Friday, 26 April 2013
Stourbridge Open Studios
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Getting back to normal....
We're very pleased to be able to mention that the member of our family who was taken ill a couple of weeks ago, is now recovering well. Thanks for all of the best wishes, we've received from customers.
The good news is that we're now expecting to be able to operate our usual shop opening hours again, as things get back to normal. The only changes to our opening hours may be if we have to visit the hospital for appointments, but we'll make sure that any changes that have to be made to shop hours are posted here.
During this difficult time, we're pleased to be able to report that all of our internet orders were processed on time, so website customers will have received their orders promptly. Thanks again for everyone's support and good wishes!
UPDATE: Just as we thought things were going to be ok, we're back in the wars again. Earlier this week another family member had an accident, which means we'll be spending more time at the hospital. All internet orders have been processed as normal, but our Stourbridge shop will be closed on Friday. We're very sorry but this is all beyond our control and as a very understanding customer said earlier this week, family has to come first. We will be open again tomorrow (Saturday), so if Stourbridge customers have urgent needs, please e-mail us at enquiries@naturalsoapworks.co.uk so we can advise on the best time to collect items. Internet orders will continue to be processed as normal. Once again, sorry for any inconvenience.
The good news is that we're now expecting to be able to operate our usual shop opening hours again, as things get back to normal. The only changes to our opening hours may be if we have to visit the hospital for appointments, but we'll make sure that any changes that have to be made to shop hours are posted here.
During this difficult time, we're pleased to be able to report that all of our internet orders were processed on time, so website customers will have received their orders promptly. Thanks again for everyone's support and good wishes!
UPDATE: Just as we thought things were going to be ok, we're back in the wars again. Earlier this week another family member had an accident, which means we'll be spending more time at the hospital. All internet orders have been processed as normal, but our Stourbridge shop will be closed on Friday. We're very sorry but this is all beyond our control and as a very understanding customer said earlier this week, family has to come first. We will be open again tomorrow (Saturday), so if Stourbridge customers have urgent needs, please e-mail us at enquiries@naturalsoapworks.co.uk so we can advise on the best time to collect items. Internet orders will continue to be processed as normal. Once again, sorry for any inconvenience.
Monday, 8 April 2013
Opening hours during w/c 8th April 2013
As we mentioned previously, a member of our close family was taken ill last week so it means that we're spending lots of time at the hospital.
We've decided that in the coming week we'll try to open our Stourbridge shop whenever we can, but it's likely that we'll operate reduced opening hours each day and we may have to close at short notice. We'll update our opening hours on this blog each day, in the hope that local customers won't visit the Ruskin Glass Centre only to find us closed. For urgent orders, we'd advise local customers to drop us an e-mail (at enquiries@naturalsoapworks.co.uk), so we can advise on likely timescales for manufacturing items / preparing hampers etc, and we may be able to make arrangements for certain items to be available for collection.
We're very sorry that all holistic therapy appointments have been cancelled for this week. Our thanks to all of our clients for being so understanding, and we'll get in contact with new appointments as soon as possible.
Our websites will continue to accept orders, and these will be processed as normal.
Thanks to everyone for their patience and good wishes!
We've decided that in the coming week we'll try to open our Stourbridge shop whenever we can, but it's likely that we'll operate reduced opening hours each day and we may have to close at short notice. We'll update our opening hours on this blog each day, in the hope that local customers won't visit the Ruskin Glass Centre only to find us closed. For urgent orders, we'd advise local customers to drop us an e-mail (at enquiries@naturalsoapworks.co.uk), so we can advise on likely timescales for manufacturing items / preparing hampers etc, and we may be able to make arrangements for certain items to be available for collection.
We're very sorry that all holistic therapy appointments have been cancelled for this week. Our thanks to all of our clients for being so understanding, and we'll get in contact with new appointments as soon as possible.
Our websites will continue to accept orders, and these will be processed as normal.
Thanks to everyone for their patience and good wishes!
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Due to unforseen circumstances....
Unfortunately due to an unexpected family illness, we're going to be closed for the next day or so. We're sorry for any inconvenience caused, and hope to re-open our Stourbridge shop again as soon as possible. For very urgent enquiries, please send us an e-mail to enquiries@naturalsoapworks.co.uk and we'll try to respond within 24 hours.
Our internet shops will continue to accept orders, and these will be processed as soon as we return to work. Thank you for your patience.
Our internet shops will continue to accept orders, and these will be processed as soon as we return to work. Thank you for your patience.
Friday, 29 March 2013
A day in the life of The Soapworks
We haven't had time to post on the blog, Facebook and Twitter just lately - sorry, but it's because we've been so busy! Mother's Day orders definitely kept us on our toes this year, and we're very pleased that everything went out quickly and the feedback has been so positive. Thank you for taking the time to get in contact!
