Home handmade

Come get GEEKSOAP in person at Gen Con!

Posted in Shows, Soapmaking , on July 21, 2010 ,

You know you wanna head to Gen Con in Indianapolis from August 5 – 8, 2010… because not only is it “the original, longest running, best attended gaming convention in the world for over 40 years”,  you can come pick up some awesome GEEKSOAP for yourself in person right at the G33Kmade booth; 2732! And then there’s a G33Kmade Tweet Up… so even if you don’t have tickets to get in to Gen Con you can still come hang out in downtown Indianapolis!

–> Grab all of the G33Kmade booth details and Tweet Up information! <–

soapstonesBasically, we’ll be at booth 2732 and you’re gonna find awesome soaps by me, @KyleeLane, and other handmade goodies from @GEEKLEETIST, @VictoriaTheGerm, and @GeekyLyndsay there, too! As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, G33Kmade is a company that Kylee and I started together to help spread the love and support of handmade geekery because that’s the way it should be. Showcasing and celebrating other handmade geek and helping them get their stories and inspiration out there for all the world to see!

Want more excitement? @UberDorkGirlie (of the amazing @UberDorkCafe that I mentioned previously that you NEED to support! Give the gift of geek!) will be in attendance at the Tweet Up, so if you want to meet the dream in person you just have to be there!

Be sure to check out the official post over on G33Kmade for all the Gen Con details. Hope to see you at Gen Con!


Baththulhu Cthulhu Bath Mitt

Posted in Crochet, Showcase , on July 5, 2010 ,

Brace yourself for something beyond epic… introducing Baththulhuâ„¢ the Cthulhu Bath Mitt!

Live on the edge and shower with danger! While those tentacles may wish to suck your soul into Cthulhu’s gaping maw, they are made from completely harmless cotton. (Which may explain the look on Baththulhu’s face.) So instead of doing evil, those tentacles make for an excellent scrubby surface for soapy lather. Yes!

Baththulhu is a hand crocheted bath mitt pattern that I wrote; the first Cthulhu bath mitt in existence! I personally hand crochet each and every bath mitt for my customers from the softest 100% cotton I can find for a uniquely geek bathing experience. For a Cthulhu Clean you can’t get anywhere else, be sure to pair your mitt with the original Cthulhu soap! (#Fact, being Cthulhu Clean wards off horrific nightmares. Yup.)

The Baththulhu bath mitt comes in two mighty sizes and is crafted for right-handed souls by default, but never fear… a lefty-friendly version is available, too! Medium size fits most women perfectly, while Large is more suited for men and/or those with larger hands.

Use: Enjoy with suds in the bath or shower. When finished, rinse thoroughly and lay flat to dry. Made from 100% cotton.

Disclaimer: Not responsible for the loss of your brain should you get Baththulhu too close to your head. Available for purchase at geeksoap.net

Baththulhu is the fourth original Cthulhu-themed design I’ve created. Be sure to check out my Cthulhu toque, Sock-Thulhuâ„¢ sock plush, and Cthulhu GEEKSOAP!

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? YES – I will be creating a matching set of a modified version of these as Cthulhu mittens perfect for winter wear this fall, so stay tuned and keep an eye on The Pink Toque shop!

©2010 Lesley Karpiuk of The Pink Toque (thepinktoque.com) & geeksoap.net


Introducing Soapstone GEEKSOAP!

Posted in Soapmaking , on July 2, 2010 ,

Ahhhhh… I’m back in Indiana after a 10 day hiatus to Canada with a little time spent in Seattle, WA along the way. Lucas and I had a fantastic time and spent our anniversary in a beautiful bed and breakfast on the ocean near Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island to kick off our Canada Summer 2010 Tour. After a few days of relaxing we headed over to stay with family in Vancouver and see the city, followed by a pass through Chilliwack and on to the wonderful Penticton, BC, where Lucas grew up. We enjoyed some beach time and got to see family and friends there, too. We flew in and out of Seattle, WA, so we made sure to head back to Seattle a day and a half before our flight so that we could experience all of the fun that downtown and the waterfront had to offer. We seriously could’ve used another couple days there. What a great time!

