Christmas

Amelia’s Magazine | Craft: christmas decorations.

by

v
Fabric Garland by Hannah Bullivant

Christmas Craft by Matilde Sazio

So far you have heard me rant about the mass consumerism and waste that is now so ubiquitous with Christmas and I’ve shown you how to make no less than 5 Christmas card designs. Its time to deck the halls with some non-traditional and home made Christmas decorations.

Make something to avoid mass Christmas consumerism! By Matilde Sazio

I have always enjoyed making Christmas decorations. I had a wonderful art teacher in primary school who once helped us all to make large foam board Christmas Trees. We were allowed to go wild with copious amounts of glitter, sales sequins and poster paint, abortion and some pipe cleaners for good measure (what primary school art lesson is complete without pipe cleaners?!). It was hideous. But still to this day, this foam board Christmas tree that has seen better years is dutifully unpacked and displayed in my family’s house over Christmas. Cringe worthy, yes. But also evidence of the lasting impact hand made items can have on their recipients.

Illustration by Avril Kelly

Most importantly, you don’t have to spend a penny on Christmas decorations. These ideas are easy and use materials that would otherwise be thrown away or that can be used all year round. Some of these decoration ideas would also make lovely Christmas presents too, double whammy. And not a pipe cleaner in sight.

Garlands a go-go

Paperchains. Does this even need a tutorial? Here I used some old wallpaper and brown packaging, cut it into long rectangular strips then glued together to form a chain. You could use anything here- maps, book pages, colourful magazine pages etc.

Newspaper and fabric garland

Both this newspaper garland and the fabric garland below work on the same principle. Cut out lots of circles of newspaper. Thread a large needle with some string or wool and then pierce the disks of paper onto the string to form a garland. Like this:

I used some old cupcake cases amongst the newspaper. The fabric garland was made from scraps of fabric, and was put together in exactly the same way as the newspaper garland, apart from I folded the circles into semi-circles before threading them onto string.

Paper chains, newspaper and fabric garlands look lovely wrapped around trees or draped over windows, doors or fireplaces.

O Christmas Tree

Don’t have space or money for a tree? Fret not. You just have to get a bit creative. I was looking at my Polaroid’s last week and decided to create a tree with them. Took me all of 4 minutes.

And here are some other ‘alternative’ tree ideas from around the web. How about a tree wall installation? Just collect up small objects, trinkets, photo’s and pictures from around your home and stick them close together on the wall in the shape of a tree. Or maybe a ladder tree? (I love these ideas- so simple)

Brilliant Bau baul’s

So, you have garlands-a-plenty to wrap around your tree. If its still missing something perhaps you could make some origami paper trees, like I demonstrated on Monday. Or think a little more out of the box. Some of the coolest tree’s I’ve seen were decorated with non- Christmas items. Like children’s wooden building blocks, vintage button cards, old photographs strung with thread, action figures, etc. My tree is currently adorned with tea-cups. I collect old tea sets so there was no extra expense and after Christmas they go back in my tea cupboard to be used all year long.

If you decide to use any of the ideas here then do let us know in the comments, I’d love to see other peoples creations.

Here’s wishing you a very happy, craftalicious Christmas!

Written by Hannah Bullivant on Friday December 17th, 2010 9:32 am

Categories ,Avril Kelly, ,Baubauls, ,Christmas, ,craft, ,Decorations, ,diy, ,Eco-friendly, ,Hannah Bullivant, ,Matilde Sazio, ,newspaper, ,recycle

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Amelia’s Magazine | Craft: christmas decorations.

by

Christmas Craft by Matilde Sazio

So far you have heard me rant about the mass consumerism and waste that is now so ubiquitous with Christmas and I’ve shown you how to make no less than 5 Christmas card designs. Its time to deck the halls with some non-traditional and home made Christmas decorations.

Make something to avoid mass Christmas consumerism! By Matilde Sazio

I have always enjoyed making Christmas decorations. I had a wonderful art teacher in primary school who once helped us all to make large foam board Christmas Trees. We were allowed to go wild with copious amounts of glitter, sequins and poster paint, and some pipe cleaners for good measure (what primary school art lesson is complete without pipe cleaners?!). It was hideous. But still to this day, this foam board Christmas tree that has seen better years is dutifully unpacked and displayed in my family’s house over Christmas. Cringe worthy, yes. But also evidence of the lasting impact hand made items can have on their recipients.

Illustration by Avril Kelly

Most importantly, you don’t have to spend a penny on Christmas decorations. These ideas are easy and use materials that would otherwise be thrown away or that can be used all year round. Some of these decoration ideas would also make lovely Christmas presents too, double whammy. And not a pipe cleaner in sight.

