Event Recap: Con Kasterborous 2015

This year's Con Kasterborous was this past weekend, and it was bigger than ever this year!

My Con Kasterborous setup for 2015.

July in Alabama is always hot, and this weekend was no exception. How all the cosplayers managed it in so many layers when outside the cooler confines of the hotel, I have no idea, but let me tell you, they were there and just as magnificent as always. Sadly, I'm kind of a chicken when it comes to asking folks for photos, and my camera gave up the ghost after overheating sometime last spring. So the only photo I have is the kinda sad set up shot above, which is the best my phone camera can muster.

Opening ceremonies was as fun and entertaining as ever. The guests were great this year and all seemed kind and charming. Unfortunately, thanks to it still being the middle of summer semester for Chris' students and his taking over the school's website and social media maintenance for the upcoming year, he was busy with grading and communicating with parents most of the weekend. So as much as both of us would have liked to take turns attending what we heard were wonderful panels, we really only got to see and hear as much as went on in the dealer's room.

We did get the chance to catch up with friends we haven't gotten to see in a long while and meet a bunch of new folks. We got a kick out of seeing all the beautiful cosplays as well as seeing Dalek Braun and R2-D2 rolling around the lobby.

There were a couple of disappointed mentions of lotions missing from our table this year. We've discontinued those and the guest sets from our usual line up. Unfortunately, the smallest possible batch of lotion makes four bottles, and the majority of the time only one or two would sell within the ten months before they became too close to their expiration dates to sell. If someone wants to order a minimum of two or three bottles, I can make a custom order for them, but otherwise the lotions just seem wasteful.

Also, discontinuing the lotions and guest sets has allowed us to keep more fragrances this year than we would have been able otherwise. My inventory closet is just a teeny tiny linen closet, so space is at a premium. The trim down freed up an entire shelf for new fragrances, meaning only one old scent had to be discontinued this year and room is still left for seasonal items and next year's line.

There is one thing I love about the new Westin location. The tables are large and sturdy, and the tablecloths provided are amazing. They don't slide around on the tables, and they provide enough friction to keep stuff from wobbling. We missed being as near the action as we were last year, but the new dealer's room was large enough that they could scoot the tables farther away from the wall than we've ever been able to before. Between that and having a parred down selection, it was a lot easier to manage the busiest times because Chris and I could slide by one another without tripping over chairs and open the cash box without knocking a shelf over.

All in all, Con Kasterborous 2015 was yet another good year, and we're looking forward to going back June 25 and 26 next year.

Fragrance Introduction: Summer Reading

Today's fragrance is the last one for 2015, and it was inspired by the notion of reading on the beach during a summer vacation.

Summer Reading Goat Milk and Glycerin Soaps

The soaps are goat milk and glycerin, and you'll find some of the things you might see at the beach in the design: sea shells, tropical flowers, the sun, glistening sand, and clear blue sky. The fragrance is a fresh and welcoming blend of sea spray, coconut, old books, orange, hyacinth, heather, and leafy greens.

This is another design which may be subject to change. My insert molds turned out to be a good deal bigger than expected and curved, so bubbling was more of a problem than anticipated. It just plain didn't come out the way I'd envisioned, and you know me, I can't leave anything alone until I've gotten it down.

Fragrance Introduction: Magic Time

Here we have the last of the Doctor Who inspired fragrances for now. Magic Time was inspired by Peter Capaldi's current version of The Doctor.

Magic Time Goat Milk and Glycerin Soaps

The soaps are goat milk and glycerin patterned to resemble the 12th Doctor's outfit, which he refers to as "looking like a magician." The fragrance is a warm blend of marine, ozone, juniper, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, fresh cut grass, orange blossoms, citrus, French lavender, and musk.

Fragrance Introduction: "No More!"

