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Hick Chicks Soap Barn is run by Dalyn, the "Queen of Quite Alot," who has parlayed her love of farming, her family, and goats, into a wonderful business. Her handmade, unique soaps are made from raw goats milk and other natural ingredients, and she carries other finely made bath and beauty products. To learn more, or to purchase their items, please see:
THEIR BLOG or THEIR WEBSITE

ABOUT HICK CHICKS SOAP BARN
Why did we start: We started making soaps at home because we had alot of goat milk and it seemed like a fun idea to try soaps and cheeses. We just liked the soaps more! Also, we moved from the wet side of the state to the dry side the year before and our skin was suffering. The boys had cracked, bleeding hands, and I had a dry rash all over from the hard water, dry air, and store-bought soap. I found out with some research that store-bought soap is really detergents with chemicals and synthetic preservatives- not "soap" at all!

We tried goat milk soap from a friend and it worked so well, I decided to start making it for the family. It turned out so nicely that we gave it away as gifts to family and friends, and since I love anything creative I started playing with labels for the soaps, and the next thing you know I had a product people wanted to buy.

We started making our own lip butters, bath salts, and solid lotion bars just because that's kind of who we are. We love to make, create, and try new things, and whenever we can, we make what we use ourselves. Everything just turned out so well, we decided to make our hobby into a small business so we could find a way to support our hobby and help pay for the feed for the animals on our ranch at the same time by putting up the web shoppe. Sort of a homeschool project I guess.

Our Products: We have home made raw goat milk, kefir, and vegetable juice soaps. Some with fragrance oils, and some with essential oils. Some with herbs, and some with real coffee and cocoa. The soaps are cold processed, and cured for a few weeks. They are gentle and have rich, creamy lather. I freeze the raw goat milk so the enzymes,natural alpha-hydroxy acids, vitamins, and minerals are mostly maintained. Not much gets lost in the soapmaking process because of the way I do it. Remember- I started out by making it just for my family, so I have always been very careful to do the best I can.

We make lip butters and solid lotion bars with what I think is the best beeswax! It comes from hives that produce raw honey in areas full of wild flowers and no pesticides! The wax is natural, and still smells of raw honey. Because it's not bleached and put into pellets, etc. it still retains enzymes and vitamins that protect your skin. We also use high quality cocoa and shea butters, almond and apricot, grapeseed, and olive oils.

The bathsalts, lotion bars, and soaps come in matching fragrances alot of times, and that's just another fun idea I had for gift sets. The bath salts are nice because they have vegetable glycerine and baking soda to really soften and smooth. A hot tub filled with our bath salts is a true luxury- especially if you are using a matching bar of raw goat milk soap! Talk about soft and smooth!

What I love about the business: I love that I can do this little business with my family. Especially my children. They don't live at home forever, and I like to do most everything with them. I also love that I am completely free to be as creative as I want. I have the best time making this stuff! The fact that it's all good for you skin is important, and providing healthier alternatives to people is satisfying. Being able to make a small profit on something I would do anyway is a big bonus!

Favorite Products: I love the solid lotion bars! They have healed our poor little hands! Imagine cracked, bleeding hands in the cold winter trying to milk goats, go sledding, or whatever. It makes a person miserable and limits the fun. Now we are soft, smooth, and protected after suffering for three years after our move to the ranch.

PUMPKIN PATCH PARLOR is the "storefront" section of BigTownFarmer. Yep, we've got a store! The store focuses on hand-made items that have both a farmgirl flavor, but with a big city twist...hmm, sort of like our magazine! The items are created from the framework of Aunt Elizabeth's old fashioned embroidery, sewing and general farmgirl crafting skills, with Zan's more modern designs and ideas. The result mixes old time charm with modern flourishes for unique items. YOU CAN LINK DIRECTLY TO OUR STORE HERE

ABOUT US (PUMPKIN PATCH PARLOR)
Our business began from the long standing need to reconnect to something MUCH simpler than what I was doing. I live smack in the middle of the New York City, being an artist, running around, losing my mind, wondering if the drama onstage (and off!) was worth it. I also remained VERY curious about my mother's life; she is a talented and steadfast woman and I remembered my childhood, watching her embroider, knit, sew, make these incredible meals, and do very difficult things, without complaining. I loved her, and her creativity, and so I began re-learning embroidery, sewing, and other such wonders, and found that it was very relaxing, and very challenging. I really think people who dismiss handcrafting as something simple, or silly, really don't have a clue, and I can admire people accomplished in handmade skills.
Since my mother was creating very traditional "country" items, and I was looking for more modern things for my own kitchen, I finally decided to combine the two, and the idea of very different, but funny, enchanting, and unique items for the home, was born...