Garlands a go-go

Paperchains. Does this even need a tutorial? Here I used some old wallpaper and brown packaging, cut it into long rectangular strips then glued together to form a chain. You could use anything here- maps, book pages, colourful magazine pages etc.

Newspaper and fabric garland

Both this newspaper garland and the fabric garland below work on the same principle. Cut out lots of circles of newspaper. Thread a large needle with some string or wool and then pierce the disks of paper onto the string to form a garland. Like this:

I used some old cupcake cases amongst the newspaper. The fabric garland was made from scraps of fabric, and was put together in exactly the same way as the newspaper garland, apart from I folded the circles into semi-circles before threading them onto string.

Paper chains, newspaper and fabric garlands look lovely wrapped around trees or draped over windows, doors or fireplaces.

O Christmas Tree

Don’t have space or money for a tree? Fret not. You just have to get a bit creative. I was looking at my Polaroid’s last week and decided to create a tree with them. Took me all of 4 minutes.

And here are some other ‘alternative’ tree ideas from around the web. How about a tree wall installation? Just collect up small objects, trinkets, photo’s and pictures from around your home and stick them close together on the wall in the shape of a tree. Or maybe a ladder tree? (I love these ideas- so simple)

Brilliant Bau baul’s

So, you have garlands-a-plenty to wrap around your tree. If its still missing something perhaps you could make some origami paper trees, like I demonstrated on Monday. Or think a little more out of the box. Some of the coolest tree’s I’ve seen were decorated with non- Christmas items. Like children’s wooden building blocks, vintage button cards, old photographs strung with thread, action figures, etc. My tree is currently adorned with tea-cups. I collect old tea sets so there was no extra expense and after Christmas they go back in my tea cupboard to be used all year long.

If you decide to use any of the ideas here then do let us know in the comments, I’d love to see other peoples creations.

Here’s wishing you a very happy, craftalicious Christmas!

Written by Hannah Bullivant on Friday December 17th, 2010 9:32 am

Categories ,Avril Kelly, ,Baubauls, ,Christmas, ,craft, ,Decorations, ,diy, ,Eco-friendly, ,Hannah Bullivant, ,Matilde Sazio, ,newspaper, ,recycle

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Amelia’s Magazine | Craft: Make your own Christmas cards

by

Printed cards Ebeneezer by Hannah Bullivant

Illustration by Emma Block

You may think that Christmas cards are harmless tokens of festive cheer, sale but there is more to them than well wishing tacky Santa’s. When done well, with thought, they have the potential to convey festive cheer, bring good news and even re-kindle relationships. They can also, however, be completely pointless (dear Dave from Sam. Why bother) cause large levels of guilt, highlight your own lack of organization, and generate sit-com levels of gossip and rumour (“Drunken Unkle Nigel is SO off the list”). Manufacturing and sending Christmas cards wastes thousands of tonnes of carbon every year, and most of the cards end up in landfill anyway.


Illustration by Daria Hlazatova

In fact, you might very well decide simply not to send them, and I really don’t blame you. (Full of Christmas cheer, I am.) Alternatively, to be slightly less of a scrooge, you could join me in making just a few cards, to accompany presents or perhaps as presents.


Illustration by Ellie Sutton

Here are a few ideas for some very simple and quick home-made cards that anybody could make, (even if they don’t consider themselves to be very crafty.) They are made with materials that most people will have lying around or within easy reach, and are designed to be very simple to make. A home- made card will be received much more warmly than a selection from an Asda multi pack, it will save lots of money, and making them is bound to make you feel festive. So stick some cheesy Christmas music on, pour yourself a glass of mulled wine and get stuck in.


Illustration by Ellie Sutton

Firstly, the easiest of them all, the potato stamp. Oh how I love the humble potato stamp! (I have written about the joys of potato stamping before ) A great craft to do with kids, its also fun for a big kids (ahem) and you can produce loads of cards very quickly.

Carefully carve your potato with a knife into the shape you desire. Get your card ready first then stamp away. Decorate with sequins, doodles, pressed flowers, or buttons, as above. You can buy recycled card here.

Save your wrapping paper and cards, cut them into little triangles then stick them across pre folded card with glue to make festive mini bunting. I saved the gold paper above from a birthday present and it has come in very handy for my Christmas cards. If you don’t fancy your chances at fancy handwriting, print your Christmas message out in a nice font.

I googled origami Christmas trees and found these easy to follow instructions. I recycled newspaper, the pages of an old book and some old maps and folded them into these Christmas cards/decorations. I used a few dabs of glue to secure the folds then strung each tree with a bit of thread and wrote my Christmas message on the back.

