College Green Home

A little look behind the scenes at College Green…

I’m usually more comfortable behind the camera, but it was lovely to have the chance to explain how I create my aromatherapy blends and make everything in small batches at home in Randwick, just a few miles from Painswick.

Every spray, diffuser and candle begins with an idea of how I want the blend to feel. I then work with different top, middle and base notes until the scent feels balanced and lasts well.

You can find a selection of College Green products at Handmade in Painswick and Cheltenham, alongside work by lots of other local artists and makers.

Thank you to the lovely Mariella and Handmadein.UK for telling the story behind College Green🌿

If my Focus blend was a person, I think she’d look something like this 🌻

Bright, cheerful and uplifting, with the sort of energy that makes you smile just looking at her.

That’s pretty much what I wanted when I created Focus. It’s a blend of pure essential oils including lemon, pink grapefruit, rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus and black pepper, chosen to create a fresh, uplifting scent that helps clear your head and get you going.

Available as a room spray and reed diffuser, handmade by me in my small Cotswolds studio.

Although sadly, the sunflower outfit isn’t included 🌻

Available online, at Handmade in Painswick, Handmadein.UK & Made In Stroud shop, or come and try it at my next Stroud Farmers' Market on 26 September.

* Video taken at the 2026 Chelsea in Bloom 💛

Come with me for a walk through the Suffolks Sunday Market to visit Cheltenham’s brand-new shop Handmadein.UK 🛍️

It’s the sister shop to Handmade in Painswick, and both are full of locally made artisan products, from art, cushions and books to stained glass. And, of course, College Green room sprays, candles and bath soaks! 💝

You’ll find the Cheltenham shop on Great Norwood Street in my favourite part of town the Suffolks, just a short walk from the centre. Bonus points for being opposite THREE fabulous cafés. I may have treated myself to an iced coffee and cake at Nina and a spot of people watching while I was there…

Huge congratulations to Ann-Marie and Sandie on their lovely new shop.

Have you been yet?

And did you spot my Stroud Farmers' Market neighbour Simon from Village Markets UK? 👋 (I’ll be there next on 26 September)

Stroud shoppers you never disappoint…. especially when it comes to your shopping bags 🛍️ In fact, Saturday mornings at Stroud Farmers' Market can feel like a bit like a fashion parade for bags!

There are handwoven baskets, gorgeous prints, bags from local designers, much-loved old favourites and probably a few that have been coming to the market for years 😊

But whatever you bring, the most important thing is what you put IN it.

Fresh, locally grown seasonal fruit and veg, bread baked that day, milk from Cotswold farms, and all sorts of locally made artisan products 🥕🥐🪻

And, of course, you can pop some College Green in there too. I’ll have my essential oil pillow and room sprays, reed diffusers and candles, handmade just a couple of miles from the market, to help your home smell fabulous, naturally 💕

I’ll be at Stroud Farmers’ Market on Saturday 22 August. Looking forward to seeing you – and your bag!

👀 Did you spot yours?

I found bags by Vintage Mary, Humphries and Begg, Leola Bakery Limited & Hobbs House Bakery 🤩

College Green started with a pan of oils just like this 💛

I began making traditional cold-process soap for my family and I’d give the excess to friends (because you can’t make a single bar of soap!) I wasn’t thinking about starting a business and I certainly wasn’t planning everything that came afterwards. I just enjoyed making it, experimenting with different ingredients and, particularly, creating my own essential oil blends.

Over time, that interest in essential oils became a much bigger part of what I do. I learned more about how different essential oils work together, how a blend develops and how scent can affect the way a room feels and, sometimes, how we feel too.

Those early soap blends eventually led to the bath soaks (a natural pairing), pillow sprays, reed diffusers, candles and room mists I make today, including Sleep Easy, Night Garden and Focus.

I still make soap, although in much smaller quantities these days, mainly for the lovely customers who have been buying it from me for year at my Stroud Farmers' Market stall and on my website.

It’s funny to think that College Green wasn’t really planned at all.

Lucky me 😊

My next market is on Saturday 22 August. I’ll make sure I have some soaps - come and see how it all began 💛

Do you know this flag? 💙💚💛

I walk past this flag almost every day on my dog walk, but until recently I didn’t know the story behind it.

This is the Gloucestershire flag, also known as the Severn Cross. It was designed in 2008 to mark the county’s 1,000th anniversary🎉

The colours each represent part of Gloucestershire:
💙 blue for the River Severn,
💛 cream for Cotswold stone, and
💚 green for the Golden Valley here in Stroud.

College Green is rooted in this landscape. Everything I make is handmade in small batches in my Cotswolds studio, just a couple of miles from Stroud.

If you’d like to see (and smell) my range of aromatherapy pillow sprays, candles, diffusers, bath soaks and soaps I’ll be at Stroud Farmers' Market every fourth Saturday (so next on 22 August) or you can shop online at collegegreenhome.co.uk or in person at Handmade in Painswick, the NEW Handmadein.UK in Cheltenham (from next Wednesday) and Made In Stroud shop.

What’s unusual about driving in Stroud in summer? You’re never far from a cow! 🐮

If you drive across the commons, and even through some villages near Stroud, you’re more likely to come across a cow crossing the road than a person.

Cattle roam freely on Minchinhampton, Rodborough and Selsley commons during the summer months, and often take our visitors by surprise.

Just one of the many reasons why I love living here 💕🐮💕🌾🌅