Of course, being gone for 10 days meant I had a huge backlog of orders waiting for my personal attention when I returned, and I truly appreciate everyone for being so understanding with me being out of the country and all! I’ve gotten back on schedule right away, and I’m working on your orders as quickly as I can. :) And getting right back into the swing of prepping for Gen Con. Can you believe it’s just over a month away! Still lots of soapy goodness to work on, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

So… let’s introduce my newest soap already. (It’s like I can read your mind, right?) *drum roll* … Introducing the Soapstone! Some backstory first, k? I have had a very lengthy relationship with WoW, dating back to January 2005. (I tried EQ2 in Nov 2004 first… you can see how long that lasted since I had moved on by January.) Besides just plain playing, I’ve been featured twice on the official World of Warcraft website front page, and for over 2 years I wrote for Mentor Media/38 Studios as a paid staff writer and then editor with the Azeroth Advisor. I had a brief stint with WoWHead but was too busy to keep up and had taken a break from the game for a bit. I’ve taken breaks off and on in the more than 5 years I’ve played, but Azeroth always calls me back… and my most recent return brings the Soapstone along with it. Lucky you!

The concept of this soap design in particular is nothing new – I’ve always been inspired by ManaPrincess/Amethyst Soap and their hearthstone designs, but for the longest time I kept telling my customers I’d not make one because it had “already been done before.” I take great pride in the fact that ALL of my previous soap designs are unique and original – not only in the construction of how I do some of my signature soap, but before me there was no such thing as Dr. Who soap, or Game Cartridge soap. Or D20 Soap on a Rope, or Cthulhu soap… just to give a few of the many examples. Then it was brought to my attention that these crafty people were no longer creating and/or selling their hearthstone soap. That’s when I approached the previous makers because I wanted to create my own vision that depicted what *I* thought a hunk of carved stone would look and smell like. This means I’m not competing with either person’s sales or trying to take any of the credit for their idea. Special thanks to Margaret of Amethyst Soap – she has been a completely amazing person to work with as I designed my own unique handcarved version. Her support meant a lot in my quest to capture the essence of “home” in a bar of soap.  Thankfully I completed the quest successfully, and was rewarded with an epic shower and smelling great. Yes!

Anyway, even though I’m busy busy busy I couldn’t resist unveiling something new. I love it. :) There’s more new stuff coming very soon – my Baththulhu Cthulhu Bath Mitt (which will make the fourth of my original Cthulhu designs!) comes out Monday and is part of a giveaway over at Cthulhu Chick plus I have at least 2 other completely new and original soap designs you won’t find anywhere else headed your way in the coming weeks. Once I work out the kinks with them and get around to casting molds hehe. :)

OH! And before I forget… I’ve been tweeting about it, but want to make sure I cover it wherever I can… my Ninja Turtle GEEKSOAP Guest Soap set is ready to be released, but instead of just releasing it per usual, I’ve given my friend Tommy over at @SaturdayMorning (Saturday Morning Central) the very first set to give away in a fun TMNT contest they’re hosting! So not only do I have the new Soapstone out and 2 new soaps announced on the way, I am also finally debuting the Ninja Turtle soap via contest! Once the winner has received their set from Saturday Morning Central’s contest, I’ll release the soap in my store so it can finally be made available to the masses. :) Get over there and enter the contest already, you know you want to!

Thanks for all of your love and support! It’s people like YOU and the awesome comments and stories you send my way that keep inspiring me to make more and be the best that I can be for you, the customer. Thanks! <3


Soapstone GEEKSOAP Geek Soap

Posted in Showcase, Soap , on July 2, 2010 ,

There’s no place like home… and now you can bubble and hearth your way out of dirty, sticky situations with my latest GEEKSOAP creation: the Soapstone!

