Now on Folksy and a new Dotty Bag

I now have a Folksy shop - not a lot in it yet but this bag which I made recently is there.

It's made with dyed merino using the seamless felting technique and the embellisments/handle are added by needle-felting (so no sewing).

As you can see it's not a large bag to take all your clutter plus the kitchen sink - but a "pod" style; there'd be room for lippy and a hanky alongside a purse style wallet and mobile, maybe even an ipod also (but I haven't one to try).

More Felt

After a not very good fair Ive plent of stock left so I thought I'd mak some extra stuff for the next fair in Llangollen on the 28th November. With plenty of soap and toiletries and my ever present Corn Dollies it had to be felt - so I've made a few handbags using the seamless technique.

The one above is in dark blue dyed merino with white Shetland cobwebbing - I've one more of the bar and circle toggle fastening but have discovered that the supplier doesn't stock them any more (bit of a B - it's a nice fastening).

The one below is in black dyed merino with grey Suffolk and a touch of white Shetland. Both bags have no sewing or glue - I've attached fastenings and needle felted embellishments by needle felting.

 

This one has already been claimed so I've nearly finished a similar one - but I've used Black Welsh Mountain instead of the dyed merino - so it's all natural coloured fleeces.

I did try a white and pink pod style bag - but I'm not happy with it and it's destined for the bin I'm afraid!

Two More Products

I've been selling bath salts at the Produce Market since the spring - but only just got around to packaging (thanks Corrie) and putting on the website ! Not good with Christmas beginning to loom on the horizon.

They're scented with blends of eassential oils in the fragrances of the three most popular soaps and are a mix of Dead Sea and Sea salts with Epsom Salts.

After that I came up with the idea for another bath product - initially this was going to be scented bath milks in the same fragrance range but then it became much more complex and Shenina Bath was born.


Based on beautifully fine Dead Sea salts there's Goat's Milk and Yoghurt powders there also and the same blends of Essential Oils.

Both have those little wooden scoops included.

Beer Soap

I now have a couple of beer soaps on the Briallen site.

This first one is made with Welsh Stout from the North Wales Brewery, a micro-brewery near Abergele. I added a small amount of raw cocoa butter to get the darker colour.

The one below is from the Purple Moose Brewery in Porthmadog - it's a draught beer (so no bottle in the pic) and the Myrtle Stout is brewed just once or twice a year - mainly for Halloween.



Both breweries have said I can use their logos on my labels and the North Wales Brewery is going to sell my soaps made with their beer from their stands at various shows and festivals.

Herb Sachets

It's a long time since I posted anything here and because of a couple of months severe IP problems (resulting in a change of provider and domain hosting) I've not updated my website either!!

However I've been pretty busy with new products - these little fine calico bags of mixed herbs and spices are drawer scenters. I've used recipes from an 1866 book of household hints.


Two bags fit nicely into the soapboxes, which Corrie of Lomond Soap organised in the spring, so I printed bands to go round them (it's a relief not to have to put all those INCI names on the labels). They've attracted quite a bit of interest at the monthly market over the summer but should make goodly stocking fillers for Christmas.

(I do keep meaning to try one in the bath and see whether it needs the appropriate EOs added for use as a bath sachet).

Eggs Are Not Just For Easter!

Egg shaped bath bombs in their own travelling box - got to be a goodly present at any time of year!

The fragrances are the same as the soaps in the blogpost below

New Soaps Online

Three new soaps on the Briallen site.


They are all fragranced with my own blends of essential oils: Green Angel is a herby/aniseedy one with Sweet Fennel, Khayyam is a rosy blend and Nos Da is a lavender based blend.

Khayyam is named after a damask rose; the original was found growing near the grave of Omar Khayyam and a cutting was plated on the grave of Eward Fitzgerald, who translated his work.

Nos Da is Welsh for Goodnight; when I made some bubbling bath bags with this blend of EOs the testers said it sent them to sleep (one whilst still in the bath).

The Felt Bowl Tutorial

I've taken down the zip file of the tutorial now - if you need a copy then email me.

Fizzin' Eggs

Having read about the qualities of Tapioca Starch (same sort of stuff as Natrosorb) I thought I'd try some in bath bomb fizzies as it apparently absorbs oils, including essential oils, and releases them as it dissolves - also gives a goodly "feel" to the water.

The predominant EO in the blend is Sweet Fennel and there's powdered goats' milk in there also.

I'll probably add a dried flower or two and then shrinkwrap.

Old Rose Melts

Two bath melts with an Old Rose fragrance (essential oil blend).

The smaller one is a Buttercream Melt - blended Shea, Mango and Cocoa butters with dairy butter powder and just a small amount of fizz to aid dispersal.

The larger one has more fizz and is a Chantilly Cream, with Coconut oil instead of the Mango butter.

February Offer

There's a substantial discount on my latest scrubs - but you'll need to find the password from a link on this page - Happy Hunting!


FACE the MORNING
A refreshing facial pick-me-up with gentle exfoliation from the cardamon powder, ultra-fine Scottish oatmeal and golden caster sugar and the emolliant properties of babassu, coconut and jojoba oils which ensure that your skin will remain soft and smooth all day.




HEY MANGO!
This highly moisturising body scrub obtains its lovely colour from the Cornmeal and Mango powder exfoliants. Mango Butter and a blend of oils including Papaya Seed Oil are there to give your skin that pampered feeling.

KARAKORUM
A vigorous salt-based scrub with Himalayan, Dead Sea and Atlantic salts in a base with Kokum Butter and Black Seed oil - a sumptuous and exotic scrub with a spicily fragrant blend of Essential Oils.

Facebook

I've now managed to create a Page on Facebook!

Santes Dwynwen and Valentine

Santes Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers and her day is January 25th and then Valentine's Day will be here before you know it.


This little Corn Dolly is about 17cm/7ins deep (without the loop) and will be going onsite shortly.

I wanted a the heart shape which a double loop provides but didn't want to make the more usual Mordiford Dolly.

Scrub Up For Spring

"A bit premature" you may be thinking!

February, however, is the start of Spring in the old Celtic calendar - it is the month when green shoots start to appear and the snowdrops, Fair Maids of February are in flower. The beginning of February is also Imbolc/Oimelc (Oimelc = Ewes' Milk) when the first lambs would be born (although today there will have been some already).

My three new scrubs will be onsite from the start of February - a good idea for preparing yourself for Valentine's Day (or for a Valentine present!)


All three have had excellent reports from the testers, with no firm favourite. From left to right they are:

• Hey Mango! a medium textured cornmeal scrub for most areas of the body with Mango Butter, Papaya oil and a natural Mango Fragrance.
• Karakorum a more vigorous saltbased scrub with Himalayan, Dead Sea and Atlantic salts in a base which contains Kokum Butter and Black Seed oil - a really luxurious and exotic scrub with a fragrant spicey blend of Essential Oils.
• Face the Morning with powdered Cardamom, Fair Trade Golden Caster Sugar and Grapefruit Essential Oil in Jojoba and Grapeseed oil base. The majority of testers found this suitable as a facial scrub/masque.
  

Keep your eyes on Fresholi Bites for an introductory offer!

(must keep my eyes open for a goodly clump of snowdrops to take a pic)