# A few recent "projects"!



## Saswede (Oct 11, 2013)

I've struggled with uploading photos from my iPad (probably my limited skills!), and don't usually get a lot of time at the desktop to upload photos ...... so these are the first I've managed to share on SMF.

I make natural, palm-free soaps using only vegetable oils and butters, so have a fairly limited color palette to work with. And I've focused on getting a creamy, moisturizing bar rather than turning my soap into works of art. But some of the fabulous soaps I've seen on the forum over the last few months have encouraged me to try some new techniques - and I've really enjoyed it! So I hope that you'll like the results ......

Hibiscus and coconut milk - using dried hibiscus petals, with no fragrance added.  This set up really quickly when I added the petals (which are quite acidic) and coconut milk at trace, so I struggled to get it into the mold before it was rock hard.  The soap is now about 6 weeks old, and the petals are still the same dark red they were when I made the soap - and there is a subtle scent from the hibiscus too:




Rose geranium "curl". Colored with French pink clay, and scented with rose geranium EO: 



"Sapin" (pine needle) - ready for Christmas! Colored with French green clay and kaolin, and scented with pine EO blend:



This was a column pour that went wrong because the soap set up quickly - but it ended up OK anyway! Coloured with French red and green clays, and activated charcoal, and scented with an EO blend (mainly ylang ylang):



Belgian chocolate - colored with cocoa powder, and I used some chocolate FO I was given by a friend (who didn't realize that it wasn't an EO!):


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## evilnurse (Oct 11, 2013)

All of those are lovely. I especially like the curl and have to figure out how you did that. . Really beautiful


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## shunt2011 (Oct 11, 2013)

Those are all really nice.  Love the soft swirls in the pine needle and the color.


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## renata (Oct 11, 2013)

They all look so beautiful! I couldn't pick my favorite...


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## eyeroll (Oct 11, 2013)

All are lovely, but I ADORE the Sapin. 


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## Ancel (Oct 11, 2013)

Beautiful and elegant!!


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## TVivian (Oct 11, 2013)

I love, love, love them all!!!! I ordered a great assortment of clays yesterday and am SO excited to use them after seeing your pictures! 


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## Serenity (Oct 11, 2013)

I like the Sapin one as well. It's a fantastic looking swirl. Well done!


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## Saswede (Oct 11, 2013)

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.  Now I know why I love this forum!  

Actually, I found the photography to be even more demanding as the soap making!!  Definitely need to improve there ..... 


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## neeners (Oct 11, 2013)

love them all!!


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## judymoody (Oct 11, 2013)

All are gorgeous but sapin is my favorite!


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## Hazel (Oct 11, 2013)

I also love the Sapin but they're all lovely. The swirls in the soap make me think of leaves and flowers.


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## kazmi (Oct 12, 2013)

I love all of your soaps Saswede!  Do you use a pvc pipe to make your round soaps?


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## Lidyax (Oct 12, 2013)

Oh my. They're just gorgeous!


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## Saswede (Oct 12, 2013)

Kazmi, I actually used Pringles cans which I line with a piece of heavy plastic - cut to size and reusable, so that I don't have to spend hours getting the lining just right.  (I get everyone to save them for me!).  And then I used a smaller plastic tube inside that to pour in the center color, and swirled.  It actually all went horribly wrong, and the swirling didn't work out at all how I wanted ......  So I was very nervous when I cut them, but extremely pleased with how they turned out.


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## lsg (Oct 12, 2013)

The are all very nice, but I do love those swirls.


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## Macv3 (Oct 15, 2013)

Beautiful soaps


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## Fyrja (Oct 17, 2013)

Gorgeous!  How did you do that curl?


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## Saswede (Oct 17, 2013)

It's a multi-day soaping marathon, Fyrja!  (It's not that bad, but does take more time than most of the other soaps I make.)

I make a small batch of the colored soap for the "curl", and pour it as a thin layer in a slab mold.  Then wait about 18-24 hours (preventing gel), when the soap is really pliable and you can actually work with it to make the curl - either just cut it into the right size if the thickness looks good, or with this one I put it between 2 sheets of cling wrap and rolled it out with a rolling pin!  (Those baking skills can be quite handy!).  

Then curl it (very carefully so that the soap doesn't crack) around a dowelling rod to get the shape you want, and place it in a round mold to pour in the main color.  The trickiest bit is getting the curl to stay fairly central in the mold when you pour - so I usually use a few toothpicks (lol) through the top of the curl to hold it in place inside the mold.  


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## donna75126 (Oct 21, 2013)

what oils do you use to get the creamy white color?

Donna


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## kazmi (Oct 21, 2013)

I'm going to have to see if I can find some pringles at the store just for the cans.  I haven't wanted to try pvc but everyone seems to have good success with pringles cans if they're lined.  I like the heavy plastic liner idea.


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## Saswede (Oct 22, 2013)

I used OO, CO, shea butter, RBO and castor oil, Donna ..... and added about a tablespoon of kaolin ppo (mixed in a little water to make a fairly runny paste) to the white soap.


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