Here I have used up some of my tiny fabric scraps (which I keep) to cut out triangles to make into mini trees.

And if you REALLY don’t fancy your creative chances, then just print your cards. I have shamelessly stolen this idea from my friend, but he doesn’t’ mind my plagiarism (I checked). Pick your words, pick a nice font (you can get some great ones online, like here ), then play with the margins on a word document to position the words in the bottom right quarter of the page. Put some appropriately festive card in the printer and your done. If you don’t have a printer at home- you could borrow a friends (or sneakily use the one in the office. Shh)

• For envelopes, how about recycling magazine pages? My doorstep is currently full of Christmas catalogues. Tutorial here
• Remember also that you could also send an E Card if the mood takes you. Use the designs from the clever people at 10:10, or if you are a decent drawer (hello illustrators) then you can draw something amazing and send it as an e-card. Or how about a video card with a stop frame animation? Lots of effort but WAY COOL.
• Recycle any cards you do receive for gift tags and other decorations next Christmas
• Keep decent wrapping paper too, it comes in very useful for a number of crafty purposes, including the projects above.

I’ll be back later this week with some more ideas for home made Christmas fare, and a wee bit of a rant.

Happy festive season to you, dear readers.

Written by Hannah Bullivant on Monday December 13th, 2010 9:54 am

Categories ,Christmas, ,Christmas cards, ,craft, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,earth, ,Eco-friendly, ,Ellie Sutton, ,Emma Block, ,Hannah Bullivant, ,Mass consumerism, ,origami, ,Potato Stamp, ,recycle

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Amelia’s Magazine | Craft: Make your own Christmas cards

by

Printed cards Ebeneezer by Hannah Bullivant

Illustration by Emma Block

You may think that Christmas cards are harmless tokens of festive cheer, sale but there is more to them than well wishing tacky Santa’s. When done well, with thought, they have the potential to convey festive cheer, bring good news and even re-kindle relationships. They can also, however, be completely pointless (dear Dave from Sam. Why bother) cause large levels of guilt, highlight your own lack of organization, and generate sit-com levels of gossip and rumour (“Drunken Unkle Nigel is SO off the list”). Manufacturing and sending Christmas cards wastes thousands of tonnes of carbon every year, and most of the cards end up in landfill anyway.


Illustration by Daria Hlazatova

In fact, you might very well decide simply not to send them, and I really don’t blame you. (Full of Christmas cheer, I am.) Alternatively, to be slightly less of a scrooge, you could join me in making just a few cards, to accompany presents or perhaps as presents.


Illustration by Ellie Sutton

Here are a few ideas for some very simple and quick home-made cards that anybody could make, (even if they don’t consider themselves to be very crafty.) They are made with materials that most people will have lying around or within easy reach, and are designed to be very simple to make. A home- made card will be received much more warmly than a selection from an Asda multi pack, it will save lots of money, and making them is bound to make you feel festive. So stick some cheesy Christmas music on, pour yourself a glass of mulled wine and get stuck in.


Illustration by Ellie Sutton

Firstly, the easiest of them all, the potato stamp. Oh how I love the humble potato stamp! (I have written about the joys of potato stamping before ) A great craft to do with kids, its also fun for a big kids (ahem) and you can produce loads of cards very quickly.

Carefully carve your potato with a knife into the shape you desire. Get your card ready first then stamp away. Decorate with sequins, doodles, pressed flowers, or buttons, as above. You can buy recycled card here.

Save your wrapping paper and cards, cut them into little triangles then stick them across pre folded card with glue to make festive mini bunting. I saved the gold paper above from a birthday present and it has come in very handy for my Christmas cards. If you don’t fancy your chances at fancy handwriting, print your Christmas message out in a nice font.

I googled origami Christmas trees and found these easy to follow instructions. I recycled newspaper, the pages of an old book and some old maps and folded them into these Christmas cards/decorations. I used a few dabs of glue to secure the folds then strung each tree with a bit of thread and wrote my Christmas message on the back.

Here I have used up some of my tiny fabric scraps (which I keep) to cut out triangles to make into mini trees.

