2012

Definitely begining to resurface after the last four months.  I am getting bored and looking at new ideas for next year.  I am a person who needs to be challenged and the last four months did that but I was just unable to get all the products I wanted made for Christmas, namely lip balm so that will be out in the New Year. Definitely going to have to take someone on before next Christmas or else my family will kick me out.   The soaps sold well over the Christmas period and what was surpising to me and taught me a lesson was how many people bought soap for excema and other skin problems.  I was busy selling smellies and you forget how many people suffer with problems.  My background is in holistic therapies including flower essences, aromatherapy and I have used on my family and the animals homeopathy, so I am going back to my original to create a range for people with skin problems.  I will be looking at hand creams, foot creams to aid the skin and also for those of you who just love hand cream.   I enjoyed being at the Horsham market and met some lovely people so I intend to continue every other week there during the year.  I am also looking into the larger fairs this year to be able to get my soaps for problems to a wider audience. 

New Ideas

Well Christmas arrived in Horsham on Saturday.  It was a great days trading and hopefully next weekend will be.  There is only one Sat left then it is Christmas Eve.  The Christmas cookie soap, and the Chocolate orange soaps have gone down well this year, however the chocolate orange did not go last year so interesting.  There was a very nice lady behind me who had been doing felt, the second time I had seen this in a week, so something clicked in the brain and I will be doing felting soaps in the New Year, so much nicer than buying them from a well known chain and felting them.  Sorting out all of the stock and the bath bombs iced are going fast, party flip flops and the cup cake soaps so will be making these this week. Look out for us at Horsham and come and say hi.

Advent Calendar

Just been told some have 24 and some have 25 what a swizz. Glad when next week is over, going full pelt.  Seven baskets of bath bombs done anothere ten to do.  Twelve chocolate flake soaps made, fifteen shower soft soap only a few dozen flip flops for tomorrow.  Wanted to make chocolate lip balm but time is beating me.

The dogs want a walk and it is pouring with rain, so no go.  I'll try about 7pm and see.  Feel sorry for the late night shopping in the village, it has rained non stop since 2pm and does not look as if it is going to dry up, last year we were up to our knees in snow, so I suppose that is something.

Four weeks

Four weekes to go, skimmed an article yesterday about cooking a turkey.  It basically came down to - go out for lunch.  It said that you take your elephant sized turkey, as we know we always buy one too big, on Christmas morning whilst trying to wrestle with the turkey and stuffing get down several gin and tonics, then the turkey becomes very compliant so does the husband.  Sprouts, need to have a frost to be good, so instead of waiting for the frost of winter buy frozen they have been frosted.  Dinner from begining to end should take no more than three hours and by the time you sit down with the elephant (turkey not husband) as by now the  G & T have kicked in, there will only be you as the rest will have killed themselves fighting over the games console and computer games, sounds great fun.  In our house, the veg are peeled the night before, the turkey is cleaned the nightbefore, the morning of the 24th Dec all traces of Soap are removed from every surface so everyone sits down to a soap free dinner.  The greatest fun I think is opening all the pressies no matter how small, especially if they contain chocolate. 

Children Take Over!!

Hello I'm Bev's daughter Katie and I am writing the blog today as she is super busy icing millions of iced bathbombs, well it feels like it!! There is literally no space left in the lounge, kitchen or dining rooms oh and the airing cupboard is full as well! This picture is of the sixty that are heading out to Ireland tomorow for a customer and I promise I did help, I got the best job to sprinkle them all with sparkle powder.

I also took a picture of her bath bomb gift sets that she makes to order as she hasn't had time to tell you about these either! It's a good job she has me to do it for her! And she doesn't get to proof this before it gets posted so I can get away with saying things like this. So as promised here are her bath bomb gift sets how cool are they!

Bath Bombs

One you go to bed dreaming of them and wake up dreaming of them, it must be Christmas.
Sat last night watching Pudsey and icing 60 bath bombs, another 60 need to be done for Ireland this weekend.

Just delivery 7 baskets of bath bombs and 60 bath bombs iced by kids.  That was interesting, everytime we go the children react so differently, todays were completely hyper and just wanted to move onto the next activity each time.  There are ones who take their time over their bath bombs and others who just go splodge and shove as much as they can on the top.  So fascinating.

A sign

Is it a sign that I am on the road to great success as I seem to be getting up in the mornings at 5am as I cannot sleep.  I understand that most successful business people don't sleep, but I need my sleep.  I think trying to get everything sorted and keep on track with the family is being a real juggler.  I went to see my son who is in his first term at Uni and struggling at times, the work load, new life style and now the pressure of finding a place to live for next year.   I feel guilty not giving him the time but cannot let the customers down.   In January he will be settled, Christmas will be over and I will be wondering what to do next, not really as I am already going around in my head new ideas for the soaps next year.  The creativity of the Christmas soaps shows that people do like soaps that are different so look out in the New Year for the new soaps.

camera

Would like a camera for Christmas then I can take pictures of all my goodies.  Have made 100 bath bombs since yesterday for orders and still going some.  Now have to package them all up and send them.

Positive of the day

Chocolate orange, revamped the chocolate orange from last year, put less chocolate in so the soap is not so dark and it smells great and looks great so really pleased with that one.

not so good days

Yesterday I had two fairs and my daughter did one.  We don't just order the goods in and then pick it off the shelves we make every single thing and we package everything.  Most days are twelve hour days and this time of year much more hours.  Yesterday in the morning I had a lady who stood and in a very very posh accent asked me if I was as ethical and Lush!!  She was not of an age that I would have thought would go into their shops as she was in retirement so it must have been her family.  Anyway after ten minutes of podding poking smelling and tutting she actually bought a £1.50 bath bomb and then said oh it does say hand and made and local good.  The morning went on like that.  The lady at the stall behind me said it is when they look at you with this glazed look as if you are selling something they should not see.  It is also when people go by and look and say oh its soap in that way.  The evening got worse standing for three hours in a fair where everyone had not been told it was a shopping evening but had come for massage and hair done.  It completely puts you off.  I wonder sometimes if the schools do it as a fundraiser knowing that even if few attend they are picking up £20 off every stall holder and easy money spinner, when we have to make money, none of the stall holders are rolling in money.  I find it interesting that the ones I meet have usually been made redundant or had to move areas and could not get another job.  For me it has to pay the bills I am not in it to look pretty and I put my all into and find it soul destroying that people can be so rude.  Thank you for reading my moan and rant of the day.

Bath bombs

Just sorting out as I am at Wisborough Green on Thursday morning, All saints school in the Evening and Rosie is doing William Penn school on Thursday night, plus a private shopping party on Friday.  So counting out the bath bombs I do not know where they go I seem to be making dozens and I am sure I have a Fairy in this house that likes bath bombs.   So making dozens again tonight, I just smell lovely all the time.  My son came home and raided all the soaps to go back to Uni with.  I think he eats it!!!  Have to go down in the next couple of weeks as he forgot to bring his shampoo bottle back and is running out. 

Bath bombs

This Christmas is really getting off to a good start.  I have already done two baskets and now asked for seven more, last year I could not get rid of them.  However it seems it is people who have seen the goods or bought them before. I wonder whether people who do not know you wonder whether it is cheap rubbish and are reluctant to buy except from well known places?  I do note, not that I often go shopping, I had to buy my son a birthday present, so I had a good look around and it is interesting that I note prices are not shooting through the roof.  We were sitting looking at a well known supermarket newspaper and they had receipes, the exact cost and the shopping list on the side, at last I think they are realising that we don't mind spending but value for money please.

Busy weeks

Busy week, I am so excited to see my son home after his first stint at Uni, home to celebrate his birthday.  Have been doing the local town market, but it is very hit and miss.  Last week we had to move to another street and while people were queing to go into the restaurants they were not spending money at the markets.  Have had lots of enquiries but need to get them into orders.  Just sent off a good order with two Christmas baskets and have another sic to do next week.  The soap parties and kids parties are going down well and everyone is enjoying seeming something different to the large stores.  So hopefully the Christmas shopping will get going in ernest in the next week. 

