Let The Countdown Begin...

 This handsome Black Walnut handcrafted (in house) shave brush has an overall height of 4.5" and boats a nice 20.5mm Silvertip Badger knot and is available for purchase on the TVHS Etsy shop.

It's Friday, and four days until one of these beautiful handcrafted shaving brushes with shave soap will be given away courtesy of Tierra Verde Handmade Soaps and Lubbock in the Loop. Every Tuesday until Christmas Lubbock in the Loop will be having big GIVEAWAYS in conjunction with local businesses.

Lubbock in the Loop has a finger on the pulse of Lubbock entertainment, eating establishments, events, local business, charity events and for convenient weekend planning The 289 highlights upcoming events for the upcoming weekend.

 

Be sure to pop by the TVHS Facebook page for sneak peeks at things newly listed to the Etsy shop-Facebook friends get the first look at new product and listings.

This amazing Bubinga handcrafted shave brush also stands at 4.5" tall and also boasts a 20.5mm Silvertip Badger knot and is a new listing on Etsy.

About Tierra Verde Handcrafted Shaving Brushes

Each shave brush handle is hand turned with great care by us here at Tierra Verde Handmade Soaps- most often it’s my husband, but on occasion I get in on the action too.  No two shave brush handles are exactly alike-we do not use a duplicator and this means that each brush has slightly unique dimensions and traits.

We opted to turn our own shave handles, so that we could put together a truly artisan gift set for our customers. We are learning so much about wood and the different qualities, as well as what a truly beautiful media it is to work with. We’ve quickly come to love and appreciate the beauty and unique nature of each turned piece.

We purchase shaving knots that are made of high quality Silvertip Badger hair. Silvertip comes from the neck hair of the badger, and is very soft and suitable for men with sensitive skin. Badger hair has been used for 100’s of years to make the very finest shaving brushes. The bristles are hand sorted and filled-each one is a bit idiosyncratic due to its handmade nature. Badger hair absorbs water and is the standard for applying the most comfortable, moist and penetrating lather.

How It's Made

Every piece starts out as a blank-A raw unassuming piece of wood

The shape is formed with a variety of tools that basically sculpt the wood

Each piece gets sanded until it's as soft as a baby's bum

Boiled Linseed Oil makes the color and grain come alive

The finished product - this shave brush is made of Black Walnut and boasts a nice Silvertip Badger knot

More details coming soon!

Special Delivery

I just dropped off some "earthly delights" by Hodgpodge Design at 26th and Boston. Oh my! The store smelled heavenly-something like sugar cookies, and it was beeeeeautifully decorated with Christmas delights. I also heard a rumor that there will be an Open House this weekend-you must pop by while you're out and about.

White-A Delicate Balance

I'm always experimenting with different product shots-always. Most typically I'm drawn to product shots that have much contrast and mood to them. I'm not a big fan of the product image standard with a white background. I know the theory is that white makes the colors and image "pop" by providing the most contrast. The above image is nice, and the background is even a nice clean white that doesn't lean too much to gray,however in my experience with white backgrounds- they are a bit "persnickety." White can be beautiful, if you can get a nice warmish white as opposed to a grayish white. White is difficult in terms of consistency too, for example if you were to take several images with white backgrounds to put on your Etsy shop,it's quite possible your backgrounds could run the gamut of white from warm to cool-this could spell disaster for your shop.

I think "white" backgrounds are best left to someone that has a very, very good grasp of their camera,as for me-I think I'll stick with something other than white for now.

Thanksgiving Blessings

Wishing all my friends an abundantly blessed Thanksgiving Holiday. I feel especially humbled this year in the wake of the terribly horrific accident involving Veterans in Midland,Tx-so close to home, and two Fb friends experiencing terrible loss in the form of fire. Thanksgiving is a sweet reminder of how blessed we really are-take time to savor your blessings of family, health, a roof over your head, food on the table...the really important things.

A Sign

A sign of things to come....more details in the next few weeks.

Oh! and there will be a giveaway Dec.4 for all my blogging and Facebook friends with another BIG giveaway soon after, but you must be a Facebook friend to be eligible-so hop on over to "like" my page.

