Big announcement inside...HUGE!!

Well hello,

How are we today?

Things have felt a little surreal for me over the last few months, and I've been sitting on my hands trying not to type and tell of my news, but I have just been granted permission to let the cat out of the bag over on my social channels. Ever wondered what it's like to live someone else's life? Well I found out, as for a few weeks my life and world were turned upside down.

Back in September, I was approached by the assistant producer at 'Raise the Roof' Productions who make well know  TV shows. They invited me to apply for the prestigious 'Kirstie's Handmade Christmas' this year, to be aired during December 2017 on Channel 4! If you're not familiar with the show, get a taste for it with some past episodes here...or visit Kirstie Allsopp's website here...

After I'd picked myself up off the floor, and stopped shaking, I decided to just go for it.  I thought 'what's the worst that could happen...??!!'
I have an incurable awkwardness around camera's, not behind them, I love this arrangement, but in front...I just get so nervous, I jibber and feel flustered, so this was a huge thing to come to terms with for me.

What happened next can only be described as a exhilarating whirlwind of phone calls and e-mails to and from the fantastic production teams and casting researchers at 'Raise the Roof Productions'  in relation to my application and 'Handmade Gift' competition entry. All this was happening while I was trying to make Christmas soap stocks in earnest and attending some pretty big events and festivals with my stall. Some of which I simply had to cancel due to filming clashes...but of course I was bound by secrecy so couldn't tell anyone why I was having to cancel...nightmare!

The producer Ali, came to film me in my home for a day and document some processes for my competition entry, we had a hoot. She was so brilliant at putting me at ease, and besides there really wasn't time to think about being nervous. We had lots to cover and had a tight schedule of 4 hours max before Ali's train back to Glasgow.

My home set up for the backstory.

A couple of weeks after filming for the back story, it was competition time...!! Myself and the other 3 entrants made our way, with all our kit and equipment all the way to Honiton in Devon, a mere 7 hours by train  for me (!!) with possibly the BIGGEST bag on record...it was heavier than me! Thank goodness for kindly strangers and strong guardsmen.

We spotted each other at the station as we waited for our driver to take us to the hotel (How the other half live eh?) then met up for tea once we'd settled in, nervously chatting and getting to know each other. Everyone was lovely, excited and really looking forwards to the next day.
Filming was due to start from 10am the next morning, so we were up and at 'em then off to a private residence which was our filming location for the day. The house was simply spectacular, with a room being dedicated to each competition, there were 10 in all, so you can imagine the size of the house! There was no time for exploring, but I'm sure I wouldn't have been found for weeks if I'd found a secret hiding place to sneak into and yes, I was sorely tempted, I can tell you.

The spectacular competition backdrop...so many decs.
Apparently there were rooms full in the attic!!

Trying to concentrate and not being at
 all ready for my close up...crikey!!

My fellow competitors Sammy and Emma...there was one more but he was outside in the workshop.

During the competition, we had 4 hours to make our entry from scratch before it was being judged by some very eminent guests. I was so busy concentrating on my 4 part entry that at times I hardly noticed the high definition film cameras and mic booms looming overhead, but at other times, they were oh sooo close and It was all I could do to focus.

Kirstie was very keen to be involved with us all and tried her hand at everyone's craft which was really lovely. She was just as exuberant and enthusiastic in real life as she is on TV too, such a sweet lady. She put us all at ease and took time to come and talk to us all and even made sure we'd had something to eat mid way through the comp. She was super keen to try my custom soap cutter out...but we just ran out of time.

Although I can't reveal any information about who won...(you'll just have to tune in throughout December on Channel 4) I can say that it was one of the most amazing times I've ever had. Being part of the show has given me a huge confidence boost and pushed me further out of my comfort zone than I ever thought I'd cope with. I felt humbled and a little star struck to be invited to take part in this amazing show, and get to meet and chat to Kirstie and the team,  I've been a huge fan for years.  I've loved every part of being involved in such an amazing adventure, with such fantastic crew and fellow makers, and of course Kirstie herself. It's not over yet, as who knows where this will lead...it's anyone's guess.

