Bio - Dolores (Dolly) Picard
Serendipity Bath & Body
Gray, Saskatchewan
I have always been an advocate of making everything myself.
Growing up in a large city and moving to Saskatchewan over 35 years ago, I had a fresh set of eyes for the benefits of living here that many take for granted. Space and community support I believe are two of Saskatchewan’s greatest assets.
My youngest daughter used to describe me as “total pioneer woman” I keep a vegetable garden that is bigger than the backyard of many big city backyards and can or freeze everything from it. I made my own crèmes and salves from medicinal herbs I grew.
As I learned more about gardening, I took an interest in wild flowers and the weeds that I fought with in the garden, I was amazed at what I had been overlooking. You can spray chemicals to kill chickweed....or make eczema cream. Soap making has always piqued my interest and I started making it quite a few years ago (couldn’t tell you exactly when) with many hits and misses.
After my children grew up, the need to be creative in the kitchen overtook the now defunct demand by my family and I spent more and more time playing with my herbs and oils. I started taking my soaps and bath products to local craft sales and over 20 years ago decided to register my hobby as a business. As more and more people kept coming back for my naturally made products, I was loosing more and more space in our home to my hobby gone out of hand.
In the meantime, our little hamlet lost our elementary school as it fell prey to restructuring by the school board. The school building itself, eventually became the property of the hamlet again, and during one of our annual meetings, discussions ensued about what the building should be used for. The thought of moving all my pots, molds and oils out of the house was more than appealing, the thought of renting the building from the town and expanding scared the hell out of me. I think it was one of my better decisions.
The hamlet was very supportive in offering me a rent that was reasonable something I never would have had the opportunity of in a larger city, and by having a larger facility I can be much more productive & buy raw ingredients in bulk. There is nowhere else on earth that I could imagine getting this much community support.
I have run my little soap company for quite a few years now out of the school house, wholesaling and doing private labelling.
As I have gotten older (and my husband retired), I have slowed down to doing product AS I'M INSPIRED, rather than as it's demanded.
For that reason, I only do a few shows a year now and this website to fulfill the need in between.
My priorities have shifted, it's much more important to have fun, and if I can make the rent doing it....bonus.
- Dolly
Growing up in a large city and moving to Saskatchewan over 35 years ago, I had a fresh set of eyes for the benefits of living here that many take for granted. Space and community support I believe are two of Saskatchewan’s greatest assets.
My youngest daughter used to describe me as “total pioneer woman” I keep a vegetable garden that is bigger than the backyard of many big city backyards and can or freeze everything from it. I made my own crèmes and salves from medicinal herbs I grew.
As I learned more about gardening, I took an interest in wild flowers and the weeds that I fought with in the garden, I was amazed at what I had been overlooking. You can spray chemicals to kill chickweed....or make eczema cream. Soap making has always piqued my interest and I started making it quite a few years ago (couldn’t tell you exactly when) with many hits and misses.
After my children grew up, the need to be creative in the kitchen overtook the now defunct demand by my family and I spent more and more time playing with my herbs and oils. I started taking my soaps and bath products to local craft sales and over 20 years ago decided to register my hobby as a business. As more and more people kept coming back for my naturally made products, I was loosing more and more space in our home to my hobby gone out of hand.
In the meantime, our little hamlet lost our elementary school as it fell prey to restructuring by the school board. The school building itself, eventually became the property of the hamlet again, and during one of our annual meetings, discussions ensued about what the building should be used for. The thought of moving all my pots, molds and oils out of the house was more than appealing, the thought of renting the building from the town and expanding scared the hell out of me. I think it was one of my better decisions.
The hamlet was very supportive in offering me a rent that was reasonable something I never would have had the opportunity of in a larger city, and by having a larger facility I can be much more productive & buy raw ingredients in bulk. There is nowhere else on earth that I could imagine getting this much community support.
I have run my little soap company for quite a few years now out of the school house, wholesaling and doing private labelling.
As I have gotten older (and my husband retired), I have slowed down to doing product AS I'M INSPIRED, rather than as it's demanded.
For that reason, I only do a few shows a year now and this website to fulfill the need in between.
My priorities have shifted, it's much more important to have fun, and if I can make the rent doing it....bonus.
- Dolly
|
