One wonders when the warm weather will come, but one day soon we will wake up and instead of t.shirts, jumpers and two pairs of socks we will be throwing everything off.  We have made black and white our new soaps, which have sea salt for exfoliating, so now is the time to start to get rid of the dead skin cells and bring on the new plump ones with a glow, then you won't mind throwing off your layers.

It is quite a while since I blogged.  This year has been busy from the start which is unusual as it is normally a time to re-stock.  But it has been great.  Just now been informed by the Guild of Soap makers that rules are changing in July 2013.  It seems the Trading Standards, the EU and the BIS are making life difficult for the small business and helping the giants.  This Countries resurgance will be from small business, so why don't they help us instead of attacking us. 

Springing on

Well the weather does not seem to be getting warmer but the daffodils are telling us it is warming up.  Have been busy with varous enquiries for wedding favours.  Was really chuffed that I managed to ice with soap real roses.  They are looking good and now sorting out the packaging.  Packaging can be such a mind field, you think you have the right size, colour etc and then they arrive nothing like you thought, learnt that lesson now waiting for prototype for new rose soap box to arrive.  It has been a interesting couple of months of this year and I hope that it shows the way we are going as we have been busier with enquiries and sales than the last couple of years, so hoping we have a good year.

Jogging along

Just jogging along, I think a lot of us are like that during January.  I hve been making but still not up to stratch with all the stock, I am sure something will come along and I will oh blow because I have not got enough stock.  The soap with the piped roses have gone down a storm with all who have seen them.  They will make terrif Mothers day present, something so elegant but different and it will last longer than a couple of weeks.  My cousin reminded me the other day another month and we will be looking out for the baby lambs in the fields and the daffodils.  

Since the snow arrived I think everthing else went.  All I have wanted to do is curl up in front of the fire and read a book.  That is what winter is all about but today we don't have that 'luxury' and then to work hard during the summer months, no we have to go out whatever the weather.  The dogs didn't get much of a walk yesterday as three o'clock came so did the rain and snow.   When you realise that it will be the end of Feb before some of the soap will be ready I think I need to get the production line working.  Today made soap roses, now I often make soap roses by rolling the soap into the shape of a rose, but today I used the whipped soap and piped them.  I want to make them bigger but I think first attempt was very good.  Go to the fb just bev soaps and you can see them.

January

The winter is a time for sleeping, recharging the batteries but it always seems to bring sadness with it.  I have heard of two deaths in the last two days and I always think December/Jan and Feb are the worse months. Today I had planned soaping  and as I look out to a small dusting of snow I thought I am going to sit today and re-charge by having a me day.  How many of us take a me day?  Having said that I shall possibly get to sewing as I love creating those cute sock people and am now getting to grips with making animals to go with the soaps for the bath.  Definitely a reflective day on whats to come.

Crafts

I am a hands on person and I get bored easily.  So whilst I love making the soaps, different textures, colours, smells etc., I still like to be doing other things.  Back in the summer I fell in love with Sock Monkeys and for Christmas I made myself one which is sitting watching me and one for my son, excuse his look he had just worked seventeen hours.  His is a sock Lima.  So not having enough to do I have decided to make wash animals and whilst looking at patterns I came across Taggies or Taggy blankets.  When mine were little the eldest was a "taggy" person.  At the age of 25 she has had to move out of home with her job and I notice this black ribbon in her new bed.  So for Christmas I did a grown up Taggy.  I bought a bolster pillow, so it is about 5' long, covered it with a chenile type blanket and sew ribbons/taggies all down one side and ribbons on the sides, so now she is in hevan and no one realises that at the age of 25 she still loves a taggy and sucks her thumb.