redbamboo

Luscious Lips!

2012-01-27T00:44:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-25T17:07:00.000-08:00

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....

2012-01-03T23:35:00.000-08:00

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!!

2012-01-01T02:24:00.000-08:00

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.

That's a Wrap!

2011-11-19T23:55:00.000-08:00

That's it....
Another year done.....
Niche All Wrapped Up has come and gone once again.
With a record number of stalls (60) and spread over 4 rooms, this market proved to offer an amazing array of local talent and designer goods.
With weather not our friend, and a looming last minute Wedding to evacuate the space for on Saturday - we still managed to make the weekend as worthwhile as always.

The only thing we didn't get to do was to get photo's of other folks stalls (and they did look amazing) as we got caught up in our own set up and then the constant stream of lovely market goers!(The very unromantic start to every market day - the packing of your entire stall into your car or F100 truck!)

It's today!!

2011-11-17T14:33:00.001-08:00

Niche preview....

2011-11-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

Mosaic Container Soy Candles

Just a quick preview of what we've got in store for next weekends Niche market. Our kitchen looks like a meth lab and our spare bedroom looks like a bomb has hit it with cartons and waxes and containers and fragrances and wicks and all sorts of things everywhere. I have a very understanding hubby who lets me take over the house this time every year!

200g Frosted Square Soy Candles70g Small Frosted Tumbler Candles

Vanilla, Pomegranate & Black Currant; Moroccan Rhassoul & French Pear Goat Milk Soaps

Fragrant Soy Melts

So Chic...so Niche....

2011-11-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's that time of year again. Niche All Wrapped Up market is here again and this time, it's going to be huge!!! Apologies for not blogging in some time - the year has snuck away on me and we've been keeping busy what with sanctum, getting ready for Niche, a lovely double bout of chickenpox for hubby and myself and now a head cold that has hung on for over 3 weeks!! Good times.....

Nevertheless, we are very excited to be getting back behind the market stall and chatting and selling to all our lovely market goers. Can't wait to see what is in store for everyone - there are 60 stalls this time around - will need some pocket money to spend myself I am sure!

Niche All Wrapped Up

Inveresk Tramsheds

Friday 18th November 4pm - 8pm

Saturday 19th November 10am - 4pm

Boutique Markets meets Hobart

2011-08-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures of yesterdays combined Boutique and Mathilda's Markets at Hobarts waterfront.
We were very lucky with sunny (mostly) weather and a great turnout of market goers.
Well worth the trip south.

Top to bottom: red bamboo soap; luscious li'l cupcakes; What Katie Did Next; Marley & Lockyer; nigh nigh; adore u; red bamboo candles

Boutique Markets @ Hobart this weekend...

2011-08-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit of a long haul, but we are finally counting down the days (and products left to make!) till the innaugural Boutique Markets in Hobart this weekend.
Am a bit excited as I haven't done a market in Hobart before so it will be interesting to see how my little range goes, plus I get to see an old friend, Rachael - organiser extraordinaire of the Boutique Markets who invited me.

Have been very busy making candles, soaps, soy melts and bath melts - just a few more bits and pieces to go.

Spent the better part of 4 hours today just labelling!

You really do have to love what you are doing - with handmade goods there really isn't a way to recoup all the labour time in your selling price. Otherwise they would be $20 bars of soap!

Still, I enjoy every batch and my house smells divine!

Hope to see you there.

Hobart Function Centre

Sunday 28th August

9am - 1pm

upcoming Market fun in Hobart!!

2011-08-01T00:32:00.000-07:00

What joy!

red bamboo has been invited to be part of a combined Market effort in Hobart at the end of this month!

The wonderful children and baby market, Mathilda's Market and the designer driven Boutique Markets are sharing space for one day only!

The wonderful Rachael and I got to know each other while I lived in Brisbane - I was lucky to be part of the Boutique Markets in it's earlier stages. Seeing it grow and go from strength to strength has been lovely - though somewhat bittersweet as I could no longer join in the fun!

How very exciting then to see that the Markets are now touring the country and now it's Tassie's turn!

Now, the challenge is to be ready in time!!

With our lovely wellness centre going so well, and orders from other lovely outlets (like here and here) coming in - we are starting to sweat a little with planning and ordering and making!

But it's all still fun and I can't wait to catch up with Rachael again.

Plus hubby and I will make a weekend of it and stay overnight in Hobart - never a hard thing!

I'd like to thank....

2011-07-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

Erin (the Bondi living Soap Queen from Inner Earth Soaps) was kind enough to grant my little blog a 'Versatile Blogger' award. The idea, as it is with any of these awards I guess, is to showcase a handful of other blogs that have caught your eye and to spread the 'blog love'.

This award comes with a responsibility however - in order to accept I need to do the following:

Provide a link back to the generous person who nominated me

Spill the beans on 7 random facts about myself

Showcase 7 other blogs (letting the bloggers know they've been nominated also)

So, here are my 7 random facts:

1. I used to play the guitar (took years of lessons) but recently sold my guitar at a garage sale for $30

2. I can remember all my bank account details, my credit card number, my Tax File Number and ABN all off by heart - but I can't remember my husbands birthday!

3. I once 'appropriated' a rowing boat with a girlfriend and snuck it across a flooded river, using sticks as oars - we had a whole town out looking for us and just about to drag the river for our bodies. We were ten.

4. I can still swim a pretty mean butterfly stroke - try it, it's not that easy!

5. I held my mothers hand earlier this year as she passed away

6. I love kissing our black cat on the top of his head - it's just so luscious!

7. I have finally found where I 'fit' - my husband, our kids (cats), our beautiful home, our exciting new business and our new home state - never had that before.

And here are my 7 'blogs of distinction':

Epheriell Designs

Tabitha Emma

Fuffenscheit (otherwise known as Mrs Smith)

Loz and Dinny

Isismade

Boutique Markets

Recycled Relix

Enjoy!

Never thought you'd hear me say this.....

2011-07-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

I'm just a little bit in love with Stephen Fry.

Mmmm... yeah.... I didn't see that coming either!

Hubby and I stumbled across a series of British Drama, based on author PG Wodehouse's work, titled 'Jeeves and Wooster'.

I think they were made in the early nineties and stars Stephen Fry and his quintissential partner, Hugh Laurie, as a incredibly intelligent Valet caring for his bumbling, hapless employer.

Perfectly cast and wonderfully written - though I get the overall impression that PG Wodehouse either hated women, was gay or at the very least had several terribly overbearing Aunts!

The women in the series are very harshly portrayed - but do their job of constantly getting Wooster (Laurie) into more trouble than he can ever handle without the aid of loyal Jeeves (Fry).

I tawled through Youtube to finds some snippets to show - this is a bit of an overview that might give you a rough idea, but it was hard to find a good snapshot that does the series justice.

the series shows the life of the 'idle rich' and the scrapes that they get into - usually by dumping someone else in the hot water.

Worth a look for the great period styling if nothing else.

We know Stephen Fry as an incredibly well spoken (if sometimes shockingly naughty) gent with amazing intelligence - he fits Jeeves pesona to a 'tee' and looks brilliant in the famed bowler hat!

So Mr Fry, I send this out with heartfelt adoration - well... just a little bit anyway!

photo 'phun' at sanctum

2011-06-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

After meeting a local photographer at a business networking event, we had the opportunity to have some interior shots of sanctum taken - we hope to get them onto the website and the blog so folks can get some idea of what the space looks like before visiting us.

Inspired by Dave, we had a play for ourselves after he left, with some of our tea, our hot stones and the new olive oil soap we've just brought in. Fun!

Need to take some more shots of the soap as this was one of the better ones and didn't turn out quite as well as I'd hoped.
Anyway, till next time......

just can't help myself......

2011-05-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

It's an illness.... I'm sure of it...

I just can't help it..... I'm obsessed....

I swore I wouldn't.... but I did....

I bought more new fragrances!!!!!

It's partly Erin's from Inner Earth Soaps fault really - she was offering some fragrances she doesn't use anymore up for sale and led me to a whole new supplier I hadn't known about!

Based in Queensland Big Tree Supplies has a huge range of goodies for us soapers and candle makers to revel in.

So far I've bought:

Asian Pear & Lily - top notes of nashii pear, apple and leafy greens, middle notes of jasmine, lily of the valley and rose petals and finished with pear nectar, musk and peony blossoms

Green Apples - an amazing true Green Apple fragrance - tangy, sweet and delicious!!

Black Raspberry & Vanilla - delicious dark raspberries with warm vanilla - sweet, juicy and very moorish

Ginger Lime - warm, spicy ginger teamed with freshly squeezed lime

Manuka Honey & Lavender - freshly harvested lavender, with a hint of bergamot and a dash of manuka honey

Orchid Bouquet - a unique blend of fresh orchids, peony blossoms, water lily, aloe vera and bamboo

So now I have even more fragrances to play with for my candles and soaps.

Such fun.....

back in stock...

2011-04-16T22:26:00.001-07:00

Our very popular Fragrant Reed Diffusers are back in stock at sanctum, after a sell out weekend at the last Niche market.

These guys have been a bit of a surprise hit at both the markets and in at sanctum.

Fair warning though folks, I've needed to increase the price from what I had them for as my suppliers have raised theirs as well.

Still for only $25.50, they are the perfect way to fragrance a space by simply setting them up and forgetting about them.

The one I have going in sanctum is still going as strong as ever, even after 6 months!

We have some great fragrances in like:

Honeysuckle Jasmine - a heady combination of these two florals

Peppermint & Eucalyptus - lovely fresh notes with hint of sweetness

Very Vanilla - a firm favourite for so many people

Mulberry Tree - fruity and perfect for freshening up a stuffy room

Frangipani - for those of us who are trying to hang onto summer

Plus more!

There are generally only one of each fragrance in stock, so get in quick!

Apologies for the 'spacey' blog entry, I seem be having trouble with either having too many or no spaces in the entries of late!!

