How to: Winter's Coming Lip Scrub.

I have always suffered with chapped lips in the winter. This year I decided to try and do something about it. I had seen a few sugar lip scrubs being advertised (like this one at Lush). So I made lip scrub!

Ingredients:

I wanted to find a way to make a sugar scrub with ingredients I already have in my store cupboard. I did some digging around online and came up with a list of things that I could use...

• Coconut oil 
• Chocolate and vanilla 
• Honey, olive oil and Vaseline

My first try recipe:

I mixed the following ingredients together with a fork:

• 3 teaspoon (tsp) white caster sugar
• 1 tsp coconut oil

This was a bit too dry and crumbly so I added the following:

• 1 tsp solid honey
• 1 tsp olive oil (But read to the end...)

How to use:

Rub a little on to your lips in a circular motion. Then lick it off! Follow up with a good rich moisturising cream. I use the hand and lip cream I made not too long ago...

What I learnt:

• Don't bother making this with brown sugar, it dissolves! Goodness knows what they do to make sugar white and non-dissolving...
• It would have been better if I had left out the olive oil. When I wanted to use my scrub the next day the olive oil had separated and was sitting on top of the rest of the mix. I just poured it off. Also the olivey taste doesn't go all that well with the coconut and honey.

PS. Are you into buying handmade? Yes? Then you should check out the amazing stuff in the Etsy Stock Take. If you sell your craft on Etsy, please come and join in :)

Etsy Stock Take - Week Forty-seven.

Pretty popular last week: Custom baby bonnet by GreenFoxFarms

Etsy Stock Take - Week Forty-seven - Sunday Linky Party

Hi guys,

This week I cast off a pair of socks. Two at a time toe up no less! Also started packing for our new life in Delft, South Holland. Then some travelling, this time next week we'll be in Italy :)

Please do get involved with promoting the Etsy Stock Take it a bit more in the coming weeks (pinning, tweeting, blogging, Etsy teams, you know the deal...) so that you get the best out of this exposure opportunity. I'm sure you can appreciate I won't have much time!

Want more exposure?
I would like to start a new feature where I introduce some of you Etsy Stock Takers personally. You might have already read about this in the regular email. I already have a couple of takers. This might be especially good for non-bloggers. Just send me a nice photo and a paragraph about you and your process. If you are interested in getting involved or being featured, please drop me a line. 

I hope you have had a lot of crafty sales this week. Please show us what you have in your shops!

Shoppers of handmade stuff:

Scroll down for some more beautiful products made by some of my readers. Please visit their shops on Etsy and consider buying something! You'll be glad you did :)

Etsy Sellers:
Please, no holiday items, let's keep this a Christmas free zone!

Link up your items to get more exposure for your shop. You might be featured in the Best of the Week or Best of the Month features (and then you'll be tweeted and pinned!). Vintage is welcome too!

You have 2 options:

1. Bloggers:

Write a new post on your blog (telling us about your new items), mention the Etsy Stock Take and link back here so your readers get a chance to find the link up list (or add the button above).

Then link up using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post so we can find your blog.

2. Link up directly to your Etsy shop:  
Post a link that goes directly to your new items in Etsy using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. You can put up as many as you want and we will see your images nice and big.

If you have problems with linking up, please let me know and I will give you a hand (my email).

Everyone:
It'd be lovely if you took a moment to go and check out some stuff that others post below - go shopping!

Ciao!

Katz :)

PS: If you enjoyed this, please share it with your twitter followers:         Tweet #etsystocktake


If the list at the bottom of this post is closed, link up with a live list anytime, click here and choose the latest Etsy Stock Take...

Spiral Granny Square Blanket - Tah dah!

My spiral granny square blanket is finished :) I really enjoyed this project and it was a very good stash buster, 6 and a half balls of yarn out the basket and into useful occupation. I like that!

Front

Back

Find out more about this project on Ravelry. Also on LifesJewels.


PS. Are you into buying handmade? Yes? Then you should check out the amazing stuff in the Etsy Stock Take. If you sell your craft on Etsy, please come and join in :)

Etsy Stock Take - Week Forty-six

Popular last week: Swarovski Drop Earrings at 925maille

Etsy Stock Take - Week Forty-six - Sunday Linky Party

Hi guys,

We're moving! We're moving house! Off we go to Delft in South Holland. Ohhh, lots of new adventures await us.

