February 2017 Traffic, Income and Goals

February has long passed and I did my review forever ago. I know things did not go as I had planned them and (yes I did say that last month) I think part of the delay in posting this is because I did basically nothing this month. I will be posting my March review asap so as to get over the shame of this one.

Analytics

One thing I am thankful for in this business of being  e-commerce are statistics. But boy are they a pain in the ass (excuse my french as my Father used to say) to understand. Statistics show you how your website and blog are doing each day, week, month and year and the same goes for each marketing outlet you choose to use to promote your business. They give you the who what where, when, why and how of those interacting with your business in some way online. Unfortunately, all statistics are not the same. They don't even call them the same things (Insights anyone?) or use the same terminology. So it is up to each business owner to figure it out or hire someone who already knows how to use it.

A look back and a glance ahead

As 2015 is coming to a close we all naturally look back at the year we've had as well as look forward to the new year ahead. This year for me was very hyper-focused on moving ahead and moving on. I did something very scary and huge which was quit my job. I didn't have another job lined up and neither did I immediately go out looking for one.

My goal was to work on my businesses and myself. And I did. My family was very supportive in that and I found various new friends to support me online as well. This I am grateful for because after taking this plunge I was able to research and finally write a business plan for Excelsior Events. I was also able to drastically increase my sales for Scarlet Moon Creations. Not only those tangible changes occurred but I was able to improve my mindset and emotional state. So I am good and I have a positive outlook for my future.

With 2016 about to start I am nervous and excited to see what the future holds but I have a plan so that it is not completely unknown. More importantly I believe this plan is doable by none other than myself. For Scarlet Moon Creations, that plan is to continue promoting my products with a consistent social media schedule. Product-wise, I will first be bringing back some older products with better photos. I will try to work in some outdoor photos as well as more dynamic photos of my products in use. This will happen over time since I now have 70 products. Then, I plan to start pushing more gift sets for various purposes and to hopefully get two new product lines out there. The first being the long awaited handmade books. The second being Bath Magic, a line of intentional and mood altering bath and body products.

Meanwhile, my main focus next year is to launch my successful event services business, Excelsior Events. I've already been working on draft #2 of my business plan and cementing the image I want this business to have. I'll be buying the business license very soon maybe even before the year is out. From there its designing the logo, finishing the website and creating all the forms I will need. Then marketing myself and my business. I hope to have at least 8 clients next year.

That's a lot but I know now that I can do it. This will be my last post of the year. I figured I would give us all a break next week and come back with new stuff on the 4th. For me the holidays started already but no matter what your beliefs I wish you and yours a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.

~Lashette
Scarlet Moon Creations

New Product Line #1 - Body Butters

So, you guys already know I've been experimenting with body butters for two years now. I've finally got the basic formula that I want to use down and have created a few that have just been released. Honestly, I am quite excited. I am loving body butters. I have never used them before, not even store bought. The closest I've come is using lotions that say they contain shea butter and/or cocoa butter to moisturize. They never work like they say they do so I never bothered looking into body butters. I don't know about you but many of us black people have a dry skin problem when fall and winter comes around. One bad enough, in some cases, that regular lotion will not even put a dent in. Many of us have been using petroleum oil since that was the thing to do. But if you know better, petroleum by products are not really good for your health long term. And the skin doesn't really soak them up well.

Well TADA!! Body Butters. My parents have been my main guinea pigs throughout this entire process. They love whatever I come out with because it works better than anything they've tried before. I tried these out on a few other people as well over the years and I am happy with the feedback. I actually got the formula down pat last December but it seemed too late to roll out even one body butter then. Low and behold, in January I got a request for something for muscle aches after working out. I did some research and made a post about it here already. So, one of my body butters will be the Muscle Body Butter, as I call it. Shout out to Work Hard Train Harder for the influence.

Anyway, this is the first new product line I hinted at in my Fall Favorites post. This is also the first new product line since the Massage n' Bath Oils back in 2013. For those I did not make a big to do, but I am doing so now because I missed out. Right now I've got four body butters; Chocolate Mint, Muscle, Lavender and Lemon. I also do custom orders so if you've got a natural scent in mind feel free to contact me and we'll set it up. Plenty of my products have come about because someone asked me for it.

Also, I am planning on more as time goes by so look out for those. Want to know when they are coming out so you can be the first to get them? Sign up for Newsletter to get New Product Updates and more.

~Lashette
Scarlet Moon Creations

How I Got Started: Paganism and Witchcraft

This is part IV, the last of the How I Got Started series. Each part can be read on their own but if you want to read part I, part II, or part III click the links.

An old altar set up of mine.

That Paganism would draw me into a field of work I never even thought of is kind of an amazing thing to look back on. And it hasn't even been that long.When I graduated from undergrad I had a stable job and decided that my next step would be to start exploring various Pagan religions to see if that way lay a place where my spirituality was comfortable. It was. In the process of learning I was drawn to nature-based religions. They teach that all around us in energy is various forms and that we can connect with those energies to enhance our own. Those that follow nature-based religions often venerate or worship nature in its various forms; the how and why differing from religion to religion. Because of that I some of the classes or lessons I took were about topics like herbalism and natural healing. I learned about common herbs, spices, oils, roots and resins and the various ways to use them.

