Happy New Year!

It's a new year which means, we are brining some awesome new changes to Earth N Moon.

With the new year, we at Earth N Moon decided to make a few business changes. 
We have switched our store to Square. After January, we will no longer sell on Etsy due to Etsy fees and overall cost. Square offers so much more for our little business. We can start accepting chip cards at craft shows, send invoices, offer gift cards to our store, offer and state delivery services, as well as keep costs down and productivity up.
We have switched our website to Square. Pretty much everything is going to Square. Instead of having an Etsy store and a website, we decided to go to Square and combine the two. We now have a store site that offers simplicity and easy navigation options for our customers. 
We now have seasonal items. We like keeping our customers in the loop on our projected items whether they are seasonal or year round items. Along with holidays, we will now have Spring/Summer seasonal soaps and cosmetics as well as Fall/Winter seasonal soaps and cosmetics. We have already made lots of plans for our upcoming collections, and we are super excited to get to work unveiling them at the right times. Below are items that we will be keeping year round and seasonal.

Year Round Items

The following items will be in our store throughout the year. We do not plan on discontinuing these items either.

• Clear Complexion Soap
• Psoriasis & Eczema Soap
• Healing Body Oil
• Old Fashioned Lye Soap
• Salt Soak for Feet, Hands, and Body
• Tea Tree & Eucalyptus Soap
• Lemongrass Soap
• Lavender & Rosemary Soap
• Seaweed Clay Mask
• Lip Balm (Lemongrass, Tea Tree, and Plain)
• Eye Shimmers (select colors)

We will be posting updates to our Facebook page for lists of seasonal items and any discontinued items.

Spring/Summer Items

We know that it is hard to keep cool with the warming temperatures especially depending on where you live. Our focus for Spring/Summer items is fresh and/or cooling. Some of the projected items will include:

• Peppermint Foot and Bath Soak
• Peppermint Lip Balm
• Citrus Exfoliating Soap
• Strawberry Lip Balm
• Watermelong Lip Balm
• Cucumber Melon Soap
• Honeysuckle Soap
• Juniper Breeze Soap
• Spring Pastels Eye Shimmers
• Summer Sunset Eye Shimmers

Updates will be posted to our Facebook page.

Fall/Winter Items

Fall and Winter are our busiest seasons. These seasons are bath bomb and body scrub seasons. Which means less wait time for products to become readily available.

• Body Scrubs (seasonal scents)
• Whipped Soaps (seasonal scents)
• Lip Scrubs
• Bath Bombs (seasonal scents)
• Lotions (seasonal & select scents)
• Winter Collection Eye Shimmers

Updates will be posted on Facebook.



Get 10% off your order when you use promo code LOVE17 at checkout in our store! Hurry, offer is only here until Valentine's Day! 

Our store is currently up and running. So, what are you waiting for? Go check it out. We've got new bath bombs and will be continuing to add new items to the store.

Autumn Updates

It's now Fall and the leaves are starting to change here in North Carolina. This is my favorite time of the year. Pumpkins everywhere, warm tones in orange, yellow, and red, cooler weather, and delicious scents both for food and skincare.

I must say though that while everyone else is gearing up for the change in seasons and the holidays, I am gearing down in a way. With the start of a new journey at a different college, I am placing more emphasis on my schoolwork and less focus on new products. Of course I will make a couple of holiday soaps and restock soaps that are selling, but I will be slowing down on the new product formulations and releases to focus on my studies. In fact, unless there are orders or dire restocks needed during the week, I won't be doing much with my soaps except on the weekend. While I desperately want to open my own shop one day, it's not practical to place all of my efforts on something else when I am trying to push forward with my Accounting studies and career. The handmade soap industry is flooded right now. That means the market is full of talented soapers and competition is tough. Not everyone is going to like your products, and just because you have likes on your page doesn't mean people are buying anything and vice versa. With all of this being said, I am still holding on to my soap shop dream. However, my Accounting career is within real distance while my soap shop dream is further away. I am hopeful that I will get there eventually, but I still have a family to feed and bills to pay just as everyone else does.

So, here is what I've been up to lately.

For those wondering where the Psoriasis & Eczema soap is in my shop, I have made more bars so they will be restocked this week. No more messy petals on top and the Hazelnut Oil has been eliminated due to the shelf life of the oil.

We have also reformulated our Herbal Setting Spray. It's got plenty of natural skin loving ingredients that are known to help with rosacea, acne, scarring, uneven skin tone, spots, and blemishes.

 We've got a restock and new look to our famous Lemongrass soap. Made with all natural colorants such as Green Tea powder and Titanium Dioxide (yes, it is a natural colorant), I am very satisfied with the design of these gorgeous bars. They're are also made with Goat's Milk for a creamy lather. They'll be in the stores this upcoming week!

 The Apple Pumpkin Crunch Cake smells absolutely delicious with a mix of cinnamon, brown sugar, pumpkin, and crisp apple. The scent screams Fall. It's topped with gold melt and pour embeds, and black and orange pumpkin embeds. The tops are also sprinkles with a little red mica to add a bit more color. These will also be in the stores this upcoming week. Note that these are seasonal, so once they are gone, they will not be available again until next year.

 A new scent I have made is the Lavender & Lemon. It's fresh, but floral and little bit herbal. Made with Goat's Milk, Lavender Essential Oil, and Lemon Essential Oil. It has the creamy lather you'd expect from a Goat Milk soap and a light scent of Lavender and fresh Lemon. Coming to stores at the end of this month.

