Original Source Of Article:http://candleandsoap.about.com/b/2010/02/08/valentines-day-crafts-of-all-types.htm Author Of Article: About.com Candle & Soap Making http://candleandsoap.about.com/

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Ricardo Elkind / Getty Images

Whether you are interested in making Valentine’s Day soaps or enjoy other types of crafting, the About.com hobby guides have it all covered for you this holiday!

Contests: Maybe you can win some cool stuff to use for crafting by taking a look at this Valentine’s Day Sweepstakes List from the Contest guide.

Needlepoint: Embellish a candy heart pillow, stitch a quick heart gift, or create a lovely posted card.

Jewelry Making: Valentine’s Day can really be every day of the week if you like to wear heart-themed jewelry or enjoy red or pink colored jewelry. These projects are for those who love jewelry.

Painting: Add some symbolism to your Valentine’s this year using this symbol dictionary.

DIY Fashion: Make a cute heart pin, cut out some heart stencils, or try to craft a number of Valentine’s gifts.

Collectibles: Find Victorian children and Valentine scraps that are perfect for paper crafts or digital scrapbooking. Frame these antique scraps and postcards as-is or use for your handmade cards and gifts.

Crochet: Enjoy these free crochet patterns for Valentine’s Day. You’ll find a variety of ideas for crocheting delightful heart motifs, flowers, and other romantic pretties.

Family Crafts: I hope this collection of crafts, recipes, gift ideas, coloring book pages, games, and other activities help you to have a fun Saint Valentine’s Day.

Rubber Stamping: Find ideas for gifts and decorations that are ideal for Valentine’s Day or quick to make Valentine’s Day cards for the special person in your life!

Cross Stitch: Stitch your way into your beloved’s heart with a sweetly crafted Valentine needlework. Some charts are simple enough to complete in a day – other’s may take until next Valentine’s perhaps.

Miniatures: Printable valentines boxes, tiny roses, rose covered pillows and boxes of tiny chocolates made from polymer clay provide lots of unique ways to present or create gifts for a special someone. Fill the boxes with real or poly clay chocolates , make them as beads , or use them to hold special gifts.

I know most of us can’t quite contain ourselves to just one craft…so maybe these links from my fellow Hobby Guides will inspire you to new areas of creativity and fun!

Valentine’s Day Crafts of All Types originally appeared on About.com Candle & Soap Making on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 16:48:33.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Yes, the venue must be great, the caterer, recommended by friends, and your gown, top of the line. But what about the bridal accessories? Your wedding should be the most memorable day of your life. You want your bridal accessories – tiaras, hair combs, etc. – to match with your wedding theme, dress, and hairstyle. Would you prefer an ostentatious tiara or a hairvine instead? Will you go for the vintage look with you hair comb? Will the headband you prefer go with your wedding theme? You don’t want to be hurried off to choose these items. The wrong choice could mean a fashion disaster. Harassed by your already booked weeks preparing for the wedding? Carrie Yeo can help you find the right accessories for you.

Aluminium ladders are a popular choice among UK home owners and tradesmen because of three features: they are lightweight, easy to handle, and durable. When you store your ladders outdoors, you naturally don’t want them to rust. Aluminium is the material you want. Aluminium ladders are highly durable and sturdy, able to take the constant use, dents, dings, and repositioning that daily use can bring. Choose the right type of aluminium ladder for the job, depending on the kind of safety you need and the amount of weight the ladder can support. For electrical work, such as those requiring complete insulation, you need fibreglass ladders. This is because aluminium has high conductivity.

Original Source Of Article:http://candleandsoap.about.com/b/2010/02/05/transforming-your-bath-and-bathtime.htm Author Of Article: About.com Candle & Soap Making http://candleandsoap.about.com/

In the winter-time, I take a lot more baths – the weather is cooler…and I tend to be a bit more stressed out. There’s just something about a nice, long bath that helps bring a long day to a wonderful relaxing end. “Bliss is a nice, long soak in a warm tub, and it’s not just about getting clean,” says Connie Midey in her article, Soak up the Benefits. Naturally, soap and candles are key players in their overall bathtub rituals. But we knew that. Now off to the bath – candles and soap and more in hand. Breathe in…breathe out…ahhhhhhhh.

