I've just finished pouring my 3rd attempt at a Luna Swirl. I think this will have to be it, even if it still isn't quite what I'm looking for. At least the 'fails' are still a pretty hanger swirl
I am always nervous about hanger swirls, but they almost always turn out better than I'd hoped. I'm sure that will be the same with yours, as well!Well, I stayed up into the wee hours making my soap Saturday AM. Unfortunately, very little went as planned. The color scheme I had in mind was pale yellow (the main color), with ice blue, white, and black swirls. The pale yellow was going to be achieved by using only 15% red palm oil, instead of the 30% the recipe calls for. As it turns out, 15% palm oil is still pretty bright orange. Which is fine if that had been the plan.
I think I poured my first layer too high. When I went to do my swirl, my hanger tool seemed to completely lift the soap out of its place. A wire hanger without the pen may have worked better... or my soap had reached too thick of a trace?? I will cut the soap later today, when I get my courage up. Usually, I can't wait to cut. I have a feeling I'm going to have a blurry grey mess of a design.
To top it, my soap may have volcanoed?
To prevent soda ash which plagued my palm oil soap last time I made it, I thought I'd try the oven trick. I don't think my oven gets cool enough, something very weird seems to have happened to the top of the soap.
On a positive note, I mixed my mica in oil for the first time- so much better than mixing with alcohol!! I should have tried this sooner! Thanks AliOop for help on that!
I am always nervous about hanger swirls, but they almost always turn out better than I'd hoped. I'm sure that will be the same with yours, as well!
Me too! But you don't have to wait till after the challenge ends. If you have a soap that you are sure you won't be entering, please post it here in the main challenge thread. The more you can share about what worked, and what didn't, the more we all benefit.I hope we get to see all the non-entered attempts after the challenge ends. I think that would be fun and educational!
I Can't wait to see your Luna swirl. I have not attempted that one yet.I've just finished pouring my 3rd attempt at a Luna Swirl. I think this will have to be it, even if it still isn't quite what I'm looking for. At least the 'fails' are still a pretty hanger swirl
I've just finished pouring my 3rd attempt at a Luna Swirl. I think this will have to be it, even if it still isn't quite what I'm looking for. At least the 'fails' are still a pretty hanger swirl
@dibbles, you are tenacious! I can't wait to see your swirl, too!I Can't wait to see your Luna swirl. I have not attempted that one yet.
Look what was just posted to YT within the last hour... a hanger swirl soap video! Enjoy
I never have. Have you? This is my first time entering a contest in soaps. I just want to challenge myself. Hanger swirls are fun, yet stressful. Between batter consistency, color and fragrance acceleration, how much,how little to hanger swirl without getting muddy. Nerve wracking but excited.Wondering if anyone here participates in the "Soap Challenge Club" by Amy Warden? Or if you have ever participated?
I participate, and I know there are others here who do as well. I highly recommend giving it a try!Wondering if anyone here participates in the "Soap Challenge Club" by Amy Warden? Or if you have ever participated?
No I haven't. That was why I wondered if anybody here has? Sounds fun though.I never have. Have you? This is my first time entering a contest in soaps. I just want to challenge myself. Hanger swirls are fun, yet stressful. Between batter consistency, color and fragrance acceleration, how much,how little to hanger swirl without getting muddy. Nerve wracking but excited.
Lovely fail! I still want to try another time or two before I decide which soap to enter. Lots going on this spring, but I should still be able to make time for a couple small hanger swirl batches before the deadline.Okay....here is my first "fail" as far as the challenge goes. The swirl just didn't quite swirl! The colors are a little darker than I anticipated but....it smells nice (Birchwood Oul FO) and I don't hate how it turned out. It's just not what I was going for. I have a 2nd attempt that went much better and I plan to give it a 3rd try before I decide. I used a hangar swirl tool from BB. After watching a couple of videos I know my biggest mistake here was pouring my colors in distinct layers. I changed that on my second effort and things went much better. I had also tried doing a swirl after filling the mold halfway, then finishing the fill and swirling again. Yeah....that didn't work so well for me this time. Colors - Cappuccino mica, Gold Ultrasparkle mica, and Evergreen mica - all from BB. Goat milk replaced water 100%. Oils - Olive, Avocado, Castor, Coconut, Soybean/Palm mix (Crisco)
Thank you for the discussion of mixing micas in oils. I did that this time and really liked the result!
So.....let's see some other "fails".
View attachment 77447
That actually is quite cool - very moody and mysterious!Okay....here is my first "fail" as far as the challenge goes. The swirl just didn't quite swirl! The colors are a little darker than I anticipated but....it smells nice (Birchwood Oul FO) and I don't hate how it turned out. It's just not what I was going for. I have a 2nd attempt that went much better and I plan to give it a 3rd try before I decide. I used a hangar swirl tool from BB. After watching a couple of videos I know my biggest mistake here was pouring my colors in distinct layers. I changed that on my second effort and things went much better. I had also tried doing a swirl after filling the mold halfway, then finishing the fill and swirling again. Yeah....that didn't work so well for me this time. Colors - Cappuccino mica, Gold Ultrasparkle mica, and Evergreen mica - all from BB. Goat milk replaced water 100%. Oils - Olive, Avocado, Castor, Coconut, Soybean/Palm mix (Crisco)
Thank you for the discussion of mixing micas in oils. I did that this time and really liked the result!
So.....let's see some other "fails".
View attachment 77447
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