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I'm posting early because I am having no end of trouble with my computers, so I'm cutting to the chase.
WELCOME to the first of what I hope are many SMF Soap Challenges!! This month's challenge is PATTERN COMBINATIONS.
To enter, you must have a minimum of 50 posts AND been a member for a month. Sorry, house rules.
This challenge is about pattern combinations. There are 6 patterns to choose from and they can be done in any size, from small and done numerous times within the mold to one gargantuan sweep, but you must use the entire pattern over your entire soap; no doing a tiny circle in a corner and that's it for that pattern. See pics for the patterns>
Slab only, no loafs.
You may pour the soap however you wish; lines, faux funnels, squirt bottles, random pours, etc...
You must use a minimum of 2 patterns. You may use as many as you wish and you may do the same pattern more than once, such as the zig-zag in one direction and then turning your mold 90 degrees and doing it again to get a chevron, but you must use two separate patterns. Turning the mold and going in a different direction is perfectly fine.
You may use a comb or free hand the design.
You may use any thickness of swirl tool or comb. If you decide you'd like to use a fork to swirl in a fit of creativity, feel free but no turning over the top of the soap.
You must show your swirl tool. You don't have to get a professional looking artsy photo of it. Just make certain it's in a picture of your soap. If you change swirl tools at any point, please show that tool in the picture of the pattern you did with it. Sitting alongside in view is fine.
You must post the letter and order of your patterns. No secrets on this one!
DO NOT enter a chevron or a peacock or a serpentine. Those patterns are well-established, with well-established steps. We're on a quest for new things, new ideas. If you end up with a new and brilliant pattern, please be quick to Name It and thereby solidify your place in the soaping world. If two people come up with the same new and brilliant pattern, I suggest mediation, hyphenating, or a duel.
Many pictures required, and they are required! This is to learn about stacking patterns and what they do, how they pull the soap so sharing the steps is part of the process.
Please post the following pics:
1) your soap in the mold before you swirl. Seeing how you have poured helps us learn how that affects the final outcome. Spinning is allowed after the pour, if you would like, but we need a picture of how the soap goes into the mold and then how it looks before your swirl tool hits the soap. No spinning or other alteration after swirling is allowed.
2) A picture after each pattern has been done. This applies even if you use the same pattern but in different directions. We want to see how the patterns build on each other.
3) A picture of the entire soap in the mold after you are done swirling.
Pictures of individual bars are optional but of course we would love to see them. Hearing about your process is always fun. Sharing the colors and scents you used is great. You are under no obligation to share your recipe.
Slow recipes, low temps and slow-moving scents are the order of the day with swirling. Recipes with a good proportion of lard or tallow or olive oil work well, in general. A good basic recipe to try, if you need one, is:
Lard 40%
Olive 35%
Coconut 20%
Castor 5%
The only prize offered in this challenge is the accolades of your fellow soapers. Even without tangible prizes offered, following the rules is expected and required. If an entry comes in not meeting the rules, the person will be contacted to fill the gap or fix the problem. If they opt not to do so, their entry will not be considered valid nor included for voting. We all want a level playing field and structure within which to work, so toe the line, people!
If you need it, here is a abbreviated checklist of the rules for you to copy out and checkbox to make certain you are playing fair and square:
Slab
Two patterns, minimum
Order of patterns divulged by letter and preferably the name, to aid our tiny minds in remembering which is which
Pics of each step in the process, including entire finished soap in the mold
Swirl tool(s) visibly included in pic(s)
No entries of chevrons, peacocks, or serpentines
Please post your entries by July 25th on the entries thread. All entries posted by then will be considered for our illustrious Survey Monkey Poll. If you're late, you can still post because we love looking at soap, but you won't make into the voting.
This thread will also be open for questions or troubleshooting. Encouragement is always allowed. Constructive criticism should be welcomed by all but if there is nothing constructive in what you have to post, it really doesn't meet the definition so you should probably not post it. A separate thread will be used for entries.
Feel free to PM Sonya, Saponista, Lionprincess, Galaxy, or me with questions.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYx0PJ4OoCs[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3omG9e732Y[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lic_KCtRz34[/ame]
Trying to get some pics of the soap up. This will have to do. One is blurry because of my lens, but you will get the general idea.
