Aug 2018 SMF Challenge - Dancing Funnel Pour

[SunRiseArts]

I am going to add my name to the list. Hopefully I have the time to actually participate!

1. dibbles - happy dancing!
2. shunt - going to try (if I have time)
3. amd - it's been on my "to try list" for several years
4. Misschief - I've tried a couple of times, time to perfect the technique!
5. Scard - I can dance...not! but I'll try
6. Artemis - we'll see if I have time to play!
7. jcandleattic - Maybe I'll actually have time to join this one?
8. BattleGnome - mold size vs squirt bottle size....
9. Primrose - better buy some squirt bottles ...
10. Mommycarlson - you can dance if you want to!
11. Roselyne - really hope I'll have time to make it!
12. Redhead1226 - Gonna give it a go! Nice challenge!
13. jules92207 - I’ve been MIA for a while, this is a good way to“dance” my way back
14. Alzie- first challenge, time to put on my dancing shoes!
15. SunRiseArts -

 

[earlene]

Well my quest for perfect Dancing Funnel continues, but not yet there. Since I am on the road, I am at the mercy of what oils are available at grocery stores. I stopped along the road in another state where prices are lower than California and bought some HO Safflower Oil and a very small jar of CO, then figured somewhere I'd find another oil to mix with it or just use those two. I added a bottle of Avocado oil to the mix, as it was on sale and figured those three should be okay for a slow moving recipe. Even with only using a whisk, it went faster than I thought it would. I'll try again tomorrow night or the next night and see if I can force myself to separate for color sooner and work with a more liquid batter. It was better than the last few I made at home, but still too thick. I await the reveal, hoping that at least it looks more like it's supposed to look.

The FO was Little Black Dress by Rustic Ecsentuals, which on their site says no acceleration, but on our spreadsheet, the entry says there is a manageable acceleration. I did not bring my IR thermometer, but I wasn't soaping hot and I only used 15% CO. Oh, one other new thing: I used corn silk.

 

[soapmaker]

Corn silk as from the garden? or is there an additive of corn silk?

 

[earlene]

Corn silk from fresh corn that I husked and removed the corn silk, saved, dried and cut into little pieces to put into the lye solution.

P.S. I do believe you can buy corn silk powder, as I recall it being mentioned a time or two here on SMF in threads that addressed the use of corn silk. Nature's Garden sells it and so do some other suppliers. I know it is used in some cosmetics. The natural corn silk is also used for a tea, but I won't go into that.

 

[Rowan]

1. dibbles - happy dancing!
2. shunt - going to try (if I have time)
3. amd - it's been on my "to try list" for several years
4. Misschief - I've tried a couple of times, time to perfect the technique!
5. Scard - I can dance...not! but I'll try
6. Artemis - we'll see if I have time to play!
7. jcandleattic - Maybe I'll actually have time to join this one?
8. BattleGnome - mold size vs squirt bottle size....
9. Primrose - better buy some squirt bottles ...
10. Mommycarlson - you can dance if you want to!
11. Roselyne - really hope I'll have time to make it!
12. Redhead1226 - Gonna give it a go! Nice challenge!
13. jules92207 - I’ve been MIA for a while, this is a good way to“dance” my way back
14. Alzie- first challenge, time to put on my dancing shoes!
15. SunRiseArts -
16. Rowan- have also been MIA, but can't think of a more fun way to return to soaping than with a challenge

 

[Serene]

Lots of new people!! Go challenge go! Cant wait for pics! (New as in entering the challenge lol)

 

[earlene]

Welcome back, Rowan. I look forward to your participation.

So I made another Dancing Funnel soap in two layers really. The first night I did such a small batch, there was room to add just as much as the first night, so I went ahead and did the second night exactly the same as the first, so the fact that it's layered probably won't even show. I believe I am finally getting better at stopping the whisking before I go to far and have reached a level of 'lack of thickness' that allows me to do this technique better. I also believe that by practicing a few times, I can now go faster and am not as hesitant, so that's a plus as well.

I'm thinking of making another practice Dancing Funnel again tonight, because I'm really wanting to get those thin outer rings of color with the bigger inside dot. I am getting there at least.

 

[Rowan]

Thanks Earlene, it's lovely to be back on the forum and so amazing to be soaping again! I've missed it so much!

I can't wait to see everyone's entries either !

