Orange Pomanders

Orange pomanders are a wonderful way to add fragrance to a room. They are pretty and fragrant. They can be hung with a decorative ribbon or placed in bowls with potpourri and/or country fixins. They look great during the Fall season and the Christmas holidays.

They are very simple to make. You will need:

-Oranges

-Cloves

-Powdered Cinnamon

-Powdered Allspice

-Powdered Nutmeg

-A round toothpick or skewer

-Decorative Ribbon (optional)

-Dried or artificial flowers (optional)

-Pins (optional)

Before you begin, decide what design you would like to make on your orange with the cloves. You can make lines, swirls, or cover the entire orange with cloves. If you plan on hanging your completed pomander it is a good idea to place the ribbon around the orange and secure it in place with pins before you start adding the cloves. In this way the cloves will not get in the way of your ribbon and it will fit snugly around your orange for hanging. When you have decided on your design, create your pattern by making the holes in your orange with the toothpick or skewer. After you have completed the holes, insert the cloves into the holes you have made. After you have inserted all of the cloves, remove the ribbon if you are using one, and sprinkle your orange with the powdered cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, and wrap it in tissue paper. Store it in a cool dry place for a few weeks (2 to 3) until the skin becomes hard. As the orange begins to dry the natural scent will blend with the scent of the cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon resulting in a wonderful orange spice fragrance. Check your orange regularly during the drying process to see whether it is ready. When it is ready, it will have shrunk a bit and it will be dry and hard. Your pomander is complete.

If you want to hang it, place your ribbon around the pattern that you have made. You can also decorate your pomander with dried flowers or artificial flowers in seasonal/holiday colors. *Our pomander in the photo above is decorated with dried carnations.

Insect Theme Gardens: Bees

You can create fun and interesting theme gardens by planting certain plants together to attract beneficial insects such as bees. Bees perform the essential task of pollinating the plants in your garden. They are attracted to plants by scent and color (except for red - they cannot perceive the color red. They are mainly attracted to flowers that are yellow, blue, and purple.) You can plant a variety of fragrant herbs and flowers for a bee garden. They are very much attracted to the scent of Basil, Chamomile, Dill, Borage, Bergamot, Fennel, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Oregano, Sage, Mint, Thyme, Daisies, Sunflowers, Dahlias, Larkspur, and Snapdragons.

Bees are pretty little creatures as you watch them hovering around your garden, landing from plant to plant. Even though bees are beneficial to the garden, some people fear their presence becuse of the possibility of being stung, (some people even have allergic reactions to stings from bees & wasps). It is important to remember, however, that bees are not aggessive insects, they will not sting unless they feel threatened. If you are around bees, please remember to use the proper precautions to avoid being stung.

Insect Theme Gardens: Ladybugs & Butterflies

You can create fun and interesting theme gardens by planting certain plants together to attract ladybugs and butterflies.

Pretty little spotted ladybugs are are not only attractive but they are also very beneficial to the garden because they control aphids and other plant pests. If you would like to attract ladybugs to your garden, plant flowers such as Dandelions, Marigolds, Tansy, and Yarrow. Ladybugs are also attracted to fragrant herbs such as Dill, Fennel, Coriander, Angelica, Cilantro, and Parsley.

You can also attract beautiful, colorful butterflies to your garden by planting flowers rich in nectar such as Aster, Lillies, Violets, Thistle, Cyprus Vine, and Liatris. Butterflies also like aromatic herbs such as Dill, Marjoram, Oregano, Mint, and Creeping Thyme.

Are Candles Made From Gel Wax Dangerous?