This does mean that blogging might have to take a back seat in the next weeks. I will try and keep up with the Etsy Stock Take, but I'll be promoting it less. That means that you linker-uppers might wanna promote it a bit more (pinning, tweeting, blogging, Etsy teams, you know the deal...) so that you get the best out of this exposure opportunity.

Also I would like to start a new feature where I introduce some of you Etsy Stock Takers personally. You might have already read about this in the regular email. I already have a couple of takers. If you are interested in getting involved or being featured, please drop me a line. 

I hope you have had a lot of crafty sales this week. Please show us what you have in your shops!

Shoppers of handmade stuff:

Scroll down for some more beautiful products made by some of my readers. Please visit their shops on Etsy and consider buying something! You'll be glad you did :)

Etsy Sellers:
Please, no holiday items, let's keep this a Halloween and Christmas free zone!

Link up your items to get more exposure for your shop. You might be featured in the Best of the Week or Best of the Month features (and then you'll be tweeted and pinned!). Vintage is welcome too!

You have 2 options:

1. Bloggers:

Write a new post on your blog (telling us about your new items), mention the Etsy Stock Take and link back here so your readers get a chance to find the link up list (or add the button above).

Then link up using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post so we can find your blog.

2. Link up directly to your Etsy shop:  
Post a link that goes directly to your new items in Etsy using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. You can put up as many as you want and we will see your images nice and big.

If you have problems with linking up, please let me know and I will give you a hand (my email).

Everyone:
It'd be lovely if you took a moment to go and check out some stuff that others post below - go shopping!

Ciao!

Katz :)

PS: If you enjoyed this, please share it with your twitter followers:         Tweet #etsystocktake


If the list at the bottom of this post is closed, link up with a live list anytime, click here and choose the latest Etsy Stock Take...

Etsy Stock Take - Week Forty-five.

Most clicked on last week: Water Statement Bib Necklace from JasminBlancBoutique

Etsy Stock Take - Week Forty-five - Sunday Linky Party

Hi guys,

What have you been up to this week? I finished my granny square blanket. It's a sweetie :)

I thought I would take a knitting/crochet break and do some reading, but my yarn is calling out to me so I might be casting on again sooner than planned.

I hope you have had a lot of crafty sales this week. Please show us what you have in your shops!

Shoppers of handmade stuff:

Scroll down for some more beautiful products made by some of my readers. Please visit their shops on Etsy and consider buying something! You'll be glad you did :)

Etsy Sellers:
Please, no holiday items, let's keep this a Halloween and Christmas free zone!

Link up your items to get more exposure for your shop. You might be featured in the Best of the Week or Best of the Month features (and then you'll be tweeted and pinned!). Vintage is welcome too!

You have 2 options:

1. Bloggers:

Write a new post on your blog (telling us about your new items), mention the Etsy Stock Take and link back here so your readers get a chance to find the link up list (or add the button above).

Then link up using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post so we can find your blog.

2. Link up directly to your Etsy shop:  
Post a link that goes directly to your new items in Etsy using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. You can put up as many as you want and we will see your images nice and big.

If you have problems with linking up, please let me know and I will give you a hand (my email).

Everyone:
It'd be lovely if you took a moment to go and check out some stuff that others post below - go shopping!

Ciao!

Katz :)

PS: If you enjoyed this, please share it with your twitter followers:         Tweet #etsystocktake


If the list at the bottom of this post is closed, link up with a live list anytime, click here and choose the latest Etsy Stock Take...

Moving to Delft, Holland.

Deflt's East Gate. The only surviving ancient gate, built around 1400.

That's right, LifesJewels is on the move. My family is re-locating west and a little more south to Delft in South Holland.

We are looking forward to saying hello to the land of canals (and living under sea level!), big yellow cheese and clogs! Ok, that's about all I know of the Netherlands, but I can't wait to discover it all.

Over the next weeks I will be saying goodbye to Hamburg, packing for the move and then enjoying a little bit of madness.

The madness = a month's tour around Europe getting ourselves sorted out and enjoying a bit of family time, skiing and friends in Italy and Switzerland.

