February Challenge- Soap Stones

[newbie]

Hello hello! Welcome to the February Challenge.

I do apologize for so dropping the ball last month. I have not been able to get video, which I discovered the night before I was leaving for a long trip because I procrastinated putting the challenge up until the 30th and I left early on the 31st. Thanks much to the other hosts who covered for me. Mea culpa to all.

I still can't get video so this will have a long photo essay on one technique.

This month, please make at least one soap stone. You can use whatever technique you feel will get you to the stoney look you seek. CP, MP, HP are all fine and some will likely be better processes for one look or another. Yes, you can combine the processes as well. You may go for gemstone, geode, granite, marble, the plainest rock, the fanciest rock or whatever rock your heart desires. Figure out how to make your soap look that way.

Rules:

You must make at least one soap stone and show us a picture.

The entry thread will open on February 16th and close on the 23rd.

Voting will open on the 23rd or 24th ,depending on how much trouble I have getting the pictures into SurveyMonkey, and it will close on February 27th.

Results announced on February 28th.

 

[newbie]

General Rules:

1. 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.

2. This month’s voting will be password locked. Passwords will be PM'ed to registered participants ONLY. So please check your PMs when the voting begins.

3. No posting your entry photos until the entry thread is made. Non entry photos are very welcome!

4. You are allowed to change your entry photo up until the entry thread closes. So if you decide after you post your entry you want another try, and you like the second better, you can change it up until the deadline.

SMF Challenge General Rules:

1. To enter you must have a minimum of 50 posts and have been a member for a month
(sorry, but no exceptions to this)

2. 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 produced)

3. The challenge thread should be used to upload pictures of any of your challenge attempts and to ask for advice and discuss the technique with other members.

4. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please try to keep your comments polite.

5. Competition entries must be uploaded to the separate entry thread before the closing date.

6. After the closing date, the winning entry will be chosen using Survey Monkey.
The winner will be announced February 28, 2019. There is no prize attached to this challenge.

7. If you fail to make the challenge deadline, you are still welcome to upload your soap onto the thread, but your entry will not be eligible for voting. We still love to see anything you have produced.

8. 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 then your entry will not be included in the voting.

9. All the challenge mods reserve the right to have the final say on whether a soap is eligible for voting.

 

[newbie]

Here is a technique for consideration. You are not obliged to use it.

I call it Fissured soap or lightning soap.

I have been thwarted by my camera in making a video so pictures will have to do. I made this soap in a slab mold but the first time I used it was in a loaf mold. At that time, I used a flatter spoon to dig into the soap and lever up a chunk so it would break along the natural lines of the firm soap while allowing the contrasting soap to fill in the crack and did this in a number of places in the loaf, trying to be certain to sometimes crack all the way to the bottom of the mold. If you dig around too much or do it when the soap is too soft, all you get is a bunch of small pieces swimming in contrast, which has its merits but won't look anything like a fissure/crack/lightning.

To get fissures, you have to create them which means a different manipulation than usual. A silicone mold is perfect, but you could also line a hard mold with a plastic bag, just like you did back when you were starting and didn't have 400 pieces of equipment like you do now. Harken back to your roots, pull out the grocery store plastic bag and a box and you are good to go.
I use a slow tracing recipe, an accelerating FO, and a colorant in water (TD in water gives excellent results.)

Decide on your colors. I use a color in water to get into the fine lines and if I am using TD or AC, I put those to soak in water well ahead of time so they can absorb whatever water they want. I can add more water as needed to get a nice fluidity.

Get your recipe to emulsion and pour off a small amount BEFORE YOU ADD ANY FO. This will be used as the filler for the cracks, so you can color it after pouring off to get whatever contrast you would like. Stir it occasionally.

The rest of your batter will then be the base. Color as desired and then add the accelerating FO and stir it up well. You don't want a seize though. Get it into your mold before it's lumpy and mashed potatoes because you want it to firm up in the mold, not in the bowl. Of course in this run, I added Plumeria and Ahoy Matey which both move like gangbusters but they decided to play against me and remain soft for a long time.

Slide your fingers under the mold and flex it to break the surface of the soap. Because the batter was moving so slowly, I have plenty of pictures of how it looks as it SLOWLY firms up.

Oh for god's sake, will you set, damned base!?!?

You can see some of the fissures staying in the surface, but I want a break all the way to the bottom along the lines that the firm soap gives me. If you lose patience, as I did, you can take a spoon or other implement to try to jimmy up a section but this is still too soft. Ahoy Matey, you failed me.

