Welcome to the August 2021 SMF Soap Challenge! For this month’s challenge, you will make soaps that include an ombre design element. You may choose your technique and create your soap using any type of mold and any soap making method. The ombre portion of your soap must be at least 50% of the design. I will include some example/inspiration pictures and video links at the end of this post.
Please read the general rules (there have been some changes lately, so really, PLEASE READ THEM) and the challenge specific rules below and let’s have some soapy fun!
SMF Challenge General Rules
1. To enter you must have been a SMF member for at least one month and have a minimum of 50 posts at the time the Challenge is posted (sorry but no exceptions on this). Supporting Members can enter immediately, the time and post requirements are removed.
2. The only members eligible to vote are those with their names on the sign-up list - regardless of whether or not you have submitted an entry. The sign-up list will be posted in this thread.
3. This month’s voting will be password locked. Passwords will be sent by private message (via SMF conversations) to registered participants ONLY, so please check your messages when the voting begins.
4. A separate entry thread will be created and this is where you will post photos of your entry soap. Please do not post photos of your entry until the entry thread is opened. Post pictures of your entry soap only in the challenge entry thread.
Non-entry photos are always welcome and may be posted in the general challenge thread. The challenge thread should be used to upload pictures of any of your challenge attempts (other than your entry) where you can ask for advice and discuss the technique with other members, and provide helpful hints you learned along the way.
5. Your soap must be made after the monthly challenge has been announced.
6. In the spirit of advancing our soap making skills, all members who sign-up for a SMF Challenge do so with the expectation that they will make every attempt to make a soap for the challenge. Writing about your experience in the challenge is encouraged. By doing so, each participant has a better knowledge of your process when voting. We do understand that sometimes things come up in our lives and interrupt our plans, however signing up with no intent to participate and only to vote is not in the spirit of the challenges and is not allowed.
7. Please add your name to the sign-up list if you wish to participate (you don’t have to enter a soap at the end if you don’t feel happy with what you have made), but please do post your experiences in the main Challenge thread and be prepared to be encouraged to continue trying.
8. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please keep your comments polite.
* * * *
* * * *
Specific Rules for this Challenge:
1, Create soaps including an ombre design element(s). The ombre element(s) must make up at least 50% of your soap. You can choose to make an all-over ombre in one color that flows from light to dark (or dark to light), or shifts from one color to another. You can use layers as a design, but try to keep the ombre subtle. An ombre can also be used as a design element in a landscape, seascape, or as a technique feature (examples shown below).
2. Use any type of mold, soap making method and technique. You will want to choose a recipe and fragrance/essential oil that gives you enough working time.
3. Please pay special attention to the dates and times for this month’s challenge. The entry and voting times are ending a little sooner than usual.
4. Include at least 2 soaps from your batch in your entry photo. Both soaps pictured must be from the same batch.
* * * *
The first ombre soap I saw was made by Veronica Foale (Diagonal Ombre technique). She created her ombre by adding a few drops of oil dispersed mica to her entire batter amount and pouring one pass along the mold wall, then repeating with a few more drops of dispersed mica added with each pass. This gives a very gentle ombre effect, and is quite striking.
By Veronica Foale
Soap I made using this method
A Circling Taiwan Swirl technique I made using a pink ombre palette
Katja of Absolut Seife is one of my favorite soap makers. This combination of the pipe divider and ombre techniques
Inspired me to try doing this
Featuring an ombre in a Tall & Skinny Shimmy technique, also from Absout Seife
Ombre Layers by Katinak Creations
Slanted Layers by Gnomad Soap & Skin
Landscape by Tile Soaps
A M&P beauty by Mythical Soap
There are loads of ombre inspiration pictures on Instagram and videos on YouTube. A few to get you started:
From I Dream In Soap
From Kapia Mera
From Tellervo
From Veronica Foale
Have fun - I'm excited to see what you will create!
Please read the general rules (there have been some changes lately, so really, PLEASE READ THEM) and the challenge specific rules below and let’s have some soapy fun!
SMF Challenge General Rules
1. To enter you must have been a SMF member for at least one month and have a minimum of 50 posts at the time the Challenge is posted (sorry but no exceptions on this). Supporting Members can enter immediately, the time and post requirements are removed.
