales, then some brainstorming of cost-effective alternatives, a shoe cubby cabinet is now on the grocery list. *smile* I can set that at an end of a table with my cash box behind – no more stooping! I’ll still be visible since it will only be a section blocked. I will use the cubbies to lie down and group bottles of matching lotions. No more overwhelming sea of bottles to lift to find the scent you want. I can also stick the bath salts cello cones in a cubby (yeah, on that very long to do list).
In the meantime I’m still debating my kid combo contents. I easily made two $20 combos, but I think that’s probably way too much for a bath gift for a kid. So I’m trying to decide what I think they will be most happy with.
Anyway, that’s probably more cold medicine ramblings about research than was appropriate. *grin* You might want to worry…I have lots more that I hope to look up, get inspired by, and rattle on about. *teasing smile*
Georgia's Pampering 