In case you didn't know, that's me in the grey dress ;) xx

To stay in touch with all that develops, just click the links below to follow me over on:

 Facebook : @OakwoodSoaperie

 Twitter: @OakwoodSoaperie

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Until next time...TTFN

Ceri

xx

My Goodness it's been a while!!

Hello, hello....what can I say?

It's been FAR too long since my last post but one of my New Year's resolutions for 2015 is to revive my blog and start a newsletter, so in one fell swoop, I'm doing both!!
How are we all doing? Since my last posting I've properly settled in to my studio at Gibside and feel truly at home. I'm there most days busily making, wrapping and generally getting covered in bits of bicarb, flower petals (Grown in my plot in the walled garden) and plant oils....BLISS!!

I've LOTS to tell you but will break it up a bit over the next few months, so fear not, you won't be getting bombarded!
 If you'd like to sign up to our Newsletter, please do so on our website here. As a Thank you, I'll send you a special voucher code to use on our website, it even works for the SALE...giving you an amazing 40% off sale goodies in total!!

Anyhoo, That's it for now, I hope your resolutions are going well, and that you've not broken yet...c'mon, if I can stick to them !!

TTFN,
Love Ceri xx

Big News...Pt # 2

Hi Folks :)

       Well, we're all moved in to my new workshop at the Stables on the Gibside Estate - a beautiful National Trust property right up here in the North East ... HURRAH!!... I'm waiting in for some lovely and huge deliveries today...1 down...2 more to go...soooo I thought I'd let you see some more pictures from around my lovely new workshop....would you like that?

This is my new commute....see what you think...

The Main Gate.

Lovely view of the Old hall...

Nearly there....

Lovely gnarly old tree on the walk up...

Side elevation of the Stables...my workshop is upstairs on the far left wing!!

My first Rosebud Bath Truffles made 'in-situ'

So...what do you think? I've a very happy bunny and can't wait until I get properly making goodies in there. I'll be posting more photo's of inside the workshop very soon so do pop back if you can.

TTFN xxx

CraftFEST 9th - 16th June - The largest worldwide Online Craft Fair

Good morning all, It's gloriously sunny up here in the North East this morning and I can't wait to get out in to the garden again...but first I just have to tell you all about CraftFest!

CraftFEST is the largest online craft fair you could imagine, crafters from all around the world join forces to network and sell their beautiful handmade items for a whole week 24hrs a day, for 7 days between 9th and the 16th June.

We are delighted to be participating this year for the first time and are hoping for lots of  'Creative Connections' with fellow crafters and hopfully new customers too.

With 100's of crafters already setting up their stalls in preparation it should be a fantastic event with a real community feel and some amazing items for sale...no need to even go anywhere, you can view and buy all from the comfort of your favourite chair.

We're gearing up ready for the launch and hope to have a wonderfull week connecting with new and lovely people, hopefully even making some sales...here are some wonderful items we've found so far...

Copper Wrapped Amonite Pendant - Spiral Fountain Jewellery

RoseBud Tote bag - Personal Space Interiors

Child's Pinny's - The Old Button

Pocket Notebook - Handmade in Keswick

For loads more beautiful handmade goodies, make sure you drop in to CraftFEST between 9th - 16th June and pick up something beautifully handmade direct from the crafter.

Our Stall Link is here...come on over for a browse...

Oakwood Soaperie - CraftFest Stall 9th - 16th June 2012

My New Spangly Soap Workshop - guided tour

Spring is underway and what better time to reveal my newly re-fitted workshop? It has taken a while but at long last, I now have a fully functioning and lovely (well, I think so) workspace to design, make and wrap all my lovely goodies just for you.

The Design Hub (well,  really just my desk ;)

I love to have inspiration at my fingertips so any beautiful things I find get put onto the heart rack, for reference later on. You can even see one of the lovely calendars I got made up at Christmas time perched to the side of my screen, birdie keeps a close eye on it for me so I don't forget which day it is!!

