Melts Monthly Subscription Box- June

I realise it has been almost a month since I last posted! I promise I haven't been abandoning the blog, but I have had a few bulky home improvements going on, and I'm  now decorating, so have been rushed off my feet between that and working. I'd love to say its nearly done, but there are a few rooms yet to go! Anyway, I thought I would pop on and let you know what I thought of my latest subscription box!

As we all know, I absolutely love receiving things in the mail. Whether it be postcards, letters or packages, I am always keen to see what the Postman has brought me.  I also LOVE candles and having my home smell amazing.

Well, Last week I received my June Melts Monthly Subscription Box! Yay!!! I had subscribed near the end of May and this was done on the website as a pre-approved payment on Paypal. A kind of Direct Debit. Almost. And I can cancel any time.

Costing just £10 per month, you receive 8 full size wax tarts which usually cost £2 each, and from what I have seen a little bonus too! Great bargain as postage is included in your payment, so I had to give them a go!

The box was made up of 8 full size wax tarts as well as a little tester package of mini melts. For those who have missed a trick, wax melts can be used in an oil burner or electric wax warmer and release a strong scent around the home. You can find out more about melts and how to use them here. 

Packaging was cute and quirky, and it all arrived intact. It also contained a little description of each scent which was rather useful when trying to figure out exactly what made these melts different from other brands. There are some wonderful combinations happening in this box! The scents were all really summery and gorgeous- Im sure this will change along with the seasons. Of all of the scents, there was only one that I wasn't as keen on, but thats just personal preference.

As the melts are made of soy wax, they melt very quickly compared with, for example, yankee melts, but I am glad to say the scent lingers for hours. From just 1/4 of a melt, I got 3 hours of a well scented burn! And, even after the scent had died down, there was no awful burning wax smell that is typical when you have burned normal wax melts. They are really easy to break into quarters, which I like to do so I can use the same scent in different rooms and also because I want as much out of them as possible!

I will be keeping this subscription going and hopefully manage to resist burning them all straight away so I can have a nice wee collection!  I have already taken advantage of the discount code included in the package and ordered another 10 melts- oops! I would love to be able to buy the Lime, Basil and Mandarin scent as a candle, but I haven''t been able to find this on the website so far. Fingers crossed it will become available soon.

The scents included in the box were:

1- Lime, Basil and Mandarin
"Top notes of Sicilian lime and zesty bergamot blend into a juicy heart of nursting ripe mandarins, basil and sharp green velvet"

This was my partners favourite as it was a very citrusy smell, which was quite strong and it is a lovely fresh and vibrant smell- perfect for the season. 

2- Chocolate Macaroons
"Chocolate Macaroons with hints of spice makes this scent almost good enough to eat"

This is the scent i'm not actually too keen on as I don't like "foody" smells, but I will definitely use it as I'm sure it will be pleasant when it burns. It is a very sweet smell, and definitely chocolatey. 

3- Sweet Pea
"Sweet floral fragrance with notes of sweet pea, rose and hyacinth"

Such a lovely floral scent that it feels as though you are still sitting in the garden. It actually smells of flowers. Not in a fake way at all. 

4- Verveine
"A lovely uplifting scent, Verveine blends the fresh citrus notes of sparkling verbena, orange and lemon."

Another Zesty little number, this is one of my favourites and was absolutely perfect after having had a spring clean. 

5- Rhubarb & Blackberry
"Based on a classic English crumble of custard, vanilla, rhubarb and blackberries, this scent is a sweet and fruity delight"

Another sweet smelling foody-inspired scent, but this one is much more to my taste. I think the berries help to even out the vanilla tones, and it definitely make for a lovely scent when it burns.

6- Lavender
"A luxurious and relaxing fragrance capturing the distinctive and soothing smell of fresh lavender"

Quite a cool, almost masculine scent. Even though you can definitely smell the lavender, it isn't an overly floral fragrance. 

7- Japanese Zen
"A fresh blend of cucumber, wasabi, grapefruit, guava and lime"

A more subtle zesty scent, but it was definitely there along with another fruity scent which is identified on the card as grapefruit. This scent could easily be put into shower gel! Its so fresh!

8- Night Jasmine
"A seductively lush perfume of water jasmine, sweet honeysuckle, neroli, gardenia and orange blossom."

A complex floral scent as there are definitely a few flowers to identify in there, but the combination is perfect. Not too strong and very natural smelling.

