Travelling Companion-What every gal should have

Travelling companions

The essentials that every gal must have whilst on her travels....

April Showers and May winds..... Know what, summer is next, and soon Holidays basking in the sun is what we have to look forward to.  Some may have already booked long haul tickets to far flung exotic destinations.  So what have we to pack to keep us looking relaxed and totally cool !!!

With Baggage allowances becoming ever more minimalist, one has to think carefully of what to pack.  Gone are the days where you randomly threw stuff into the suitcase as a "Just in Case" or "I might need to wear it".

So here are my Wash bag items not to forget.

This is a real handy item to pack a Body scrub, gives your skin a through deep clean, no need for flannels, bath mitts, or the mangy looking loofah.   There is no slimy soap slime to deal with.  The wool wrapper snugly holds the scrub permanently 

Facial Scrub.  giving your face a through deep clean means your skin has a deep healthy glow.  it feels refreshed.  The scrub is gentle and kind to your skin

A mineral based face powder, it great for taking off shine, its perfect in sunny, humid conditions, and feels light and fresh on the skin

Your brushes for all that fluffing and touching up

A neutral nude pink shade of lipstick.  This is a cool trick to have saving on carrying too many items, you can use it as eye shadow, just dab at the corner of your eyelids and blend with your finger tip, you can use it as lipstick and you can also use it as a blusher to give those cheek bones some high definition.  so a handy little stick to carry around.

Eye liner to give those eyes that doe full look. and your all set

Last but not least your sun screen.  It really is a must.

Happy Holidays !!!

Robert Kaufman and Spoonflower collaboration

Surface Pattern Design

+Robert Kaufman Fabrics  and +Spoonflower  collaboration The Fabric8 Competition 2014

This is my entry:

The theme -  a COSMIC VOYAGE


Unfortunately did not make the 100 semifinalist list....

However if you like this design then you can still give us a love heart.  Clicking on the image will take you to the +Spoonflower site where you can click the heart and favorite it.


Congratulation to the 100 semifinalist Good luck and wishing you all the very best.  Looking forward to seeing the winning entry and the preceding collection.

A shout out for the Make it in Design Summer School,  Summer School is a great way of rejuvenating your creativity.  No matter at what stage you are in your career, Its a nice way of refreshing yourself, like you are giving your creativity a spa treatment....
I am indeed, Looking forward to it.

Problem Skin Type

Problem Skin Type?

Tackling Problem skin – Blackheads and Whiteheads

Do you suffer from Blackheads and Whiteheads?, especially in my case, frustratingly and awkwardly on the tip of my nose.  Are you spending an extortionate amount of time and money on face mask, skin peels etc., only to find it makes little difference.   Is you skin looking dull, tired and dehydrated?

Well I certainly said yes to all of the above.  I have also tried all the homemade remedies and suggestions girlfriends have thrown at me.  Coffee grounds – I think I just prefer to drink my coffee.  Lemon scrubs- this sure has a sting in its tail especially if you have any abrasion on your skin.  Sugar scrubs, – I went out in the garden to do some weeding after trying this one out, every wasp in town thought I must be a floral bloom.

Try using the Wool felted Facial Exfoliator.  I now use this regularly.  Its a natural exfoliator, the wool is gently and yet does the job.  The Facial exfoliators are small little cubes of goodness, perfectly formed to get into the contours of your face.  Added vitamin E gives to skin that healthy glow and brings back that perkiness.

To use: thoroughly wet the exfoliator, build a rich lather in your hand and using circular motions go over the contour of your face, get into the groves and lines, work it over the area with the blackheads and whiteheads.  rinse and pat dry.  I then apply a sealing oil.  your skin pores are all clean and open so seal it with a nourishing oil, preferably with vitamin E added.  You will be amazed at just how good your skin feels.

Beauty Indulgences to pamper yourself at home

Beauty Indulgences to pamper yourself at home

Indulge yourself – your worth it

 

In the dark, dreary, damp, winter months, its easy to let yourself go, slump into that old arm chair....stress, lack of sleep are all familiar daily niggles that can also cause your skin to appear dull, uneven and dehydrated.

Lets break that and get our skin ready for spring, its just round the corner now.  I know looking outside, you will find it hard to believe, but its coming...

Your skin needs rejuvenation to bring back that healthy glow.

Start yourself on a simple routine – an exfoliation scrub.  This wool felted natural exfoliator is just perfect.