Local Talent

2011-03-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

A collection of very good friends are part of a current Design Exhibition here in Tassie running as part of the 'Ten Days on the Island' program till April 4th. Such clever folks down here! It's called 'Furnished' and is being run by DOT (Design Objects Tasmania - Australia's longest running design collective). Check out the website for some wonderful design finds! Current fav's are: Isis St Pierre and her brilliant armchair! Abigayle Tett and her hand formed chandelier. Joanna Gair with Martin Vinnicombe with their combined book terminus. Loz Abberton and her light shade. The simplicity of Stuart Williams standing lamp. And the smooth lines of Belinda Winkler's vessels. Worth a look if you are in this part of the world.

The Next Niche....

2011-03-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

It's that time again (already!)....

The St Giles Niche Designer Market is on this weekend. Chock-a-block full of great stalls and clever people, you are sure to find just what you are looking for.

For full information see the Niche link above.

With everything that had happened with my Mum and since every other April Niche market has been at the end of the month, I was daudling around thinking I had all of March and most of April to get myself organised..... whoopsie.

So have been a little frantically batching and pouring and tagging and labelling.

Think I am on top of things now.

I have some new goat milk soaps to try - Lemongrass & Ginger and Charcoal with Tea Tree, Lavender & Lime - so will see how they go. The Charcoal one looks really eye catching - will get some piccies to show soon.

Heaps of candles as per usual and am just finishing off the last of the Fragrant Soy Melts as well.

The lovely folk at St Giles have been doing some great advertising so hopefully we'll have a really good turn out.

Fingers crosssed for the weather.

See you there!

Niche Market

Friday 1st April 4pm - 8pm

Saturday 2nd April 10am - 4pm

Tram Sheds at Inveresk

Closing a chapter....

2011-03-02T19:50:00.001-08:00

Dear All,
Am writing this wishing I had better news, but unfortunately things with my mum didn't end how we had hoped they might.
After fighting the good fight, she passed quickly and peacefully on the 19th Feb and we buried her next to her own mother in Mackay.
We had as much family with her at the end and so many more made the long journey to help us to give her a good send off last Friday.
I'd like to thank everyone who prayed, who had us in their thoughts and who even sent her cards!
I know it may not feel like much, but please believe me when I say that it truly does help.
So, I am back in Tassie, surrounded by some beautiful people. Back in at work at sanctum, caring for my beautiful clients and back in touch with some of my family that I had let slip away over the years.
I think she would have been thrilled to see her family all come together just for her.
Be at peace Mother Duck.....

Update..

2011-02-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,
Just an update on how my mum's doing. Lots of you have asked how she is. Bless.
It seems she may have contracted an infection - not great as the chemo has severely compromised her immune system - and we are watching and waiting on results from tests and scans.
Two of my brothers are on their way to her in north Queensland as we speak and as for me, I am waiting for some more news before I can decide whether I should to zip away to be with them as well.
Not the best news, but I spoke to her nurse today and she recommended to just wait the night out and decide tomorrow.
Will be keeping fingers crossed and prayers heading upwards.

Thanks...

2011-02-12T22:28:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little post to say a very big 'Thank You' to everyone who emailled, who sent cards and who called up to show their support after my last post.
I was truly grateful to each and every one of you - Mum has recieved some of your cards and she has been so thrilled that people are thinking of her.
She has finished her week of chemo and will stay in hospital for another 3-4 weeks. There hasn't been much nausea, but she doesn't feel like eating much either - the worst of it has been the overwhelming lethargy.
We figure that's not too bad for now.
Her sister is staying nearby thanks to the Leukaemia Foundation's accommodation and so she has someone on hand for company as well.
So , thanks again everyone. From my whole family and me!

a favour to ask....

2011-01-28T21:39:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick post to ask if anyone would be kind enough to send a few thoughts and prayers my Mum's way.

We found out yesterday that she has been diagnosed with Leukaemia and was taken straight into hospital to start 4 weeks of chemotherapy.

Needless to say, the news was a little stunning.

Unfortunately she is in Townsville Base Hospital, away from most of her family and friends. Her sister is in Mackay, a few hours away and the rest of us are further than that.

I'm hoping to find some cheap plane tickets in the next few weeks, and will certainly be keeping in touch with phone calls and letters.

But I would so appreciate any goodwill folks could send her way.

If anyone is in Townsville, and you would be happy to visit, please let us know - I am sure she would appreciate the company. If anyone would like to send a card, let me know and I will give you the address. Her name is Laurel as well.

Here's hoping for remission at the end of this all.

Thanks.

Annie

new soaps on the block....

2011-01-23T00:46:00.000-08:00

A few posts ago I mentioned a new soap I had batched up. It's been curing nicely these past few weeks so Ifinally got to take a few snaps of it to show.
I've actually done up a second batch since then and am just waiting on more ingredients to arrive (namely my coconut oil) and I will be right into making even more.
This first batch is a new fragrance - am loving citrus-sy fragrances right now so this one is Lemongrass, Ginger and Pink Grapefruit.
The fragrance has turned out really lovely. Of course the first thing that hits you is the zesty, herbaceous lemongrass then the warm tones of the ginger comes through with the pink grapefruit tying them togehter. Can't wait to get this one in the shower!
Instead of rolling the soap in to balls, as I've done in the past, I've sliced the batch into different sizes and shapes. The idea is to have a range of sizes and therefore prices for people to choose from.
I love big, chunky blocks of soap - but I have friends who prefer the thinner, rectangles. Each to their own.
This second soap is a fragrance combination I've done before, but again I've chopped instead of rolled.
This is my Red Tea and Linden Blossom soap. Such a wonderful fresh, green aroma! It sold really well as the soap balls, so I am hoping folks will take to the more rustic looking blocks.

They won't be cured in time for the Makers Market at Festivale, but I hope to have them ready for the next Niche Market (if I get accepted) and in sanctum. Am now starting to plan my next few batches of soap. Looking forward to seeing what I end up with.

Makers' Market @ Festivale!

2011-01-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to let eveyone know about the upcoming Makers' Market during Festivale.

The Design Centre is hosting this event on Saturday 12th February in their lovely courtyard behind the centre.

A round up of local talent will be showcasing and selling their wonderful wares - we would love your support. So please pass along the word!

See the sanctum blog for more information plus the stall holder lineup!!

soaking away the new year....

2011-01-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the New Year!!!
It's hard to believe we have already started on 2011.
sanctum is open as of tomorrow and we already have appointments booked in for the upcoming week. Very exciting.
We are looking forward to the challenges that this year will bring.
Recieved the application for the next Niche market in April and also chatted to the folks running the Design Centre Market, during Festivale, about being part of that as well. So am already thinking on my little production line here at home.
Whipped up a double batch of Olive Oil soap yesterday - using Lemongrass, Pink Grapefruit and Ginger to fragrance it with. Very zesty and uplifting aroma's. Will post some pictures when I get it out of the mould.
Also made up some detox bath salts for a promotion I am running at sanctum. Along with a great value Massage Treatment pack, I will be giving a bath salts to each person that takes part in the promotion. See the sanctum blog for more info.
The salts are a blend of: Coarse Sea Salt; Milk Powder, Green and White Clays as well as; Lavender, Frankincense, Sweet Fennel and Lemon Myrtle Essential Oils.
It's quite a stimulating blend, so caution needs to be taken with any skin sensitivities or pregnant women.
The idea is to kickstart the body with a course of Massage and support this with the bath salts used at home.
Wouldn't mind doing it myself!

Christmas Day in Tassie....

2010-12-28T22:53:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to say that we hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and to wish you all a well celebrated New Years!
Our Christmas Day was a very low key affair... a gentle nudge awake by two hungry pussycats, a leisurely walk around Heritage Park a few blocks behind our house, a breakfast of croissants, warm from the oven and then onto the present opening!
We were lucky to catch up with the lovely Gemma (from Loz and Dinny), her hubby Dunc and their gorgeous brood of three for a delightful afternoon tea (consisting mainly of dessert items as it turns out!) and we were meant to get together with a few other folks for a picnic at Cataract Gorge, but this fell through.
Not to be defeated, we packed up and headed to the beautiful City Park, sat on the grass and enjoyed: BBQ Tandoori Chicken, homemade Coleslaw with Red Cabbage and Fennel, Corn Fritters with a tangy dipping sauce of Sour Cream and Spring Onions, homemade White Chocolate and Pistachio Fudge and topped off with a bottle of Andrew Garrett Sparkling Shiraz..... ahhhh....bliss....

It's tough celebrating Christmas in Tasmania!!

new candles in stock

2010-12-11T23:46:00.001-08:00

Since Niche, I have been trying to restock my shelves at sanctum but have had some trouble with my suppliers being out of the usual containers I get.

The good thing is that it has let me try a few new ones.

I've got a smaller version (70g) of the large frosted tumblers I usually do - I think they are really kind of sweet and they have been received really well from Clients in at sanctum and at the Tamar Visitor Centre Makers Evening a few days ago.

I've also brought in these great metallic votives especially for Christmas - I thought they would make anyones Christmas Table look (and smell) amazing! The light shining through the walls of the container throw out these great coloured patterns.

These ceramic containers are the biggest that I do at about 250g. They will only be a limited offer as I can only get so many of the containers from my supplier.

They look great and I am really liking having a play with new containers and sizes.

I've got some more of these square ones on order plus a few large rectangle ones that I will most likely put a double wick into.

I've just now been able to place an order for the frosted round containers I usually get, though only in a limited number. I've been lucky that the orders I've had since Niche, I've been able to fill with what containers I already had.

Be sure to check out sanctums blog for some pictures I took of the rest of my instore Christmas display too!

Makers Evening at TVC

2010-12-05T23:04:00.000-08:00

This Thursday 9th, between 5.30pm and 7pm, a local Tourist Centre, the Tamar Visitor Centre is holding a Makers Evening.

