coconut soap, natural moisturiser and stuff

Well I cut the coconut soap and it was very soft so may come to nothing that one. I will wait and see what happens when it cures. The moulds I bought are a nightmare and have been a disaster so far. They are half rounds so seemed a great idea as a different shape and not hand cut ( My dad has gone on and on about my rubbish hand cut shapes tho he loves the soap itself!). So anyway I decided invest in some nice proper moulds and do one of the ranges eg. shampoo bars in a mould rather than a large bar that is then cut down to size. I made a lovely Rosemary shampoo which is green!!!! and still natural and put it into the mould using a ladel. Poured soap all over my wooden worktops so have to sand them as well at some point, and put them away to cure for 24 hours. Yesterday tried to get the soap out. Banged them, bashed them, put em in the freezer. It wont come out. So I emailed the company who sold them to me. They said put in freezer for half an hour and then leave to stand for 15 mins and try it then. Me being me and today a right nightmare anyway - will come to that in a moment - I forgot them so they are now standing for 15mins but have been in freezer since about 8am and now its 2:20pm! I have a feeling this soap will be ruined and possibly also the moulds. I can always wash it out I suppose. I made a second batch of the rosemary shampoo yesterday using the usual large moulds and it has turned out fine so at least I will have samples of that to send out. No idea about the stuff stuck in the mould tho. I suppose at least I can scrape out with a knife and make into soap balls american style and then we can use for us but we will have lots of rosemary shampoo for the house then and its meant to be best for brunettes. I am blonde ( dyed admitedly but if not I am mouse going grey and no where near to brunette) and M has only a small amount of hair left being somewhat follically challenged - tho it is very dark. I suppose at least we will be clean! The tea tree shampoo is great tho personally I am not a fan of tea tree but it has made my hair great and also has not dyed it purple which is a relief since I used alkanet to make it coloured and did worry it might also dye me! It actually works as an all over body shampoo and soap so I shall market it as such. I will be sending out samples of this soon. I think the moulds may end up being used for massage bars since several people have asked me for them and so far I have not made any or only for us. There does seem to be a market for them. I am really not at all sure about attempting a second trial with them as soap moulds. Besides what is wrong with hand cut natural soap?

Next my day today ( and yesterday) - theres is me half way thru experiments with natural colourings making bath bombs and the citric acid and bicarb all over the kitchen so hazardous to animal if not to me and M rings. He has had an accident at work. I have to pick him up and take to hospital since he cannot drive. He has had some boxes somehow fall on top of him, knocking him out and snapping his head back. he already has a black eye and I got there about 45 mins after this happens, and bruising all over his upper face and nose. I had to leave the kitchen in a mess and so had to lock the dogs away from their water which I do not like to do- they are shut out if I am working for both safety and hygeine reasons but they have to go thru the kitchen to get to their water. Well got to Ms work place. His eye is completely shut. WE go to Rugby hospital. They give him some ointment and he comes home. His car is still stuck at work in Coventry 20-odd miles away! Anyway he cannot work for next few days at least tho its the company`s fault so he wll at least be paid. He asked me to help him put the eye ointment on but it doesnt say if it has to go into the eye or around it so we ended up not using it last night.Today he makes a docs appointment to find out and also he now has serious pains in his neck and head. Doc says whiplash! Use a lavender and wheat bag which we have got and just wait till it gets better. She was disgusted with hospital when she looks at the eye ointment instructions since they just say apply as directed by doctor! Anyway it has to go into the eye not around it. M has spent most of today on pain killers in bed. Personally i think he should try to sue since he has been working at this place for 5 years and has now had 6 industrial injuries. By my reckoning that is an unsafe environment. And this is a national company! Ofcourse he will not do this cos he would probably be hounded out of the job and in the current climate may not get another. Isn`t life rubbish sometimes! His eye looks even worse today tho I supose that must be normal.
On the upside I have 1 new order and also I have been asked to quote for doing gifts for wedding favours which is great. Atleast at last this month I have some work to do. Also Incredible veggie roadshow is in bath next month so I am now counting stock and working out what to make for that. And I have finally made coloured bath bombs!
I am having some difficulty ending on a question tho.Obviously I am not a real writer. Why is it so difficult to do this?

today is the day for a poem.....................

questions in a post

I was reading Tatty`s blog. Apparently to be a good writer you should end your latest writing with a question. Interesting. I will have to try that from now on. Not that I really write this to be a writer but it could be a great skill to have couldn`t it?