Now we're on to the incarnation of The Doctor who refused the name. Inspired by John Hurt's "War Doctor," No More is a deep but still fresh blend of sea spray, cedar wood, sandalwood, leather, amber, cashmere musk, rose, tobacco blossom, caramel, mandarin, honey, grape, peach, and plum.

"No More!" Goat Milk and Glycerin Soaps

The soaps are made of goat milk and glycerin. The design is comprised of two marbled sections: black and gray to represent the worn leather jacket and burgundy and cream for the scarf he wears. These sections are separated by an abstract bandolier, a stark contrast that separates the War Doctor from his other twelve incarnations.

This separation is also marked by substituting sea spray for the marine and ozone that ties all the other Doctor fragrances together. It's similar, but also notedly different. And, of course, I had to include a heart note of rose considering Bad Wolf's role in his story.

Fragrance Introduction: The Clown

Today we're moving on to the last of the Classic Doctor Who inspired fragrances, The Clown, inspired by Patrick Troughton's turn as the second incarnation of The Doctor.

The Clown Goat Milk and Glycerin Soaps

The name comes from the first incarnation's comment toward the second in The Three Doctors. "So you're my replacements; a dandy and a clown?" The soaps are made up of both goat milk and glycerin soap in black and baby blue since Troughton was the first Doctor to make the transition to color. And as he was also the first incarnation to rock a bow tie, I had to carry over the motif amidst the swirls of black and blue.

The fragrance is a light and slightly fruity blend of marine, ozone, blueberry, Indonesian teakwood, falling leaves, citrus, patchouli, amber, bergamot, and white tea.

Fragrance Introduction: Doc Foreman

Those of you who have known about Contented Comfort for any length of time have probably come to expect these next few fragrance introductions. For the past three years, I've been working my way through the various incarnations of The Doctor from Doctor Who, and 2015 will bring this tradition to a close until the end of Capaldi's era.

Doc Foreman Goat Milk and Glycerin Soaps

Doc Foreman was inspired by William Hartnell's iconic turn as the original version of The Doctor. The name comes from his first human companions, Ian and Barbara's, confusion regarding his name after finding the TARDIS in Foreman's Junkyard. The design was inspired by the opening graphics of the day as well as this first incarnation's rather uptight nature.

Fragrance Introduction: Shinigami

Inspired by the "gods of death" from the anime series, Death Note, Shinigami manages to be both fruity and earthy.

Shinigami Goat Milk and Glycerin Soaps

The design is an apple the Shinigami are so obsessed with surrounded by swirls of smoky black, electric blue, and white. The fragrance is a blend of fresh apple, blackberry, sage, tea, cedar wood, sandalwood, leather, amber, dirt, moss, and cashmere musk.

Fragrance Introduction: Amazon D

Today's fragrance was inspired by the famous Amazonian, Diana, otherwise known as Wonder Woman. This deep, complicated, and feminine scent is a blend of lily of the valley, strawberries, grapefruit, orange blossom, citrus, lavender, white sandalwood, cedar wood, patchouli, frankincense, rosemary, and musk.

Amazon D Goat Milk and Glycerin Soap

The soaps are largely glycerin with a couple of goat milk stars inserted into the blue. This was another experimental technique born out of attempts to use molds I already had on hand. I attempted to use an insert wedged into the mold and held in place by a thin layer of clear glycerin to separate the red and blue. Unfortunately, a slice long enough to suit this purpose will push up from the bottom of a silicone mold, and any even a millimeter too small allows color leak through. Additionally, my small star molds are rounded, which led to problems with small bubbles getting trapped in the rounded portion of the stars that couldn't be seen until the soaps were removed from the molds.

Fragrance Introduction: Through the Wardrobe

Today's fragrance is yet another request. It was for a scent honoring winter in Narnia.

Through the Wardrobe Goat Milk and Glycerin Soaps

A color pallet of cobalt and creamy white with golden flecks of sparkle entered my mind at the suggestion. The fragrance is a crisp, cool, and refreshing blend of white gardenia, evergreen, crackling firewood, and peppermint with just a hint of raspberry and vanilla.

