Behind the Scenes of Moss & Magic : Creating Salves & Creams

Good Evening my dears,

My first ever appearance as a trader at a fayre is approaching very fast and I'm really excited and have lots of butterflies starting to gather in my tummy. On the 1st of June you'll be able to find me at The Enchanted Spring Ball in Preston alongside many wonderful and talented souls including the lovely Naomi von Monsta, Bryony Whistlecraft of Woodland Wild and Ali English of Eldrum Herbs. I'm also really excited because I'll be staying with all three of these lovely ladies, I'm looking forward to our adventures so much. 

I've been working hard every day to create a whole range of new items which I will debut at the Fayre, I'm really focusing on expanding my skills and my offerings and I'm greatly enjoying trying lots of new things, as well as creating plenty of my signature items. I'll have lots of vegan friendly goodness available, not to mention lots of little testers to sniff and try out! I'm sure people will be able to smell my stall from miles away!

Some of the things you'll be able to find on my stall will be my solid perfumes, including my newest releases of what I like to call Dressing Table sized perfumes, about 5 times the amount you get in my pocket sized perfumes! I'll also have my perfume oils for sale as well as Aroma Mists and Essential Oil Blends.

You'll also be able to find my balms, massage oils, salves and creams, including my ever popular Anti-Depression Balm, now also available in a salve.  I've also created a Congestion Relief Salve perfect for helping with tight chests and phlegm and a Comfrey & Calendula Salve which works wonders on any cuts, scrapes or bruises. We swear by it in our house because you tend to get lots of little scratches when you have rats, and Steven is always catching himself at work!

Today I also created a gorgeous Aloe Vera, Coconut & Cucumber Cream which I'm really excited about! It is so nourishing for the skin and smells lovely. The perks of creating body products is that you end up trying them all, and I love this one so much.

I'll also have lots of new candles on offer and, if I can squidge it in, I'll also have my own hand blended incense for sale. My table is going to be over-flowing with everything I want to put on it! 

Of course, anything that doesn't sell at the fayre will be making its way into my shop in June so, if you see anything you like the look of but can't get to my stall, never fear. 

Today I thought I would share a little 'behind the scenes' post with you, to put pictures to words and show you what my work room looks like on any given day!

 Melting Coconut Oil and Candelilla Wax together. Yesterday I also managed to melt a plastic jug, but I won't show you that! Rest assured that I had a really good laugh at myself for it though, I can make some truly ridiculous mistakes sometimes.

 I spent around half an hour cutting and squeezing Aloe Vera and Cucumber and I can honestly say it is one of the most relaxing activities I've ever found. The Aloe Vera was cut from our own gorgeous plant who I've named 'Love' after the Aloe Vera mentioned in the Weetzie Bat books. There is just something so soothing about squeezing out all of the gel and water, feeling it cooling my skin. 

 This is what it looks like! It seems really obvious, but I've never realised just how much water is contained in both Aloe Vera and Cucumber. It literally dripped from my hands as I worked and ran down the sides of the jug. They are such life giving, beautiful plants.

 Calendula & Comfrey Salve, I absolutely love the consistency of this, it just melts in your fingers as you work it into your skin and makes you feel so nourished and loved. The pot on the right in the picture will be the tester pot as I didn't have quite enough to fill two. 

 Here you can see some of my blending bottles, I use these to mix my Essential Oil blends ready for use in products. I also have a real thing for bottles in general, I love them!

 Dressing Table sized Calendula & Comfrey Salve on the left and Large sized on the right. When I first laid eyes on Badger Balm's 'Cheerful Mind' Balm I fell totally in love with the bright, sunshine yellow color of it. This balm is really close to it, which makes me feel very happy.

 To finish, here is a little sneaky peek at some of the other Salves and Perfumes I've already created. Can you see how many I have stacking up already? What do you think of my new labels, do you like them?

Have you been creating and making anything lately my sweetlings? I'd love to hear about it in the comments ♥

P.S: Thank you so much to everybody who entered the Anti-Depression Balm Giveaway! The winner is Angie ♥♥♥

Moony & Monsta's Adventures

Good Evening my dears,

Its been nearly a fortnight since I last posted, I hope the dust bunnies haven't been giving you hassle in my absence! 

This past weekend has been wonderful, I got to spend it with one of my dearest friends, the wonderful Miss Monsta. Spending time with her is always wonderful soul medicine, she makes me feel inspired, happy and re-energised and I always get really excited when I know I'm going to be spending time with her! I'm very lucky in that regard because I'm going to be seeing her lots in the coming month, firstly for a fayre we're both trading at, and then when she comes on holiday with me to The New Forest, Stone Henge and Avebury in June! We're both super excited and are already planning all of the things we want to do, its going to be wonderful.