Childrens Parties

Wow I have been having fun doing the childrens parties, was concerned about doing soap so stuck to icing the bath bombs with them, then this week a mum insisted I did soap, it was great fun.  The cup cakes cooled in time for them to go home, they all took a cup cake soap and a mold home so that they can buy more soap and make more soap cup cakes.  Made flowers for the tops of the bath bombs and it is interesting how some get bored sitting there and others have a real creative flair, I love to see them.

Bath bombs

I made fifty bath bombs yesterday, mostly for one order, wanting baskets of six bombs.  Lovely smells, Lavender, Lemongrass and ginger, Patchouli and Orange, Patchouli and Rose, Rose Geranium and St. Clements.  Off to make more bucks fizz as they are going well and so are the applejack bath bombs.  The cup cake bath bombs look great in their green and red outfits with gold and red ties.  Soap parties are being booked, kids parties are really taking off now, and I have as much fun as the kids at icing bath bombs with them.  At Horsham on Saturday, fortunately not been there on a really really cold day yet, but the thermals and extra layers are all ready to go. 

B USY DAYS

I don't know where the last few weeks have gone.  I suppose having the hot weather at the begining of October and swimming in the sea threw me.  The one really frosty morning I was in a large marquee so that was good.  Last Saturday was at Horsham market, where I will be most Sats and Sundays to Christmas and I won't tell you how many layers I had on but it worked.  The Christmas soaps are a hit and have made more as they are selling well.  Twinkle snowmen are gathering momentum, both in selling and making, it's the twinkling bit I like.  So we are in full production, still managing to get a decent amount of sleep which I am sure will decline greatly over November.  Just watch out for us on WOW thank you and Folksy.

Christmas soap

The Christmas soaps had their first outing this week and people loved them, so that is a good start.  The next seven days am out selling soaps, so the week after will have to be full scale making as it will be the last chance for cold press soaps for Christmas time.  Glycerine soaps are ongoing and thinking of different stocking fillers, filled 28 bags last night of twinkle snowmen.

Christmas soap pictures

Apple jack - bright red for Christmas      -    Snowberries with twinkle snow.   Twinkle snowmen a huge favourite from last year,  brm brm car bath bomb another favourite from last year and also Christmas spice, the smell of christmas cooking.

Bath Bombs

The lounge is now full of bath bombs getting ready for next week at Arundel, the weekend at Basingstoke and Christmas.  Last night my eldest came in and said her nose went ohh I love that smell, and she asked me this am what the smell was, champagne and orange, she has a nose for the champagne.  So we have bombs and iced bombs in champagne and orange, then we have applejack my favourite, hot spicy notes of mandarins, orange, clove and cinnamon, mellowing down to the smell of apples, and yes it is great.  Have the soap to match.  Then then there is blue Amberwood with cinnamon, amber, dk. choc, citrus fruits and blue agava, lovely smell, suitable for all.  If you have alergies and can only use lavender we do have lavender bath bombs in the small flowers and the small cup cakes.  Hopefully all on the web site on Thursday.

SOAP

Having a busy two weeks, last week was all about my son going to Uni and as he is at Bournemouth I was fortunate to be able to visit the New Forest and all the lovely trees, some are going red fast and others are just turning.  It is a beautiful time of year.  I am off for a couple of days now the opposite way to Cambridge somewhere I have not been for years and am looking forward to seeing all the countryside.  I was at a Harvest Fair on the weekend and it was interesting how many people are asking about Christmas, fortunately the Christmas soaps are drying and will be on the on line shop in a couple of weeks.  We have an apple spice smell in red and white soap, and light and darker beige soap with snowberries, and a soap that is light brown and cream with the smell of Christmas, all spices with orange slices and star anise on top.  So look out for them. The pictures were on a previous blog.  

Space

I have had acouple of days away and done a lot of driving and today instead of coming back and getting on with soaps I just cannot motivate myself.  I read a blog of someone I follow and read about allowing space into your life, my life is just tiredness, hers is that her husband who had a large operation for cancer has now taken a turn for the worse and they both have faced the fact that he will die.  Unless we have been in that situation we cannot know what it feels like.  A close relation of mine died four years ago from a brain tumour and the saddest part was watching a very intelligent man looked inside his brain as his speech and reasonsing had been destroyed.  So space is something that comes to us all and we need to acknowledge that it is with us for a reason so I shall enjoy the rest of my day without worrying about not doing anything because obviously my body, mind and spirit are telling me I need a day off after three quite emotional days. 

Christmas

Every where you go Christmas is appearing, is it to encourage to buy more seeing more?  I have today made my first batch of twinkle snowmen, the reason being a Wedding fair on Sunday and some might like to have them at their winter wedding.  They look soooo cute and come in a little organza christmas bag and yes they do twinkle.

Party

That was fun.  I took Rosie and off we went to a 10 year olds party, I had forgotton how much energy they have and how excited they get. We got them to ice bath bombs, great success and are now going to do this at fiars as it will get the kids involved.  The chicks have tripled in size since they were born and are even noisier than before.  Rosie rushed out this morning to see if everyone was alright as the wind is really blowing here.  Chcikens are so hardy it seems to make no difference to them.

Every day ...............

Every day in my house is Christmas at the moment, I am so excited, when Christmas finally arrives in three months and so many days will I have run out of excitement, no.  Every time I create a new soap to me it is like opening a Christmas present, so full of expectation, will it be or won't it be what I wanted? I really believe it is the unknown that I love, creating something having to wait 24 hours to see if it comes out as you hoped.   Today I unveiled another Christmas soap and it smells absolutely fab and looks so good.  It has a lovely gentle perfume smell with the hint of pot pouri and christmas cinnamon. 

Camera working

I have found a camera in this house that works so have taken lots of pictures.

 The Blue/purple soap is the mens intensity, I think it smells so nice I might use it, my son loves it and is being packed off to uni with the hair shampoo and soap in intensity.  Also the hearts in citrus burst, applejack and lemongrass and ginger.  All be ready soon, will smell so good for Christmas.  The "spotty" one is  "snow" it is snowballs in the snow and smells really subtle like a gentle forest on a cold frosty day.

Sweetie shops

Been making the Christmas soaps, yesterday I made Applejace in red and white swirl.  When making them you always wonder whether they will look as you want when you cut the loaf.  I waited 24hours for it to set and then opened it up, the top was amazing just like Christmas swirls and then I cut it and I was so excited like a child in a sweetie shop.  I can't wait to put it on the web page for sale, I think it looks so good.

Excited

I am excited after much soul searching asking opinions we came up with making a Christmas soap in red and white swirls.  Red is quite hard to get without putting an awful lot of colour in, so I put extra paprika with the red colour and it looks like a real deep raspberry ripple.  Can't wait to unmold it tomorrow to see how good it looks.  Will be ready for Octoberfest in Basingstoke.

soap glourious soap

Saturday was a return to what I was used to, the soap walked off the table, so now I have to start re-making and especially the teens soap and peace in the garden.  Need to get the Christmas soaps done this week to be ready for Oct 15th and Basingstoke weekend. 

Amberley

Wow, I had forgotton what a busy day was like, having had a couple of slow months you get out of the habit, however it is always great when you pack up and have empty boxes.  People liked the Christmas testers, the applejack went down well, smelling like mulled wine most said.  That I suppose is the smell that people remember, mulled wine.

blog

I read a blog today that put me to shame, the lady had actually written her blog in a poem.  I don't have a camera and it seems that all the ones my kids have, have gone on the blink, I have made so many different goody soaps that need to go on the web page and on folksy.  Need to go and buy a camera this weekend.  Spent the day making bath bombs, when the weather is good it is a good time to do it.