Lots of customers often ask us what it's like to work at the Soapworks, so we thought it might be interesting to give an insight into what goes on behind the scenes. This is what we were up to yesterday....
It was an early start, to continue working on the re-design of the Natroma range. Workshop customers have already spotted that we're changing the Natroma soap labels. It involves lots of re-design work to change over each individual label, but we're trying to get it done asap. Next it's onto answering e-mails and dealing with queries from wholesale customers. It's going to be a busy day since we have to get a large order of hampers ready, so help is on hand from a family member....always much appreciated!
Oops! Is that the time....11am, so must open the shop. Quickly turn on all the lights and discover that we already have a few customers waiting outside. Spend some time advising them about which soaps to choose, and help some lovely ladies select some dowsers (we're expanding our range of natural crystals in our Stourbridge shop). Then it's onto wrapping a hamper for another customer followed by some sales of bath bombs and one of the lovely new humming birds (just in, beautiful Swarovski crystal enhanced light catchers which we'll be adding to the Natroma website).
In the middle of serving customers, a delivery arrives so I have to man-handle a very large, heavy box out of the way....will have to check that everything's arrived ok later on! Back to customers again and I'm wrapping another hamper with pretty Easter colours. At last there's a break in shop customers, so I can switch to looking at the internet orders that have arrived so far today. Thankfully everything's in stock, so it's just a matter of packaging everything up and printing out the dispatch labels. Behind the scenes it's a hive of activity with freshly made fizzing butter melts being packaged, and soaps being labelled for the hamper order.
We have a visit from our Ruskin Glasshouse College students. It's their last day of term so they've popped in to say goodbye, and we wish them well over the Easter break. They've worked really hard and have enjoyed their work experience with us, and will be back again after the Easter break.
Phew, where has the day gone? It's 1.45pm and we haven't had lunch yet! So there's just time for a quick sandwich before some more customers come into the shop. I have a lovely conversation with some customers about using the soap, and then help another with selecting some nice essential oils to use around the house. Another customer chooses some of our new fair trade floating candles (again these are new items that have just arrived, that will be added to the Natroma website soon), since they're lovely as small gifts. Then it's back to preparing those hampers for the order that has to go out tonight....running out of time, don't panic!
Just as we're catching up on the hampers, more customers come into the shop. Spend a little time advising about the Natroma skincare range and then it's back to finalising the internet orders. Finally have everything done, so Paul heads off to the Post Office and we continue adding ribbons to those hampers! It's 5pm, and at last the hampers are ready, so Paul returns and packages them into a shipping box. He then heads off again for a journey into Shropshire to deliver the hampers. We wouldn't usually personally deliver orders ourselves, but it's a lovely customer and the Bank Holiday meant we can't use a courier. So since the hampers have to be there by Good Friday, it's time for the personal touch to make sure they arrive on time!
Back in the workshop, there's just time to place a last minute order for some items we'll need next week, and then we have a quick tidy before finally closing the shop. I never did get around to checking off that order, so it'll have to be done in the morning. It's now time to go home since it's after 7pm and there are some hungry cats waiting for their dinner!!
Lots of customers often ask us what it's like to work at the Soapworks, so we thought it might be interesting to give an insight into what goes on behind the scenes. This is what we were up to yesterday....
It was an early start, to continue working on the re-design of the Natroma range. Workshop customers have already spotted that we're changing the Natroma soap labels. It involves lots of re-design work to change over each individual label, but we're trying to get it done asap. Next it's onto answering e-mails and dealing with queries from wholesale customers. It's going to be a busy day since we have to get a large order of hampers ready, so help is on hand from a family member....always much appreciated!
Oops! Is that the time....11am, so must open the shop. Quickly turn on all the lights and discover that we already have a few customers waiting outside. Spend some time advising them about which soaps to choose, and help some lovely ladies select some dowsers (we're expanding our range of natural crystals in our Stourbridge shop). Then it's onto wrapping a hamper for another customer followed by some sales of bath bombs and one of the lovely new humming birds (just in, beautiful Swarovski crystal enhanced light catchers which we'll be adding to the Natroma website).
In the middle of serving customers, a delivery arrives so I have to man-handle a very large, heavy box out of the way....will have to check that everything's arrived ok later on! Back to customers again and I'm wrapping another hamper with pretty Easter colours. At last there's a break in shop customers, so I can switch to looking at the internet orders that have arrived so far today. Thankfully everything's in stock, so it's just a matter of packaging everything up and printing out the dispatch labels. Behind the scenes it's a hive of activity with freshly made fizzing butter melts being packaged, and soaps being labelled for the hamper order.
