January SMF Challenge -Hidden Heart Swirl

[neonstudy]

1. Kittish
2. dibbles - <3 this!
3. newbie- I have an eye to doing this a bit differently but still ending up with a heart in the middle. That's okay, I hope!
4. earlene - Hooray! I've been away from the challenges for too long, so am looking forward to this one.
5. BattleGnome - which mold, which mold, which mold....
6. Mx6inpenn - I haven't gotten a challenge submitted on time in ages, so I'm looking to break the streak!
7. Penelopejane - this is way outside my comfort zone. I'll try.
8. Isha- I'm excited will be my 1st entry. I've done one with just 2 colours m will give it a try with 3 colours this time
9. SaltedFig - Hmmmm.
10. Soapprentice - Let’s figure this out!
11. Primrose - yep I'm in.
12. jewels621 - I'll give a (s)whirl.
13. toxikon - Sounds interesting!
14. SoapAddict415
15. amd - maybe this will scare away the soap gremlins!
16. DeeAnna - I've been puzzling on this all afternoon and still don't quite have a plan. Oh, well, here goes nuthin'
17. neonstudy - First challenge woo hoo!

 

[dibbles]

First fail is in the mold. It's been skewered since I knew it wasn't going according to plan. I like the colors, so I think it will be fine, just no hearts in this one.

 

[SoapAddict415]

Thanks everyone

 

[jewels621]

Cut my first try this morning.....definitely not entry-worthy, but I feel like I'm on the right track. I just need to tweak my technique a bit, I think. I didn't like the edges of my hearts. I'm going to try again, and if I like the next one better, I'll post pics of the non-entry.

 

[psfred]

Being a glutton for punishment I tried a hidden heart swirl this evening. Not gonna work very well, colors are all wierd (used some bacon fat, turned yellow, so the base color is off) and I don't think this will be anything but ugly soap, but we shall see.

If the design comes out anywhere near a heart, I'll get some red mica and try for real. Green and orange just look like serbert.

 

[SunRiseArts]

I am not well, so I may not participate, but I am going to add my name to the list.

Hope this is not stupid question: you will see the heart from both sides after you cut it, as long as is not touching the four corners, right?

 

[SunRiseArts]

1. Kittish
2. dibbles - <3 this!
3. newbie- I have an eye to doing this a bit differently but still ending up with a heart in the middle. That's okay, I hope!
4. earlene - Hooray! I've been away from the challenges for too long, so am looking forward to this one.
5. BattleGnome - which mold, which mold, which mold....
6. Mx6inpenn - I haven't gotten a challenge submitted on time in ages, so I'm looking to break the streak!
7. Penelopejane - this is way outside my comfort zone. I'll try.
8. Isha- I'm excited will be my 1st entry. I've done one with just 2 colours m will give it a try with 3 colours this time
9. SaltedFig - Hmmmm.
10. Soapprentice - Let’s figure this out!
11. Primrose - yep I'm in.
12. jewels621 - I'll give a (s)whirl.
13. toxikon - Sounds interesting!
14. SoapAddict415
15. amd - maybe this will scare away the soap gremlins!
16. DeeAnna - I've been puzzling on this all afternoon and still don't quite have a plan. Oh, well, here goes nuthin'
17. neonstudy - First challenge woo hoo
18. SunRiseArts

 

[galaxyMLP]

I am not well, so I may not participate, but I am going to add my name to the list.

Hope this is not stupid question: you will see the heart from both sides after you cut it, as long as is not touching the four corners, right?

Sorry you are not feeling well but glad you have signed up.

I’m not sure I understand your question. You will be able to see the heart on one side of each bar of soap. Every soap will have a matching “other half” soap bar. Does that clarify it?

 

[SunRiseArts]

Sorry you are not feeling well but glad you have signed up.

I’m not sure I understand your question. You will be able to see the heart on one side of each bar of soap. Every soap will have a matching “other half” soap bar. Does that clarify it?

sorry not really. As I see your picture the heart is going to be center in the soap, and they will all have it, on both sides on 1 bar. Right? I hope I am explaining myself ....

Main reason I ask is because I thought if I could sort of do an MP bar, but it seems almost impossible, unless I make a bar in 2 colors, swirl it, cut a heart, and put it in the center of the soap. Not inside to be discovered with usage.

And Thanks. The weather is playing a number on me ....