Autumn

Well here we are again, the end of a miserable summer with just a few hot days, the nights are distinctly cold as the cats have told me and the thought that the kids go back to school next week is just depressing.  I always think that we could do with a thanks giving like the Americans and have a long weeked for October 31st as it is such a long time to Christmas, then two weeks off in the cold.  I do look forward to it, snuggled up for two weeks not having to rush out and about.  Had a busy fair yesterday which was good and maybe now the summer is coming to an end people will find extra money to buy things again.  I talking to a gentleman who could not understand why my soaps are not all over the place and I was explaining that not bieng a marketing and PR person I don't make the time to go out there and sell.  I love to make and create, I don't enjoy trying to convince people why they should buy my soaps, but I should because they are so good and they lather, a question often asked and they contain no nasties at all.  Even the preservative is vitamin e.

Chicks

The chicks are growing fast, nearly a week old and they have doubled in size.  They were all black with a faint yellow, now they have these lovely fat yellow bottoms. 

Peace

Yesterday I had the day off, rare for me because working from home I tend to end up working with the soaps one way or another.  I went with my middle daughter to West Wittering beach.  I was shocked to pay £7.50 for the car park, however she was learning to surf there so we had no choice.  I left her and walk along the sand from West Wittering towards Itchenor, having never done this before.  All I can say is that it was beautiful.  The wind was slightly cold, but walking warmed me, but the peace I found walking along that sand.  I loved watching the sea roll over the sand and it got me to thinking about trying to make a soap that represented the sea.  That sea was not bright blue mediterranean, but deeper green grey, which mostly our sea is, the waves broke with small amounts of white foam, but there was no smell.  Maybe I could not smell it, but when I walk on Shoreham beach you can smell the salt in the air but not there.  It maybe that there were too many boats with diesel engines, but I could not smell them. I watched a huge container ship go down Southampton water and out and I could see the Isle of Wight which was very majestic looking against the sky line.  It was wonderful walking down there for nearly two hours, even thought the car park was expensive, justified by the very clean facilities,  I will certainly do it again. 

Autumn

If one needed inspiration or a reminder that Autumn is around the corner you just have to go for a walk in the woods. Today there were pieces of acorns on the floor, busy squirrels, lots of hawthorn berries and also dog rose hips.  The tree at the bottom of my drive has already had red and orange leaves and they have blown off, so it is lurking there, once the winds changes to the North we will all know.  Have today made my snowball soap and lots more hearts to warm us through the winter. 

Christmas soap

Have bought a fragrance that smells just like Christmas, apples and spicy and cinnamon, really gets your memories going of Christmas.  Just made lots of hearts and wondered what to do with left over soap so have made it into Christmas puds, they look good, on the rack to dry.  I have bought quite a few this year to try, snow does not smell anything but a nice gentle perfume to me.  Fig and brown sugar I love, it has that warm cinnamon smell that you get when you bake, then deck the halls, no cannot get to grips with that one and a couple of others that I feel are just lacking something so may well try adding to see what comes up.  Made intensity soap yesterday, firstly for my son off to Uni in a month and for the men.  Have made it in blue which has gone purple but looks good and also bath bombs to match to make the sets for men for Christmas.  So the house is full of Christmas today.   Mumma hen doing well and four out of six hatched, went to check on them and one was sitting in the middle of her bowl of food so she could not get any, they will learn.

Soaping

Years ago I trained in crystal healing and having taken up my dowser it has been spot on just lately,  so decided to give it a go with the soaps, so this am made the men's soap with intensity frargrance, if no one else likes it I know Gareth does, so will be sending it with him to Uni.  Also need to make up hair shampoo for him and shower gel ready to go.  In the soap I used my blue, but it goes a green colour so added blue powder, which has a red intensity, so it turned a real purple not mauve but purple colour, so hopefully having whitened the other with titanium dioxide the white and purple will look together.

Soap bags

Had been thinking about the fact that the soaps don't have anything with them, so today been making soap bags, pretty coloured fabric with water proof lining to keep the soaps in.  Tomorrow need to get making soaps and stop procrastinating especially when I realise I have a few busy weekends in October.

Snowballs

The tester soap with snow balls came out well, although I am wondering if the smell is too subtle for Christmas.  It smells like a fresh outdoor smell but slightly sweet and I am wonder if it needs something more like pine added to it, will have to go back to the drawing board on that one.  The soaps I made last week are drying well, however again the colour has faded more and more as they dry.  I read somewhere that the liquid colour did not hold so well in cold press and I am finding that, will have to go back to the drawing board.  However it is interesting that Mother Nature can do it, Turmeric definitely holds the yellow to light brown, cocoa powder does and so does Paprika, but man can't???

Christmas soaps

Off on the trials for Christmas, made one yesterday smells really nice, needs a bit more pine, but looks good so will be making more.  Need to make my Christmas cake soap next.  Have lots of small petit soaps to "ice soap" the tops tomorrow.  Am going to make fizzy bars in the muffin cases, then they won't fall to pieces.  Iced around 60 bath bombs yesterday in Lavender blue, which has actually come out more turquoise and look really great.  Just got to package them now.  Had a huge wake up call from upstairs, I got sent through the post samples of bottles, been thinking about hair/body shampoo, I think someone is telling me something.

Tuesdays

I am missing the structure of having to get up and go and sell the soaps.  Yesterday I went through my stock room and cleared it up which is a good thing.  I am a bit lost at the mo as my cup cakes seem to loose their smell,  except the fragrance, then on making other essential oil soaps I realise they too are loosing their smell which makes me think that it is not the soap or me but the essential oils.  As the essential oils have quadrupled in the last year I bought them from the cheapest I could find, not good, so now I am going back to a supplier who supplied really good quality oils so that the soaps do not loose their smell.  They just smell soapy.  It is interesting listening to people, one gentleman last week said his skin was so dry he could not use any soaps - so what do you use to wash?  He applied cream from the Dr., his skin was so thin that the slighest nick and he bled like mad, that happened a family member and it turned out the steroids in the creams had made their skin thin.  So a good soap such as handmade with essential oils is far better.  It has all the moisturising properties left in it, they have not been milled out to be able to stand on a shop shelf for years.  Nettles are full of vitamins etc., and the properties are in the soap as the nettles are so fresh when they go into the soap.  Then neem, an amazing tree from India, I now give out info on it as so few people know about it, that is so good for so many things as proved by the amount of Teens soap I sell for spots and poor skin.

Sheep Dogs

Have spent three days at the English National Sheepdog Trials, anyone who thinks one needs to get a life, as a radio presenter on Magic said, needs to just have a go and asking a dog to go across a very large field to the other side, collect six sheep and bring them down the hill in a straight line.  The dogs and handlers were amazing, sometimes we could not even hear the whistles but the dogs did.  The sheep were up for an argument on the Thursday but behaved the rest of the week.  It was great to see so many people supporting them.  I met lots of lovely people and kids and look forward to seeing them again at another event.  I now have to catch up making.  Made lots of love me love my bath heart bath bombs today and tomorrow need to get making Teens soap, which I am also going to make as neem soap as Neem is so amazing with all kinds of skin problems, fleas and ticks on the dogs and lice on the kids.  An amazing medicine package from one little tree.  Also need to catch up on Lavender and the Christmas soaps.

Fairs

Met a lovely couple at the Sheep Trials selling soaps like me, however it pointed out that I am not good at shouting loud at people to get them to come and buy.  I try to engage with people and talk to them and enjoy talking, however I am not good and never have been good and nicking other peoples customers/

Allergies

I had an email last night from a lady who has an 8 year old who is allergic to most things and like any 8 year old she desperately wants to be like her friends.  She wants bath bombs.  Most bath bombs are made from fragrances which are created in a lab from a base of chemicals.  I can see when I make them the difference, yesterday I had a new smell, smells great, however when making the bath bomb the immediate reaction with the ingredients told me that this was very much one that would cause irritation to any one with a slightly sensitive skin.  18 hours after making them I can still smell it on my hands.  Kids love bath bombs they are great fun so I always say to people let me make them.  If your child cannot tolerate anything, citiric acid softens the water, and bicarbonate of soda has all sorts of healing properties, to this I only add witch hazel so this in a tiny flower bath bomb in a tub of water should not harm.  I use edible powder food colour and very little to which we can make them semll nice with essential oils.  My personal dislike is bubblegum, my kids love the smell and I am so fed up of making it because it sells, but it is so artificial, every time I warm the soap the smell wafts and I can smell that sweet sickly smell that hooks most of the kids.  Rose geranium smells sweet, then there is lemongrass, sweet orange and other essential oils.

