May 2017 SMF Soap Challenge - fluid acrylic cell pour

[kchaystack]

Thank you KC, especially for the recipe, I have trouble with batter staying fluid so I appreciate it!

No problem. I used a 33% lye solution and used less than 10 seconds of blending to just get to emulsion.

 

[DeeAnna]

1. dibbles - I've done this with paint - super fun!
2. Newbie-love me some new techniques
3. Artemis- I have a vision forming in my mind. I hope I have time to do it!
4. BattleGnome - I finally have more than 1 day off in a row! Fingers crossed I can get stuff done.
5. SunRiseArts - going in scared !
6.) Omneya -What's another nervous breakdown gonna do to me. They haven't killed me yet..I am in
7. Mommycarlson - this is way above my paygrade, but I can't stop thinking about it! I'm in! I think......
8. DeeAnna -- Okay, now I'm ~really~ curious.

 

[SunRiseArts]

Is it ok to trim the cells for them to look better?

 

[kchaystack]

Is it ok to trim the cells for them to look better?

Yes, a little clean up is ok.

 

[dibbles]

I suspect these cells are caused by more than just using thin fluid soap, but I'd have to try it to know.

In one of her videos she was holding a small dropper bottle of clear liquid and put scattered droplets of liquid on the soap. Not sure what that was, but I wonder if it might have been silicone oil which would work to make "real" cells.

Only watched two of her vids. I can't find this in "Water and Fire", so maybe it was in "Carnaby Street", but couldn't find it there either. I was fast forwarding in an effort to find the spot, and this bit is really brief, so I might have missed it. Grrr.

DeeAnna, I saw that too. It is in the Water and Fire video, I found what I think you saw at about 9:25. I thought maybe it was alcohol, but didn't think about a silicone oil. I was also wondering if there was something mixed into her soap batter, because there is a kind of glazing - for lack of a better word - when she is pouring that top layer. It spreads differently than even very thin batter would I think, and there are little bubbles or something that rise to the surface and then leave a different color when they 'pop'. This is right before the dropper part. I haven't tried this yet, so it's all just speculation as I really don't know how thin batter will behave when poured like this.

Right. Makes me want to invest in some cheap paint and canvases.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one! Remember the kid's toy (or maybe this is before your time, you being such a sweet young thing!) where you put a piece of paper on a turntable, turned the turntable on, and drizzled paint over the whirling paper?

Do it! It's messy and fun!

 

[Misschief]

I'm going to sit this one out. I know I won't have the time for it. I'm really looking forward to seeing the entries, and the attempts, though.

 

[kchaystack]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one! Remember the kid's toy (or maybe this is before your time, you being such a sweet young thing!) where you put a piece of paper on a turntable, turned the turntable on, and drizzled paint over the whirling paper?

Oops -- it's still around! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006EQP3JM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

You can do this even cheaper...

https://youtu.be/StLyovBfkuQ

I have thought about this too... Haha!

 

[DeeAnna]

Dibbles -- THANK YOU for the info! Obviously my fast forward did skip over the bits I wanted to find.

I wish I knew for sure what her little tips and tricks are that we're noticing -- like you, I'm utterly guessing what she's doing -- but I respect her right to keep some things to herself. Gives us a good reason to do our homework. She's generous to share the general technique in her videos, and I appreciate that.

If alcohol would work to trigger cell formation in soap, I think that would be far better than silicone oil. The alcohol would eventually evaporate, but the silicone would be a permanent addition to the soap. Not sure what I think about washing myself with soap that's got silicone oil in it, even if only tiny traces and even though it's fairly inert. I use silicone oil and lighter silicone based lubricants occasionally in my leather working business, and it's tenacious and very slippery stuff.

DeeAnna, I saw that too. It is in the Water and Fire video, I found what I think you saw at about 9:25. I thought maybe it was alcohol, but didn't think about a silicone oil. I was also wondering if there was something mixed into her soap batter, because there is a kind of glazing - for lack of a better word - when she is pouring that top layer. It spreads differently than even very thin batter would I think, and there are little bubbles or something that rise to the surface and then leave a different color when they 'pop'. This is right before the dropper part. I haven't tried this yet, so it's all just speculation as I really don't know how thin batter will behave when poured like this.

 

[artemis]

I popped the cells off my silicone mat today. The tops are covered in ash. Do you suppose a bath will help them? Or maybe I should just flip them over...

 

[kchaystack]

I popped the cells off my silicone mat today. The tops are covered in ash. Do you suppose a bath will help them? Or maybe I should just flip them over...

I washed off the ash after I placed the cells and cut the bars.

 

[dibbles]

I popped the cells off my silicone mat today. The tops are covered in ash. Do you suppose a bath will help them? Or maybe I should just flip them over...

This has been successful for me. Try it with one cell and see if it works.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=63325

 

[artemis]

I washed off the ash after I placed the cells and cut the bars.

Oh, that makes more sense. Less likely to break the cells.

 

[artemis]

This has been successful for me. Try it with one cell and see if it works.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=63325

I will try that!

