Welsh Archives | The British Craft House

Swapping from liquid soaps in plastic bottles is a great way to help the planet. Here at Gower Lavender we work hard to make our business ‘planet-first’. We have solar power, we grow our lavender without weedkillers and pesticides, our packaging is made of compostable and/or recyclable material, and we use natural, ethical ingredients in our products – and we NEVER use palm oil.

If our business can make planet-first changes, then we reckon you can too. Swapping to a solid soap is a simple change which can have far-reaching benefits.

Here are five reasons to make the change:

1) Solid soap uses less water than liquid soap, so it takes up less space and is lighter – that makes it more efficient to transport, reducing its carbon footprint. And better value for you too!

2) You can say goodbye to plastic packaging. Did you know that only 9 per cent of the plastic ever produced has been recycled? Even if you diligently put your old bottles in the recycling, there’s a high chance they won’t be recycled, ending up in landfill instead

3) Handmade soap is better for your skin. Most liquid soaps are detergent based, stripping moisture from your skin without replacing it. A proper cold process soap like ours is ‘superfatted’, meaning it contains extra oils which hydrate your skin as you wash

4) Buying a handmade soap from a British artisan maker or crafter means you can get much more information about the ingredients, the process and the people behind the brand. You’re also keeping money local, which is better for British businesses, and for the British economy. It also has less distance to travel, and lower ‘soap miles’ equals better for the environment

5) A bar of soap lasts longer than liquid soap, so you don’t have to buy it so frequently – again, better for the planet and better for your pocket!

We take great care in our range of lavender soaps, using as many local, Welsh ingredients as possible, including our own Gower-grown lavender of course! It makes the perfect gift for someone eco-conscious, or who loves eco products but doesn’t want to compromise on luxury. Take a look at our range, and make the swap today!

For me it’s all about the metal, the thing I love most about it is that it’s so versatile, you can melt it, recycle it, hammer it, bend it, stamp it, shape it, fuse it, mix it, add stones to it and if that’s not enough you can texture it, paint it, heat it, etch it and polish it too. You will see the majority of these techniques used in my work as I do love to play!.

I find my inspiration from the lush Welsh countryside, living near Pontypridd in the Rhondda Valleys I have beautiful views across the rolling hills and a wildlife reserve just down the road. There’s also a lot of old industrial sites where nature has stepped back in, but you can find some really old interesting textures and patterns on abandoned machinery so I’m never short of inspiration and try to protect the environment by being as environmentally friendly as I can be in my work using recycled materials where I can and plastic free packaging.

I learnt to knit and sew when I was really little, sat next to my lovely Nan, my first make was a hand-sewn dress for my Tiny Tears Doll, I can even remember the colour it was purple with flowers and made from an old dress of my Nan’s. I still knit and sew nowadays but only occasionally as my real passion is for metal jewellery, though I’ll always find time for a bit of papercraft or drawing, often sketching out new designs and little pictures for etching or making my own boxes or hand finishing my packaging with hearts and making little matching gift cards to go with each order.

I have a small bench in the spare bedroom, but have to decamp to hubby’s garage for hammering and using the blowtorch.

As well as being a maker I have a day job working in the NHS in Human Resources and I am very fortunate that I love both my jobs, my passion for metal matches my passion for people. When I’m not metalsmithing or working you will find me colouring in with my granddaughter, baking or reading with an occasional night out at the theatre.

Tag: Welsh

Five ways handmade soap is better for the planet

Meet the Artisan, Max Pring, aka The Crafty Welsh Mam