Facecloths & Soaps

Do you remember these cute little packets that I showed you just before Christmas?  Well now it is time for you to peep inside.  :)

Crochet Facecloths in  beautiful natural 100% cotton.  I did a lovely textured stitch - alternative DC and TR then when working back I TR into the DC and DC into the TR.  I then edged them in a row (or two) of DC.

Then I added a bar of my home-made soap. It was lucky dip to who got what fragrance.  There was Poppy Seed and Lemon, Musk & Walnut Shell, Lime, Rose Petal or Lavender.

Rolled it up...

Tied it with a lovely ribbon.

And wrapped it  :)

As I am putting a facecloth in the Birthday Blog Box, I better add a bar of home-made soap in there too - don't you think?  :)

Poppy Seed Soap winner

Thank you to all who entered to win my handmade orange blossom and poppy seed soap.

I had collected all the names which were emailed, added to the comment box on the blog and PM-ed through  Bead Buddies forum, then popped them into a random name generator.

I can now announce ***drum roll please*** that the winner is.....


ANNA  (from The Dusty Attic blog)

Nice one Anna, private message me your delivery address and I will pop the soap in the post to you.

February Giveaway - Poppy Seed Soap

I am so pleased with my first attempts at soap making, so I thought I would give a bar away as the February Give-away.

Made from an olive soap base, with added Orange Blossom fragrance oil and poppy seeds - all authentic soap making ingredients.

It lathers up beautifully and smells divine.

Would you like a bar?  Simply comment on this blog, or contact me in another way (email or Facebook) and I will add you to the list.  I will draw a name next Sunday (10th March) and someone will win my very first bar of soap!

Good luck.

Book Review - "Soaps" by Elaine Stavert

The book I have decided to review for February 2013 is - Soaps, by Elaine Stavert.

I have thought about making soap for a while now, and when Hobbycraft got a new range of soap making products in, I just knew it was time to plunge in and have a go.

Also in Hobbycraft was this book....

But,  unfortunately, the very next day when I went to buy it, it had gone!  (You snooze, you lose.)

So, Amazon it had to be.

It's a great book, it starts with loads of interesting facts about soap - the history and the science.

It tells you what household things you can use for moulds and even offers a troubleshooting section. 

It goes on to give a basic recipe, and an easy to follow guide of how to make soap  (now, when I am saying "make soap", you don't actually make it, you melt a ready made soap base and add your chosen bits to it)

The soap bases are called "melt & pour" and are very easy to use, and also easy to source.

The book covers all the extras you can add in, like botanicals (poppy seeds, dried flowers) and the mixings of oils and colours to create the perfect scent/shade.

The second half of the book is full of lovely recipes, loads of which I want to try.

I had only purchased a block of olive soap, some poppy seeds and an orange blossom fragrance, so I followed he basic recipe and did my own thing.

It was very easy, and has made a beautiful soap which lathers up nicely and smells delicious.

I would be happy to recommend this book to anyone wanting to try making their own soaps, and I would give it a 10/10.

Disclaimer:  I was not required to or paid to review this book, the views are entirely my own.