2. The only members eligible to vote are those with their names on the sign-up list - regardless of whether or not you have submitted an entry. The sign-up list will be posted in this thread.
3. This month’s voting will be password locked. Passwords will be sent by private message (via SMF conversations) to registered participants ONLY, so please check your messages when the voting begins.
4. A separate entry thread will be created and this is where you will post photos of your entry soap. Please do not post photos of your entry until the entry thread is opened. Post pictures of your entry soap only in the challenge entry thread.
Non-entry photos are always welcome and may be posted in the general challenge thread. The challenge thread should be used to upload pictures of any of your challenge attempts (other than your entry) where you can ask for advice and discuss the technique with other members, and provide helpful hints you learned along the way.
5. Your soap must be made after the monthly challenge has been announced.
6. In the spirit of advancing our soap making skills, all members who sign-up for a SMF Challenge do so with the expectation that they will make every attempt to make a soap for the challenge. Writing about your experience in the challenge is encouraged. By doing so, each participant has a better knowledge of your process when voting. We do understand that sometimes things come up in our lives and interrupt our plans, however signing up with no intent to participate and only to vote is not in the spirit of the challenges and is not allowed.
7. Please add your name to the sign-up list if you wish to participate (you don’t have to enter a soap at the end if you don’t feel happy with what you have made), but please do post your experiences in the main Challenge thread and be prepared to be encouraged to continue trying.
8. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please keep your comments polite.
* * * *
- Competition entries must be uploaded to the separate entry thread before the closing date.
- The entry thread will open on August 20 at 11:59pm GMT (Please follow the challenge specific rules as to what you need to enter).
- After the closing date on August 25 at 11:59pm GMT the winning entry will be chosen using Survey Monkey. Voting will be open from August 26-28 and the winner will be announced on August 29. There is no prize attached to this challenge.
- If you fail to make the challenge deadline, you are still welcome to upload pictures of your soap onto the general challenge thread, but your entry will not be eligible for voting. We always love to see anything you have created.
- Even though there is no prize, this is still a competition. If your entry is deemed not to fulfill the general rules or the rules specific to the challenge in any way, then you will be given the opportunity to amend your entry. If this is not possible, your entry will not be included in the voting.
- All the challenge mods reserve the right to have the final say on whether a soap is eligible for voting.
* * * *
Specific Rules for this Challenge:
1, Create soaps including an ombre design element(s). The ombre element(s) must make up at least 50% of your soap. You can choose to make an all-over ombre in one color that flows from light to dark (or dark to light), or shifts from one color to another. You can use layers as a design, but try to keep the ombre subtle. An ombre can also be used as a design element in a landscape, seascape, or as a technique feature (examples shown below).
2. Use any type of mold, soap making method and technique. You will want to choose a recipe and fragrance/essential oil that gives you enough working time.
3. Please pay special attention to the dates and times for this month’s challenge. The entry and voting times are ending a little sooner than usual.
4. Include at least 2 soaps from your batch in your entry photo. Both soaps pictured must be from the same batch.
* * * *
The first ombre soap I saw was made by Veronica Foale (Diagonal Ombre technique). She created her ombre by adding a few drops of oil dispersed mica to her entire batter amount and pouring one pass along the mold wall, then repeating with a few more drops of dispersed mica added with each pass. This gives a very gentle ombre effect, and is quite striking.
By Veronica Foale
Soap I made using this method
A Circling Taiwan Swirl technique I made using a pink ombre palette
Katja of Absolut Seife is one of my favorite soap makers. This combination of the pipe divider and ombre techniques
Inspired me to try doing this
Featuring an ombre in a Tall & Skinny Shimmy technique, also from Absout Seife
Ombre Layers by Katinak Creations
Slanted Layers by Gnomad Soap & Skin
Landscape by Tile Soaps
A M&P beauty by Mythical Soap
There are loads of ombre inspiration pictures on Instagram and videos on YouTube. A few to get you started:
From I Dream In Soap
From Kapia Mera
From Tellervo
From Veronica Foale
Have fun - I'm excited to see what you will create!
not missing out on this!