Karen Burnett and the wonderful team at the TVC love to support and stock locally made crafts and items and are very excited to be able to bring a showcase to Tassie's visitors.

It's open to whoever would like to come along and see some of the local talent and I know that Karen is always on the lookout for new stock and would love to chat to anyone interested.

There will be small selection of Makers who will be there to sell and chat about their work, including yours truly.

If anyone is looking for some Christmas Shopping ideas, the TVC this Thursday might be a good place to start!

red bamboo's sister blog..

2010-11-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

Just a quick entry to let everyone know that sanctum now has both a website and a brand new (today!) blog!

I wanted the ability to interact with people a little more personally and with more immediacy than the website and a blog suited that need just fine.

I did try a facebook page, but honestly preferred the layout and customisation that a blog gave me.

So please feel free to check it out - would love to hear what you think!

Also, have just finished typing in all 130 odd emails from the great response we had to our 2 hour spa package draw for sanctum at Niche as well.

We've notified the winner and will wait to book her in for her treat!

Have a great week everyone!

aftermath.......

2010-11-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

Am in recovery mode after an amazing weekend with the Niche Markets here in Launceston.

This time around we held it the Friday evening and the Saturday. I have to be honest here, I really did think the Friday evening would be fairly tame and quiet....

OMG... was I wrong!!

Folks started flooding in even before we had finished setting up and they were four deep and lined up out the front door for the four hours we were open!!

Being very lucky to score the spot right next to Sophie of That Vintage, we did not stop and the sales were just incredible!

Saturday the numbers, while not as crazy as Friday, certainly stayed steady through the whole day, sales again were great and by the end.... well the picture tells the story!

This is a few hours from the end of the market (I had one candle left when we packed up!) - and I truly had nothing left to sell! Totally unexpected and amazing!

The other aim for me with this market was to try and get my new wellness business, sanctum out there into the public domain. I had a sheet for folks to sign up for a chance to win a 2 hour spa package - again, didn't realise just how popular this was going to be!! I filled four A4 sheets of paper with peoples names and emails!! Far out!

Now I just have to draw a winner and email everyone with the news!!

What a brilliant weekend.

A big thanks to Liz and the folks at St Giles for organising, a big thanks to the great stallholders who kept me company and a big thanks to everyone who came along and supported us local crafty people!

Might just have a sleep now.......

three lovely souls....

2010-11-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

The three lovely souls I speak of are Vee, Alan and newcomer, Saffron (5 weeks old!).
Vee, folks may know from The Purple Finch, is making return to the crafty scene after having bub and Alan, is a very sought after local photographer with his business Photobat.
During the upcoming Niche market this weekend, these lovely people are doing an amazing offer and giving proceeds to St Giles! How nice is that?!?
Alan is offering Photography Gift Vouchers for Christmas (valid through to January) worth $350 for the tiny price of $50!!
That's not an offer you will match anywhere else.
Take a quick peek through Alan's body of work on the Photobat website and you will soon see that this is an offer that will be very hard to pass by and very popular this weekend.
So if you, or anyone you know is thinking about organising a family portrait, or perhaps pet photos or the obligatory cute baby shots for the grandparents -come along to the guys stall at Niche in the Tram Sheds at Inveresk this Friday (4pm-8pm) or Saturday (10am-4pm) and bag a serious bargain!!

forgive me...but I've just drooled on my keyboard.....

2010-11-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

I just recieved an email from my lovely friend (and fellow book clubber!) Poppy, introducing her new venture Feigenbaum.

"Feigenbaum specialises in artisinal, European style breads, cakes and boutique catering made with the finest locally sourced ingredients."

YUM!

Check out the Feigenbaum blog for ridiculously delicious looking treats plus recipes! Just be sure to have eaten beforehand or you'll be mopping up dribble just like me!

rainy day blues...

2010-11-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

What's a girl to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon.....?

Homemade scones,warm from the oven.....a sleepy pussycat on the chair beside you......a cup of tea and some good company.....that's what!

Week One...

2010-10-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

Well, week one is over.

It's been a big, busy, amazing, tiring, exhilarating, frustrating, surreal and awesome week! Boy! That's a bit to cram in to one week!

Still a little bit of 'tweaking' to do - have discovered (along with some of my clients, unfortunately) that there is a space rented in the building next door, for bands for practice..... Mmmmm..... yeah......

Not good to have drum solo's competing with mellow relaxation music and massage therapy.

I spoke to one of the other tenants, another therapist, and she said that they had been down this path before and the council had been involved as well. I don't mind the practicing of music, it's more that it can happen anytime with no rhyme or reason. So it's been challenging trying to figure out my opening times and booking in clients. But will chase it up next week.

Husk Ceramic Soap Dish

Have had wonderful feedback overall and quite a few bookings for this week. Next week is a little quieter, but thats fine. It gives me the challenge to really get into marketing and selling my business to Launcestonians.

My order from Husk finally arrived yesterday (I'm very excited!). So I went in even earlier than I needed to this morning, just so I could play!

Husk Handturmed Ceramic Oil Burners (I love the blue)

Husk Herbal Tea Range

Husk Calico Shopper Bag (loving it!)

Have also created a Facebook Page for Sanctum - am new to this network, so everyone will have to forgive me for any rookie mistakes!

three days....four rooms...four coats of paint......

2010-10-21T02:50:00.000-07:00

The doors opened yesterday for sanctum body skin soul.

It's been a long haul, but we are really happy and proud of how the space has turned out.

I have had bookings in yesterday and today and have a full house tomorrow!

Here are a few 'before and after' shots.

This is the reception wall in the previous tenants colour (I have been calling it 'Epilepsy Yellow')

With the primer coat on (more pictures to come)

The smaller of the two treatment rooms which I am now calling the 'Green Room'

The old waiting room which we morphed into a Relaxation Lounge....

More soon......

introducing sanctum.....

2010-10-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

It's finally happening....

This is part dream, part career move and all about the future.

As of Wednesday 20th October, Sanctum Body Skin Soul will be opening its doors to the world.

Or at least to Launceston and her visitors!

I think I have been planning this business for the better part of 10 years - ever since I took my first massage course.

The lease is signed and the furniture has arrived - our spare room and hallway have been taken over with chairs, tables and lamps!

I am finishing with my current work in a few days and so I can't jump right into the space and start setting up - that will come next week.

Other than some fresh paint, we don't need to do much for the fitout. I want to put a shower in one of the rooms at some point, so that I can offer spa body treatments as well - but for now, we will open with lots of massage on offer, aromatic facials and a lovely little retail area full of local designer goodies, herbal teas and comfy chairs!

We are finalising little things like a telephone and eftpos - fun fun. The stationary and website are coming together and I already have my first two bookings in on that first day! Now I just need to fill the rest of the week!

A huge thank you goes out to everyone who is going out of their way to help up make this dream come to life. Will keep you all updated as we go.

down the rabbit hole.....

2010-10-02T00:43:00.000-07:00

Like the ubiquitous Alice, I find myself in a wonderful, whimsical and very delightful little place. the rabbit hole is a lovely new store here in the heart of Launceston. Created by Alison Hayward along with her mother, it is full of knicks and knacks and everything in-between!Alison found me at the recent Niche market and was kind enough to place an order of candles and lip balms for her newly opened store.
So Eat Me/Drink Me and find your way to take a peek. It will be well worth your while.

the rabbit hole
Shop 4, Cuisine Lane

seriously big tea lights

2010-09-22T00:14:00.000-07:00

These bad boys are about twice the size of your ordinary tea light. They're not called 'maxi' for nothing!

At the recent Niche market, a local ceramicist stopped by the stall and asked me about creating candles to go with her handmade ceramic light shades. She dropped one off the second day and I have to say, I was really taken with it - enough to pay her there and then just so I could keep it!

After tossing a few options around - we decided on keeping it simple and went with the larger tea lights. We have left these ones un-fragranced, but I can see making some up with citronella for outside use.

I think they look pretty good and they suit the light shades really well. I can't wait to try one out!

new treasures

2010-09-21T23:36:00.000-07:00

Just a quick few words to show off some lovely new treasures - courtesy of Sophie from That Vintage and Rose from Foal Design, at the recent Niche market. I know it was a while back now, but I'm still catching up on lost 'computer time'!

Beautiful earrings and ring (I get comments every time I wear them - though it's becoming more and more likely to be "are those from That Vintage?)

Hmmm.....not sure about the model, but the hat is pretty neat!

This last one is a bit of a mystery object....... more soon.......

Snow in September....

2010-09-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

We've just gotten home from a overnight trip to Hobart.

As you can see from the piccies below... it's been a wee chilly down here in September!!

These shots are taken north of Bothwell (home to the Australian Golf Museum!) and on the way to the Great Lakes.

I put my first foot print in snow.... I threw my first snowball (deliberately missing hubby I'll have you know!)... and saw my first snow man/penguin! Very, very groovy!

Tassie... you just keep surprising me.These shots are from the Steppes Sculptures on the same road about 90 mins from Hobart. The Steppes Sculptures are a gift to all who help protect and maintain the Forests and Ecosystems of the Midlands, from Artist Stephen Walker. You need to keep an eye out as they are only marked by simple roadside signs and you can only just see them from the road.What a wonderful way to celebrate this amazing country and remind us to care for it as we should.

Onwards and Upwards...

2010-09-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

We're back!
The computer trouble is being resolved and we think we have been able to save all of our files!
WHEW! Big relief there.

I know it's been a few weeks now, but here are a few 'on the run' shots from the recent Niche market at the end of August.

Ruby Victoria Paperie Stall - my neighbours on one side. Narelle had the amazing printing press (just seen bottom left of picture) going throughout the market, drawing heaps of onlookers. Hubby, Alan (pictured) was a handy man to have around - he did coffee runs for appreciative stallholders.

