Tell us a little bit about yourself
Well, to start, my name is Andrea Gorda. My husband and I run PipCreek Farm + Studio (www.pipcreekfarm.com) which embodies the best of country living with a holistic, creative approach. Primarily, the Farm + Studio is about handcrafted natural soap and bath products. I also do photography and we raise grass-fed beef and poultry. It’s a flexible montage designed around our children and their care. It can be quite busy and thrilling all at once!
By using only high-quality natural plant oils and essential oils, and incorporating wildcrafted and local ingredients, PipCreek products are a reflection of the time and place they originated.
What inspires you?
Everything! But, mostly, the small moments. A walk, a conversation, a certain garden plant, the season, or, really, anything!
Also, being a busy mom means the short opportunities to breathe and relax are cherished. For me, the frequent, quick bit of handwashing becomes a thirty second getaway. And not just for me as a mom; All of us have these busy, cramped schedules. So I try to encapsulate fresh air, open spaces and beauty in whatever product I’m creating, whether it be soap, lotion bar or an image.
And our surroundings are essential inspiration. We are within minutes of Asessippi Provincial Park and Riding Mountain National Park. Our immediate property has a creek and a wetland teeming with activity from songbirds, beaver, muskrat, coyote and waterfowl. The summer gardens, full of our honeybees, flowers and maples, are a huge source of inspiration. I love that we can step outside, collect ingredients from all of these sources, bring them inside and incorporate them into beautiful items.
Finally, we are all jazzed about the great products from other Manitobans, like Fort Garry Beer and Cornelia Bean teas, so we use them in our soaps. Tea infusions and powdered botanicals make their way into the soaps. And we’ve made soap using maple sap from our maple trees. Some of the honey from our honeybees is an ingredient in Hip Whip, a body butter.
All of this inspiration imbues a certain terriore to our handcrafted products, making them both unique and luxurious.
What do you love so much about your job?
The creativity, flexibility and the people!
I love meeting my customers and providing them with a product that functions to meet their needs while providing them with a beautiful experience. Whether it be soap, photography or the food we produce, each is intended to leave our client feeling enriched.
For instance, working with a wedding client to develop a custom massage oil or soap as favours, or putting together a thank you package for bridesmaids is such an awesome opportunity to be part of a memorable event! We work hard as we want to make sure our contribution to such an important, happy day enhances everyone’s experience!
How would you help a bride select…
Everyone loves luxury! And favours are a fantastic way to share the luxury! Each soap is cut and wrapped by hand with custom labelling available. No couple and no wedding are ever the same so we feel it’s essential to offer a range of choices ensuring personal touches.
PipCreek Farm + Studio’s product line includes seven main soap types, with limited edition soaps appearing seasonally, body oils, three bath scrubs, lotion bars and body butter. There are a lot of options to choose from! We feature different products suited to scent-sensitive people, pregnant women, babies and children. My new favourite is a scrub with cocoa butter and sugar. The cocoa butter offers wonderfully emollient moisture while rosehip oil is full of essential fatty acids and vitamins. Perfect for exfoliating and moisturizing!
Gift packs of seasonal soaps, bath scrub and a body oil are perfect for the wedding morning and will beautifully convey your appreciation for your bridesmaids. Or a stack of soaps, neatly tied, can be awesome thank-you’s to some of your many wedding helpers.
During the month of June, all orders for a six bar stack of soap will receive a 15% discount (coupon code SOAPSTACK), plus the Bridesmaid package (Dreamy olive oil soap bar, Lemon Juniper Himalayan Sea Salt scrub and Love body oil) will receive 10% (coupon code THANKYOU) off!
Be sure to check out her Facebook page!