9- (Bonus Melts) Strawberry Rhubarb
"A perfect fruity fragrance combines freshly picked strawberries and pink rhubarb"

These gorgeous little shaped individual melts are set with glitter and they are my favourite scent of the batch. So sweet and smell like candy, I'm saving these for best!

If, like me, you love candles and you also love a little monthly treat, check out the Simple Candle Co website here.  I've heard that all new subscribers in July will receive a free wax warmer! And just incase you happen to want a flame free warmer, heres a link.

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This has been an unpaid, unaffiliated review and I purchased the items myself. The review is based purely on my own experiences.

Craftseller Focus: Ash Beads

I have had to sit on this post for some time as I was buying as a present for my Mum. Since my Gran died, we have been unable to let go of her ashes, so I thought it would be nice to put them to some use and get a little keepsake made for Mum's birthday. This also means that if we do decide to spread the remaining ashes anywhere, my mum will still have a little part of her close-by. It may seem a little sombre, but I think it is a really lovely way to hold someone close to you after they have passed.

I had never thought anything like this existed and it wasn't until Ash Beads were recommended by a friend that I even looked into the idea.

What I found was absolutely stunning bespoke jewellery made from ashes- be that human or pet remains, you can actually have a gorgeous pendant or bead made. I also found that the prices were very reasonable when compared to other ash jewellery makers out there, and the quality and workmanship truly spoke for itself. Even if Ash Beads were more expensive, I would still buy from them rather than competitors, who charge 6 times as much for what looks like costume jewellery.

Anyway, I digress.

There are lots of options on the website. You can get beads made for Pandora style bracelets, or cabochon setting pendants, or the simple globe style bead pendants. The round pendant I chose for Mum was a medium size. Surprisingly, the price is the same for a small, medium or large pendant and you can opt to include a matching chain. I didn't buy the chain simply because my mum has a fairly strong neck, so we went for a thicker, more robust chain from elsewhere to prevent her losing it.

The pendant itself looks like a little mini earth, which is quite fitting really- your world around your neck. The colours are gorgeous- aqua blues, greens and the texture is added with the ashes themselves, all sealed in glass to keep them safe.

The owner of Ash Beads, Merry, treats the whole process with the utmost respect, consideration and love. The overall impression of this lovely lady is that she really wants to help people with her talent. She asks that you send a little story about the person or furry friend in question, along with a photo, and even some music so that she can channel all of her energy into making the best beads possible after getting to know the person behind the bead a little better. She is also very careful throughout the whole process to ensure that the remains are treated with care and consideration, and any leftovers are returned.

Overall, the process was quite simple. Merry kept me informed the whole way through, and even despite a delay with me posting the ashes, I received the bead in plenty of time for Mum's birthday. She also included a little extra gift in there, which was so thoughtful! I really didn't expect it, and can only think it was maybe a trial run or a slight misfire?- Merry really is a perfectionist with her art. Either way, I was more than pleased with my little extra! It also gave an interesting view of how differently these beads can turn out- the different thickness of swirls and the different colourings. Both are beautiful, though.

There were some additional charges from customs, so I would bear this in mind if using the service- allow an extra £35-40 for VAT charges on receipt of the item.

All of the organisation and forward planning was definitely worth it as my Mum absolutely loved her present! She actually has not taken it off since she received it.

I would highly recommend Merry's service to anyone looking for a unique memento of their loved one. There are also options of having bulk batches made, so if you wanted a fitting gift for family at a memorial, these would be ideal.  Or if there were a lot of siblings who couldn't agree on a location for the spreading of the ashes etc, they could each have their own little trinket. I think this would especially be great for families spread across the world.

You can order your very own Ash Beads on the website here.

You can also find the business FBpage by searching "Ash Beads" on Facebook.

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Yoohoo Mail Subscription Box- April

Warning: Spoilers!!! Look away now if you do not want to see April's Yoohoo! Mail box.

As you may or may not know, stationery is one of my weaknesses. To the point where I get excited about going to a stationery or craft store. I remind myself of Pauline on Little Britain with her pens sometimes! Anyway, the idea of a delivered monthly subscription of unique, quirky stationary really appeals to me.

So after months of seeing the little adverts for Yoohoo Mail on my Facebook feed, I finally gave in and ordered a Yoohoo! box. I was so intrigued with the new theme that I decided to buy one. Just a little one off. Maybe.

The Yoohoo box comes with up to 20 items of stationery, and includes things like cards, list pads, menu cards, art prints- really any printable paper based stationary items. So many to choose from!