And if you REALLY don’t fancy your creative chances, then just print your cards. I have shamelessly stolen this idea from my friend, but he doesn’t’ mind my plagiarism (I checked). Pick your words, pick a nice font (you can get some great ones online, like here ), then play with the margins on a word document to position the words in the bottom right quarter of the page. Put some appropriately festive card in the printer and your done. If you don’t have a printer at home- you could borrow a friends (or sneakily use the one in the office. Shh)

• For envelopes, how about recycling magazine pages? My doorstep is currently full of Christmas catalogues. Tutorial here
• Remember also that you could also send an E Card if the mood takes you. Use the designs from the clever people at 10:10, or if you are a decent drawer (hello illustrators) then you can draw something amazing and send it as an e-card. Or how about a video card with a stop frame animation? Lots of effort but WAY COOL.
• Recycle any cards you do receive for gift tags and other decorations next Christmas
• Keep decent wrapping paper too, it comes in very useful for a number of crafty purposes, including the projects above.

I’ll be back later this week with some more ideas for home made Christmas fare, and a wee bit of a rant.

Happy festive season to you, dear readers.

Written by Hannah Bullivant on Monday December 13th, 2010 9:54 am

Categories ,Christmas, ,Christmas cards, ,craft, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,earth, ,Eco-friendly, ,Ellie Sutton, ,Emma Block, ,Hannah Bullivant, ,Mass consumerism, ,origami, ,Potato Stamp, ,recycle

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Amelia’s Magazine | Earth Editor’s Pick: Christmas Gift Guide

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‘Pugs Not Drugs’ T-shirt

pugsnotdrugs

Available from: www.gemmacorrell.com
Cost: $28.00

Adorable screenprinted T-shirt by illustrator Gemma Correll. If you’re a fan of those chubby, website like this wrinkly little bundles of cuteness why not tell the world? AND the shirts are eco friendly. Pleasure overload.
Printed using environmentally friendly ink on a natural coloured Gildan Ultra 100% cotton T-shirt (Various sizes available)

www.gemmacorrell.com

Eco Kettle

ecokettle

Available from: Nigel’s Eco Store
Cost: £29.99 (Including VAT)

The latest version of the Eco Kettle, see new and improved. The unique double chamber allows you to measure how much water you need, click saving electricity, water, money and time. It’s 2.2kW, and with energy savings of up to 31% it’s essential for any environmentally friendly kitchen or workplace. Available in Chrome or White! (I recommend Chrome, very snazzy)

www.nigelsecostore.com

Local Food: How to Make it Happen in Your Community (Transition Books)

LOCAL_FOOD_cover

Available from: Transition Culture
Cost: £14.95

An inspiring and practical guide to creating local food initiatives, by Rob Hopkins and Tamzin Pinkerton. Learn how to restore community networks and generate healthy local produce, yum. Theres also a review here!

www.transitionculture.org

Steenbergs Christmas Spice Box

steenbergsbox

Available from: Steenbergs Organic
Cost: £22.50

Spice up your Christmas with this gift box from Steenbergs! Features 9 essential Organic spices for the festive season; Mixed Spice, Whole Cloves, 3 colour Pepper, Madras Curry Powder, Allspice, Cinnamon (which I hear is Santa’s favourite), Nutmeg, Juniper Berries and Portuguese Fleur de Sel. There is also a recipe leaflet included to get you started in the kitchen.

Sun Jar Solar Light

sunjar

Available from: Nigel’s Eco Store
Cost: £19.99 (Including VAT)

The sun…in a jar! A solar powered LED light charges itself during the day and automatically turns itself on at night. Available in a range of colours to give your room a sunny glow!

The Art Not Oil Diary 2010

artnotoil

Available from: Various UK bookshops or www.artnotoil.org.uk
Cost: £7.95 + p&p

Too busy to appreciate the earth? The ‘Art not Oil’ Diary joins art, environmental awareness and time management. First launched at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, it features full colour images of artworks taken from the many Art Not Oil galleries…

“The Art Not Oil Diary 2010 is a beautiful, stirring 365 day reminder of
the extraordinary art that is being made in the struggle for a safer, more
just future, and the crucial role that our creativity will need to play if
we’re to have a chance of reaching that place.”

www.artnotoil.org.uk

And if those don’t jingle your bells who wouldn’t love…

Grow your own Christmas Tree

xmastree

Available from:Nigel’s Eco Store
Cost: £2.99 (Including VAT)

Grow your own cute little Christmas Tree with this great set, which includes everything you need to get started; seeds, compost and a terracotta pot. Fantastic for anyone with a green thumb (and those who appreciate the little things!)

www.nigelsecostore.com

Written by Grace Beaumont on Tuesday December 15th, 2009 6:17 pm

Categories ,Christmas, ,Diary, ,eco, ,Gift, ,Kettle, ,Pug, ,Santa, ,solar power, ,Spices, ,T-shirt, ,tree

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Amelia’s Magazine | A Review of the Crafternoon Tea Club Christmash Spesh with Etsy 2011

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Crafternoon Tea Club Rebecca Strickson
Illustration by Rebecca Strickson

On the evening of 8th December, close to 50 people of all ages came together for something resembling a drop-in DIY craft party – the Crafternoon Tea Club Christmas Spesh with Etsy!

Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Taking place at Etsy’s Bevenden Street headquarters (aka The Trampery, or the Christmas Grotto), it was a chance to mingle, drink, dance and be merry, and learn a thing or two about sustainable gift-giving over the holiday period. Everyone attending was asked to bring along gifts they no longer wanted or needed, including homemade items, which could be repackaged and distributed to those who could make use of or enjoy them. A selection of ready-made gifts were to hand for those less organised, and incredibly, everything was free – I’m not sure it would have been possible to make this a more friendly, accessible event.

Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
At the start of the night, Crafternoon Tea Club co-founder Beccy McCray explained a bit about the concept. Using the wonderful materials laid out on a table at the centre of the room, we were to wrap our gifts up using all the creativity we could muster. Once decorated, our presents would require a tag with a ‘gift story’ to explain where they came from. Then, they were to go under the Christmas tree, ready for re-distribution at the evening’s end.

Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
The centre table was a place of crafty glee, and it was hard not to rifle through the glorious French magazines, colourful yarns and sparkly ribbons available. I spied retro jewellery, secondhand books and delicious preserves in the gifting mix, and was so impressed at the artistic techniques on display, including weaving, collage and some intricate hole-punching.

Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Strangers discussed their approaches to gift-wrapping, the Gaggle DJs played some festive tunes, and the wine and mince pies only added to the happy atmosphere. In a year of so much social and environmental upheaval, this gathering seemed to refute any notion of antisocialism taking its grip, or a consumerist society which ignores its environmental impact. Instead, we discussed just how much landfill space we occupy, why it is that we insist on buying all-new presents each year, and how we might use existing materials to recreate beautiful gifts with a conscience.

Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Crafternoon Tea Club was informally started by Beccy McCray and Hannah Elbourne as a bit of post-break-up art therapy in 2001, and began more officially in 2007. Since then it’s grown rapidly, first in parks and pubs, and now spreading to larger spaces. The Club is run by a collective of close to a dozen craft-lovers who work across different industries. They’ve previously held similar events at venues such as the Barbican and the National Theatre, and this was their fourth this year.

Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Beccy told me, ‘We wanted to get away from having workshops and just have a party: a positive, inclusive event.’ They’ve certainly achieved this and more – a spring event is close on the horizon, and there are murmurs of overseas happenings in Brazil and Japan. Watch this crafty space!

Crafternoon tea club photo Caitlin Sinclair
Crafternoon tea club. All photography by Caitlin Sinclair.

Written by Caitlin Sinclair on Thursday December 22nd, 2011 11:11 am

Categories ,barbican, ,Beccy McCray, ,Bevenden Street, ,Christmas, ,Christmas Grotto, ,craft, ,Crafternoon Tea Club, ,etsy, ,gaggle, ,Hannah Elbourne, ,National Theatre, ,Tea Party, ,The Trampery

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Amelia’s Magazine | Beautifully Green – a round up of ethical beauty brands for Christmas!

by


Andrea Garland, capsule illustrated by Cat Palairet

If you’re struggling for Christmas gift ideas, sales or just sick of giving and receiving those dreaded ‘smellies’ gift sets produced by high street chains (which are then consigned to live out their days in the ‘present drawer’) then check out several green beauty brands that are lovingly made with natural ingredients, are adept at soothing parched winter skin and – most importantly – care for the planet.

Andrea Garland
Handmade in her Hackney home, aromatherapist Andrea Garland’s organic beauty balms are presented in gorgeous vintage tins and compacts which she sources from all over the world (and are cleaned and sterilised before the balm is poured in.) Her Rosy Beauty Balm for the face contains shea butter, sweet almond oil, vitamin E and rose geranium – making it perfect to slap on during the winter months (expect many ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ when the pretty compact emerges from your handbag!) All ingredients are ethically sourced and Garland even offers to re-fill the vintage compacts once they are emptied at a fraction of the price, resulting in no excess packaging and a pretty keepsake.
Rosy Beauty Balm is £32 for a medium-sized compact (refill £12) available from AndreaGarland.co.uk

Moa – The Green Balm

Illustration by Karolina Burdon

This gorgeous green gloop was created by Icelandic herbalist Thury Gudmundsdóttir from a recipe handed down by her grandmother, who used to concoct her beauty remedies by boiling herbs in a pan over her stove. Made with 100% natural and organic ingredients which include tea tree oil, beeswax, coconut and sweet almond oil, not only does it keep skin on both the face and body renewed and radiant but it can also be used as an aftershave balm, a baby massage and a barrier to protect the skin in extreme cold weather. A very little of this balm (which melts instantly on contact) goes a very long way, making it an essential winter handbag staple.
Available at £5 for 20ml at Lovelula.com

