Tinctures

My new tincture collection

One of the things I love to do is to make tinctures for the base of my perfumes.  This is a trick I learned from Charna Ethier of Providence Perfumes. I bought some Everclear alcohol, placed any dry herb or fruit in a canning jar, and covered it with the alcohol. These jars would sit on my porch windowsills and musically make a "Tink" as the top would expand and contract during the day and night. Nothing was safe from my tincturing experiments. I even tinctured steel cut oatmeal.

The other day I was out on my porch, cleaning up for the summer. I noticed some of my tinctures had been sitting for 2 years. I decided to filter and start using them. They look really pretty in the bottles with the labels, don't you think? I'm already thinking of what I can add to the steel cut oatmeal...

Yours in Gratitude,
Angela

Perfume making

I have a hobby that I no longer have too much time for, and that is perfume making. I should probably pack away my supplies, but I keep hoping that soon I will have time. And besides, sometimes I just like to sit down and smell all the essential oils, absolutes and resins I have.

If you've been following my blog, you know that I have assisted Charna Eithier of Providence Perfume when she comes to teach her Natural Perfume classes in NYC. Before I was her assistant, I took both of the classes she teachers and started making perfumes.  I felt like a little kid again, mixing oils, diluting the absolutes, and tincturing whatever I could get my hands on. I also ordered Mandy Aftel's Perfume Workbook, along with the oil kit. Mandy's workbook takes a more structured approach to perfume making, but I enjoyed every part of it. Once I decided to turn my soap making hobby into a business though, there wasn't much time for perfume making. Still, I love all my perfume making materials and enjoy looking and smelling them.



The "perfume organ" that my dad made for me. (Thanks again Dad!)



Accessory notes from Providence Perfume



Base notes from Eden Botanicals

The perfume corner of my soap studio.

Charna has opened a store in Providence and isn't able to come to NYC so the next perfume class will be given by Julianne Zaleta. I'm looking forward to seeing how someone else approaches the craft of perfume making and learning more about the hobby I no longer have much time for.

Yours in Gratitude,
Angela

Gratitude List 2.5.13

The past few weeks have been difficult, my dad was diagnosed with cancer and in the hospital. During that time I tried to find five things I was grateful for each week. My dad is now home and things are slowly getting back to normal.  Focusing on what I was grateful for helped me get through that rough spot, and I decided to do it every week. So here are the things that happened this past week that I am grateful for.



The materials used to make my solid perfumes


1-My daughters 27th birthday..
2-My son came home for a visit.
3-The ceiling in my kitchen is fixed, I was able to put everything back where it belongs, and my house is organized again.
4-A new private label order.
5-Time over the weekend to play around and make myself some solid perfumes.

Please feel free to comment and/or make your own Weekly Gratitude List.

Yours in Gratitude,
Angela