I was taught that these and other elements of the earth each have their own natural energies as well as a history of associations that humans have created over the years. These things could be used individually, like essential oils in a diffuser, or combined, in an oil blend, to enhance my own or others personal energies and workings so that we can affect change. I also learned how lots of plants are the basis for our modern medicine and have healing and therapeutic properties. I became particularly interested in those that helped with allergies and those that could be used topically, or on the skin, our body's biggest organ. I will add this, as much as I learned then, I am still learning now and as a friend likes to say, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.

Not too long after these lessons started the natural hair movement for black women in the United States started gaining traction. I was interested in this and had been considering going natural for awhile since I didn't like the process of straightening my hair at all (in fact I hate having to go to a hair salon at all). After doing a bit of research I realized that I can use many of the natural ingredients that I had been learning about in my pagan lessons and using in my personal practice and take it one step further by using them to improve my health. Keeping my hair and skin healthy by no longer using products that had chemicals I was allergic too and starting to make my own hair and body care mixtures was so freeing. As I mentioned in my Allergies post, I am allergic to a lot of things and while this is more annoying than hazardous, it can be distracting and stressful after awhile. These natural ingredients helped take some of the load off. I wound up learning more about myself and my spiritual path.

As I mentioned previously, a friend (a witchy friend to be more specific) told me about Etsy where people can sell their handmade items. After I decided that this was a path I wanted to take another witchy friend agreed to be my business consultant. I talked in a previous post about the 'homework' she would give me. One such assignment was to think about myself and all the different facets and how I can use some or all of them to personalize my products. How can I make them stick out. She suggested I try to include my spirituality in some way. After looking around Etsy, I decided not to do that. There were tons of witches and other pagans selling their wares, spells, potions, etc. They all seemed more experienced and knowledgeable than me at the time. Nowadays things are different on Etsy due to some of their policy changes.

However, now after being a part of the Etsy and pagan communities online and in the real world I better understand finding your niche and selling something you love. As I continue to learn about herbs, skin care, aromatherapy and expanding my knowledge into related areas such as body care, self care, Reiki, chemistry, perfumery, aromachology and more, I see more connections with my spirituality. And vise-versa. I am inspired by my own spiritual journey as well as that of those around me. Right now as I am on the cusp of revealing two new product lines that have been years in the making, I keep jotting down new product ideas I want to explore. 

I had my first ever tarot card business reading recently and everything pointed to my including my spirituality in my business and using my business to clarify and expand my personal practice as nothing but a good thing. Now, I'm not one to believe in fate and having your whole life being predestined to the point where there is no choice. But I do believe in reading the signs, of weighing your options and choosing from the many possibilities. I feel we are both independent beings and connected to those around us. That every choice we make can lead us somewhere different. At this time I've made the choice to longer make such an effort to keep my businesses and my spirituality apart. I think they can only enhance each other as they have already. 

So that's how I got started. And its also how I plan to go on. 
~Lashette
Scarlet Moon Creations

Fall Favorites

September is here!!! Though its not quite Autumn yet (I'm currently sweltering in a cool 91 degrees), I thought it was time to get my Etsy shop ready for Fall. Check out some of what will soon be available in the shop this Autumn season.

Last year, pumpkin spice season didn't start until the day after Labor Day. This year I saw Halloween decorations and pumpkin spice peanut butter (I need to investigate that personally) in the last week of August. I don't want to be behind the times, so be prepared this week for the return of the Pumpkin n' Clove Body Scrub.

Later this season I will also be bringing back the Pomegranate Body Scrub. So far its the only scrub I have made with Himalayan Sea Salt and it has to be the healthiest scrub I have. I can't forget to add the return of the Sweet Facial Scrub and the Sweet n' Spicy Body Scrub. Both made with brown sugar the softest exfoliant for those with sensitive or delicate skin. Or if you just want to smell really, really good.

Other than scrubs, the Autumn bath soaks are returning as well. Virgo (already available), Libra and Scorpio Bath Soaks make perfect birthday presents for those born in September, October and November. Psst! I'm a Scorpio if anybody is thinking of me. For those who follow pagan and Wiccan holidays, you can already purchase the Mabon Ritual Oil, the matching Mabon Incense or just pick up the Mabon Ritual kit which has both. Coming later this Fall will be the Samhain Ritual Oil, Samhain Incense and the Samhain Ritual kit. 

And finally, what's new!! I am so ready for apple picking again this year. Hopefully it doesn't rain this time. But in homage of the time-honored Autumn tradition, I will be bringing you the Apple Cinnamon Body Scrub this October!!!

I also have two new product lines that I cannot wait to debut this year. They have been waiting at the starting line for awhile but I wanted to get them just right. Finally, they are a go. If you follow my blog, I've mentioned them before so its not a complete surprise. If you want to know exactly what is coming out when, hit the Subscribe to Newsletter button on your top right for up to the minute details.

Have a Great Day!!
~Lashette
  Scarlet Moon Creations

How I Got Started: Allergies

Today we start a new series. This one is all about what led me to starting Scarlet Moon Creations. It will be 4 parts so look out for the other posts in the upcoming weeks. Today we'll talk about my allergies.

Image By Evan-Amos via Wikipedia Facial Tissue

 I am a walking allergic reaction waiting to happen, or at least I feel that way. I grew up always having allergies to what seems like everything. Luckily, I've only found one thing to be deadly and its been easily avoidable since that very close call. However, if you watch allergy medication commercials they'll have you thinking that people only get allergies during certain seasons or that you can only have one category of allergies. For me that has never been the case. I have indoor allergies, outdoor allergies, allergies during pollen season, allergies during weed season, even allergies during the summer and winter. I have a couple of food allergies and I'm allergic to dogs, cats, dust, mold, some insects, many cleaning supplies, and synthetic fragrances which are in our soaps, shampoos, lotions, deodorants and cosmetics. Add to that my nose is very sensitive so things like cigarette smoke and too much perfume in an enclosed space set me off as well. Even just walking past Sephora is overwhelming.