The items we make tend to be those things that one would use for everyday use...aprons, tea towels, dishcloths..but we also have gift items. most have a twist--and that twist combines "the old and the new." For example, I'm working on a dish towel right now that says "Domestic Goddess" with an image of an 8 handed "goddess" with a baby, baking pan, rolling pin, etc, in each hand! So you're playing with an Eastern idea and making it very real for a woman who feels like she needs 8 arms! I think people can relate to that...plus, the whole thing is embroidered! So you have this modern idea, but it uses an old-fashioned craft technique. All of our embroidery incorporates free form art, in that we create our own patterns. I usually have an idea in my head of what a piece should look like, and will create a pattern on the spot, sometimes drawing with a pencil on the fabric. My mother, the poor thing, has had to make the attempt to try and embroider these crazy visions onto fabric! But all the artwork is completely original.
We also have aprons coming out, some have fairy imagery, gothy imagery, and stuff you wouldn't find regularly on such items. At the same time, my mother does some very beautiful traditional work--crocheting, sewing, and more...so there's something for everyone--country, city, or anywhere in between.
I hope to eventually encorporate some art and maybe homemade dolls and other things of pure whimsy but for right now, the practical items incorporating a bit of art along with it works very well.

I love doing this sort of thing because it lets me reconnect to myself, my mother, and it's challenging, fun, and I think we have a chance to make everyday work sort of fun, by personalizing items for people. I mean, are you going to have fun washing dishes, and drying them with just an ordinary dish towel, or are you going to at least SMILE when you are drying them with a towel that says "dish washing diva?" I think we might make a small difference with some of our items.

There are several favorite items I have, I can't pick one! Of course, this is when I can get around to crafting, sometimes I think that I probably will sleep when I retire! But, right now, I am in love with our dishtowels/table-toppers. I just finished one that was based on a cookbook my grandmother had, and it reminds me of the older dishtowels...this little guy is a strawberry, and it has a very "yesteryear" feel. I am also in love with our "KitchenWitch" series of dishtowels, because I think it blends these modern notions with old-style embroidery. People sort of remember the Kitchenwitch series because we profiled it in our October Magazine.

Mostly, I hope people will get a chuckle, or a happy glow, and good practical use from our items!

Simple Basics is an all natural business based in the Pacific NorthWest. Michelle created her skin care line based on her love of nature, the land, and organic health. The result is a vast array of products for skin, hair, and more. You can see her products on her ONLINE ETSY STORE

ABOUT SIMPLE BASICS
How or why did you start SIMPLE BASICS?
I am living in a very small farming community where jobs are scarce. So many of us work out of our homes. I basically became very inspired when I bought my first organic lip balm. I knew that was something I wanted to do. I got online, and researched, and that Christmas my friends and family got my "experiments". Everything was such a hit! It snowballed from there,and now I have a skin care line on Etsy.

I was raised on Moscow Mountain, near Moscow, Idaho. Much of my time was spent outdoors, being in love with the earth, the woods, the creek (frog catching is an art that I fully concentrated on!) My piano teacher was a huge inspiration to me, a true Farm Girl, besides holding recitals in her home, she taught us to churn butter (milk straight from her cows), crafts and we spent time with her in her wonderful big country home, literally filled with her handiwork. Many, many others were a great inspiration, as well, and farm life became real when we acquired 2 pigs and some chickens, and egg gathering became my job.

What part of your business do you love?
Skin Care has been of interest to me, and the more I researched organics, the more I realized that the earth has all we really need. I am fascinated with new information all the time. By creating earth friendly, organic products that are superior to commercial ones, I have found a new passion. By finding Etsy.com, I am able to affordably sell my products and spread the goodness.

Which of your creations is your favorite product?
My favorites are my skin care sets, both for acne and one for dry skin. These provide remarkable results and are healing and gentle to skin! By making friends with some local BeeKeepers, these Skin Care Sets have evolved and are wonderfully effective! (Honey, one of nature's greatest gifts, is a natural anti-biotic that heals). For that reason, I have chosen a bee for my logo!

Vintage Prairie specializes in handmade crafts with an old fashioned, even old world feel. Jewelry, knitting, and other homespun work is the creation of Cynthia. Her merchandise is carefully made, and limited edition. For more on Vintage Praire, please see the BLOG or WEBSITE

What, how, and/or why you started your crafting business...

I have always enjoyed crafting and creating with my hands. My parents are very talented craftspeople and instilled in me at a very young age to appreciate handmade items. I come from a long line of ladies who created beautiful homes using their domestic knowledge and my mother continued the tradition by passing that knowledge down to me. She has taught me everything I know about crafting. I have been hand creating items for family and friends for as long as I can remember, and I love to do it, but the time seemed right to begin making things for others as well. I truly enjoy the creative process that goes into making items and want others to enjoy the feeling of wearing or using something that is special or one of a kind. Society’s recent movement to appreciate handcrafted items and get away from a mass produced lifestyle is wonderful. I feel lucky to be a part of it.

What sorts of items you make....
I make a variety of items, none of which are mass produced. I love to crochet and play with making up my own patterns. I also make jewelry, sometimes using vintage components. Basically, I make what I want, I have no predetermined product line. Once something is gone, I usually don’t make anything exactly like it again. I believe this adds to the uniqueness of each item and makes the recipient feel special because they are wearing something that only a few people have or is one of a kind.

What you love about your business
I have always loved to create with my hands. Having this business gives me the opportunity to do what I love, have variety in my life, and still have time for family and friends. My work is like play to me. What more could I ask for?