Post Market Post

The Human Snail

Here is a picture of me working at my blog:

Well, it's not really, it's a snail, photographed by an amateur photographer in the 1930s.  A recent addition to my collection of snaps.  I have been working quite hard recently, in preparation for two markets over the weekend just gone.  The fall-out of this is I have been slow to post to my blog! 

One of the products I launched over the weekend is the gift pack.  Not just any gift pack, but a party in a box:

 
Karena from Magic Jelly prepared the beautiful labels and patterns, of course, and each gift box is different, containing a variety of Shanghai Lil & The Scarlet Fez products.  Some even have Magic Jelly buttons, coasters or mirrors!   They were well received over the weekend and I plan to have more ready for the next round of markets before Christmas. I hope to be able to offer some via the online shop too, so more on that later. 

I have had a couple of enquiries from people asking where I will be next.  There are a couple of simple ways to find out:

1. sign up to my monthly newsletter - I will tell you about the markets for the following month, any special offers and any other news relating the Shanghai Lil & The Scarlet Fez;

2. follow me on Facebook.com/ScarletFez;

3. visit me at a market and ask me!

Adelaide Matters

Shanghai Lil & The Scarlet Fez in the Spotlight

The latest edition (August 2014) of Adelaide Matters has a small article about me.  It certainly feels odd being in print, but it was very nice of them to feature me.   Here is the article:

One Fine Summer

A new perfume coming to Shanghai Lil & The Scarlet Fez

A sneak preview!  A crisp floral with citrus highlights. 

Gift Buying for Her

A selection

Eeek, what happened?  It's December already?!  No, I'm not ready either, but no need to worry, I've got some ideas for gifts for those occasions when you just want a small token to give to a lovely lady! 

Top Row
Love Lies Bleeding - a lush rosey scent
Lemon Meringue - mouth watering lemony scent
Riviera Escapade - citrus and lavender blend

Middle Row
South Pacific - exotic ylang ylang and may chang
Madame X - a spicy rose scent
When in Rome - bracing basil and spearmint

Bottom Row
Spring Sherbert - a fizzing lavender and lemongrass scent
Spearmint Julep - fresh as a daisy spearmint
Odalisque - romantic rose geranium and may chang

All of these soaps, and more, are currently available through the Shanghai Lil and The Scarlet Fez shop now.  Or, if you can wait, I will be at That Dapper Market on 14th December from 3pm onwards.  Each soap is $7.50 and is beautifully packaged ready for gift-giving.  And of course, all Shanghai Lil and The Scarlet Fez soaps are vegan, all natural and hand-crafted in South Australia!  I do not use palm oil.

So, if you want to see your friends and family dance with glee, give them a Shanghai Lil and the Scarlet Fez soap and sit back and watch:

Photo from Shanghai Lil and The Scarlet Fez collection.

Desirable New Labels

Flowers, ribbons and diamonds abound

I love it when the days start getting milder and you can see signs of new growth on the trees.  It's hard not to have a spring in your step this time of year!

But the changing season isn't the only reason I am chipper.  Karena at Magic Jelly has given this blog a spring clean and I am very happy with the cheerful, festive feel it now has.  And there are new patterns for the ribbons on the soaps too!  It's great fun putting together the packaging for the soaps I have made, it gives me a real lift seeing them waiting for their new owners.  Here is what I mean:

So, these are in my shop right now.  See the fancy "Visit the Shop" button to the right?  That will take you straight to the shop and you can make your selections there.

Open for Business

Yes, That's Right

Finally, after some time, I have opened the shop!  You can buy soap, if you want it, right here!

Shanghai Lil and The Scarlet Fez

I hope you love the design of the shop and the packaging as much as I do.  I have been lucky enough to have Magic Jelly design all of this and give a beautiful, nostalgic but modern feel to Shanghai Lil and The Scarlet Fez.  

As you know, dear reader, Shanghai Lil and The Scarlet Fez soaps are all natural, vegan and full to the brim with luxurious skin-loving oils.  But not only that, the essential oils used in the soaps will bring the world's flowers, spices, herbs and woods to the palm of your hand.

There will be some further tweaking to this blog too - I will have a button in the side column which will be your very own chauffeur on the glamorous road to soapsville, Shanghai Lil and The Scarlet Fez!  So, you can read about it here and buy it with a twitch of a finger!

I have already received some orders from some wonderful people (they must be wonderful, such exquisite taste!) and I am finding out what people are favouring.   I have almost run out of The Emporer's Chai (so hurry!) and South Pacific is a winner, as is Love Lies Bleeding.  Spicy and floral.

In the pipeline, I have a surprise new scent.  For those with a sweet tooth and a longing for bright summer days, you are in for a treat - a candy-sweet scented soap, packed with olive oil, olive pomace, macadamia nut oil and shea oil.  It's a bright, happy and luxurious soap.

I have also just completed a batch of Lemon Meringue soap which will have you drooling!  A wonderful sweet lemony scent in a rich blend of apricot kernel oil and evening primrose oil.  No, you can't eat it, but you'll want to!

So, there is a lot lined up here at Shanghai Lil and The Scarlet Fez.  Not just soap here on the blog; you'll have the usual found-photographs, flowers, melancholy musings, a bit of jazz music, graphics, design, art and what-not (do you like the word what-not?).  Have a look around.

New Packaging

Look at THIS

I have been flat out this weekend boxing up soap ready for sale.  A lot of fiddly work, but a lot of fun too.  I'm very happy with the results.  Take a peek in my drawers (...I bet that's a line from a Carry On film...):

 

The labelling and the ribbons have been designed by my good pal Karena at magicjelly.com.au.  She has done a remarkable job and I am so happy that she devoted the time away from her own commitments to work on these wonderful labels.  Like all of Karena's work, these have a modern, fresh appeal but still pay homage to the past, a thoughtful nostalgia.  I recommend anyone check out her site for further beautiful work! 

it's coming, IT'S COMING

 Yes!  Shanghai Lil & The Scarlet Fez is one step closer to opening, with the arrival during the week of BOXES!  I shan't show you them in their full glory, but I can't resist this:

Vintage photograph part of the Shanghai Lil & The Scarlet Fez collection.

Boxing clever

I've been busy getting some packaging together for the opening of Shanghai Lil & The Scarlet Fez.  Here's a peek:

Say Hello Boys! to Shanghai Lil's new boxes

I was very happy to receive the first delivery of boxes for Shanghai Lil and The Scarlet Fez's range of all natural soaps.   Modelling the orange number is the lovely South Pacific soap I recently made.  Just swell!