The outcomes of all this is usually sneezing, running eyes and nose but can lead to a sore throat, headache, dizziness and the absolute worst is a sinus infection which has flue-like symptoms. I get allergies 10 times more often than I've ever gotten a cold. The trade off for these mostly mild, yet annoying (and often gross), symptoms is I hardly ever get really sick. I think I get the flu once every couple of years or so and that's about it.

Which is good, but try heading to a job interview sniffling and dripping all over the place because you stood upwind from someone too liberal with their cologne on the way there? Or failing a finals test because everyone wanted the windows open to let in some "fresh air"? Or having people wonder why you have a bag full of restaurant napkins and tissues because YOU NEVER KNOW? Or being unable to breathe because you tried that glass of wine? Or taking a shower to clean up and coming out covered in hives (sneezing in the shower is not fun by the way)? Or almost dying because your event host forgot to tell you that "oops, we put walnuts in the brownies"? Or questions people's food before you eat it because you don't want to die? Or how about not remember a good time with family and friends because you were too busy blowing your brains out? Yeah, its not fun. 

A couple of years ago I had an opportunity to learn about herbs and oils (I'll go into more details about that in another post). I had up until this point just tried my best to avoid the things I could and just carried allergy medication and a ton of tissues for those I couldn't (hard to avoid the air outside when you still need to breathe). But after this one class on herbalism I talked to a few people and started doing some research on certain herbs online and that led me to finding out about all natural movement online and the fact that I can make a lot of the stuff I use at home with natural products myself. 

The internet is a rabbit hole but in this instance it was very beneficial. I had up to this point never gone to a spa for fear of having a reaction that would embarrass me and them. I had only bought one set of skin care products for my face which I only used twice, shame on me since I broke out both times using it. But now I could try making a "fancy" bath soak or a moisturizing body scrub using decadent scents that might not annoy me. I did tons of research down in that rabbit hole. I bought a few basic ingredients that I could use for other things as well if they didn't get along with my skin or nose. 

Image By NIAID via Flickr

Essential oils turned out to be a godsend. I love scent and this is something that my allergies have taken from me up until this point. But now I can use them to clean and/or scent a room as well as care for my skin and even help relieve my allergic reactions. I cannot tell you how many times I have run home to sniff some tea tree oil since I discovered its existence.

And herbs, spices, roots and resins; these items that come from trees and other plants, I have in my kitchen as well as my work room. They add great color, scent and flavor to my meals as well as my homemade bath and body products. They help heal as well as reduce inflammation. A good chamomile compress relaxes my sinus headaches while other herbs reduce the look of the dark circles I get from rubbing my eyes. What I also love is that the scents never get overwhelming like a lot of chemical fragrances. No headaches or dizziness. 

How could I not share this with others? I couldn't, so I didn't. Read more about this in next weeks post; How I Got Started: Gifts.

NYC Small Business Initiatives Part III - NYC Business Solutions.

Hey ho! I am back. I seem to have lost the month of July somewhere. I'll probably find it behind the bed someday when I m no longer looking for it.

Today's post is in continuation of NYC Small Business Initiatives series. This series is about my personal experiences with several of the Federal, State, City and local initiatives and programs for the small business owner and for those who want to be a small business owner in NYC. So this is Part III and it can be read alone.Click to read parts I and II.

Today, I am going to talk about NYC Business Solutions. So far, I have had the best experience with this initiative run by the city. But again that is my personal experience. NYC Business Solutions is an initiative that offers free assistance with starting your business, growing your business and running your business. They offer free online and in-person business courses on topics ranging from Business Plan Basics to Selling to the Government. Their other services include recruitment assistance, management and mentorship, Financial and legal assistance, M/WBE certification and much more.

I myself have taken quite a few classes to help me get a more concrete picture of what my goals are as far as my businesses are concerned. Thanks to NYC Business Solutions I have been able to write a great business plan and meet so many new friends and contacts. Everyone I have met at the various locations are knowledgeable, professional and friendly. I have shared my dreams with no better people than those that have worked for NYC Business Solutions. They have given me practical yet positive advice and solutions. These people know what they are doing and I, for one, am grateful for NYC Business Solutions. I plan to work with them more in the future to help grow my business and become a successful M/WBE certified Event Planner.

At this point, I am not sure what other government-run business initiatives I will work with. This is NYC so there are plenty more but there are also so many non-government initiatives and programs out there that I would like to try working with. This is not just for the sake of sampling but to learn and grow as a business woman. I do know that I will be keeping tabs on WE to see how that can benefit me in the future. So expect an update on them as well. But I think I will turn to writing about more private organizations soon.

My Favorite Time of the Year is Coming Soon!

In honor of my favorite Witches Holiday, Litha, also known as Midsummer and the Summer Solstice, I want to pimp my ever growing Pinterest board for it. Isn't it lovely? Everything that this holiday means to me goes on this board. It also helped me create the ritual oil and incense for my Etsy shop. The oil is currently on sale with the loose incense will be available this week. Get them in time for the holiday on June 21st!!

In the meantime follow my pinterest board and see all the pretty pictures. Happy Monday guys!!!