Yummy Mini Cupcakes (sorry girls I didn't get your name - too busy eating!!)

The beautiful Rose from Foal Design and her lustworthy cloth hats - Rose is currently showing off her engagment ring! Yay! I bought a stunning aqua blue number!

The stunning Joanna and her papercraft were my other neighbour and what good company she was. Joanna was the original creator of the famous Roo Poo paper from the Paper Mill at Burnie. She uses century old papermaking methods and all of the illustrations are her own.

Once more, Sophie from That Vintage, was innundated with keen shoppers for the entire 2 days! I don't think I saw her look up from her stall until closing time on Saturday! Yay Soph!

Sam (seen ducking down) and Maya, from Hideyo, dazzled us once more with their incredible folded art. I loved seeing almost every second person walking through the markets clutching a bunch of their beautiful flowers!

More soon......

we are experiencing some technical difficulties...

2010-09-10T15:47:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note...
If anyone is wondering where on earth I've been for the past few weeks, our hard drive has crashed and we are still trying to recover all of our files!
All of my photos from Niche are on there so I can't show how great a time we had!!
Fingers crossed we will be up and running again soon!
Oi!

Just around the corner...

2010-08-25T01:59:00.000-07:00

Well, in just over a day or so, we will be well into our first day at the Niche market. I am really looking forward to being back behind the stall - I've missed it. You always meet great people - both ones who come visit your stall and the other stall holders. You get feedback on your creations and get to see all the other devilishly talented folks out there.
You just hope to make some money - not to pay the site fee, but to be able to go and buy all the cool stuff on the other stalls!

Niche all wrapped up Friday and Saturday 10am till 4pm.

See you there.

We also dropped into the Tamar Visitor Centre last weekend and got to see the display of my products that the ladies had done up. I've pretty much got pride of place as you walk in. Yay me! Here's hoping they sell well.

Once more with feeling.....

2010-08-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

Yep! It's that time again.... the St Giles Niche all wrapped up Market is coming up next weekend - Friday 27th and Saturday 28th August.

It's come around really quickly and I just hope that I haven't forgotten anything!

Just a little bit of labelling to do and I think I am ready to go. Having said that, I am already having dreams where I am late for setting up and am as far from ready as can be! Hmmmm...

Here's looking forward to lovely weather and a huge crowd!

On other news, I was very fortunate enough to pick up a new stockist locally. Very exciting!

The Tamar Visitor Centre at Exeter is a lovely space created by Karen Burnett and run with the help of a wonderful team of volunteers. As well as tourism information and bookings, Karen has stocked a great retail space of local goods and crafts and has been kind enough to give my little products a go.

Well worth a drop in when next you are in this area.

Soap on my mind....

2010-08-08T23:18:00.001-07:00

Is it just me, or is there something seriously saucy and sumptuous about a big bowl of soap?!

I was taking some new shots of my products and just found myself getting caught up in the moment...

I'm hooked aren't I...........?

A Niche-ing we will go... a Niche-ing we will go....

2010-07-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yep.... it's that time again....

Niche Market is nearly upon us and it's time to start cranking up the old stove, melting some wax, trimming some wicks and stirring some pots.

My order finally arrived today so I can get started on the last of the candles I will make for next months market.

It will all have to wait a few more days however as I have been off work sick (you know... throat feeling like you've been gargling with molten lava; joints and muscles aching like they've been swapped with an arthritic 85 year olds...). Back at work tomorrow, all going well, so after a bit of catching up there I can get a start in on the weekend.

I've condensed my products lines, but introduced a few new things. I found out I will be at the Inveresk Art Space, same as before, but there is also a large number of stalls at the Boathouse as well. More news as it comes along.

wrapped in plastic....

2010-07-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

You know when you hear one little fact that stops you in your tracks and just makes you look at things in a totally different light.

Well this one did that for me....

Did you know that every scrap of plastic EVER MADE is still around?

Every shopping bag, every bottle, container and ounce of packaging. Every piece of every Barbie doll you ever owned is still on this earth.

Not enough time has passed for any plastic we have ever created to actually degrade down to nothing. Pieces may have gotten smaller, but the total sum of them is still here. Chances are it's on a beach somewhere clogging waterways and animals digestive systems.

I have to say, that kind of scared me a little.

Kind of makes you think huh?

Tea for Two...

2010-06-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

My house is smelling pretty amazing right now. As with many other soapy folk, I have a rather deep seated obsession with fragrances. My latest is called Linden Blossom.

From the awesome Bramble Berry fragrance range - it has this amazing sweetness to it that blends citrus notes with the Linden Blossom and light florals as well. Mmmmmm..

Now.... what to team it with....?

Well to be honest, this pairing came together simply because of the name.

Red Tea and Linden Blossom

Rolls off the tongue quite nicely doesn't it?

So off I went to my local wholefoods store, bought myself some beautiful Rooibos (Red Tea) loose leaves and away we went.

Instead of using filtered water for my lye solution, I used the infusion of red tea. It started off this amazing russet red colour and I didn't think to add any other colourants to the batch. As it has cured, it's become a lovely soft cream. To give it a little 'zing' I dabbed dried red tea leaves onto each soap ball. What do you think?

soaking my troubles away...

2010-06-23T01:46:00.000-07:00

How exciting it is to create something new....

I've been wanting to do something like this for awhile - ever since I first found something similar at Lush in Brisbane.

These are Bath Melts - they work on the same principle as Bath Bombs, as in you pop them into your bath water and they 'melt' away.

I finally found a recipe that I could tweak and be happy with. I am pretty darn pleased with how they have turned out - especially after the obligatory home trial.

Ahhh.... toasty bath.... candlelight....glass of wine..... Mmmmmmm.....

Jammed packed full of cocoa and shea butters, olive and vitamin E oils, sea salt and lavender essential oil - these left my skin feeling super soft and yummy!

Great for these winter months when your skin just can't seem to keep the moisture in. Half a melt does a good sized bath so they are pretty economical too.

I plan on introducing them at the next Niche Market in August, but if anyone is keen to try beforehand, just let me know.

Bliss.....

"Won't that make your face go black...?"

2010-06-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

This was the comment from the lady in the wholefoods store, when she found out what I wanted to use the charcoal powder I was buying for.

Soap.... yep, soap!

I would like to go on the record as saying, I didn't pilfer the charcoal from our open fireplace or from the last crumpet that didn't survive the toasters' ministrations - this is 'activated' charcoal and is used quite widely as an internal supplement in the natural therapy industry. Charcoal has amazing absorbant properties - ie, if you have swallowed something you shouldn't have, charcoal will absorb the nasty stuff and carry it out of the body. It is also present in 90% of our water filters.

Externally, charcoal acts as a gentle, but effective excess oil remover and helps to purify and exfoliate the skin. Teamed with Australian Tea Tree, Lavender and a spash of Lime and you got yourself one heck of a cleaner that even the boys will love!

This will be a good soap for anyone with problematic or oily skin - people who suffer conditions such as acne would benefit from using a soap like this as well as any grubby hubby's!

I love the colour contrasts between the black/grey and the white - can't wait for them to cure so I can try one!!

This is a batch that didn't make it.

I used organic honey throughout the mix and then got a bit creative and threw in some bee pollen granules at the end (thought it might make an interesting texture and colour contrast). It was not to be! A few minutes after pouring into the mould, I came across a gooey, sticky, jelly, bubbling, overcooked mess! Hmmm.... back to the drawing board!

Love in the 'Round'....

2010-05-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

Ever done a victory dance in your kitchen? I have... last week in fact...

After spending, on average, up to 4 hours straight stirring soap batters, waiting for them to emulsify together enough to pour into a mould, I tweaked the recipe using different oils and voila!, I now have it down to 45 minutes total!!!! WAHOO!

Hubby walked in on me wiggling my way around the kitchen in soap maker joy, shook his head and walked out again. Some people just can't appreciate a good saponification when they see it...

So, armed with this new, improved recipe, I have been making more and more soap batches and playing with colours.

These are my Vanilla Rose soap balls, but instead of rolling them in rose petals, I swirled pink clay throughout the batter so you get patches of colour and plain white. I'm quite happy with these for my first try.

These ones are a new soap, but an old favourite fragrance - White Tea & Ginger. This time I used a yellow oxide (won't 'bleed') against the white - what I hope to happen, is that as the soap cures, it fades to a stronger white colour and the yellow areas will stand out more and more as times goes by.

On a completely random tangent, but still with the 'round' theme.. this is a dandelion (I think!) that's growing in our back garden. It just looked so perfect that I had to get a few piccies!

Morning Tea anyone?

2010-05-16T17:20:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to show a rather lovely little spot we have found here in Launceston called 'Tranquility Gardens'. It's a bed and breakfast as well as a tea room. Gemma (of Loz & Dinny fame) put us onto it as we would never have driven in otherwise. Five minutes outside of the city, it is a beautiful place for morning tea or lunch. It's history is as a private residence for a Japanese businessman who created his own japanese style garden. Complete with fountains, a lake and stone sculptures throughout a garden just made for wandering around in. Well worth a drop in if you're in this neck of the woods. As I am writing this, we have a lovely gentleman installing a hand made Blackwood Timber screen door on our house. Now, seeing as it was something like minus 3 degrees this morning, I can't see it getting a whole lot of use until next summer! But this was the earliest that Michael had available to make and install for us. We didn't want to go the aluminium route, and were very pleased to stumble across Michael at the Deloraine Craft Fair last year.

We are really happy with it and are hoping the cats won't use it for climbing practice or claw sharpening! Michaels details are: Michael Thomson Design & Sculptural Furniture (03) 6369 5170 if anyone would like more information.

baby, it's cold outside.....

2010-05-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

My name is Joseph. I was a little chilly this morning. Although I have my own custom-made fur coat, sometimes it's just not enough. My human grandma knitted this blanket and I find it comes in quite handy on a cold, Autumn morning.

