Noir Bizarre

It's been all quiet on the beekeeping front over winter and I've been working on a little project restoring an antique Zither Mandolin Banjo so I've not posted for a while, however I can now report the wonderful Noir Bizarre on Princes Avenue is currently selling my Lip Balm and Propolis Tincture.

Eye catching outside and in

The tattoo studio with a difference opened in 2012 and as well as ink which you can check out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter it also provides a space for artists to display and sell their work and hosts events. Pop in to check out the work of local artists and get a tattoo consultation whilst your there.

A small sample of the range of work on display

Don't forget your Lip Balm

Vintage Cafe

For 3 weeks starting from the 14th April Vintage Cafe on Chanterlands Avenue, Hull, are displaying, and hopefully selling, a selection of my bee products.

A selection of handmade hive products on display

If you don't know Vintage Cafe it's certainly worth a visit. I've parked outside it umpteen times to post my sales in the nearby Post Office but it was only last month I went in for a latte - well two lattes actually as the first was a bit good. As well as sandwiches, paninis, cakes, soups, hot and cold beverages they also do craft sessions and collect for the homeless. -busy bees! Much of the food is gluten free BTW so I'll be recommending the place to a couple of Coeliac buds.

Tea or coffee?
..or both and a cake.

Broomsticks

Broomsticks on Newland Avenue, Hull, are now selling my Propolis Tincture and Lip Balms. If you're in the area pop in and have a look. They're jolly nice people and support Retired Greyhound Trust.

Broomsticks on Newland Avenue, Hull

They sell a massive variety of herbs, resins, essential oils, fragrance oils, incenses and ayurvedic medicines so I figured as Propolis falls within ayuverdic and folk medicine (as well as modern dentistry) it would fit nicely with their current lines. Other things on sale include candles, melts, artwork, figurines and huge range wiccan related items like tumblestones, spheres, pendulums, herb harvesting tools, books on related subjects and clothing from Spiral. As well as being a shop they also offer a range of therapies including more massages than you can shake a stick at, Aromatherapy, Reiki, EFT and Reflexology. They also had a few customers asking  about lip balm so I dropped off some of that too :)

They have a Facebook page here www.facebook.com/broomsticks.biz

Go there!
Buy these!

As I've mentioned Essential Oils this seems a good place to do a quick rundown of some Essential Oils commonly used in beekeeping. They're either mixed with syrup (although they don't dissolve too well on their own -I gather lecithin can help) or added to grease patties. Some are evidence based, some anecdotal and some probably experimental so do a little research before adding any to your hives..

Some Essential Oils used in Beekeeping

Essential Oil	Used for
Geranium	Used as a lure to attract swarms
Lemongrass	Used as a lure to attract swarms
Peppermint	Mask pheromones when combining colonies
Spearmint	General health, Control Mites
Tea Tree	Control Mites
Thyme	Control Mites, Treat Nosema
Vetiver	Treat Nosema
Wintergreen	Control mites

Loved Again Vintage

So once again I have stuff on sale. There a new tea shop called Loved Again Vintage at 24 Princes Avenue, Hull, sat between Union Mashup and Lounge. As well as teas and cake etc it also sells a range of vintage clothing and items ranging from clothing to crockery and furniture. If you'd like a cup of Earl Grey whilst you buy a Bakerlite radio this is the place to go. You can also book it for parties in the evenings.

Loved Again Vintage

 I've hired a shelf to put various my propolis products, lip balm and polish on. Initially I put everything I had complete with information cards onto a shelf with a couple of frames of drawn comb.

Propolis items

It wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing arrangement of goods but they've since rearranged it so it looks more aesthetically pleasing, and tucked the excess items into a drawer -it's now a lot less clutered than the above photo and more in keeping with the rest of the shop. I've also since added my batch of lip balm which seems to have generated quite a lot of interest.

No, it's not my hand.

Currently they're stocking Propolis Tincture, Propolis Salve, Propolis and Tea Tree Salve, Beeswax Polish, Beeswax and Honey Peppermint Lip Balm and some empty 20ml amber dropper bottles.

Edit 16/4/2014: Loved Again Vintage was a pop-ip shop/cafe and has now popped off so is no longer around.

The Moon On A Stick

One seriously cold evening back in January I popped down to Newland Avenue for the opening of Luna. A pop up gallery upstairs at The Moon on a Stick. I'd not been there before but it's one of those shops with a number of independent traders operating within it and sells a huge variety of crafty things -if you want an embroidered plushy owl, essential oils, olde worlde sweets, Rob Ryan ceramics, driftwood framed mirrors or a guinea pig clock that's the place to go, or you could pop upstairs to Fairymoo's Doodling World for cards, jewelery and craft supplies or into Luna to buy a picture by my housemate. They also do workshops on all kinds or craft and holistic health subjects.

At this point you're probably wondering what any of this has to do with beekeeping. I'm getting there. As well as selling their own lines they hire out shelves on a weekly basis for other people to sell from. I figured that my honey and polish would fit quite well with the Moon on a Stick's current lines. So I've hired one and put my remaining honey and polish on it.

The heart isn't mine..

Along with a couple of cards showing prices, a quick explanation how to use polish and a picture of a bee I added a couple of extracted shallow combs too. When you go to a supermarket to buy honey it's all too easy to forget where it comes from. I'd already sold quite a lot of the honey and after retaining one for myself and one to granulate for set honey next year there was only 18 jars left. I did have a vague plan to relabel the polish tins as my original bee picture does look a little waspy but as I'm still out of colour ink I decided to run with the labels already on the tins.

Edit 16/4/2014 The Moon On A Stick was a pop up shop and has since popped to a new location across the road. Having sucessfully sold the honey crop I don't have any other of my hive products in there at the moment.