Follow Scarlet Moon Creations's board Litha/Midsummer/Summer Solstice on Pinterest.

NYC Small Business Initiatives Part I - SCORE

Hello world! I wanted to share my experiences so far with several small business initiatives available here in New York City (NYC). I plan to stretch this out into several posts; at least three but maybe more.

As a New Yorker, I have several options and many overlap; there's the US Small Business Administration (SBA), then there is the NYS Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and lastly, NYC Small Business Services. These are the main government programs at the federal, state and city levels available to small businesses. They each have many branches and several partnerships with private companies and I have been specifically looking into those geared towards pre-startup and startup small business assistance. It can get a little confusing at first but they all seem to work together is some way, shape or form since NYC encourages small business ownership and entrepreneurship.

Up until several months ago I did my business research strictly online; I had a job that kept me very busy during the day and my commute was 1.5 hours each way mostly on the subway, so this was the only way that I knew of. Also, I am known for my internet research skills and am good at separating the wheat from the chaff and it seems my findings online held up in the real world. However, becoming a business owner on my own leaves for some lonely times and times when doubts can become pervasive. So, to verify my sources (and make myself feel better), I decided it was time to go out and talk to people in person. Find out what the people at these various initiatives have to say. I was definitely looking for mentoring. Someone with experience letting me know whether or not I am on the right track.

My first foray was to sign up for SCORE mentoring. SCORE is an SBA resource partner. Its "...a national network of more than 12,000 entrepreneurs, business leaders and executives who volunteer as mentors to America’s small businesses." It is basically a national small business mentoring program. They have local chapters for face-to-face mentoring, online mentoring, as well as workshops for both. This seemed perfect for me. So, I looked up my local SCORE office, which was not far from my home and went down there. Located in the Bronx County courthouse they share an office with some other initiatives. Not surprising since that's just part of living and working in this city; sharing space. I went down and made an appointment to see a mentor and was supremely disappointed. I had not looked at their website beforehand since my goal was to move my research out of the virtual world. If I had, I would have saved myself some frustration.

I was not paired up with a mentor specific to my needs, though I didn't expect that right off the bat. I thought there would be some sort of intake interview first. But the gentleman I got as my "mentor" was sort of flippant and very general in most of his answers to my questions. I admit to not asking as many questions about how SCORE works because I was thrown off by his attitude. He was also somewhat dismissive of my financing concerns. I was told "you could pay for most of that with one of your credit cards." Just FYI, I don't have any credit cards, so no I can't; he just assumed I did. While he did confirm most of what I'd learned online and did give me a couple of nuggets of new online resources, for the most part he was not at all mentor-like and after being dismissive of how much previous work experience I have had in this field, I didn't want to share my hopes and dreams with him. I was looking for someone to trust and he wasn't it. At the end of out 15-20 minute talk, he then told me the SCORE mentors only work out of this office on Thursdays and they rotate so you may get a different person each time. That led me to thinking that this was not as well run an operation as I had thought. I left feeling that I wasted my time. I have since gone to the SCORE.org website and filled out a mentoring intake form so that I can be matched up with a mentor. Hopefully, things will work out better that way.

Look for Part II soon. Things start to look up as a join a forum for NYC's newest small business initiative WE NYC!

Lime n' Lavender Facial Scrub

Hola everybody, 

It has been awhile since I shared product making pictures and I love this new scrub that is going on sale this week so now is definitely the time to share. The Lime n' Lavender Facial Scrub is one I've been working on for about a year and half. The idea just randomly came to me when I was trying to think what new combo to make similar to the much loved Orange n' Rose Body Scrub. I like the combination of the citrus and floral scents which somehow comes together to give a decadent feeling to what is ultimately just scrubbing off dead skin cells. 

So, I was thinking what other citrus and floral combo would work. I picked Lime n' Lavender because I'm  silly and I liked the alliteration but I made it anyway just to see if it would work. Its been so long since I first made the Orange n' Rose body scrub that I had forgotten how the citrus scent tends to overpower the floral scent unless the measurements are done right. To get a little technical, both Sweet Orange and Lime essential Oils are top note scents each with high intensity; so you will smell them first. Rose and Lavender are middle note scents with Rose being lower on the scale than Lavender. When you use the Lime n' Lavender Facial Scrub you'll smell the lime first and then as it evaporates a bit the lavender scent will come through. Basically, I just kept making new batches of the scrub until it smelled right.

As you can see from the second picture, I also included lime zest and lavender buds to enhance the scrub. With sugar as the exfoliator, sweet almond as the base oil and honey to give it a bit of a facial mask feel as well as some more help moisturizing you get a great smelling and feeling facial scrub. 

I am so glad this Lime n' Lavender Facial Scrub turned out so well. I hope everyone will enjoy this new luxurious facial scrub that will leave you feeling calm and refreshed. 

Aromatherapy Laws in the U.S.A.

As promised I am back to talk about the recent Aromatherapy webinar I attended and its outcome regarding my business plans.

A few weeks ago, thanks to a great Facebook post by The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, I found out about a free webinar they were hosting along with the East West School for Herbal and Aromatic Studies. The webinar was about the labeling of aromatherapy products for sale. I have been having an issue deciding what I should include on my own labels so this webinar was timely.

Out turned out to be very informative in a way I was not expecting. I signed up for the webinar in hopes of getting ideas for label design as well as what I should include on my labels. There was no label design elements but there was tons of information on what could and could not be included on an aromatherapy product label as per the laws in the US, Canada and Europe. But since I live, make and sell in the US, that's the information I am going to share here. Its the most complicated as well.