Are Candles Made From Gel Wax Dangerous?
There have been chain emails circulating around the internet claiming that gel candles are dangerous because they explode while they are burning. Here is an example of one of the emails:

"Thought you all need to know about this since you love to burn candles. This came from a friend in Texas. jw

My former secretary had a gel candle burning in her bathroom ... it exploded and caught her house on fire. The house burned down and they lost everything. The Fire Marshall told her that this is not the first incident where a gel candle has exploded and caused a fire. He said that the gel builds up a gas and often times it explodes and sets fire to the room it is in, which is what happened to her. The fire was so hot it melted the smoke alarm, and they didn't discover the fire until there was an explosion, which was her toilet blowing up, and then it was too late...the entire upstairs was engulfed in flames. Smoke damage and water damage have destroyed what wasn't destroyed by fire.

Another incident, "Mary" had one burning on her mantle and it caught fire just like the message above. She has at home at the time and saw it happen and grabbed the candle to keep it from setting her home on fire and it came apart in her hand. She saved her home but suffered 3rd degree burns to her hand and 3 fingers.

And as if those two stories weren't enough...My husband was home on vacation and had a gel candle lit on the top of the entertainment center. He too saw the candle burst into flames. His first instinct was to blow the candle out. Well, that didn't work; so he blew harder.... the gel from the candle splattered and went everywhere; everywhere including his face. He had 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns all over his face. The gel doesn't cool like wax does, so the bits that were still on his face continued to burn him. And you can't wipe the stuff off; it just rolls up and keeps burning. Another friend had a similar experience. She received as a gift a gel candle from Avon. It was contained in a wine goblet, was sort of purple gel with glitter in the gel. She had it on her dresser in the bedroom. Once when it was burning, the entire solid turned to liquid and the glitter pieces "jumped" randomly out of the wine glass, taking drops of gel with it, getting all over the dresser and window curtain. A weird scene to say the least. Needless to say, she put the flame out and emptied the remaining liquefied gel into the toilet."

The truth is that gel wax does not build up any type of gas that causes it to explode. But the burning of certain gel candles does pose a risk - candles that are in glass containers. Gel wax does not explode as is stated in the emails. But gel wax is not really a wax per se, like soy, paraffin, or beeswax. It burns much hotter than all of the other waxes and if the candle is in a glass container that is not heat resistant or has slight cracks or imperfections, the intense heat of the gel wax will cause it to shatter. So the gel itself is not dangerous and does not explode, but if it is in a weak container, the strong heat may cause it to break apart. Gel candles in strong heat resistant containers are safe to burn. Make sure you purchase your gel candles from a reputable source.

Candle Waxes

Wax is the material that fuels a candle as it burns. Throughout history, people used many various substances as candle waxes. Various fats and oils were used, as well as materials obtained from animals and insects. Nowadays there are several different candle waxes from which scented candles are made. Different waxes have different properties.

Paraffin Wax: The most common wax is paraffin wax. Most scented candles are paraffin candles. Paraffin wax is a white odorless wax. It is a blend of organic compounds and it is derived from filtered petroleum.

Soy Wax: Soy wax is made from the oil of soy beans. After soy beans are harvested, they are washed, crushed, and rolled and the oil is drawn out and hydrogenated in order to be used as wax.

Beeswax: Beeswax is the most expensive wax. It is made from the material that honey bees use to build the honeycomb. It is produced from the glands of worker bees. It has a naturally sweet scent. Beeswax is yellow due to the natural coloration from the pollen and propolis that the bees gathered. But beeswax is often refined to remove the yellow coloring and therefore is available in both yellow and white.

Gel Wax: Gel wax is not really a wax at all. It is a clear jelly-like substance that consists of 95% mineral oil and 5% polymer resin. Gel candles burn much slower than regular waxes and last longer. Due to it's transparency, gel wax is used to make many beautiful designer candles and because it has a jelly-like consistency, objects can be embedded inside the candles.

Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe

Stuffed grape leaves, also known as "Dolmathes" are a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern delicacy made with tasty and fragrant herbs like dill, fennel, and parsley. They are usually served as an appetizer. There are many variations to the recipe, some include meat. This is a family recipe from Greece. It is meatless and contains fresh herbs. The rolls are traditionally accompanied by Feta cheese and olives.

