We love our makers and love when they are in the spotlight! All of our makers work so hard to perfect their craft and get their name out there- that’s why we were thrilled to see Alana Rivera of the shop Etta + Billie on the Etsy featured artists page! Check out the story below, and some of our favorite Etta + Billie products! Also be sure to come by our Santana Row Market in the Park on September 10th, where Etta + Billie will be selling their beautiful bath + Body products in person!

• Lavender Body Lotion
• Lavender Body Oil
• Lemongrass Mint Soap
• Cold Brew Mint Coffee Soap

Featured Shop: Etta + Billie

from the Etsy Blog•by Alana Rivera

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Hello! I’m Alana Rivera, the maker of foodie-inspired sustainable bath and body products in lovely San Francisco, California. My line is called Etta + Billie.

I began creating natural products as a hobby while working office jobs in corporate America. Making soap became my creative outlet and passion; I spent all my free time experimenting with different scent combinations and learning about natural ingredients. I enrolled at the California School of Herbal Studies in 2008 to further my education in natural healing and holistic methodologies, and I launched my brand the following year. Etta + Billie is named after my grandmothers – their support, tenacity and courage inspired me to pursue my own passions.

I’m inspired by the beauty that surrounds me in the Bay Area – the forests, beaches and cityscapes here always give me fresh perspective. Other than the great outdoors, I’m majorly inspired by food; incorporating that love into my creations feels very natural. I’m constantly inspired by fresh ingredients and the wonderful ways that tastes, textures and colors are combined. I work with a lot of other food-based businesses in San Francisco to come up with fun collaborations.

I keep a notebook with me at all times so I can jot down new ideas when they come to mind, then I’ll pick a few and create a sketch of what I want the soap to look like and list the potential ingredients and scents. Next I pull all the ingredients together and create a full batch. I have to wait anywhere from 24-36 hours to see how the batch will turn out. So many things can happen to the soap while it’s resting, so cutting into it is always exciting. It’s another two weeks before the soap has cured enough to know what the final scent and color will be.

Etsy is such a great place to jump into a business. I quit my day job about a year and a half ago, and it’s incredible to see how far I’ve come since I started Etta + Billie in 2009. This platform exposed me to a huge group of makers and customers, and it’s also given me a wonderful space to engage, learn and grow. My goal for the future is to grow into a larger workshop where I can create fun and interesting new products. I want to be successful enough to pay five employees full time – building the business to a place where I can support others in my community is very important to me. I feel so grateful that I’ve been able to grow my business each year, and I’m looking forward to its continued evolution.

Follow Etta + Billie on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Maker photographs by Auey Santos; soap photos by Veronique Kherian; body oil photo by Etta + Billie.