New Year, New Labels

If you've checked out the store lately, you probably noticed a pretty big change in my labels. It was a hard decision--I really liked the simplicity and (relatively) easiness of the wrap-around style bands. However, they posed a whole host of problems, so change was needed.

One of the biggest challenges with soap is that as it cures, it loses water. As it loses water, it shrinks a tiny bit, we're talking millimeters. Not a significant difference, but enough of one to make formerly snug labels slide right off.

Sadness = having to reapply a few dozen labels because you were too much of a n00b to realize this would happen. More sadness = the realization that this will leave you labeling *all the things* at the very last minute before you sell/ship them. I like sleep. I like to have things ready ahead of time. I like not stressing about stuff. The new style will let me label as I go, with at most, a quick re-tie of the ribbon/string before the soap leaves for its new home.

Another issue was that I had 4 templates, all for the different size/shapes of bars. The new label allows me to have one template, which is so much easier for my slightly OCD-about-clutter mind to accept. It also eradicates the swearing, when I realize I printed the wrong label size for the soap I was working with, which makes my dog happy (she's the sensitive sort).

As a bonus, the new 3-part label allows you to keep the last panel as a sort of a business card for future reference, or to pass along.

Better yet, you can see more of the soap details with the new label design. A lot of the swirls and embeds were hidden behind the wrap-around labels, but now *bam* there they are, in all their soapy fabulousness. Of course, this means you will also see more of my mistakes, just ignore those, please :-D

I guess it's a win-win-win situation that even my change-ophobic self must admit. Let me know what you think!