Ladies and Gentleman...

[rparrny]

Looks really good. Glad you got the colour sorted in the end.

Now, where are my flaming torches and my pitchfork..........cut cut cut cut
cut!

Who would think I could go from a vanilla bean disaster to this with only a change in the brand of black colorant? I will never use that WSP black mica again...I used a fraction of this black (and I mixed up more that I thought I would ever use just in case) and got such beautiful results.
That being said, I think what made the pattern so fluid was the trace...I've made enough soap to know what's not right in the way of trace...as I was pouring this, my first impression was...hmmm...this is different! Right smack in the middle between light and medium trace. Granted my trace follies were my own fault...a combination of either panicking with color disasters and using a SB...or just being stupidly impatient...and a few accelerants along the way.
Now comes the scary part...cutting the loaf...and I'm really nervous about it. My loaf cutter isn't designed for this kind of cutting. I've been sitting here with my cup of coffee, staring at the loaf and thinking about my game plan...

 

[rparrny]

Some problems with the cut but I'm happy with the results...
I did lose all that definition by cutting off the ash. Below is a second pic of the leftover batter I put in a bar mold with ash intact.

 

[not_ally]

Beautiful, again! I actually don't see any ash on that bottom bar, either, that might be my favorite.

 

[rparrny]

Beautiful, again! I actually don't see any ash on that bottom bar, either, that might be my favorite.

I just assumed the grey was a product of ash...
Do you think the cut bars will go back to grey as well?

 

[not_ally]

I see what you were saying about the gray from the previous pictures of the top, although it still doesn't look like ash to me based on the last pic. I often get a little bit of a color change as bars age (until they hit some kind of stasis point), not morphing per se, more a little bit of fading (not talking about the *big* changes w/a discoloring FO here). But those look nice and dark, I bet they will be fine.

 

[rparrny]

I see what you were saying about the gray from the previous pictures of the top, although it still doesn't look like ash to me based on the last pic. I often get a little bit of a color change as bars age (until they hit some kind of stasis point), not morphing per se, more a little bit of fading (not talking about the *big* changes w/a discoloring FO here). But those look nice and dark, I bet they will be fine.

Actually I'm kinda hoping they grey up again...I really liked the definition. Do you think it's possible?

 

[not_ally]

They are definitely more like to fade/go closer to gray than become darker (unless you used a discoloring fragrance oil in the black part, but even there w/so much black I don't think that will happen.) I just really like the way these look, so the good thing is that they will stay pretty no matter what.

 

[jules92207]

Those are really beautiful. I must have missed your vanilla bean disaster thread but however you got here - I'd call it success!

 

[amd]

Gorgeous!

 

[rparrny]

Thank you all, I consider this my first success!
Of course I had to play with the stamps...

 

[Consuela]

WOW!

I think those cuts are GORGEOUS!

What a beautiful soap.

 

[OferaliO]

Lovely soap. I love the contrast. Congrats!

 

[Jstar]

Those came out fantastic! Congrats!

What black is that? Did I miss it?

 

[gigisiguenza]

I'm not really sure what spraying it would have done as far as the color, I think it might have kept it more black... I'm not sure what color the ash would make it other than grey. I haven't worked with a lot of dark colors and my last try with black was a vanilla bean disaster. This was a black oxide from BB...recommended to me after the vanilla bean disaster.

Ahh ok, that makes sense. Ty

 

[gigisiguenza]

Those are such pretty soaps! I like the cuts very much, so clean and defined. Lovely

 

[Momsta5]

Gorgeous soap!