Melusine Soap

Making Belly Balm

2011-06-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted. This is mainly because I have just been so caught up in my little pregnancy world that time just keeps whizzing by and my energy to keep up with blogging, soaping and do general business maintenance has just dwindled to nearly nothing! Thank you all for bearing with me.

Today, however, I have finally managed to get into the kitchen/workroom to make something other than food. I made me a belly balm! I wont traumatise you by adding photos of my bump, but I can assure you it's growing rapidly (I'm 25 weeks along today) and in need of some TLC.

For a few weeks now, I've noticed the skin on my bump and hips feeling itchy. I assume part of this is due to the fact that it's being stretched.

When I was expecting my first child, I used all sorts of creams, oils and lotions on my bump. All bought from high street shops of course (this was before I even knew I could make cosmetics at home!). So this time round, knowing what I know now and having a fair few oils and butters lying around due to making soap, I thought I'd try my hand at making a balm. All I needed to buy was some beeswax and pots to put the balm in.

Ok, so this is what happened...

Firstly, I did a lot of snooping on the net to find some recipe ideas for making a balm. Unfortunately, I found the majority of recipes were more along the lines of lip balms. I was thinking of making something softer than a lip balm really (a cross between a balm and a salve?!). Eventually, I found one recipe where it stated that a general balm is basically 1 part beeswax, 1 part butter and 1 part oil. Even I could manage that! So off I went to inspect my supplies to choose my ingredients.

I measured out approx 40g organic Shea butter, 40g hemp seed oil and 20-30g beeswax pellets. Yes, yes, I know that's not exactly one part of each, but like I said earlier, I didn't want to make a hard balm and the wax will set the balm quite hard.

The reason why I chose Shea butter is because I just love it. It's so versatile and I'm used to using it in my soap making, so I wanted at least one familiar ingredient in this new venture. It's also very very good for the skin and is easily absorbed.

Hemp seed oil is a new ingredient for me to use. I bought some a while ago and have been meaning to use it for ages. Again, it's super-good for the skin and contains an array of fatty acids and GLA (gamma-linoleic acid) It smells nice too :)

I melted the beeswax and Shea butter in a jug over some simmering water (ideally, one should use a double-boiler, but unfortunately I don't have one - it's on my wish list though!) and it took a very long time. To help speed things along, I gave the wax and butter a few short bursts in the microwave, being very careful not to overheat the mixture.

I then added the hemp oil. Which instantly seized up the mixture. This is because it was cooler than the melted wax and butter. I hadn't thought of that, but it seems so obvious now.

So back over the pan of hot water, just to help melt it all and mix together nicely.

I then let it cool for while I went about choosing a fragrance oil to add to the concoction. I decided to use an allergen free fragrance oil instead of an essential oil because I know that certain essential oils should be avoided in pregnancy; some even suggest that ALL essential oils should be avoided, so I thought I'd play it safe. I had a gorgeous-smelling chocolate fragrance oil that I was dying to use anyway - just to add to the pamper factor! So in it went into the mixture and once I'd stirred it in thoroughly, I poured it into a 100ml pot, like so:

I was really surprised to see it setting within minutes, in the photo below you can see the colour change starting from the bottom and sides:

Within an hour it had pretty much set. I gave it a little poke to make sure...

Woops. Still a bit warm in the middle hehe!

Later on, I tested it again and it had fully hardened. I'd say it's probably just the right consistency for applying to a baby bump, quite hard, but softens enough from the warmth from my hands to smooth over the skin with ease. A little goes a very long way and a few hours after applying, my bump still feels lovely and moisturised.

The fragrance is also divine! I made a good choice by using chocolate. With the slight whiff of the hemp oil too, it really reminds me of the scent of cocoa butter.

So, all in all, I feel quite happy about what I achieved today. Not only did I try something new, it worked as well! I'd fully recommend anyone giving balm making a go.

Latest news

2011-04-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hello all, happy Spring!

My apologies for it being so quiet here lately, but there have been some major happenings going on that have had me quite distracted!

To cut a long story short, I'm pregnant with my second child, who is due in early October. A very exciting time!

Up until a week ago I have been suffering from awful morning sickness and nausea triggered by anything strong smelling, especially perfumey-type smells. Which severely hampered any desire to make soap due to the strong fragrance element to it :(

So I decided to close down my online shop as I had no idea how long the nausea would last plus I just wanted to rest (I've discovered that being pregnant while having a nearly 2 year old to look after as well is not that easy!).

How long my shop will remain closed I do not know. Right now, I want to enjoy my pregnancy and also my time alone with my daughter while I can before the new sprog comes along.

I also plan to work on some new ideas and products behind the scenes while I don't have to worry about running a website at the same time.

That said, I still have some stock left and plan to make the odd OOAK soap, so I'm loading some items onto my Folksy shop. If you fancy browsing or buying anything, please pop by!

You've probably noticed the picture of some bluebells at the top of this post, this was taken during a walk this weekend at Wayford Woods, Somerset.

Afterwards, I was inspired to post a one-off, spring themed gift set onto my Folksy shop. See below for details :)

A Spring-time themed gift set, consisting of 2 SLS-free glycerine soaps and a foaming bath butter.

Spring Tulip Organic Shea Butter Soap - scented with a sweet and summery tulip fragrance oil and laden with moisturising shea butter

Spring Daffodil Organic Shea Butter Soap - scented with a truly lovely 'Daffodil' fragrance oil - sweet, fresh and full of sunshine!

Spring Bluebell Foaming Bath Butter - A luxury foaming mousse scented with a beautiful soft bluebell fragrance. Can be used in the bath or shower, just scoop out of the pot. This bath butter creates plenty of lather, so less is definitely more! Contains lashings of moisturising sweet almond oil, which will leave your skin feeling soft and hydrated. (Please note: when you first open the pot, the fragrace will appear quite strong, but when the product is in use the fragrace is actually quite gentle and uplifting).