We have a visit from our Ruskin Glasshouse College students. It's their last day of term so they've popped in to say goodbye, and we wish them well over the Easter break. They've worked really hard and have enjoyed their work experience with us, and will be back again after the Easter break.
Phew, where has the day gone? It's 1.45pm and we haven't had lunch yet! So there's just time for a quick sandwich before some more customers come into the shop. I have a lovely conversation with some customers about using the soap, and then help another with selecting some nice essential oils to use around the house. Another customer chooses some of our new fair trade floating candles (again these are new items that have just arrived, that will be added to the Natroma website soon), since they're lovely as small gifts. Then it's back to preparing those hampers for the order that has to go out tonight....running out of time, don't panic!
Just as we're catching up on the hampers, more customers come into the shop. Spend a little time advising about the Natroma skincare range and then it's back to finalising the internet orders. Finally have everything done, so Paul heads off to the Post Office and we continue adding ribbons to those hampers! It's 5pm, and at last the hampers are ready, so Paul returns and packages them into a shipping box. He then heads off again for a journey into Shropshire to deliver the hampers. We wouldn't usually personally deliver orders ourselves, but it's a lovely customer and the Bank Holiday meant we can't use a courier. So since the hampers have to be there by Good Friday, it's time for the personal touch to make sure they arrive on time!
Back in the workshop, there's just time to place a last minute order for some items we'll need next week, and then we have a quick tidy before finally closing the shop. I never did get around to checking off that order, so it'll have to be done in the morning. It's now time to go home since it's after 7pm and there are some hungry cats waiting for their dinner!!
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
New Spring Gift Hampers!
We've just uploaded some lovely new gift hampers onto the Natroma website.
Inspired by Spring, these bright and colourful gift hampers are wrapped in luxurious patterned organza or lace ribbons, and are finished with delicate cherry blossom flowers. We've made sure they contain some of our most popular handmade goats milk soap and bathing products: hand decorated natural goats milk mini soap slices, pretty petal bath bombs and of course our ever popular organic fizzing butter melts!
We've also included some Lip Silk organic lip balm in our Cherry Blossom Hamper - invaluable at this time of year, when lips are still feeling sore due to the colder weather.
We hope that the Relax, De-Stress and Exotic Rose themed hamper contents will offer gift recipients some much needed relaxation. Other options include a new Exotic Hamper containing products enriched with Monoi de Tahiti and exotic essential oils including Ylang Ylang, Frankincense and Patchouli. We think these hampers would be great for Mother's Day or perhaps as thoughtful calorie-free Easter gifts.
The reaction from customers in our Stourbridge shop is that they look too pretty to open, but fingers crossed the products will be used...eventually!
 |
| Cherry Blossom Hamper by Natroma |
Inspired by Spring, these bright and colourful gift hampers are wrapped in luxurious patterned organza or lace ribbons, and are finished with delicate cherry blossom flowers. We've made sure they contain some of our most popular handmade goats milk soap and bathing products: hand decorated natural goats milk mini soap slices, pretty petal bath bombs and of course our ever popular organic fizzing butter melts!
We've also included some Lip Silk organic lip balm in our Cherry Blossom Hamper - invaluable at this time of year, when lips are still feeling sore due to the colder weather.
 |
| Springtime Hamper by Natroma |
The reaction from customers in our Stourbridge shop is that they look too pretty to open, but fingers crossed the products will be used...eventually!
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Busy with some great gift ideas!
The Soapworks has returned back to normal now, and we've been really busy making loads of soap and trying to re-stock our Stourbridge shop! It seems like everyone is running out of their favourite bathing or skincare products at the same time, so it's been lovely to see so many customers again and have a nice chat....but apologies if we sometimes have empty spots on the shelves!
Behind the scenes we've also been busy working on some new hampers for Mother's Day and the spring. After all the reds and golds of Christmas, it's been lovely to work on some new hampers with bright Spring colours which would also be great low calorie gift ideas for Easter too! More information will follow, once the new hampers have been photographed and uploaded to the websites.
Stourbridge customers will also be interested to know that we have some lovely new crystal pieces, tumblestones and jewellery available. As usual these are hand picked one-off pieces, so we hope that you like them.
Behind the scenes we've also been busy working on some new hampers for Mother's Day and the spring. After all the reds and golds of Christmas, it's been lovely to work on some new hampers with bright Spring colours which would also be great low calorie gift ideas for Easter too! More information will follow, once the new hampers have been photographed and uploaded to the websites.
Stourbridge customers will also be interested to know that we have some lovely new crystal pieces, tumblestones and jewellery available. As usual these are hand picked one-off pieces, so we hope that you like them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
