@bookreader451 take care of yourself. I think we tend to feel our losses more, or maybe in a different way, during the holidays.
December 2019 Un-Challenge - New to You
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My order of the micas I needed for granddaughter's graduation soap (which I will decoupage - new to me) came the day before we left San Antonio. So there really wasn't enough time to start the soap. But I do plan to do it in January once we return from you parents' house so she can start the new semester.
I am actually off to Las Vegas in the morning to meet my husband for a few days, then fly back here for New Years.
Good work, everyone, making new-to-you soaps.
I am actually off to Las Vegas in the morning to meet my husband for a few days, then fly back here for New Years.
Good work, everyone, making new-to-you soaps.
Thank you!! I appreciate your kind words!
Bookreader, I am so sorry. I lost my sister 09/18 and I'm still in pain. But we have to keep living somehow. And for me that includes making soap. Best wishes to you fellow traveler.
I wanted to try a Christmas tree soap using the reverse feather swirl technique (I think that's the name). There were many things that were new to me on this one: using my new mold from Nurture Soap, this particular swirl, using palm oil and trying to make a tree on the top of each bar of soap.
I added kaolin clay and 2 tbs honey to the oils before I added the lye water (2.1:1 ratio). At emulsion I added in some reconstituted goats milk (from powder). I used balsam FO from Natures Garden along with a little more balsam EO. I soaped a little under 90 degrees, which is what I have been doing. The batter was a 34:66 saturated to unsaturated fat ratio.
I was really careful not to over stick blend since this was going to take a bit of time. Once I added the FO & EO the batter thickened up a lot more than I wanted it too but it was still workable. I used cocoa powder for the tree trunk and that got super thick; so thick I could not pour a reasonably thin line like I wanted. I added the green to a squeeze bottle; that was also thicker than I wanted but not too bad - not as bad as the brown. The green is a mix of spirulina and moringa powders.
I covered the soap with 2 blankets so it would definitely go through gel. That might have been overkill given the goats milk and honey. I unmolded and cut after 48 hours and it was quite hard...I probably could have done that part after 24 hours. I wasn't really sure what I'd be getting when I started to cut the soap. Given how fast the batter moved I was pleased. I'll be giving these out as Christmas presents, which is a little cruel - presents that cannot be used for another month.
I added kaolin clay and 2 tbs honey to the oils before I added the lye water (2.1:1 ratio). At emulsion I added in some reconstituted goats milk (from powder). I used balsam FO from Natures Garden along with a little more balsam EO. I soaped a little under 90 degrees, which is what I have been doing. The batter was a 34:66 saturated to unsaturated fat ratio.
I was really careful not to over stick blend since this was going to take a bit of time. Once I added the FO & EO the batter thickened up a lot more than I wanted it too but it was still workable. I used cocoa powder for the tree trunk and that got super thick; so thick I could not pour a reasonably thin line like I wanted. I added the green to a squeeze bottle; that was also thicker than I wanted but not too bad - not as bad as the brown. The green is a mix of spirulina and moringa powders.
I covered the soap with 2 blankets so it would definitely go through gel. That might have been overkill given the goats milk and honey. I unmolded and cut after 48 hours and it was quite hard...I probably could have done that part after 24 hours. I wasn't really sure what I'd be getting when I started to cut the soap. Given how fast the batter moved I was pleased. I'll be giving these out as Christmas presents, which is a little cruel - presents that cannot be used for another month.
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So sorry for your losses...
Alright, who took my palm kernel oil? I know I have some but I can. not. find. it! I have everything ready to make my December soap and my recipe calls for PKO. I have no idea where else to look so soaping will have to wait.
These are awesome soaps. Being a soaper, I don't think it is bad to warn people not to use them for a month, etc., but I also know that life gets in the way sometimes when you have deadlines. They will understand.
I never did find the PKO but I did make my soap. I'll know by tomorrow whether it's how I had envisioned it. This is the hardest part.... waiting to unmold (apart from tearing the house apart looking for my PKO, that is.)
Kosmerta
Well-Known Member
First time using MP imbedds. Also first time fragrancing my soap with essential oil, I'm worried it isnt strong enough though
I cut my un-challenge soap last night and trimmed it this morning. I don't usually trim my soaps but, in this case, it was definitely called for. I chose to try the mica marble technique as done by Shira Body. I've done mica lines before but I just love the look of this technique and knew right away that this was what I wanted to try for this challenge. I'm pretty happy with it but I think I was a little heavy handed with the mica in some spots. Also, my usually well behaved recipe thickened up a bit more than I'd anticipated but that was because I used all hard oils and I let it stand just a little longer than I should have. I'll definitely be trying this technique again; I love the look of the mica marbling.
This is a lovely design. Do you have a link to the technique that you could share, @Misschief ?
Those are beautiful! I got better results on my second try (not posted) compared with the pink and gold mica soap I posted above, but neither is as nice as yours. I still need to up the amount of mica I’m using. I told my son’s fiancé that I would be willing to make small soap favors for their wedding in June and a marbled soap is under consideration. I like the idea of a non-gold mica with a white soap.
Yours is lovely, too, Mobjack Bay. Did you cut yours vertically or horizontally?
Thank you. I cut it horizontally. I used a lot more mica for the next one, with more layers and more irregular layering:
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That's beautiful! It's kind of a fun technique, isn't it? And the results are so pretty!
That’s a pretty bad pic of a soap that’s been in my suitcase, but thanks. I like that the marbled soaps are on the minimalist side of things, but also come across as a bit elegant/sophisticated (IMHO).