Are we all expecting too much

Are we all expecting too much.  I had an email back from the organiser of Sat event  and it was interesting.  I think organisers of events have had it quite good, they have put up notices etc and made money from the stall holders, I did one three years ago and I know I made quite a bit of money even though I did a lot of notices and drove around for miles putting them up.  However now I think people will have to go an extra two miles when organising events and other than schools who have a ready made market other organisers will have to be in a place where there is good foot fall.  I did one earlier this year and they made a real effort, whilst there the lady went on live radio, they walked the town giving out notices, it still did not make a lot of difference, so what is the answer.  I think that people will only buy what they want/need and if it is different and not in every shop.  I think the days of buying because you liked something has gone.

Fairs and markets

Attended a fair yesterday, it was well off the beaten track in an absolutely idllyic setting, however that means there is not passing trade and people have to make the effort to get there and find the place.  Today had an email roundrobin from the organiser actually having a go at the stall holders saying that they had not put it on enough of their facebook/other places and that each one of them should have brought five people along and then there would have been plenty of visitors.  Whilst I live ten miles south of the venue most of my friends actually live half an hours drive away.  Today we have to take into account petrol costs and would you drive thirty minutes to see a friend at her stall when you could buy a)off her web page or b) when you next have coffe with her?  I think that because of the state of our current financial situation everyone is counting every penny and does it pay to go there or here, do I really want to buy that or not, so consequently customers are really questioning do they want this or that and therefore when they do attend a fair they are cautious about what they spend.  I was actually opposite a very aggressive sales lady who actually hijacked two of my customers whilst they were talking to me and basically forced them to buy her goods then had the audacity to turn around to me and say that I had taken twice what she had taken.  I hate it when people get to aggressive, there is room for everyone and other people choose to sell items that a)have been around for years and b) are made by other people it is their choice just the same as it is my choice to tell people and to be proud of the fact that I buy nothing in except the bases and make everything myself I feel that I am a true crafts person and actually just because I sell more I should not have to put up with people who are aggressive at selling and aggressive to the othere sellers in their room.

Events

Well we can blame what we like but I think there are an awful lot of trades people who are getting fed up with people asking ridiculours sums of money for tables and the foot fall being poor.  Went to one today, fortunately it was 10% of sale, firstly it was in the middle of nowhere so no passing customers and the amount of customers that came through the door was very very poor.  I think we are getting to a time when more and more traders are going to refuse to pay large sums out for tables, at the end of the day we are there to earn money, the customers are extremely picky and not easy to please and the organisers are going to find themselves struggling to get people to take tables.  If you read this and wonder, it is not unusual for even a school to ask £40-£50 for just three or four hours, the larger events can ask anyting from £80 to £250 or more for one day as they feel there is such a potential of customers through the door, the trouble is the markets have completely changed and people are not spending, and do not have the disposable income they had some five years ago.

Dire days

I am trying to work out whether it is better to be in one place all the time that people get used to you being there or whether it is good to go to different venues.  I have triend this week down at Arundel, you watch the coaches come in and you watch the coaches leave, but the amount of people who actually come into the fair is minimal on top of that they all tell me my soaps are wonderful but no one seems to be spending.  Told the girls I would give the soaps away and see if I could sell myself instead to the highest bidder, I have no doubts that would clear the streets completely.  It is soul destroying all the hard work and preparation to go for a week to a fair and then to sell over seven days what you normally sell in two fairs on a weekend.

Interesting Week

I have been five days now and just two more to go to complete the week.  Met some lovely ladies today, some from Ireland down for Goodwood racing and some from nearer home, Horsham.  Looking forward to hearing from them as they would like to have a soap workshop and learn how to make cold press soaps.  Mr Grumpy in quite a good mood as his friend has been around since 2pm, first thing he told me was that he had vacummed, I told him we only have one carpet, no fair play to him, he went around all of downstairs over the tiled floors.  Having two dogs should be great to increase the mountains of dog hairs we have already.  Looking back over the last few days it has been interesting, those parents with kids bought flip flops and cup cakes, the people childless on the whole bought cold press soaps, however, the flip flops win hands down again.

Dogs

On Sat my eldest came home to say she was rescuing the dog where she worked for various reasons.  My son, who adores the dog we have took to having the grumps all weekend, did not want another dog, don't see why we should have etc etc.  So Monday Grumpy went out and we had to turn out and pick him up at 11.30 he misses his lift home, comes back to meet the new dog and grump more when he learns the little chap is howling as he does not want to be left alone.  So Kate bless her slept down on the couch until 2.30 until he settled.  Monday, I warned them not to let him out without the lead until he got used to the chickens, did they listen no, the dog went full pelt into the chickens, I had a phone call saying they had lost Doris and Queenie, I thought they meant he had killed them, no, they were not to be found, two tins of sweetcorn, through two neighbours gardens and still no chcickens, eventually Doris was spotted pecking around on the front lawn and when returned to the back garden the others appeared, in the meantime to say that Grumpy had lost it was an understatement, the new dog Gus was sitting in his basket not moving and looking as if to say who me.   However as I am out all week with the soaps I came back to all his dishes sitting on the side, the pan from last night unwashed and he is on holiday!!!!!

Tired

I am tired and exhausted from just sitting and then trying to persaude people to buy a bar of soap.  I am spending the whole week in Arundel a small hamlet which attracts hundreds of visitors to the castle.There is not a huge lot of people through the door, but it is painful trying to entice them to buy.  I do find people interesting but I do wish if there are going to make jokes about my cup cakes, like it would be great to see so and so try to eat it, they would do it out of ear shot.  Then there are those who pull faces as if to say it is wrong to make soap into cup cakes, those that enthuse about them, I do wish they would buy they would look stunning in their bathrooms and make a great talking point.

wow

Wow what a mamouth week of making.  Finished at 10pm Friday night ready for the week at Arundel.  I hjust worry that I have enough soaps for the Sheepdog trials in three weeks.  I know I have two weeks to make lots of glycerine soaps so I should be ok.  Cold press have the main favourites drying ready in time, however, yesterday could not believe where the dog soap had gone, so quickly made some so that will be ready for the Sheepdog trials.

Christmas

Christmas, yes that word, however, it is so grey, dark and wet outside it feels like November not July.
Next week I am for a week in Arundel with the soaps, they have Jousting all week so I expect it will be busy.  The first week of the school holidays and lots of people go to see the Castle it is magnificent, so if you are in West Sussex come and see us.  Today I am going to sit and work out the smells for my Christmas soaps and make tester batches, they will be great because the weather is so wintry, perhaps I should put some Christmas decorations up to make me feel more in the spirit.  I jumped out of bed very fast this morning at 6am when my daughter informed we have a puppy coming to live with us for six months or so.  I will have to put gates up and make sure there is not soap around for him other wise he will be the cleanest puppy inside and out.  I think they are doing it to give me the shove to find a shop and move out of the house.  Thank goodness we have a large back garden, I am sure that the chickens will put him in his place.

Fragrances

Fragrances are such individual things.  Took delivery of five new smells three Christmas ones, only one smells Christmassy the other two just sounded nice.  Love spell, Gareth said it smelt of oranges and puke, great lad, then there is blue amberwood which is like aftershave, so he got that one right Snow no did not guess that one or fig and brown sugar, which has a lovely sweet smell but not sickly sweeet and Deck the Halls, which I actually prefer Applejack far more christmassy but will now take them and add some cinnnamon, clove and orange and see what we get before we make the Christmas soaps.

soap

Just made lemongrass and ginger and in panic mode as next week am at Arundel all week and been told Sat and Sunday will be manic as there is a jousting tournament.  All those lovely knights coming to save us girls.  Hopefully we have enough soaps for the week and I have six drying to take over from the ones sold so we should be ok.  Next big one is the sheep dogs in August.