YAAWWN!

I might not even move for the whole day......

rebatch...remill...reuse...revive....

2010-04-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

I had made up a batch of Ylang Ylang, Bergamot and Lime olive oil soap a few weeks ago (ignore the pineapple people, it's got nothing to do with this!) - unfortunately I didn't think the aroma came across strongly enough to grab peoples attention.
So I decided to try my hand at 'remilling' the soap so I could add more essential oils.
This can be done to help 'salvage' poorly cured soaps or even on purpose (heard of triple milled soap?) to refine the texture of the soap to make it smoother and lusher.
The good news is it's pretty easy to do.... the bad news is you've got to get out the cheese grater and elbow grease!

The soap balls grated down really easily, and it was interesting to find that my right arm was a wimp compared to my left! I think I got through 3 balls with my right before it cried 'uncle' but 13 with my left and it was still raring to go! Must be my past life in hospitality coming back - all those plates I carried!

Will have to see how they turn out when I roll them (again!). For some more information about 'rebatching' check out Inner Earth Soaps blog entry here.

Wrapping things up....

2010-04-10T23:39:00.000-07:00

Have been wanting to get around to this for awhile - especially since I started making the hand rolled Olive Oil soaps.

Thinking of the best way to present and package the soaps, I wanted to keep it in the 'rustic' theme - the soaps are not perfectly round or even, so I didn't think the packaging should be ultra 'glam' either.

Muslin..... how simple it that?!

It also means the soaps can continue to air out and customers can easily smell the fragrances as well.

Thanks goodness that muslin is really cheap to buy - the only fun is cutting out all the squares!!!

Still curing are the Orange and Sandalwood soaps and a second batch of the Ylang Ylang, Bergamot and Lime soaps.

I''ve been playing with the recipe as well and have also done up a batch using a portion of coconut oil in with the olive. That batch is another Lavender and Geranium too. Just rolled them today in lavender flowers - can't wait till I can start trying them all!

yummy, yummy, in my tummy....

2010-04-02T18:56:00.001-07:00

Can you believe it?
Easter.... it's here...again!!!

It has come around quickly this year and hubby and I find ourselves caught out - no plans, no eggs, no sentimental easter cards with bunnies on them....

But I feel I may just have redeemed myself with these little beauties!

Called my Mum yesterday (as you do in situations like this) and asked for a recipe for some chocolate goodies - she came back with this.

Nice and easy, a one bowl recipe, my kind of cooking!

Chocolate Balls (of Joy)

375g Chocolate (I used Milk, but Dark would be yummy too!)

80g butter, cubed

1cp Fruit Mince (I'm not a fan of Fruit Mince, so I chopped up dried Apricots, Prunes and Cherries)

1/2cp Almonds, chopped (I used whole Almonds, but I think next time I will used slivered and maybe toast them too)

Coatings (I used cocoa, coconut and toasted sesame seeds)

Melt chocolate over a double boiler, add in butter one cube at a time and heat till smooth

Add in chopped nuts and fruit and mix well

Allow to cool for 1 hour

Roll into small balls and coat

Leave to cool and ENJOY!

The finished product.... I have been doing some quality testing and I can say from firsthand experience.... YUM!!!

Bubba-licious Orange Balls of Fun!

2010-03-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

Yep.... these are my latest soap 'play', Orange and Sandalwood Olive Oil soap balls.

It's been quite therapeutic to sit down at the table and just roll away - I still need to wear gloves as the caustic hasn't yet cured out of the soap, but it's always exciting when you see the batch starting to come together.

Next time I might have a play with adding a dash of orange colour somehow, perhaps even using fresh orange juice in the base? It was a bit of a challenge to get the orange segments to stick securely, and I will wait and see if any 'pop off' as they dry out! Ahh.... live and learn.....

Who knows? It's all fun and I am happy to see how each batch I make up turns out.

Sunday in Tasmania...

2010-03-14T00:27:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you've got a few hours free on an autumn Sunday in Tasmania??
You make soap of course!!

I whipped up a new batch of cold process Olive Oil soap - this time I have scented it with Sweet Orange essential oil, Australian Sandalwood essential oil and a Vanilla infused oil. I hope the soft, citrus aroma lasts for me. Might need to put more in next time..... we'll see.

Thinking of how to add some 'jazz' to the soap balls when I roll them, I decided to oven dry slices of fresh orange and I will quarter them up, I think, and press one into each of the finished balls.

Hmmm... will keep you posted....

melt my heart.....

2010-03-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

I have to say I am having some trouble keeping up with this year (and my emails, and my mobile messages, and my blog!!!!!!), but I have managed to squeeze out a new version of my very popular fragrant soy melts.

I have been making little individual melts for markets and will continue to make these as people can mix and match to their hearts content, but I feel these guys will make it easier for any retail outlets to sell and display.

I have also scored some yummy new fragrances (it's like an addiction I tell you!!), that I can't wait to try out at the markets and get some feedback.

Lavender Vanilla: an earthy, musky blend of herbal Lavender flowers teamed with the soft overtones of Vanilla. A soft, subtle fragrance, that reminds me of an old fashioned linen cupboard with crisp, starched linen and the aroma of yesterdays.
Mulberry Tree: a fruity, berry blend with cherries, apples, peaches, strawberries and tangerines, and a hint of vanilla. You can almost see the purple mulberry stains on your fingers!

Lime Spritzer: this tropical citrus and fruit blend begins with notes of tart lime, refreshing orange and crisp apple. The fruity floral heart is a rose and black currant fading to a sweet vanilla plum.

I've made up some of the new melts with these fragrances but haven't had a chance to do too much else.

I am back at the Civic Homespun Markets this Saturday (13th) from 10am till 3pm and am looking forward to catching up with the other stall holders and chatting to the people coming through.

See you there!!

Flood Update

2010-03-08T00:39:00.000-08:00

Dear All,

Just an update and a thank you for everyone who thought about and prayed for my folks - very appreciated and very humbling.
I spoke to my folks yesterday and they are fine. The expected peak for the water at 14 meters wasn't reached and although there are countless houses that went underwater - my parents and brothers were spared.
I guess the big cleanup starts now - hopefully the rain will ease and there won't be a repeat.
Again, thanks to everyone who sent their concern, I am truly grateful. I hope to be able to get back to St George for a visit this year. It may be sooner than I had planned now.
Hope you all had a great weekend and a good week ahead.
Love

Annie and Family

Hometown Blues....

2010-03-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

I have just finished watching an ABC News report on my home town of St George in South West Queensland. They are in flood and as of today are the major area of concern for that region. This shot of the towns' bridge doesn't give you the full sense of how high this water is - usually the water runs about 30 metres below where this truck is driving through!

I also saw an interview with an old school friend of mine - her house is about half a block back from the rivers 'normal' edge. They are evacuating their family and pets as we speak.

What is a bit scary too, is that since this whole region has been drought ridden since I was a small girl, how many of the people who live there will have insurance for flood cover? My parents, brother and his family have been trying to raise their household goods up today and we believe the water will be about a foot into my parents yard sometime tonight - if the water continues to rise as they fear, their house will have water inside it tomorrow. And their house is 4 blocks away from the river!! I know that they don't have flood cover. But you know, we will deal with that if or when it happens and as long as they are alive and kicking.... I don't care.

Send out a prayer or two tonight, though, if you wouldn't mind. Thanks, Annie

birds of a feather...

2010-02-18T23:43:00.000-08:00

Cloth to Creation

A friend from Brisbane put this gorgeous birdcage she had made for a friends birthday on her blog and it inspired me to find a few other feathery friends to show.....

That Vintage

The Purple Finch

Bespoke Press

**all pictures courtesy of artists websites/blogs**

moroccan magic....

2010-02-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

This is a new version of my old fave, Moroccan Rhassoul Goat Milk soap.

Flashied up a bit for the Design Centre's Makers Market this weekend, I've layered it in two pours and added a touch of glamour with a seam of Gold Mica through the middle!

With all the bars together, the log looks like a big latte or a hot chocolate!! Mmmmmm.......

New Soap Logs

2010-02-04T23:08:00.000-08:00

Thought would just pop a few shots of my latest batches that I have done up for the upcoming Design Centre Market that's in conjunction with Launceston's Festivale celebrations. Check out what else is happening over the 3 days here.

This first one is my old favourite Vanilla, Pomegranate & Black Currant. I added a spash of pink clay at the end and was really thrilled to see it come out in some really great patterns. You never know what you'll end up with with each pour.

Then I had a play with layering a soap log - this one's my After Dinner Mint but in log form instead of the round bar. This took 3 separate pours and I've used non-bleeding oxides so the colours won't run into each other. I was really pleased with how well it came out, I just hope the layers stay stuck together!!!

The market is on in City Park, along with the rest of Festivale, from 11am till 4 pm Saturday 13th Feb. Spread the word!

I'm looking forward to it, but think with the numbers that come out for Festivale, it could be a big day - best get to making more stuff to sell!

Putting the Paint Brush down

2010-02-03T21:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some piccies of our spare room all finished (well except for a bit of trim!). We are really happy with the lovely fresh colour and can't wait for our first visitors in a week or so to come and try it out!

The only downside is I strained a ligament in my ankle from hopping up and down from the ladder!!

Bit of a hard room to photograph with the light, but it still looks so much better than the before shots! Check out the difference from the blog entry below....

Summer Holidays...

2010-01-28T00:06:00.000-08:00

I am in the middle of a week off. This is what I have been up to.....
Our spare room has been in dire need of a 'freshen up' and I decided to use this time off to do something about it.

First, the untouched room (kinda messy I know!)...... dark and dingy with lovely apricot walls!!!

Then the bogging, plastering and sanding (some seriously big cracks here folks!)....

This is my handy(man) husband.... bless.......

Then comes the undercoat and edging (we are using a Dulux colour called Monterey Green in a quarter tone) should be lovely and bright.....

