Hello Folks,

I'm typing this with a howling wind blustering outside and the sun beating down, it's be a great washing drying day, but I fear my pants may end up over the rooftops! Maybe I'll risk it later if it drops a little. My studio is closed today as Gibside Estate has to shut when there are high winds due to visitor safety concerns and lots of big ole trees so I'm taking the chance to update you all with my new blog :).

If you follow me over on Instagram, you may see we snuck away for a little adventure to the Lake District the other week. We camped for 2 nights on the shores of Ullswater, it was great to escape but not long enough. We had a terrific thunderstorm the first night then the next day gorgeous sunshine, high up walks and the best fish and chippy tea. I'm trying to clear another window to do it all over again. 

https://www.facebook.com/CeriAitman/videos/1849543195109340/

Before I went away, I was working on a BRAND NEW PRODUCT for the boys...a super Bergamot and Cedarwood Skin and Beard oil for conditioning and soothing hair free or hairy chins alike (available now over on the website). It was destined to go into a gift set with our Gone Adventuring Limited edition soap and a great camping mug in a Father's Day collaboration with @Sovendebjorn. 

Here's what we came up with...there are still a couple left in our 'For the Boys' section on the website if you need a last minute gift for dad.

Don't you just LOVE those camping mugs?

Find Em's full collection in her Etsy shop Sovendebjorn (Sleeping Bear)

Soo...why Bare or BEAR?...well in conversations about our plans, we just could not type BEARD!! From day one, I was making a BEAR oil for the sleeping bear..Ha! Let's hope he wakes with a beautifully conditionned and softly fragrant pelt...:)

Don't forget, there are a couple of gift sets left and a few individual BEAR oils too if you need any Dad gifts.

Welp, I think that's about it for now...don't get blown away...

TTFN,

Ceri xx

Hello folks,

We're into June already and it's looking to be a great summer. This year's word for me is 'renew'. So far the website has had a facelift (lots more to do, but we're getting there), I've launched my first 'Spring Collection', with a Summer collection hot on it's heels (more in a bit), and now I have a new place for my blog...all change round these parts, I tell you. 

For those who'd like to still see the old blog, you can find it here... http://oakwoodsoaperie.blogspot.com/

My new blog is fully integrated with my website now, so one less place for me to travel to, and will hopefully help my website become more easily seen and found by the google spiders.

If you follow me over on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, you'll have seen a few sneaky peeks at some new soaps I've been developing over the last month or two, they are re-worked versions of some Limited Editions I made quite some time ago now, but they are so lovely I wanted to bring them back for another season. I had hoped they'd be launching last week, but due to double printer failure, I've not been able to complete the labelling so there has been a slight delay. I have a spangly new jazzy printer about to be installed so I'm going ahead and putting them out there for you now.

Back for the Summer only-

Lemon Cream Handmade Soap (with real cream)

A pile of fresh Scicillian lemons, sherbetty and zesty may chang and rich creamy vanilla notes of resinous benzoin, softened with freah dairy cream to nourish the skin.with a touch of luxury. Imagine homemade lemonade, and a creamy bowl of meltingly luxurious dairy ice cream, sprinkled with candied lemon peel and sherbet, eaten in the late afternoon sun, under a canopy of vine leaves fringed with gold.

Wild Meadow Handmade Soap

The sun drifts high over golden wheat, the warm breeze is filled with the gentle lazy buzz of honeybees, butterflies dive and hover, swallows circle and gather over wild flower meadows in high summer, notes of warm skin, grassy chamomile, heady wild honeysuckle blooms, and herby lavender rise into the dry, warm air. 

Gone Adventuring Handmade Soap

On a high mountain walk under a big open sky, the warm gentle sun kisses your face, a fresh breeze from the eucalyptus forest  fills your lungs. On the way back down, you stop to pick glossy ripe juniper berries, just starting to  dry in the late summer sun, The earth is warm and dusty, fragrant with fallen pine needles softly cushioning your oiled leather boots which crack dry branches under foot, you collect them as firewood...

These are all available to buy now from the shop but will ship from 11th June once I'm back from my own little adventure.

There will be more Summer goodies launching in a few weeks time, including another new soap, new bath milks and more, watch this space.

Over the last month or so, I've teamed up with the lovely Emily from Sovendebjorn over on Etsy, who designs and prints the most gorgeous enamel camping mugs amongst other outdoor and adventure inspired goodies. We've made up some super gift boxes just for Father's Day

Gone Adventuring also makes an appearance in our Limited Edition Delux Father's Day Gift box too, along with a brand new Cedarwood and Bergamot skin and beard oil to treat Dad to this Father's Day, you'll find these listed in 'For the Boys' over on the website. these will be made up to order and will ship from 11th June to arrive in time for the big boy's day.

I think that's about it for now, see you after my camping trip.

Love,

Ceri xx