Storage, Storage, Storage!!

I now have tonnes of MUCH needed space to make, wrap and store everything, it's already filling up nicely. You can see my crates under the bench - these come to my regular craft fairs around the North East...spreading the Oakwood Soaperie lurve out there...I have space for 12 in total, I think this will do me for a while!!
The far side of the bench has an open cupboard for all my equipment and soap oils, better for easy access mid soaping. All my ingredients are over on the racks in the corner (don't look too close, they need a tidy!)  while this side is my wrapping and postage half...with doors to prevent the labels etc. getting all bits on them when I'm making goodies.
At the back are my new curing towers - I LOVE these, lots of space and good ventillation for curing soaps / drying bath bombs / bubble bars etc. Each basket easily holds around 40 bars...that's a lot of soap!!!

Online stock storage for Folksy, WowThankyou and my new Website

Here are my new shelf units too, when you order from one of my online shops or the website, this is where all your goodies have been waiting for you, ready to be re-homed. As well as the storage shelves above, I also have a space specially for larger orders and wholesale / retail allowing me to have everything in one place. It's much easier to see what I have now and what needs replenishing. I plan to get more stacking boxes to utilise the shelves a bit better but that is the easy part.

Well that's it, tour finished...I hope you have enjoyed a sneaky peek behind the doors at Oakwood Soaperie, it may be small but it's mine and I'm very proud to have done every bit myself, including laying a new floor, all the painting and sourcing and building all that storage. I think it's time for a nice cuppa and back to some soaping...thank you all for coming round :)

TTFN xxx

Our New Website is about to launch.

Well I'm sorry it's been so long since my last posting...what can I say I've been a really busy lady. I have been re-fitting my workshop so I should soon have loads of new storage and surfaces to make heaps more lovely goodies. Once it's complete, I'll give you a guided tour by photo...just need a bench surface and I think we're done :)

I've also been building our own lovely website...I'm almost there, so there is a 'coming soon' and 'about us' page just for now, pop over for a sneak preview...www.oakwoodsoaperie.co.uk
 
I have a lot of wrapping and labelling to do but you will soon be able to buy direct from us...Yay!!
Lots of new products in the pipeline too, keep checking back with us over the next few weeks for new listings.

I am also hoping to open a couple of new online shops at 'Ethical Community' and 'Etsy' so it's all go here!

Well I s'pose I'd better get back to my melts setting up in the fridge and get another batch on the go...in the mean time, here are some images of new goodies to tempt you...Spring is in the air...I know it, bring on the sunshine!!

Autumn has landed!!

Gibside Farmers and Craft Market 1.10.11

        Well here we are in October...I can hardly believe it!!
It's been a little while so I though i'd let you all know what I've been up to lately...apart from making masses of Christmas goodies which will very soon be listed in my Folksy and WowThankyou shops (watch this space), I have been back to Gibside's farmers and craft market (near Rowland's Gill - Tyne and Wear)...I thought you might like to see.




        This time I brought with me some special one off Autumnal goodies, including Brambleberry Swirl soap and a bushel of Apple Bubble bars.

Brambleberry Swirl soap & Apple Bubble Bars

        A bit premature maybe but I also had my new Halloween goodies too, Pumpkin Spice soap and some wee Caspar Bubble bars (very limited numbers left, once they are gone, they are gone - exclusively to Gibside Market!!). Brambleberry and Turkish rose Madder soaps were the hit of the day, selling almost half of my stock of each (hurrah!!). These will be coming back next time (October 15th) as well, with some extra Halloween flourishes...there may be spooky bunting, maybe even the odd lighting up pumpkin or two...you'll have to pop along and see...

Pumpkin Spice soap & Caspar Bubble Bars.

        I took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures of the beautiful setting as well, beginning to look lovely and autumnal with the Horse Chestnut trees and season veg barrows.

Hopefully the weather will hold for next time...

Take care all, wrap up warm ;o)

TTFN xxx

Seasonal Spendour...

Apple of Temptation Bubble Bar

Japanese Plum Bubble Bar

Today has been dedicated to seasonal products here at Oakwood Towers...in between batches of my hubble bubble bars being made up for a lovely order I received the other day...namely new "Japanese Plum" and "Apple of Temptation"...I have been stirring my soap cauldron.

Pumpkin Spice Halloween Soap

 
May I introduce to you, all new and Haloweenified (yes that is a word...I've not just made it up!) Pumpkin Spice handmade soap...It is made with Olive, Sunflower and coconut oils, cocoa butter, carrot tissue oil (for colour and it helps reduce scarring and is very high in Vitamin A) and black mica. The fragrance is a blend of creamy fruit and spice with a hint of cinnamon. It should be nicely cured by the end of September...just in time for All Hallows Eve...





I have also been concocting a new creamed soap for the winter time. Whilst the soap was still liquid, I whipped it up until it resembled whipped cream. It will make for a moussey bar with a very different texture to the usual cold process soaps I make...I fancied something new...This one is aqua coloured underneath with a layer of sea green mica through the middle and white whipped topping...It is fragranced with a blend of pine, eucalyptus and mint. Because she resembles a lovely snowdrift, the kind I could't help jumping in when I was little - (not to mention just last year), I am calling her "Snow Day" I can't wait until she is cut up...I'm thinking extra chunky bars this time. What do you think?

Well, I'd better be off, there tea to get going, and baths to be had...TTFNxx

Time for a spot of indulgence...

         Well, it's full steam ahead here at Oakwood Soaperie. I have been developing some all new recipies and re-vamping some not so new ones. As you may know I was revising the recipie for 'Buttered Rose soap' recently. I must say, I am delighted with the results so far.

Buttered rose - before...pale and interestingly floral

and now - Kapow!!  - in a new guise...

 

        
        I have been experimenting with a new ingredient for me...Madder root. this is traditionally used in dyeing fabric and wool but works very well in soaps too. Instead of infusing in the base oils, it goes straight in with the lye solution and turns it a vivid berry red...

Dried and ground madder root in lye solution.

          Once this has cooled, it gets filtered and mixed into the oils as normal. I had initially intended to make the red only as a swirl through the soap but loved the colour so much went for the whole bar.
I have also added a silkening ingredient in the form of Hydrolised Oats, a vegan alternative to tussah silk fibres, this should give the soap a gloriously soft feel and silky lather - I hope.
          I have also tweaked the essential oils too making them a slightly stronger and more exotic blend of Rose Geranium, Benzoin, Cardamom and black pepper, this mix is wonderfully aromatic, floral and spicey and a bit turkish delighty...my workshop smells divine. The change was such a big one I've also had to think up a new name...so, here we have, introducing her on her debut...

Turkish Rose Madder...I think I'm in love.

           After the success of this one, I also had a think about some new bath melts now that autumn is just around the corner. I have 2 new ones specially made for when the night start to draw in...Beddy Byes and Aahhh....
            Beddy Byes bath melt is specifically designed to pack in as many pampering and sleep inducing ingredients as possible, as well as being an indulgent treatment. It is crammed with cocoa and shea butter to moisturise and lock in the goodness (also one less step before you can collapse into bed), fragranced with calming and relaxing oils of Lavender, Sweet Orange and Tangerine to comfort and soothe. There is also a scoop of tapioca starch in there as this helps soften the water and give a silky feel to it and you. These just go straight into the bath where they melt and realease their magic.

Beddy Byes Bath Melt

   
        Aahhhh..... bath melt is named after the noise we all make on climbing into a well deserved bath. It is a little nugget of pure pampering wonder. The main ingredients again are cocoa and shea butter with a touch of bicarb for a gentle fizz and to help disperse the butters as well as a water softener. The essential oils are the same blend I have included in my Ylang, Sweet Orange and Patchouli Sugar Shower Scrubs. I love this combination and the fragrance lingers on your skin really well. I'm undecided as to whether I should paint the tops with gold mica for extra luxury...what do you think?