We packed our weekend full of wonderful activities with lots of wandering, eating delicious vegetarian and vegan food and even visiting an absolutely stunning Botanical Garden. In the evenings I played with her beautiful rat boys, we watched Harry Potter, Brave and The Tale of Arrietty and did art together. In the mornings we got dressed and put on our makeup, chatting all along, and took silly pictures together in a black and white photo booth hidden away in a huge art shop with every conceivable supply you could ever dream of. 

 The drawing and painting I worked on whilst there, in my new sketch pad. All of these pictures will enlarge if you'd like to look at them more closely.

 Monsta's adorable and cheeky rat boys. I loved hanging out with them, every rat has such an individual personality and yet you can also see similarities between other rats. All of her boys are black and white, which was very touching for me because in a way it felt that I was getting to feel what it would have been like to see Cow at this age. They were all so snuggly, especially Puck and Goblin who gave me lots of snuggles and shared my food! Gubbinz and Squiggly Beast were also incredibly adorable, I just didn't manage to get pictures of them!

 This picture makes me feel so happy! Monsta's awesome boyfriend Badger was very obliging in taking photos of us together. Isn't this green faux-furry coat amazing? Monsta has the BEST wardrobe ever and I just want to live inside it!

 My outfit from the second day was largely grey and entirely inspired by Totoro. I have a total Totoro addiction, my phone case is Totoro and now I have this hat and bag as well. Honestly I think I could make a whole Totoro based wardrobe and be totally okay with it! Look at the claw gloves on the hat, and the little leaf on the bag Totoro's head!

 Monsta is so absolutely gorgeous, I loved watching her put her outfits together each day. My Dad loves her, he'd love me to be this supremely goth! 

 Snuggling and hanging out with lovely trees at the Botanical Gardens. It was such a beautiful day and so peaceful, I could have stayed there all day!

 Flowers and Ferns. I love when ferns look all octopussly like this, aren't they amazing? They look so otherworldly, strange and magical.

  A quick little detour for a moment, I bought this book last week and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival. I was so excited when it arrived yesterday and I started it this morning, I'm really enjoying it so far! Laurie has a beautiful way of writing and I think everybody could learn from this book, in which she discusses the Witch archetype in an empowering way.

 I also finally managed to get a nose ring into my nose after a year of not wearing one! Quite a feat. I also cannot stop using the Mayfair filter on Instagram, I'm a little addicted at this point. 

 

 Steven takes the cake for being the most adorable person ever, as always! Wearing my Totoro hat, or as my friend Cassie so aptly dubbed this picture, Cuteoro!

 Now onto the photos I snaffled from Monsta's Instagram. I took this one of her cosying up to the most amazing carved bench with a massive stone bat on one end and some sort of strange gorilla monster on the other. Monsta took this picture of me and I really love it!

Thank you so much for having me this weekend Monsta, and I can't wait to see you again!

Handmade : Artisan Perfume Oils 'Night in the Dark Forest' and 'Warm Earth'

Good Evening my sweetlings,

First of all I want to say a huge thank you to everybody who commented on my last post. Your kind hearts and loving words truly touched me and I felt all of the warmth and love that you were sending to me. I am truly blessed by every single person who joins me here, truly, truly blessed.

Today I'd like to announce my latest line of Artisan Perfumes, I am so, so excited to share them with you all after waiting for everything to be just right before I unveiled them! I have enjoyed creating these blends so much, and packaging them in their own little boxes with faux moss nestled around them has given me real joy and pleasure. I included the fake moss so that they could be shipped worldwide, it actually smells really nice despite not being real! 

When I found these glass bottles I just had to get them for my latest venture, I love the simple elegance and vintage vibe with the golden lid, and they have the sweetest tiniest roll on heads. 

Please read on to find out about the first two scents, or if you'd like to walk ahead of course you're very welcome to!

  Night in the Dark Forest Artisan Roll On Perfume.12 ml. Vegan. Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils. Oakmoss, Pine Needle, Cedarwood, Cypress

An incredibly rich, full bodied perfume perfect for Forest Nymphs, Unseelie Fae, Forest Lords and Otherworldly Revellers. With the almost coffee-like richness of Oakmoss at it's heart, this perfume combines the trees of the ancient and towering forests, the dark Pine, the mysterious Cypress and the lofty Cedar together to draw you deep into the woods.