It's Imbolc!

2011-02-01T04:11:00.001-08:00

That's right, it's nearly Spring! Imbolc means 'In the belly' or 'Ewes milk' and it falls halfway between Winter Solstice, when the sun is at it's lowest point and there is the greatest lack of light and Spring Equinox, when the light and dark are once again in balance.

Originally the festival was dedicated to the goddess alternately known as Brighid, who is said to breathe life into the dead of winter using her white wand. Hence why we start to see glimmerings of the new life to come in the form of tiny buds on trees and daffodils starting to peek out of the earth. It's a time of year that's full of potential, so now is a great time to clear out the old and welcome the new (spring clean etc...)

Good soaps for Imbolc

To reflect the potential of this time of year, the seed is quite symbolic. So I thought I would show you a couple of my products which contain seeds - poppy seeds in fact! Poppy seeds are great, as they provide gentle yet affective exfoliation and they also look aesthetically pleasing.

Summer Kiwi Fruit Soap with added Apricot Kernel Oil.

This soap is also in my sale happening right now!

Black Raspberry and Vanilla Foaming Scrub

I hope you all have a wonderful day, whatever you're up to!

Love is in the air!

2011-01-30T07:09:00.001-08:00

It's about 2 weeks until Valentine's Day, and I've been preparing for this by making some Love inspired soaps. Here's a small selection of what is available to buy from my website.

'Mathilda' - Limited Edition Strawberry Shea Butter Soap

Treat your Valentine with this luxury SLS-free glycerine and organic shea butter soap, coloured with a creamy strawberry pink with romantic red swirls throughout.

Fragranced with a gorgeous mouth-watering strawberry aroma and comes specially gift-wrapped (as pictured) with a handmade heart-shaped gift tag for you to write a personalised message to your loved one.

Mini Gingerbread Soap Valentine Couple

This happy couple is made lovingly out of luxury SLS-free glycerine soap consisting of two layers: a 'gingerbread' layer - scented with a custom blend of spicy ginger and buttery biscuit and a pale pink cherry almond layer, giving these soaps a gorgeous snuggly fragrance, reminiscent of a hug from your loved one.

They come giftwrapped in their own little box with a love poem inside.

There are also three different sets to choose from: gingerbread man and woman, gingerbread women and gingerbread men (all pictured above).

Champagne Kisses Sugar Scrub Soap

A gorgeous SLS-free glycerine soap bar, made with added moisturising apricot kernel oil and topped with a sprinkle of exfoliating sugar.

This soap is scented with a light and fruity sparkling sweet Champagne fragrance oil and coloured with iridescent gold mica with a cheeky hint of pink.

Cherise Pink & Classic Red Heart Soaps with added Apricot Kernel Oil - choose your own fragrance!

The perfect gift for your Valentine!

Pretty hearts, made with luxury SLS-free glycerine soap and lashings of moisturising apricot kernel oil. Personalise by choosing your own fragrance - just pick an option from the drop down menu on the website.

Comes gift wrapped in a cello bag, tied with a matching ribbon.

Why not take advantage of the Sale happening on all Valentine soaps on the site at the moment - prices marked down by 15%!

Blog Giveaway at NRjewellerydesign

2011-01-24T01:04:00.000-08:00

Hello and happy Monday morning. I was just browsing around the Blogiverse and found this amazing giveaway over at NRjewellerydesign.

By entering, I have a chance of winning this beautiful bracelet:

Fingers crossed!

Vetivyr Satyr Soap with added Natural Hemp Oil

2011-01-19T06:46:00.001-08:00

I'm so proud of my latest soap, I just had to show him off!

Vetivyr Satyr Soap with added Hemp Oil

This cheeky chap is made out of luxury SLS-free glycerine soap with added natural hemp oil. Hemp oil is very easily absorbed and is excellent for dry, irritated, aging and damaged skin.

Fragranced with deep woody vetiver and coloured a moody shade of black with dry-brushed chocolate brown mica to highlight his features, this satyr makes the perfect soap for any loveable rogue!

Available to buy now from www.melusinesoap.com.

Solid Shampoo Experiments

2011-01-18T04:34:00.001-08:00

A few days ago, I received a much awaited delivery of supplies, which contained an extra special ingredient for me to use in my soaps. This ingredient is Polyquarternium-7 (yes, try saying that after a few glasses of wine!) which is used in shampoos and conditioners as a conditioning agent.
It works by reducing static build-up in the hair, making it smoother, easier to comb and better at holding styles. What everybody wants in a shampoo, right?

So, I got straight into the kitchen and made up a little solid shampoo sample to try. I used some left over soap from a batch of Peppercorn soap, which contains Shea butter. I thought I'd better not add any other oil or butter to the soap as Shea is quite a good 'all rounder' and my hair tends to be quite greasy so went for less is more!
I then stirred in some Polyquarternium-7 and poured the soap into a little mould. Here's a picture of the finished product:

So far, I have used this beauty for 4 hair washes - just this as well, no extra conditioner or serums. I must say I'm very happy with it so far!
It's made my hair feel completely different than it normally does - which is fine, flat, straggly and greasy again within a day.
Now it feels thicker, manageable and no frizz or straggly bits. It's also retained it's shine (which is something I've always had the luck to have, even when using commercial shampoos).
Only one slight complaint - my hair isn't very easy to comb anymore. Which isn't a huge problem, but it would be nice. Maybe I need to add more Polyquarternium-7 or use something other than Shea butter.

Here's my plan anyway: keep using this sample for a few more days, then try out a different formulation (I'm thinking one with Golden Jojoba oil) and see how that compares. I may need to try out several different samples, but that's all part of the fun, isn't it?!

