DIY Bath Bombs using Websun Stainless Steel Molds- product review and recipe.

Yesterday my girl and i made bath bombs! First recipe we used was a total fail, but we tried again and i used way less food coloring, essential oil and water....and they turned out perfect!  These are so easy to make and use ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard! The only thing we were missing were molds, but we received some to review from #Websun  and they worked great!

We used  these stainless steel molds by Websun. These come in 3 sizes. They are 100% food grade 304 stainless steel & are dishwasher safe.  They work so well! The bath bombs popped right out and were shaped perfect.

 So much fun! We made some a while ago, and they were total fail. They started off looking great, but then they started slowly expanding and swelling.  i think the key is as little liquid as possible, just until they hold together. i also read that in areas of high humidity, you can bake them at 200 degrees until they are completely dried out. i'll probably do that with our next batch just to make sure they are completely dry and don't suck the moisture out of the air.

Homemade Bath Bombs

Dry ingredients

1/2 cup baking soda

1/4 cup Epsom salt

1/4 cup citric acid

1/4 cup corn starch.

 Wet ingredients

3 tsp Olive oil or Castor oil 

1 tsp essential oil

a few drops of food color. 

water

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisking to combine. 

Then in a small bowl mix wet ingredients (except water) together then slowly add to dry mixture, while constantly whisking. 

Now add water very slowly 1 tsp at a time, just until mix packs together. i think we used about 2 tsp, but the recipe called for 3. i would not use any more than that.  You want to add it slowly, while whisking quickly to avoid it setting off the chemical reaction. Using a spray bottle for the water would probably work well. Again you just need a tiny amount. 

Pack the mixture into both sides of your mold, press the two sides together and let dry about 5 hours. Be sure and store them in an air tight container!

These Bath bomb  molds really do work great! They come in a pretty handmade paper box. You can find them on amazon, free shipping with Prime. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071DJ41ZL 

*i received the product at no cost in exchange for my honest opinion. i was not compensated, my opinions are my own.

Teacher Appreciation Week- Harry Potter Style

So, i'm a bit behind on this post. Teacher Appreciation week was Monday, May 8 and ended on Friday, May 12.  The school usually sends home a paper about it, but we didn't get one this year, so i  totally missed it.
 Always a day late and a dollar short,  i had the brilliant idea of doing a Harry Potter themed gifts. i figured i could use my time turner to get them there on time, but i couldn't get it working ;)  So we just had to send them in late.

Our school usually follows this format for teacher's appreciation gifts, but it's just a suggestion and you can really do whatever.

For the office supplies, i really wanted to make quills like this one.  i couldn't find feathers locally though, and didn't have time to buy them online. So we ended up making wands instead. i figure they can be used as a pointer.  If we do this again though, i'd love make sure and have quills too.

For the wands we used chop sticks and hot glue. They are super easy, and look amazing.  You basically just coat the chop stick in hot glue...make whatever design you want. After it's dry you can paint it. i used Craftamo in black, brown, blue, white and green. After painting the entire wand in your base color, we then dry brushed a gold acrylic paint over it. It really gives it a neat look!

 You can check out this video by Pins and Things for some inspiration. 

My girl and i had a good time putting these together. We made wands and candies. Chocolate frogs, peppermint toads, cockroach clusters, Bertie botts and a golden snitch. :D  The golden snitch is a Ferrero Rocher candy with wings added. You can find the full directions here. 
Yes, i really am that much of a dork. The owls are holding thank you notes. All the labels and the owl printable i found online.

For the flower, we were hoping to pot mandrakes and magical herbs. These are some of the herb pots i did a few years ago. i figured we could do the same thing using Harry Potter stickers, or painting the pots in house colors. We could easily give the herbs magical names and make these very Harry Potter themed.

This is a super cute idea for the fruit gift. Magic wand fruit skewers. i found the idea here.  This photo is from weelicious.com.  Unfortunately we never got around to making them, but i'm saving the idea for next time.

We were lucky enough to have a teacher this year that LOVES Harry Potter, so these teacher gifts were absolutely perfect for her. My daughter who is 10, almost 11 has shown absolutely zero interest in reading until this year. Her teacher was so into Harry Potter, that my girl decided to read it. Not only did she read it, but she has zipped through the series and is now on book 5!! This is a kid that wouldn't even read Magic tree house (because they were too long) lol! 

So Harry Potter themed teacher's gifts just seemed perfect! They were a lot of fun to make, and i know her teacher loved them! i just wish i'd had my crap together so we could have done them all on the correct days during teacher appreciation week. :) 

Square Painting Canvases by US Art Supply.

Earlier this week i reviewed  8 x 10 stretched canvas by US Art Supply.   We also received a set of square canvas panels, but the last two weeks have been so busy we haven't had the chance to really try them out yet.

These are the Square Variety Assortment of Canvas Panels. The set contains 12-Total Panels (2-EA: 12x12, 10x10, 8x8, 6x6, 5x5, 4x4). They are tripled primed cotton, acid free and medium weight. 

