Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

Hello!
I have got the idea in my head that i'd like to start making and selling cp soap.. husband shakes head as if to say not a new thing to start...

I'm a fulltime mum to a 17mth old and have a boy due in early march. I own a mail order exotic unusual plant business (for anyone that sees my email/website address i'm not what you may think I am!).

Live in bolton with very patient hubby and I have an art business where I do allsorts (mosaics etc) but primarily i'm a jeweller. I get bored very easily and love leaning new things hence if it looks appealing i'll generally have a go before long!

if anyone wants to see my art stuff message me (i dont know if im okay to add a link) and i'll foward the address.

Cheers Lou     

Hello Lou,

A warm welcome to the forum.  I would love to see your artwork so do post your link.  I know nothing of exotic plants, boy, I could wilt a weed at a glance  :mwaha:

My you do sound a busy lady indeed.  How exciting for you to be expecting another baby but something tells me Lou's life is about to get VERY hectic.  Goodness knows though, in a blink of an eye, you are sending them off to school  :'(  My youngest started in September but it seems like only five minutes ago I was changing his nappies and doing night feeds (although I am awfully pleased to not be doing that anymore  :mwaha:).  I have another one (a girl) who will be 9 in January but she is still my baby  :buttrf:

There are lots of very talented people on here who seems to be able to create the most incredible things (not just soaps, lotions and potions) so it is a good mix with room for other craft discussions too so do feel free to talk about other crafts/arts in the relevant boards.

Hope you enjoy it here  :)

Actually, just had a look at your website and wow... what a collection of unusual plants.  Goodness, that must be a tricky business keeping your stock healthy but oh, how satisfying it must be  :buttrf:

Hi Lou,

You can post pics and links straight away - some links may be edited by the mods (in fact there are a certain few who demand pics!)

Some jewellry pics would be lovely in the Crafts section - there isn't a Plant section  though - they could go in Non-cosmeholic (or even in Candles and Home if they're really fragrant or useful for keeping insects away etc.)

Hi Lou

Welcome, & I hope you enjoy it here.

Hi Lou,
welcome to the board, nice to see a Lancashire lass on the forum.

Sorry have been a TV junkie the last couple of days and a Chrimbo card writer. uck.

Anyway, enjoy the board, don't forget to post piccies of all sorts of things that you do or interest you.

Tut, indeed! Sorry Lou, I kinda did say hi, but let me welcome you formally (before I get told off by Mum (EJ))
I hope you'll join our merry band, find it useful and informative and also fun! Any Q's on CP and HP, ask away there are a good few of us that do that and can help.

Hello from Brighton ~~~ welcome  :hap3:

*runs in quickly* Allo and welcome - there's plenty of good info here, and for the most part people are willing to answer questions.  Don't let anyone get you down!

*runs out just as quickly - life is MANIC! right now*  :hap2:

Hello from a newbie in London/Cheshire. ;D

Hi from an Epsom lass! Well, I'm actually an Essex girl but now live in Epsom, but not near the race course!

Oh thanks everyone for the welcome!

My links for anyone interested are..

www.exoticunusual.co.uk (rare/exotic/unusual plants) I need to update it

www.originaldesignuk.etsy.com (amongst others)- sterling silver/resin/anodised aluminium jewellery,mosaics,ceramics etc

thanks again, lou

(added a . to the URL)

I can't get the second link to load  :-\  Keeps giving me a page error

I had a look around your plant site - some lovely plants  :)

I can't get the second one either and just pasted the addy into the browser - boo hoo... still doesn't work  :(

Hi Lou, lovely to have you here  (:hug:)

Love your plants website, I used to work in a plant nursery years ago in Australia and loved it.

Second link works now.

Very nice - Lou should post some pics in Crafts Show Offs

http://www.OriginalDesignUK.etsy.com

Hiya, sorry i'd just got back from baby scan and was trying to sort loads of stuff at the same time! Hopefully the above should work

Thanks for the compliments on the plants site!

Lou

Is the lad behaving himself in there?

Wow... just lovely.  I love the Dinkie Turquoise Marine Life sculpture and that marble-resin ring and the dolly mixture clips and the resin bangles (esp the dark marble one) - very me.  You are a very gifted lady Lou  :)

Hope the scan went well.  I loved going for the scans.  I had one of those doppler scans, amazing.  A friend of mine had one of the 3D ones, just brilliant.  Hope he/she posed well for you (my boy posed as an upside down budah, very funny  :mwaha:)

Thanks guys, I stick to the silver now sells best. As you can see I like to try anything I can.

He is fine thankyou, 3 of my 5 scans now done (had to have 5 with Alexia too). They are a  bit over cautious but better to be safe than sorry.

cheers Lou   

oh, i'm broody, lou welcome and i'm off to look although something tells me i should not but i would.

Hello and a warm welcome Lou.

Thanks very much!

Lou

Hi and welcome Lou-I love your shops, you must be the busiest person I have ever met!

oooooooo hello  :hap2: :hap2: :hap2:

Just had a quick look. I love plants my garden is full but next year we are having a turn around so I have book marked your web site so that I can sit & have a proper look later.
Welcome so nice to have people that do different things.

Lou, I LOVE the Paua shell bracelet, I really love it, its beautiful,and as I have spent most of my life in NZ it has extra significance to me, Im in UK now.
I am soooo tempted you know..... ;D

Hi guys, sorry i've been bed/sofa ridden for the past 3 days with flu. Thanks for all the lovely comments, im still 50/50 in going into soap making,id love to do it just weighing up the learning curve and economics.

Michaela, i have another pretty much the same with a thicker bracelet,just need to list it!

lou

Oh dear, a flooby lou.  Sounds like you are on the mend now though (??)

Best thing you can do re soap is to play around entering oils/butters into SoapCalc and look at the results on the Righthand column in the Lefthand box, and read the other pages, so that you can get a well balanced soap.

Check out that you have suitable bowls/pans.

Look at oil and butter prices.

Find something to use as a mould.

Rubber gloves and safety specs.

Stick blender if you have one (alternative is a long long long time stirring)

Make a couple of batches and decide whether you want to carry on.

(Sodium hydroxide = caustic soda = drain cleaner)

Hi, i'm able to at least get off the sofa (curently wearing fetching duvet in kitchen..) now poor lex is really sick with flu too, hope shes better for xmas.

Thanks Elaine, I have had a reply from SJ which has clarified things and was reading up about the ins values etc last night i'll have a think about what qualities i'd like and try the calc and prob make a few batches and see how I fare as suggested.

thanks lou