I will also be looking for some volunteer testers with dry/damaged hair. Please apply by leaving a comment or writing a message on my Facebook page wall (Sorry, UK residents only please). I'd love to hear from you!

Oh, and a belated happy new year/2011 to all my readers! May this year bring you much prosperity and happiness.

Merry Yule Everyone!

2010-12-24T06:26:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to wish you all a fabulous Yule, filled with love, laughter and of course good food and drink with friends and family!

For the first time in at least 15 years, we'll be having a white Christmas here at Melusine Soap HQ (i.e. deepest darkest Somerset!) It started snowing last Friday, stopped on Monday, and has been frozen in place since then. It's quite dangerous on the roads...but I have to admit that it's just too pretty to feel grumpy about the disruption it's been causing (rubbish collection is 5 days late and probably wont happen until after Christmas now!) So I thought I'd end this post with a few pictures of the 'snow days' we've been having....enjoy!

The view across the fields toward the River Parret

My daughter figuring out what to do first with all the snow!

Snow covered yew trees

St. Martin's Church

A few of Burrow Hill (where they make zider!)

Across the Levels

Mathilda enjoying the snow :)

Have a great Christmas everyone and all the best for 2011! I'll be back soon in the new year to showcase my Valentines Day soaps (because that is not far off now either!) xxx

First Ever Christmas Range

2010-11-14T06:50:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone, long time no blog! This is mainly because I've been busy making soaps, foaming bath butters and scrubs in time for Christmas.

I've thoroughly enjoyed doing this as it's got me into the festive mood and it's also reminded me of my first Xmas as a fledgling soap maker which was last year.

I made Christmas cake soap slices and cocoa marshmallow bars and gave them to family and friends as presents.

They were a hit and it got me seriously thinking about making soap to sell to the public. So within a few weeks I had my Safety certification sorted and by May this year I was selling soaps locally and via Folksy.

So what's changed this Christmas? Well, I'm now selling a range of festive soaps, scrubs and bath butters via my website, my Folksy shop, Bower Hinton Stores (a local shop) and will also be attending 3 craft fairs. A very exciting time!

So here's the Christmas 2010 range from Melusine Soap, starting with a revamped version of my Christmas cake soap:

Christmas Friut Cake Shea Butter Soap with added oatmeal.

Luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, with added moisturising Shea butter and exfoliating oatmeal and scented with a fruity, warm and spicy Christmas cake fragrance oil.

This limited edition soap is made especially for Christmas and resembles a slice of traditional fruit cake - red and green soap chunks embedded in shea butter and oatmeal laden soap, topped with a yellow layer of 'marzipan' and finally whipped soap 'icing'. A great stocking filler or something to give your bathroom a festive flair!

Peppermint Foot Scrubbie Soap with added Pumice stone

Luxury SLS-free glycerine foot scrub soap made with real ground pumice stone. Clean and buff your feet at the same time!

Luxury Chocolate Orange Foaming Bath Butter

Made with lashings of sweet almond oil and topped with an individual sugar scrub soap. Scented with a delicious chocolate orange fragrance oil.

Iced Gingerbread Man Soap

A luxury SLS-free gingerbread man shaped soap, scented with a spicy ginger and cinnamon fragrance oil. A perfect stocking filler gift for Christmas!

Christmas Cranberry Shea Butter Soap

A luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, with jolly red 'berries' suspended in a snow white bar and scented with an uplifting tangy and fruity cranberry fragrance oil. Also contains moisturising shea butter, a real treat for your skin!

Luxury Black Forest Gateaux Foaming Bath Butter

Luxury foaming bath butter, scented with a delectable custom blend of juicy cherries and rich chocolate, giving it a very realistic black forest gateaux fragrance.

Festive Magic Shea Butter Soap

Luxury, SLS-free glycerine soap, in the shape of a teardrop with intricate Victorian style patterning. With added moisturising shea butter and coloured with shimmering red and green micas, capturing the spirit of Christmas!

Comes in a choice of fragrances - just select your choice from the drop down menu:

'Christmas Spice' - A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, basil, balsam, fir and warm spices.

'Frankincense' - A sweet resinous aroma, highly prized in ancient times and valued as highly as gold.

'Mistletoe' - A gentle green festive mistletoe and pine fragrance

'Mulled Wine' - A cosy blend of festive fruits, wine and warm sweet spices.

Ice Skating Penguin Soaps

A fun Christmas bath-time treat! Glittery blue SLS-free glycerine soap, shaped like a star, with a squirty rubber duckie 'skating' on top. Scented with a familiar toffee apple fragrance oil.

Yuletide Goddess Soap with Apricot Kernel Oil

Celebrate Winter Solstice with this luxury, mica laden SLS-free glycerine soap, depicting The Goddess in shimmering frosty mica on a dark blue-black winter's night background. With added apricot kernel oil to moisturise and soothe and scented with a beautiful ethereal blend of pine, spruce, fern, ozone, amber, musk and cosy spice on a background of vanilla.

I Love Irish Cream Soap

A luxury SLS-free heart shaped glycerine soap, made with lashings of moisturising sweet almond oil and scented with a sumptuous Irish Cream fragrance oil. A perfect little stocking filler for lovers of the famous tipple!

Luxury Candy Cane Foaming Sugar Scrub

Luxury foaming scrub, scented with a sweet but fresh peppermint fragrance and packed full of lovely scubby sugar to massage your skin and provide gentle exfoliation. Topped off with a festive sprinkling of red sugar, giving this scrub the traditional red and white candy cane colour combination!

Christmas Tree Decoration Soap

A great little novelty stocking filler!

Luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, shaped like a Christmas tree and threaded with dark red organza ribbon to use as an actual tree decoration!