Fairs and markets

Well it has been an intersting weekend. The rain was torrential at times.  Bath bombs love water, but not the rain.  Saturday we had a round robin informing us that they had a good day "in the rain".  They did not communication like the other shows that they would use alternatives to gazeboo's if you turned up so lots did not.  If they had said they had access to a hall and sports pavilion I am sure not only would more stall holders turn up but also more people - communication.  My son was great this weekend, took the time off work and carried everything and drove us to the various venues.  Sunday was a good day as we were in a very large marquee so it was not squashed and everyone had room to move.  However talking to other stallhorlders we all said it was like pulling teeth trying to get people to spend.  Over the last month, whether everyone is saving for the holidays, or parents are having to watch the pennies to afford the school holiday clubs we don't know.   I think that organisers who to me have had it easy are going to have to do more advertising, and charge less.  At the end of the day we are there to make money and when you pay out for a table and don't even make that money back and you have petrol, four hours of sitting there, Thye latest I love is that they will ask for something like £45 plus VAT, and I am sure a lot of them don't pay VAT.  I think fairs and markets may well have peaked and it will be more difficult to get stall holders.  We will have to see.  A lot that I speak to feel it is better to pay double and go somewhere that you know will be well attended, so like the Food Festivals in the high street, the large shows where you are guaranteed footfall and not hope that someone has advertised enough and some people will come through the door, and this is not just this year, that has been happening for a while, however now the people that do come through those door are reluctant to spend.  I can understand when it is something you like but don't need but when it comes to some things, my soaps, they are a necessity, ok, they are not cheap nasty liquid with chemicals and therefore you pay more but the number of people who come back to me and say how much better their skin is justifies the price, and believe you me they are a lot cheaper than a lot of soap companies.

Fairs

It is getting to a point where it is not becoming viable to do fairs.  If you sell goods priced at a minimum of £10 then ten items you have made £100 if you sell items of £1-3 then you have to sell 100 to 30 to make the money back, it seems to me that fair organisers should take this into consideration but they don't.  One told me put your prices up and then you can pay, so do I then charge £5 a bar of soap and halve the soap at the same time like some hand made soaps or do I stick to my principles of value for money.  Someone told me today that because she sells goods that she does not make she had to pay £50 for a stall, she did not go the fair as it was outside and pouring with rain so she lost the £50.  Would it not be fair to say if it was rained off we will give half back, I totally understand that there has been advertising and hard work gone into it, but if we are not using the marquee and having to take our own gazeboo why should we have to foot that bill.  I am getting to a point where the wholesale is bringing in a more regular income that I am going to look for a shop and stop paying money into fairs that you cannot guarantee the foot fall. 

Rain

Rain is always welcome for the gardens but is there someone up there who pulls a switch?  It will often rain at 3pm when the kids come out from school and a good one is Monday morning when no one wants to get up and go to work or the weekend.  You have worked hard all week, not had much time other than half an hour at lunch to sit in the sun, you get up Saturday morning and it is raining.  Not only that all the schools are having their fete's and sports days, the Villages their specail days and it is raining.  If there is someone up there please could you turn the switch to off until September now please.  I have four fairs this weekend all outside so the soaps will have to be watched as the labels get ruined, the soap gets tacky and the bath bombs will happily sit fizzing away all over the table.  I love the rain for my garden but not when I have fairs.  The cheery note is that one of the wholesale people I supply said yesterday that my soaps were flying out the door and is on her third order in two months. 

Self employed

You have to ask the question sometimes is it worth it?  I don't think any one, unless self employed, actually realises how much work one puts in.  I met a lovely lady the other day who said she was doing 17 hour days to get her business up and running, and yet how many salaried people would work a 17 hour day.  Well my eldest regularly does a 12 hour day.  Yesterday I started at 8am and was still packing soaps and running labels off at 10pm.  If we really equated how much our time was worth I wonder if we would even be earning the minimum wage.  I know in ten years time when I become another Anita Roddick I will look back and know it was worth it, but at the moment it is hard slog.  My two daughters are great, they are both working with me over the weekend doing a fair each.  Grumpy as I call my son did the shopping yesterday, the main thing we needed was dog food the main thing he forgot was dog food.   So I really really do accept that the male gender is something we ladies will never understand.  I was talking the other day to another Mum and we came to the conclusion that when their voices change they loose the art to communicate and learn to grunt!!!!

chickens

Last night went to bed just to hear my daughters talking and worrying about the chickens.  Someone down the road was having a party and it was their screams not the fox they could hear.  Anyway at midnight I am in my pj's down the garden changing the battery in the electric fence, that did not work, I am then moving the wires around so that they just go around the chickens, tried again no go.  Got to bed about 12.30 did not sleep, the eldest and youngest still sleeping at 9am.  My middle one kindly brought me a cup of tea at 7.30 so I am not awake.  Have to sort out the wire for the chickens today as my neighbour saw the fox walking the fence at 7am the other morning and there is nothing Mr. Fox likes more than fresh chickens.  In the mean time I might just let off sound loud noises to wake them up, but I need to go and make some flower bath bombs for Saturday and I enjoy the peace of no one around.

Motivation

I feel unmotivated today, put it down to the cold my middle daughter shared with me.  However, I have made twelve chocolate cup cakes, 16 pairs of flip flops and so chuffed put little flowers in the last lot.  Then had to face the face at the bank, that lady needs to learn to smile.  Anway this is my unmovitvated day, my son, eighteen, asked him before noon did he think he could clean the windows and perhaps wash the plastic facing on the garage down, yeah came the answer.  He managed the gym at 2pm then took a long shower at three and has gone off to walk the dog at four.  One wonders at what age they wake up and realise that yes everyone has to do jobs around the house for nothing, we can't get paid for the hard work of sitting on our behinds. University is where he is heading, some learn to work and play, some never do and when they come out the real world hits.  My daughter has friends with degress working in bars as it is the only job they can get and that was such a reality check as through uni the parents had paid and they did not have to worry.  How do we teach this generation that life is tough and getting worse at the moment.  I really don't remember it so bad when I was growing up but maybe because my parents had a shop and I worked in it I did not have to look for work.  Intersting!!!

Cup Cakes

Full of cold yesterday so put on a film, Calendar Girls, not watched it for a while, it did make me laugh.  I sat and made cup cake holders and fitted them onto the cup cakes ready for the weekend then sat making roses from soap, managed not to fall asleep.  I am sure the weather does not inspire and also I am trying to get my head around making Christmas soap which then acknowledges shorter days, colder nights and wetter days and I am not sure I want to go down that road yet.  23rd July I am for a whole week in Arundel with the soaps, that will be a first, I know my trouble will be that I get bored I need to be doing and sitting for a whole week with the soaps I think I will be doing impressions of spider man and climbing the walls.  I will have to take lots of bits of soaps that I can cut out and make flowers with.

Christmas

Yes it is coming around again, especially when you have to be working six to eight weeks in advance.  I need to be sorting out the cup cakes and the main soaps for Christmas.  My last order date for the wholesale is the end of September which is only about eleven weeks away.  Two of the kids in work today only grumpy at home but he is quite good on his own.  Yesterday the eldest decided it was pick on the youngest day, I ended up sitting in my bedroom eating my lunch just to get away from it.  Having two girls I am sure the hormones fly and I am in the middle of them.  I had a conversation with a friend on Sat who has two boys and they are different, they might all be quite alike up to two but then boys become a different kettle of fish, and also when they reach that hormonal state the conversations revert to just grunting.  You can sit and discuss with girls you can't with boys.  My son wants all the trappings of a rich life but hates having to help out with the business, the girls realise the realities and are very happy to work helping out with all the soaps.  Hopefully the hoover will be fixed today then it can go in the cupboard until the eldest decides to hoover again.