More soon....just waiting on the first coat to dry.....

more new soaps!

2010-01-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help myself...... I tried, but I was just too weak....... it was such fun the first time, I didn't see how it could harm anyone...... I just had to do it all over again!

I made more soap!!

These are my second, sorry... third try - the second did not work out (very messy!) - at the cold process soaps I mentioned a few entries ago. I went with the olive oil or 'castille' soap again and this time I split the final batch into two lot and fragranced them separately.

One I did with Lavender and Geranium essential oils (I have recently rediscovered Geranium - I love it as an essential oil, but the aroma just kills me! By putting it with Lavender, it's mellowed out nicely enough that I really like them together), and the other with Rose and Vanillla natural fragrance oils and a dash of pink clay. I wanted to see if there was any difference in curing times and such between using straight essential oils and fragrance - turns out the fragrance oils set the soap quicker. Interesting.

As before I have rolled them into the balls and this time I 've also coated them in lavender flowers and rose petals respectively. A bit tricky to get the lavender flowers to stick evenly, but I am happy enough with them all for my first try.

Just waiting on them to cure and try them out. All going well, I might be able to have some on the stall for the Design Centre market that's due to happen at Festivale here in Lonnie in Feb. If not then they should be ready for other markets sometime after that.

The Nebulous Kingdom

2010-01-12T23:44:00.001-08:00

A big Thanks goes to Tabitha Emma for introducing me to this completely wonderful french artist Anne-Julie Aubry.

In fact I was so taken with her work that five minutes after I found her through Tabitha's blog, I bought some prints from Anne's Etsy site here.

The two prints I bought are below and I am waiting with such anticipation of their arrival! Plus I am planning my next buys as I can see a wall being covered with these amazing illustrations!

Les Cocquelicots (Poppies)

The Red Room

**Photo's courtesy of artist**

new soap on the block...

2010-01-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

Just a quick one to show what I have been up to of late. Since we are so hell bent on racing right into the new year as if Christmas never happened, it's been a challenge to find the time to just sit down and write a blog entry or two. Not to worry, am sure I will get back into the flow of things soon.

I have been wanting to get into whats known as Cold Process soap making for some time now. Our kitchen in our old house in Brisbane was so small I had no room and I am not totally sure why it has taken me so long to do this now I have the space here in Tassie - but last Wednesday I got myself a hankering and I made my first batch of soap complete from scratch!!

Cold Process is the age old way of making soap - combining a lye solution (caustic soda + water) with a fat or oil. Traditionally lard or tallow was used along with ashes from kitchen fires. But we have come a long way since then! Check out Erin from Inner Earth Soaps goodies here for an idea of some of the great possibilities!

I have always loved castille soap made from olive oil, so thats what I have made here. It can take a little longer to make and is quite a soft soap to work with, but I am looking forward to its awesome skin benefits when we start using it!

I have been wanting to make hand rolled soap balls for a while as well, so I have had a play with that and have even rolled some of them in poppyseeds to see how that goes. These ones might be good for say, a gardener, who needs a little more help with removing soil and grime.

I scented the batch with a dash of sultry Ylang Ylang, a splash of uplifting Bergamot and a squeeze of zesty Lime.

Now all I need to do is be patient for the 3-4 weeks it will take for the caustic to cure out and the soap to be safe to use! At the moment I still need to use gloves to handle the soaps.

I can see now how these kinds of hobbies can take over your spare room......then your house....then your life!!

all you need is love....

2009-12-29T23:07:00.001-08:00

This is a video that I caught a snippet of on Sunrise this morning and then had to go find it to see it in full.

This is the blurb from the Channel 7 website:

"On December 7th, 2009 at 1:30pm GMT Starbucks invited musicians from all over the world to sing together at the same time to raise awareness for AIDS in Africa. In that one breathtaking moment, musicians from 156 countries played "All You Need is Love" together.
Watch now, as musicians from all around the world come together and share a song. Join in by lending your own voice to http://StarbucksLoveProject.com.
Watch streaming video from countries around the world and then join in by singing All You Need is Love yourself. For each video submitted, Starbucks will make a contribution to the Global Fund to help fight against AIDS in Africa."

Check out the YouTube video here. What a beautiful, brilliant idea! Have to admit I got a little teary and goosebumpy!!

Spread the word....

one After Dinner Mint coming right up....!

2009-12-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

The winner of my soapy giveaway is............... Deb, from Two Cheeky Monkeys!!!

Congrats Deb! Check out her great Etsy site here (my favourite is her 'Something Blue' - blue rose and filigree headband).

I have to admit I chickened out and did the 'pull a name from a hat' trick - too hard to pick otherswise!!

Thankyou everyone who took part - all really wonderful stories to share.

I hope this has inspired a few others as much as it has me!

Deb, I will be in touch with soon to organise the delivery of your very own After Dinner Mint soap!

Enjoy!

What Inspires YOU?

2009-12-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

Maybe I am being inspired by the time of year, or maybe it's the great response to my last post.... I'm not sure. But I have decided to do my very first giveaway!

Up for grabs is one of the very first 'after dinner mint' soaps that I mentioned last time. With a scrummy chocolate outside and a fresh spearmint centre - these 100 gram bars are sure to be a joy to use in the shower!

This is what I am after...

I want to know what has inspired you recently.

For me it has been the new soaping book I bought - lots of new ideas and things to try. You know how you can get stuck in a bit of a rut and the thrill can kind of fade? Well for me, I am excited about soaping again and can't wait to try out new shapes, colours and forms.

So tell me what gets your blood firing and adrenalin pumping? What keeps you awake at night dreaming of 'what could be'?

Pop your story in the comments, be sure to give me a way to contact you and you are in to win!!

After Dinner Mint anyone?

2009-12-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

This is my first attempt at a dual layered soap - that is, joining separate pieces of soap into one bar.

I am calling it the 'after dinner mint' bar - it has organic spearmint oil in the light green centre and serioulsy yummy chocolate for the outside.

Smellin' good people....!

This is a full sized bar with a 'bite' taken out that I thought people could use as a guest soap or for a hand basin.

I got the idea from the new soaping book I just bought and there are heaps more I want to try! What fun!!

I think next time I might try a vanilla centre with the chocolate outside or even say a clear, red 'jelly' centre with a light brown cinnamon outside - JELLY DONUT!!!! Woohooo!!

New soap mould - Batik Dome

2009-12-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

Just a quick one to let everyone know I'm still kicking..... Christmas.... crazy time.....

Had a great weekend at the Civic Homespun Markets, with really good sales for my last market of the year and even better company in the form of Isis, Raewyn and Gayle.

It's a bit of a fun time for me at the moment as I received a new soap mould and this great soap book called Soapy Love! It has given me some great ideas and I can't wait to start trying some of them out! Check out the authors website here.

The new mould is a batik style pattern in a dome shape, which I think will make it a good bar to hold onto whilst sudsing in the shower. A workmate ordered some of my Vanilla, Pomegranate and Black Currant soaps and so I whipped these up yesterday.I am liking the idea of a solid coloured bar, with perhaps a light dusting of say, gold mica, in the grooves of the pattern for a really rich looking bar of soap. Hmm... so many options..... what fun!

Homespun

2009-12-08T22:36:00.000-08:00

Just a quick blog to let everyone know I am doing one last market for the year. I'll be at the Civic Homespun Market this Saturday 12th from 10am till 3pm.

I'll be lucky enough to share a double stall with Isis (with her awesome journals) and a few friends, so we should have an interesting range of goods to offer.

If anyone else is like me and hasn't started on their Christmas shopping, with 2 weeks to go..... This is a great opportunity to pick up some very groovy, very different and very appreciated pressies!
Hope to see you there!
Pilgrim Hall, Paterson Street (opposite Myer Carpark), Launceston.

More from Niche

2009-12-01T23:22:00.001-08:00

Too many great stalls to do justice to them all! This is just another snapshot of the weekend.

Apologies to all the amazing stallholders I have left out!

Life as a Bird Florist - I watched these beautiful flowers and arrangements walk out the door every day!

The Ruby Pear stall

Rebecca Roth - beautiful resin jewellery - gorgeous colours and style

Hungry Kitty - scrummy cakes, biscuits and more that kept all us other stallholders alive for the weekend! Contact Naomi here.

Susie of Black Eyed Susie

Isis, with trusty offsider Raewyn, and her brilliant recycled journals - we were side by side for the weekend (awesome company!) - also met her lovely partner Damian.

Find Your Niche

2009-12-01T23:03:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to pop some photos from the weekend's Niche Market. Three days of glorious handmade and design heaven.... sigh....
It was great to see some faces from the previous Niche Market and lots of new goodies as well. To all those who came along, a big thanks! Weather was a bit of a challenge, but heaps of folks braved the elements in order to bag a designer bargain and get a jump start on Christmas Shopping!

My little corner of Niche...

The always lovely Sophie from That Vintage

3 Blind Mice - 'upcycled' candles - just beautiful

Vee (The Purple Finch) and Kate (3 Blind Mice)

Sam & Maya from Hideyo - amazing origami artworks and bamboo clothing - contact them here

More soon......

Hi Ho Hi Ho.. it's off to Niche we go.....

2009-11-26T01:59:00.000-08:00

With a last minute scramble to get stocked for Niche, I have found these great Bath Bombs through my work (we are a clinic and a beauty supplies wholesaler).

I was kind of looking for anything to help me bulk out the table and I use these myself and really like them.

I know that my usual MO is to have made everything myself, but desperate times and all that. Plus having sussed out their ingredients, it's nothing I wouldn't have put in myself. So I am happy with that.

I will have four 'flavours' to sell: Tropical Guava, Hawaiian Lei, Green Tea and Lemon Verbena.

They are all YUM! and last for ages if you break them up.

So now I am as set as I'm going to be and I am trying to just relax and look forward to meeting heaps of new people and getting to hang with ridiculously talented and clever folks for 3 days!

