Crimson Hill - Soaps & Scents

*What inspires you?

My inspiration comes from my kids' sensitive skin. From the age of 1, my daughter has had trouble with any store-bought creme, lotion, balm, etc. and she is now 9 years old. A friend suggested I try natural soap. It helped within days and I knew this would be something we would always have to use. From that point, I started researching how to make my own natural soap. It took several attempts to get a batch that even resembled soap, but now we have refined our recipes down to perfection!

*What is your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge has been time and space....not having enough of either! Being a busy Mom and business owner, there just isn't enough time in the day to complete every task every day. My family is very understanding that running my business takes hard work and that means lots of computer time! My second challenge is space. My materials slowly creep out of the 2 rooms that are designated to just running my business. We are currently doing a major organizing overhaul in our home to help with my growing inventory, raw materials and supplies.

*If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop - what would it be?

Advice to new shops/Keys to success.....patience, risk-taking and tireless research.

Patience: Running in a business is the hardest, most rewarding thing I have ever done. Creating products is the easy part for me...I am never short on ideas! The time consuming process and where I need to inject patience is the countless hours and brainpower I spend photographing, packaging, marketing, promoting and selling my items!
Risk-Taking: Calculated risk-taking is a part of my business plan always will be. Risk is, well, risky....but it can be very profitable and rewarding when done right! I just opened a second Etsy shop as part of my business plan for 2012, CrimsonHillDesignsKS www.etsy.com/shop/CrimsonHillDesignsKS.
Research: In my area of expertise, there are so many variables to consider. I deal with natural ingredients constantly in my soaps and bath & body products. I have to stay educated on safety issues, healing benefits and trends to be on top of my selling game.

*What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?

To relax, I love to watch and play sports. I also love to knit, read and organize & decorate my home!
To unwind, I like to knit, exercise, read, clean (yes, clean:) and be at home playing with my kids and cuddling with my hubby .

*Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?

My favorite "project" is creating custom party favors! I just love creating something unique for a big event in someone's life. It doesn't matter whether the favors are for baby showers, weddings, slumber parties, office gifts....I love it all!

*Are there other places on the net we can find you?

You can find me on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/crimsonhill
Twitter: twitter.com/CrimsonHillSoap
StumbleUpon: www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/crimsonhill/all/
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/crimsonhillsoaps/
Blog: www.crimsonhillsoaps.blogspot.com
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/crimsonhill
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/CrimsonHillDesignsKS
Website: www.crimson-hill.com
Pinterest: pinterest.com/crimsonhillsoap/