Created in a base of nourishing Jojoba Oil, using my intuitive technique I have blended pure Essential Oils, finished off with a piece of gorgeous magical moss that grows around my home. This perfume oil is hand blended and one of a kind with 100% natural, vegan friendly ingredients. Using absolutely no fixatives or synthetics, I aim to make biologically and ecologically friendly products which make my customers feel sensual and special.

The ingredients in this perfume are: Jojoba Oil, Moss. EOs: Oakmoss, Cedarwood, Cypress, Pine Needle.

Packaged lovingly in a secure black box which is filled with a bottom layer of cotton wool for protection and topped with fake Moss.

  Warm Earth Artisan Roll On Perfume.12 ml. Vegan. Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils, Herbs. Ginger, Black Pepper, Neroli, Rose Maroc, Bergamot

 A full bodied, luxurious perfume oil combining rich nutty aromas of Ginger and Neroli, warming spices Black Pepper and Cinnamon and notes of lush Rose and sweet Bergamot.
Inspired by the Sun hot on the Earth, walking barefoot in the grass and adventuring in deep forests before cycling home to spend the night star gazing and laughing with kindred spirits.

Created in a base of nourishing Jojoba Oil, using my intuitive technique I have blended pure Essential Oils, finished off with pink peppercorns and cinnamon. This perfume oil is hand blended and one of a kind with 100% natural, vegan friendly ingredients. Using absolutely no fixatives or synthetics, I aim to make biologically and ecologically friendly products which make my customers feel sensual and special.

The ingredients in this perfume are: Jojoba Oil, dried Cinnamon, Pink Peppercorns. EOs: Ginger, Black Pepper, Neroli, Rose Maroc, Bergamot

Packaged lovingly in a secure black box which is filled with a bottom layer of cotton wool for protection and topped with fake Moss.

Light in the Darkness : My Journey with Depression & Self Harm

Good Morning my dears,

Recently I've been thinking a lot about the different ways in which I can help people. In my daily life I always do my best to walk the path of a healer, offering my help to others in lots of different ways. I offer healing with my hands by treating clients with reflexology, acupuncture or cupping, I create products for my shop that I infuse with healing, and I also talk. Over the years many people have told me that they find me easy to talk to, easy to approach and easy to trust, all of these things make me feel so touched and blessed. Knowing that others feel they can come to me when they need help, even if it is something as simple as having a cup of tea and a chat, makes me feel as though I am living my purpose. 

I also consider my blog to be a place where I can offer help and healing, afterall it is a place that I come to when I want to talk. Despite the fact that blogging can seem like a very solitary experience, despite the fact that you and I are not sitting across from one another, I honestly feel as though I'm having a conversation with a good friend when I write. I feel as though I am constantly building a bigger and bigger family of kindred souls and heart friends here, people I can truly and deeply connect with. I thank you all so much for making this the perfect place for me, it is my haven, and it is yours too whenever you need it.

Lately I feel I've also been going in a new direction of rawness and honesty. This blog started as a place for pure positivity, and I still maintain that as my core value of everything I share here, but now I feel that part of encouraging positivity is by being honest and open about the things that can be perceived as negatives. Once upon a time I had a very definite line of the person I was on my blog, and the person I was in every day life. I went through a lot that I didn't share here, not because I wanted to lie, but because this was my escape. This place was my chance to get away from all of the things going on around me, and I controlled everything that I wanted my readers to see here. 

I still believe in the idea of being able to have a seperate, private life outside of my blog. It's healthy to have things simply for yourself, not to share everything on the internet. All the same, there are aspects of my life and myself that I now feel I can begin to share, when I think it will be for the greatest good.

A good friend of mine recently made a post about her history with depression and how she is on a new journey of spiritual and physical growth. I so admire her for writing that post, reading it bought tears to my eyes because I just felt such a strong connection, such an understanding flowing from her. She has inspired me to write about my own battle with depression, as well as my ongoing fight with self harm. I feel that being open about these things allows us to talk about them, to bring them into the light, not to be ashamed of them. 

I will be talking about my depression and self harm here, talk of my history in an abusive relationship may also come up which includes rape, so please be aware that this post could be very triggering. If you feel that you don't want to read it then I totally understand that, and please feel free not to. I have put all of the writing after a jump. 