It's getting there, after 20 minutes of frustration. I pour on the contrasting thin batter and work to get it all the way into the crack. Then I add the TD in water to get into the finest lines and into the larger cracks as well, for interest. Pour on more of the thin batter and/or color in water as you go.

Once it starts to break better, I make sure I am cracking it all the way down to the bottom of the mold. Add more thin batter and more TD in water to make certain it gets into every nook and cranny. You can make tons of fissures or just a few of course. If you are working in a loaf mold, you dig in and lever up at different depths and angles but I feel less is more when working in a loaf mold. It's too easy to break it up more than you can see. This soap stayed too soft for what I wanted but it works in the end. It looks a mess when I'm satisfied with the fissuring but that is how you get it into all the spaces. Don't worry!

After gelling, if you prefer, or when it's unmolded, either rinse off or cut off the very top layer to reveal.....Fissured Soap.

I turned a few bars into soap stones.

 

[newbie]

The rest.

 

[newbie]

If you wish to sign up, please copy the list and paste it into your reply, adding your name and according to SMF tradition, a comment about your hopes and fears.

Sign up.

1.

 

[Misschief]

If you wish to sign up, please copy the list and paste it into your reply, adding your name and according to SMF tradition, a comment about your hopes and fears.

Sign up.

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!

 

[Primrose]

Wow what a cool tutorial!

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!
2. Primrose

 

[Dawni]

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!
2. Primrose
3. Dawni - I think I can finally have a go at a challenge

That tutorial was so much fun to read.. And great looking soap stone too!

 

[Hendejm]

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!
2. Primrose
3. Dawni - I think I can finally have a go at a challenge
4. Hendejm - I am going to plan better this month!

 

[user 29721]

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!
2. Primrose
3. Dawni - I think I can finally have a go at a challenge
4. Hendejm - I am going to plan better this month!
5. Geniash - So excited to try this!

 

[shunt2011]

@geniash unfortunately you don't meet the requirement at this time to participate. Must have 50 posts and 1 month membership. If you get talking/responding you should be able to get to 50 pretty easily.

 

[user 29721]

Time to get to work then! I'll try to get the posts # for the challenge.

 

[Meena]

Here is a technique for consideration. You are not obliged to use it.

I call it Fissured soap or lightning soap.

Oh for god's sake, will you set, damned base!?!?

OMG I LOVE this!!! What a great technique, and so well- and entertainingly-explained!!

 

[Meena]

The rest.

Gorgeous! I'm a rock hound.

 

[Meena]

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!
2. Primrose
3. Dawni - I think I can finally have a go at a challenge
4. Hendejm - I am going to plan better this month!
5. Geniash - So excited to try this!

6. Meena - This challenge may be one that I'm actually capable of fulfilling as a still-new soaper, heh heh

wait, did i do that wrong?

 

[Meena]

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!
2. Primrose
3. Dawni - I think I can finally have a go at a challenge
4. Hendejm - I am going to plan better this month!
5. Geniash - So excited to try this!
6. Meena - This challenge may be one that I'm actually capable of fulfilling as a still-new soaper, heh heh

 

[SaltedFig]

What a fabulous challenge! So many possibilities ...

PS. newbie, is this fissured soap technique your creation?
(I really enjoyed your tutorial, thanks!)

 

[zanzalawi]

well apparently i am destined to enter this month's challenge LOL last night in the shower i was checking out some of the soaps and the hamster in my head was cruising on its wheel

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!
2. Primrose
3. Dawni - I think I can finally have a go at a challenge
4. Hendejm - I am going to plan better this month!
5. Geniash - So excited to try this!
6. Meena - This challenge may be one that I'm actually capable of fulfilling as a still-new soaper, heh heh
7. zanzalawi- it is my destiny

 

[dibbles]

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!
2. Primrose
3. Dawni - I think I can finally have a go at a challenge
4. Hendejm - I am going to plan better this month!
5. Geniash - So excited to try this!
6. Meena - This challenge may be one that I'm actually capable of fulfilling as a still-new soaper, heh heh
7. zanzalawi- it is my destiny
8. dibbles - messing with my soap on purpose - this will be interesting

 

[SaltedFig]

1. Misschief - I REALLY want to try this!
2. Primrose - Wow what a cool tutorial!
3. Dawni - I think I can finally have a go at a challenge
4. Hendejm - I am going to plan better this month!
5. Geniash - So excited to try this!
6. Meena - This challenge may be one that I'm actually capable of fulfilling as a still-new soaper, heh heh
7. zanzalawi- it is my destiny
8. dibbles - messing with my soap on purpose - this will be interesting
9. SaltedFig - Stone Soap Rocks