Monday

Monday, just checking out my email and found the one from Net Mums about blogging.  I thought it is interesting as not only am I a single Mum of three grown kids, run my own business which until two weeks ago meant there was no cleaning and hardly any cooking done over the last three months but the perspective of what it is like to have three.  When they were little I was a hands on stay home Mum.  The ex was very controlling and Mum did not work.  So when I wanted a life I divorced him and have raised the kids since they were 8, 12,14.  During the hols we always had rainy day activites I have lined up like soap making, bath bombs which have now become a full time business and dry days outings arranged.  I love having my kids around and come September really got down about them going back to school.  I still love having them around.  However, I call him at 18 grumpy bear, he is supposed to be helping me do gardening this morning, I do two days a week for other people, when I banged on the door it was a real growl that came out so left him.  The 24 is on her day off, yesterday she decided to hoover for me, whether it was the shock of her taking the hoover out of the cupboard or the fact she turned it on I don't know but the hoover stopped working and I now have to get the engineer out.  In twenty years it has never packed up!!!!!!

Rain, chocolate and films

Looking for a picture in my many I found this one and I thought if I could I would sit and eat lots of chocolate as this rain is really getting to me and what could be nicer than a film and lots of chocolate, good job it's not edible otherwise I would not get out of the chair.  Need to get chocolate making for Christmas.

Rain Soap

The weather out there as my daughter said is like a power shower, so I thought we should nominate a rain soap and I decided that we should go with Citrus Burst.  It is full of orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, the peel of orange, lemon and lime and it is full of sunshine.  The smell of the citrus fruits really picks you up and makes you feel full of life and ready to face this rainy day.  I am off to ice the fifty or so bath bombs I made yesterday, will have to make sure that the icing is quite dry otherwise it will set the bombs off.  I have had some start to do this and it is interesting as you can see when it is dry where there are tiny bubbles trying to come through the icing.

Bath Bombs

Made a new receipe the other day, came out superb, I thought I like this will use this in future.  Whether it was because I did not put them in the warm cupboard, but two days later they all developed cracks and broke.  All I can think ti was because they looked to great I did not put them in the warmth and then the damp weather came through and they attract the moisture.  I will have another go at them.  Made 50 little ones today just in case the people who I supplied ten to decide to come back and stock more in their shop. 

Networking

I went to a networking meeting today, I have to say it was great, all ladies.  Everyone was so genuine rather than I lot I go to where it is all about their own agenda and not really interested in you.  As usual they were all amazed that soap could be made to look so realistic like cup cakes.  I often say to people it is a new play on "wash your mouth out with soap and water".

Chocolate

Went to the cinema last night and had chocolate like you do, this morning all of the arthritus in my hands is showing itself, so I will have to stick to chocolate body wash with the real chocolate sprinkles and chcolate soap to get my fill.  Not the same as those chocs.  Need to make chocolate orange soap for christmas, love it or hate itl, it really was a Christmas smell.

Gardening

I love to garden, but this weather is too hot to do much, it is more about looking and sitting in the sun.
It is good weather for the soaps, they dry much quicker, in the rain I had to have the humidifer on as the house seemed to feel damp.  Looking at different herbs to use in the soaps and now thinking to the Christmas soaps.

Too many

When is it too many, when do you say enough.  I just wonder to myself if I try to do to many smells to give variety because people always seem to choose what you don't have in stock at that time.  Learning curve, learn to correct my web page, then I can put on what I want.  Wrapped fifty bath bombs last night, they look so cute in their tissue paper wrapping, I was watching swan lake ballet at the time and they all look like pretty ballerinas in the flaoty skirts with their swirled toppings.  Yesterdays are lemon, pale mauve and pink and look so pretty.

Early morning thoughts.

Soaps, I love to create soaps, I love to see them when finished and I am very very fussy about them.  I think it is really nice when someone wants to "review" my soaps, however, when two months later a review has not appeared one begins to wonder whether it was a good way to get freebies.  I get lots of people asking for freebies (sorry reveiews), I wonder if it works everywhere, if you asked Tesco/Sainsbury to "review" and have freebies what they would say?  I think it is a brilliant way to stock up on all sorts of things for free so good luck to those who manage it.  Being a small business unfortuantely if I gave to everyone, and lets face it if they are genuine and going to review it you cannot send a miniscle piece or something that is not up to standard, or an end piece, so it has to be a good piece, so do you then do this and go out of business because believe you me I get asked at least once a week or do you offer them at 50% discount, which I think is fair, and no one ever takes it up so you then again wonder were they genuine in the first place.  Early morning thoughts.

The beauty of soap

I think the beauty of soap, especially the cold press soaps, is that no two batches are the same.  I love the individuality each block comes out with, it is like each one takes on it's own identity.  They go into the same wooden blocks, the same receipe but because the paper might crinkle, or twist or something they come out with a different shape.  I love the cup cakes and the colours and what you can do with them.  I am now wrapping soap, which is a bit mind numbing however have a new colour wrap deep pink and it looks great.

Hot

Wow it has been hot, always know when the weather is hot and dry the soaps dry much quicker.  I have to catch up with wrapping, have been busy making lots of bath bombs.  The Rose geranium soap is looking good, however I feel that Rose Geranium e.oil just does not have the smell it used to unless you buy the very expensive ones, which it is almost as expensive as Rose oil now.  Our take on eton mess cup cakes look great and are drying nicely will be available in a couple of weeks. 

Busy busy bee

Six pink milkshakes and four chocolate completed and for once the soap on the top worked without messing about.  Pink and mauve penguins and dolphins done, 21 medium bath bombs and I spent two hours doing someones garden, thats what I call a good day.  Let the chickens out, put the chickens in, let them out and then ten minutes down comes the rain and then put them back.  Is it going to stop, we all moaned about the dry weather but in Britain when it starts to rain it forgets to stop!!!!

Summer

Well I am busy making and selling flip flop and milkshake soaps, but don't know where the summer has gone.  The cup cakes I made the other day have come out great.  Our post ruined a parcel, looks as if it was dropped and stood on - great.  Fortunately it is the first one over the last two years, so I suppose our post is not doing too bad.

Fairies

The fairy castle's look good this morning, a couple have got a little bit squashed, well I notice, with the cling film. Otherwise they are pink, cute and fairy like.  The gardeners soap has come out well, was worried as I have worked out that the latest bottle of neem added with melissa speeds up the setting process immensly, had that happend with the dog soap and was not ready for it, but this time was.  It looks good this morning.

Cup cakes

Busy busy day, have made two batches of gardeners soap, one batch of Aloe Vera and Lavender.   Last week I made the base of cup cakes with vanilla bean, a real vanilla smell.   Today I have put strawberry whipped soap on top.  It is my take off of Eton Mess, but my daughter said they remind her of Fairy Castles, so maybe fairy castles they will be.  I have also made english rose and honeysuckle, they smell so lovely together, really reminiscent of what you imgage one of those famous gardens smell like on a warm summers evening.  Lovely, they are all pink and white and pretty pretty with a lovely lilly pink soap daisy on the top.  I love working with the whipped soap as it just gently takes it's time to set allowing one to do all sorts of things with it.

Cup cakes

Yesterday I iced around 60 bath bombs and made another 30 so have now caught up with what I need in stock, just need to get some more soaps done.  I have a lot of cup cakes sitting on the rack waiting for the soap icing on the top so I need to do those today.  I wanted to go and pcik nettles but it is so wet I think I will end up really wet in amongst those nettles, so nettle soap can wait another day.  People find it interesting when I say about nettles, when I have picked them, I always put fresh chopped ones into the soap but dry a lot out for me for my nettle tea, nothing better for arthritus.

Rain

We were in Horsham park for the opening of the garden, it rained, however, the soaps behaved and did not start to bubble and we only took the wrapped bath bombs and they were ok.  Thanks to all the lovely people who braved the rain and bought our soaps.  It can rain now until Friday night as Saturday we are outside at a village day.

Like a big bubble

I am so like a big bubble, I was down a while ago trying to sort out my work load.  Then I had a phone call, my first really big order arrived at the shop they loved them so much they have straight away ordered lots more. 

