Thank Heaven For Little Girls

So appropriate - just had new little baby girl in the family and I went to an 8year olds birthday party last week.  We were making iced bath bombs, their faces were a picture and Tilley said to me "never been to one of these parties before and I have really enjoyed it".  That says it all.  We take the bases they cut out their flowers and then ice the bath bomb and put on their flowers, I take charge of the glitter for obvious reasons, then we put them into coloured tissue holders and the kids get to take them home and show their parents what they made, how great is that.  I get huge pleasure out of seeing their faces.

Soap Art

 Wow - the challege I did yesterday, soap art, the seaside.  Turned upside down and it looks like the night sky, I am so chuffed with this.  It is fragranced with Blue Amberwood, a deeper smell, not my usual flowery one and it will be ready for Fathers Day.

Peonies and May

Peonies were my Dad favourite flower, probably because they bloom in May and we were both born in May.  I love peonies of all kinds, but for the first time in three years my Peony Tree has bloomed, see the picture, isn't it beautiful, this inspired my Pink Peony Fragranced Soap and every time I go through the soap room I can smell it sitting there drying on the shelf.  Cannot wait to put it on sale.

Shea Butter Bath Bombs

 My shea  butter bath bombs, made today and drying for the weekend.

    I am having one for my bath, music, candles and an empty house, heaven.

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

                                    

                     

 

CHOCOLATE INDULGENCE 

    TROPICANA

Soaps what else!!  Actually it has been a rollercoaster ride, as something good happens like a superb market on Sat, then they cancel the next big one.  Been working on new web site, looking good and thank goodness the girls are now lending a hand.  My neighbour went off at 4am the other day and the dogs let rip, so I did not go back to sleep.  I sat reading blogs and looking at other soapers.  Found it interesting that one who I know is growing and has been going a few years longer than me. mainly sells fragrance soaps.  I find it interesting that the web pages says about ethical palm oil, but what's ethical about sythetic chemical fragrances on your skin?  However with the escalating cost of essential oil there are more fragrance soaps creeping into my portfolio.  Funny also that those with sensitive skin are so paranoid that they don't believe that they can use anything on their skin that has not been tested and proved by the medical people.  However my eldest gave some neem soap to a colleague, who admitted they nearly did not try it, but they did and they were surprised that not only did it clear up their spotty skin it did not strip or dry out her skin.  So I will go on pushing the natural and telling the truth about the not so natural.  Having said that I made Peony soap, fragrance.  I made it and as I expected it traced very fast, however it did not look right.  I think that the speed of trace, plus the oils were slightly too warm led it to look as if it was separating, so I just prayed.  Today I unmolded it and it is superb, not quite the difference in the two pinks I wanted but a lovely smell.  So I have called it Pink Peony.  I love Peonies and for the first time in three years my tree peony is in flower and the smell is amazing.

TROPICANA BATH BOMB

My First Tropicana Shea Butter Bath Bomb.  I have been trying various different ones and made this last week, the topping is made with shea butter icing sugar sls for bubbles and of course lots of sparkle. Smells of mangos, oranges, strawberries.  Made six and sold them all.  Had a dreadful weekend mud and rain, followed by two markets that were brilliant,  I am sure because the sun was out everyone was pleased to be out without getting wet!

Tropicana

Mud and Rain

Have dried out and removed the mud from the weekend at Singleton.  All the soap very kindly went tacky as it was so so wet.  However proves they are not dried out with no moisture left in them. If that was the case they would not pick up the mositure.  Been today looking at Soapqueen.com and other web links from their web page.  Found some wonderful people with wonderful information.  I found when I was looking to start in this country there was just no info. 

Today been struggling with but found a good receipe for liquid soap for hair shampoo.  Made it with coconut oil, jojob and castor oil and it looks really good.  It calls for the hot soap method and uses potassium hydroxide not sodium hydroxide.  First time I used it frightened me as the sodium hydroxide mixes but the potassium actually sounds like mini fireworks going off as it crackles.  So left the soap paste to go cold and will on Friday add some water and leave it to turn into liquid from the paste.

The handcream receipe has turned out brilliant.   First outing on Saturday and have added Neem for extra healing.  One lady tried it as she has dreadful dry hands due to excema and sensitivities and told me she found neem wonderful.  She came back half an hour later and bought a jar, the next day she came back and bought another jar as her Mum had said her hands had lost ten years off them in an hour.  So will keep this one going, anything to help those with those problems.  My Husband when I met him had hands full of plasters over his splits and my son suffers, but his is linked to stress with his exams, but the hand cream is working for both of them.

Launch

Went to a launch party for a lady who has inspiring ideas of getting true artisans together to offer under one banner courses.  I am sure it will be very successful.  Had a lovely week soaping, made Rose Geranium, three different molds, one I swirled the second one I pured two together and the third I did the Faux Funnel pour and they look and smell fantastic.  If only the rain would stop and the sun would come out, I have six dustbins and one water butt full and now it is just flooding the garden.  I need wellies for the chickens, even their run which has a water proof roof is flooding.  Roll on Summer!!!!!