New Candles, Lotions and Fragrances

Finally got to take some photos of the new palm wax candles I've started making. They take a bit more work than soy wax - both making and cleaning up! - but I think they have a great look to them with the pearlised crystal patterns they produce as they cure. I'm also having fun with dyes as well. Palm wax is one of those ingredients that have a bad reputation in regards to how it is harvested - often it is done in non-sustainable ways - the wax I've found has been sourced and partnered with a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. This organization was founded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and heads of government and industry involved in palm cultivation. So I am happy to use it in my products. The lotions have come up great in their new bottles - these also took some extra work to fill as the necks are much smaller and harder to pipe the lotion into them! But I persevered! I have only done up 9 for the Homespun Markets next Saturday - just to see what feedback I get.

I was also pleasantly surprised to receive a fragrance order very quickly from one of my suppliers - I didn't think it would get here in time for the markets.

The new fragrances I am going to play with are:

Ancient Sedonia - Orange Blossom and Bulgarian Rose and Vetiver, plus notes of Sandalwood, Bourbon Vanilla, Amber (whew!!) - reminds me of the prefume Dior Addict to be honest!

Applejack - this has warm and spicy top notes of Cinnamon and Cloves rounding down to the mellow scent of Red Apples - I'm hoping it will be a popular Spring/Summer scent.

Cinnamon Sugar - warm Ginger, Cinnamon, and Cardamom - making a yummy sticky cinnamon bun aroma!

Marrakesh - this one is super strong!! I almost made myself nauseous after I spilt it and couldn't get the smell out of the house for days! Notes of Bamboo, Vetiver Grass, Vanilla Orchid and Myrrh mix beautifully with Tangerine, Patchouli and Clove Leaf. Amazing.

Turkish Mocha - top notes of Milk, Cardamom, Cocoa and a touch of Nutmeg, scents of Vanilla, Honey, and of course, Turkish Coffee - for all those needing a coffee fix!

Passionfruit & Papaya - a very summery, fresh scent combing these two tropical fruits. Yum!

All going well these will be on my stall (that I am sharing with the lovely Mrs Smith and her groovy home sewn cushions!) at the markets.

Batty about Bottles!

These just arrived on my doorstep... so exciting!!!

They are the new bottles for my lotions and potions - I stumbled across the packaging company in a magazine and then again a few weeks ago at the Sydney Spa & Beauty Expo (which gave me an opportunity to see the bottles in the flesh). They cost a little more than my previous containers - but I think they are so worth it!

I wanted simple but elegant and I am really happy with these little guys. For the upcoming Civic Homespun Markets on the 12th Sept, I am planning on doing up my Vanilla & Marshmallow Extract Lotion, as it has been popular before. Plus two new ones: Frankincense & Lime and; Ylang Ylang, Bergamot & Lime. That's the plan at this stage anyway!

Market Update

Time is slipping by and I find myself running around with a hundred
things to do before Niche on the weekend.
But all is not lost as I received the last of my ingredients last Friday and have been busily batching away ever since.
The candles are all done (Tick!), the lotions and body polishes (Tick! Tick!) and I have only two more batches to finish off the the soaps are done too (Yay!).
With a limit on time and a 2 day market to get ready for, I have forgone my usual moulded soaps with the coloured paper wrap and gone for the log style that I can slice into 100g bars. The reduced 'fiddling' makes all the difference!

This is my organic honey and poppyseed log -such a simple soap, but really lovely to use. The other types I have done this time around are: frankincense & rose, lavender & sandalwood, vanilla & blackcurrant, skin sense (with geranium, orange, carrotseed and cedarwood oils), moroccan rhassoul (cinnamon, nutmeg and orange) and spearmint and rosemary. It has been really good to get back into working with my oils, clay and such. It is still as much fun as always! I just hope folks like what I do down here!
I was excited to recieve Cathy's (http://www.pegandkate.com.au/) parcel today - she has been kind enough to let me have some of her brilliant goodies for my stall at Niche.

New is this awesome lunch bag - I have already picked mine out! They are lined with wool so have great insulation and you can use them with an iceblock or frozen popper to keep everything cool. Love it! She also sent some of her great pencil rolls and some made up sets with the Lyra pencils and pens in them already. I am looking forward to introducing Tassie to her wares!

New packaging

Have just finished batching up some hand and body lotions ready for an upcoming 2 day Market here in Lonnie (Niche - but more on this later). I have been having trouble with purchasing the great little bottles I had been using (and were really happy with) and so have gone a different route with the good old amber 'boston rounds'. Still playing with what I will do for labelling, but these guys should get me out of mischief for now.

At this point I have done up batches of Lavender and Rosewood (yum), Frankincense and Rose (deep and heady) and Vanilla and Marshmallow Extract (very soft and feminine). The pictures aren't showing the colours at their best, but the Vanilla and Marshmallow is at the bottom and is a really lovely soft pink - very marshmallowey though that's not what the extract is! The Frank and Rose is in the middle and has come out an almost light ochre from the natural pink clay I have added.

At the top is the Lavender and Rosewood and with adding ivory clay, the colour has gone to a very slight off white. Still debating what else I might make up or if I will leave it as just these three. Thinking of making up my Chocolate and Fig body scrub perhaps. Hmmm....we'll see.

Am still waiting on the rest of my ingredient orders so I can finish the candles and the soaps I have planned. I am actually closer to most of my suppliers then when we were in Brisbane, but it takes just that little longer! How funny.

Getting ready for Market

There seems to be a Market happening every time I look around right now! It's still a lot of fun, but it is also a challenge to keep my stock levels replenished and ordering the right amounts from my suppliers.

I have been blessed to be given an order from a lovely lady by the name of Carol. Carol owns and runs an online Gift Hamper business called 'hamperme.com.au' (well worth a look) and she came across my stall at a market a few months ago.

As these things happen, just as I go to fill Carols' order, my suppliers change two of the containers I have been using since last year - and they are two that Carol really likes!!
I also have a few orders coming in from some of my Clients at the Spa I work at and another one from the wonderful Raylee (my hubby's Mum!) for friends and colleagues as well.

So, I have been making batches of soaps, lotions and lip balms the past few weeks and thought I would make an effort to get some photos to show some of the process.














Yes.. this is my kitchen table! These are some of the products I have made up in the past few weeks awaiting labels and wrapping.














The 'tottles' (upside down bottles) are now white instead of clear bodied. I am hoping to be able to get the clear ones back as I think they look better (and I can see which lotion or body polish is which!), but unless I buy 10 000 of them in one go..... the chances are slim!