MySimplyMade - Yes I Finally Did It...

I unfortunately hurt my back a few months ago so have been taking things easy and yes been very quiet online.  It's amazing how being in pain zaps any and all energy!

Anyway on to more interesting things...

I have finally got around to opening an online shop on etsy called MySimplyMade and I currently have a few soaps as well as some items from my latest hobbies.  My pricing is based on similar products that are available which of course meant I spent hours of fun researching and looking at all the amazing products people are making across the globe.  Plenty of inspiration so we will see where that takes me next!  I am still working on making the photos look good but I'm sure I'll improve as I go along.

So what have I been up to...

First up I taught myself to knit and made some Snoods...  For those wondering, they are well, scarves.  Made a couple for myself but I tend to like making things in bulk so the additional has been added to the shop.  I used a couple of different blends of Alpaca and sheep wool which is so lovely and soft!  I still have lots more wool to use (yes I also buy in bulk!) as well as some pretty colours that have a silver sparkle.

I'm taking a break from knitting for now and currently spending time on my latest project below.  I find it's best to work on something for a small stretch then switch to a different hobby so I don't loose interest.  I would love to get back to making soap but this involves a little too much lifting a twisting so I will be giving my back a little more rest before tackling this.  I haven't decided if I will be listing any lotions or balms yet mainly as I'm not sure these would survive shipping plus these are better shipped in cooler months.

Here are some pictures of the Snoods...

I was very sick in this pic with the flu but thankfully I had made
 a Snood for myself and this kept my very sore throat and neck
very toasty!  This was actually the first one I made and had a
few mistakes but it was for me and well it made me feel better :)

Next up is Kumihimo Bracelets.  These have been lots of fun to make but still working on getting the sizing right so I end up with one for myself!  Sizing is a weird thing so ended up posting each one with a shot of a tape measure in the picture so people can make up their own minds on if it will fit.  I have been trying to make in all different lengths so I can accommodate all the lovely sizes out there!

For now these will be what I will continue to make as love playing with the colour combinations and picking and choosing which charms, ends and even fasteners is quite fun for me so should keep me entertained for a while!

Shampoo Bars

 I finally got around to trying the first Body/Shampoo bar I made which was the lovely Cinnamon Bar.  I had been a little unsure about trying this as a shampoo but when I finally ran out of the store bought product I thought it was time.

Shower Soothers... Just in time for winter!

As it is starting to get colder I thought it was time to start putting together a stash of products for if I get a cold and decided to start with some shower soothers.

Cinnamon Soap

This is another wonder soap from Humblebee and Me - Cinnamon Swirl Soap & Shampoo.

Pink Clay Bars for the face

I have had my eye on this recipe for a while so I thought it was time to make it. 

Packaging - Just The Start...

Soaps: Honey & Oat, Orange & Mint, Ginger & Silk, Cinnamon, Grapefruit & Calendula,
Lavender & Calendula.  Tins: Mountain Foot Balm, Bandit Salve.
Bath Bombs: Grapefruit & Oat, Chamomile.

One of my favourite parts of making products is coming up packaging and labelling ideas.

Fizzy Clay Body (and Face?) Blobs

This is a copycat recipe for Lush Fizzy Clay Scrub from Humblebee and Me and are fast becoming my favourite scrub.

Bath Bombs... Yes Finally!!!

I have been wanting to make Bath Bombs for ages and I finally got round to it!

Soap - Easter Weekend Project

I've always been very afraid of the whole soap making process due to the Lye part.  Yes it may be the influence of too many horror movies but I finally decided it was time to... well... get over it!

Simple Cough Drops

 

These cough drops are incredibly simple to make, just remember to be careful! 

New Batch of Mountain Foot Balm

I had a long day of standing on my feet today at work delivering training sessions so by the time I got home my feet were blistered and very tender.

As I had given away my last batch of Mountain Foot Balm I decided despite my very sore feet I would stand up for a little longer and whip up a new batch.  Here is the recipe from Humble Bee and Me although I again switched out the Cocoa Butter for Kokum butter this time and instead of Fir Essential Oil I used 8 drops of Frankincense, 8 drops of Cinnamon Bark and 4 drops of Helichrysum.