Things will be a bit squiffy around here until we are settled in our new home. I will endeavour to keep up with the Etsy Stock Take, but forgive me if things are rather less organised than normal...

PS. Are you into buying handmade? Yes? Then you should check out the amazing stuff in the Etsy Stock Take. If you sell your craft on Etsy, please come and join in :)

Hamburg Park Graffiti.

Every city has a story to tell. We can read the story in history books, hear it from the residents or see it on the streets. Hamburg is no different. I enjoy looking about me as I walk along and I often notice interesting details.

Graffiti is something that continually interests me. I'm not really into the big tags and scribbly stuff, but there is a type of graffiti that draws me in. Last year I got pulled into a 'secret code' in the centre of the Hamburg. Last week I was walking through my nearest park and I saw this 'craft/art' graffiti!

Leaf stenciled graffiti!

I'm not sure if the Hamburg park authorities will appreciate this graffiti, it will probably be a pain to clean up. But I like it. Especially the colour choice! I'm going to go back and see if they are still there later this week.

Spray painted leaf

PS. Are you into buying handmade? Yes? Then you should check out the amazing stuff in the Etsy Stock Take. If you sell your craft on Etsy, please come and join in :)

Etsy Stock Take - Week Forty-four - Best of October

Etsy Stock Take - Week Forty-four - Sunday Linky Party - Best of October

I've got one more round to work on my Spiral Granny Square blanket border and then it's finished! Yay!

We just got back from a smashing weekend in Berlin. Lot's of interesting and impressive sights, good friends and great food. What more can you want?

What have you been up to lovely creative people? Please tell all... and link up your treasures below as normal.

And... don't you know this is the Etsy Stock Take - Best of October, get ready to gush!

Week Forty-one:

Sweet Orange and Chilli Pepper Scented Candle at curiouscarrie

Week Forty-two:

Original Abstract Floral Art Canvas at artsyants

Week Forty-three:

Hand Knit Lace Shawl from SewEcological

Shoppers of handmade stuff:

Scroll down for some more beautiful products made by some of my readers. Please visit their shops on Etsy and consider buying something! You'll be glad you did :)

Etsy Sellers:

Link up your items to get more exposure for your shop. You might be featured in the Best of the Week or Best of the Month features (and then you'll be tweeted and pinned!). Vintage is welcome too!

You have 2 options, you can do just one, or for increased exposure, do both!

1. Link up directly to your Etsy shop:  

Post a link that goes directly to your new items in Etsy using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. You can put up as many as you want and we will see your images nice and big :)

2. Bloggers:

Write a new post on your blog (telling us about your new items), mention the Etsy Stock Take and link back here so your readers get a chance to find the link up list (or add the button in the right side bar).

Then link up using the Linky widget (where it says 'click here to enter') at the bottom of this post. Then we can find your blog :)

It'd be lovely if you took a moment to go and check out some stuff that others post below - go shopping!

It seems that there have been some difficulties with the Linky widget. If you have problems, please let me know and I will give you a hand (my email).

Let's show our support for each other craftwise! I hope the Etsy Stock Take will be a powerful motivator and a source of exposure for us all.


Ciao!

Katz :)

PS: Do you tweet tweet?         Tweet #etsystocktake


If the list at the bottom of this post is closed, link up with a live list anytime, click here and choose the latest Etsy Stock Take...

Hello Winter Clothes Colour Blocking.

Polo neck: La redoute. Scarf: eBay. Leather skirt: F.Kids

So, it's official, I have unpacked my winter wardrobe and my summer lovelies are all snuggled away until the temperatures rise again next year.

I'm quite good at wearing colour through the winter, I can't bear all over black and I find happiness in the pop of colours. What I am not so good at, but would like to explore more is wearing patterns and prints. Here I am trying out a stripy scarf. Stripes seem a good place to start with patterns! Not too loud and rather classic. I am liking them layered up on the turquoise.

How do you wear patterns? Are you as excited as me to have a 'new' wardrobe when the season changes? 



PS. Are you into buying handmade? Yes? Then you should check out the amazing stuff in the Etsy Stock Take. If you sell your craft on Etsy, please come and join in :)