Coloured a sparkling green with red 'baubles' and scented with a truly festive fragrance: a combination of pine tree (a fresh strong pine tree fragrance with a hint of light forest flowers, earthy woods and sweet rain) and mulled wine (A cosy blend of fruit, wine and warm sweet spices). Comes gift wrapped in a silver presentation box.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lucky Buddha

2010-09-23T01:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, life has been busy with my new website and very exciting! I have also been working on many new products, which I'll make sure to feature on this blog soon! Firstly though, I'd like to show off this little guy:

A luxury SLS-free 'Lucky Buddha' glycerine soap, made with added super-moisturising Avocado Oil and scented with a beautiful fresh bamboo fragrance with subtle light cedarwood, aquatic notes and a hint of citrus. Coloured pale green with a golden sheen to resemble Jade.

Rub his belly to bring you luck (and a luxurious lather)!

The 'golden sheen' is actually my first ever attempt at dry-brushing soap with mica. I must admit that I loved doing it, it's surprisingly therapeutic! And very, very affective. Here's a great little tutorial from the Soap Queen about mica brushing: Bee and Honeycomb Tutorial.

New website launched!

2010-08-23T03:37:00.000-07:00

It's a great day for me today as I have finally launched my website, which I have been planning and building for months now!

I started making soap, for myself, about a year ago, just as a hobby. Then I started making soap to give as gifts and they proved to be very popular over Christmas 2009. Around that time, I was subject so an amazing random act of kindness, which helped me obtain the necessary certification I needed to comply with EU regulations and enable me to start selling my soaps to the public. From then on, things got better and bigger and now...I have my own website!

It really is an amazing feeling, and I still can't believe I achieved all of this after becoming a parent! When I was pregnant, everyone was telling me how I would never have any time for myself after the baby arrived. There is some truth in that statement, but I think parenthood also taught me how to use my time more constructively. Plus having a baby gave me a new-found motivation and creativeness that I think had been squeezed out of me while I was working in a mundane office job! So I would fully recommend to anyone considering starting their own business to give it a try as it's so rewarding.

So, from now on, my soaps will be available to buy from www.melusinesoap.co.uk as well as my Folksy shop. However, from time to time I will run discounts and exclusives from my website only.

Speaking of exclusives, now is a good time to show you my latest soap!

Dragonsblood Glycerine Soap with Avocado Oil: Luxury, SLS-free, dark and mysterious soap scented with a blend of patchouli and vanilla with notes of rose absolute, orange and jasmine. Also contains super-moisturising Avocado oil to give your skin an extra treat.

Available only here.

Proud member of the Guild of Craft Soap & Toiletry Makers

2010-08-21T00:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a little quiet around here lately. I have been busy building a website, making new soaps and experimenting with foaming bath butters.

Because I have decided to take my business up to the next level by making a website, I thought it would be a good idea to apply for membership with The Guild of Craft Soap and Toiletry Makers, a UK based, non-profit organisation who have two very specific aims:

'(1) to raise awareness of the legislative standards that are in place that apply to craft soap and toiletry makers

(2) To register as members of the Guild crafters who work in compliance with this legislation and who hold relevant public liability insurance

It is not generally known that in order to legally sell a crafted soap or toiletry product to the public that it must meet legislative guidelines. The reason for this is public safety.'

In order to become a member, you have to provide written evidence of your safety assessments and insurance details to prove that you are producing cosmetic products in a legal manner.

I feel that it's important to take my craft as seriously as possible (which I do!) and I'm proud of making and selling my products the correct and legal way. So I'm very happy to now be a member of the GCTM.

You can view my profile on the GCTM's site via this link.

Folksy Friday ~Lammas~

2010-07-30T02:02:00.000-07:00

Well it's nearly August 1st, the time of the first harvest or Lammas/Lughnasadh. I love this time of year where everything is ripening up for Autumn and the hedgerows are laden with berries and also the sunsets are beautiful over the fields.

So this week, my inspiration for finding Folksy Friday items has been the sight of fields full of wheat and barley surrounding the area where I live. The word 'Lammas' is derived from 'loaf mass' and is indicative of how central and honoured is the first grain and the first loaf of the harvesting cycle.

This pretty love heart corn dolly can be found in Kays

This elegant corn and marigold brooch can be found in Lynwoodcrafts

This charming John Barleycorn carving can be found in Woodwose Carving and Crafts

And finally this beautiful yarn 'Lammas Night' yarn can be found in Solstice Yarns

Just checking in...

2010-07-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been around much to blog lately. No real excuses really, apart from just being generally busy!

Tomorrow I will post a Folksy Friday which will feature some lovely items I feel are ideal for Lammas on August 1st. But in the meantime, here are some newly listed soaps in my Folksy shop. They're not designs, just some popular craft fair soaps that I thought would also do well online! Thanks for looking...

Candied Ginger & Fig Glycerine Soap (scented with ginger and fig and brown sugar fragrance oils)

'Birthday Cake' Shea Butter Soap (scented with dark chocolate, white chocolate and milk and sugar fragrance oils)

Citrus Creme Glycerine Soap (scented with satsuma, grapefruit and sugarcane fragrance oils)

Folksy Friday - ~Coconut~

2010-07-15T23:58:00.000-07:00

This week's Folksy Friday is brought to you by Coconuts! I chose coconut because my latest soap it coconut scented:

Calming Coconut Shea Butter Soap. This is a dreamy pure white coconut scented soap with pearlescent swirls throughout the slice. It has added shea butter for extra moisturising qualities and coconut milk powder to give it a creamy lather. Pure luxury!

Making this soap inspired me to check out the other items on Folksy which were made using coconut materials, and it opened my eyes to how versatile they are!

This amazing brooch is made with coconut shell and is available from FLOURISH

This virgin organic coconut oil can be found in Cebra ethical skincare and it can be used for a whole host of things!