I've had a couple of tries so far with mixed results. My usual recipe goes off like a rocket and I have very little time to play, so I tried some high lard recipes. One batter was too thin so I duly overcompensated and overwhisked the hell out of the next batch, which started perfect and then ended up so thick I could have built a soap mountain.

Happily (now I'm soaping again) I realise that it just gives me another excuse to make more soap!

BTW I love the idea of doing a second batch on top of the first. I'll have to give that a go.

 

[Holly8991]

Hopefully I can do next month! To much going on with daughter in town I can't wait to see everyone's creations!

 

[earlene]

Thanks Earlene, it's lovely to be back on the forum and so amazing to be soaping again! I've missed it so much!

I can't wait to see everyone's entries either !

I've had a couple of tries so far with mixed results. My usual recipe goes off like a rocket and I have very little time to play, so I tried some high lard recipes. One batter was too thin so I duly overcompensated and overwhisked the hell out of the next batch, which started perfect and then ended up so thick I could have built a soap mountain.

Happily (now I'm soaping again) I realise that it just gives me another excuse to make more soap!

BTW I love the idea of doing a second batch on top of the first. I'll have to give that a go.

I did a too thin batter last night. I guess I didn't get it to complete emulsion before I started and some oils oozed out and floated on top. I thought they'd just re-absorb, but somehow the paper towels under the molds (2 different molds) were saturated with oil this morning when I got up. Probably when I transported the tray (with the molds stacked on top of each other) from the work area to the dry sink where I packed them in towels for insulation. The wooden mold doesn't look like it leaked (but I haven't looked very closely yet) so I think it was the bottom silicone mold that managed to loose some oil in transport. No new oil slicks, so whatever was left on top was re-absorbed. I won't be cutting for another day or so, though as this is just too soft yet. Although I did re-heat and have packed in warmed towels to encourage gel.

 

[Arimara]

This line up is looking pretty cool.

 

[earlene]

Well, I think I finally have it figured out! How many tries did it take me to reach this level of success? At least 8 if I don't count the first time I made it a year ago. Anyway, here's how it looks this attempt:



They're still wet, so not sure if they will satisfy once they come out of the molds as much as right now, but I am pleased with how this went. So all hand stirring to the lightest trace possible was the key, it seems. And I did this in individual cavity molds because I've been wondering how it would work in them and the mini slab mold still has soap in it. That's all I brought with me this trip.

As I think I may have mentioned earlier, my soaping instructor (who taught me this technique) mentioned that you need more of one of the colors than the other. I thought she said of the background color, but I believe I mis-remembered that. I needed more of the foreground color. This time I had at least 33% more of the foreground color and it worked out pretty well because I ran out of room in the molds before I ran out of purple. It would probably be better to have 50% more of the foreground color.

 

[BattleGnome]

I was debating cavity molds for an attempt. Still need to find the time to soap though

 

[LiLiSoapz]

This looks so fun!

 

[amd]

Well, I think I finally have it figured out! How many tries did it take me to reach this level of success? At least 8 if I don't count the first time I made it a year ago. Anyway, here's how it looks this attempt:

View attachment 31557

@earlene Yes! this is exactly the cavity mold that popped into my head this morning to use for this challenge! Here I thought I was going to swoop in and save the day for others in the challenge who might be having a hard time finding a good sized mold. How easy was it to use squeeze bottles with this size of space to work in? I'm not the most nimble fingered on a good day with a regular mold.

 

[dibbles]

I'm doing one more batch, and was thinking of making a little excess to try in individual cavity molds too! I think I'll try round ones since we already know the rectangles work And yes - for sure you need more of the inside color than the outer ring color. Your soap looks nice earlene.

 

[earlene]

@earlene Yes! this is exactly the cavity mold that popped into my head this morning to use for this challenge! Here I thought I was going to swoop in and save the day for others in the challenge who might be having a hard time finding a good sized mold. How easy was it to use squeeze bottles with this size of space to work in? I'm not the most nimble fingered on a good day with a regular mold.

Easier than I expected. I used small squeeze bottles; I think the 8-ounce size. They have long thin tips, so it worked out really well.

 

[SunRiseArts]

well, I made mine! yay! Actually made 2 at the same time. Different scents and colors. The batter behaved perfectly. Hopefully I got it right!

 

[jcandleattic]

I'll be making mine on Saturday. I guess I should watch a couple of the videos to make sure I know what I'm doing. LOL I usually just look at a soap and try to figure it out. HA

 

[artemis]

I'm not sure if I'm getting to mine, though I have the plans in my head. Things are a little complicated.