Balm Balm

Illustration by Darren Fletcher

With numerous endorsements from celebrities to The Soil Association, Balm Balm has gained somewhat of a cult following since its creation five years ago. Founded by aromatherapist and perfumer Glenda Taylor, the 100% organic balms come in recyclable packaging and target sensitive and irritated skin types. The shining star of the range has to be their much-hyped lip balm – which contains jojoba oil, beeswax and shea butter for super soft lips, and can be used on other dry areas too. They come in rose geranium, tea tree and fragrance free flavours (the last of which won a Green Beauty Bible award) and make perfect little stocking fillers.
Lip Balm is £2.99 for 7ml from Bath and Unwind

Burt’s Bees

Illustration by Leeay Aikawa

One of the more well-known brands, Burt’s Bees haven’t abandoned their environmental commitments despite their global success – their products contain on average 99% natural ingredients and all use recyclable packaging. Starting out in 1984 selling honey from his beehive and wondering what to do with the leftover wax, Burt Shavitz teamed up with Roxanne Quimby and began selling it in the form of candles at local craft fairs in Maine, USA. Through word of mouth, the brand grew and the now famous beauty range was born after Roxanne stumbled across a 19th century book on homemade beauty remedies. An ideal hand treat is their 100% natural Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme packed with lemon oil perfect for nourishing brittle fingernails, and with its kitsch little tin how could anyone resist?
Lemon Butter Cuticle Crème is £5.99 from burtsbees.co.uk

RMS Beauty

Illustration by Joana Faria

Created by celebrity make-up artist Rose- Marie Swift, this is the first make-up range made from natural raw ingredients that interact and ‘create a dialogue’ with the skin. Her reasoning behind the range is that unlike other ingredients contained in many ‘natural’ cosmetic brands, hers aren’t heated to high temperatures and therefore retain their beneficial nutrients which are so great for the skin. The Mineral Cream Eye Shadows contain natural mineral pigments and also double up as an eye-cream to nourish the delicate skin around the eyes. These cute little pots come in a variety of warm, earthy colours, and use recyclable glass and metal packaging. A perfect way to revamp your make-up bag for the New Year and treat your skin at the same time.
RMS Beauty Mineral Cream Eyeshadows are £18 each, available from CultBeauty.co.uk

Written by Viola Levy on Monday December 6th, 2010 10:13 am

Categories ,andrea garland, ,balm, ,balm balm, ,burt’s bees, ,Christmas, ,compacts, ,Cream, ,Darren Fletcher, ,Gift, ,hackney, ,High Street, ,Karolina Burdon, ,maine, ,miss ballantyne, ,moa green balm, ,Natural, ,organic, ,rose-marie swift, ,Skin, ,Soap, ,stocking, ,tins, ,usa, ,vintage

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Amelia’s Magazine | Beautifully Green – a round up of ethical beauty brands for Christmas!

by


Andrea Garland, capsule illustrated by Cat Palairet

If you’re struggling for Christmas gift ideas, sales or just sick of giving and receiving those dreaded ‘smellies’ gift sets produced by high street chains (which are then consigned to live out their days in the ‘present drawer’) then check out several green beauty brands that are lovingly made with natural ingredients, are adept at soothing parched winter skin and – most importantly – care for the planet.

Andrea Garland
Handmade in her Hackney home, aromatherapist Andrea Garland’s organic beauty balms are presented in gorgeous vintage tins and compacts which she sources from all over the world (and are cleaned and sterilised before the balm is poured in.) Her Rosy Beauty Balm for the face contains shea butter, sweet almond oil, vitamin E and rose geranium – making it perfect to slap on during the winter months (expect many ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ when the pretty compact emerges from your handbag!) All ingredients are ethically sourced and Garland even offers to re-fill the vintage compacts once they are emptied at a fraction of the price, resulting in no excess packaging and a pretty keepsake.
Rosy Beauty Balm is £32 for a medium-sized compact (refill £12) available from AndreaGarland.co.uk

Moa – The Green Balm

Illustration by Karolina Burdon

This gorgeous green gloop was created by Icelandic herbalist Thury Gudmundsdóttir from a recipe handed down by her grandmother, who used to concoct her beauty remedies by boiling herbs in a pan over her stove. Made with 100% natural and organic ingredients which include tea tree oil, beeswax, coconut and sweet almond oil, not only does it keep skin on both the face and body renewed and radiant but it can also be used as an aftershave balm, a baby massage and a barrier to protect the skin in extreme cold weather. A very little of this balm (which melts instantly on contact) goes a very long way, making it an essential winter handbag staple.
Available at £5 for 20ml at Lovelula.com