This fantastic handcarved soap is lovingly handmade one-at-a-time from all natural ingredients enriched with aloe and vitamin E. No two Soapstones are ever exactly alike, though all are intentionally designed to look realistically like roughly carved stone.

Each Soapstone bar emits a fresh & tropical coconut lime verbena fragrance that’ll bring the lush, clear water beaches of Stranglethorn Vale right to your shower, without the hassle of pesky jungle trolls of course.

Soapstones weigh approximately 5oz; they’re wrapped to seal in freshness and allow you to keep them on display until you’re ready to use them. And as always, GEEKSOAP is vegan friendly!

Disclaimer: Not responsible for your impending addiction to showering instead of raiding. (Sorry, guildies.) Once you smell the intoxicating awesome of using my Soapstone soap, you won’t be able to put it down, either.

Unlike the rest of the GEEKSOAP line, the concept of this soap design is not new. Special thanks to ManaPrincess/Ladykildare and Amethyst Soap for their inspiration & support as I set about to handcarve my own interpretation of what I thought a hunk of magical stone would look and smell like in their absence. This means I’m not competing with their sales nor trying to claim credit for their fantastic idea. :) Margaret of Amethyst Soap has been a dream to work with on creating my own unique version, and you should check out her amazing goodies on Etsy.

This is just one series design of many in my GEEKSOAP line. Check out the Soap category for more. My fun soaps are available for purchase at http://www.geeksoap.net

GEEKSOAP is geek soap for the internet. Soap for geeks; just pure geeky soap!


GEEKSOAP News & Support UberDork Cafe!

Posted in Knit & Crochet, Miscellaneous , on June 15, 2010 ,

Hey readers!

I just wanted to give you a head’s up – GEEKSOAP will be on vacation from June 19 – June 29. Check out the On Vacation page of my store for more information. Basically the store will stay open, just be aware that my house sitter cannot make soap, so I won’t be able to begin work on your order until I return on June 30. :) I will then begin processing orders in the order they were received in my absence, and I promise to get your order out to you ASAP! Thanks for understanding :)

So what’s the vacation for? Well, Lucas and I’s anniversary is coming up on Sunday, and it’s our tradition to stay in a bed and breakfast on the ocean over our anniversary. Last summer we did Nova Scotia and I still daydream of the place we stayed at. I think the sound of the waves crashing up through the open patio door all night is the most relaxing thing ever! This year we’re going to Vancouver, which is a good choice since it means we get to stay on the ocean (we’re actually going out to Victora on Vancouver Island for 2 nights at a bed and breakfast there) and also head inland a little bit to visit friends and family. I’ve not yet been to Vancouver, so I’m excited about exploring after our getaway on the island. We’ll visit Lucas’ uncles and Matt and Laresha (brother and sister-in-law) and then head even further inland to spend some time in Penticton, where Lucas grew up, to visit his parents and some more friends. I can’t wait! I’m working extra hard this week in the GEEKSOAP soap studio to prepare; not only am I working on orders daily, I’m also still prepping for Gen Con in August! Whew!

When I return you can expect some new goodies, too! I’ve got 2-3 new soaps coming PLUS a rumored 3D Dalek soap from Dr. Who…. that won’t be ready immediately when I return, but it’s in the works! ALSO, the awesome Cthulhu bath mitt I designed and crocheted will also be made available. I will be calling it the Baththulhu Cthulhu Bath Mitt, and it’s extra cute! Currently I have a mens and womens’ size as well as being able to make it in a lefty-friendly design. It’s 100% original and made from super soft 100% cotton; perfect for getting clean with my Cthulhu GEEKSOAP! The Baththulhu mitt will be my FOURTH original Cthulhu design since 2009… first it was the Cthulhu toque (and a baby toque that came out last year), then it was my Sock-thulhu Cthulhu plushie in late 2009, then my Cthulhu soap came out in January 2010 and the Baththulhu mitt will be out July 2010! Exciting!

