First test for my new foaming shower oil! Does anyone currently use the Almond Shower Oil & would be interested in being a guinea pig & testing my formulation out? 👀
The finishing touches. This is the last time I generally handle my soaps once they’re made until I’m preparing for a market. I use a rubber stamp to emboss my logo into each of my soap bars while they’re still soft enough, and then they go onto the curing rack for 4-6 weeks.
Why do they need to cure? Well when making soap, water is used to dissolve lye (also known as sodium hydroxide). The water/lye solution is mixed with fats (vegetable oils in my case, or sometimes beef tallow) to form what we know as soap. After the soap turns from liquid to solid, there is a lot of excess water in the bars that needs to evaporate to harden the soap before use. If you didn’t cure it, you’d be able to squish the bar in your hands and it would dissolve very readily while being used.
So, the bars are stamped and then loaded onto my very sophisticated curing rack (an old bakers rack with ply shelves) for 6 weeks, or until I need them for a market. Generally the latter since I’m generally a poor keeper of time.
I’ll continue to share snippets of my making process and hopefully this will show those who have doubts that I do, in fact, make these things myself - and if I ever get my PC working, I’ll also edit some of the video footage I captured (ooooo exciting)
** EDIT ** SLOWLY MADE LOCALS MARKET IS ON 17th MAY, NOT THE 19th, WHOOPS
Upcoming April & May Markets!
Super keen to have booked these in, including my first time attending the Handmade Mothers Day Market with @handmadedesignmarket.au and Outer Space x Fish Lane Art Market with @outerspace.brisbane
I may have been a bit too ambitious with my scheduling, but I honestly can’t wait to get back into the market scene & actualy seeing you all in person! Since I’ve been off socials a lot, I feel a bit out of touch with what everyone’s been doing, so I’ll be using these markets to not only make some money (duh), but also catch up with other artists, stallholders, and customers!
See y’all soon xx
Cutting Aphrodite Soap - once all the ingredients have been blended up, poured into a mould, and allowed to sit for 24 hours; the soap is pulled from the mould and cut into smaller bars. Each of my loaves makes 16 bars of soap. I have 6 large moulds, and many more smaller ones, but I tend to only make 3-4 loaves of one scent at a time.
I found this lovely soap cutter made in Australia from a gentleman who began making them for his wife who also makes soap (so sweet!). The cutting wires are guitar strings, and since the soap is still quite soft, they glide easily through the loaf. Up next is bevelling the edges with an old potato peeler (which is completely unnecessary, but I think the bevelled edges give the soap a slightly more refined and elevated look), and then stamping my logo into the bar before it goes onto the curing rack for 4-6 weeks…
It’s finally here! I’ve been putting this off for ages because I really didn’t feel like doing any accounting or admin to be perfectly honest. But I found the motivation one afternoon recently to get all my figures & put together this handy little presentation. As you may know, I’m all about transparency within ETC Body, so I’m very excited to share this data with you all.
First of all, all of my figures (excluding the very last tile) are for the calendar year of 2025. There’s been so much that occurred in the year, and I can hardly remember it all. My sales have continued to increase year on year, but so has my expenses unfortunately. I did finally buy myself a car after being car-less since I left home 11 years ago. I realised that if I wanted to participate in multi-day interstate markets, I’d need something bigger than my partner’s 2 door Yarris to cram everything into. So I got myself a second hand 2014 VW Caddy, which has been a lifesaver. Especially since we moved out west last May and there’s no way to get around besides the humble automobile! All hail the Caddy.
Anyway, more exciting news is that I’m projecting having to register for GST very soon, so that will be happening at the start of the new financial year. Woo, more regular admin. I might have to swap over to an actual accounting system rather than rely on my good ol’ spreadsheet when I have to start submitting BAS. But I can’t stand the subscription model, so if anyone has a recommendation for accounting software I can straight up PURCHASE, that’d be gr8 thx.
I final it quite interesting to compare previous months/years sales and figures, so you’ll see I have some numbers up there which you might also be interested in. I’m always looking at these numbers; using them to project future years’ sales, or estimating potential stock necessary for an upcoming market, which is why you may have noticed that I don’t sell out very often at markets anymore.
Alright, that’s enough journaling for one day - if you’re interested in anything else, lmk by commenting below. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about anything from this post; always happy to get new ideas, thoughts, etc.
Luv yas, Eric xx
This year I’m continuing to take 5 big steps back from social media, and it’s been surprisingly refreshing not doom scrolling reels when I ‘should be’ doing something more productive. Instead, I’ve been making pottery, reading (and listening) to books, continuing my weekly psychology sessions, playing solitaire, baking cookies, baklava, rocky road, and bread, and planning for the coming year.
Last year, before we moved from Clifton to Nobby, I finally found the energy to take some in-progress photos and videos of myself making. It definitely helped that my studio space (the spare bedroom) had lots of massive windows for some beautiful natural light. I’ll be sharing these over the coming weeks and months, as I recently have had a few comments from people who question the handmade nature of what I sell. Although it’s flattering that some think they’re polished enough, it is also a bit insulting that people think I’d be lying about the fact these are handmade by me. So, between the books and making, I’d like to give more of an insight into my process.
These are my Aphrodite Soap Bars - I’d just finished cutting and stamping them while still soft enough. I have captured this moment where I stack as many as I can in my hands & take them over to my curing rack for them for sit, untouched, for 4-6 weeks.
