Love Bobbie began with something very simple — the need to feel safe.
After some very difficult years in my own life, my little place at King Parrot Reserve became somewhere my dogs, the native animals around me, and I could finally feel physically safe.
At first, it was my place to retreat from the world. But over time, something changed. I realised I didn’t just want to create a safe place for myself. I wanted the people who came here to learn soap making to feel safe too. I began to realise that I wasn’t the only person who needed a place where they could feel safe.
Safe to be a beginner.
Safe to ask questions.
Safe to make mistakes.
Safe to learn without judgement.
Safe to discover what they were capable of.
What began as a physical safe place slowly became something much bigger.
I watched students learn to make their own soap, become proud of their knowledge and share what they had learned with their families, friends and communities.
I watched people become more curious about the ingredients they were using and more confident about making informed choices for themselves.
People learned. People shared. People became proud of themselves. People helped other people.
That is what “creating a safe and healing environment, one bubble at a time” means to me.
It isn’t a marketing slogan. It is the reason Love Bobbie exists.
Meet Mel
I’m Mel, the maker and teacher behind Love Bobbie. I’ve been making soap for many years, but for me it has never been only about making a bar of soap.
Soap making gave me something creative to hold onto during some of the hardest years of my life. Over time, it became a way for me to share what I had learned, teach others and watch people discover abilities in themselves that they didn’t always know were there.
I believe good teaching should give people knowledge and confidence, not make them feel dependent on their teacher. My greatest reward is seeing a student reach the point where they no longer need me beside them — they understand what they’re doing, they trust their own knowledge and they’re proud to say, “I made that.”
They may no longer need me as their teacher, but they will always be my friend.
I love the science of soap making just as much as I love the creativity of it. I believe in understanding our ingredients, respecting the chemistry and then giving ourselves the freedom to create, experiment and occasionally be surprised by what comes out of the mould.
That’s why you’ll often hear me say:
Respect the science. Embrace the art. Enjoy the surprise.
A Little Nod to Dad
Love Bobbie wouldn’t exist quite as it does today without my dad.
One day Dad asked me a very simple question: “If you could do anything, what would it be?”
We were sitting together up in the bush with a cuppa of coffee and Dad’s “biccies”, watching a koala in a tree while I told him what I would love to do with my soap making.
Dad listened and then, in his usual practical way, said, “Okay, well get started.”
Teach a friend and video it. Start sharing what I knew. We could set this up, we could do that — and before long, the idea that had been living in my head started becoming something real.
That conversation with Dad was the beginning of Love Bobbie.
Dad had a way of putting life into perspective. One of his favourites was, “You know how unimportant you are when you try to boss another man’s dog around.”
I have to admit, he had a point.
Dad even gave me strict instructions that I was allowed only 24 hours to grieve for him — although, generously, he said I could break those 24 hours into as many five-minute pieces as I needed.
I can still hear the beginning of his phone calls: “It’s our father speaking.”
Dad was there at the beginning, helping me turn an idea into something real. I wish he could have seen just how far that little conversation over coffee and biccies would eventually travel.
So Dad, there’s your mention. Don’t let it go to your head.
Welcome to Love Bobbie
Whether you’re here to learn soap making, understand your ingredients, try something new or simply spend a little time with people who enjoy creating and sharing knowledge, you’re welcome here.
You don’t need to know everything before you begin. You don’t need to get everything right the first time. You just need somewhere safe to start.
Respect the science. Embrace the art. Enjoy the surprise.
Mel ❤️
Love Bobbie
Creating a safe and healing environment, one bubble at a time.