Required label information included: brand name, product name and net size/weight on the front facing labels. Business name and location as well as a list of ingredients should also be included on your product label but can be put on side or back panel labels. Ingredients should be in order of amount used; greatest to smallest; and use their INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) names. INCI was set up back in the 70s by the Personal Care Products Council and is maintained and updated by them. This system is followed here in the US as well as in many countries around the world. That concludes the MUST HAVEs for your product labels; now on to the DO NOTs. What you are not allowed to use are drug claims in your descriptions. This was the hot topic and the one that brought me to a very important business decision.

To explain what drug claims are and why they are not allowed on aromatherapy labels, I will need to explain the drug, cosmetic and aromatherapy laws in the US. So bear with me and do click the links so that you can get a fuller picture. Here in the US, there is the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), who mostly oversees the Food, drug and cosmetic industries. There is some overlap with the the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) though. These government entities have stricter laws and rules for the creation, manufacturing, promotion and sales of food and drugs. This is for multiple reasons; the two most important in this instance being fair competition in those industries and also so that consumers have choice and variety without subterfuge. Basically, it's to make it easier for the average Joe to buy what they need and knowing it works as the labeling and marketing says it will. That being said, the cosmetics industry does not have those same rules nor the same amount of oversight. Probably because it is a newer industry comparatively.

FD&C Act, Sec 201(i)

As for products in the even newer aromatherapy industry, those mostly get categorized under cosmetics as far as the law is concerned. One specific law in particular specifies whether a product is the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act which defines cosmetics and drugs by their intended uses. Even though essential oils, which make up most of the aromatherapy industry, have therapeutic qualities that have been known for centuries, they are at most used in the alternative medical fields. Which is to say most people think of them as a last resort in most cases there. Anywho, I will speculate that this is because essential oils cannot and do not give the same results all the time to most people so they were never seen as big money makers to the pharmaceutical companies. So they were relegated to aromatherapists and massage therapists. Not that there is anything wrong with either of those professions but both are required by law to go through more training than say your average bath and body product maker since they use essential oils for therapeutic purposes which classifies them as working with 'drugs.' 

This all leads us back to what is allowed on aromatherapy labels and what is not. Because the cosmetic industries, which includes aromatherapy, does not have the rules that the Food and Drug industries do, it makes it simultaneously easier and harder to make a living in these areas. It is easier because there is less oversight and almost anyone could start a home business because the fair business practices are suggestions rather than requirements as in other industries. The FDA does not have to approve products before they go on sale. They do not inspect labs or products nor do they require companies to register with them or get any licensing. This is a bit scary as a consumer since it explains people getting infections from some lipsticks and things like that. But on the plus side prices for aromatherapy products that can be used for therapeutic purposes are cheaper than most medications.

FD&C Act, Sec 201 (g)(1)

Now, for the negative side of this from a business owners point of view. We are not allowed to make drug claims on our packaging, websites, etc. The FDA is on the internet too. Drug claims include pretty much any of the therapeutic qualities of essential oils. For example we cannot use the words, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, which most essential oils are. You are not allowed to claim that your product has any altering affect on the body, particularly internally. For example, relieves aching muscles, removes scars, expectorant, soothes stomach upsets, suppresses coughs, removes acne, etc. These are all drug claims. You would be claiming that your product does what a drug would do without having followed any of the rules and practices required for selling a drug in the US. There is this huge long list if things you cannot say if you run an aromatherapy business.

Now, there are a few alternatives. You can say things like soothes muscles, reduces the look of scars or acne, refreshing, comforting, etc. Sound familiar? Now you know why every cosmetic ad and commercial sound and look the same. You're welcome. What can and cannot be put on your labels is covered by the FDA under the FP&L (Fair Packaging and Labeling) Act. This is also where the FTC and USDA come in as well. The FTC regulates all advertising of products with the FDA and the USDA regulates the term organic and any organic products under its National Organic Program (NOP) regulation 7, CFR 205. Some of this all goes for the use of herbs as well. Herbal supplements are classified as drugs by the FDA.

Its frustrating that once you've created something that you can only use about a dozen words to describe it, none of which can go in depth about the ingredients true qualities and all of which every other business even remotely similar to yours uses as well. That being said, I understand why. However, as I reiterated back during my first blogging 101 post, I had plans to write ingredient posts giving my followers and customers a look into why I use certain items and their benefits. With the rules about drug claims, I would not be able to do that. I already do not do that in my Etsy product descriptions since when I joined Etsy, they decided that all if their sellers should follow FDA rules.

Now, I was assured that the FDA is not going to come arrest every small business owner during this webinar. Most companies just get a warning or a fine. They don't have time to look for and find everyone. But, some of the big, popular essential oil companies have gotten warnings or fines. After this webinar, I had a choice to make. As many of you know, I have a Scarlet Moon Creations shop on Etsy from which I sell the physical things I create, the majority of which are bath and body products. I use all natural ingredients which means I fall into the cosmetic/ aromatherapy category. I created this shop for a bit of extra income.

What you do not know is that I have struggled with how much of myself to put into this business. You see my ultimate career love goal is to have my own event services business. My bath and body products were to simultaneously help soothe my need to physically make stuff while funding my startup. I've been working as if this business was my end goal and putting my all into not only creating but researching for the benefit of my customers. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl and I want the best for everyone. But, this could be classified as a hobby and if so I would not feel obligated to keep information from my potential customers in order to follow business rules. Honestly, I don't really make a profit on this business and I have decided to just keep the Etsy shop in the hobby category. This way I can focus more on my plans for event services. That webinar really clarified my personal priorities.

