Topic: Things we make in the winter months when we can't get on the lottie.

[manicscousers]

ray's always been in to wood, he's a cabinet maker by trade , he made me a four poster bed for my 25th wedding anniversary, 35 this year, can't wait to see what I get  ;D

[Biscombe]

Heres a mosaic I made in the shower room, only done plant pots before then thats why I'm looking chuffed!! took ages!!!!

[manicscousers]

lovely stuff, looks really good  ;D

[Linda Tal]

What a beautiful mosiaic - well done to you.  I've always wanted to make something like that and put it in the garden somewhere but never got round to it.

What a clever crafty lot you are :)

Linda.

[Trixiebelle]

I've recently started making home-made soap  :) Only the basic 'melt-and-pour' stuff, but it's good fun!

My teenage daughter came to visit this afternoon so I asked her if she wanted some soap. Yes ... but only Olbas Oil soap (she's addicted to the smell) and as long are there no 'bits' in it.

I made the soap in the kitchen whilst daughter used all the facilities in the house that cost me money (phone, internet, electricity etc)

I told her I'd made it and to go into the kitchen to see what she thought.

Daughter dutifully stood at the cooker and stirred the mixture gently in the pan with a slotted spoon ...

DAUGHTER: "Hmmmm ... liquid soap! How long will it take to set .... ARGGHHHH! THERE'S BITS IN IT! I HATE BITS IN SOAP!"

ME: "That's the bl**dy chip-pan you daft git! Soap's on the table over there"

I despair sometimes  ::)

[manicscousers]

brilliant, trixibelle, always saying I'm going to do that, I've just sent for shampoo base, deodorant stones and  I made an aloe vera face cream, never got around to soap, what scent do you put in, have you ever used your leftover bits of soap ?  ;D

[Grandma]

Careful, Trixiebelle! Back in 1950-something I made soap. If my old school's still standing there will still be a big, black mark on the ceiling immediately above where my bunsen burner stood.   ::)

[Marymary]

Wonderful TB made me laugh out loud - bet the chip fat would make your daughter's skin really glow.  ;D

[Trixiebelle]

Hi Manics  ;D

I've got several soap bases (clear, organic, white, goat's milk, suspension mix etc)

I like to put things in like: Lavender flowers, chopped rosemary, apothecary rose petals, grated orange/lemon peel, oatmeal, pomegranite seeds, mixed spice, dessicated coconut etc.

For scent, if there's an appropriate essential oil (like rose/lavender or geranium) then I put that in as well. But the orange peel and mixed spice ones usually have enough scent to do without.

This is the company I've ordered the bases from. They're really helpful and quite competitive price-wise as well

http://thesoapkitchen.co.uk/

I've got shampoo, conditioner, lotion and ointment bases too  ;D Just about to make a range for my mate's birthday next week!

[Trixiebelle]

 :D @ Grandma & Mary

[Biscombe]

Heheehhe! chip pan soap!!!!  ;D ;D ;D ;D let ua all know how you get on xx

[manicscousers]

thanks, trixie, brill site  ;D

[Jeannine]

Hey Trixiebelle what a coincidence, I am just getting my breath back after parcel packing all day, John has run me a bath, candles are ready, Johnny Mathis is waiting(has to be him cos my John  proposed to me with The Twelfth of Never in the fifties)  and guess what ,your soap is going for it's launching in about 10 minutes. I told you I was saving it till the school hols.Thank you again,it smells fab   XX Jeannine

Oh and I am reading Flo's The Island when I come out XX Thanks Flo

[Gardengirl]

Hi everyone, just catching up two pages of this thread :o (for some reason I have not been receiving the email messages).  Love all the new crafts, especially the Christmas fairy, the lovely firescreen, the mosaic and how beautiful are Tim's stones :)  Great thread ;D Oh....and by the way, Trixiebelle's soap chip pan story had me in stitches ;D

[Jeannine]

Trixie your soap was lovely,it lathered really well and smelled smashing. I did cut it in half and only used one half, I want to keep the other bit for the fragrance .

I felt dead posh last night, put on new Pjs and new slippers and lounged on the top of my bed with a book, then the cats came and sniffed me all over,Toby washed my feet while Maisie washed my eyelashes. I guess it tastes good too. I managed about 5 pages off the book then lost the mood, it is a bit hard with two cats invetigating every bit of you!!!

Oh and good news, it was gentle on my skin, I was bit nervous of that as my sknin can be silly sometimes.

Your soap was a big hit, thank you again XXX Jeannine

[Trixiebelle]

Glad you liked in Jeannine :) Oatmeal is very good for sensitive skin.

I am currently unleashing a batch of odd soap bar ingredients on the world ;D Made my mum some red lentil and orange last night, and today I am practising with dandelion flowers and flaked almonds! (Had to get rid of the dandelion flowers from the allotment SOMEHOW  ::) ) Flaked almonds were from the Co-Op ... not the lottie  ;D

Trix X