Williams Handmade - Leatherwork Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course

We like to shake it up a bit on our activity weekends. After all, we can’t let those precious free days go to waste. This is when The Amazing Blog discovered Williams Handmade, a company who specialises in craft leather goods.  They offer several leather-working workshops, like the Half Day Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course.

Designer Sarah Williams founded Williams Handmade in 2010. As award winners of the Accessories Collection of the Year Award at ITS#NINE, The Accessory Award from Absolut Vodka, and taking part of the “Power of Craft” exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Williams Handmade truly deserves the description of high-quality craftsmanship. The company has also been shortlisted for the Ketel One Modern Craftsman Award and was nominated by Selfridges as one of their Bright Young Things.

From glasses cases to bags, Sarah Williams creates each of these items herself in the Williams Handmade Workshop in Bircher, Leominster which is located on the Hereford/Shropshire borders. If you love to support local artisans as we do, you should also know that the products are made from English Bridle leather coming from Northamptonshire.

We’re particularly excited about their Half Day Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course. By the end of the day, you’ll have your own clutch bag or iPad case to bring home and put to use.  Our team members have never worked with leather before, but luckily there’s no need for prior experience to take this course. The day entails learning the basics of leatherwork (i.e. how to cut and prepare leather), the traditional saddle stitch, and learning how to finish the edges. You also get to choose your preferred colour and pattern combination, so your lovely bag or case is just to your liking!

The Williams Handmade Half Day Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course runs from 9am-1pm on the 20th of October for £65. Tea, coffee, and cake are included. If you’d like to spice up your Saturday with this fabulous course, click here. If you’re interested in finding out about their other classes, click here.

Ancient + Brave with their True Collagen and Cacao + Collagen

It's rare to find a brand with such a passion for inspiring healthy living. Ancient + Brave have captured our attention at The Amazing Blog, encouraging us to take control of our lifestyle choices, no matter the amount of time we have to do so. We're in no doubt that their ethos has had a similar impact on others - by combining naturopathy and cutting-edge innovation, the company's ambition of creating delicious and nutritious products certainly will inspire others to look into their lifestyle choices more deeply. We were also fascinated by the Brave Method, combining intermittent fasting and Ancient + Brave products, to create a simple lifestyle strategy that draws back to the eating patterns of our ancestors.

Conceptualising the Brave Method, founders Annelie Whitfield and Kate Prince used their combined knowledge of naturopathy and entrepreneurial techniques to redefine the fasting regime. No longer must we only drink water to avoid calorific beverages, as Ancient + Brave's products are suitable to consume during the fasting period, providing optimal fat burning, while ensuring that we ourselves, do not burn out. Annelie's story is particularly interesting, as a former stunt woman, who suffered a life-threating injury, she began her nature quest after receiving healing treatment from bone mending monks in Sri Lanka. She chose to develop her newfound knowledge, by spending five years in a back-to-nature barefoot existence, studying indigenous medicine in Costa Rica. It is here that she unearthed the medicinal benefits of coffee and cacao - hence the introductions into her product lines. Upon her return, she teamed up with Kate Prince, who used her entrepreneurial nouse to help innovate a new lifestyle brand, to fuel health and performance simultaneously.

As you can imagine, we were excited to try their products, especially those of us who were collagen novices. The True Collagen powder proved to be a simple way of easing us into the collagen world, a product packed with 100% hydrolysed grass-fed bovine collagen (a welcome addition in comparison with many other products), and high in crucial nutrients to replace proteins. Like all of the Ancient + Brave products, True Collagen is also suitable for those following a paleo diet. True Collagen is both odourless and tasteless, meaning that we can boost our level of amino acids by drinking it on its own, or within a beverage of our choice. Ancient + Brave recommend using 2-4 teaspoons for a potent amount of collagen and suggest adding it to a smoothie of your choice.

Secondly, we tried their Cacao+ Collagen product, a delicious hot chocolate alternative that is antioxidant rich thanks to the use of organic Peruvian cacao. Other ingredients include cocoa, grass-fed bovine collagen, beetroot, cinnamon, carob, Siberian ginseng and baobab (all of which are organic), and a touch of pink Himalayan salt. Together, these ingredients act as a potent delivery system of collagen, that still tastes delicious. In one serving, you can expect 2000mg of nourishing True Collagen for a fat burning and energising hot drink. We recommend mixing it with hot plant-based milk, or it can be made using hot water too. What more could we ask for on a cold Autumn morning?

If you too would like to give collagen a go, purchase Ancient + Brave’s True Collagen 200g for £27 here and the Cacao + Collagen 250g for £22 here.

