# landscape soap



## lionprincess00 (Mar 25, 2015)

So I figured I'd share my landscape. I got 8th place in the great cakes soap challenge. 
The first picture is my first attempt which I did not submit.
The second picture is the fragrances discoloration on my first attempt (I didn't know it discolored lol!).

The third picture is my submission to the contest. 

This link is my blog if you want to see the steps I took to get the landscape on my submission...
http://amberwavesofsoap.blogspot.com/2015/03/landscape-soap-great-cakes-soapworks.html?m=1
As I told newbie, these are such a pita! I'll never do another unless it's a soap swap or another contest. Very tedious and extremely difficult to make it look natural and not like a crayon drawing (as newbie would say lol!).


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## not_ally (Mar 25, 2015)

LionPrincess, this was great!  And thank you so much for going through the process in your blog, it was really interesting and instructive.


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## TVivian (Mar 25, 2015)

Those are truly beautiful!


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## Sonya-m (Mar 25, 2015)

Lovely! And I really like the colour the FO caused!


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## lsg (Mar 25, 2015)

Really neat!


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## shunt2011 (Mar 25, 2015)

Very cool. Kudos to  you for the patience to do that.


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## lionprincess00 (Mar 25, 2015)

Thx everyone. I'm making as I type a half salt half indigo with leftover sun circles as embeds on top. I LOVE the half and half of these landscapes, lather wise.


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## Saponista (Mar 25, 2015)

I think you did a brilliant job. Three SMF members in the top 10!


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## newbie (Mar 25, 2015)

I think yours is excellent and I don't think anyone else thought to mix soap types like you did, to get a specific texture for a specific piece of the soap. You get a special award for that! Consider how long you've been soaping too and you've placed up in the top ten a number of times, which is really something.

I also like the somewhat brooding look the color change gave your first soap.


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## Seawolfe (Mar 25, 2015)

I really like those! So neat! And congrats to you as well


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## lionprincess00 (Mar 25, 2015)

Thank you everyone!! I like the stormy seas look of the discoloration. The plums and deep teals look so spring storm, which we love here in these parts! So I'm partial to it. And thank you shunt..it is a patient process, and I'll not be doing it anytime soon, most likely! Very tedious.


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## Cindy2428 (Mar 25, 2015)

All of the effort really shines in your soap Princess - Supremely well done.


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## snappyllama (Mar 26, 2015)

Fantastic looking soap. I really would find myself uttering the dreaded "it's too pretty to use".


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## FlybyStardancer (Mar 26, 2015)

Both are gorgeous! The first one after the FO discolored looks like a night-scape to me!


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## jules92207 (Mar 26, 2015)

What a beautiful soap!  Congratulations on 8th, that is amazing! Beautiful work.


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## Saponista (Mar 26, 2015)

For reasons I won't disclose openly, I think you actually came sixth, so you should be even more proud.


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## Soap Techniques (Apr 23, 2015)

Oh, I did not realize it was yours! I voted for it.  I believe it's one of the most amazing landscape soaps I've ever seen! I love everything about it... the texture of the soap, the colors...  Great job, LionPrincess!


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## lionprincess00 (Apr 23, 2015)

Fata Morgana said:


> Oh, I did not realize it was yours! I voted for it.  I believe it's one of the most amazing landscape soaps I've ever seen! I love everything about it... the texture of the soap, the colors...  Great job, LionPrincess!



What a wonderful compliment! Thank you so much!!


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## Rowan (Apr 23, 2015)

Wow, that's one seriously lovely soap. The textures and colours are amazing.


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## Mommy (Apr 23, 2015)

Okay, I am making a lot of landscape soaps (fails) right now and I NEED to ask you: 
if you were able to get such great swirls in your ocean water, which would imply a thin pour, how was it able to support the next layer? 
I saw a video which seemed to indicate that just waiting would allow the layer to harden, and that alcohol spritzing would help.
I find that if my poured layer is hardening, well, so is my un-poured layer, and it breaks right through. And alcohol did nothing (except maybe add to the liquidity). 
But clearly you're doing something right- enlighten me!


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## lionprincess00 (Apr 23, 2015)

I poured the salt bar. I let it harden about an hour and cut it while in the mold. I poured the water. I cpoped and let it sit overnight til hard. I poured the mountains and sun (sun into an embed mold). Hardened. Poured the sky half way, cpoped it 8 minutes to harden enough to support the sun, then poured the remaining sky. 
Here is my link to see the steps in pictures with explanation.
http://amberwavesofsoap.blogspot.com/2015/03/landscape-soap-great-cakes-soapworks.html?m=1

Edit to say I also scored the water with a fork and wet it with hot damp paper towels to adhere the mountains better. I then warmed and wet without scoring to adhere the sky.


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## Mommy (Apr 29, 2015)

lionprincess00 said:


> I poured the salt bar. I let it harden about an hour and cut it while in the mold. I poured the water. I cpoped and let it sit overnight til hard. I poured the mountains and sun (sun into an embed mold). Hardened. Poured the sky half way, cpoped it 8 minutes to harden enough to support the sun, then poured the remaining sky.
> Here is my link to see the steps in pictures with explanation.
> http://amberwavesofsoap.blogspot.com/2015/03/landscape-soap-great-cakes-soapworks.html?m=1
> 
> Edit to say I also scored the water with a fork and wet it with hot damp paper towels to adhere the mountains better. I then warmed and wet without scoring to adhere the sky.



Wow, thanks for explaining that. I think that's the most 'artisan' artisan soap process I've ever heard of.


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## lionprincess00 (Apr 29, 2015)

Thank you! To be brutally honest I had a hard time with the cuts. My first soap turned out rough around the salt, and the second needed fine knife shaving repeatedly to get it looking smooth. I've tried a half salt half regular soap again in a slab mold, and it turned out okay but the edges crumbled some. I then tried it in a loaf twice again, and it still crumbles. These last two loaf attempts I tried 1 pouring all and cutting at the same time (it was too soft in the center and was a mess!), and 2 I tried pulling the salt out to cut, which crumbled the edges, and placed it back into the mold. 

 It's so hard timing it, I think the best way to do it is cut it while warm and almost set but not quite while leaving it in the mold, then pouring the top layer. It's easier to clean that way on final cuts. After my multiple repeat attempts I'm actually surprised I was able to get it to look nice on my final contest submission!

Thx again


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## Alprinceton (May 9, 2015)

Beautiful! 
It's like I can smell the salty air and listen to the rolling waves.


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## Cactuslily (May 9, 2015)

Lionprincess, I'm in absolute awe of your talent! How did this not place much much higher? After seeing this, I can safely say I'm nowhere near being part of a contest, unless they give out boobie prizes...do they?


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## Judiraz (May 18, 2015)

I read your blog the other night and was so impressed.


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## lionprincess00 (May 18, 2015)

Thank you alprinceton, cactuslily, and judiraz. I am grateful for the kind words, all of you


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## lionprincess00 (May 18, 2015)

And for the record, what's the point of showcasing and flaunting a work of art if you don't take the time to explain it to others. I mean, selling them I understand, "here's my awesome mystical soap you can buy and I'll never give the secret to".....but to flaunt about for all, expect and be prepared to explain...at least that's how I decided I want to be as a soaper. If I'm going to show off here or on the blog, I'll tell you what I did for the most part, and as clearly as I can. Maybe I'm still new and naive, but oh well...so be it.


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## Saponista (May 19, 2015)

I'm with you there lion princess. I'm the same, but maybe I'm just too naive. I have a tendency to be like that and my husband always tells me off for being to open and honest about everything. That's the way I am and will always be though.


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