And finally, this innovative coconut tea light holder is available from Wentworth Wood

Truly an amazing fruit (or is it a nut??!)

Folksy Friday - ~Donkeys~

2010-07-08T10:18:00.001-07:00

My apologies for not doing a Folksy Friday last week, but I was away on a short break with the hubs and my daughter in sunny Devon. It was a really nice trip and we visited a place called The Donkey Sanctuary. It's such a wonderful place and a lovely day out. It is literally a sanctuary for rescued donkeys and they rely completely on donations to keep running. Apart from rescuing donkeys, they also work closely with children with special needs and have their own day centre at the sanctuary where the children have a play area and can visit the donkeys.

Here are some pictures of the lovely donkeys!

Aren't they awesome?!

Anyway, I was so impressed by these modest creatures that I decided to find the best donkey inspired items on Folksy for my Folksy Friday this week. This is was I found...

This beautiful watercolour painting can be bought from eastwitching

This lovely mouse mat can be found in Clever Ferret

...and finally this adorable donkey cross-stitch picture can be found in Sew Lovely

New soaps for Midsummer

2010-06-29T05:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I finally got into the kitchen to create some new soaps and have a play around with the new moulds I ordered a while ago. And here are the results! ...

This is Midsummer Goddess Shea Butter soap (SLS-free). It's scented with a sensual blend of patchouli, ginseng and cinnamon and it's has a beautiful depiction of The Goddess in shimmering golden mica on a purpley summer sunset coloured background. Available now in my Folksy shop!

This is my Nectarine and Honey Blossom Shea Butter soap. A luxury, SLS-free glycerine soap, in the shape of a teardrop with intricate Victorian style patterning. With added moisturising shea butter and scented with a lovely feminine nectarine and honey blossom fragrance oil. Also available in my Folksy shop!

Folksy Friday: ~Africa~

2010-06-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

I thought for this weeks Folksy Friday, I would find items inspired by Africa or made with African sourced materials as it's the World Cup at the moment, which, if you hadn't noticed (!) is being hosted by South Africa this time round. I'm also half South African, thanks to my late Dad and I was also born in Johannesburg, so Africa is rather close to my heart :)

This beautiful bone and glass necklace can be found in Daeb

This vibrant choker can be also be bought from Daeb

These cute African animal finger puppets can be found in MuNGBEANS

And finally, this stunning Africa sunset greetings card can be found in Annie's Cards

Honey, Honey, Honey!!

2010-06-23T00:35:00.000-07:00

It is now the height of Summer, our lovely bees are now making honey and the Midsummer full moon is known as the 'Honey Moon'. Honey is wonderful for the skin as it's a natural humectant, meaning that it attracts and holds in moisture.

To celebrate this time of year, I have made a Somerset Honey soap, using SLS-free glycerine soap base, beautiful golden mica and pure honey from local Kingsbury Episcopi bees.

Available now in my Folksy Shop!

A Honey Cake is a perfect way to celebrate Midsummer, or to give as a gift. Make it with locally produced honey if you can. (Recipe from www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk)

Ingredients:

225 gms Butter
250 gms Honey
100 gms Dark Muscovado Sugar
3 Eggs, beaten
300 gms Self-Raising Flour

Cut the butter into pieces and heat slowly, adding the honey and the sugar. When fully melted, turn up the heart and boil the mixture for one minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Add the beaten eggs to the cooled honey mixture. Sift the flour into a large bowl and beat the liquid honey mixture into it until you have a smooth batter.

Pour the mixture into a round lined sponge tin and bake in a preheated oven at 160C for about 50 mins - or until the cake is well-risen and springs back to the touch.

Cool on a rack and glaze with a few tablespoons of warm honey.

Folksy Friday - ~Summer Solstice~

2010-06-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

This week's Folksy Friday is dedicated to the Summer Solstice or Midsummer Day (the longest day and shortest night of the year), which is just around the corner...

These beautiful Summer Solstice bath salts can be found in Spiral Moon.

I love this hedgerow inspired bowl that can be found in Chololatefrog.

This sterling silver Goddess pendant can be found in Sailing to Byzantium

This pretty wild flower necklace can be found in MadamCC

And finally these copper oak leaf and acorn rings can be found in beauSHAMBLES

Father's Day Gift Ideas

2010-06-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some my soaps that would make great gifts for Father's Day (June 20th!!!) These are all available in my Folksy shop (click on images to view listing!)

Shaving soap made with SLS-free vegetable glycerine and with added vitamin E packed Meadowfoam seed oil and Fuller's Earth. Available in various fragrances!

Beer Soap! Luxury SLS-free vegetable glycerine soap, with added Shea Butter. Scented with a freshly-poured light beer aroma with tangy hops and sweet malty barley.

Peppercorn - Luxury black and white SLS-free glycerine soap, with added Shea butter and scented with 'Peppercorn' fragrance oil - a sumptuous woody, herbal fragrance where notes of cool peppermint, clary sage and crisp black peppercorn rest upon a rich lavender heart and a woody base.

Dragon's Dance - A luxury purple SLS-free vegetable glycerine soap, laden with shimmering blue and green chunks AND with added super-moisturising Avocado oil. Scented with a mystical blend of Sandalwood, Jasmine and Patchouli.

Cool Cucumber Mint - A luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, scented with a subtly sweet cucumber and cooling peppermint fragrance oil AND with added super-moisturising avocado oil. Perfect to use in the shower after a workout at the gym!

Folksy Friday: ~Woodland~

2010-06-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

For this week's Folksy Friday, I have chosen woodland inspired items. This is because over the Bank Holiday, my hubby, daughter and I went to visit Wayford Woods. A beautiful nature reserve in Somerset and about 30 mins drive from us.

It was a really nice walk and the rhododendrons where in bloom. A perfect way to spend a bank holiday!

