It's summer in the Northern Hemisphere at my parents' home. I've left Brad behind for the next month and a bit in near freezing temperatures down South. I'm not sure which I like better - the hot and humid weather that I'm sweltering in or the continuously cold and rainy days that I've temporarily
My free postage deal for purchases of $50 and over has been working a treat for many. After some thought, I have decided to keep this on for at least until the end of the year. It is something I intend to review as time goes on. Along with my customers, I have also
I'm feeling very thankful. Online sales have increased in the past week and I am ever so grateful to have the support of my customers through this amazing world of internet shopping. It has been exciting to see customers making use of the free postage and
There are some key words that are foundational in my business. Local is one of them. A major portion of products at handmadeandmarina depends on raw materials from local sources and outlets. As I have often reiterated in the past, no local resources, no handmadeandmarina! So it follows that my
I'm amazed that the chillie plants are looking their best at this time of the year! In the little plot pictured, I've got 7 varieties growing happily oblivious that we've entered Autumn and about to usher in cooler climes. These chillies will make their way
It's Autumn here already in this corner of Australia and I've got a number of gardening projects that I'm hanging out to get started on! The rush to start planting out winter vegetable seedlings might be a bit premature though as there are a few more 30'C days ahead of us. Last Sunday's seedling
Can you believe it's the end of 2018 already? I've been having a great break catching up on a number of unfinished projects including my blog update. Time flies when you are having fun. It's summer here in the southern hemisphere and as we brace ourselves for another hot Christmas day (something that those
It takes approximately three months before I make my natural handcrafted soaps available for sale. I often describe my soaps as fine wine that gets better with age. That is the nature of these pure olive oil soaps created without extracting the glycerine by-product beneficial for the skin or the addition of synthetic alternatives.
As a maker and small business owner, I've been market stalling for almost 10 years. I'm based in the south-west of Western Australia, an area of sparse population within a relatively low populated state and country by global standards. It has been crucial from a business point of view to find a space where