(Gorgeous painting by Brent Hollowell)

The Rat Named Bear : Sympathising With Your 'Difficult' Pet

Good Afternoon my dears,

Today I wanted to make a post dedicated to my shyest rat boy, who tends not to be seen quite as often as my two total hams! Where Kingsley and Sev are boisterous, pushy and incredibly nosy Bear is quiet, gentle and tends to hang back to survey everything before he jumps into the fray. He is also rather skittish in nature, the slightest movement can make him jump and scurry away. 

Lately Bear has been getting much better at allowing us to touch him and fuss him. Now I can reach into the cage and touch his back or stroke his face and head and he will let me do it, and he is starting to let Steven and I pick him up out of the cage and hold him for a minute without getting too frightened. He loves to come and play on the bed and often comes up to me and gently sniffs me, and he has the sweetest habit of licking my fingers and gently rubbing his nose against my hand whenever I reach in for him. 

He is also very funny and makes me laugh every day with his antics and the way he does things, he takes after Ganny in so many ways. Bear is the biggest rat in the cage, truly a huge beast, and he has a face that reminds me of a warthog just like Ganny did. He's also working on the supremely smug look Ganny used to get whenever he was pleased with something, and he also loves to sit at the food bowl and graze for hours. You'll often find Bear sitting in the tunnel that leads from the second level of the cage to the top, and at night he and Sev drive each other up the wall with their obstinate refusal to get out of each others way. In the mornings he curls up with the others and sleeps, and he also loves to lay in his wicker tube and chill out. 

When you call his name he pounces around the cage with excitement, popping his head up to the bars and watching you intently. He responds when I sing to him and when I have something he wants he will sit and stare at me without moving. 

I wanted to make this post because Bear is what a lot of people would think of as a 'difficult' pet. When I see people talking about the kind of rat they'd like, Bear is the one they want to avoid. It seems people tend to want a pet who will instantly trust you, want to snuggle you, be playful and friendly. It makes me feel very sad that animals like Bear, who can take a very long time to coax, get left behind in favor of those who are easier to befriend.

We've had Bear for nearly a year now and it has taken us this long to get him to feel at all comfortable with being touched or picked up. Even now he isn't like Sev or Kingsley, he won't climb out onto our hands and he doesn't like to sit with you for a long time. Ganny and Dumbles were the same, they didn't like to be handled and it took us quite some time to build trust with them. 

 Yet the thing is, these 'difficult' animals are just as loving as those who will fall into your arms the moment you meet them, and they want to be loved just as much too. They get just as excited by being with you, though they may show it differently. They deserve to be loved and cared for, because their souls are just as sweet, as precious, as wonderful as any other and sometimes they might never receive that same love and care. I have always felt a deep fondness for Bear, even when he ran away from me, even when he hid. I have always loved him, and over time he has learnt that we love him and he has learned to trust us. He may not be the total cuddle monster that Kingsley and Sev are, but in his own ways he shows how much he loves us. 

I also feel that, when you encounter a 'difficult' pet it is really important to try to see things from their perspective, try to understand why they may be acting the way they do. Some animals may be naturally more standoffish, that could be their personality. Others have reasons for acting that way, and that can sometimes be easy to forget. For example Bear is almost totally blind, which is something that can occur with albino animals. He has always been very poor sighted, which we first realised when we saw him swaying his head backwards and forwards constantly. I found out that when a rat does this it means they are trying to see something, and those with poor eyesight do it more often. Bear does this constantly, we've taken to calling it 'Scanning' and seeing him waving his little head at you is so heart warming because you know he is paying you his absolute attention.

When I think of the world from his perspective I can totally understand why he would be skittish and shy. If I imagine a strange hand coming towards me I know I would be frightened too, it would take me a while to learn to trust it. Bear had to learn everything about us mostly through smell and our voices, I think it is fair that it took him a little longer to get comfortable.

 Another thing to consider is that some animals may have been abused in their past. This could especially be the case if you adopt them from a shelter, but you never know when it could have happened. Animals that have been abused in their past may take a very long time to learn to trust you, and they may always have behavior that reflects what happened to them. I know it can be frustrating when you just want to snuggle your pet and they don't want to comply, but it doesn't mean that they're not a 'good' pet. Animals have such a capacity for love, they will love you with all of their heart and being, but just like we don't instantly love somebody they may take time to get closer to you. 

 So I raise a toast to my gorgeous, beautiful, sweet Bear, and to all pets no matter their personality. Shy or boisterous, quiet or loud, friendly or aloof, they can all teach us so many amazing things, and we can teach them too. Prove to them that they are safe with you, and endlessly loved, and you may be surprised at what you get in return.