 These are going to be a lot of fun to work with and should keep us busy for a while. i really love the variety of sizes. i've been playing around with making some mixed media mandala paintings and i think these will work great for them.

You can find this 12 pack of canvas panels on amazon. It's only $19.96 right now, and free shipping if you have prime. The set comes with two of each of the sizes pictured. 

i received this canvas in exchange for my review. i was not compensated. i really love working with #usartsupply and have been pleased with all of their products. They offer such a great selection of affordable art supplies.

Creating Painted Mandalas with #USArtSupply

This week i'm reviewing this 8 x 10 stretched canvas by US Art Supply.  It's a 10 pack, so i'm thinking i may have to host a paint party for my girl and a few of her friends.

These canvases are a nice size, triple primed over kiln dried wood and ready to paint. This value pack is priced at$17.96, that's less than $2 a canvas. Really good bargain if you are hosting a paint night or planning to paint gifts for friends and family.

My daughter has been planning to paint pictures for several family members who have requested them, and  i was hoping to have her get started and paint some of these canvases for my review, but she's still working on a painting she started last week and wasn't ready to start anything new. 

i've been wanting to make a mixed media mandala painting ever since i first saw one, but really wasn't sure where to start. So i poked around the internet a bit, and found a tutorial on  how to make a mixed Media collage.

i also looked up some different Mandala tutorials and thought this one was helpful on drawing mandalas.   i went with a really basic design for my first mandala. i sketched it out, and then started applying the base colors.  

Once i get all the base colors down, i'll work on outlining and adding the details. i might still try to incorporate some paper into it, i just didn't really have anything on hand that i thought would work. Now that i'm getting more of a vision of what i'm painting and and figuring out the colors i want, i have a lot more ideas about what i can do with it.  This is just the beginning stages, once i finish it i may post my own tutorial showing my process. 

One of these days, when we have our paintings done and hung up i'll post a photo. The wall behind my sofa is completely empty and i'm very eager to add some beautiful artwork to it.

You can find this 10 pack of canvas on amazon. It's only $17.96 right now, and free shipping if you have prime. This is a fun size for a kids paint party, or for making mandala art. 

i received this canvas in exchange for my review. i was not compensated. i really love working with #usartsupply and have been pleased with all of their products. They offer such a great selection of affordable art supplies.

Crafty Rolls Washi Tape Crafts

i've never used Washi tape before this, but i have a friend that loves it. She uses it to decorate the cigar boxes that she paints. They always come out looking fabulous, Since we love all kinds of crafts,  i wanted to try it out.

i received some #craftyrolls washi tape to review. So i looked up some different craft projects to do with it. Pinterest is full of ideas!!   My kids and i did a few simple ones, just to try it out.  i need to make a run to the craft store to get the supplies i need for some of the other washi tape projects i want to try.

The first project we did was to decorate my girl's switchplate cover. 

The tapes we picked are pink and green. They look like xmas colors in the picture, but it really is pink not red.   The washi rolls come in lots of fun colors and prints. It adheres really well to our projects, but isn't so sticky that it sticks to itself (like ducktape). It easy to lift up, straighten and reapply to get your lines perfect.

My girl loves the way her light switch cover came out. We attached the clothes pins to a ribbon and have them hanging in front of her mirror so she can hang pictures from them.

She also used the Crafty rolls  washi tape to frame in a few pictures in her scrap book. There are tons of different crafts on pinterest to make with it. We're going to have to try and find a few more projects to try out this weekend. 

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i received the washi tape in exchange for my review. i was not compensated.

100 colors!!!

We recently had the opportunity to review a set of 100 markers by #usartsupply.  They are an art supply company that specializes in affordable high quality  art supplies.  We've reviewed several products from them and are always very pleased with the quailty/price of their products.

We recently had the opportunity to review this set of 100 colors of Twin Tip markers. They contain a full color spectrum with no duplicate colors. They are acid-free, non-toxic, and water-based. They come in a nice display box so it's easy to pick your color and see the choices.  When i was a kid i would have thought i'd died and gone to heaven if i had a set of markers this big! :) 

The twin tip is awesome! One side has a 3.0 mm tip and the other side has a .7mm fine detailing  tip. 

These are great for coloring, drawing, and writing. i think it would be a great set of markers for anyone who loves to color and be creative. My daughter loves the array of colors and has been drawing with them every day. She's working on a picture to enter for the Norah the Piano cat Art contest. :) 

i received this product for free or discounted in exchange for an honest review. i was not compensated. My opinions are my own.  We love this set and think it is a fair price for the amount of twin-tip markers you get.

Mini Floating Moss Gardens

Took a walk in the woods yesterday and could not resist coming home with a basket full of beautiful moss. A few years ago i made moss fairy garden inside jars. i'm always looking for interesting jars and containers to create them in.  i recently had the opportunity to review some Glass Bauble ornaments and i knew they would make the perfect terrarium/ moss gardens!! We have so many beautiful types of moss growing in our woods, i knew they'd be easy to make. 