Change Is A Good Thing

Green Earth Gardener's Soap-3.75oz. $5.50

I've been working on converting my line over to the round format, and I have to say I am very pleased with rounds. I like them more and more-they feel like such a good "fit" for me. I love how the Green Earth Gardener's Soaps looks in the round-there's something just a bit more pleasing about them. Change is indeed a good thing. (You can still buy Green Earth Gardener's Soap in the bar if you prefer for a limited time-until they're gone.)

While the shape is different the formula is exactly the same-

This soap represents a trinity of qualities perfect for use on hardworking hands. First off, our olive oil enriched soap provides a nourishing foundation for the three herbal essential oils that clean and freshen while lastly a bit of pumice and rice hulls perform the function of gently scrubbing away tough dirt.

This is the perfect soap for ceramicists, gardeners, mechanics and others who need a soap that gently scrubs away tough dirt and grime while a fresh rosemary mint scent leaves hands smelling clean and fresh. So don’t be afraid to dig in and get those hands dirty

I'm Still A Nerd

Lemongrass with Calendula

So, I know we've had this conversation before about what a soap nerd I am. I love soap as much today as I did several years ago when I started making it-maybe even more. It's still somehow magical when a batch comes out just right-no matter how many times I've made it. Take for example, this freshly cut batch of Lemongrass with Calendula sitting in a dappling of morning sun.  I love the sunny yellow color and the sprinkling of happy Calendula petals dancing throughout the batch. The aroma of Lemongrass is perfect anytime of year-always seems to pick me right up. Yep, there's no doubt I'm still a nerd.

Oh, and just because I am a huge nerd, and think soap is beautiful + have a photography itch to scratch too-here's another bonus pic. from the other day.

Enjoy!

Private Labels

I have family members with the last name Seal and for several years they have had a running Christmas card with a Seal theme-this year they purchased some handmade soap to give to friends and neighbors.

Often we associate "private label" with another business that wants to sell a product as theirs,but what about a personalized "private label?" Custom handmade soap is such a fun gift for teachers, Bunco groups, HOA parties, church Christmas parties,employee Christmas parties, or any event that you might want to give something a bit more personal and memorable. It's not too late to get in your order for a custom "private label" if you do so immediately(if you're wanting it by the middle of Dec.)

Honor A Veteran

To our men and women in uniform...past, present and future. God Bless you and Thank You.

If you are looking for a fantastic way to honor a veteran please consider a donation to your area's Honor Flight. I can tell you from our recent news coverage that it means more than you will ever know to these veterans in their 80's and 90's. Veterans of "The Greatest Generation." I was so touched to see what it means to them. For as little as $25 you can make a memory a veteran will never forget.

Take a look at our recent local news coverage or our very first area Honor Flight- have a Kleenex handy I promise you won't make it through without shedding a tear. If you don't have time to watch all of them be sure to at least catch the finale. The gentleman featured passed away 2 days after the Honor Flight of a lifetime-you can't help but wonder if he had been waiting all his life to pay homage to his fallen brothers. If you are in the Lubbock area or would like to a veteran from the Lubbock area to be able to participate in the next Honor Flight here is the address for donations.

What is Honor Flight? Honor Flight is a three day all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. for veterans of "The Greatest Generation." Veterans visit the WW2 and Korean Memorials, Arlington National Cemetery(at which they place a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) and numerous other memorials. They will also have wreath and flag laying ceremonies at the WW2 and Korean Memorials and the Vietnam Wall. Oh, in case you are wondering, each Veteran attending is equipped with a volunteer caretaker who pays their own way to assist.

South Plains Honor Flight
PO Box 94787
Lubbock, TX 79493

New Goodies Coming Soon!

A bit of soapiness for your Friday.

So, I'm working on a bit of a transition for TVHS that will become evident by December when there will be a launch for some new offerings. Lots of my offerings will be the same, there will still be bath soap, face soap, shaving soap and a few specialty soaps-the biggest difference is that I am switching to rounds for several reasons with the biggest reason being that round soap just fits the hand so nicely. I'm looking forward to showing you some new things that are up and coming very soon.

Oh, and did I mention there will be a big giveaway over on my Facebook page? Shooting for the first part of Dec.- help me top 210 likes for your chance to win.