How to fill your weekend...

How will you fill your time this weekend?
We've got a great idea for Saturday (Sunday is up to you!).
The Boutique Markets is a great designer market that started in sunny Brisbane a few years ago and has now launched itself, along with Mathildas Markets) all over Australia.

This is their first outing to Launceston and if the response from Hobart is anything to go by - we are in for another great market find!
With being so wrapped up in sanctum, this is my first market of the year! 
Very exciting!

Saturday 15th September

The Hotel Grand Chancellor

9am til 1pm

Custom Candles

I know our blog has been a little quiet this past year - our little business sanctum has been keeping me very busy and the year is flying by.
Having said that, we did manage to squeeze in some custom candles for Milkbar Cafe here in Launceson and for a regular candle buyer.
These first candles are all vanilla!  Our house smelled amazing when they were all made up!

I love the different shapes and forms of these candles - always fun working out how to fill them.
The Milkbar candles were all poured into vintage cups that one of the owners, Isis, had found.  Because of this and the fact they were going into a cafe for sale - we decided to go with 'traditional' cafe fragrances such as Vanilla, Hot Chocolate, Matcha Tea and Turkish Mocha.

I particularly like the Hot Chocolate ones - they almost look like the real thing!

This is mine....what's yours?

What's your pet peeve?
Mine is price tags on items I've bought that tear when you try to take them off and leave sticky residue that stays there and attracts fluff for years to come.....
What's yours......?

Mr Bibb

Hubby and I got to go see the wonderful Eric Bibb here in Launceston last night.

It was a good crowd of around a hundred people and it turned out to be a great night!

Eric is one of those increasingly rare talents that actually sound better live than on a CD. An amazing smooth, smokey voice and brilliant lyrics.

The only spoiler was a sore back and lack of seating in the venue.

I even got to give him a kiss on the cheek afterwards! I am never washing my lips again!!

A big thanks also go to the wonderful soul who had a brilliant time dancing the entire night away in the corner - I envy your courage.

Check out one of my favourite songs here.

what we've been up to today....

Today has been a candle making day.

I haven't done one of these for a little while - I often don't get the time to take a whole day out and just concentrate on the one thing.Most of these are to restock my little sanctum but I also started on the lovely Isis' order for her and her partners' new venture 'Milkbar' here in town. Find their blog here or their facebook page here.
The house smells like a dozen different fragances and they are all mixed up in my head now. I know them all so well, but I couldn't tell you which candle is which at the moment - maybe tomorrow when my nose has 'reset' itself!

has anyone seen my Geisha....?

These sweet candles are actually delicate little Japanese Ceramic Sake Cups.

My lovely Mother-in-Law bought them on a recent trip to Tassie, at an antique store. She thought they might make interesting candles - I think she was right!

They are only small, but would sit nicely on a dinner table, a mantle piece or even a the ledge of your bathtub next time you are in the mood for a candlelit soak (complete with a glass of wine of course!!).

These are one offs only - no more once they sell - and only ten left!!

Get into sanctum quick to grab yours next time you are in Launceston!

Luscious Lips!

Our lovely Lip Balms are back in stock - delightfully ensconced in their Vintage Tins.

I don't have a good reason for not making them for so long, just that 'life' got in the way and the past year flew by!

I still adore these little tins with their different images on the lid - the only thing is that they may not be the tightest seal on a container, but keep them upright and you'll have no trouble from them. I often sell them with a small organza bag, that way folks can keep them safe and sound.

I made them in: Rose and Gold Mica, Vanilla, Peppermint & Lime and Mandarin Mimosa.

In store at sanctum now....

Oh, and I've managed to get hold of some more of the beautiful Moroccan Tea Glasses to make in to candles as well - I think I've got some different colours this time too!

vintage haven in Launceston

Just a quick post to show a recent buy from a local store of vintage-y goodness here in Launceston.
Squirrel and Dove is owned and run by Lisa - who has a keen eye for all things vintage, retro and interesting.

Will get myself organised soon and take some interior shots of the store to show, but for now, I am happily showing off some very funky plates I found there the other day.

I went in to buy a friends birthday present and just could not leave without these....

A set of seven sunflower plates - nearly didn't buy the matching platter but knew I'd regret it if I didn't! We've already had breakfast on our little porch this morning with them - ah...fresh made chocolate and ginger muffins......

This is how Lisa wrapped the present I bought - I thought it was a lovely touch with vintage wallpaper offcut and doiley (can't tell you what's in it though...it's a surprise!!).

fat free?....not likely....

Until today, I have been thanking a good friend in Brisbane (Hi Shan!!) for giving me this recipe for what she calls 'Awesome Biscuits'..... Now I am onto my fourth batch, I'm not so sure I should be thanking her at all! My hips sure aren't!
They are indeed 'awesome' and 'tempting' and 'moorish' and 'delectable' and just plain 'yum'!
Best of all (or worst depending on your point of view and current dress size), they are ridiculously easy to bake.
So, I am spreading the word and the nasty saturated fats to one and all.....enjoy.


Shan's Awesome Biscuits

1 medium jar of Peanut Butter (make it a good quality one) crunchy or smooth

1 cup Caster Sugar

1 Egg

1 cup Choc Bits

• 
  
  Preheat oven to 180 degrees


• 
  
  Mix all ingredients thoroughly (I sometimes warm the peanut butter in the microwave to help remove it from its jar - this also means the chocolate will melt through the batter)


• 
  
  With flour coated hands, roll into small to medium sized balls and place onto paperlined baking trays - press with a fork


• 
  
  Bake for 10-15 minutes - try to get the bottoms lighlty brown for that yummy roasted peanut taste


• 
  
  Cool for few minutes on trays before moving to cooling racks

Totally rockin' Moroccan!!

Firstly, apologies for not being as regular with my posts this past year.

My little business sanctum has been keeping me very busy and with three emails, two blogs, two facebook pages, one website and a Linkdin page to manage - well, some things do get squished to the back of the 'to do' list.

We've brought on board a business coach and so are hoping that with her help, we can create better time management.

Well... that's the plan anyway!

Anyway, it's the first day of 2012 and I had a hankering to make up some new candles I've been keen on for a while.

I found these containers at a local kitchenware store just before Christmas - when I went back to buy them the store was so busy that I ran out of time while waiting to be served and couldn't get them. Of course, when I went back again after Christmas - most of the glasses had gone and the colour choice was very restricted - but not to worry.

I just love Morrocan (also known as 'Turkish') Tea Glasses just by themselves - they invoke pictures of hiding out in dimly lit Tea Houses with hookah pipes and shady characters, wheeling and dealing and running about with big moustaches and scimitars.

But that might be just me...

I have wanted to make them into candles for some time and am pretty happy with the result. Now I just need to convince the store to either let me buy enough at a time to get a better price, or give me the name of their suppliers and I will get them direct.

I've got just twelve made up and will have them in at sanctum when we reopen as of the 10th. I kept the wax it's natural white as I think the glasses are the star of the show here.

Hope people like them as much as I do.