I was afraid directly inserting the snowflake patterns into the goat milk would hide or distort them, so I experimented with using a thin top layer of clear glycerin. Unfortunately, displacement thickened the glycerin layer enough to create a seam between the insert's backing and the rest of the goat milk soap. I did insert one directly into a bar of extra goat milk soap to see if they turned out differently. That one, though undersized, turned out to be my favorite. The snowflake showed up almost perfectly, and there wasn't much of a seam between the insert and the rest of the bar at all. So, there will likely be a slight adjustment to the design next go around.

Fragrance Introduction: Solid Luck

Thanks to a month where one or the other of us were sick with one thing after another, I'm a lot later getting started producing the new line of fragrances this year. But now that I'm back in the grove, I'm working like mad to have them all ready to debut at Con Kasterborous here in a couple of weeks.

Solid Luck Glycerin Soaps

Today's fragrance is another request. I was asked to create something in honor of the Felix Felicis potion from the Harry Potter series. Solid Luck is the result.

The soaps are all glycerin and colored with a sparkling gold mica powder, so it looks like the Felix Felicis potion in solid form. The scent is a light and crisp blend of ginger, lime, basil, fresh greens, bergamot, and white tea.

Annual Christmas Sale

If you missed the annual Black Friday - Cyber Monday sale, don't feel bad. There are still some great deals to be found in my annual Christmas sale.

Set up for the open house Friday.

Yes, the discounts might not be as high on some items, but everything in the store is still anywhere from 10-75% off now through December 12. I always end the sale on that date to ensure everyone who orders receives their packages before the holiday.

Product Introduction: Ow, My Aching Everything!

A couple weeks ago, I talked about the process of formulating this newest item. The formula was finalized Monday evening, and I'm currently working on getting the first dozen or so jars listed in the store or delivered to U. G. White Mercantile in Athens.

Ow, My Aching Everything Therapeutic Ointment

I have to list all the ingredients by their scientific names on the back label, so I thought I would break them down by their more recognizable names here. The active ingredients include castor oil, rose hip seed oil, lemongrass oil, cinnamon leaf oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, wintergreen oil, and rosemary oil. Coconut oil is used as a carrier and adds a moisturizing element to the ointment.

Upcoming Products: Formulating a Therapeutic Ointment

Back in late August and early September I had yet another flair up of carpal tunnel and what I now know to be the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis. I tried the usual over-the-counter creams and found them lacking. They helped, sure, but they burned, produced an exceedingly weird "cold burn" sensation, and left the skin feeling dried out and sticky.

Virtually all of them used menthol or capsasin as their active ingredients. Menthol is an anti-inflammatory agent found in members of the mint family such as wintergreen, spearmint, eucalyptus, and peppermint just to name a few. Capsasin is found in peppers and more of less just overrides the pain by producing a burning sensation. Knowing this, I decided to try and make a better anti-inflammatory cream.

Hubby demonstrating the texture of our lotion formula once we'd perfected it.

I studied up on different essential oils. I found several which are known to be powerful anti-inflammatories and then began experimenting with them. The first attempt worked, but the smell was like someone doused you in lemon Pledge. Plus the ointment left a greasy film behind, which I wasn't happy with either. Still, after three days of applying the ointment three times a day, my hands were back to their normal size and functionality. Since then, that first batch proved effective at relieving strained muscles, inflamed tendons, tension headaches, migraine, and dampening sinus pain long enough for decongestants to kick in.

Frustration and Injury

I know the blog has been a bit soap heavy lately. I've been more than a little obsessed these past few weeks, to be honest. Introducing the year's new lines at Con Kasterborous has become a tradition for me, and it starts three weeks from today. I've spent virtually all of my waking time at home either designing, manufacturing, or packaging soaps.

My booth at Con Kasterborous last year.