- 1 Cup Rice

- 1 Jar ( 8 ounces) Grape Leaves

- 3 or 4 Scallions, chopped

- 4 Cups Water

- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fennel

- 1/4 Cup Chopped Dill

- 1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley

- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil, Plus 2 Tablespoons

- Juice of 1 Lemon

Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a skillet and saute the scallions until tender. Add the herbs, rice and 2 cups water, cover and simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is al dente. Salt the mixture to taste.

Remove the grape leaves from the jar and wash gently and remove the stems. Place the leaves in a saucepan and blanche for a few minutes until they are tender. Remove them from the saucepan and place them in a collander to drain and cool. When they have drained and cooled, begin by laying out a grape leaf with the shiny side down. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture on the stem end of the leaf - bottom section of the leaf where the stem was. Begin rolling the stem end of the leaf over the rice mixture and folding. Take the 2 sides of the leaf and fold towards the middle. Now continue rolling the leaf like a cigar. Don't roll it too tightly though, because the rice will expand when it cooks further and it will break out of the roll. Repeat the process with the rest of the grape leaves and rice mixture. When the mixture is done, you will have some grape leaves left over.

Take a large saucepan and line the bottom with your remaining grape leaves. You can use imperfect/torn leaves that you could not use for rolling the mixture, to line the bottom of your saucepan. After your saucepan is lined, take your stuffed rolls and begin arranging them on the bottom of the saucepan side by side. Make sure that the seam side is down. Arrange them snugly but not too tightly together. Continue making layers of rolls in the saucepan. It's best to have 3 or 4 layers, if you have more than 4 layers, the rolls will not cook properly. When you are finished arranging your rolls, pour in the remaining water (2 cups), the remaining olive oil (1/4 cup) and the lemon juice (1 lemon). In order to keep the rolls from jumping about during the cooking process and the rice possibly breaking through the roll, take a heat-proof plate that is slightly smaller than the width of the saucepan and place it upside down on top of the rolls. This will weigh down the rolls and keep them together. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook gently for about 30 minutes, until the rolls are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove the rolls from the saucepan, let cool and serve garnished with fresh herbs.

Lemon Scented Herbs

There are 3 herbs whose leaves give off a lovely lemon fragrance. In addition to their fragrance, their leaves have a lemon flavor and they are used to season foods and drinks. Their fragrant leaves are also used in fragrance crafts like soap, bath products, and potpourris.

Lemon Grass

Lemon Grass is a perennial herb that grows in clumps with long, thin, grass-like leaves. It usually grows 3 to 4 feet tall although it can grow to 6 feet tall. It can be planted in full sun or partial shade. When the leaves are broken, they release a lemon-flavored oil. Lemon Grass is mostly used as a seasoning in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. It also has antiseptic properties and is used in cosmetics. When dried, the fragrant leaves can be added to citrus potpourri blends.

Lemon Verbena

Lemon Verbena is a deciduous woody shrub with pretty elongated leaves and tiny pale flowers. It grows to 4 feet tall although it has been known to grow up to 10 feet tall. It grows best when planted in full sun. Since it is a decidous herb it drops all of it's leaves during the winter. It does not survive well in cold weather and therefore should be potted and brought indoors during the winter. Lemon Verbena leaves have a strong lemony flavor and can be used instead of lemon juice to flavor both hot and iced teas. The leaves themselves can be made into a flavorful tea that is soothing and calming to the digestive tract. The flavorful leaves are used to season pastires, jams & jellies, chicken, and fish. Lemon Verbena is a soothing gentle herb and it's fragrant leaves are used as additives to soap and bath products.