Clone Wars

Today’s assignment: publish a post based on your own, personalized take on a Daily Prompt.

So that was today's assignment from Blogging 101. I just went to the Daily Post front page and my prompt is Clone Wars: If you could clone yourself, how would you split up your responsibilities?

You all have no idea how apt this prompt is. I was just thinking that maybe I should give up on Blogging 101 since I didn't have the time for it. But as you can see I persisted. 

My first thought was about how I would clone myself. If I had the choice of how my ability would manifest, I'd choose to clone myself like Naruto does with his Shadow Clone Technique (Kage Bunshin no Jutsu; yes I'm an anime fan). I came to this decision because unlike other types of cloning that I know of, this technique is both temporary and any experience a shadow clone has you will have once the clone has dispersed. For those who have never watched the show here's an example. If I made a clone of myself so that while I got some work done, my clone sat back and read a book, when I get rid of the clone it will feel as if I've done both my work and read the book. How awesome is that? Think of the things I could do? 

Now as to how I would split up my responsibilities, as of now I technically have 3 jobs. I have my day job as a Personal Assistant (check out my IG if you want to get little peeks at that), I also run Scarlet Moon Creations via Etsy and through word-of-mouth, and lastly I am trying to get my event services business up and running. Each of those work positions obviously require multiple tasks. For example, Scarlet Moon Creations entails my creating something, testing it, taking pictures, doing the math for pricing and shipping, posting the product on Etsy and on social media sites for promotion, and finally using the same social media sites as well as this blog as a behind the scenes look at my process. That's a lot of time as each of those tasks have sub tasks and its the same for my other work. Add in  my personal life where there is both work (cleaning, shopping, grooming, etc) and leisure (reading, watching tv or movies, dancing, etc) and I feel like most people do, like there's not enough time in the day. 

So, to answer the question, I think I would split myself into 5 (1 me + 4 clones), 1 for each business and the other two for personal business and errands and leisure activities. I think I'd have the original me rotate which I was going to do each day. Note: I'm not sure how this cloning technique works with physical changes to the body so I think I'll keep myself whole for bath time.

Teamwork

There is another new sort of partnership I started this year and it is going quite well. On Etsy, there is the team feature and actually I think it was in 2013 that I was invited to join a local team called Bronx Artisans of Etsy. It wasn't as advance then but this year, led by the wonderful Nellie Escalante, whose shop is Nelesc Designs, we've been doing more to help promote each other. We've now got a Facebook page as well as an Instagram account where we can share our promotions. There are lots of great Etsy shops and artists in the group, so this blog post is basically to shout out and pimp out my team members, enjoy:

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Rebel Orisha:   Instagram
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And many more.... Click the shop images to see their current inventory. And don't forget to find us and other Bronx Artisans of Etsy on Facebook and Instagram.

End of a Partnership

I've delayed writing about this for months. Literally, delayed writing,not just posting. I am only now putting words together. First, I was kind of lost and didn't know what to do. Then I didn't know how to explain what felt like a failure. Now, I only hesitate because I don't want to seem like I'm badmouthing anyone when my intention is only to update and share my experience.

Well from all of that you probably already know what I am about to say. My partnership with R is at an end. It was short but sweet. As a reminder, back in December I asked R to partner with me in the creation and running if an event planning business. They agreed and we excitedly embarked on this new venture. For the first few months if this year we met often, brainstorming and business building. 

Jason Eppink (Flickr)

Then we hit a bit of a snag on my end due to traveling for my day job (like Japan for a month, then LA and Pasadena for another month). Then I got sick and then they got sick and suddenly we haven't met, updated, or anything for months. I buckled down ans tried to get our rhythm back. Our first talk about funding seemed to make R wary. Neither of us are so financially stable enough to carry a new business but we had options to explore, being minority women looking to open our first small business.

Unfortunately from there things fell apart and after a month or two R told me it was probably bet that I go on with the business without her. I was left with a huge feeling of uncertainty since I had been unsure about going into business by myself before which was why I asked R to join me. Also, the way she worded her 'decision' left me unsure as to whether she was completely out of it or not. Lastly, we had spent quite a lot of time coming up with our business plan and other business ideas together. I didn't know if it was ethical to continue with those plans rather than starting from scratch with something that was completely my own.

So, I put it all in the back of my mind and let it percolate. I did talk to a few others to get their opinions and add that to the pot. This all happened back in July. And though I am still unsure about what rights I have to the plans we made, I know I can get a professional opinion about that, and I feel now that I can go on and start a business on my own.

Holiday Boot Camp

Hey guys,

Its been crazy in the crafting world and in the every day world too. This year I joined Etsy's Holiday Boot Camp and boy is it not what I thought. I thought I'd be getting emails once a week with goals or suggestions for how to prepare for the holiday shopping season. I get emails twice a week though and they are done already. Only eight emails though they came with great worksheets. I thought they would be paced out so you'd get a reminder as you gear up for and go through the holiday season. Kinda of like an e-personal trainer or drill sergeant. Guess I'll have to come up with my own way of doing that.