Transforming Your Bath and Bathtime originally appeared on About.com Candle & Soap Making on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 12:55:26.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Looking for a ladder? Here’s some info to help you find the right one. The all-around ladder is the rigid ladder, and it’s often used for many tasks. Rigid ladders come in many varieties, from the fixed to the roof ladders. The fixed ladder is the most plain of these and has no moving parts. Extension ladders are the type that can be lengthened, since one part is nested in the other for storage. Joined by a hinge at its top, and often forming an inverted V, are step ladders. A platform step ladder has a platform at the top. Ladders that have hooks to set them locked on the roof are called roof ladders. Aluminium is often the preferred material for ladders, except those used for electrical work, for which fibreglass ladders are used.

A bride’s time to shine is her wedding day. A beautiful bride is a well-prepared one. She will have tried out many combinations of items to look her best. A bride’s complete look involves finely selected wedding gown, hairstyle, wedding theme, and jewellery. You naturally want your wedding jewellery to be one of a kind. Why not check out Carrie Yeo’s handmade wedding jewellery line? We tailor-make our pieces for only those who order them. She can work with our designer to come up with a suitable design for the jewellery she wants. Or she can allow the designer to take care of the work while she focuses on other aspects of the wedding.

When your home has a loft or attic, you most likely use it for storage. We all need some space where we can stow unused stuff. But have you considered your safety when you use that rickety staircase or aging ladder you use to climb up to the attic? You need a loft ladder, and a reliable one, to replace the unsafe ladders often used to access lofts and attics. There are folding, telescopic, and sliding loft ladders. You can choose what suits your home. You might even need, depending on your situation, a bespoke attic ladder. Aluminium, wood, and steel are the materials usually used for loft ladders.

By using affordable accessories for your wedding, you can still achieve a beautiful and memorable event, without the unnecessary expense. Finding cheap bridal accessories is easy as long as you know the best sources. Tiaras with expensive crystals can be substituted with other options. Instead, you can buy tiaras adorned in silver and ordinary crystals. A much affordable substitute for diamonds are cubic zirconia crystals. Diamonds are often expensive, however if you want to have this classic style, wearing cubic zirconia is an outstanding alternative.

Need more information? Feel free to get in touch with us. We are always here to help you out with our best possible services. All you need to to do just visit our website. Have a nice day ahead!

Original Source Of Article:http://candleandsoap.about.com/b/2010/02/01/washing-with-donuts.htm Author Of Article: About.com Candle & Soap Making http://candleandsoap.about.com/

Berit Myrekrok / Getty Images

I often see candles made to look like food – pies, muffins, ice cream sundaes – but I don’t often see soap made to look like food. This blog post, by the folks at Cibaria Soap Supply, showcases some examples of the real artistry that you can create with soap. (There’s also some links for where to get molds.) I know a soap maker who makes slices of pie out of melt and pour soap…making the crust first, then the filling, then the topping, then the cherry…and then gluing it all together with a bit more melted soap. They are indeed soapy works of art. But are they worth it? Check out the photos, and the ones at the Mollycoddle Soap and Soapopotomus (real soap donuts!) sites. Would you want to make…and/or wash with a piece of pie soap? Pancakes? A hot dog? Leave your comments below…

Washing with Donuts originally appeared on About.com Candle & Soap Making on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 21:02:53.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Original Source Of Article:http://candleandsoap.about.com/b/2010/01/29/why-use-a-preservative.htm Author Of Article: About.com Candle & Soap Making http://candleandsoap.about.com/

“It makes no difference if something is all organic or natural if it has cooties in it that you cannot see with the naked eye that can cause more problems to someone’s skin than the preservative you didn’t use.”
That’s what a colleague of Dr. Cindy Jones of the Sagescript Institute said in a recent blog post. While we don’t (just yet) have a lot of articles and how-to’s on lotion and cream making on the Candle and Soap Making site, a lot of you do make lotions and creams. We’ve had several posts lately in the Candle and Soap Making Forum about preservatives – and their usage even in non-water-containing formulations like scrubs and balms, so I wanted to pass this information on. Like lye, preservatives can be scary, chemical things…but when learned about, and used properly, they help make our products, crafts and creations safe for us…and whomever else may be using them.
Graphic: McMillan Digital Art / Getty Images

Why Use a Preservative? originally appeared on About.com Candle & Soap Making on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 14:08:57.

Permalink | Comment | Email this