Fellowstead’s Fig, Fern & Moss Reed Diffuser

Coming into autumn, you notice that rooms feel stuffy, and the air becomes stale with closed windows and central heating. Luckily, we at The Amazing Blog have found a simple solution with Fellowstead’s Fig, Fern & Moss Reed Diffuser. Fellowstead, founded in 2015 in Peckham, London, began as a modest start-up in a kitchen. This candle company has now since expanded its brand into lifestyle, home fragrance, and beauty. Fellowstead focuses on natural, pure products with a blend of earthy tones as they say: “An ode to all things leafy, herby and green.”

The Fig, Fern & Moss Reed Diffuser allows for the tangle of sweet and earthy scents to gently warm a room. The fern and moss fragrances are cooling, reminiscent of a springtime forest walk. These scents also prevent the aroma from becoming overwhelming. What is particularly unusual about this blend is the incorporation of fig. The overtone of the fig brightens the fresh scent and gives the fragrance its delicate fruity aroma. Did we mention that the amber of the glass bottle would look darling on a window sill? Activate the fragrance by sticking the fibre reeds into the bottle. Soon that stale, stagnant air will dissipate. The scent should last up to twelve weeks, but Fellowstead recommends flipping the reeds once a month. Fellowstead’s Fig, Fern & Moss Reed Diffuser comes in a 150ml bottle gift boxed for £24.00. Click here to order yours.

Pretty Little Palette - The Sassy One Eyeshadow

We try to keep upbeat as the cool weather closes in, with the wind getting brisker and grey skies appearing. However, we all agree here at The Amazing Blog that a fantastic way to raise our spirits is by discovering a new seasonal line of make-up to play around with. And what could be better than an affordable eyeshadow palette to help us do so. Pretty Little Palettes is a UK line of globally distributed make-up. They are an environmentally conscious, 100% cruelty-free and a vegan friendly company that strives to inspire their customers with their creative collections of bold colours. They also offer matte liquid lipsticks and lipglosses, as well as eyeshadow palettes and contour palettes, all to help you create your desired look.

They sent us one of their luscious Pretty Little Palettes, which all come in designer illustrated recyclable cardboard containers. We tried the eyeshadow palette ‘The Sassy One’ and found that the mixture of bright, earthy tones was perfect for achieving an autumnal look. The palette contains eight eyeshadow colours: LOL, Nah, Never, Seriously Tho, Bitch, Physically, Bad One, and K. We think you’ll agree; that these are a selection of very unusual of names! We were pleased to find that the eyeshadow applied with ease and lasted throughout the day. We have to say that our favourite colour out of the eight was Seriously Tho because of its glorious auburn and copper shimmer. Seriously Tho, is great applied by itself or we liked to mix it with the colours Never or Nah, to make it even more vibrant!

You can purchase your Pretty Little Palettes, ‘The Sassy One’ for £24.00 here. Plus, you’ll get a free Matte Liquid Lip Kit when you buy any palette from the Pretty Little Palettes range. The lip kit contains a matte liquid lipstick and a lip liner. Now there’s no excuse not to make autumn even more colourful.

Fierce Botanics - Apothecary Tonic No. 1

How wonderful is it to find new ways to turn classic drinks into something unique? The Amazing Blog found just the tonic to give our favourite drinks, gin & tonic and rum & soda, a new kick. Fierce Botanics being the flavoursome brainchild of A.S Apothecary.

Amanda Saurin is the founder of A.S. Apothecary, a traditional apothecary with over thirty years of experience in the UK and the Levant. She leads a team of ten women and a couple of chaps, who produce a small-batch natural skincare brand that uses ingredients local to the UK. Together, they decided to branch out from the world of botanical skincare, to tonic, with the launch of Fierce Botanics. Their goal is to be transparent, honest, respectful, and environmentally-conscious. They also thrive on collaborations with other green brands, traditional crafters and drinks makers, who share their passion. All of which is highly commendable!

We had the chance to taste Fierce Botanics’ Apothecary Tonic No. 1. This botanical hit immediately had us hooked, with its best quality organic ingredients (like their skincare) used in small batches and ‘done by hand’. Sipping this tonic was a delight! It was a surprise to enjoy such an unusual tonic, with complex flowers and herbs, combined with a subtle citrus tang of bright and bitter notes. Cleverly it allows for a light balance, as none of the ingredients overpower, and it’s easily quaffable with the lightly aerated bubbles. It is a luxurious tonic made from fir and spruce trees, citrus peel, juniper, East Sussex roses, organic cane sugar, and cinchona bark from Ecuador.  What we particularly like is that instead of using a nasty preservative, Fierce Botanics have opted for just a touch of citric acid. It took Fierce Botanics two years of experimenting to perfect this tonic, and we can see why!

Fierce Botanics recommends that their Apothecary Tonic No. 1 be enjoyed as a mixer with spirits such as rum, gin or vodka. Although actually, we have to confess we liked it best by itself, so we could savour the flavours of this sophisticated alcohol-free bevvy. You can purchase the Apothecary Tonic No. 1 250ml here for £3.50 per bottle.