Balm Balm

Illustration by Darren Fletcher

With numerous endorsements from celebrities to The Soil Association, Balm Balm has gained somewhat of a cult following since its creation five years ago. Founded by aromatherapist and perfumer Glenda Taylor, the 100% organic balms come in recyclable packaging and target sensitive and irritated skin types. The shining star of the range has to be their much-hyped lip balm – which contains jojoba oil, beeswax and shea butter for super soft lips, and can be used on other dry areas too. They come in rose geranium, tea tree and fragrance free flavours (the last of which won a Green Beauty Bible award) and make perfect little stocking fillers.
Lip Balm is £2.99 for 7ml from Bath and Unwind

Burt’s Bees

Illustration by Leeay Aikawa

One of the more well-known brands, Burt’s Bees haven’t abandoned their environmental commitments despite their global success – their products contain on average 99% natural ingredients and all use recyclable packaging. Starting out in 1984 selling honey from his beehive and wondering what to do with the leftover wax, Burt Shavitz teamed up with Roxanne Quimby and began selling it in the form of candles at local craft fairs in Maine, USA. Through word of mouth, the brand grew and the now famous beauty range was born after Roxanne stumbled across a 19th century book on homemade beauty remedies. An ideal hand treat is their 100% natural Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme packed with lemon oil perfect for nourishing brittle fingernails, and with its kitsch little tin how could anyone resist?
Lemon Butter Cuticle Crème is £5.99 from burtsbees.co.uk

RMS Beauty

Illustration by Joana Faria

Created by celebrity make-up artist Rose- Marie Swift, this is the first make-up range made from natural raw ingredients that interact and ‘create a dialogue’ with the skin. Her reasoning behind the range is that unlike other ingredients contained in many ‘natural’ cosmetic brands, hers aren’t heated to high temperatures and therefore retain their beneficial nutrients which are so great for the skin. The Mineral Cream Eye Shadows contain natural mineral pigments and also double up as an eye-cream to nourish the delicate skin around the eyes. These cute little pots come in a variety of warm, earthy colours, and use recyclable glass and metal packaging. A perfect way to revamp your make-up bag for the New Year and treat your skin at the same time.
RMS Beauty Mineral Cream Eyeshadows are £18 each, available from CultBeauty.co.uk

Written by Viola Levy on Monday December 6th, 2010 10:13 am

Categories ,andrea garland, ,balm, ,balm balm, ,burt’s bees, ,Christmas, ,compacts, ,Cream, ,Darren Fletcher, ,Gift, ,hackney, ,High Street, ,Karolina Burdon, ,maine, ,miss ballantyne, ,moa green balm, ,Natural, ,organic, ,rose-marie swift, ,Skin, ,Soap, ,stocking, ,tins, ,usa, ,vintage

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Amelia’s Magazine | Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits: a perfect idea for Mothering Sunday

by

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits
Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Okay, order so I know it’s Pancake Day, and International Women’s Day. But I want to talk about BISCUITS. And why not? Mothering Sunday is coming up this weekend and what better excuse to get baking. In fact, there are plenty of good reasons to make biscuits at any time of the year, as you will discover if you get your paws on the fabulous Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. I promise you’ll be drooling before you’ve even opened the delicious front cover.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

I discovered Biscuiteers a bit late for Valentines Day, but they kindly sent me a copy of their book, written by Harriet Hastings and Sarah Moore. Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits is the most divinely designed and photographed bible of biscuit goodness. And what I like is that it is very clearly a collaborative effort, with thanks to Victoria Sawdon – who not only art directed the book but illustrates all the Biscuiteers tins – mentioned alongside thanks to all the biscuit icers: Rina Wanti, Ceridwen Olofson and Belinda Chen. I want their skills!