 

[newbie]

Well, I tried mixing a small amount of batter with rubbing alcohol and pouring it with another color before it set. No cells. I tried spritzing some alcohol on, sprinkled some soapy water on, sprayed some window cleaner on, tried layering batters with different amounts of water and SF to see if the more watery ones would sink and allow the oilier batter to come up as cells....all produced no cells. My batter has been pretty thin and maybe it would work with different water and SF percentages if they were thicker but I don't think it can be much thicker than cream. I don't have any liquid silicone to try and I'm not sure it's good to have in soap. Perhaps the density of acrylics can't really be reproduced well with soap batter. I'll still stick some cells on but I'm curious to know if it can be done just like it is with paints.

Here is one of her explanations:

"Hello Grace. FYI there is a technique in this piece that no one has asked me about. I believe you are an artist who may find this interesting. On the top water layer, cells were created by the different viscosity's of the colored soap just like the fluid acrylic artists. This is the important part, "Pseudo cells" were also created by dropping 91% isopropol from an eye dropped onto very liquid soap, just barely emulsified. I have also sprayed and drawn the alcohol onto experiential pieces."

Hmmmm, I must not have made the watery ones watery enough.

 

[dibbles]

Here is one of her explanations:

"Hello Grace. FYI there is a technique in this piece that no one has asked me about. I believe you are an artist who may find this interesting. On the top water layer, cells were created by the different viscosity's of the colored soap just like the fluid acrylic artists. This is the important part, "Pseudo cells" were also created by dropping 91% isopropol from an eye dropped onto very liquid soap, just barely emulsified. I have also sprayed and drawn the alcohol onto experiential pieces."

Hmmmm, I must not have made the watery ones watery enough.

Good find Newbie. I wonder just how thin the batter has to be. There is such a fine line between barely and not emulsified.

 

[BattleGnome]

The word "cell" is suddenly throwing me. I think it's a case of seeing the word too much in an instance and over thinking - I'll have to make the soap before I understand it in word terms.

Since I hope to start making my cells tomorrow... how does this sound:
1# batch
100% olive oil
Water as 38% of oil (soap calc default)
<5% SF

Technique wise, drizzle one color on top of the other and Clyde slide it into puddles? Am I overthinking?

When I get tired of making cells I'll just pour it all into cavity molds and ignore them for a while (since it will probably take a month or so to harden enough to Unmold). I imagine I'll still end up with more embeds than I need/want and these cells will find there way into many a strange soap combination.

Another question: never mind this. I just found a video of an a painter explaining the technique further and it makes more sense now. Research FTW!

 

[Soapprentice]

I'm gonna sit out this month.. wanna tryout the new fragrances and this challenge is not for the new FOs.

 

[kchaystack]

I'm gonna sit out this month.. wanna tryout the new fragrances and this challenge is not for the new FOs.

Actually if you make the base of your soap scented, and then make the faux cells and the swirled layer on top unscented, you can try out a new FO and still do a cool design.

My demo base the FO riced and accelerated horribly. that is why I put a thin layer of white on top to smooth it out for the rest of the soap.

The word "cell" is suddenly throwing me. I think it's a case of seeing the word too much in an instance and over thinking - I'll have to make the soap before I understand it in word terms.

Since I hope to start making my cells tomorrow... how does this sound:
1# batch
100% olive oil
Water as 38% of oil (soap calc default)
<5% SF

Technique wise, drizzle one color on top of the other and Clyde slide it into puddles? Am I overthinking?

When I get tired of making cells I'll just pour it all into cavity molds and ignore them for a while (since it will probably take a month or so to harden enough to Unmold). I imagine I'll still end up with more embeds than I need/want and these cells will find there way into many a strange soap combination.

Another question: never mind this. I just found a video of an a painter explaining the technique further and it makes more sense now. Research FTW!

I do not think 100% OO with a high water amount is a good idea - it will take a LONG time to set up so you can use them in the rest of the challenge.

 

[dibbles]

Here is one of her explanations:

"Hello Grace. FYI there is a technique in this piece that no one has asked me about. I believe you are an artist who may find this interesting. On the top water layer, cells were created by the different viscosity's of the colored soap just like the fluid acrylic artists. This is the important part, "Pseudo cells" were also created by dropping 91% isopropol from an eye dropped onto very liquid soap, just barely emulsified. I have also sprayed and drawn the alcohol onto experiential pieces."

Hmmmm, I must not have made the watery ones watery enough.

I tried dropping alcohol on the surface, and it worked pretty well. However, where the alcohol was, the surface got a skin similar to what you can see when the oils are too cool. My batter was at the same trace for all colors. I made the mistake of dropping alcohol before putting my cells in place. This caused a bit of a problem, but I dropped the alcohol in too many places. I had to remove some of the alcohol cells with a skewer so my soap cells would sit on the surface of the batter. I left some to see what happens when it (hopefully) all gels.

 

[DeeAnna]

I'm glad to hear about the alcohol technique for making "real" cells. Wow, you guys are rockin' this!

I gotta get busy!