Dec fair preview: The Leeds Soap Co Return!

We have hosted them before, and are delighted to welcome back for the Dec fair the lovely folk at the Leeds Soap Co., purveyors of vegan, handmade, yummy smelly products - perfect for gifting!

'The Leeds Soap Co. was started because we were tired of using products that contained a worrying number of artificial chemicals, and we were struggling to find available alternatives. We also wanted products that were kind and gentle to skin, nourishing rather than drying.

So we set about learning how to make soap using the old fashioned method (Cold Process), which is a long slow process but well worth the wait. Each bar of soap cures for at least 4 weeks before its ready to be used.

We only put ingredients in our product that need to be there. So there are no unnecessary chemicals included such as  Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS/SLES), our soap lathers really well without it! We have avoided artificial fragrances and use only essential oils. We don't use any artificial colours, instead we infuse oils with herbs and introduce natural clays, and there are no artificial preservatives used (parabens). 

We also don't use palm oil, which is in virtually everything these days, and doesn't need to be but it does make for a softer bar, so we recommend using a soap dish that drains well.

And a note for vegans out there, we don't use any dairy products in our soap either!'

Catch them at our fair on Dec 1st at Leeds Corn Exchange from 10am - free entry to over 30 stalls of handmade goodness!

june fair: maker profile sophie wilson

I can tell you the moment I fell in love with Sophie Wilson, it was at an exhibition a couple of years ago, trying on moustaches in her 'know before you grow' exhibit - I went for a classic black curly (no 74).  I picked up her card, and I think I tried to persuade her to get involved with reetsweet via email - she did, and at christmas last year we hosted her design + print stall and she has had great success.

What people love about Sophie - who is only 20 and still has a year of studying to go, is that all her work has a profound humour to it, and is uplifting without being cheesy. She wasn't initially drawn to art - she had a penchant for drama, and it was only late on in her school career, she decided to apply for Art & Design at College and was chuffed when she received a place and found that illustration and design was what she really loved and went on to study BA (Hons) Graphic Design at Leeds College of Art.

 

Musically she loves Fleetwood Mac, Simon & Garfunkel, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, The Smiths, Beirut and Regina Spektor, and enjoys the accordion - Yann Tiersen is a big love of hers as her boyfriend actually plays the accordion himself.  Blessed with some hilarious  friends, Sophie says that it is through them that she channels a lot of my inspiration and energy for her work.

 

 

'I like design to be quite clean, but sometimes a little decorative and quite pretty too. Some of my favourite designers and illustrators include Olly Moss, Robbie Porter, Gemma Correll and so many more (I could genuinely go on for hours).'

She will be finishing Uni soon, then she hopes to go into freelance design, specialising in print and illustration, and hopefully still making people smile. Aside from design, she is hoping to get a tortoise, and she will call him Winston...we like this girl's style and priorities!