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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2007)
EW ’s gift guide 2007 cleanup at the holiday market LOCAL SOAPMAKER OFFERS FRAGRANT BOUQUET by Anne Pick S planned on creating a “burly man” type of soap. When Thompson began chatting with Gourley one Saturday while helping pack up her booth, the title came to her instantly. Gourley is even putting Thompson’s like- ness on the label of Buckskin Casanova. In making her soaps, Gourley uses high quality vegetable oils such oap making, bookbinding, writing, teaching: Paula Marie Gourley does it all. Gourley moved to Eugene and joined the Saturday and Holiday Markets seven years ago. She sells handcrafted soaps, handbound books and journals, decorative papers and cards. The creativity flowing from Gourley’s imagination leads to unique and interesting soap titles and fragrances; EW writers, for instance, favor the Writers Block soap. Other lines are French, Literary and Hippie Chick. The Literary line contains Gatsby’s Beautiful Shirt, stemming from a scene in the film in which Gatsby shows Daisy his closet full of shirts and she brings them to her face and inhales the fragrance. Gourley says naming the soaps and mixing the scents comes from “where I am, what I’m doing, who I meet. It’s just fun and lets me express myself.” She blends fragrances according to what she’s think- ing about, but it’s not a cakewalk: “It’s hard work, lots of fun and very personal.” At this year’s Holiday Market, Gourley will launch her latest soap, Buckskin Casanova. This new soap is inspired by fellow Saturday Market artisan and leather worker Paul Thompson. Gourley had H U G E H O L I D AY S A L E Magical Dreamtime C o m e i n & s e e o u r e x p e r t s f o r g re a t deals on boats & accessories Come Dance with us and you’ll fi nd your heart's desire! D E C E M B E R 1 ST - 2 4 TH Oregon River Sports 3400 Franklin Blvd. Eugene 541-334-0696 http://www.oregonriversports.com Retail • Rentals • Repairs • Guided Trips • Instruction ■ ■ bambini EXTRAORDINARY THINGS FOR EXTRAORDINARY KIDS EUGENE’S ONLY SOURCE FOR NON-TOXIC TOYS! Largest selection of toys and gifts from Europe Safe and beautiful products for • Certified organic cotton toys, your children and the earth clothing, towels and blankets • Phthalate and BPA-free sippy cups, bottles, teethers and bibs • Amazing selection of high quality shoes, and clothing from newborn to size 12 2864 WILLAMETTE SUITE 200 • 302-1555 OPEN 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM • 7 DAYS A WEEK 8 as olive, coconut, sweet almond, apricot kernel, jojoba, avocado and shea butter. The oils melt and blend together, and then she adds a lye solution. The chemical reac- tion between the lye and oils, called the “saponification” process, forms soap. Then she stirs the soap until it thickens. At this point Gourley adds the fragrances, essential oils or herbal products such as rosemary, rose petals and ground sage. She pours the thickened mixture into molds and insulates it for 24 to 48 hours. Removed from the molds when sufficient- ly hard, the soap is then cut into bars. It must air-dry (cure) for a minimum of six to eight weeks before Gourley trims, wraps and labels it. Gourley explains that the longer soap cures, the milder it becomes. She says, “I have a high standard and do not sell any soap which has not been prop- erly cured. In addition, all of my work is done by hand, the old-fashioned way, in small batches (40-50 bars at a time). I use no animal products in my soaps.” Gourley taught the bookbinding cur- riculum in Tuscaloosa for the University of Alabama’s MFA Program in the Book Arts for 14 years before relocating to Eugene. Her booth at the Saturday Market led to a grant which allowed her to estab- lish her business, Lilyhouse Studio Editions, and she taught business and entrepreneurial classes until the grant ran out. Gourley now works as the Senior Connections program supervisor for the Lane Council of Government. Still teach- ing, Gourley travels to different colleges conducting three to seven day classes on bookbinding and is the U.S. representative for a French bookbinding company. The Lilyhouse Studio Editions booth makes its home in Holiday Hall, a smaller room to the right of the main hall of the Holiday Market. Follow your nose: • Eugene Weekly’s Gift Guide 2007 205 W. 5th AT CHARNELTON • 485-1222 OPEN MON-SAT 10-5:30 • SUN 11-5 Of the Opulent Universe® Visionary and Spiritual Books, clothing, statues, cards, music, art, dragons, fairies, crystals, jewelry and much more. Thanksgiving Special: 15% Off All Alex Grey items 1041 Willamette St. 344-0351 M-Sat 10:30-7 Sun 12-5