I finally finished yesterday. Well, I finished the manufacturing the soaps at least. I still have perfumes and lotions to go for most of the fragrances, new and old.

Contented Comfort's Getting Another Makeover

As the third birthday of Contented Comfort approaches, I've been contemplating the store's future.

I decided to try blending original fragrances inspired by my love of science fiction and fantasy right about the time the store turned a year old, and I've never been happier about a business move. Two years later, it's become obvious the future of Contented Comfort is in geek culture. This means the original logo and look no longer fits, so contentedcomfort.com and the Etsy storefront will both be undergoing another makeover this year.

Introducing Doctor Who Inspired Perfumes

The week before Con Kasterborous, I was asked if I would consider making The Bow Tie perfumes. It was something I hadn't considered up until that time because I'd designed those fragrances for men, but I told the customer I would consider adding them to the line up based on how well the scent sold to women during the convention.

By the end of the first day, I'd decided to do it. I even made a batch of The Bow Tie and Oncoming Storm perfumes that evening once I got home, but my printer ran out of ink when I tried to print the labels. Since I must meet CPSA and FDA regulations, I was forced to leave them at home when I returned for the last day of the convention.

The Bow Tie Perfume with a matching soap as reference.

New Fragrances for the Ladies!

Instead of spacing these out into four different posts, I thought I'd just put up a video that introduces them all at once since I'd promised to do so on my YouTube channel anyway.

If you like my videos and want to make sure you don't miss any of them, make sure to subscribe to my channel. While I do post a few of them here, I don't with all of them.

New Fragrance: Doctor Who Inspired Byronic Doctor

Today I have the last of the classic Doctor Who inspired fragrances in the 2013 line: Byronic Doctor. It's inspired by Paul McGann's Doctor from the 1996 movie.

Byronic Doctor Glycerin Soaps

It came out similar in fragrance and design to Oncoming Storm, which was inspired by Christopher Eccleston's version of The Doctor from the first season of the reboot, though there are some major differences in both. I'm happy about this because upon watching the movie this past fall, Hubby and I agreed, it seemed like to get the 9th Doctor, take the 8th, subtract amnesia, and add post traumatic stress disorder.

New Fragrance: Firefly Inspired Shiny Mech

If your family is anything like mine, you've seen Firefly and Serenity at least twice. We love that sadly short-lived series, so I just had to make one of this year's fragrances a Firefly fragrance. When I decided I needed all but one of my non-Doctor Who fragrances this year to be feminine, the choice came down to River Tam, Kaylee Fry, and Serenity herself.

After I found a natural colorant with shimmer, I knew I had to pick Kaylee, and thus was born Shiny Mech.

Shiny Mech (Mechanic) Goat Milk and Glycerin Soaps

Once Upon a Time Inspired Fragrances

You know what time it is folks. The spring craft show and arts festival season is fast approaching, so I've been hard at work developing and making the 2013 fragrance line!

First up are two fragrances inspired by ABC's Once Upon a Time: Snow Huntress and The Spinner. 

Snow Huntress is inspired by Snow White/Mary Margaret and is a light and feminine blend of evergreen, white gardenia, and fresh picked apple. The Spinner is inspired by Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold and is a blend of oak moss, sandalwood, evergreen, dirt, honey, black amber, clove, nutmeg, and firewood. It's very woodsy, but it has a sophisticated edge to it as well without being overwhelming or cloying.

Both soaps are fully glycerin, so they're vegan friendly. They're made with a blend of coconut oil, vitamin E oil, and corn oil. The colors are achieved with mineral oxide and mica powders. As always, they are free of detergents, dyes, paraben, and phthalate, so they are as gentle as they are luxurious.

They'll show up on the website and on the storefront either Thursday or Friday, weather permitting.

And as I said in the video, if you're going to be in the area in early June, make sure to stop by the Con Kasterborous website and purchase your tickets now before they raise the price. I hope to see you there!