Featured Friday - Old Red Barn Production

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This Friday's interview is with JL Jordan, owner of Old Red Barn Production and Beyond The Lens Cap 

Tell me a bit about yourself and what you sell:

I grew up on a farm in Illinois, but have been in Florida for many years and I have survived raising 4 kids. My mom always had a crochet hook in one hand and a camera in the other with a craft she’s creating on the table, so I guess I am following in her footsteps. I have two shops: Old Red Barn Productions sells craft and yarn items, while Beyond The Lens Cap sells photos.

Favorite piece you have made- and why?

Maybe it’s because I have the attention span of a gnat, but my most favorite piece is the one I’m working on. I always get so excited about starting a new project.
CHECK OUT PIECE TO LEFT 

 

 

 

 

What inspires you?

Nature and animals and colors and shiny things.
CHECK OUT PIECE TO LEFT

Favorite part about living in Florida?

No snow. This winter when you all up north are shoveling snow, I’ll be sitting on my back porch sipping lemonade and saying, “I sure love living in Florida”.

See yourself in 5 years?

Hopefully alive and well with a crochet hook in one hand and a camera in the other with a craft I’m creating on the table.
CHECK OUT PIECE TO LEFT

Zombie Apocalypse! Quick, what skills do you use to help those around you?

You do realize that zombies are so misunderstood. Why, who wouldn’t be cranky looking like that? Instead of running around half naked in all kinds of weather, they could use a good hat and scarf with a nice necklace to make them feel pretty. Then I could take their picture and when the flash went off and blinded them, we could all run like heck (sorry, I was taught not to cuss in public – well, actually I was taught not to cuss, but we won’t tell mom, ok?).
CHECK OUT PIECE TO LEFT

What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

Five gallons of milk. I only shop for groceries once a week and we love milk. The check-out lady at the store always asks when I’m getting my cow. I would, but I don’t think my HOA would approve.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, what would it be?

They’ve already made “Gone With The Wind”.
CHECK OUT PIECE TO LEFT   

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be and your name?

“SuperMom” I’d be able to juggle four things at once. Fly around town in my mini-van. And have eyes in the back of my head. Oh wait, I do. Hmmm. Never mind.


Thank you for letting me interview you (and answering so many of the fun questions!) Remember to go show Old Red Barn Production and Beyond The Lens Cap some love <3
-Chelsey
As it comes, it goes

How to Cure Soap in Humid Environments

Tweet Florida's climate can be a bit of challenge to the handmade soap maker. Depending on the concentration of water that a soap is made with it requires 3-6 to cure, or become ready for use. For standard beginner recipes 4 weeks is required. While the soaps cure they become milder and loose water; that is if you are in Florida, you hope they loose water. In Florida summer months the humidity can be quite a challenge for curing soaps and the over all shelf life of your soaps. Over the years I have had some sad losses due to Florida's humidity. If soaps are left out to cure in humid rooms the excess water from the soaps will not evaporate, they will simply stay in the soaps and lead to premature rancidity. In addition to the off smell characteristic of rancidity, rancid soaps will also develop small orange spots from oxidation.



You can offset the humidity somewhat with a dehumidifier, but dehumidifiers can heat up and be expensive to run. Also logistically it maybe difficult to use a dehumidifier depending on the size of your curing area, the type of electrical outlet in your curing area, etc. Also older central air conditioning unit are not designed to dehumidify.

Now I rarely run my dehumidifier, but instead cure my cut soaps in small closed spaces with non-toxic Calcium Cloride desiccating salts. The most readily accessible salts are sold as Damp Rid. You can at most grocery stores or online.



A cabinet or a large cardboard box makes a good place for curing your soaps using this method. If you are using a small container of Damprid, you will want to check your container every couple days for the first week or so in case you need to add more. Also, take into consideration what kinds of soaps you are curing together if you are using more than one variety. You don't want to cure soaps with a delicate floral scents together with woody scents, for example. Unscented soaps can pick up scents from scented soaps that they are cured with when you use this method. Right now, I'm curing my strongly medicinal smelling Neem Shampoo Bars in their own dedicated box away from my regular soaps for this reason.


Hope you like this method. Let me know if you have any questions or experiences curing soaps in humid environments.

Enjoy,
Cory Trusty
http://aquarianbath.etsy.com

My First FEST Post

Tweet Hello Team FEST, this is Melissa. This is my first post on the team FEST blog. I thought I would say hello, and tell a little about myself. I live in Gilchrist County, but moved from upstate NY six years ago. I started collecting gemstones as a hobby about eight years ago. After I collected so many I decided I better learn how to make some jewelry. While I enjoy making traditional types of jewelry, I am beginning to learn beading, wire wrapping and other forms of jewelry making. I actually have three blogs, and one I moderate for my son. We homeschool, and I am a part time nurse, so my days are quite busy. I will be posting on Wednesdays, and I will try to pick topics that will be interesting to everyone, not just jewelry makers. I know one topic that is a thorn in my side, is getting good photos of my jewelry. If you have a hard time too, this video will hopefully be helpful to us all. If you have any tips or tricks that work for you, please share with all of us. Happy Wednesday to all!