This recipe makes enough for two 2oz tins.

Now must get off my feet and relax...  Enjoy the weekend everybody!

Quick and Easy Antibacterial Spray

I have been using this for a few weeks now and am loving how nice it smells and how well in cleans the bench tops. 

Coffee Eye Cream

Time for another beauty product, this time Coffee Eye Cream to help with those dark circles under my eyes.  Have patience as this one will take time! 

First we need to make some Coffee Oil.

This is the part that takes some time about 2-4wks as well as a few hours to filter! 

Remineralizing Toothpaste

After starting with Oil Pulling and liking how clean my teeth have been feeling I finally decided to make Remineralizing Toothpaste.

Fleas... Ugh...

Fleas are awful, there's just no other way of saying it. 

New batch of Go Native's NZ Manuka Body Butter

With a storm a few days out I can guarantee everything starts to ache so it was time to whip up a new batch of Go Native's NZ Manuka Body Butter (previous post:

http://diyhomeproducts.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/the-beginning.html?m=1 )

It is amazing for aches and relieves the pain nice and quick. 

SheaLo Hair Mask

I needed to find something for dry hair and stumbled across an article on Shealo Hair Mask.  It is a blend of Shea Butter, Aloe Vera Juice and some other goodness.

Mountain Foot Balm

My feet have been achy, hot and tired today so I decided to see what I could do about it. 

Daily Clay Bars

Dry Ingredients: French Green Clay, Kaolin Clay, Allantion & Zinc Oxide

Humble Bee and Me is chock full of amazing recipes that I just have to try and this is one I have had my eye on for awhile.  The best thing was I found every single ingredient I needed at Go Native so I really had no excuse to give this one a go. 

Quick Update...

Hey Lovely People!

Now that I am up to date with all the fun things I have been making I will now be posting 1-2 times a week.  Wednesday will be the day I will post but if I have been extra busy making things I will post again on Friday.

I will post these 7pm NZ time.

I hope you all stick around and continue to join me on my journey as I discover more home made products.

Foaming Handwash

So it turns out the trick to Foaming Handwash is the bottle.  I had a few of these lying round as I hadn't got round to buying any refills as I have been quite reluctant to replace a lot of these type products. 

Toilet Bombs

I'm not sure what my fascination with this product was and it took me a while to decide find a recipe I liked so I ended up blending a couple of them to come up with these.

Headache Eraser

This is my favourite product because it really does away with pain. 

Beard Balm

I had been making a lot of girlie type products so I thought it was type to try one for the blokes.

Bandit Salve

This is another great recipe from Humble Bee and Me.  If you would like to read more detailed information on this product please visit the Simple Bandit Salve post on Humble Bee and Me. 

Oil Pulling - A quick Post

What is Oil Pulling?

Well in short its swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil with some essential oils around your mouth for 10-20mins a day in the morning on an empty stomach to help with oral health.  Google it if you want more information but there is a lot of differing opinions on this one.

Whipped Chocolate Body Butter

This sweet little batch was one of the nicest recipes I've made.

A Face Serum for Daily Use

This lovely recipe is from Humble Bee and Me and is called Winterlight Argan Serum and it is wonderful!

Whipped Shea Butter Night Cream

Yes my love of lemon continues!

Lemon Poppy Seed Sugar Scrub

I was having one of those days when it was very hot and felt like my skin needed some attention.

What On Earth Should I Do For Christmas Presents!

I wanted to make something nice for everyone at Christmas and it took some experimenting until I finally settled on Frankincense Lip Balm and Lotion bars, unfortunately lotion bars are almost unknown in New Zealand so I re-named them moisturizer bars to help the recipients know what it was they were getting. 

The Beginning...

My mum had been sick and I wanted to get her a nice body butter than was beneficial to her skin.

I looked at many products but they were filled with so many ingredients and I couldn't understand how something labelled "natural" could not only have so many un-natural sounding ingredients but how strange some of them sounded.

New Blog For A New Hobby

Hi everyone, I am Janine and welcome to my new blog on products I attempt to make and share the results.