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is a perennial herb with oval shaped leaves that have a delicate lemon scent and taste. In late summer, it grows tiny white flowers that attract bees. Due to the fact that bees are attracted to the fragrant flowers, the scientific name for Lemon Balm is Melissa Officinalis, the Greek word for bee is Melissa. Lemon Balm grows about 2 feet, and does best when planted in full sun, although it can grow in partial shade. It's lemon flavored leaves are used to season chicken, fish, vegetables, pastries, custards, and ice cream. The fresh leaves are used to add a lemony flavor so cool summer drinks like iced tea, punch, and lemonade. The large oval shaped leaves look very attractive in a glass with a cool summer drink. The fragrant dried leaves can be added to citrus scented potpourri blends.

Dried Flowers

Dried flowers are not just to be enjoyed in the winter months when there are no fresh blooms. They can be enjoyed all year round, and if they are cared for properly, dried flower arrangements can last for years. Dried flowers come in many shapes, sizes, and bright colors, they are not small, faded, crusty blooms. Dried flower arrangements are just as colorful and vibrant as their fresh counterparts, and they last much longer. They can brighten up any room and fit style of home decor.

Dried flower arrangements must be cared for properly. They should be kept out of direct sunlight. They should not be allowed to become damp, rooms with alot of consensation should be avoided. In order to clean any dust that may collect on the flowers, a simple hairdryer can be used, it should be set on low speed with the cool temperature setting.

Flower Pot Arrangement with Oranges

I created a flower pot arrangement using a mix of flowers with hues of orange, yellow, tan, and white. This arrangement also has real dried whole slit oranges. It comes in decorated terra cotta flower pot.





I added a cute little embellishment to the arrangement - little orange and black faux insects on the flower petals.





This arrangement can be purchased at TC Fragrance Crafts.

February Sale

Throughout the month of February, all orders with a total of $20.00 or more (before shipping) will get a discount of 15% off at our store TC Fragrance Crafts.

TC Fragrance Crafts
http://www.tcfragrancecrafts.com

Clear Glycerin Soap

Glycerin soap is always my favorite, I never use commercial soap anymore. I only bathe with glycerin soap and I even use it to shave my legs. Unfortunately I have very dry and sensitive skin, and I have always had problems with commercial products. Shaving my legs was always a bad experience, I used to end up with red marks, cuts, and nicks, no matter what I tried. I have tried soap for sensitive skin, creams, lotions, ladies shaving foam, men's shaving foam, etc., I even tried shaving with baby oil and baby lotion. Even Nair and Neet irritated my legs.

Glycerin soap has been a miracle for me. I have never had any problems since I started using it. I never get any nicks, cuts, or irritation anymore. My skin feels like velvet after I use it. I especially love lavender glycerin soap, it's so fragrant and soothing.

Lately, I have been working with clear glycerin soap, and I created 2 pretty bars. I like the transparency, it makes a great decorative soap. Both of these soaps can be purchased at my store: TC Fragrance Crafts. There is a rose soap with real rose petals it it:

I also made an icy soap. It is a cool icy blue bar with little snowy white flakes embedded in it.

Another Christmas Picture

I'm posting this picture because I think it's so cute. Every Christmas I buy a present for my cat. She's my baby :) This time I bought her a new set of food and water. They come on a little metal stand with a frame in the shape of a cat attached to it.

Here is my cat with her new food/water bowls.

Christmas Pictures

I would like to share some of my Christmas pictures. I know it's a little bit late, but these pictures were taken with my 35mm and I didn't get the film developed until recently. I love Christmas. I love baking and all of the fun and creativity that goes into decorating cakes and cookies.

This is a batch of cookies (gingerbreads, santa's, candy canes, tree's, bells, wreaths) and mini bundt in the background

This is a full Christmas tree cake decorated with green frosting with little piped icing decorations and garland added.

Santa Cake
This is a round cake made into a Santa Claus face. The eyes, nose, and mouth are made with piped icing; the hat is made with red colored frosting, and the beard, eyebrows, and fur trim of the hat are made with white frosting. The face is made with peach colored frosting.