10 till 4, Inveresk Art Space..... see you there!

Holy Stock Levels Batman!!!

2009-11-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

It's two days till Niche and I find myself the only remaining half of a duo. Natalie, who was sharing the stall with me, can no longer join me for the 3 day market and I am now frantically trying to create enough stock for the other half of the stall!
No fault of her own, poor girl has had a multitude of problems hit her all at once. Such is life....
So here I was coasting into the market thinking I had everything set and done a week in advance, but I was up a 6 this morning making more candles and a few batches of soap.
I won't have a huge range of soap to offer this time around (no ingredients) but have done up three of my fav's instead: Vanilla, Pomegranate & Black Currant; Spearmint & Rosemary and Moroccan Rhassoul.
I figure whatever I have will just have to be enough and if I sell out I will just take orders!
Wish me luck!

The Great Soap Giveaway....

2009-11-23T00:56:00.000-08:00

Just a quick entry to let everyone know about a great giveaway that Erin from Inner Earth Soaps is currently doing.
If you are anything like me, a gorgeous handmade bar of soap is one of life's true pleasures and Erin is giving away a surprise package of soap once a month for 3 months to one lucky person!

Just click here for more info and best of luck!

ONLINE Baby!!

2009-11-19T21:38:00.001-08:00

I am so stoked right now!

The very lovely (and very kind) Tameeka of Civic Homespun Market fame has let me join the online shop she runs through the market website.

I only sent her the information and pictures last night and she has already put the pages up for me!

I even have my own little "candles and soaps" section! How cool is that?!

At this stage I will make any orders as they come in. I'm still small enough to not really have the space (or moola) to have lots of stock on shelves.

Plus I have no idea what people might look at buying, so it works out better for me this way for now.

Check out red bamboo's first online store here!

Thanks Tameeka!!

reasonable absences......

2009-11-17T22:02:00.001-08:00

Ok... so I haven't blogged for awhile....

This is the reason why!

These are some of the candles, melts, tea lights and lip balms I've been furiously making over the past few weeks for Niche, with more curing as I am taking this picture.

This 3 day designer market hits Launceston from the 27th - 29th November (10 till 4) and looks to be a huge event. Lots of familiar faces from the last Niche market, near Mothers Day, earlier this year, but some very tempting new folks as well!

After such a great response to my candles at the last market and in the time between, I decided very early on to concentrate on that side of things this time around and bring aboard Natalie from Gypsy Hill (more info soon), to fill the other half of the stall with her beautiful soaps.

That way it has saved me both the cost on ingredients and some serious production time! Plus we can spot each other for loo breaks over the weekend!

These are some new mosaic containers that I managed to get from my suppliers at a good price as they are a discontinued line - but I thought they would make a great 'Yuletide Collection' being red and green. I picture them in the centre pieces of folks Christmas dinners and so have filled them with fragrances such as: Tangerine, Applejack (red apple and cinnamon), Vanilla and Rhubarb. Hope folks like them.

Tell one...tell all... come along and see what great talented and craftie people we have down in Tassie!

Nifty New Niceties for Niche....

2009-11-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

Am finally getting around to working through my production list for the upcoming Niche markets at the end of the month (eek!).

These are the new lip balm tins I mentioned a while back - I am really loving the little vintage tins and had fun making up new blends for lip 'shmackin' goodness too!

They all contain ingredients like Coconut Oil, Beeswax and Vitamin E, plus I add Organic Honey for extra softness and just a hint of sweetness!

I've done up four blends for the market:

Mandarin Mimosa (with gold Mica)

Spearmint & Lime

Vanilla & Red Grape Extract

Rose (with gold Mica)

This is one of my soy tea lights that I am testing for burn time and fragrance throw - this one's Cinnamon Sugar - yum!
The aroma is filling my kitchen and making me hungry......
Today I've made up Vanilla, White Tea & Ginger, Vintage Rose and Jasmine tealights - they are setting as we speak.

More touring...

2009-11-02T00:32:00.000-08:00

This is becoming a bit of a tradition with anyone coming to visit with us down here - a trip to Penguin on the north coast and a photo with the big penguin (complete with halloween pumpkin on his head!?).

Aren't my folks cute?

Today we hit the Deloraine Craft Fair - it's HUGE! A bit tricky for us to get around to everything but we managed to see maybe half of what was on offer. Looking forward to next year - may even organise a stall for red bamboo.... hmmm.

I got to chat to Maya from Hideyo and she said the four days had been very busy and successful - they sold out of their beautiful origami flowers each day and spent the night and next day making more! Wé'll see them again at Niche in November.

We also managed to stumble apon the Pearns Steam World annual 'Steam Up' weekend. A rather (surprisingly for me) interesting family business centered around the preservation and restoration of old engines and machinery.

As you can see, plenty of rides for the 'kiddies'.....

Back to work tomorrow for hubby and me, then we'll be plotting the next trip....

It's been a little while....

2009-11-01T00:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since I blogged....

The folks are here for a holiday (their first to Tassie) and so our time has been well spent playing proud tour guide.

We have managed to cover some miles since they arrived and with the beautiful weather we have been having down here, it's been nice to get to know all of these wonderful places again and see it through their fresh eyes as well.

Unfortunately my Dad cannot walk as far as he used to, but fortunately, there are plenty of great places to drive to.

One of the places we've been to is Beaconsfield. Most will know of this town because of the Anzac Day 2006 Beaconsfield Mine Disaster. We went through the Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre and were really impressed with both the size of the place and the effort that has gone into it all. Worth a look if you are in the area. What the two men went through is documented really well and I definitely have more of a sense of their survival in extreme circumstances. Scary stuff...

The Centre is also on the sight of the original mine in the area and so you get to walk through ruins of the old pump house - I think it contrasts nicely with the current operating mine.

This abandoned shed lies just back from the main street in the town. Hubby and I had seen it on a previous visit and were pleased to get back again so we could photograph it.
These Californian Poppies are in the garden at a Lavender Farm in Rowella - what brilliant colour! Tassie is putting on her best face for my folks visit - I am totally grateful!
Another driving trip today through the North West of Tassie and tomorrow we are hitting the Deloraine Craft Fair - apparently the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere! Yay!

Tealight Packs

2009-10-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

These are my little Tealights, all grown up and packaged, ready to go out on their own into the world!
I've chosen to put them into packs of 4 for a couple of reasons...

1. They fit neatly into plastic bags I already had - so I didn't have to buy another 5000 bags in a different size from my packaging supplier!

2. The durn things cost me almost $2 each to make and so to make them into a 6 pack, I felt, would have priced them out of the market.

3. Cause I could! No seriously, I kind of like the smaller packs - I think they will make great stocking fillers.

All of this is gearing me towards the upcoming Niche Markets at the end of November. This time around it's a 3 day markets and so trying to 'guestimate' what to make and how much has been a challenge.

I think I have finally got a list of products to make up and am just double checking I now have enough stock to make it all!

And with Christmas looming, I don't think I am the only one who is feeling like we need to get a wiggle on and start getting organised.

How does these things come around so quickly.

On a completely different note.... did anyone see Spicks and Specks last night (21st Oct)? They had a young Australian singer on there named Megan Washington. Such an amazing voice!! Check her out on youTube here and here....

Tempting Tealights

2009-10-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

I love getting to make new things and this time around I have finally gotten to do something I have been wanting to do for some time now.... Soy Tealights!

I've just finished my first few batches of tealights and am really stoked with how they are turning out. I got some awesome new fragrances last week too and so have had a really wonderful morning in the kitchen!

I wanted to give people another option rather than just burning the 'Made in China' paraffin tealights that (granted) you can buy so cheaply everywhere. Plus I think they look nicer too!

Also, the new fragrances I now have in stock are:

Mango Mango: a straight mango fragrance that works well by itself or mixed with other fruit scents.

Raspberries & Violets: sweet and alluring - summer Raspberries combined with the light floral of Violets for the perfect summertime fragrance.

Coconut Citrus Sorbet: a bright, Summery fragrance with the refreshing notes of lemon, zesty lime, creamy coconut milk and sweet vanilla bean. It's the perfect combination of sweet and citrus that that will make you dream of summer days!

Sandalwood: This fragrance will add a woody, lush and sensual note to any blend. It blends well with Citrus notes, but smells great alone too.

Asian Amber: A calming yet potent blend of earthy amber and exotic asian herbs. Strong enough to grab attention without being overwhelming.

Mandarin Mimosa: begins with crisp dew fruit, mandarin, oranges, tangerines and sweet berries. The heart combines a medley of pineapple, mimosa blossoms, peaches, plums, fruity jasmine and soft lavender. The base is a beautiful lily and vanilla. I know this sounds like a lot of aroma's, but it works so well!

Green Tea & Lemongrass: this bright and natural smelling citrus fragrance is a complex blend of sharp lemongrass balanced with the rounded notes of green tea. Fresh and uplifting.

Himalayan Bamboo: a complex union of bamboo foliage and rich green florals. The subtle character of this fragrance is calming rather than overwhelming, good for where a room filling, not house filling fragrance is desired.

At the moment I am loving the Himalayan Bamboo and Asian Amber, but the Coconut Citrus Sorbet is coming in a very close third!

(I have to stop buying more and more fragrances.... it's becoming an obession!!)

miss me much?

2009-10-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of our cats, Joseph, shot late yesterday afternoon after we got back from a few days away in Hobart.

Either he missed me and was trying to immerse himself in my handbag so we couldn't leave again without him or.....

.....he's a great accessoriser!!!

I guess black really does go with everything!

Holidaying in Hobart

2009-10-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

We have just gotten back from a quick weekend away in Hobart (the other city in Tasmania). Arriving home it struck me as a little surreal to be driving home after being there, instead of flying back to Brisbane!