A soap rich in minerals, nourishing oils and added Vitamin E is hand wrapped in pure sheep wool and felted.  This gives the soap a permanent wool wrapper.  The sheep wool acts as a natural scrubber, gently scrubbing away all the dead skin cells.

To Use: wet bar thoroughly, the water has to work its way through the layers of wool.  Build a good lather in your hands and use like a regular soap.  this opens the skin pores and you will get that fresh tingling feeling like you just steeped out the spa.  Its easy to incorporate into your daily skin care routine, without the need for additional cleansers, scrubs, salts, bath mitts, lotions, potions, dry brushes and what not....

The Natural exfoliating body scrub is suitable for a wide range of skin types.  Lanolin, naturally present in the wool acts as a gentle moisturizer. 

After Use: rinse bar thoroughly, pat excess water on your towel and leave to dry naturally.  There is no need for soap dish, however if you do use on then a slatted dish is advisable so that the bar does not sit in a puddle of water.  There is no messy soap slime pudding around on your wash stand.  The surface pattern design is bold and vibrant. Looks at easy in a modern bathroom as well as a traditional period bathroom.

So go on Treat yourself to some gorgeousness.  You are so worth it !!!

The Snood

A Handmade Wool Felted Scarf 

THE SNOOD

Also known as the infinity scarf, the snood has been around for a while now.  I do very much like the idea of a complete round, around your neck.

For those that are a little unsure what the snood is.... its a scarf that does not have an end.  It is one continuous loop.  Wool felting lends itself to this idea, because you can felt it in a complete loop without any seams.  The scarf has been felted in such a way there is no back or front.

For this scarf, I have incorporated some beautiful silver mesh detailing.  click here to view a close up.  The scarf is in a riot of purple and mauve hues with slashes of abstract red.  The silver mesh is in strips.  the circumference of the scarf is 200 cm which gives you a luxurious twice round the neck, with some amazing draping quality.  it is 38 cm wide so the second wrap around the neck can be lifted over your head to form a hood - hence scarf and hood makes snood.  The layer upon layer of wool laid out is what makes the design.  The slashes of colour weave in an out in complete riot, slithering around the scarf.  The softness of Merino gives it a luxurious feel.

The scarf is available on Amazon UK

would love to read your comments.

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LAKE CHELAN

This Scarf is part of my SEATTLE COLLECTION

LAKE CHELAN
HANDMADE IN BRITAIN DESIGNER MERINO SCARF
Last Summer we spent our family holiday in Seattle, visited my little sis and family.
had a fabulous time.  Seattle reminds me so much of home.

We spent a week at Lake Chelan.
The sun was shining, the numerous vineyards gracing the hill slopes were bursting with luscious grapes and the lake was at its most inviting.  The kids were in it, even before we could unpack.

The scarf is my take on the lake.  its meandering through the length of the scarf with little islands.  The intense blue has silver embedded in it.  Along the edges of the blue water there is a darker brown for the banks and then the edge merges into hues of green - depicting the many orchards and vineyards that rise up the hills.
the design is set on a pale creaminess feathery base giving a light translucency to the whole scarf.  Felted in Merino wool
Available on Amazon UK £49.99 plus P&P Royal Mail: £3.99 Product Code on Amazon: B00AUG8KXS

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MIXED MEDIA GREETING CARDS

MIXED MEDIA GREETING CARDS

Happy new year everyone!!!
Wishing you all the very best for 2014.  Hope you all achieve all that you set out to do this year.

I decided to blog a bit about handmade cards, as I have been sat writing all my thank you notes to all my friends and loved ones, and all those who have sent me pressies for Christmas

Handmade Greeting Cards, mean a lot more these days in the world of mass produced material.  I do very much enjoy and feel privileged when I receive a card that is handmade.

For an artists and crafter it is a blank canvas with unlimited potential.  It is also a fabulous sounding board for experimenting with techniques as you are working on a small scale.  A lot of my art works including the wearable art, originally start out as an idea on greeting cards.

I have just completed a collection of HEARTS
These are all original works and not prints.  They have an array of textures, colours and contrasts.  I have used various techniques, Origami folds intermingle with mixed media collage and some tangles and doodles like the +Zentangles +zentangles101 +Zentangled Momma   etc.  it all comes together in this collection of hearts.  The envelopes are also works of art, @Handmade in Britain

The Cards are blank inside
I have packaged them in the following sets:

SINGLE CARD

PACK OF 3

PACK OF 6

PACK OF 12

Do have a look see, would love to hear your thoughts.

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