The glass bauble/ terrariums i received come in a set of 4.  They were packaged well, wrapped in bubble wrap and separated inside a box.  They arrived in perfect condition.  They are very lightweight and have a thin hoop with twine attached. They also have a flat bottom, so they can either be hung up or placed on a shelf.

To make a moss terrarium you'll need - 

Glass baubles (you can purchase them here)

 - potting soil mixed half and half with vermiculite

 - Activated charcoal (You can get this at a pet store or garden shop)

 - Gravel, rocks or those pretty flat marbles for fish aquariums. (this is for drainage) 

- Moss, small plants or succulents

- Decorative items-  mini-toadstools (purchased at Michael's), crystals, stones, marbles etc.

These are super easy to put together. You put your rocks/gravel in the bottom, then put a thin layer of the activated charcoal over them. Then you want to add your soil.  Now add your moss down and plants and give it a misting of water.  i use a chop stick to push the plants/decorations in place. Long tweezers would also work. 

i like to add hens and chicks and sedum.  They are very easy to keep and require very little maintenance once they are set up. 

These are super easy to make and they really look pretty a long time. You'll want to place the garden in a spot where it will receive indirect sunlight and mist it now and again to keep it moist, but not too wet.  i love to make these, and they make wonderful gifts. 

i received the #HangingClearGlassBaubleSphere for free in exchange for my honest review.  i was not compensated.

Homemade lip balm with Deluxe Botanicals 100% pure organic beeswax.

My daughter has recently taken an interest in making her own beauty products.  A few weeks ago we make bath bombs and bath salts.  For her birthday she got a lip balm making kit, but i was pretty disappointed in it.  The lip balm base was petroleum jelly. It came with flavor gel to mix in, but it really wasn't what i was expecting.

So when i recently had the opportunity to try out some Cosmetic grade beeswax, i jumped at the chance!  Back in the day i use to make all kinds of homemade bath and beauty products.  Lip balms and healing balms are always a favorite.

We made our homemade lip balm using ‪#‎deluxebotanicals‬ 100% pure organic beeswax!
Super basic, easy recipe. i plan to make more when i get some other flavor oils and tubs to use.  

This recipe is 1 part coconut oil, 1 part olive oil, 2 parts beeswax, vitamin E (optional) and a drop or two of essential oil (we used peppermint).  

For making just one tub i used a 1/2 tsp to measure. So my amounts were 1/2 tsp coconut oil, 1/2 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp beeswax. It made the perfect amount to fill our tub.

Melt beeswax, olive oil and coconut oil in a double boiler or small glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water, stirring constantly until melted. Add  a couple drops of Vitamin E and your essential oil ( a drop or two) and pour into your lipbalm tubs. 

It's sets up quickly. Then we decorated our container with a few stickers. :)

i found the lipbalm tubs on ebay very reasonably priced. You can also get the roll up tubes if you prefer those.

i couldn't resist using my Doctor Who silicon molds to make a tardis and dalek. Both Kenan and i use beeswax in our work, i use it as a thread conditioner when beading, he uses it with his glass work although i'm not entirely sure how.  The wax works really well with the molds and would make excellent candles.

i'm very happy with the Deluxe Botanicals‬ organic beeswax.  It smells wonderful, is 100% pure, organic and non GMO. It melts so smooth and works wonderful for cosmetics, candles and more.

i received this product for free or discount for my honest and unbiased review. i only review products that i actually use and recommend, i was not compensated for this review.

Homemade bath bombs with Avenir Oils.

My daughter and i decided to make bath bombs last weekend. They are really fun and easy to make! They use basic ingredients that we already had.

Ingredients and Supplies:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup Epsom salts
• 1 tsp. water
• 2 tsp. essential oil (we used Avenir lavender oil)
• 3 tsp. oil (olive oil)
• food coloring (any color you want)
• bowl
• whisk
• jar or small bowl
• assortment molds

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients with a whisk, make sure you remove any lumps.

Then add all the liquids into a separate small bowl and mix well.  Slowly add this mixture to the dry ingredients. One spoonful at a time.  Use the whisk to mix it together really well. 

Once the mixture is evenly mixed, you can pack it into your molds.  We had one round bath bomb mold, and also used a tin heart tray mold. You could silicone molds, or even plastic easter eggs. Press the mixture in the molds well, then pop them out and let them air dry.

You want to store them in an airtight container. They smell so good!!  Add one or two bath bombs to your bath and watch them fizz! So fun!

The Avenir Lavender oil that we used i received in exchange for an honest review.  It smells absolutely amazing, and i'm really happy with it.  Avenir essential oils are 100% pure, natural, and therapeutic grade. All of their essential oils are grown in organic environments, free from harmful pesticides. When possible, they even try to obtain wildcrafted essential oils.  You can read more about them here and find information about the oils and their different uses.

If are you looking to add to your essential oils collection, be sure to check out the Avenir Oils website. 

i received this product for free or discount for my honest and unbiased review.