Drew managed to find the loveliest Bed & Breakfast for us to stay in. Wayne and Lynn Parkes are two incredibly welcoming and gracious hosts and Clydesdale Manor was a beautiful building that immediately felt warm and comfortable. Whether in the lovely garden or the warm and cosy sitting room in front of the fire sipping port. Such a hard life......

After arriving Friday we hit the Salamanca markets first thing Saturday morning. This is one of the largest markets I've been to and while there are definitely some great stalls, there was also a lot of the 'usual fare'. But, I do think I have been spoiled by being part of some amazing handmade design markets, so imported goods don't excite me that much anymore.

After the markets we went driving and found the Wooden Boat Centre at Franklin. This shed sitting on the side of the Franklin River plays host to an information centre, but they also run wooden boat building courses (an 18 month diploma and shorter 7 weeks course where you build a wooden dingy!). Very interesting to see and good to hear that crafts such as this are being kept alive by a passionate few.

Today was a mosey back to Lonnie with a stopover at Stefano Lubiana wines in Granton - about 20 minutes from Hobart. We were a bit taken with a few of their wines and a good few dollars later staggered out with a cartonful!

We also stopped off in New Norfolk at The Drill Hall Emporium. This amazing store is full of the wonders and wares of yesteryear! Everything in the store was very well displayed and in great condition. A bit pricey for us 'non-Antiquers' but well worth a wander if anyone is in the area.

All in all, a very lovely weekend - possibly the last free one before Christmas!!

Soap Arrival!

2009-10-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

I am so stoked!!! What a great 'parcel' day!
Two orders arrived (always fun to unpack) plus my soaps from Bunny Bubbles Designs!

These were a prize from the SAFE challenge of BonBons n Booze a few weeks ago. These lovely little chappies have come all the way from the US - thanks Terry!

Looking forward to my bath tonight!!

New additions

2009-10-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Just quick entry to showcase the newest additions to my product lines. Have been looking for an interesting container for lip balms for some time now - kind of over the glass jar look. Found these little guys through one of my suppliers and they are on their way here as we speak. They still hold the same amount as my previous containers, but I hope that folks will like their 'old world' vintage charm as much as I do.

The second newcomer are these polycarbonate tealight cups. I've ordered clear ones so I can colour the candles themselves or leave them plain white. I have been feeling bad about selling the soy melts and then leaving folks to use the nasty paraffin wax tealights in their burners.

At this stage I hope to make up some plain, unscented ones as well as fragranced ones that people can use in colourful tealight holders or around the bathtub - anywhere really! Will see how they go anyway.

Playing with backgrounds

2009-10-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed I have been 'tinkering' with the look of my blog. You know how you can just get too used to how something looks and need a fresh feel to it?
I was put onto these two sites that offer free backgrounds for blogs and such. Very easy to install and they give you all of the instructions needed. There's dozens to choose from and you can even pick seasonal or celebration themes (ie autumn or christmas).
If nothing else, just feel free to have a look here and here.
Whether or not I keep the backgrounds is anyones guess - I do think that they can make the site download a little too long - but we shall see. It's fun for now...

Recovering nicely....

2009-10-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! Thank you to all who posted comments on my last blog entry - I certainly appreciate everyones concern!
So here's an update on how I am 'recovering' from my Chinese massage torture... I mean treatment!!
The bruises will be with me for some time yet I think, but I am happy to announce that I am nowhere near as sore as I thought I would be - yay me! I managed to get through my massages yesterday quite well.
However, I did wake up in the morning with a ruptured capilary in my right eye.... hmmmm. I have let the business know and will go in tomorrow to actually show them. On a curious note though, I checked my iridology charts and it seems that this spot in my eye where the capillary is, correlates to the area for the shoulder blade in the iridology eye chart! And it's definitely where the therapist was seriously concentrating on!
I agree with everyone too - I think it may have been a bit of overkill with both the cupping and the massage itself. I do feel looser, but would be hard pressed to book in again for another treatment! I know that I can get as good, if not better results by working with the clients body rather than beating it into submission.
On a lighter note, it was a bit fun to freak out all my regular clients yesterday by showing them my back!!

Equipment Malfunction.......

2009-10-09T01:52:00.000-07:00

Ok.. here's the thing... being a Massage Therapist means that on the odd occasion, my 'equipment' can malfunction. That is, my back can ache, my shoulders can tighten up, my neck won't move and I have a headache that last for.... oooh, about a month or so!

So getting maintainance for myself, while vital, is funnily enough, often far down on my to do list. Kind of a 'do what I say and not what I do' thing. Especially since I coach all of my own clients into regular treatments!
Anyhoo... a Chinese Massage business has recently opened here in Lonnie and after hearing from one of the girls I work with that she was getting good results, I picked up the phone and booked an appointment for earlier this afternoon.
HOLY GUACCAMOLY!
I have had chinese massage before (I've studied it myself) but I have never had this much cupping ever before in one hit and although I realise that this style of treatment is not light and fluffy, there were honestly times that I was ready to hop off the table and clock the young guy digging his elbow repeatedly into my back!
It hurt to move my arms just on the 5 minute drive home - heaven help me tomorrow as I am working and have massages of my own to give!
The picture below tells the tale - these should fade in a few weeks or so! Oi!

No pain, no gain...right??

New Stockist for Red Bamboo

2009-10-08T00:54:00.001-07:00

I am terribly excited about the news I got today that Michelle from Nook in Brisbane is going to stock a selection my Soy Candles and Melts.

My box of samples arrived a few days ago and she has been burning them in her shop. I am looking forward to making her order up and can't wait to hear how they go up there. Yay!

Although it's funny that I moved down to Tassie only to be sending products back up to Brisbane! But I feel Nook is a very good outlet for my style of product and market - it's the kind of store I like to shop in.

Thanks Michelle!

Bespoke Letterpress Giveaway

2009-10-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

This is a brilliant giveaway by the very generous folks at Bespoke. Bespoke produces the most exquisite hand made letterpress paperie and I have been savouring their blog for some time now like the quilty pleasure that it is!

When I came across this blog entry, I had to share (and not just because of the chance to score an amazing prize!), but also to support the work they are doing with emerging artists.

Earlier this year, Bespoke decided they wanted to be able to help launch young designers & illustrators. To be able to have to their work crafted on a vintage letterpress is a dream way beyond reach for most young designers.
So they opened the table for illustrators across the world to submit their work - The only rules were they must be emerging illustrators and they must produce a three colour illustration. See here for the results.

Some of my favourites are below:

So take a peek and see if there's anything that catches your eye.

It's been such a popular blog entry that there are 232 comments - takes you forever just to scroll through them all!

Driveby Deloraine

2009-10-04T03:15:00.000-07:00

Finally!.... a weekend without rain!

We took this opportunity by the horns and went for a long overdue 'Sunday Drive'. We were headed for the Honey Farm at Chudleigh, only to find that the one Sunday the place was closed was today!

Slightly ruffled but not defeated we decided to hit the road again and see where we ended up.

Deloraine sits on the Meander River and is about 50kms west of Launceston. We found a lovely spot for a quiet lunch by the river at the Deloraine Train Park. That's where we spotted this little guy - what a cutie! I'd never seen a duck this colour before (all tan body and very orange feet!) and was quite taken with him. I've called him 'Desmond'.

This appears to be perhaps an old mill - certainly the trains would have passed beside the building and it looks like some renovations are being done. So our Sunday was capped off by sitting on the banks of the Meander River, eating a very good vegie pastie, drinking ginger beer and watching the ducks (and local families) play. Not a bad life really......

Custom Candles

2009-09-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to show (off!) some custom candles that were picked up this morning. Mel first found me at the Niche Markets in May and has been kind enough to keep coming back for more and bringing along her empty containers to be refilled. This time she gave me some different containers of her own as well as ones she had bought from me. The challenge is to get the right amount of wax to fill them and the right wick for the candle to burn cleanly. What fun!Mel's chosen fragrances this time around were: Vanilla, Pomegranate & Black Currant (my fave); Rhubarb; White Tea & Ginger and; Cinnamon Sugar.
Also had a play with layering the colours in the candles - the far left (hard to see) is pale yellow with white on top and the second from left is a pale pink and white. Am quite happy with how they turned out. Looking forward to hearing how they burn for her.
In the background are the two candles I have made up for Michelle of Nook wrapped and ready to be posted.

Suds Overdose!

2009-09-30T02:30:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a few entries ago that I had been lucky enough to win some soap through a competition run by SAFE - well, Terry from Bunny Bubbles Designs emailled me and I am awaiting (breathlessly!) my soap to arrive!

I believe I have won her winning entry to the Bonbons & Booze competition!

Check out some of her other quirky creations! These are all soaps!

Nook

2009-09-30T01:57:00.001-07:00

Back after a lovely warm weekend away in Brisbane (the weddding was lovely, thanks everyone who asked. The newlyweds are spending their honeymoon in Fiji - here's hoping the Tsunami warning didn't come to fruition where they are staying!).

While in Bris, I was lucky to meet Michelle who owns and runs a handmade designs store called 'Nook' in West End. It's only 6 weeks old, but already looking very much at home in this fairly understated, but hip and happening, suburb of Brisbane. Nook runs out of the front of Michelle and her partners home and they have done a great job with its presentation - there's even a rather tasty looking organic garden patch to wander by as you come through the front gate.

Nook already stocks That Vintage and Michelle stocks some of her felt goodies in our very own Ruby Pear!

Also part of the goodie hoard is Hot Toffee - it was great to see some of Nicole's work again.

Kind enough to let me sneak in before opening time - Michelle and I spoke about perhaps stocking some of my candles and melts. I've done up a Vanilla, Pomegranate & Black Currant Soy Candle and a White Tea & Ginger Soy Candle for her and will pull together some different melts for her to play with. I'd would be very proud to have my little candles in her store!

The only thing I am unhappy about is that it opened after I left Brisbane!

All pictures courtesy of Nook's blog