Finally my latest pacel has just arrived. It was meant to come on Friday and today is the third day I have had to wait in for it. It is here at last though and worth the wait by the looks of things. I have some new soap moulds - might use for the shampoos so it is easy to tell them appart and loads of natural dyes to play with - and fruit powders - not sure if they dye the soap but I have to try it out and see. The cranberry and blackberry in particular look wild - will they dye or wont they. Wow its hard to end with a question especially since I keep thinking of other stuff to write. maybe I should do a creative writing course! Onwards to doing a google search now to see how to use these dyes. Life can very occasionally be really fun and exciting. i do love january. But will I end with nice coloured soaps and bath bombs???

soap and soap and festivals

I HAVE MADE LOADS OF SOAP. SHAMPOO BARS, NEW SOAPS AND ALREADY EXISTING SOAPS FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. ALSO STARTED WITH EYE CREAMS. I hate the caps lock!!! Should be banned from all computor keyboards! Anyway unfortunately I have never in my life actually bought an eye cream which means I have no idea at all what they are like. Its all a big experiment. I have been given a recipe by an american to try out and to be honest seems prety good but then I have nothing to compare it with so I intend to send to my lovely volunteers to try out to see what you think. I have actually used some every day since making but have made 3 versions and need to know which if any to go ahead and safety assess. Obviously do not really want to pay to safety assess all 3 and probably one is better than the others just I am not to sure which to go with. Anyway sending out today. I am also going to attempt an eye serum but currently I have a problem with containers for this. I will give the company who supplies me a call today. My mum is interested in this one. Other than that I am getting a few new additions and changes together to run past safety assessor with a view to getting everything on the market by May/June. Fun eh! My Grapefruit range is also looking good - waiting now for a parcel which contains natural soap colourings such as clays and spirulina to start to play around with coloured dyes. I am going to attempt a Rosemary shampoo next. I have made a camomile one, a tea tree and neem ( anti nits !! asked for by several customers) a grapefruit one and also I have made a citronella/tea tree/ lavender/eucalyptus anti flea dog shampoo! Ofcourse will be trying them all out on me first but am hopeful about the doggy one in particular cos at least its natural and apparently I have been told when applyoing for a job with a polymer companyt who manufacture dog shampoos - dog shampoo and what goes into it is completely unregulated! I think that is terrible. Ofcourse since it comes into contact with humans when they wash their dog it cannot have anything too unregukated but they do put things in they wouldnt put in human shampoo. Anyway have my own dogs and a mates who is currently interested. It may all be rubbish yet but nothing ventured nothing gained etc. I have also attempted and have yet to find out if it works a coconut milk soap - like goats milk but vegan! Yey as far as I know I am at present the only one in the Uk making this tho ofcourse after posting this that may well change! its looking like a really good soap tho and if it works I shall post the recipe on my website. I think 2010 is going to be a wonderful year. I am going to attempt to do Wesssex folk festival, leamington peace festival and kenilworth party in the park so far - its looking good. Thats as well as several vegan/veggie events. I am also meant to start at Warwick Uni market next month which could be a good one. I used to have a stall there in the 1980s with a mate who printed Tshirts - I did knitwear and jewellery in those days...........it was fun and beats normal markets for both the weather ( its indoors) and the atmosphere - being a uni with bars all around etc. Anyway its all pretty exciting so far - tho have made zero so far this month. I did expect that tho...............

new soap

I finally started to experiment with shampoo bars. Have made Tea tree with neem. Over the last year I have had so many folks asking for this one I had to make it. Its curing now. I will know in about 24 hours what it loooks like cos I have atempted to colour with alkanet root which gives a varying blue/ pin colour depending on pH and quantity of herb used. Then started maing a grapefruit shampoo bar only to realise I have run out of castor oil - essential ingredient in shampoo bars! So had to ring the suppliers to get added to current order. They were at lunch so now waiting for call back. Anyway having been twarted at grpefruit I have made Orange ( normal) soap instead with calendula flowers felcxked thru if for orangey coloured bits - no idea if this will work but I reallyt need to add colour to my soaps. I have also been surfing - virtual style and found a natural food colouring suplier which I shall check out and if their products can be ok`d as vegan may well be taking this further. So have 2 new soaps currently in larder curing and in about a month will be sending out samples to the kind folks who give me feedback. Intending for a lemon and lavender shampoo bar as well since I have been using this one for a whole year and its nice - made using camomile infusion so good for blonds and may also do a rosemary one for brunettes. Heyho I love January - tho making no money at all!!! having said that have an order to deliver locally on wednesday and also have taken about £40 online but its not really anywhere near enough to live on and april is now very close and my savings will be gone after that! Still I may yet make this self employment work. After all the year is not over as yet is it...............