Still fixing it...

Not quite happy with the appearance of this template.  The column settings seem a little too far to the right of the page when viewed, and I can't see how to make the 'blogs I'm following' display properly - theyr'e all a bit squashed.

At the moment I'm not sure if it's a problem with Internet Explorer or a problem with the template.   Whichever it is, hopefully I'll get it sorted out soon.

Updates to come on latest craft fairs etc but I've been a bit busy making gifts for the family lately.  Feel free to post comments here in the meantime!

Just a quick one!

So, the bath bombs are boxed, the shower gel is bottled, and the soaps are all made, bagged and packed.  In case you'd missed all the excitement of my making them, here are some pictures.



"Masculine selection"



"Feminine selection"

We're just sorting out final things for the Billericay Christmas Market.  It's on from 11am - 6pm and has tons to see and do.  Including seeing Santa, visiting his grotto, visiting me, and Daniel Bridge Photography.  Here's a list of who is there: http://www.billericaychristmasmarket.co.uk/Who_will_be_there.html so come and enjoy the carol singing, watch the street entertainers, visit us, and get your shopping done!  :-)

First Festive Fayre!

So, last Saturday saw me ensconced at Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre, participating in their Christmas Fayre.  My stall was in the middle of the set up which was pretty good as it meant people had to walk past quite a lot...

The stall in all it's glory

The weather was cold, but dry and sunny, which brought lots of people out for a walk, and subequently in for a hot drink and a browse. As you can see from the picture above I had quite a lot of items.  In fact, this is my new means of displaying stuff, using deep plastic boxes to store items in. 

Strength Bath bombs

Not only are they easily transportable, they can be sealed and kept fresh for ages, and the labels with info easily tape/tack to the front, making it easy all 'round.  I've only got a photo of one batch here but I did end up with a selection of 4 different bath bombs for sale: Strength, Winter Warmer, Magic Sparkles and Sweet Dreams. The first two are quite masculine in smell, the latter, more girly - both featuring lavender but magic sparkles is super-girly as not only is it a pale lilac colour but it also contains a hint of glitter - though not enough to make your bum shiny when you use it in the bath!

Bergamot, Lemongrass and Black Pepper Shower Gel

Bubblegum Bubble Bath

The bath gel and shower gel were also new; the past few times I have had bath bombs up for sale, there's always been someone who has said, "Oh, I haven't got a bath - I only have a shower" so I thought I'd create something for them to use too!  The green version is a fairly unisex scent and quite refreshing.  The purple version is again a bit more girly, and again has a hint of glitter. 

As if that wasn't enough, I also made up some bath melts - I'd had two types "in hand" so to speak.  However, at the last minute (the day before) I had a bit of a panic and decided I didn't have anything unashamedly girly in the bath melt range, so I knocked up a batch of chocolate and vanilla scented ones.  

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L to R; Indulgent Bath Melts, Spicy Bath Melts, Zingy Bath Melts

Once people got the idea of what bath melts were (despite one elderly lady trying to insist that they were "lavender bags") they proved quite popular, but the highlight of the day was the success of the Sweet Dreams bath bomb.  I'm not sure if it was the fragrance (Lavender, Chamomile & Basil) or the wrapping, but they were flying off.  Thankfully I had the foresight to make sure I had a big batch in hand, I don't need to make anything else this week.

Sweet Dreams bath bomb



This Sunday, I'll be participating in the Billericay Christmas Market, so I hope the snow clears and the sun comes out for a bit, otherwise it may be a bit of a soggy affair.  Having said that, we've got a gazebo which will keep the worst of the weather off, and we have some comfy chairs, blankets and hot drinks on standby.  Why not come along and say hello?  We're at the far end of the High Street, near Subway, so you can grab a coffee whilst you browse.  There's plenty to see and do, plus all the regular shops look as though they'll be open too.  Hope to see you there!

Busy

It may be a foggy day here in Essex, but I can't really see as I've steamed the kitchen windows up whilst busily making bath melts.

I have a good few craft fairs coming up in time for the festive season so I've just done a bit of a 'recce' on my current stock and am not making sure I have enough to tide me over for the first one or two. 

Bath melts are first on the list, to be followed by bath bombs, bath gels and soaps.

For the record, all my ingredients are certified cosmetic grade from the supplier, or, in the case of any edible additions (herbs, salt, etc.) they're food-grade.  Working on getting certification!

As I'm writing this I'm waiting for my bath melts mix to melt, so that I can add my custom fragrance blend for this batch which is a reasonably masculine scent.

If time permits I aim to get a batch of soaps made up as well; they'll be teeny weeny bars - sample size, if you like.  I'll be making several different fragrances over the next few days so when I come to package those up there will be a 'selection pack' type scenario.

After that, I've booked in a 'making day' with a friend.  That's where we get together, swap recipes and ideas and make new product batches up. 

Once those are all under my belt, so to speak, I need to review what I have in hand jewellery-wise.  I think the low-cost earrings are all ok but may need to make up some more pendants, bracelets and 'special' items; earrings or bracelets using semi-precious stones.

If you want to see more details of what I'm up to, or just have general updates then you can also find me elsewhere -
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/RavenstarHandcrafts
Twitter -      http://twitter.com/RavenstarCrafts
In due course, a web page will be up and running, but at the moment, it's still under development.