Virtual Reality: Seattle Sundries
SLIDESHOW: "The art of soapmaking is knowing what mixture of oils to use in order to make a soap that is moisturizing and has a rich, smooth, and stable lather," says Bloom, purveyor of all things sudsy at Seattle Sundries. Learn more about it in the slideshow here.
Like all handcrafted soaps, the color and shape of Bloom’s 3-inch bars can have slight variations. That’s how you know the bar has been mixed, cut, and trimmed by hand, rather than a machine.
Bloom marks each tin with a round, old-fashioned label. "My illustrations are a mixture of vintage images, pictures that I drew myself, and ones created for me by a graphic artist," she explains. "I try to use art that is cohesive stylistically and also tells the story of each soap variety. I prefer packaging that triggers conversation, and maybe a chuckle here and there. I even have a plan in the works for a tongue-in-cheek election year soap."
"My workspace is broken into three main areas: where I make the soap, where it’s cut and cured, and where I do the labeling and packaging. It’s a jumble of buckets, bottles, bins, and storage shelves, but it all smells great!"
After opening her Etsy shop in 2008, Bloom "branched out into custom soaps for weddings, special events, and private label customers. It’s all lots of fun for me. I really enjoy coming up with new ideas for packaging and products that are fun and functional."
As Bloom notes on her Etsy page, "Because I produce in small batches, I have a great deal of flexibility. Talk to me about custom scents, colors, shapes, packaging or private label soaps for your event or business. I always welcome the chance to try something new!"
Because Bloom doesn’t make her own shaving brushes and blades ("I’ll stick to being an expert on soap",) not all of her products can be sold on Etsy. Her shaving sets can be found on Amazon.com, and through her own online store. In the future, Bloom hopes to expand beyond the virtual world and open a retail space of her own.
With hand-knit soap sweaters, Bloom puts an indie twist on a classic idea ("Your grandmother would be proud" is her Etsy tagline). Used to increase lather, exfoliate skin, and help you use every last sliver of your soap bar, these little sweaters can also be hung on a shower hook for easy drying. Pretty cute, right?