Anyway, back to Woodland Folksy Friday! Here are my picks (I chose 4 this week as there are just too many to choose from!)

This beyond cute wood mouse card can be found at Ethel and Iris

This beautiful and elegant fern necklace can be brought from Esme Dodsworth Design

This gorgeous little amigurumi acorn can be found in Cute Designs

This lovely, 'Quiet Woods' necklace can be bought from earth sea and sky

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Top 5 new soaps for summer

2010-06-02T01:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a little showcase of my latest summer soaps that are currently on sale in my Folksy shop...

Zesty Lime and Pineapple: Luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, scented with an uplifting and zingy blend of lime and pineapple fragrance oils. This soap will give you a real energy boost!

Mathilda Faerie:

Luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, scented with a cheery blend of juicy strawberries and creamy coconut fragrance oil with added moisturising shea butter. This is pure summer in a soap!

Bit of a story to this soap...I chose to name it after my daughter because when she was newborn, she smelled just like sweet strawberries to me :)

Cool Cucumber Mint: Luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, scented with a subtly sweet cucumber and cooling peppermint fragrance oil AND with added super-moisturising avocado oil. Perfect to use in the shower after a workout at the gym! This soap is very popular with the gents, but is also loved by the ladies!

Avocado oil is rich in plant steroids, which are reputed to reduce age spots, help heal sun damage and scars and also help to soften the skin.
It also helps to relieve the dryness and itching of psoriasis and eczema.

Watermelon Slice: Luxury SLS-free Watermelon slice glycerine soap, with added poppy seeds! Scented with a mouth-watering melon fragrance oil.

Refreshing Citrus Basil: Luxury SLS-free vegetable glycerine soap with added moisturising shea butter, scented with a blend of clean fresh tangy citrus fruits and earthy green basil.

A great 'pick-me-up' soap to use in the shower!

Folksy Friday - ~Barbeque~

2010-05-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

This weeks Folksy Friday is brought to you by the lovely hot weather we're having! Last weekend was spent out in the garden, under the gazebo, with friends and of course, having barbeques! So this inspired me to search for the best BBQ related Folksy related items I could find...

This funky burger Memory Book/Scrapbook can be found in Arty'G. I think it's a fab idea!

These kebab earrings are the perfect accessory to wear to a BBQ! Find them in Comf!

And finally this adorable owl lantern can be found in Blossom Fair.

Have a great bank holiday weekend everyone, and I hope with weather holds out so that we can have more barbeques!

Refreshing Oatmeal face scrub for oily skin recipe

2010-05-27T02:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a recipe for a home-made face scrub designed for oily and acne prone skin. I've been using it for several days now and I'm really impressed with the results! It leaves my skin smooth, soft, clean and it removes grease without making my face feel dry.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Oatmeal
1tbsp Fuller's Earth
2-3 tbsp Honey
2 drops Grapefruit essential oil
3 drops May Chang essential oil

Grind up the oatmeal in a pestle and mortar, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together to make a paste. That's it!
I've put mine in a little screw lid pot and I've used it 3 times now, and still have enough left for a few more applications.

Here's why I chose these ingredients:

OATMEAL: To act as a gentle exfolient and because of it's hypoallergenic properties.

FULLER'S EARTH: Deep cleansing and has been used for centuries to remove impurities and oil from the skin.

HONEY: To help 'hold' the mixture together but also because it's a natural humectant (it attracts and retains water) which benefits the skin by keeping it moisturised.

GRAPEFRUIT ESSENTIAL OIL: For it's effectiveness against oily and acne prone skin and it's uplifting, refreshing scent. Don't use too much as it may irratate sensitive skin.

MAY CHANG ESSENTIAL OIL: Again, for it's effectivness for oily and acne prone skin, plus I love it's sweet lemony fragrance!

As I mentioned earlier, I have tailormade this recipe to suit my oily skin, but you could easily tweak it to suit your skin type by changing the essential oils.

For example:

DRY:
Chamomile (Roman or German)
Neroli
Rose
Sandalwood

NORMAL:
Geranium
Lavender
Rosemary

SENSITIVE:
Chamomile (Roman or German)
Jasmine
Neroli

MATURE:
Clary Sage
Frankincense
Patchouli
Ylang Ylang

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Collaboration Women Wednesday Blog Hop

2010-05-26T01:24:00.000-07:00

It's taken me a little while to join in on this AMAZING idea (to be honest, it took me a while to figure out how it works *duh!*) but here's the general jist of it:

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

Join in each week and you could be the following weeks blog feature. Every Thursday we will use Randomness software to pick someone from that weeks blog hop and announce who will be the next blog feature.

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:
- Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
- Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
- Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
- - Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
- Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!

Creation|Collaboration can be found on Facebook and they also have their own website!

Folksy Friday - ~Matilda~

2010-05-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

It's time for another Folksy Friday collection!
This time I have selected my favourite items named 'Matilda'. A bit obscure, yes, but I chose this theme due to it being my daughter's first birthday this week, and her name is 'Mathilda' (the spelling with the 'h' appears to be very rare :S )

This pretty 'Matilda' necklace can be found in handmadecharlie

This lovely, almost Tim Burton-esque 'Matilda' doll can be found in Dharmaflyer Crafts

And finally this cute 'Matilda' rose ring can be found in Patricia Pio

First ever Folksy Friday: ~Faeries~

2010-05-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Prior to being mentioned on Lynwoodcraft's blog, I didn't even know about Folksy Friday (where fellow crafts and bloggers mention their favourite finds on Folksy, normally with a theme), so here's my first ever one, I hope you like it!

This week I have chosen my favourite Faeries on Folksy. This is because it's nearly my daughter's 1st birthday (she was born on 19th May 2009) and her name is Mathilda Fae. I chose Fae as her middle name, as it literally means faerie, or fairy, and in my eyes, she is my little faerie princess!