Sunshine

Looking out it is such a beautiful day.  I have put my cup cakes in the sun to dry for a while, too long and they will start to fade.   Went down to the beach for ten minutes and wanted to stay for the day but too much too doooo.

Fragrances

Getting my head around these cup cakes and the smells.  The fragrances are great, really strong, but the essential oils are almost to subtle.  Will have to see how they are in a couple of days.  Have covered them with cling film to keep their smell in while they dry.  Have lots of catching up with stock after the weekend, I thought I made enough snowmen at Christmas but the flip flops have surpassed the snowmen.

Warnham

Went to Wrnham village fete and it was a lovely day, the organisers had worked hard and there was entertainment going on all day.  Sold lots of soap and made new friends, so it was a really lovely day.
Made new cup cakes on Friday and unmolded them today.  Taken to making the tops with whipped soap so much easier to work with, in fact it almost takes too long to begin to set to be able to put it through the icing nozel.  They look the best yet, it is great fun looking and trying new things.

The not so nice

Have been made by the boss (my daughter) to work out all the costs because I had said that essential oils were going up in price.  Unfortunately it means that the new lots of soaps will have to go up to cover the cost of ingredients and making.  It would be so nice if for six months nothing went up in price and maybe petrol came down!

Purple Fairies

Tuesday I made Lavender cup cakes, unmolded them on Wednesday morning and thought oh no they are not mauve.  Opened the cupboard this morning and the purple fairy had done her work, they are all lavender colour.  I have a mauve powder colour, one I bought in my very early days of soaping and I find it such hit and miss when colouring, so yesterday actually got around to ordering a new colour mauve in liquid form from Gracefruit where I find the colours great.  Of course whilst there could not resist ordering some new fragrances for the bath bombs and soaps.

Daisies

Found brill cutter for my daisies, been cutting them out and leaving them to dry, they smell lovely - pink in lilly fragrance.  Spent the day making lots of flowers, I have the fiddly little ones but they look so sweet on the cup cakes.  Off to ice the cup cakes now and realease the next set of flip flops - raspberry out of the moulds.

Soap

Flip flops - keeping up with them, I have lost count how many I have made, now have eight pairs drying at a time.  Lavender is in bloom so just made lavender cup cakes and also glycerine cup cakes in  cherry red, honeysuckle yellow and pink english rose, need to ice them tomorrow.  Off to Warnham fete on Sat, sounds a good day with dog show, gun dogs, and lots of other entertainment. 

wow

Wow what a hot day it was yesterday. We were in Petersfield town and it was so so busy.  Thanks to all those who visited our stall and bought our soaps, we are now gearing up to make make make this week to replace.
Look forward to doing another at Petersfield.

Chemicals

An interesting issue, so I offer soaps with no chemicals then I offer soaps with chemicals but the safer ones and not SLS.  A lady yesterday wanted one of my products because it smelt lovely but she would not use fragrance because rightly it is a chemical, however she hit on the the ingredients.  Getting home I thought I would check out that they were the ones less harmful,  they are used in an awful lot of food we eat and in the basis of soya meat, that one surprised me.  It would be great to live in a perfect world but some people are really really anti chemicals and then I see an awful lot that don't care what they put on their bodies.  Anyway if I do my bit to eliminate as much of the chemicals as possible then I feel I can slowly educate people.  I always say about which is artificial/fragrance and which are essential oils.  I read a web site the other day and the person went on very very strongly about never using any chemicals, everything was natural etc., however if someone could find me wild fig and cassis as an essential oil it would be great, as far as I am aware it is a man made fragrance.

Autumn

Well if feels as if Autumn is here already, the Village and markets are empty so everyone has gone into early hibernation.  Possibly it is because I am making so many bath bombs which are normally associated with Christmas.  Roll on summer if your listening. 

Soaps

Whilst this may sound funny, looking at my bath bombs, which have just been iced with lovely colours,  makes me proud and sad.  To think they are off across the waters to another land, it is like saying goodbye to a child you have raised.  Silly I know but when you are proud of your work that is how you feel.  They look gorgeous in pink, blue, mauve and yellow for the fizzy lemon ones, wow they sound edible.

Nettles

When you steep nettles in hot water it has this lovely earthy smell and it comes through in the plain nettle soap.  Picked some more last night for my third batch this year and noticed that the elderflowers were starting to come into flower so need to pick some of those and make elderflower soap.  Had a lovely day on Sat at a Primary School, I wish my head teacher had been as nice when I was at school.  Off to do some gardening before getting down to more soaping.  I have a large order which has come and I need to make up however a parcel company has kindly misplaced 25kg of Bicarbonate of Soda for my bath bombs and I need it.  If you see a stray 25kg let me know.

Milkshakes

Busy making milkshake soaps vanilla cream.  Tomorrow at Rudgwick School.  Look forward to lie in on Sunday however have quite a few orders to fill by Monday. 

Keeping company drying.

CRUMBLE MELTS

ICED BATH BOMBS

CUP CAKES

Wow

Wow I cannot believe where the last month has gone, not only has it gone but the nettle soap has been going as fast as the days.  I am about to pick for my fourth batch, people realise that it does help with ezcema and psoriasis.  Made my first batch of whipped soap, which was great, except that it seemed to take ages to thicken unlike my last dog soap which was setting in the pan before going into the molds, what fun that was.  I made my first batch of bubble bars yesterday and they are great, topped off with small amounts of whipped soap for a lovely bubbly cleaning bar.  Did my first mag interview, selling well in wholesale and have now got soaps into shops, so excuse me for not being around for a month but wow it is has been all go.  Made honey soap, now that is interesting, followed the receipe, cannot understand why people put beeswax into soaps when all it does is give it a funny smell and make the bar harder, next batch will have less wax and more honey much better.

Where I pick my nettles.

This picture was taken at 7am this morning where I picked my nettles for nettle soap.

Beautiful Day

Just come back from walking the dog through the fields, it is so lovely out there. Collected more fresh nettles with the dew on them to make nettle soap this morning. Not only do they have the dew but they capture the sunshine in them.

Penguins

my intrepid penguins who drive me mad when made as bath bombs because they do not always come out of the molds. Yesterday had some left over cold press soap so put it into the penguin mold, the dolphin mold and just taken them out and they are really great. Proper little soaps for little hands or just to look great in the bathroom.
yeah!

Weekend

Another busy weekend over, met some lovely new people over the two days.
Interesting how different each fair is. Saturday in our village I thought I would run out of soap as sold so much, Sunday in the main town centre of local town hardly sold anything, never understand fairs! However my wicked sense of humour is loving the number of times people run up to buy the cup cakes only to realise they are made of soap - mind you I think I would twig that you would not have a soap stall selling food.!!!

Storm Troopers

What a busy few days, the fair on Saturday was very good and all the kids loved the star wars characters. Very real, especially having them breathing down your neck.
Had lots of really good feedback about the cup cakes and other soaps for Mothers day. If I had one I know she would have loved them. Fathers day seems a long way off but off to the drawing board to make beer soap for them.

Warm weather

What a lovely day, sat in the sun getting sun burnt wrapping all of the lovely iced bath bombs I made yesterday.  They all look so lovely.  Off to Worthing to a fair tomorrow so hopefully they will find new homes.

Drain pipes

Well the dog soap went into the drain pipe to try and get a round soap, then my neighbour knocked with four pringle tins that I would normally use, but too late.  Now I am hoping that the soap is going to come out of the drain pipe.  Any ideas!!!! Will just have to wait until it is dry then it should have shrunk sufficient to come out.  Hopefully!!!!!!!

Fairs

We are at Redhill on 2nd April so if you are around that area come and meet us.  Helen has done a marvellous job with the advert take a look - http://tinyurl.com/62xb3ou.  


Come and support her and her colleagues.