 

[mommycarlson]

1. Kittish
2. dibbles - <3 this!
3. newbie- I have an eye to doing this a bit differently but still ending up with a heart in the middle. That's okay, I hope!
4. earlene - Hooray! I've been away from the challenges for too long, so am looking forward to this one.
5. BattleGnome - which mold, which mold, which mold....
6. Mx6inpenn - I haven't gotten a challenge submitted on time in ages, so I'm looking to break the streak!
7. Penelopejane - this is way outside my comfort zone. I'll try.
8. Isha- I'm excited will be my 1st entry. I've done one with just 2 colours m will give it a try with 3 colours this time
9. SaltedFig - Hmmmm.
10. Soapprentice - Let’s figure this out!
11. Primrose - yep I'm in.
12. jewels621 - I'll give a (s)whirl.
13. toxikon - Sounds interesting!
14. SoapAddict415
15. amd - maybe this will scare away the soap gremlins!
16. DeeAnna - I've been puzzling on this all afternoon and still don't quite have a plan. Oh, well, here goes nuthin'
17. neonstudy - First challenge woo hoo
18. SunRiseArts ��
19. Mommycarlson - Fine, you talked me into it!

 

[galaxyMLP]

sorry not really. As I see your picture the heart is going to be center in the soap, and they will all have it, on both sides on 1 bar. Right? I hope I am explaining myself ....

No, it will only be on one side of every bar. Not both sides. It will be on the internal cut face. This would make it feasible for melt and pour if you can use a soap that stays fluid (I’ve read there are some suspension bases that do).

The top and bottom of your mold will not have the heart design on them (unless you add additional design elements to it). Only the center of your soap pour will have the heart. So when you slice the loaf or slab in half, it will expose the heart design.

Does that clarify things? If not, I’ll try to post another video.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...No, it will only be on one side of every bar. Not both sides. It will be on the internal cut face...."

If a person cut more than two bars out of a slab, wouldn't there be at least one bar with hearts on both sides?

I sometimes cut skinny bars -- half the thickness of my normal bars, but the same width and height -- to give out as samples, which is why my mind is thinking along these lines.

 

[Kittish]

"...No, it will only be on one side of every bar. Not both sides. It will be on the internal cut face...."

If a person cut more than two bars out of a slab, wouldn't there be at least one bar with hearts on both sides?

I sometimes cut skinny bars -- half the thickness of my normal bars, but the same width and height -- to give out as samples, which is why my mind is thinking along these lines.

That's what I'm thinking. I'm planning on using one of my regular loaf molds, and splitting it into thirds horizontally, so the middle slab will have the design on both sides, but the top and bottom slabs will only have it on one face.

 

[galaxyMLP]

Everyone please note:

I will be allowing column molds as well for this challenge. It has come to my attention that this technique may be able to be applied to those molds and I’d like to encourage that creativity.

 

[DeeAnna]

Yay! Hearts and circles seem to go so nice together. Thanks, Galaxy!

 

[SunRiseArts]

Tanks, that is why I was confused, because the instructions say:
"
You must use at least 3 colors
The design must be cut in half at the end.
The heart must be hidden; it can not be painted on the surface of the soap "

So I am guessing you just want the colors not to show on the sides.

Suspension MP bases has nothing to do with being able to do swirls or colors, if my understanding is correct. It only means your additives will not sink to the bottom of the mold as the soap dries. Because generally, they do.

 

[galaxyMLP]

SRA, I see where I need to clarify some things in the directions.

The idea is that the sides will not have the design. If you decide to cut multiple thin soaps out of the mold that is a-ok. What I didn’t want to see was someone who created a circle on top of a finished soap and dragged a skewer through that. That defeats the purpose of the challenge as it will only sit on top of the soap and will not be embedded within.

You also may not just use pre-created hearts and imbed those into the soap.

What you pour must create a design that has vertical height in the mold. It must not be visible from the sides (if a little bit shows, that ok).

Edit:

You are right that that is what suspension bases are designed for. My understanding is that suspension bases have longer periods of cool down time with higher viscosity that allows for swirling in MP soap. Otherwise, it all just blends together. I know I have tried it with regular bases and I just can not achieve a time for swirling. However, you can probably make it work better than I can!

 

[toxikon]

I have a fun plan for this soap! Hopefully I'll get my entry done in the next couple days.

 

[DeeAnna]

Thanks, Galaxy, for being so willing to explain and clarify your goals for the challenge. I appreciate your patience and thoroughness. I can see it's not easy being a host for this type of challenge, but you come through with flying colors! Again, thank you!

 

[SunRiseArts]

Got it! Thank you Galaxy! I just did not want to mess up


And ditto to what DeeAnna said. I have been a host in art forums, and is not easy to keep up and please everyone. Thanks you for being the hostess with the mostess!!