Author Archives: ffletchstudio

 I don’t really know where to begin this is a very sad but true story which is still ongoing in 2021. Whenever I think about him, which is often,  I get mixed feelings of guilt, anger, frustration, helplessness and sadness. Richard was born in the Philippines to a Filipino mother, one of my five sisters,Continue reading “Life Story of Richard”

Today the sun is shining,  skies are blue, slight breeze in the air, the tide is quite low  and the sea were gently roaring the shore, Lu, I and Kleo are having a nice stroll in Roker Beach. Some people watching the world goes by, some numbers of people are queuing for fish and chipsContinue reading “Roker Beach Seaweed.”

A total fluke. Here below , on the right, are my ingredient measurements for cold process soap. On the left below is the list of ingredients for my existing homemade cream that was too oily for my preference,  but otherwise nothing wrong with it though. The cream was  made from natural ingredients with a preservative. Continue reading “From cream/ lotion to soap bar. How did I do it?”

Woodlands, Hedgerows and Sea-Shorelines are great places for foraging and we are blessed with all of these in and around our little home town on the coast of North East England Free ingredients for cold process soap. The journey is long and winding, but I have ample of time on my hands, so instead ofContinue reading “Rosehip foraging”

This is how I make soap. Its only a small batch, but it is possible to make bigger batches by simply increasing the weights proportionately according to the recipe  below. 624 g coconut oil 312 g liquid oil 136 g sodium hydroxide or lye 272 g distilled water Now I will try to experiment withContinue reading “Steps in making cold process soap.”

Off to my  meagre garden. Gardens can gives pleasure. Big stress reliever and a refuge. Spring 2021. These are photos that I took, in our garden, today. After a long winter months with the wet, winds and snow. My most awaiting time of the year is here. From the previous year, my collected garden waste,Continue reading “I’m having a break from my homecrafting”

Getting started All soap makers use similar basic kits, like mine Stainless steel pan (the lye can react dangerously with other metals) Stainless steel spoon and whisk Plastic spatula Hand mixer and a powered stick blender 4/6 small glass or plastic measuring beakers for oils A digital scales able to measure in grams Container dedicatedContinue reading “Getting started”

This word (quite a mouthful) is used to describe the chemical interaction which takes place when the lye, distilled-water and fats/oils mix together to create soap. The Latin word for soap, “sopa” is it’s possible origin. As new starters, we can simply follow a recipe from a trusted source. Their creators have usually already doneContinue reading “Saponification”

Please remember Lye; can burn severely if it comes into contact with skin and even cause blindness on contact with eyes. Swallowing it could possibly be fatal is so caustic that it can eat through some materials and react chemically with others, it creates heat when mixed with water and can become explosive when inContinue reading “Safety”