So July will bring some new soap and some new items for GEEKSOAP with the Baththulhu Cthulhu Bath Mitt! I will most likely be having my Cthulhu toques and Sock-thulhu plush added to my product listings at GEEKSOAP in the near future, even though they aren’t soap related… they’re still geek related and complete the set with my awesome, original Cthulhu soap. I want to prepare ahead of time because the Cthulhu toques get popular in the fall and winter months so I need to get started on some stock! I’d also like to take a few to Gen Con if I manage to get the time. Some bath mitts will for sure be going, but I may not have time to make very many toques or Sock-thulhus. (Speaking of which… I need to find a good wholesale supplier of various colored chenille socks… lol)

So that’s the news for where GEEKSOAP is right now, and what you can expect to see from me soon! Now I need to turn your attention to something incredibly awesome… my friend Natali (AKA @UberDorkGirlie) is amazing. She has this dream of a super fantastic geeky cafe that she calls Uber Dork Cafe – a family-friendly place where art and science and geek come together to provide patrons with a completely fantastic cafe experience – and she needs your help! Uber Dork Cafe was granted a pledge page at Kickstarter, where you can help pledge your support to various ideas and creations by all kinds of people and their dreams. Please go check out Uber Dork Cafe and pledge any amount that you can to help Natali fulfill her dream!

More ways to support UberDork Cafe: Head on over to the Facebook page and follow @UberDorkCafe on Twitter!

That’s it for today – I’ll see you back here after I get home from vacation with an update on the crafts I’ll be taking with me on the plane (Lots of Baththulhus will be made for sure!) and to announce new soap and finally release the bath mitts! Thanks for stopping by *hearts* <3


Iron Man Arc Reactor GEEKSOAP Geek Soap

Posted in Soap , on May 23, 2010 ,

I don’t know about you, but I need something epic to power me up in the morning and get me through my day. What’s more epic than the ultimate power source that keeps Iron Man going? Introducing Arc Reactor soap! Now you can harness Tony Stark’s amazing power in your shower. Hot.

These bars weigh just under 5 ounces and have the dimensions of approximately 3″x3″x1.25″.

GEEKSOAP Arc Reactor bars are handmade one-at-a-time from all natural ingredients enriched with aloe and vitamin E. These bars are powered by a sultry unisex black amber musk scent, and come shrink-wrapped to seal in freshness and allow you to keep the soap on display until you’re ready to use it. Hold it up to your chest when you wash for the ultimate experience in awesome. GEEKSOAP is vegan friendly!

Both the blue & black (inspired by the first Iron Man movie) and the Iron Man 2 inspired red version of these power sources are equally epic and will start your morning off with the surge you need to make it through a long day.

The mold was custom designed and created by me so you can be sure that your soap is lovingly handmade and 100% one-of-a-kind. You won’t find soap like it anywhere else!

This is just one series design of many in my GEEKSOAP line. Check out the Soap category for more. My fun soaps are available for purchase at http://www.geeksoap.net

Iron Man Arc Reactor Soap Iron Man Arc Reactor soap Iron Man Arc Reactor soap Iron Man Arc Reactor soap Iron Man Arc Reactor soap

GEEKSOAP is geek soap for the internet. Soap for geeks; just pure geeky soap!


Mighty Monarch GEEKSOAP Geek Soap

Posted in Soap , on May 22, 2010 ,

Being the most amazing super-villain and arching the Venture family is hard work. Just ask the Monarch. To be on top of your game, wash away the dirt and grime with Mighty Monarch GEEKSOAP! I guarantee it’ll make you feel fresh and smell clean, but just remember… Brock Samson can still smell your fear.

GEEKSOAP is handmade from all natural ingredients enriched with aloe and vitamin E. Soaps are lightly scented with invigorating clean scent and come shrink-wrapped to seal in freshness and allow you to keep the soap on display until you’re ready to use it. GEEKSOAP is vegan friendly!

