Thank you Houston! We loved making soap and nail polish with you at the Houston Maker Faire. We’ll be back for the Winter Holiday Art Market next month, so hopefully see you there!
Category Archives: Teaching
I’m making nail polish and soap in Houston at Comicpalooza! I’ll have Father’s Day themed embed papers to make some rad gifts for Dad plus a big pile of toys!
Comicpalooza Exhibit Hours:
Friday June 17, 2016 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday June 18, 2016 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday June 19, 2016 10:00 AM
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On Saturday in Austin you can make soap and nail polish at the Burlap Bag, along with other crafts! They will have donuts and mimosas, so don’t forget to RSVP so they can bring enough for everyone! https://www.facebook.com/events/1707215539565780/
 
This weekend I’m headed to the Bay Area Maker Faire with my Make Your Own Soap Booth starting on Friday,  where you can create a custom bar of soap right on the spot!
Here’s a quick glance at how my booth has changed over the years since my very first one in 2007. I used to take a microwave with me. I also had to cube ALL the soap base (from a massive 24 lb soap block) we were using that day. That’s what all those lined up cups are full of in the picture from 2008. Now I bring a soap melter with me in a trunk that my friend Kai told me about. I still use the same two trunks to cart my supplies that I bought way back then! I’ve streamlined the process, and the booth has gotten much neater (and brighter!)  than it was way back when.
Make Your Own Soap Booth at Bay Area Maker Faire 2014
Make Your Own Soap Booth at Bay Area Maker Faire 2008
Make Your Own Soap Booth 2007 (my very first one!)
My Austin team will be in full force at the Austin Mini Maker Faire helping you create your custom bars of soap on the spot, too, so don’t worry, you won’t miss out on any soapmaking fun!
If you’re not in the Bay Area or Austin, check out the Maker Faire Map for a Maker Faire near you, or start one if there’s not one in your city!
My next walk-up nail polish making workshop is at the SXSW Renegade Craft Fair Thursday – Sunday, March 13, 14 + 15th Noon – 8pm open to the public at the Palmer Events Center. 
Meet the newest members of my team, Bubble & Squeak. Bubble is in charge of the calendar of events and Squeak is the booth design goddess.
(beautiful chalkboard art inspired calendar printable via liagriffith.com)
Bubble is giving me the first weekend of March off, but wants me to be at these events:
My next walk-up nail polish making workshop in Austin, TX is at SXSW Create on Friday through Sunday, March 7-9, 11- 6pm at the Austin Mini Maker Faire booth. 701 W. Riverside (the Long Center)
and at SXSW Renegade Craft Fair March 13, 14 + 15th Noon – 8pm at the Palmer Events Center.Â
Both of these events are FREE and open to the public.
A SXSW Guest Pass is required to attend this and many other free SXSW events. Get yours on site at Renegade or in advance at multiple Austin locations like Whole Foods & Spec’s. More information here.
I had fun making these and spreading the love for Valentine’s Day. I met with Mazzi Peled of Latika Soap for happy hour early this week and was able to give her one. Â I accidentally spilled some of my pink sugar perfume on it, and she was asking me “What is that smell coming out of your purse!” so I ended up giving her a scented valentine! What a happy accident since she loves the smell. We have similar philosophies about formulating & designing, so I love getting to chat with her.
Another way I choose to spread love is through teaching. Each fall I take on an adult intern at feto soap. They usually are on their way to starting their own bath & body business, but want some help learning techniques and production from an established business.
Last year, Kelly Darby of Lucy Kat Soaps was my fall intern. I taught her how to make soap & bath bombs, and she helped me package my products during the fall of 2013. We worked out an arrangement of both in-studio and take-home tasks (like entering emails into a spreadsheet & some packaging duties) because she lives in N. Round Rock and has two young children at home. She was super-organized about her babysitting schedule, so would let me know a week ahead when her studio or take-home task availability was. She also helped me at shows when she was available!
Unbeknownst to us, we had a couple of interests and people in common, like Taylor from Nothing But a Pigeon, a love for yoga and NPR. When she’s not busy chasing after her little ones, she’s working at a yoga studio part-time (like I did!) while she makes her fabulous party favors.
I had the pleasure of having both of them over for a pre-Valentine’s Day
lunch complete with chocolates and champagne! Since I didn’t want us all getting tipsy, I made a variation of Profanity Salmon for us while we snacked on the goat cheese and noshes Kelly brought over. I was too busy eating them to get a picture!