News Online: Sherwood Park woman’s soaps set to clean up at the Oscars

Published online at Edmonton.Ctvnews.ca on Feb. 20, 2013.

CTV Edmonton
Linda Hoang, CTV Edmonton: February 20, 2013

Sherwood Park woman’s soaps set to clean up at the Oscars

A local woman is hoping to clean up at this weekend’s Academy Awards – but not for her acting ability.

Sherwood Park’s Erin Craddock makes unique, handmade soaps out of her basement.

Craddock used to be a cake decorator, for years teaching the skill to others.

She’s now taken that background and translated it into a handmade, natural soap business called Greenwood Soaps – which are about to get a big boost at this weekend’s Academy Awards.

The mother of two young boys has a line of soaps that looks like cupcakes and cakes and one particular set of soaps will be making their way around the red carpet on Sunday in Oscar gift bags.

“The idea that my business, my small little soap business that I do in my basement, is heading to the Oscars and who knows what’s going to happen from there, it’s all been very exciting,” Craddock said.

Craddock is a member of The Artisan Group, an exclusive arts promotion group that introduces Hollywood celebrities, industry leaders and media, to unique, handcrafted products during major award shows.

The group has arranged for Craddock’s cleansing soaps to be included in Oscars swag bags given to media at the show.

“I designed and created what I call my ‘Red Carpet Cupcakes,’” Craddock said.

“Cupcakes that have glittery gold stars and they’re hand-painted with gold mica and they smell of citrus, pomegranate, and champagne.”

She spent months perfecting the treat.

“It took me a few trial runs to get the stars figured out and what colours I was going to use,” she said.

Star-‘sudded’ power

While the soaps may not reach the stars at the Oscars, there’s at least two celebrities who have used Craddock’s product in the past.

“I had an opportunity as well through The Artisan Group to gift Ryan Gosling as well as Kaley Cuoco,” Craddock said.

She says Gosling has used her hemp soap and ‘Everywhere’ cream, both of which have become big sellers.

“It did increase my sales just to have the celebrities have it in their hands,” she said.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Craddock will be sending over soaps for 30 more celebrities as part of an Earth Day event.

Meanwhile, she says she’s never dreamed her name and her product would be a part of something as big as the Oscars.

Craddock says when she started out in 2010, she had hoped to one day sell her soaps in a store. That dream was realized quickly.

“That happened within a couple of months. I had a little farm store in Ontario, they said ‘hey, you make soap I want you to sell it here.’ That was my high expectation so I guess I have to set my heights a little higher and I guess the Oscars are a pretty big one,” Craddock said.

“I’m just really happy for my company.”

Along with that store in Ontario, Craddock’s products are currently sold online, at a health food store in Sherwood Park, a flower shop in Spruce Grove and at the downtown farmers market.

Click here for more information on Greenwood Soaps.

With files from Amanda Anderson

Click here to read the article on the CTV Edmonton website.

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