 Our new whipped soaps are creamy in texture but create lots of rich, fluffy lather. They are great for showering, bathing, and shaving. However, I do not recommend guys using our whipped soap for their face. I have just created a men's shaving soap which will be available in stores in October. The whipped soaps come in Apple Toffee, Sweater Weather (Vermont Maple), Soft Cashmere, Peppermint Bliss, and Buttercream. Perfectly delicious scents for Fall! These are already available in our Etsy store and will be available at An Artisan's Emporium within the next couple of weeks.

 I am working on a comfort line that will help people through cold season as well as through times when they just need a bit of comforting and no one else is around. People get down and out and they need some comforting which is why I am working on comfort pillows that have replaceable Lavender sachets. You can sleep with these at night, or just hold them close and breathe in the Lavender for soothing your tempers and emotions. The pillows will not contain essential oils. I currently have shower steamers available in Lavender for relaxation and Spearmint Eucalyptus for sinus and cold. Check them out!

 I am in LOVE with the new Patchouli soap! This Patchouli is replacing my previous Patchouli soap. This batch is made with Cambrian Blue Clay which is very cleansing but not drying. It draws out impurities from skin but also nourishes skin, heals damaged skin, and works wonders on wrinkles and splotchy skin. It is also made with Patchouli Essential Oil, Blood Orange Essential Oil, and Lavender Essential Oil for an earthy scent with a hint of sweet citrus and floral.

 So, I was hoping these Black Velvet soap bars would be more black than cream, but I used a fragrance that accelerated trace and I wasn't ready for it. I think they turned out fantastic still. Scented with a mix of fresh powder, perfumy floral, and sweet, ripened berries. I love love love this fragrance mix. However, these are seasonal, meaning that once they're gone, they're gone until next year. They'll be ready for sale near the end of October.

 My sweet love, Vintage. I love the scent mix with this too. Front notes of fresh floral with a back note of zesty citrus. I love the scent of these. They are also made with Hibiscus Flower powder, Lemon Peel Powder, Carrot Powder, and Titanium Dioxide for the colorants. I'm happy with the swirls. These will also be ready for sale near the end of October.






I sold out of these at the last craft show I attended. So, I will be making a restock of these within the next couple of weeks. People gave great feedback on the fragrance which is a mix of Lavender, Bergamot, and Amber. It's got a darker scent and it goes with the colors. It is a favorite with men as well as women.






Now, so far as events are concerned, I've got a very busy October scheduled.

• Sunday, October 9-- Tractor Supply in Roxboro, NC
• Saturday, October 15-- Warren Family Store in Prospect Hill
• Saturday, October 22-- Carrington Middle School in Raleigh, NC

My last craft show I've got set up is in November. So, that will be my last craft show until Spring. With the weather and the holiday season, Spring through Fall are the better times for me to attend craft shows. I'll be posting as much information as I can with regards to events, news, and products.

Until next time,

Kristine

Vendors Be Cautious

So, I just wanted to post this idea out there for vendors who have had a similar situation. This is just some food for thought... I had a woman contact me about selling my products in her new store about wanting wholesale prices. So, being that I'm already signed up with An Artisan's Emporium in Roxoboro, I wanted to know what this new store was about and to do my research first (always do your research first!). Plus, I wanted to keep my arranged agreement updated as they have a right to know. Anyway, so I asked normal questions such as "what is the name and location of the store?" and "what items are you interested in?". I got a response back that stated she was interested in soaps, hair, and skin products. Anything organic for the body. She also mentioned that they were not disclosing the name of the store until construction was complete, but that the building was located in downtown Greensboro, NC. So, there were red flags all over this:

1. The main red flag--Even though construction is not complete, I have a right as a seller to know who and where my products are being sold. The fact that she is not willing to disclose the name of the store regardless of whether or not construction is complete is a big NO for me especially since I am in a contractual agreement with a local store in Roxboro.
2. The fact that I asked her which of my products she was interested in for me to give her wholesale prices and she did not give me a list of any of my products makes me suspicious. It tells me that she did not even look at my products on my store page. 
3. She did not respond after I told her I was in a contractual agreement with another store and needed to update them on other venues where I am selling.

So, I just let it go. 

My point is to just be careful when someone sends you a message and wants to do business with you. My tips for being fair to yourself and prospective business partners is

• Research your prospective business partner. Are they an actual business? Do they have a physical location? Ask for their address and business name. Don't be afraid to ask for this information, You, as a vendor, have a right to know about the possible venue where your items are being sold.
• If you feel like you are being pressured into something, think twice before you say "yes". Don't feel obligated or pressured into a sale or business proposal. Depending on the situation, it may not be in your best interest. Think about it before you do it.
• With the previous bullet, look at all of the factors before signing on. Is the business well-known? Do they have a lot of good reviews? Pay attention to the attitude of your prospective business partner. Will they represent your items well when you're not around? Remember, just because someone else may be selling your products, the people who are selling your items for you are also representing your brand. Customers and potential customers usually don't differentiate between physical store and what is carried in the store. So, if your customer or potential customer has a bad experience at the store where your products are being sold, it could result in a potential customer loss. It just depends on situations and customers. However, with that being said, a lot of times, you won't know if a customer has had a bad experience unless the customer expresses through personal complaint, social media, or other way.
• Make sure all of your questions are answered upfront before making a decision. Get all of the details on fees, booth/spot costs, payment dispersal, etc.

I am sure there may be some more that come to mind. So, if I think of any more, I will update this post.

Hoping this helps my vendor friends and followers!

Cheers!

Kristine