Angela and Oscar Bashaw are the proprietors of the Soapy Shed, located in the Village Center Shops. Anngela says she started about five years ago taking her products to farmers markets and craft fairs, mostly soaps, shower steamers, bath bombs, and body butter. Her husband grew tired of hauling all the merchandise from one place to next, and said “let’s open a shop.”

They spent six or seven months on the Village Lane, but soon outgrew the space. When the unit in the Village Center Shops opened up last September they moved in.

“I still make 80% of the products myself.” She buys a few staples like non-toxic deodorant paste, and flouride-free toothpaste, but the rest of the products come out of the family workshops or are made by other crafty locals. Angela is always looking for healthier, more natural, more sustainable products. Many of the hairbrushes use bamboo instead of wood.

Husband Oscar contributes a line of hand-crafted shaving accessories––razor handles and brushes–– and now toothbrushes and cell phone stands. The razors use readily available Gilette replaceable heads. The handles are turned from wood, resin, and acrylic. Most of the wood, including pinecones, comes from Idyllwild.

There is a section of bulk products. Customers bring their own bottles and pay by weight. There are also bottles for sale, and sometimes a few complimentary used bottles. The bulk products include soaps for body, dishes, laundry, and household cleaning. She listed three companies whose products she likes and sells: Rustic Strength from the Ozarks, Heliotrope from San Francisco, and Carena Organics from Canada.

Angela would like to have the space to sell bulk kitchen staples like rice, beans, and flour. “Maybe someday.”

Several locally-made products are also on sale at the Soapy Shed: Crafted by Charity’s reusable paper towels, and Wax Apothecary’s scented candles and linen sprays. “Another local vendor is Udderly Divine, Kim Toomey, she makes all of the goat milk soap that I carry.  I make traditional lard soap.”

Angela tells how she became interested in soap making. “My husband came home at Christmas time with soap a coworker had made for Christmas. I said ‘I want to learn how to do that!’ I started with videos, then reading books. There are awesome Facebook groups.”  Starting with soap she now makes a dozen different products. There’s a Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild that holds an annual conference, this year in Mystic, Connecticut, and Angela looks forward to learning more every year.

Angela and Oscar grew up in Hemet and Winchester, and met at Hemet High. High School sweethearts, they have been married for 40 years. They have a small cabin in Idyllwild but still live in Hemet. They are looking for place on the mountain that has the space they need: each has a workshop that is over 1,000 sq feet.

Angela recounted her recent bout with breast cancer. After surgery and radiation she has been clear for a year. The experience led her to raise funds for the cause. “We raised over $2,000.00 during October for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.”  Angela and Oscar support local events like the ICC Tree Lighting, and donate to causes like ARF, Rotary, American Legion, and Soroptimists. “We want to be part of the community.”

The Soapy Shed, in the Village Center Shops, 54245 North Circle Dr. C2. Open Thursday through Monday 10-5.