My first batch of soap

Preparing a work area and measuring all the ingredients, important to make sure they are measured correctly!

My first log, insulated for a while and starting to gel as the process works it's magic.

The first of the logs, just taken out of the mold.

So I thought I would make a batch of soap, seen it at the markets and always wanted a try so why not.  I got a lovely kit and made my oatmeal milk and honey soap.  Took me a while to find a suitable time, not something to try and rush, or do with the kids around, but I am so happy with the results.
The soap still needs to be cut and cleaned up, then it has to sit for around 4 to 6 weeks to ensure it has hardened properly.  I used the recipe that came with the soap kit, but I look forward to trying more!

My foray into aroma beads.

Bucket of Tutti Fruitti

So the first thing I thought I would try is aroma beads.  These are a fantastic idea.  They are little beads of plastic that are scented and coloured.  They can go in a little jar or something with the lid off to scent the room, or you could even put them in the bottom of a bag, or anywhere else the fragrance would be nice.  I decided that my first two batches would be tutti fruitti and peppermint crisp.  I coloured the tutti fruitti orange and the peppermint crisp green.  This was really easy to do and was set in a bucket for a week or so to allow the colour and scent to set into it properly.

Weighing and shaping the beads

When the beads are ready

My next decision was how to display them.  I found a great little blog that showed some aroma beads that were molded to a shape.  I decided on Christmas shapes in honour of the forthcoming season and have them ready to hang.  I still have a bunch of beads leftover, and will soon decide what to do with them.

My first craft crazed post!

Well, here's my first ever crafty blog post!  I am super excited.  I'm doing this so I have a journal of sorts of all the wonderful things I attempt in the world of craft.  This way I can see what I did, what worked and what didn't, and hopefully learn a little so that I can make improvements and perhaps one day make things to be proud of (although I'm proud of practically anything I make, failure or not).  By doing this in a public forum like this I hope that anyone else who may happen across my blog might also be able to learn from my experiences.
Feel free to make any comments, whether you can offer any advice, or you might have tried something similar yourself, or anything else that could be of interest.
I will be sure to post the first of my adventures in craft soon!