These bars weigh 6.5oz and have the dimensions of 3″x3″x1.25″.

This is just one design of many in my GEEKSOAP line. Check out the Soap category for more. My fun soaps are available for purchase at http://www.geeksoap.net

GEEKSOAP is geek soap for the internet. Soap for geeks; just pure geeky soap!


Mystery Block GEEKSOAP Geek Soap

Posted in Soap , on May 21, 2010 ,

You never know what’s in store when you break a mystery block, but it almost always equals something good to give you a boost just when you need it most. Need to feel a little bigger? Maybe you’d love to have some firepower or the ability to fly? Now you can take that super boost with you in the shower with my Mystery Block soap. Jump start your day with an advantage over the baddies!

Mystery Block GEEKSOAP bars are handmade one-at-a-time from all natural ingredients enriched with aloe and vitamin E. They are generously scented with deliciously clean scents: the old school version (orange) is a warm pumpkin spice, while the modern version (yellow) smells of cool and refreshing lemon. They’ll come shrink-wrapped to seal in freshness and allow you to keep the soap on display until you’re ready to use it. GEEKSOAP is vegan friendly!

Mystery Block GEEKSOAP bars weigh approximately 6.5 ounces and have the dimensions of 3″x3″x1″

The molds were custom designed and created by me so you can be sure that your soap is lovingly handmade and 100% one-of-a-kind. You won’t find soap like it anywhere else!

This is just one design of many in my GEEKSOAP line. Check out the Soap category for more. My fun soaps are available for purchase at http://www.geeksoap.net

       

GEEKSOAP is geek soap for the internet. Soap for geeks; just pure geeky soap!


Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy GEEKSOAP Geek Soap

Posted in Soap , on May 20, 2010 ,

Smelling a little less than fresh after all of those galactic adventures? Don’t panic! Every hoopy frood knows that my Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy soap is here to save the day so that you can continue to search for the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything. (Psst, the answer is 42.)

BONUS! Also acts as a Vogon poetry deterrent. Just don’t forget your towel!

The Hitchhiker’s Guide GEEKSOAP bar weighs 5oz and has the dimensions of 3″x3″x1.25″.

GEEKSOAP is handmade from vegan friendly, hypoallergenic ingredients enriched with aloe and vitamin E. Soaps are lightly scented with a clean, invigorating smell and come shrink-wrapped to seal in freshness and allow you to keep the soap on display until you’re ready to use it. GEEKSOAP is vegan friendly!

This is just one series design of many in my GEEKSOAP line. Check out the Soap category for more. My fun soaps are available for purchase at http://www.geeksoap.net

GEEKSOAP is geek soap for the internet. Soap for geeks; just pure geeky soap!


Doctor Who GEEKSOAP Geek Soap

Posted in Soap , on May 1, 2010 ,

Doctor Who soap?! Yup! Because who wouldn’t want to take the good Doctor in the shower with them?

GEEKSOAP is handmade from all natural ingredients enriched with aloe and vitamin E. Soaps are lightly scented with invigorating clean scent and come shrink-wrapped to seal in freshness and allow you to keep the soap on display until you’re ready to use it. GEEKSOAP is vegan friendly!

These bars weigh 5oz and have the dimensions of 3.5″x2.5″x1.25″.

This is just one design of many in my GEEKSOAP line. Check out the Soap category for more. My fun soaps are available for purchase at http://www.geeksoap.net

Please Note: Name trademarks and copyrights are properties of their respective manufacturers and/or designers.These fan inspired versions are NOT to be confused with licensed merchandise. My interpretation of these designs are lovingly created and carved by hand and are not intended to mislead or confuse the customer OR infringe on the manufacturer’s/designer’s name and valuable trademark.

GEEKSOAP is geek soap for the internet. Soap for geeks; just pure geeky soap!