Cheryl Mason's Garden » hand balm

Tis the Season

cheryl — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:39:53 +0000

The holiday shopping season has started! I’m loving the upswing in crafting.

Star Anise & Cinnamon Hand Balm and tinted Vanilla Mint Lip Balm.

Lots and lots of Via Coffee Bean Soaps. Love these!

Lazy Days

cheryl — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:53:19 +0000

Wow, I wish! Things have been a bit stressful the last few weeks. My mom’s cancer has returned and she was admitted to the hospital for about 10 days. If you’re interested in reading more about her check out over here. Thankfully she is home now. Tuesday was hubby and my dating anniversary (13 years!) and we had plans for a nice dinner at home but our plans were thwarted by our car that decided it was too old and tired to keep up so we headed to the dealer. After a test drive we settled on leasing a 2011 Honda CR-V. Oddly, after that our old car decided it was jealous and decided to keep going and after a diagnostic check and the wonders of the internet there is a chance of salvaging it with a $20ish part so….we now have two cars and not enough room in our garage. This weekend is going to be crazy busy with knitting group, visiting mom, book club, a birthday, a girls trip to Apple Hill, cleaning for a Halloween party next weekend, and garage cleaning. Normally we would fit that all into a month!

Stresses are definitely high lately and I’ve been coping with little thinks like breakfast quinoa

and knit mittens

quick crocheted scarves

and filling orders and posting new things to my store

This cute cupcake soap is now available in my shop.

There is so much going on this month it’s hard to keep up on the blog (especially when it’s been hacked and needs fixing by hubby, thanks hubby!) And now I’m off to the races!!!

Ps: Hopefully November will be filled with lots of weird novel type stuff, it’s NaNoWriMo month!

Eco vs. Quality

cheryl — Tue, 24 May 2011 02:54:21 +0000

I’m all about doing my part but I have limits when it comes to choosing between quality and eco but crummy. The journey to finding quality and eco friendly seems to be a difficult one though. For example, a few weeks ago I was working on packaging for a Bramble Berry soap swap. My soaps needed to be wrapped or they would warp but the plastic wrap method didn’t really make me happy so I went looking for options. Cello wrap made from plants seemed like a good idea but when I tried it the wrap warped. Likely this is me not doing it right but it wasn’t an easy solution to my problem that was quickly becoming urgent. Instead I dug out some resealable plastic bags that are very easy to use along with paper labels and off they went. These handy bags do the trick in a pinch but I’m looking for a product that will protect my soap a little better. The available options right now seem to be plastic, cello or cardboard. None of which currently make me happy. Sounds like it’s time for a product redesign. I’ve already got some new labels in mind.

After seeing different eco lip tubes I started wondering how well they work and if I could find something similar or better. After a week of testing out eco lip tubes from two different sellers I like the idea but I’m not sure I’m sold. Every time I apply the balm I have to squeeze the contents up enough to use without the container rubbing my lip. Not a show stopper but not my favorite.

Organic Essence brand lip balm was by far my favorite of the two lip products I tested.

These very cool cardboard jars, though, are fabulous! I love how sturdy they are and how they have a cardboard liner for extra protection. This would be especially perfect for a vegan or organic product. Overall I am loving Organic Essence products and their eco conscious containers.

I’ll keep searching the web for workable ideas. I’m liking the eco trend especially now that I’m making my own products and getting to see how much plastic is tossed after a single use.

Catching Up

cheryl — Wed, 18 May 2011 03:01:15 +0000

The last week I haven’t felt like doing anything….no that’s not true. I haven’t felt like blogging. That might be more true. Over all I’ve been stressed out over my mom’s up coming hospital stay plus jury duty summons à la mode. It’s manifested itself in a few bizar ways. A complete lack of the desire to knit. No progress was made at all, obviously no blogging, and weird dreams containing crazy water rafting activities. Here’s how I’ve been coping with it all.

Hand balm pearl and yummy lip balm in sweetened Chocolate Coconut Coffee.

