Alright, don't get too excited!

 I decided this week to add a new handcream to the current range. It's to compliment my new Neroli, Ylang Ylang and Frankincense soap which I brought out a few months ago. It's been quite a success so the new handcream will soon be in the shop, so look out for it!

I am starting a new 'sister' company called "Jolly Good Soaps" (website out soon) as for a long time I have wanted to develop my creative skills making bright, colourful goats milk soaps with a modern twist, which are still good for your skin, but just a little different from the rest, and fun to make! The soaps are currently available exclusively through ebay

Thankyou to everyone who returns the fabric wraps to me - I pass them on to Joan to use for her sales of lovely handmade quilted items to raise money for the South West Childrens Hospice down in Barnstaple, Devon.

If there are any quilters out there who have made anything interesting out of the fabric wraps, please feel free to send in your stories and pictures, as I'd love to add a feature on the website! Look forward to hearing from you.

Yes, poor man, I've got Nigel doing a few hour a week for me up at the unit! It turns out he's actually rather good at cutting my soap blocks up into bars, so that's now his job (for now).

I have lots of new personalised label ideas which will be on the website in the next few days.

I occurred to me that soon I'm going to have to get a little "End of Year 6" pressie for my son's teacher, and suddenly had one of those "lighbulb over the top of the head" moments. Aha! What about creating a "For the Best Teacher Ever" soap presented in a lovely white gift box with raffia ribbon to finish?

If you like this idea, check it out, and let me know what you (and the teacher thinks)!

On the same train of thought, to recognise some of the great unsung heroes and heroines in school, I also created a "For the Best Classroom Asssistant Ever" and "For the Best Learning Support Asssistant Ever" also a "For the Best Lollipop Lady Ever" and "For the Best Dinner Lady Ever" soap. I hope the chaps at school don't feel missed out, so if you need a "Best Lollypop Man" etc, just let me know and I will gladly change your soap to your personal needs!

I have created these to coincide with the end of the school year, so order soon!

I'm really pleased that I found time to put my lovely new personal message goats milk soaps on the website!

There is a "Happy Birthday" soap page, with special labels for mum, dad, grandma and grandad. Then there is also a new "Thankyou" soap page, with special labels that say "Thankyou for looking after our dog", "Thankyou for looking after our cat" and simply "Just to say thankyou". I hope these will be a welcome addition to my range, especially as we approach the holiday season, where friends, kennels, catteries and neighbours may be looking after our beloved pets!

Had a flash of inspiration today. "Why not offer my private customers a personalised soap for a really speacial gift to someone?" So that's what I've done.

Began with some ideas,

'Happy Birthday Grandma'

'Thankyou for looking after our dog'

'Happy Anniversary' etc

Printed out some labels, got the old camera out, click, click and hey presto! So if you have someone you know who would like to receive an extra-special soap with their name and a message on it, consider it done!

Other news: hope you have noticed the 'new look' web header, with my new logo! Cool eh?

Hooray! My new soap, Neroli, Ylang Ylang and Frankincense is now ready and looks fabulous in it's chosen fabric. Can't wait to add it to the site - hopefully tomorrow when I've had chance to photograph it!

Have just come back from a lovely weekend in Derbyshire visiting my mum and sister. The weather has been glorious, and we found some lovely local footpaths to take Lucy walking on. The delicate spring woodland flowers were out and were so beautiful to see - like a fairy wood!

Well, back to work tomorrow, though I think I will be mostly organising the sending out of orders and updating the website. Then the day after I will need to make another batch of Lemongrass & Cedarwood soap, followed by a batch of Violet and Rose soap. The batches will be much easier to pour into my soap frames from now on as I now as I have a new super-duper pot tipper, made for me by a very talented local carpenter - thankyou Doug, you're a star!!

Still pretty chilly in the unit but have had little heater to keep me warm, and have been wearing lots of layers! Now I can really focus on what I'm doing, so made small test batches of a new doggie shampoo bar, made with all natural ingredients including castor oil (for a good lather), lashings of kukui nut oil and calendula oil to nourish fur and the delicate skin underneath. Can't wait to try it on Lucy! (our golden retriever pup - now 6 months old) We take her down on Berrow beach every morning which she loves. It's such a great big open space for her to run about on, and I like to go beachcombing for driftwood for my friend Eleanor's open fire. Lucy gets a bit smelly though, with all the sand and saltwater (and mud!) so I'm hoping she'll enjoy a bit of a soap-down with my new solid shampoo bar!

I've also made a batch of my new soap for 2010 - Neroli, Ylang Ylang & Frankincense - mmm, yummy! This will be ready for sale beginning of April. The fabric is ready and waiting, and should look fabulous.

Am so excited to report that soaps are now made at my lovely new premises in rural Somerset! This week thanks to the extra room and fab new oil melter I have managed to make batches of English Rose & Buttermilk, Honeysuckle & Rose and Rosewood & Patchouli soap. Peter and Jill (the site owners and makers of The Beautiful Beanbag Company www.beautifulbeanbags.co.uk) have made me feel very welcome (thanks guys!) and have already baggied (Sorry - no pun intended!) some of the soaps, once they're ready.

Hi to everyone who reads this - Happy New Year by the way! (yes, I know it's a bit late...)

Well, the year got off to quite a good start. Signed on the dotted line for my new premises (yay!) at Badgworth Barns, Weare and have started moving stuff over there. It's basically a single-storey converted cowshed with an office, kitchen and huge storage room. (no heating though, so it's also freezing at the moment!) Doug, my carpenter neighbour (lovely guy) and I went out to get some timber and stuff as he is going to build me a little drying room (ok, a glorified airing cupboard) that I can dry and cure the soaps in. I've also arranged for an electrician to come over to give me a quote for a bit of work I need doing (a few extra sockets and stuff) but unfortunately the snow has meant I couldn't get up to the premises so everything has been on hold until the weather improves.....what a pain!
So I'm continuing soap/handcream/balm production here at home until the above work is finished. Made a batch of 'Violet and Rose' soap on Friday and will make another batch of 'Heather and Honey' soap tomorrow, all being well...

Will keep you informed of developments.......!