Ligonier Country Christmas 2015

See you there!

oh, my....

The title of the post sums it up!  Oh,my........ do I need to soap!  I've been having such a great time each Saturday at Ligonier Country Market with having so many faithful visitors that stock is um, embarrassingly low!  That is a very bad thing + good thing all rolled up into one little happy ME!  Thank you so much to everyone who supports local artisans and produce/nursery/food vendors each Saturday at Market.  You are what keeps us going.......  and speaking of going....I'm off  to make some soap!

Ligonier Country Market - Opening Day!

Fun times were had by all....glad the weather held out.  So nice to see familiar faces and to meet new friends.  Thank you to everyone who came out for a visit! 

Vendors still setting up, before opening bell...one of the rows in Market

Before opening bell...the view from my booth

People coming out to shop and find their favorite vendors at the first market of the season.

 Nice to see so many people coming to Opening Day to support the Ligonier Country Market and it's vendors.  

 My booth!

Dimitri in the 'Viking Hat'

 Dusty Tree Soap booth, space 53

 pretty much every Saturday during Market season...see you there!

FINISHED that WIP....

Did you look at my last post and wonder what those bundles were around a stick?  

Here's what I made from it..............

I Eco-dyed fabric to make some drawstring bags.  

Just an idea I had to package something new that Dusty Tree Soap will be featuring this Season at our local farmer's market.  

Watch this space......

So how in the world did I do that?

I purchased a yard of plain muslin...washed/dried it and cut 5 stripes using my elaborate template of an old piece of paper.  My template is 7"wide x 291/2" long.

I gathered my supplies.....

some dried herbs/flowers from my garden, steel wool, vinegar & tea 

I enlisted the help of my 3 year old son to help work the magic....he really did all the work, I just directed him.  We make pizzas together so I told him to sprinkle it on like you do the cheese on pizza.  I put the steel wool in a container with some vinegar to soak to start it rusting. 

 (I put this on the fabric...my son did everything else)

After you cover it as much (or as little) as you prefer, top it with another piece of fabric and roll it around a stick.  I secured it with some wire I had on hand.

then steam them for a bit..........

and voila....eco dyed fabric. The fabric panels actually turned out better than I expected.  I thought they would be somewhat pale so I was pleasantly surprised with them.

  I used this tutorial to make my bags.

If you like DTS already on Facebook, 

then you've seen these, but some of my newest soaps for Market.  

The classics........

Thanks for stopping by!

SoAp...YES soap!

With Market (quickly) approaching, I set out to make some soap. 

 During the Winter I cleaned and organized my work-space and I must admit I'm a bit more efficient when things are scattered everywhere in a big mess....almost like it is a bit of an inspiration to be 'IN THE MESS'.  With everything put away all proper, I wasn't sure what 'type' or design I wanted to make.  I knew I wanted to use: Cinnamon, Mint and Moroccan Red Clay, but I wasn't sure what I wanted my design to be so I turned to the internet.  

I did a quick Google search and found this inspiring.......

To me I see colorful stripes with green and orange accented with some brown.  I have to admit it is a bit hard to get a true orange in naturally dyed cold processed soap but I knew my Moroccan Red Clay would give me somewhat similar results.

so I made this.......

Moroccan Spring

A quick run-down of my process......

divided my batch into thirds and added my natural colorants

and started layering.....

 and layering.....

and layering until all the soap was gone!

It is nice to be back in the soaping seat again...look out for more bubbly goodness in the weeks ahead.  Thanks for stopping by!

a Quickie

My Table at Ligonier Country Market

Can't wait to get these into the dye pot with some wool

Dried Mint harvested from the garden earlier this year

some herbs just hanging out to dry

Farmer's Market Mid September

Look at how dark it was @ 6:30am

My booth

Lavender Chamomile

Cucumber Banana

Some soap

A Market row with me in it..I'm about half way up

The middle row

A vendor with her cute birdhouses

The Kids Garden

And the beginning row

Another vendor with pretty flowers and produce

Check out those Mums

Another vendor with handcrafted pottery

All of these photos were taken before Opening Bell so that is why there are no people milling around.

Jewelweed SOAP (aka Anti-Poison Ivy SOAP)

I love being a vendor at the Farmer's Market

(I set up my display pretty quick so I sat down and wrote a blog post about my day at Market)

My fifth week (June 15th) at market and I'm in my permanent space (A-26).  The last four weeks I've been closer to the middle in A-16 so I was a bit skeptical and not sure what to expect this morning setting up.  I was thinking I'd be tucked way off at the end not near the action, but the vendors near me are a plenty and have some really great looking displays.  There is the pesticide free Asparagus guy that I've been watching have a loong line at his booth for weeks and the Kettle Korn guy and someone selling really pretty jewelry.  I'm really digging her display too...very detailed and artistic.  The weather seems like it is really going to cooperate which is excellent.  It was such a pretty drive to market this AM with the low laying clouds and mist...It looked spectacular.  I set up really quickly too so I had a few minutes to walk around and check things out.  It is 10 til 8am and people are already milling about.  Should be a lot of fun!  I overheard one of the board members mention that they have the most vendors that they ever had.  Man, that Kettle Korn smells good!

There was a film crew...Fringe Benefits...who are doing an independent travel show about the Laurel Highlands.  They were set up directly in front of me practicing and filming and introduction to the Ligonier Country Market.

Setting up in the AM....lots of misty fog

Others still setting up

One of the rows of the Market

Another row

The Bluegrass musicians in the special feature tent

Lots of people enjoying the day

The film crew in front of my tent