So here's my enchanting selection...

This cute lil fella can be found in Feyth's shop

This lovely lady is called Alyissa and she can be found in The Fairy Dust Enchanted Hollow shop. This one definitely appeals to the goth in me!

And finally, these adorable faerie soaps can be found in Lucy Loves shop, in various colours and fragrances!

Kingsbury May Festival 2010 Review (and a little mention on how my stall went!)

2010-05-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended the annual Kingsbury May Festival, in my home village, Kingsbury Episcopi, Somerset, UK.

It really was a great day, despite the dodgy weather (very windy - not very good for all the stalls with gazebos!). As you probably already know, I had my first ever stall there, so it was also quite a big learning curve for me! But I'll get to that later.

Firstly, there were some amazing craft stalls including handmade jewellery, woodworking, knitting/crochet, sculpture, to name but a few. My stall was very fortunate to be nestled in-between Bob Selway's (rjm_selway@yahoo.co.uk) handmade wooden items stall, where I purchased some lovely cedarwood hearts and a cute blue squirrel toy for my daughter, and Poppy Langford's hand-made jewellery stand, which was abundant with gorgeous earrings and necklaces.

Here are a few pictures I managed to snap at the festival:

As for my stall, well I think it all went really well. I did a bit of last minute reading and research on how to prepare for a craft fair and what to expect and I came across the following amazing blogposts: Shopping is Psychological by Soap and the finer Things in Life and Ten Craft Fair Tips! by Wonder Turtle Soaps. A must for any craft fair newbie, especially a shy one like myself! I took heed of the 'shopping is psychological' mantra on the Soap and the Finer Things in Life blog and I'm certain it worked wonders. If I was birght and cheery, so were the customers. If I became quiet and shy, most people just walked on by not making eye contact.
Tip no. 6 - 'Bring plenty of change and small bills' from Wonder Turtle Soaps is excellent advice too. My first 2 sales were paid for with £20 notes, so that wiped out a good deal of my change and the day had only just started! In fact, most sales were paid for by either a £20, £10 or £5, so it was very important to have lots of change to last me the entire day.

Anyway, here are a few snaps of my stall:

I chose to have a round table so that customers could walk in under my gazebo and walk around it to view the soaps and to also get rid of the barrier between me (the seller) and them (the buyer). It seemed to work quite well. I think some people didn't know what to make of it at first, but soon cottoned on to the general idea.

Things I'd change for next time:

Make the pricing clearer. All I had for this stall was one sign at the back stating the pricing. Most people didn't notice it and either didn't say anything and walked on by without buying or had to ask. So next time I plan to have the pricing on each soap section.

Make a large shop sign or banner to make it obvious that I'm a soap shop! I honestly think that some people didn't realise initially that I was selling soap. I guess it's quite an unusual thing to see at country fairs!

Add more decoration...but not too much to distract from the soaps. My stall was rather bare, I was hoping to have some pretty bunting, but couldn't order some in time. I noticed a couple of other stalls at the festival were nicely decorated and it really made them look welcoming and friendly.

So overall Kingsbury May Festival 2010 (which boasted a whopping 9,000 visitors this year!) and my first ever stall was a great success and I also secured invites to other local craft fairs! The next one being Bradford Abbas Country Fayre on June 19th. See you there!

Melusine Soap will be at Kingsbury May Festival 2010! (My first ever craft stall!)

2010-03-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited to announce that I'll have a stall at this years Kingsbury May Festival, on May 3rd at Kingsbury Episcopi, Somerset.

Here are links to the Kingsbury May Festival website and Facebook pages!

Not only will this even be my first ever craft fair/stall, but it will also be held in my home village, making it extra special!

The Kingsbury May Festival has live music, annual fancy dress pram racing, May pole dancing, a children's area, stalls, archery, sheaf tossing and a village fete, to name but a few of the attractions, AND it pulls in hundreds of visitors each year. Definitely not an event to be missed!

I'd better go and start making more soap!

Spring time!!! New Soap!!

2010-03-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

The lovely weather we've been having here has inspired me to start making some summery, fresh and colourful soaps. Starting with my latest - Summer Kiwi Fruit!

This soap smells really fresh and sweetly uplifting. It also has poppy seeds to help exfoliate the skin and added apricot kernel oil provides extra moisturisation, making this soap perfect for spring/early summer time when we like to slap on the fake tan! Fake tan applies better to exfoliated skin and makes it lasts longer.

I'm planning on making a range of these soaps - I was thinking passion fruit, pineapple and melon, so look out for those!

I'm now on Folksy!

2010-03-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

Hehe, I have been one multi-tasking busy bee mama over the last week or so!

I've been making Mother's Day soaps, Sandalwood soaps, crocheting, writing up PIFs and labels, applying for craft fairs ANNNNDDD setting up shops on Folksy!

Check out http://www.folksy.com/shops/MelusineSoap for my Folksy soap shop (I've already made a sale too!) to view my mother's day rose soaps for sale:

And here's a picture of my new Sandalwood soap, with added shea butter, also on sale on Folksy:

Circulus, soap and dragons

2010-02-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

I have been listening to 'Clocks are like People' by folkadelic band Circulus (http://www.myspace.com/circulus) on constant rotation lately and their song 'Dragon's Dance' is the inspiration behind my latest soap. Funny how a song can get ones creative juices flowing!

Here it is:

It's a smoky purple glycerine soap, with shimmering, mica-laden green and blue chunks (or dragon scales!) and it's scented with a heady blend of patchouli, jasmine and sandalwood. Probably one of my favourite frangrances yet.

Thank you Circulus, for your inspiration!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New 'Jinny' tribute soap

2010-02-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

I have had this soap made for a while now, so I've only just got round to sharing it with you.
It took me a while to make it as it's been through many stages of development!