The History of Valentine's Day

There are many legends about the origin of Valentine's Day, although the actual facts are obscure. According to most scholars, it is based on an old pagan fertility festival known as Lupercalia. The annual festival was held in February, which was the official start of Spring and a time for purification to the ancient Romans. In order to "Christianize" pagan holidays, in the 5th century Pope Galasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine's Day, in honor of Valentine, a Christian martyr. But it is not clear exactly who St. Valentine was. Subsequently, many legends arose as to his identity.

According to one legend, Valentine was a Christian priest in 3rd century Rome. At the time, Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men because he believed that single men made more effective soldiers on the battlefield rather than men who were married and had families to care for. Valentine secretly defied the Emperor and continued to perform marriages for young couples. He was eventually discovered, captured, and put to death.

Another legend claims that Valentine was a Christian who was killed by the Romans because he helped other Christians escape the persecution and torture by the Romans.

One of the more popular legends claims that Valentine was imprisoned by the Romans. The daughter of one of the Roman jailers frequently visited the prison and Valentine fell in love with her. Before his execution, he sent her a love letter and signed it "from your Valentine."

The first offical connection of St. Valentine with romantic love came in the 14th century. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Parliament of Fowles, a love poem in honor of the engagement of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. Chaucer named St. Valentine as patron of the marriage.

Whatever the origin, Valentine's Day became popular over the centuries and evolved into a holiday of romantic love and gift giving.

Holiday Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Ahh the holiday spirit is in the air and nothing says Christmas quite like a batch of gingerbread cookies. Not only are they tasty but they are fun to decorate as you let your imagination take you back to your childhood. We would like to share a recipe for a great batch of gingerbread cookies.

You will need:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened.

1/2 cup suger.

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger.

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

1 teaspoon baking powder.

1/2 teaspoon allspice.

1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

1/2 cup unsulphured molasses.

1 large egg.

2 cups all-purpose flour.

Tubes of white, green, and red icing.


In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, allspice, and baking soda until blended. Beat in the molasses and egg. Beat in the flour on low speed until blended. Wrap the dough and chill until it is firm, about 1 hour and a half. When it is ready, roll out the dough on a well-floured surface and cut with gingerbread men cookie cutters. Place the gingerbread men on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees, until lighty browned. Let cookies cool and decorate with colored icing. You can attach decorating tips to the icing tubes to create pattern designs for the buttons, bowtie, etc. You can also use embellishments like candies and colored sugars.

Fall Table

Using shades of bright Fall colors like orange, yellow, and green you can make a lovely Fall table setting. Pumpkins, gourds, and squash can be used as the base for your centerpiece. Surround your base with Fall flowers, leaves, and dried fruit. Pie candles will add a unique and charming look to your centerpiece, especially for Thanksgiving. You can add decorations like scarecrows or turkeys to finish it off.

Pumpkin Soap Project

We have a fun Fall project that can be done with the kids - little pumpkin soaps.

These cute little soaps are made using the hand-milled method. This method requires bars of pure, white, unscented soap. You can buy them at your local drug store. Make sure they are unscented. Usually hand-milled soap recipes require the additives such as herbs, cocoa butter, shea butter, etc., But since this is a project for kids, we'll keep it simple and fun. For this project you will need:

2 bars of unscented, white soap

1/2 cup water

A kitchen grater

A bowl

Pumpkin scented soap fragrance

A wooden spoon

A double boiler

Non-toxic acrylic soap paints in orange, green, and black

Artist paint brushes


In a bowl, shred the bars of white soap with your grater until you get 2 cups of shredded soap.

Add the water to the shredded soap. Place the soap/water into a double boiler and place on the stovetop range with medium heat. The soap will slowly begin to absorb the water. You may stir gently with a wooden spoon but remember not to mix too quickly because bubbles may form. The mixture will begin to thicken. As the water becomes absorbed, the mixture will start to become stringy. This is normal.

