Hey, I wanted some advice really. I'm planning to make soaps, bath salts, lipbalms and body butters as Christmas gifts this year but my mum has a real problem with thrush infections if she uses any scented bath bubbles or soaps.

If I made bath salts/milk baths with just natural ingredients say just Epsom salt, sea salt and lavender essential oil with milk powder in the milk bath would that still cause a reaction? Does anyone have an experience with bath salts/milk baths causing infections?

I can't see a problem with the milk bath since the milk should keep the pH low, shouldn't it? 

Any help would be much appreciated

Hey all, I just wanted a bit of advice ^.^

I'm thinking about embroidering my mother-in-law some leather gloves for Christmas. I've done some embroidery before but just on thin material, cotton, linen etc.

Anyone got any tips for embroidery on leather or anything I should know before I go wrecking gloves? Will normal embroidery needles and floss be ok?

Thanks in advance!

My MIL is getting an apron in her favourite colour (she doesnt have one and always comes out covered in flour when baking ) embriodered with her initial

My Nan and gran (mothers side/fathers side) im making some smelly sachets... I can't remember if they have a proper name sewn squares stuffed with a little stuffing, pot pourri with some fragrance oils. I was thinking some lilac coloured lavendar ones and some lighter coloured ones with a fresh fragrance like orange and lemon

I'm also knitting scarves that will get distributed round
and I have a pattern for some knitted felted slippers that I was thinking for my Nan/gran or MIL (they're the same age..... don't ask )

I was thinking about some sort of key hanger for my mum (loses her keys atleast once a day) with a cross stitched background, but haven't figured out how I could do that yet. I'd probably have to use some wood to attach the hooks to. anyone any ideas?

My other half loves warhammer so im in the middle of crocheting a squiggy
http://www.warhammergeek.com/wp-content/gallery/wargeek-wallpaper/mot_squig.jpg thats what they look like, incase anyones curious. i'm going to have to simplify the features, but its doable going to crochet around some pipe cleaners to make the legs poseable and hopefully he should stand up

Hey,
I've sort of inherited a really old electric singer machine. I know how to use new machines but never used anything like this. I'm going to use some scrap material and see if I can get it working but I thought I'd post on here to see if anyone knows how to use it or if anyone has any general tips on using old machines?

I'm not sure if it has a model number, it says "99k"on a little plaque on the arm near the base and a long number on the base itself (looks more like a serial number or something than a model number)
here's a pic anyway, incase anyone recognises it


(its still really dusty )
Any help is appreciated

Hey all,
It's blackberry season over here in the UK, loads of wild blackberries around to pick
I've been making jam and used it for jam rolls last night/this morning and thought I'd share


Jam was pretty easy to make,
Ingredients
Fruit
Equal amount of granulated sugar to fruit
juice of 1 lemon

First wash and measure the blackberries. Then warm up the granulated sugar in an ovenproof bowl in the oven at 190^oc (around 370^of) for 10 mins

put the blackberries into a pan. Mush them up a bit (I used a handblender but you can use a masher or even just a fork) add the lemon juice and warm it up.
Then add the warm sugar while stirring and carried on stirring until it had all dissolved.
Bring the mixture to the boil and boil while stirring for about 5 minutes, skimming the scum from the top (lighter coloured foam) with a slotted spoon then test to see if it has set.
To do this, remove the pan from the heat and take a small spoonful and put it in the fridge, when it's cooled if it forms a skin on top it's set, if it hasn't put the pan back on the heat and boil for a few more minutes.

Pour into a sterilised jar and allow to cool! (may sound scary but easy way to sterilise a jar is to wash it then put it in a hot oven for 10mins or so)


Use for the jam- jam rolls!! yummy
this is the same recipe I use for cinammon rolls, just a different filling I don't know where I got the recipe from, it's just been written in my book for ages
Ingredients (for 12 but i managed to get 17)
120ml milk
55g butter
120ml water
6g dried active yeast
100g white sugar
1 egg
380g plain flour


First add the yeast to the water (lukewarm) and a tsp of sugar and leave it for around 10mins until there's a froth on top.
warm the milk, add the butter, mix (so the butter melts) and allow to cool a little
combine the milk mixture, yeast mixture, egg and flour in a bowl to form a dough (you may need a little more flour) and knead for 8 mins. Cover and leave somewhere warm to double in size (around an hour)

Knockback the dough (knead to release the air) and roll into a rectangle shape about 1.5-2cm thick and spread with the blackberry jam, leaving 1cm clear on one of the long sides to allow the dough to stick once rolled

(its a rough rectangle, while rolling i pulled the edges to make sure it was a proper rectangle, its hard to roll such stretchy dough >.<)
starting with one of the long sides, roll the dough up with the clear edge being the last bit and cut slices about 2cm thick. Place on a greased backing tray spaced apart, cover loosely and rise. At this point you can allow them to double in size somewhere warm (for about an hour) or place them in a fridge overnight and get them out in the morning and allow to double in size in the morning (extra soft and yummy when they've been left overnight)

Bake in a preheated oven at 180^oc (350^of) for about 20minutes
Remove from the tray while warm or the jam sets and sticks them to the tray

chocolate covered bananas are my favourite but I always get funny looks from any men that are around when I'm eating them.......

Delia Smith's recipes for chocolate mousse
I've used this recipe before, was very yummy
few more ingredients than chocolate and water, but worth it!

dagger shaped biscuits? finding a cutter in the shape of a dagger could be tricky but you could always just cut it out with a knife is suppose

Lead piping cheese straws?

or you could always play with the names, Professor plum tart

wow those are amazing
well done

nice one, great taste in music 

as a biology student i would definitely wear that! Awesome job