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

Biscuiteers was started with the aim of making biscuits that look as beautiful as they taste. They are launched in seasonal collections to match specific events, and are aimed at adults in high end stores such as Harrods, Liberty and Fortnum & Mason. The Biscuiteers are proud to have built a business on old fashioned non-industrialised techniques and all the biscuits are still hand made and therefore individual. However, with the help of the Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits the common biscuit baker can give it a go ourselves.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced BiscuitsBiscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits is an extraordinarily beautiful book that features all the information you need to know to create the perfect dough and that all important icing, both royal and flooded. As well as easy to follow guides the book offers recommendations for how to package and post your biscuity creations. As you would expect it includes chapters on biscuits for a huge variety of occasions, from the biggies such as Christmas, Halloween, Mother’s Day (this weekend) and Easter, down to individual ideas such as New Baby biscuits – pastel bears and ducks – and garden themed biscuits. There are even some jokey cupcake biscuits, which says something about the enduring popularity of the cupcake, though I’d be happy to wager a bet on the biscuit take over.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced BiscuitsBiscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

I made some dodgy Valentines Day biscuits using an online recipe, but with the help of this book I hope very soon to be somewhat more skilled, and I bet your mum would love nothing more than a batch of beautiful home made biscuits for Mothering Sunday – even if they don’t turn out quite as perfectly as the ones in Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. Hey, it’s good to have something to aspire to!

Valentines biscuits
My feeble efforts…

You can buy the book on the Biscuiteers website. The book won Best Desserts Book UK and this month it goes into the international final for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, held in Paris. Well done! And well deserved.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday March 8th, 2011 5:01 pm

Categories ,Belinda Chen, ,Best Desserts Book UK, ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits, ,Ceridwen Olofson, ,Christmas, ,Easter, ,Flooded Icing, ,Fortnum & Mason, ,Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, ,Hallowe’en, ,Harriet Hastings, ,Harrods, ,International Women’s Day, ,liberty, ,Mother’s Day, ,Mothering Sunday, ,New Baby, ,Pancake Day, ,Rina Wanti, ,Royal Icing, ,Sarah Moore, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Victoria Sawdon

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Amelia’s Magazine | Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits: a perfect idea for Mothering Sunday

by

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits
Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Okay, order so I know it’s Pancake Day, and International Women’s Day. But I want to talk about BISCUITS. And why not? Mothering Sunday is coming up this weekend and what better excuse to get baking. In fact, there are plenty of good reasons to make biscuits at any time of the year, as you will discover if you get your paws on the fabulous Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. I promise you’ll be drooling before you’ve even opened the delicious front cover.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

I discovered Biscuiteers a bit late for Valentines Day, but they kindly sent me a copy of their book, written by Harriet Hastings and Sarah Moore. Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits is the most divinely designed and photographed bible of biscuit goodness. And what I like is that it is very clearly a collaborative effort, with thanks to Victoria Sawdon – who not only art directed the book but illustrates all the Biscuiteers tins – mentioned alongside thanks to all the biscuit icers: Rina Wanti, Ceridwen Olofson and Belinda Chen. I want their skills!

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

Biscuiteers was started with the aim of making biscuits that look as beautiful as they taste. They are launched in seasonal collections to match specific events, and are aimed at adults in high end stores such as Harrods, Liberty and Fortnum & Mason. The Biscuiteers are proud to have built a business on old fashioned non-industrialised techniques and all the biscuits are still hand made and therefore individual. However, with the help of the Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits the common biscuit baker can give it a go ourselves.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced BiscuitsBiscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits is an extraordinarily beautiful book that features all the information you need to know to create the perfect dough and that all important icing, both royal and flooded. As well as easy to follow guides the book offers recommendations for how to package and post your biscuity creations. As you would expect it includes chapters on biscuits for a huge variety of occasions, from the biggies such as Christmas, Halloween, Mother’s Day (this weekend) and Easter, down to individual ideas such as New Baby biscuits – pastel bears and ducks – and garden themed biscuits. There are even some jokey cupcake biscuits, which says something about the enduring popularity of the cupcake, though I’d be happy to wager a bet on the biscuit take over.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced BiscuitsBiscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

I made some dodgy Valentines Day biscuits using an online recipe, but with the help of this book I hope very soon to be somewhat more skilled, and I bet your mum would love nothing more than a batch of beautiful home made biscuits for Mothering Sunday – even if they don’t turn out quite as perfectly as the ones in Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. Hey, it’s good to have something to aspire to!

Valentines biscuits
My feeble efforts…

You can buy the book on the Biscuiteers website. The book won Best Desserts Book UK and this month it goes into the international final for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, held in Paris. Well done! And well deserved.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday March 8th, 2011 5:01 pm

Categories ,Belinda Chen, ,Best Desserts Book UK, ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits, ,Ceridwen Olofson, ,Christmas, ,Easter, ,Flooded Icing, ,Fortnum & Mason, ,Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, ,Hallowe’en, ,Harriet Hastings, ,Harrods, ,International Women’s Day, ,liberty, ,Mother’s Day, ,Mothering Sunday, ,New Baby, ,Pancake Day, ,Rina Wanti, ,Royal Icing, ,Sarah Moore, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Victoria Sawdon

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