I wanted to make something as a tribute to a good friend of mine and also the founder of my soap making business. Her name is Jinny (hence the name of the soap) and if it wasn't for her help I wouldn't be making soaps to sell. So this was the least I could do as a way of saying thank you!

Making something in tribute of someone is quite hard, but really exciting and fun! It definitely was a great experience and got me thinking out of the box.

As I wanted to surprise Jinny with my creation, I had to keep it secret, so asking her questions like 'what's your favourite scent/colour/soap' etc would've given the game away. I already knew she loved Somerset (this is how we got talking in the first place) so I went with that - a Somerset themed soap.
When I started thinking about Somerset and what defines it I instantly came up with Orchards. Orchards are literally everywhere here, especially in this area as we are just down the road from Burrow Hill .

So I started thinking about how I would make the soap and decided I wanted it pink, white (apple blossoms) and green. And swirly. I ordered some Apple Blossom and Orchard fruits fragrance oil and had a play around.

I made a sample soap - which didn't turn out well to say the least...

The colours, swirling, EVERYTHING went wrong! So I tried again, with the same colour scheme, but using clear soap base and added mica. Well, I don't have photographic evidence of this failure, but I poured the soap too hot and the colours all splurged together and formed a beigey brown loaf soap. Not good!

I was beginning to think I had set myself up for disaster, so I left it for a couple of days and had another go. As I was chopping up the beige loaf to re-melt I had a brainwave. I decided to do something COMPLETELY different, more abstract, and this is what I came up with...

I absolutely love it! I used the beige chunks from the failed batch as 'trees in blossom' and the green layer is representing grass and the pinky red layer is representing a sunset or juicy red apples.

It smells lovely and produces a smooth and creamy lather.

Great fun to make (even if it was stressful at times!) and it's inspired me to make some more tribute soaps. I think the next one I'll make will be dedicated to Mathilda :)

New soap designed to warm and energise

2010-02-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

This is my new Fig, Brown Sugar and Ginger soap:

It smells warm, spicy and invigorating, just what you need for all this cold weather we're having!

I made it with SLS free vegetable glycerine soap base, so it's also moisturising for the skin.

Love it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New Soap! New Technique!

2010-01-22T03:19:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago I decided to try embedding a soap 'curl'. This is the first time I have ever tried this. I have embedded chunks before, and I really like the effect it produces. So I've wanted to try soap curls for a while.

It was relatively easy to do, however, I had to make sure I was strict on my timing.

I followed this YouTube video by GoPlanetEarth. I found it very useful:

And this was the soap I made (scented with Mysore Sandalwood Allergen Free Fragrance Oil)

I'm rather proud of it, being a first attempt it looks pretty good! the little black dots are poppyseeds, to add a little colour contrast, as well as an exfoliating quality.

When experimenting goes wrong!

2010-01-16T06:06:00.000-08:00

Well I made 4 soaps yesterday, and all of them were a failure! BUT I'm not going to feel bad about it as I learned a few things...

1) It's a really good idea to do experimenting and trying out new techniques on a small scale. So if it does go wrong, you haven't wasted a lot of soap or other ingredients (not that you can really waste so anyway - it can always be melted back down or used in your own personal bathroom!)

2) Always remember to spray rubbing alcohol on a set layer before doing the overpour - I forgot and it really does cause the layers to pull apart if no rubbing alcohol has been used!

3) Sometimes less is more - I wad trying to make a simple lavender soap but added extra lavender buds, and mica AND glitter and it just looks silly. Just the buds would've been enough.

4) Don't try to do too much at once. I was trying to make a layered soap, a double pour, a swirled and the dreaded lavender one with extra 'sprinkles'. All with different scents and colours. I'm sure this is why I created 4 soaps that were all terrible! So it's probably best to focus on one thing at a time when it comes to melt and pour soap making.

So next time I'm in the kitchen I'll make sure to remember those 4 points! Lesson learned!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

From looking like ham to lovely soap

2010-01-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

So I've been making soap again. This time playing around with the swirling technique.
I attempted to make a soap loaf consisting of chocolate brown translucent swirls with mica, and pale pink opaque swirls, scented with Cocoa marshmallow FO.

I poured the soap too soon as it all splurged together creating a loaf of one colour - pinky with streaks of White and brown. It looked like processed ham! Not a good look at all.

So I melted it back down again and had another go at swirling, but tried it in a silicon cake tin, making a slab rather than a loaf. I'm rather pleased with the outcome!

Much better looking than ham soap anyway. ;)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Experimenting with cookie cutters and dinosaur moulds!

2010-01-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

Here are my latest melt and pour creations:

Valentine raspberry hearts. These will probably end up embedded in larger soaps :)

Raspberry-osaur (?) trying out a jelly mould I found in a charity shop in Glastonbury

I also tried making another soap loaf today, but it didn't work out I think. I'll have to see what it looks like when I cut it. Fingers crossed!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Experimenting with Soap

2010-01-02T09:16:00.000-08:00

My latest creations :)

Goodbye 2009, hello 2010!

2009-12-31T03:58:00.000-08:00

Well, this is my first ever blog, and I couldn't have chosen a better time to start writing, as we wave one year goodbye and welcome the hopes and ambitions of a new one.

2009 has been a crazy, life-changing year for me.
I became a mother, and an accidental Attachment Parent. My morals and expectations changed the instant my daughter was born.
I've realised how much I love being at home, caring for my daughter, rather than being a 9-5 buyer in a high-stress office.
I've re-discovered my creative streak, by learning to crochet and make soap.
I was also subject to a Random Act of Kindness, which has helped me in my decision to make that first tentative jump into actually following my dreams to make them a reality.
Hopefully 2010 will be the final stepping stone.

Happy New Year!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Kingsbury