My intentions were really just to test the feel and quality of the materials inside before committing to a full 3 month subscription, and I think that it really is a great idea that you can buy as a one off.  Although, I already had in mind that as long as the card-stock wasn't terrible, I would probably subscribe anyway- a little monthly treat while saving up some gorgeous stationery.

The contents of the box are a complete secret until you unwrap them (or read a spoiler-oops!) I quite like the element of surprise, especially when I know I will be getting some rather unique designs that not many people will have seen.

In Aprils box, there were 19 items, including envelopes. One of the items was a simple A4 black and white typography print that makes you sing the words each time you see it. I think it would look nice in a modern frame on the wall. While I won't necessarily use it myself, I'm sure I will get some use out of it in a project in future.

There were a selection of 5 gorgeous cards in the box too. One is a birthday card, the others are for no particular occasion and all of them are blank inside so that you can leave your own message. I already have an idea of who I will

The designs on the cards are very bright, colourful and quirky, and the envelopes all match perfectly. Even the yellow of the envelope on the pac man card matches pac man exactly. I must say I'm very impressed!!

The quality of the card-stock is great- definitely not cheap and flimsy feeling, and will definitely not slump over when upstanding.  Even the quality of the envelopes is very high- there are a variety of smooth and textured papers used for the envelopes, but again they feel quite rich and you couldn't see through them either. These are definitely not the cards you can buy from Card Factory on the high street at 10 for £1!

I will definitely be adding these to my little box of cards so I can pull out a showstopper when the time is right!

There are also some gorgeous little postcards. I'm not sure I can even bring myself to use these as they would look amazing framed in some little box frames from Ikea. I might just have to do that instead.

Again, the quality of the postcards are great. Not flimsy or see- through, you are definitely buying quality in the Yoohoo! mail box.

I am already looking forward to the May edition and I haven't even ordered it yet! I wonder what the theme will be!

As you can see, the running theme for April is "Retro Baby" and this is detailed very well, right down to the nostalgic bubblegum thrown in!

The weekly meal planner that is included is also done in a "Happy Days" Diner style. It is so cute I can't bring myself to write on it so I am thinking of laminating the page so I can keep reusing it. It would look great in my kitchen, stuck on the fridge- and useful too!

Theres a handy phone numbers list- I always love a list, as well as some funky little happy face stickers. So many littly funky bits and pieces in such a little box!

The last little novelty gift in the box is one of the magic Fortune Teller fish. You can usually get these in christmas crackers, but I haven't seen them in years, and definitely not to this standard.

As you can see, it's pretty accurate as it indicates that I am passionate! Well then!

Overall, I am really happy with my Yoohoo! Mail box. The quality is great and really, the cost is pretty good too. If you think about how much it costs you to buy a card in Asda, you couldn't get many for a tenner! Especially of such great quality. If I continue to get these boxes (which I plan on), I will very quickly be getting a lovely collection of cards, and the rest of the stationary really will go into my stash as a bonus!

If you like what you see, you can order your own Yoohoo! Mail box here. 

Do you have any monthly mail subscription boxes?? I am thinking of trying out another few- maybe candles or wax melts? I do love a good scent! Any you would recommend?

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A B Seas Alphabet Stamps review

I thought I'd do another quick product review because I've found a product that I absolutely adore!!!! 

I recently discovered A B Seas Alphabet Stamps when a friend bought them, and I thought that they looked so cute that I HAD to have them!

First thing to catch my eye was the awesome little storage box. I love it's quirky design.

One thing about the AB Seas Alphabet Stamps is that they are mostly self- assembly. Personally, I think this is a good point, because to be honest, I'm a little OCD when it comes to how things look, so I like to be in control of as much as possible! Assembly Is fairly simple, as you attach the rubber section to the bottom of the wooden handle, and attach the corresponding sticker to the top for easy navigation.

This is how they look in the box, all set out in order. Soo cute!! I absolutely love them!

This is a little experimentation piece I done just to see how they handled. One negative is that there is only one colour of ink, but for anyone with a crafting collection, this will be a little issue. I personally have tonnes of ink pads, so i don't see it as too much of an issue. I had to be quite careful of how much pressure I put on the stamps when inking them up, but as i got used to them, this wasnt much of an issue. All in all, I love the font and effect of these little stamps, as they will add a quirky element to my craft pieces. I think they'd work very nicely with embossing powders and can't wait to experiment!

Do you have any favourite craft items? Any new discovery that you'd like to share? 

Feel free to comment!