Something new for the new year 🥳
If you’re down in Melbourne, take a day & drop by @brunswickstreetgallery before this Sunday
I have my first ceramic sunnyboy on display (and for sale), amongst some amazing art works from all over Australia for the Small Works Art Prize
I aim to dedicate more time to my ceramic practice this year, and focus my energy on integrating the progress I’ve made, and will continue to make in therapy into clay. This was something I wanted to do last year, but with moving houses twice & attending two interstate markets, anything other than body products were put on the backburner. Now I’m settled & taking a short break from making soaps, it’s the perfect time to develop my ideas into reality
So here’s to an exciting 2026 🫶🏼
Last month of the year! It's cliche but it's kind of surreal how this year has already almost come to an end.
We've moved house twice, sold and bought a new home, Sam got a new job & is now a qualified electrician (so proud!!). I bought my FIRST CAR (I love my Caddy) and we travelled interstate TWICE this year to attend Finders Keepers in May, and Handmade Canberra in November! On a personal note I've been making good (but slow) progress in weekly psychology sessions. So many other things have happened that I can't list them all! For the rest of the month/year we've got the upcoming things happening:
- I'm doing a SOLO pop up at 300 Adelaide St in Brisbane City on the 8th & 9th from 10am - 2pm (very exciting!)
- my final market for the year will be at @brisstyle 's handmade market on Saturday 20th from 10am - 3pm in the Whale Mall outside the Science Museum
- xmas orders will be cut off on Wed 17th of December for all states & territories (excluding NT - sorry your cutoff date is the 10th)
- We have the @slowlymadelocals pop up shop that will be open until the 24th of December, where you'll find some AMAZING handmade goodies
- I couldn't fit this in the slide, but I have some amazing stockists who have a collection of my products for sale in person, including @openhousewestend , @thewrapup.bris , @museumofbrisbaneshop , @eighty8_interiordesigns , @wallflowerbrisbane , @farmgateflowers_au , @northsideflowermarket , @mas.and.miek.ceramic.house , and if you're for some reason ever out in Nobby on the weekend the Nobby Craft Shop (opposite Rudd's Pub) also stocks my products too.
FINALLY - I'll be taking a break from the 24th onwards. I'll be volunteering at Woodford again over the New Year, and then we've got so much shit to do around the house (unpacking & renovations are FUN), and I'll maybe try to also do a little bit of relaxing (aka playing Stardew Valley).
If you also hadn't noticed I'm off socials a lot more recently & I'm loving it. It's cleared my head a lot and I feel a lot less anxious about stuff that ultimately doesn't matter. Gimme a 🌻 in the comments if you want to take a little social media break over the holidays too
- Eric xx
ETC Body is a Queer and Disabled-owned business in the Darling Downs, specialising in handmade, sustainable, and minimal-waste body products. Eric works with essential and vegetable oils, with their range including soaps, lotions, shower steamers, room sprays, hair care, and more. Committed to minimal-waste practices, inclusivity, and transparency, @etcbody offers thoughtfully crafted, affordable products that prioritise the environment and community.
'The Wrap Up'
@vacant_assembly - 266 Montague Rd, West End
27 Nov to 21 Dec 2025
#popupshop #handmade #handmadechristmas
Can't wait for this Sunday!!
I've been making like crazy in preparation for our 4th Slowly Made Locals Market at @theblackbrisbane
Come on down and enjoy perusing 48 local artists & makers wares; stop by @sproutartisanbakery for a pastry; grab a coffee; and bring your dogs to this undercover market 😘
@slowlymadelocals
What a crazy month! I might have bitten off more than I can chew, but I'm excited for so many big markets!
FIRST UP: MADE LOCAL MARKET @themadelocalmarket
15th & 16th of November 9am-3pm both days, PLUS a low sensory hour from 3-4pm on Saturday 15th. We're in the Exhibiton Building in Bowen Hills (which has air con!). $2 entry at the door.
THEN: SLOWLY MADE LOCALS MARKET @slowlymadelocals
Sunday 23rd of November 8am-2pm. FREE ENTRY and PET FRIENDLY (bring your dogs for us to pet!)
We've been working on a MASSIVE lineup for this market, which I'm so excited for! We're expaning into another space attached to The Black, meaning you have more artists to check out & support!
THEN FINALLY: HANDMADE CANBERRA @handmadecanberra
I'm going INTERSTATE!
I'll be at Exhibition Park in Canberra on Friday 28th November from 5pm-9pm & Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th from 10am until 4pm, with LOW SENSORY HOUR from 9am-10am on Sunday 30th. FREE ENTRY!
AAAAHHH I'd better get making! See y'all soon 😘😘😘
Are you a fan of pottery? Do you make it, or wanted to? Collect it? Drink from handmade mugs? You should make some time to come down & check out 50+ ceramicists from tomorrow arvo! Support local small biz; Kmart can keep their knock off imported pieces.
Where? The Yeronga Paint Factory
When? 31/10 4-9pm and 1/11 9am-2pm
Why? Cause you like looking at, appreciating, and buying ceramics
Who? Me & other local makers! I've hurriedly snapped some photos of a small selection of my new wares that I'll be selling, if that intrigues you to come see them in person...
See y'all there 😘
@brisstyle@ceramicartsqld
