# Bear Paw Swipes & Swirls



## CaraBou (Nov 14, 2014)

I got shredded initially but I'm finally starting to tame the bear paw swirl tool.  (see the paw at http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=48968).  

My main problem, as exemplified in the Ghost Soap a few weeks ago, is that I've been colorant challenged.  I'm not entirely over that but I am gradually improving.  At least enough to finally see what a paw swipe can do to an innocent, unsuspecting, multi-colored drop swirl.

Both of these soaps are scented with patchouli and some variation of orange (10x EO, Mandarin Myrrh, and/or Energy).  Hence I call them "The Wild Orange Patch, Batch 1 and 2."  The colors are the essentially identical as well:  yellow base tint from the fragrances, reddish from Merlot Sparkle mica, peach from Apricot Blush mica, and black from AC.  I screwed up by putting TD in the batch #1; you can see the crackle.  All I can say (besides _what was I thinking_) is that I'm lucky to be alive!


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## MsDee (Nov 14, 2014)

Absolutely Beautiful


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## JustBeachy (Nov 14, 2014)

I like those a lot. Being a Patchouli fan, I can almost smell them.


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## shunt2011 (Nov 14, 2014)

Those are really beautiful.  Patchouli has grown on me.


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## navigator9 (Nov 14, 2014)

Those look to me, how patchouli smells. Nice work!


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## JustBeachy (Nov 14, 2014)

navigator9 said:


> Those look to me, how patchouli smells. Nice work!



Great point!


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## DWinMadison (Nov 14, 2014)

Those are awesome!  How did you find working with Mica?  I understand it can have significant color change compared to oxides.


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## snappyllama (Nov 14, 2014)

Those are lovely and exotic looking.


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## KristaY (Nov 14, 2014)

Beautiful work CaraBou! You certainly don't look colorant challenged to me as the drama of colors are amazing. The 2nd one has the look of natural stone with the veins of color running through. The very small amount of AC black is exactly perfect to make the other colors pop out at you. Excellent job! :clap::clap::clap:


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## DWinMadison (Nov 14, 2014)

Hey Cara, is the black from black oxide or activated charcoal?


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## OliveOil2 (Nov 14, 2014)

Beautiful! I love the colors and love patchouli with citrus. I've been told that patchouli is back in demand, and maybe true, since I am getting requests for patchouli more often.


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## TVivian (Nov 14, 2014)

Those look really cool!


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## newbie (Nov 14, 2014)

I think the first batch is made far more interesting by the crackle pattern in the base. It is an excellent compliment to the colored portions. I love it. I love the other swirls as well but the first one, with the mix of texture and color, really does it for me.


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## CaraBou (Nov 14, 2014)

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your cheers.



DWinMadison said:


> How did you find working with Mica?  I understand it can have significant color change compared to oxides.
> 
> is the black from black oxide or activated charcoal?



The micas stayed fairly true.  I only bought ones that were labeled for CP so that I could be fairly confident in them.  Having said that, with the apricot blush, I didn't get as interesting color in the soap as it is in the bottle (it reminds me of flesh, not exactly flattering). But it's probably my fault, because I didn't use recommended rates (told you, I'm colorant challenged).    

The black is AC.  I'd like to try the oxide but when only using a teaspoon or less ppo, it's going to take me a looooong time to use what I have :sad:


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## CaraBou (Nov 14, 2014)

newbie said:


> I think the first batch is made far more interesting by the crackle pattern in the base. It is an excellent compliment to the colored portions.



Well I'm glad someone sees a bright side in my stupidity. I'm not sure how I didn't know that I would get such a lovely color just from the Orange EO.  I guess previously I always purposefully augmented my Orange soaps with yellow or orange colorant, and never saw it on its own.  And the worst part is that I do not enjoy working with TD, so knowing I used it when I totally didn't need to is humbling to say the least.  I just hope it doesn't screw the soap up in the long run!

Oh, I should take this opportunity to ask:  does patchouli provide a color all on it's own?  It is quite dark OOB.


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## Jstar (Nov 14, 2014)

Those are gorgeous..I think you have the swirly thing down..far surpasses anything I have done so far imo 

And I can't help it..I saw 'something in one of the soaps' {everyone groans }

Its an eye {rotated 90 deg to the left} and also see a side of a nose...

*runs away before she gets beat*


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## newbie (Nov 14, 2014)

Sometimes our stupidity is much smarter than we'd ever think. I'm not kidding about the crackle adding a dimension to your soap that hikes it up a few notches. It reminds me of the person with the spirulina swirl who thought her soap was ruined by the yellow outline the oil provided when indeed the yellow outline is brilliant! Admittedly, our stupidity does not always lead to such fantastic results....

I don't know about the patch EO adding color but I know patch FO, which is also various shades of brown, does not, at least in my batches.

PS. Just below the nose is a section of white with a smile in it, to complete the face.  Geez, there is even a perfect eyebrow above the eye. Cara, you are a genius!


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## Dahila (Nov 14, 2014)

Incredibly beautiful soaps,  I will be never able to make such a beauty.  So many talented people here, I get dizzy.............nice kind of dizzy)


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## JustBeachy (Nov 14, 2014)

Jstar said:


> Those are gorgeous..I think you have the swirly thing down..far surpasses anything I have done so far imo
> 
> And I can't help it..I saw 'something in one of the soaps' {everyone groans }
> 
> ...




Hahahaha, I saw the same thing, but I wasn't going to say anything. Now I can just say you started it.


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## Jstar (Nov 14, 2014)

newbie said:


> PS. Just below the nose is a section of white with a smile in it, to complete the face.  Geez, there is even a perfect eyebrow above the eye. Cara, you are a genius!



I saw that too..the mouth, but figured I was pushing it  and yes the perfect eyebrow...amazing


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## Jstar (Nov 14, 2014)

JustBeachy said:


> Hahahaha, I saw the same thing, but I wasn't going to say anything. Now I can just say you started it.



hahahaha


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## CaraBou (Nov 15, 2014)

Yes, the goofy face, I created it -- intentionally!  As well as the framed claw in the first pic of batch #2 :yawn:


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## jules92207 (Nov 15, 2014)

Seriously gorgeous. I mean really elegant. Very lovely. Which patch did you end up using again? I remember there was a whole thread and I should go look at that cause I need to get some... Seriously though that is a beautiful soap.


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## CaraBou (Nov 15, 2014)

Thanks Jules.  The patch was from AV-AT.com . You have to request a password from them to see their bulk prices, but they were very responsive.  

I didn't realize I was such a patch fan until I first soaped with it about a year ago.  I'm hooked now!


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## jules92207 (Nov 16, 2014)

That's right, I did get a password from them already... thanks! I use patchouli more than I thought I would and have been using nda's so I am excited to try a new one for comparison.

Again, beautiful soap!


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## CaraBou (Nov 17, 2014)

You'll have to post on the comparison.  Previously I had only bought a few little bottles of what I could get locally, so I don't have much to compare it to. However, I am surprised that at 40%, the AV patch is barely noticeable under the orange in these fresh soaps.  I had kind of thought 40% might be too high.  But I'm sure the orange will fade and the patch will touch it up with its tantalizing tingle. Mmmm, I can't wait!


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## jules92207 (Nov 17, 2014)

Ohhh...that is interesting. Usually patch that high would certainly dominate. Let us know how it matures.


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