WELCOME to the first of what I hope are many SMF Soap Challenges!! This month's challenge is PATTERN COMBINATIONS.
To enter, you must have a minimum of 50 posts AND been a member for a month. Sorry, house rules.
This challenge is about pattern combinations. There are 6 patterns to choose from and they can be done in any size, from small and done numerous times within the mold to one gargantuan sweep, but you must use the entire pattern over your entire soap; no doing a tiny circle in a corner and that's it for that pattern. See pics for the patterns>
Slab only, no loafs.
You may pour the soap however you wish; lines, faux funnels, squirt bottles, random pours, etc...
You must use a minimum of 2 patterns. You may use as many as you wish and you may do the same pattern more than once, such as the zig-zag in one direction and then turning your mold 90 degrees and doing it again to get a chevron, but you must use two separate patterns. Turning the mold and going in a different direction is perfectly fine.
You may use a comb or free hand the design.
You may use any thickness of swirl tool or comb. If you decide you'd like to use a fork to swirl in a fit of creativity, feel free but no turning over the top of the soap.
You must show your swirl tool. You don't have to get a professional looking artsy photo of it. Just make certain it's in a picture of your soap. If you change swirl tools at any point, please show that tool in the picture of the pattern you did with it. Sitting alongside in view is fine.
You must post the letter and order of your patterns. No secrets on this one!
DO NOT enter a chevron or a peacock or a serpentine. Those patterns are well-established, with well-established steps. We're on a quest for new things, new ideas. If you end up with a new and brilliant pattern, please be quick to Name It and thereby solidify your place in the soaping world. If two people come up with the same new and brilliant pattern, I suggest mediation, hyphenating, or a duel.
Many pictures required, and they are required! This is to learn about stacking patterns and what they do, how they pull the soap so sharing the steps is part of the process.
Please post the following pics:
1) your soap in the mold before you swirl. Seeing how you have poured helps us learn how that affects the final outcome. Spinning is allowed after the pour, if you would like, but we need a picture of how the soap goes into the mold and then how it looks before your swirl tool hits the soap. No spinning or other alteration after swirling is allowed.
2) A picture after each pattern has been done. This applies even if you use the same pattern but in different directions. We want to see how the patterns build on each other.
3) A picture of the entire soap in the mold after you are done swirling.
Pictures of individual bars are optional but of course we would love to see them. Hearing about your process is always fun. Sharing the colors and scents you used is great. You are under no obligation to share your recipe.
Slow recipes, low temps and slow-moving scents are the order of the day with swirling. Recipes with a good proportion of lard or tallow or olive oil work well, in general. A good basic recipe to try, if you need one, is:
Lard 40%
Olive 35%
Coconut 20%
Castor 5%
The only prize offered in this challenge is the accolades of your fellow soapers. Even without tangible prizes offered, following the rules is expected and required. If an entry comes in not meeting the rules, the person will be contacted to fill the gap or fix the problem. If they opt not to do so, their entry will not be considered valid nor included for voting. We all want a level playing field and structure within which to work, so toe the line, people!
If you need it, here is a abbreviated checklist of the rules for you to copy out and checkbox to make certain you are playing fair and square:
Slab
Two patterns, minimum
Order of patterns divulged by letter and preferably the name, to aid our tiny minds in remembering which is which
Pics of each step in the process, including entire finished soap in the mold
Swirl tool(s) visibly included in pic(s)
No entries of chevrons, peacocks, or serpentines
Please post your entries by July 25th on the entries thread. All entries posted by then will be considered for our illustrious Survey Monkey Poll. If you're late, you can still post because we love looking at soap, but you won't make into the voting.
This thread will also be open for questions or troubleshooting. Encouragement is always allowed. Constructive criticism should be welcomed by all but if there is nothing constructive in what you have to post, it really doesn't meet the definition so you should probably not post it. A separate thread will be used for entries.
Feel free to PM Sonya, Saponista, Lionprincess, Galaxy, or me with questions.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYx0PJ4OoCs[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3omG9e732Y[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lic_KCtRz34[/ame]
Trying to get some pics of the soap up. This will have to do. One is blurry because of my lens, but you will get the general idea.
Last edited:
