Flower moons, seedlings and special offers for you x

Happy May peeps!!

How are we all?

If you've checked in recently, you'll have seen that I'm a busy little bee in the garden(s), my own and my botanical plot at Gibside.

I'm determinedly making time for myself this year, regardless of how busy I am with Oakwood Soaperie. This year has started off incredibly well, with an amazing 5 new stockists around the region, more markets and trade events than I've ever attended in the early part of the year, an increase in online orders, and special custom wedding favours, so it's no surprise I'm feeling a little wiped out by it all already. It's fantastic to be kept so busy but I also feel it's more important than ever to look after myself as well, and not beat myself up over the occasional product being out of stock for a short period of time.

With this in mind, I'm trying to slow down and actually give myself the odd days off, doing what lifts my heart and re-energises me allowing me to really focus when I'm back in the studio. This includes walking, cycling, gardening and enjoying the outdoors, in all weathers, well I live in the North East of England, so the last bit is essential really!! I've never really been a sitting around kind of person anyway.

It was a Flower Moon or Milk Moon a few days ago, apparently the perfect time to sow seeds, so I did.

My home plot is now built and planted up with dwarf beans, heritage carrots, colourful beetroot, spuds and mange tout, I have rows of seedling pots on widow sills and this makes me very happy indeed knowing I'm making things grow and bringing new life into my urban town garden. Much as I'd dearly love a house on a hill somewhere in the wilds, it's not happening any time soon. But I've decided for now, to be content with what I DO have already, space to grow, feed us and bring more green into the world.

I've even made a little bee & bee for our winged friends too, do you like them?

Just because....I've made a special 15% discount offer over on my website, this applies to all orders, simply apply the code 'May15' at checkout for discount on your whole order, no minimum applies, runs until May 31st 23.59.

http://www.oakwoodsoaperie.co.uk/oakwoodsoaperieshop/

Happy sunny May people, get out there and enjoy your green spaces, be them your own or a shared space, slow down, feel the green grass beneath your toes, and the sun on your face, dig your fingers into the soil and smell it's sweetness, feel new life awakening...get out there and live it!!

'Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit.' Lillie Langtry

Till next time,

Love, Ceri

xx

All things garden'ey

Happy Easter Peeps!!

I hope you've all had a lovely time out and about during this gorgeous little spell of sunshine.
Unfortunately I've been battling a horrid cough the last couple of weeks so have had less 'studio time' than I'd like, but it has given me the chance to do a spot of much needed gardening at home.

I found out today that it's 'National Gardening Week' so I thought it quite apt to do a wee post about my gardens. I'm lucky enough to have some outdoor space at home, and a lovely plot in the walled garden at the National Trust's Gibside Estate, where my studio is based.

My lovely Botanical Plot at Gibside Estate

My home garden has seen lots of weeding and clearing happening this week, in between bouts of coughing!! I'm planning to make up a couple of raised beds to grow veggies this year, making space by expanding my meagre herb bed and getting rid of some gravel and (sadly) a tree...but it's blocking all my veggie growing light, and the lovely evening light that dances in the sun catchers hanging in my window. I've always grown herbs, spuds (in re-claimed tea chests), and the odd crop of chard, carrots and salad greens but nothing substantial. Hopefully this year will prove more fruitfull (veggiefull!!). The spuds are in, spinach, shallots and sweet pea seeds are in the propagator, and the tree felling should hopefully happen next week, then I'm good to get really cracking. Watch this space.

Do you Pinterest? I love to gather inspiration for things here, take a peek at my gardening board if you like...it's a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Follow Oakwood Soaperie's board Garden gubbins on Pinterest.

Meanwhile in my botanical plot at Gibside, the ground is being cleared ready for the lovely ripe seeds of blue and red cornflowers, marigolds, chamomile, poppies and lots of lovely lavender plants going in over the next few weeks. They are all organically grown without the use of any pesticides or artificial fertilisers specifically for me to use in my soaps, bath salts, bath bombs, truffles and bathing bubbles..

Natural and handmade bath bombs.

Gibside Gardener's soap with my beautiful botanicals lashings of fresh honey from our bees, clays and pumice.

Soap making in action...freshly poured and decortated batches setting overnight.

The real heroes (apart from the beautiful blooms) are the National Trust gardening volunteers who do all the hard work tending and tidying the plot and generally looking after them for me. I'd love to be able to do more in there, but running my little soapmaking business takes over. I do however help with the weeding, watering and do all the harvesting and drying later in the year.

Frosty spring morning looking towards the Chapel

Garden Cottage at Gibside in the morning sun

Here's a little shot of the plot earlier in the year, and then once it was in full bloom last summer, fingers crossed for lots of sunny summer days ahead.

Flowers flowers everywhere

Cornflowers and Calendula

The studio, festooned in drying blooms

Continuing on the garden theme of this post...a date for your diaries...I'll be holding a stall at the beautiful Blagdon Estate just north of Newcastle on Sunday 17th May as part of their National Garden Scheme, garden's open for Charity. The event runs from 1 - 4pm. I'll have lots of flower related soaps, bathing goodies and more on my stall, pop along if you fancy a day out, hopefully the weather will be kind.

Well, that's all for now, I'm off to make candles...Enjoy your garden time folks...I'd love to hear what you're planning in your gardens this year.

TTFN

Ceri
x

Clocks took a step forward, I took a step back...

What a glorious day!! Wall to wall sunshine and it's only just got dark :O)
Today was full of lovely scenery on another fab walk in the countryside. Hubby and I took off to a local nature reserve and reservoir for a stroll in the sun (even got my arms out, that hardly EVER happens). We saw a huge heron, 2 grebes flirting on the water, 2 swans serenely swimming and sadly a squashed mouse :O(

On the way home we stopped in at a plant nursery for some seed potatoes and herblings for my newly dug veggie patch. I spent most of the late afternoon potting, trimming, digging and watering...bliss. Soap making is on the agenda for tomorrow, it doesn't get much better than this ;O)
I have told myself this is the first small step towards regular time out to relax, step off the treadmill of life and find the real me. One can only go hell for leather for so long...it does nothing for ones creativity and inspiration. Pics will follow shortly...
Till next time ...

Ohh, the sun she is a shinin'

and the birds are a tweetin',
Today's makes are a huge loaf of Honey buns soap,  (creamy caramel in colour, smelling sweet as honey) and all new Sweet Pea artisan soap creamy base colour, swirled with pink and purple) looks just like a bunch of sweet pea flowers in bloom, the fragrance is a blend of  violet leaf and bergamot grounded with hints of patchouli and musk.
I think I'll get out in the garden for a bit as a break from making more goodies, I have told myself that this year I will take a bit of time out for myself and put proper effort in to my outside space. I have plans for a small veg patch and raised herb beds amongst other things, we shall see how it goes.