My first attempt at rebatched soap. I didn’t read any instructions while I was working on it so it was all from what I remembered reading (inspiration here). It didn’t go as well as planned but I love the final soap. It smells a wonderful vanilla lavender scent. There was too much water added so the soap foamed around the bowl and the pot was too hot so it scorched a bit on the bottom. Not enough to make the soap smell burnt thankfully.

And antiperspirant tester and gardener’s hand balm for a friend. Two different batches with different concentrations of wax, vanilla, and lavender.

Taking photos of life in a desperate attempt to preserve it.

Sleepy Peaches.

A miniature rose bush I’ve decided to nurture at my day job. Lots of work! It’s perfectly fine during the week but weekends I have to over water it and leave my desk light on. Over the weekend it shot up with bright green leaves and then started drooping by Monday morning. I’m already worried how it will survive weekends over the summer. I might have to take it home.

Trying out my 4 year old Scooba for the first time. It was stashed brand new in the garage ever since we moved to our condo. Very cool and fun to watch by both cats and people.

Sunset out our font patio.

Hail and thunder woke us Sunday morning.

Microwave brownie using batter “leftovers”. I can’t be expected to wait 35 minutes for a brownie!. 30 seconds in the microwave with a tiny bit of extra water mixed in the batter.

mmmm!

And baking sugary treats to feed to friends who helped me forget my anxiety for a few hours and laugh and be spontaneous with. By the way, if I haven’t mentioned before, the game of Dominion is fabulous!

Today is another waiting day and with all the cold, rainy, windy days I’m starting to get the urge to make these Solid Exfoliating Scrubs or some baby onsies for my cousin who just announced she’s pregnant! Hm, maybe both.

Coffee Anyone?

cheryl — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 06:10:17 +0000

I’ve been resisting this coffee bean mold for a while now but finally couldn’t hold out any longer. I had coffee butter languishing in my supplies, who can blame me?!?

A small batch.

I always like to put some wax paper under my containers for easier clean up.

Creative packaging.

Next time I’ll make the hand balm beans a little firmer so they hold their shape a little better. This is the only one that came out whole. The lip balm came out perfect.

This wonderful combination of coffee butter, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, cocoa butter, and bees wax makes a wonderful lip and soft hand balm. Despite it being evening I was thrilled with the strong smell of coffee filling the house as the mixture melted down….mmm.

To end the evening my kitties decided to snuggle.

Epidemic of New Projects

cheryl — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:07:38 +0000

I’ve been feeling like I’m ready for some new projects lately but haven’t had time till last week. Here are some sneak peaks at a few of my projects.

A new wool shawl or felted scarf (out of my first hand balled yarn), my new Hope & Healing Salve in a variety of containers for testing, sweater mittens that will also have a satin liner, and lastly felt slippers.

I’m really excited about the felt slippers ever since I saw them for sale on Etsy a while back. The pattern template is available on Martha Stewart’s site. As usual I forgot an important step (reading ALL the directions), fusible webbing, but that didn’t stop me from pressing on. More detailed posts on the mittens and slippers (hopefully) soon.

Safe Cosmetics Act – Why I wrote to my state representative

cheryl — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:45:30 +0000

H.R. 5786, the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, introduced into Congress on July 21, 2010, by Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc.

As a new business owner and skin care manufacturer that hopes to one day quit my day job the H.R. 5786 will make it impossible for me to follow that dream.

At the prompting of The Soap Queen’s contest I wrote the following letter to my rep.