Aahhh...bath melt

Once you're in the bath you will have trouble getting back out - I speak from experience, this one is a keeper, I'm loving it.

Well, I have a tonne of soap to get wrapped, I'd better be off, I couldn't resist sharing these little lovelies with you...TTFN xx

MyRetailHeaven interview - click to get the full interview...

http://www.myretailheavenmagazine.com/13971/features/oakwood-soaperie-handmade-soaps-and-skincare.htmlmyretailheavenmagazinefeatures-oakwood-soaperie-handmade-soaps-and-skincare.

Ohh, new stuff....

Well, another busy day at Oakwood Towers...I've been waiting in for my deliveries of new supplies...still one more to come, shouldn't be long now.

To keep myself entertained I have been coming up with some new products and re-vising some of my older receipes to give them a new lease of energy for the run up to Christmas. I'll get to the new ones in a bit but first to the revamped ones.
I have been working on including some luxurious ingredients into my Natural soap range to make them even lovelier. The first one for a re-vamp is SOS Facial bar.

SOS facial cleansing bar with Bentonite clay

 

 

 

 

 

It is made with 2/3 pure olive oil, shea butter and coconut oil and enriched with Avocado and Jojoba.. It also contains Bentonite clay and this is deep cleansing whilst being gentle on the skin. There are essential oils in there to to help sort out any spots or oily areas, these include Lemon, Lavender and Tea tree.

I decided however that this little bar was far too unassuming for it's effectiveness so I have made it more dramatic by adding another combination skin saviour - activated charcoal powder. This gives it a beautiful black colour as well as helping draw out excess oils from the skin, as well as providing a bit of scrub. I mixed it into half of the soap while it was liquid, then poured them into the mould in layers and swirled the black and white liquid soap together. I always love texturised tops to handmade soap so I had to do that too. The end result is below. I will cut this in a couple of days, I'm hoping it will be lovely and swirly black and white inside. I'll cut it into chunky blocks as before, fingers crossed it looks good. This will be fully cured around the 10th September.

SOS # 2 - just poured and glossy.

Next for the re-vamp will be Buttered Rose:

Buttered Rose

I'm really pleased to have at last found UK supplier who sells Madder Root, a dried plant root used to give colour to natural wool as well as soaps. I have been dying to get my mits on some for ages. The plan is to infuse some of my oils with the madder root and then use them to give a gorgeous natural red swirl through the middle of this bar. I am also changing the essential oils a bit as well, so the new version will be creamy and red swirl fragranced with rose geranium, black pepper and cardamom. Reminiscent of Turkish delight I'm hoping :o) Watch this space for further updates...

I have also been concocting some all new bubble bars. These have done so well since I brought out a selection earlier this year, I've decided to add to the range.

First of all we have Japanese Plum - A plum coloured bar with handpainted flowers on the top for prettiess. The fragrance is decribed as "A warm spicy Oriental accord with top notes of fresh lemon and tangerine, leading to a spiced heart of clove, cinnamon, ripe plum and tuberose resting on a base of rich incense, patchouli, soft moss, amber, caramelised sugar and vanilla" It is trully lovely, a girl could become addicted!!

I have added lashings of Rice Bran oil to moisturise and the majority of the foaming ingredients are naturally derived and made from Coconuts.

Japanese Plum Bubble Bars

 

 

Secondly...Mystic Bubble Bar. A turquoisey blue with sea green mica for a bit of mysterious sparkle. Fragranced with a blend described as "A sumptuous blend of pomegranate, raspberry, and plum underpinned with spicy pink pepper, and grounded in a base of patchouli and frankincense."

I have added a good gloop of coconut oil for moisture to this one - just crumble under running water, lie back and relaaaaax...

Mystic Bubble Bar

Well that's all for now, keep checking back for updates on the new versions. They will all be for sale in my Folksy and Wowthankyou shops very soon...TTFN xxx