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Randolph, Vermont - October 10, 2008
Dozens of potions fill Heather Tallman's basement as she gets going on her "bubble, bubble, toil and trouble." She chuckles, "This is witch's brew!"
Actually it's bubble bath, not witch's brew. And despite all those fragrant potions, this isn't some sort of witch's coven or mad scientist's lair, it's "the bubble lab."
That's what Tallman calls the homebase for Twin Birch Bath and Body, her Randolph personal care products business named after the twin birches in her front lawn.
Tallman explains, "Living in Vermont, it's so easy to celebrate the seasons and the holidays. Every time I look around, I'm inspired by the foliage and woods. It's really easy to put that into the soap and make it fun and seasonal."
She's now in the Halloween season, molding ghosts. Tallman beams, "There's care put into them."
They're actually one of her simplest products. Others require hand-coloring, swirling, carving, and delicate decoration. Two and a half years ago, Tallman started teaching herself how to make a full line of soap products as a hobby business, but it's not her most important job. That's being a mom to four kids. Soap is just what she does when they're at school.
The businesswoman says, "They've gotten involved. They've learned about starting a business and working long hours."
Her children have even inspired some of the fun shapes like those ghosts. In Vermont, the number of home businesses like Twin Birch Bath and Body has exploded in recent year, through online selling and renewed interest in farmers' markets. Soap making is a popular cottage industry.
Of the soapmakers in Vermont, Tallman says, "People who support craft shows and farmers markets stumble upon them almost every time. So it's nice to be a part of that community."
And as her designs move from Halloween to Christmas, it's also nice, she says, to be able to do this work in a beautiful setting that keeps the bubble lab busy with seasonal inspiration.
Heather Tallman chirps, "It's Made in Vermont!"
For more information on Twin Birch Bath & Body, you can visit the business's website. But you can see her in person along with dozens of other vendors at a show later this month organized by the group Vermont Craft Workers. It's October 24th, 25th, and 26th at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction.
Jack Thurston - WCAX News - Made in Vermont