The first email was to set a goal for the season. My goal is too make $350 in profit by the end of the year. I picked this because I have only made two sales in as many years and I'd like to prove to myself that this can be profitable. I want to move towards the goal of having at least some money in my pocket when I finish my job in March next year. I also want to push myself to update and spruce up my shop and business practices.

There are things that I haven't done like finalize my logo and labels, update my product pictures and promote regularly on all social networks, that I should have done by now. My production and promotion processes should be streamlined by now but they are not. I needed the reason and the encouragement that this Holiday Boot Camp can give to focus more in this business and make it a success.

So, it has been 4 weeks now, I think, and a lot of what Etsy has suggested is on my list of things to do. After I thought out my goal, I wrote out (or typed up) a long list of things to do to get ready. Then I separated them into different categories like new listing, product pictures, social promotion and shipping. From there certain actions listed needed to be broken down into even smaller actions, so I did that as well. Now, I need to come up with a timeline and continue to go down that list. One of the things on that list is posting blogs more often about new products and about the Bronx Etsy Team members as well as other crafters and craft ideas I like and enjoy. Look out for those posts. I also plan to post a recap of this Holiday season; how it went and whether or not I reached me goal. See you on the other side.

Handmade Book Product Lines

Continuing with the book series of posts, this week I will talk about creating a line of products. I've got two areas in which to create: type and design; form and function if you will.

For now the form consists of 8 unique covers designs where I will have a few ready made while being able to take custom orders. The books already made will all have the same basic design format but I'll have an array of colors and paper designs. I've come up with names for as few already. Think of the ripped cover design I had on the book I posted about last week? That line I would call Ripped, for example (but no, really), and instead of blue and purple, I'll use red and orange book cloth and papers for the cover and end pages.

The function on the other hand will be what's inside the covers. Blank lined paper, sleeves for photos, drawing paper, specialty page designs, etc. The pages will impact what the book is used for; whether it be as a journal, BoS, photo album, scrapbook, sketchbook, or anything else. Down the road I'll add my own pre-designed pages to some of them but for now this is what I am trying to finalize before I offer the books in my store.

In the meantime you will be teased and tantalized.

My Post-Bound Book Making Process

I said I would do this in my last post. So here it is with pictures. This set of pictures is when I made a personalized Book of Shadows or journal.

Before we begin, here is the finished product. I also want you all to know that this is only the 2nd book I ever made. The first one I made for myself and its much bigger but I did not take any pictures at the time. This book I decided to make since the first one came out decent enough and I wanted to make a gift for a friend. I had lots of supplies left over and I had been collecting specialty book papers for the net bookmaking occasion.

When I took these pictures it was mostly for me to be able to look back on what I've done. So they are far from perfect; I used my the camera on my cell phone and this was back before megapixels was a big deal and my flash wasn't so great (believe it or not the overhead lights were on throughout this picture taking process). I chose to use this book and these pictures to showcase my process as more of a walk down memory lane rather than a sleek, fashionable post trying to get you to buy something (that'll come later ;) ).

First, I must start off with supplies which in this case, consists of book board, vellum paper, stamps, stick-on letters, book cloth and end papers. Other supplies not shown include, hole punch, screw punch, rulers, crafters glue, a cutting mat, x-acto knives, paintbrushes, and scissors. All used in the average bookmaking process.

Now, the first step is to cut down the book board to the cover size you want. I made this book roughly 6"x9" and the book board I had gotten was 12"x12". Book board, just so you know, is hard, pressed cardboard-like material. Just think of any hardcover book or textbook cover. Its comes in multiple thicknesses but it hard to damage and protects the precious pages within its borders. Again, at the time all I had to properly cut the book board were my x-acto knives. It was slow going. but it got there.

From there you want to do some more cutting, this time of various papers. It helps to have a plan in mind for what you want to book cover to look like. I did not really at this time. I knew the colors I wanted to use and the papers but how was I going to make it all work I did not know. So I cut down the interior paper to size, then I contemplated the cover papers I wanted to use. I had three; this lovely sky blue with polka dots, a glossy lilac and this dark purple Japanese book cloth and I decided to layer them across the cover.

                

First, I cut down and glued on the baby blue paper as shown above. Since I was going to layer the other parts over it there was no need to use paper enough to cover the entire front cover. Now here comes the interesting part. I planned a completely boring, in my opinion now, straight, vertical layer of the of the glassy lilac paper over the blue and in an effort to keep as much glue off of the sections you will see I did not brush glue over the entire back of the lilac paper. When I went to glue down the rest of it, I accidentally ripped the paper. Thinking that I would have to start the whole thing oer from scratch, I just finished the rip and pull of the excess. That resulted in this.

The glossy lilac ripped to interestingly, I left it on. I loved the matte finish that showed at the edges of the tear and it seemed to me that it gave this feeling of revelation. Like, ooh look what's under here. Like I said, the ripped layer stayed. Next came the last layer, which I wanted just for that library book look; the darker toned spine. Now, one thing to remember is that the books I make are post bound. This one in particular has no spine. But in order for the book covers to be able to open properly, they have to cut out separately from the section of book board that the posts will screw into and then connected with book cloth, book paper, etc.

As I leave the partially complete cover to dry under the many, many books that I own (much cheaper than a press), I went back to the book board and cut out the ends for the covers. They will be the same length as the covers but only about 1" wide. Once I have those cut out I must now drill holes in them with my screw punch. I chose to use 3 holes on this particular book. Then I brought back the now dried cover with the two other layers already on it. I measure and cut out the amount of book cloth I will need and lay it face down to brush glue over the back. Leaving a centimeter or two of space between the front cover and its corresponding spine, I place them on the glue and fold the end of the cloth over to connect the two pieces; making sure to leave the space in between so the book cover can be opened.