Dear Representative,

I am writing to express my concerns about H.R. 5786, the ‘Safe Cosmetics Act’. I make lip balms, soaps, deodorants and lotions and sell them in small quantities online and out of my home. My business makes less than $5000 per year. I sell these items to augment my family’s income and help our quality of life. I make my lip balms, soaps, deodorants and lotions with common ingredients that you can find in your kitchen. For example, I make deodorant with baking soda, coconut oil, and arrow root starch. H.R. 5786 has a bunch of extra reporting requirements that would be virtually impossible for me to comply with. I’m just one woman in a kitchen. I don’t have a huge staff to help me. Plus, I often change my formulations based on the season and what my customers are asking for. Being nimble is a huge advantage for me and if I have to submit a new safety and ingredient affidavit for every product, that will take away one of my key advantages. Please don’t support this legislation. It is well-meaning but is written in such a way that I won’t be able to stay in business because I won’t be able to keep up. Estee Lauder started at her kitchen table. Please don’t take that opportunity away from me.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Mason
Cheryl Mason’s Kitchen

Back to School Sale Starts Today

cheryl — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:34:10 +0000

BOGO Sale – Buy ONE, get ONE 50% off from July 23 – Aug 31. To search for other “Back to School with Friends” savings please use the tag ”b2sfriends” in your search. 50% off applies to the the item of equal or lesser value. Savings will be refunded through paypal after cleared payment is received. Additional coupon’s and discounts not good with this sale.

http://Masoncj.etsy.com , http://IndenturedMason.etsy.com, http://CherylMasonGarden.etsy.com

Spring Giveaway by the EtsyFriends Team–Win $230 in prizes! (Ends 5/07/10)

cheryl — Tue, 04 May 2010 02:36:18 +0000

Hello everyone.. We have 20 items up for grabs valued at over $230!!

Here is the blog post:
http://efpromotions.blogspot.com/2010/04/spring-giveaway-etsyfriends-team-win_30.html

In order for a submission to be counted, the entries must first visit all the shops and locate their favorites. That is $230 worth of prizes!!

My brand new Blackberry Raspberry Vanilla Cuticle Cream worth $8 is included in the awesome give away!

Almost Back in the Swing

cheryl — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 06:59:25 +0000

The last week has been really hard on the extended family with an “almost tragedy turned blessing in disguise” and my husband and I decided it was best to set aside our personal interests to help out where we could and to host my MIL for a week. Life is now getting back to normal and thankfully the family as a whole is doing so well that we’re comfortable picking up our lives again just in time for a weekend crammed with visiting friends and baby showers for said friends. Amazingly I’m not totally exhausted and felt like crafting tonight. My store will soon have several luscious whipped lotions and rich cuticle creams that are crammed with the best of ingredients and then whipped together with a wonderful variety of new scents. Pictures will have to wait for a sunny day though so it could take another week. The weather really hasn’t cooperated the last several weekends when I had time. In the mean time I wanted to share several exciting packages that came in the mail.

I’ve had my eye open for a turkish spindle and finally caved to this little cutie

Compared to my learning spindle this new one is amazing! It is very well balanced with awesome spin and weighs 0.5oz in black and white ebony. I bought it from Thomas Creations Thread thru Time Etsy store. They have new spindles all the time but don’t wait to buy if you see one you can’t live without. They seem to sell out really fast.

Another item that came in the mail today was a free sample lip balm from MMS that came with my order. It has orange butter in the ingredients so I was really interested to try the lip balm. On the whole I prefer my lip balms constancy to theirs but the orange butter smells edible like a smoothie shop and it seems to moisturize well.

The last thing, I promise, was the best candy EVER. Have it Sweet’s Fleur de Sel Caramel has got to be the most buttery and creamy caramel I’ve ever had. This is the second time I’ve ordered from them. The first time I ordered Spring Is In The Air Pink Vanilla and Dark Chocolate Caramel Bars, Belgian Dark Chocolate Caramel Bars, French Pistachio Nougat Bars. The Pistachio went so fast there wasn’t time for pictures and the samples of the Fleur de Sel were soooo good I ordered a batch along with Pink Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows and French Hazelnut Nougat Bars. The Pistachio Nougat to me was better that the Hazelnut but I always tend to like the first one I try best.

They also included a yummy sample of their pecan caramel. It has just a little bit of crunch in that amazing buttery caramel.

I’ll leave you with a picture of my spunky kitty boy