When it reaches this stringy stage, remove it from the heat and add 15 to 20 drops of pumpkin fragrance oil and stir until it is equally distributed and absorbed. Make sure that the fragrance oil you are using is safe for the skin. The soap mixture will be thick and clumpy and when the mixture cools enough to touch, take parts and form them with your hands into little balls. While the mixture is still soft and pliable, take little pieces and roll and shape them with your thumb and index finger into little tubular shapes and attach them on top of the balls to form stems. After you have used up the whole mixture and shaped all of the pumpkins, place them on a rack and let them dry for a few days. When they are dry, take your acrylic soap paints (you can use regular non-toxic acrylic paint but the problem is that it won't adhere as well to the surface of the soap, so you're better off using soap paint.) and paint the pumpkins orange and the stems green and if you want to you can even paint little faces on them. When they are dry, you will have adorable and fragrant little pumpkin soaps.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit slices and peels are a great way to give your home a country prim look. They are fragrant and can be added to potpourri blends, fixins blends, wreaths, swags. They also make pretty and fragrant gift package decorations. When they are placed around candles, especially bakery candles, they give a nice country prim look.



The pic above is of an orange fixins blend. It combines dried orange slices and orange peels with fragrant spices like cinnamon sticks, allspice, and cloves. The look and smell is very seasonal and makes a great addition to country prim home decor.



The easiest way to dry fruit slices is to use a dehydrator. If you do not have a dehydrator, you can use the standard oven method.



To dry apple slices using the oven method, core your apples and slice them about 1/4 inch thick. In order to prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown during the process, dip the slices into a solution of 2 cups lemon juice and 3 tablespoons salt. Make sure the slices are well soaked for about 15 minutes. After you remove them, pat them dry with paper towels and place them on cookie sheets and dry for about 6 hours at 150 degrees. Keep the oven door slightly ajar to ensure good air circulation. Turn the slices when they start to curl.



For oranges, slice them about 1/4 inch thick and gently squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible without squeezing and misshaping the slices. Then place the slices on a cookie sheet and dry for about 6 hours at 150 degrees. As with the apples, keep the oven door slighty ajar for air circulation.

Fall Soap

Ahh Fall is here. We have some adorable fragrant soaps for this time of year. They work wonderfully to create a seasonal bathroom decor. Handpainted glycerin soap and decaupage hand milled soap. They are scented in seasonal fragrances such as pumpkin and cinnamon. See our website for more: TC Fragrance Crafts.

I've Been Tagged

Well I've been tagged and I'm supposed to list 5 wierd things about myself and/or my pets. Hmmm...ok here goes:

- I can't bring myself to eat Jello, it just won't go down. I can't take the jiggly consistency.

- I prefer the cold winter weather to the hot summer weather.

- I'm obsessive about germs.

- My cat loves eating vaseline.

- My cat also loves vinegar.

Simmer Potpourri

Simmer potpourri is a great way to fill your home with the wonderful scents of the Fall and the Holidays. Special potpourri simmer pots are sold, but you don't need one, all you need is a regular kitchen cooking pot. Just fill it with 1 quart of water and you can choose from an array of wonderful dried herbs, spices, and fruits to mix together and add to your pot. Simmer the mixture on your stove top for several hours and the pleasant aroma will waft through your home. As the potpourri simmers, add more water as needed. Simmer potpourri is also a great way to make your kitchen smell nice after you cook foods with particularly heavy unpleasant odors such as fish or garlic.

You can make great fragrant combinations according to your liking. Below are some examples of what you can add to your simmer pot.

-Orange slices

-Apple slices

-Lemon slices

-Lime slices

-Citrus peel

-Cloves

-Cinnamon Sticks

-Allspice

-Nutmeg

-Bay leaves

-Mint

-Chamomile

-Lemon verbena

-Lavender

-Rose petals

-Pine needles

-Star anise