Bath bombs and British Flag Cushion

It has been quiet here lately, but I have been busy, honest! You can see my handiwork above, I am still in my fiddling with tweed phase! I just love working with it as it is just soft and kind, so far this has proved a very cheap option as these cushions usually retail around £25 to £35 each, but the material only cost me a tenner, the cushion inserts have come from a charity shop, most of the zips and ribbon was already in my stash so all in all I made three cushions for around £25 at the most! Oh and a really good tip to get your cushion nice and prim at the corners, tuck in wadding as cushions tend to miss the edges.

I bet when you were a child you did not realise that making sandcastles is actually a useful activity! There is a simply joy to creating the right mix of sand and water to create a really wonderful sandcastle with all the detail! Well this is a really useful skill for making bath bombs as the consistency required is just the same! The great thing is after leaving these to dry for a day you will be able to handle them easily and the sand won't wash all your hard work away! These lovelies can sit in your new spa bathroom and give you another lap of luxury! (By the way the bath bombs are in the basket on the left). If you have never used a bath bomb then you are in for a real treat as these fizz beautifully giving off their lovely scent as they go. If you want to increase the experience even more put it under your back and let the bubbles tickle you! The other wonderful thing is that you can decide what essential oils you can use to suit your needs.

Recipe for Bath Bombs

Buy at least four pots of bicarbonate of soda
(I usually get eight because I just love making them)

Cornflour
at least 350 g

Citric Acid 350 g
You can get this at health food stores or anywhere they sell beer making stuff.
Despite the name it isn't nasty stuff, it is actually used in bread making too! Honest!

A small jelly mould

Food colouring
if you wish

Essential oils of your choice

Sleep enhancers are: Lavender, Chamomile, Clary Sage
(Clary sage will give you nightmares if you have been drinking alcohol)

Revitalizing oils: Rosemary, peppermint Orange or Mandarin

Uplifting oils: bergamot and Neroli
(don't use late in the day!)

Sensual Oils: Rose, Sandalwood, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang



Empty the four pots of bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl, then using the pots as a measure add two pots of cornflour and two pots of citric acid. Carefully mix the dry ingredients together lightly in your hands, add the essential oils and mix again.

Take a pot of water and fill up to around 1/3 to 1/2 of water and add food colouring.
Add water very slowly and very carefully, not all the water at once add gently, mix quickly until you have the sandcastle consistency.
The mixture will foam but don't panic and keep mixing it in quickly!

Lay a large tray with kitchen roll to place your little sand castles.

Once you have the right mixture use small jelly moulds or what ever you wish to mould the sandcastles carefully releasing them from their mould.

Allow to dry overnight and fully harden.

Tightly wrap in clingfilm, to stop them from being inadvertently set off by a stray splash of water.

If you are giving them away as gifts then you can make some lovely labels.



My only advice is just add a few drops because when the bomb dissolves in the bathwater the fragrance will be quite strong for a while. The combination of warm water and steam increases the effectiveness. However, be careful if you are pregnant as some herbal infusions are not advisable, I am not an aromatherapist!


......

I have also been in negotiations with my local WI and currently in the process of organising an alternative schedule of meetings for women of our age! I have made a list already, including revamping, restyling clothing, making chocolates, belly dancing etc!

So as you are all so fantastic with your ideas can you let me know what you think? What would you like to do at a WI meeting? Life drawing with a lovely fit male model? Pole dancing? Making your own cosmetics?

I would really value your ideas!

Thank you for reading this long post!