As you can see above there on the left hand side, there is a small indentation where there is nothing but book cloth. Here is where the book cover will bend when you open it. Now the back cover, I decided to keep simple by using just two layers; the glossy lilac and the purple book board to connect the back cover with its spine. You can see that below this time the crease is on the right-hand side.

You might think the covers are done but they are not. When was the last time you opened any book and saw the book board on the inside cover? I think its safe to say never for most of you. More often then not when it comes to hard cover books you'll see some type of fancy paper called end paper. End papers are usually a different type of paper than used anywhere else in the book and are folded in half with one end glued to the inside of the covers and the other end serves as the first page of the book. For the purposes of this book the end papers only line the inside of the covers. 

As you can see above, I used a very thin, almost tissue like paper with a subtle floral print in matching colors for the end papers. And just so you know, I have since learned that its more visually appealing to leave a bit of the cover papers showing around the edges of the end paper inside. I pasted these inside each cover with very little glue, careful to brush it on evenly since this paper was much more delicate than any of the others. Too much glue and it would bleed through the paper or worse rip it. 

After setting these aside once again between tons of books to dry flat, I got ready the hole puncher to punch through the book cloth and make the holes I screwed into the book board visible again. I also, took the vellum which I intended for use inside and punched holes in the same areas as those on the covers and I also creased the pages so that they would bend easily when turned. For these jobs I use a simple paper cutter with various settings. 

Once the covers are dry, I take them out and line them up for personalizing. There was only a bit more added to it including, on this particular book, adding the name to the front spine with simple stick on letters. They've been blurred out a bit in a previous picture above. Then I line up the pages and the covers by their holes and screw them all together with the screw posts. 

Et Voila!

Bookmaking

 For as long as I can remember I have always loved books. All kinds of books, not just reading books. Everything from Encyclopedias to planners is fascinating to me. And of course I absolutely love reading books; it's my favorite pastime; my addiction.

 Bookmaking however has only been a relatively recent fascination. I got interested in bookmaking in a sort of roundabout way. For those who do not know, my religion falls under the Pagan umbrella and back when I first started learning and studying, all the books and people practicing talked about having personal books to keep all my notes, thoughts and beliefs in. One online mentor gave me the intriguing idea of scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is something I always found interesting and had done a few times in the past so I thought why not. However after searching long and hard I could not find the type of book I wanted. Nothing spoke to me even in stores, plus it was hard to find a book that I knew was easy to add pages to later on.



 Then I came across a blog post online which explained with pictures how to make a post bound book. It took me awhile but I bought all the materials (fell in love with the specialty paper section at the local art supply and stationary stores) and built my first book. The scrapbooking continued from there every once in awhile but I thought I was done. Then a few years later a group of friends were graduating and I wanted to make something for them instead of buying it. It took me awhile but after I came up with the idea of making small, personalized books for them I kept going until I had all six done. They came out great if I do say so myself. Here are pictures of four of them.

 I have not made many books since then because it takes a lot of time and space and my personal life went through a lot of changes not too long after that. But I've learned other styles of bookbinding, like Japanese ribbon binding. And I've taken the last year to study how others are binding, designing, marketing, pricing and selling their hand-made books since I had planned to include books in my Etsy shop from
the beginning.

 The thing is, books take a lot longer to make than my bath and body products and its more labor intensive especially since I don't have any of the expensive equipment that makes it easier. But lately, I've been getting the urge to make new books to put up for sale. The idea machine in my head has stopped churning out new ideas for body scrubs and bath soaks. I still have quite a few to unveil in the shop but I think I'll be physically focused on bookmarking for the next few months. My post next week will probably be a picture heavy post showing you my bookmaking process. I hope you guys will look forward to that. I can't wait for you all to see another side of my creative process.

Spring Creations and Renewals

Taurus Bath Soak

Hi All,

Spring has sprung though its still snowing in some places. I saw a great meme this weekend that said, "You think its April but its actually the 96th day of January." Here in NYC the weather is doing its bipolar thing which is how I know its spring. Which means it is now time to share all the great Spring products available to you in my shop while I whip up new ones. The research itself is rewarding; enough so that I've been thinking about including blog posts summing up my findings for each zodiac sign and the herbs, spices and flowers associated with them. Would you guys be interested in that? Let me know in the comments below.

Along with the Zodiac bath soaks I've been happily renewing my Sabbat oils and adding their corresponding loose incense. The incense is the herbal base for the oils; what I pour into the carrier and essential oils for a few weeks before straining and selling the oils for each Sabbat. I thought why not offer these as well, they smell amazing? I've also been renewing many of the scented body scrubs and bath soaks such as the Eucalyptus n' Speaking Bath Soak during whichever season I feel they fit with. Soon to come will be the lemon package: Lemon Body scrub, Honey n' Lemon Facial scrub; as well as a few others.

Orange n' Rose Body Scrub

I had renewed the Orange n' Rose Body Scrub as part of the Romantic Package back in February for Valentine's Day but since then I've had the idea of a Lime n' Lavender Body Scrub so I've been trying that scent combination out to see if I like it. I love the alliteration of tthe name and it was interesting to come up with another floral-citrus combo. Its ready for testing so once that's done I'll unveil that as well.

What are some hot spring and summer scents you all are looking forward too?