SOAPS

Un molded and cut the soaps into blocks.  The nettle and lavender is lovely, just needs to dry and cure.  The cup cakes that I was worried about only had three that had not set properly, so that was good.  Came up with a new way to package, before I wrapped in brown paper tied with raffia, this way you could not see the pretty soap, now I am printing the labels and wrapping around the soap with pretty coloured spiders web.  You can see the tops and they look great.  Just wondering about doing the local large market during the summer and whether I can keep up with production.

too quick setting

Yesterday made the dogs soap in the morning, great, just need to leave it a couple of days before I try to get it out of my drain pipe mold, watch this space.  In the afternoon I made cup cakes with Honeysuckle and English Rose, sounds like a summers day.  However, obviously the honeysuckle had a high alcohol content for the fragrance which set it off to trace at a very fast rate.  I ended up having to rush to get the soap into the cup cakes as I could not pour it, it is now like thick custard, I have to scoop and try and get it to go into each part of the mold, any way, word of warning, rushing got some on my arm and now have a lovely red arm where the lye burnt my skin.  Yes I did have two pairs of rubber gloves, but it go onto my skin above the gloves.  However on a really exciting note to me, I have had trouble with my botanicals going black, this week I used my new way of making soap and the nettles are green still in the soap so the Nettle and Lavender will be fantastic when it has dried.  Will unmold and see if cup cakes ok, if not will be selling them off as seconds.

Round Soaps

People like round soaps, heart shape soaps etc.  So how does a small producer like me make a round soap.  Well up to now I have scrounged from any one who eats crisps that come in a round tub for the tub.  Today I am off to try my new way.  I have bought and cut down drainpipe, so here we go.  I am off to make the dog soap as it is so much easier to use when round and Bailey's getting to the point where we will be washing him more often.  He is one of those dogs who manages to find the muddiest smelliest ponds.

Moody Mondays- March Hares

Monday again where did the week go?? As you can see we are a bit later than last week posting this, this is due to a busy Monday, we had a someone come visit us today to see about buying from us wholesale which is rather exciting but daunting at the same time!!

Our Moody Monday theme today is March Hares, this month we thought we would join the March Hares group on the forums of folksy and see if we could manage to list an item everyday. Although this is proving something of a difficultly as the soaps are not being made quick enough, it has provided us with the opportunity to look at the other March Hares lovely listings and so today on this cloudy Monday we thought we would share a few.

Dottery Pottery Ceramic Flower Buttons, NOfkants Curios, Crocheted Be-jewelled Corsage

Blue Daisy Glass Dinky Daisy, Crafty Little Wotnots Flower Bookmark

Dottie Designs Tropical Butterfly Guest Book, Maytree Lane Red Brooch

Moody Mondays

Monday always seems to come too fast so to make Monday's a bit easier we have decided to create a moody monday blog full of all lovely things from the online marketplace Folksy, so grab yourself a cuppa and sit back and enjoy ten beautiful items we have found on Folksy this past week!!

 

 

 

All the pictures are linked to the item so just click away!! Have a great Monday

(Makers of the product from top to bottom left to right; Pants & Paper, Cards with a Difference, PatsParaphernalia, fluffandfuzz, JOYSofGLASS, CottonsAndDreams, redbrickglass, OscarCat, Pink Amaryllis and doodlelove)

Lemongrass and Ginger

I made this soap first last year and it has become one of my favourites and judging by how much I make and sell one of yours.  This batch today, I have put bronze hearts through the centre of the soap block and made some small cup cakes ones with flowers.  The smell of the ginger just tones down the lemongrass to vibrant but not overwhelming.  Adding ginger powder gives it this lovely pinky glow, which develops as the soap cures.  My favourite is when I unmold them the next day and see how they come out.

Sunshine

Yesterday was a lovely day and we were busy photographing our soaps.  I am getting involved with an exciting village project, where we take an empty shop, and lots of villages have them, and put in small local business, this gives the village a injection of new life and also allows those who cannot afford premises ways of getting to the wider public.  Watch this space.

                                                            My little bantans enjoying the sun.

Spring and March Hares

Years ago I lived in Hertfordshire and I will never forget looking over the fields at the begining of March and seeing Hares in the field, I felt so blessed that they had shown themselves to me.  I have just been in the garden and everywhere you look the daffodils are shouting spring.  I love this time of year and even in the woods where I walk the dog the daffodils are coming out making us feel so alive.  I live in Sussex and driving along towards Steyning there is a field with the first little lambs, so sunshine and warm days are on their way.  I have a friend who lives near Perth Australia who is moaning about the heat, so I said I would send her a bottle of rain in exchange for a tank full of sunshine and warmth.  Have made some lovely bright spring coloured lollipop soaps, a great idea instead of the mountains of chocolate eggs kids have.  I remember mine never getting through them all and throwing them away, so folksy has lots of goods ideas for spring presents.  Have a look and you will be spoilt for choice.

Mondays

Mondays and rain are not always a good combination.  Anyway to get over the blues I have made some more citrus burst for the orders that have come in and a base of citrus burst with white soap over the top so it looks a bit like lemon meringue.  So will unmold tomorrow and see if it worked.  I am also making blue soap like a ducks pond with little ducks on top for easter so they will look great and found the mold  for making soaps that are flip flops for the summer, so watch this space.

Hair Shampoo

One of my customers has written a lovely blog about my soaps.  I have just made another new one with lemon, lime, juniper and orange blossom for greasy hair.  I always try the soaps out on the family before putting them on sale.  The costs of all the raw materials are shooting up like everything, but we believe in creating the best from the best possible ingredients and trying as hard as possible to keep the cost down to the customer. 

Bunny Rabbits

On Monday I found my rabbit lying on her side unable to move, with her head on one side.  I thought the worse and went to the vet who said it could be an ear infection or parasites. So we started the road of antibiotics and other medicine, on Friday she manged to get back onto all four and to move she does a very strange thrashing.  On Sat she threw her food bowl which is the first time for ages, as this is something she always used to do, and in a very strange fashion tried to clean herself, but found she could only use one paw without falling over. Sunday and she is still on all four paws with her head less on one side.  Not sure if her head will ever be straight, but she is an amazing fighting bunny.

Friday blog spot.

  My chocolate orange soap has been chosen to go on to a blog spot this week so I know that my chocolate orange soap will know how special it is.  My strawberry gateaux also has chocolate in it, but white chocolate, so yummy yummy. 

Check out this lovely blog spot.  www.maytreelane.blogspot.com

Excited

Sooooo excited by my soaps yesterday, was trying out colours and they are lovely.  There is the pink cup cake which I want to say, pretty in pink, and then the peach colour.  I did not ice the tops but spread the soap over and put peaks into the soap and added the soap flowers.  The pink are rose geranium and the peach have ylang ylang a real romantic oil and the deeper note of patchouli.  They all smell divine. 

Valentines Day

For all you girls who have to drop subtle or not so subtle hints to the man in your life to remember, and not at the last minute, how about one of our lovely heart shaped soaps.  they come in Rose geranium or English Rose, with roses on top.  He can order it well in advance, no rushing out to the shop and the flowers will last and so will the message that he loves you.

Pretty

I have a box with lots of bits of soap cut off ends to make them tidy, the box was getting bigger until I learnt to make flowers.  I now take spare bits of soap, mold until soft and then make into a sausage shape, tease out the top edge so it is quite thin.  Take one end and turn it in, then slowly roll the soap around this middle piece, turning the outer edge over slightly to make the rose petal, the soap naturally cracks, giving a edge that looks just like a rose petal.  Pull off excess at end and very gently between the two index fingers, roll backwards and forwards just underneath the petals to thin the base down and pull off the excess, leaving enough soap at the base to be able to put into a soap.  I also gently roll them out and use cutters to mke my daisies. Great fun, easier if you are a cake person.

Flowers

Have been busy teaching myself how to make flowers out of cold press soaps.  Have made some lovely cupcakes and hearts for valentines and also Mothering Sunday.  Our flowers won't die in fourteen days, the chocolate curls on our gateaux soap won't put on weight, the smell will last and make your bathroom or drawers smell lovely.