May Mica Outline Swirl Entry Thread

[amd]

SMF May 2018 challenge mica outline swirl Entry Thread

Please enter two photo's, one of your cut soap and one of your mica oil placed in the mold (if you have more than one mica outline color it is ok to post only one of the mica oil pics) in this thread. You may describe your soap, why you chose your colors, how you swirled, or additional comments that you may have with your photos.

Please keep write any comments on the challenge entries in the original challenge thread.

Thank you all for taking part in this month's challenge!

 

[SoapAddict415]

I used green vibrance mixed with neon green mica and vibrance orange mixed with a little red oxide for my mica lines in light and dark pink soap batters with a spoon swirl. Unfortunately the orange mica isn't very visible. It seems to have spread to the outside of the loaf. The scent is a blend of a orange-grapefruit EO/FO blend I wanted to use up and my custom blended black cherry berry FO.

 

[redhead1226]

This is my 2nd try at this technique - I didn't take a picture of the mica layer on the first try so I could not submit it. ( that one is on the original challenge thread ) But I like this one as well. This is a 60% lard recipe accompanied by coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and castor. Moved at just the right speed for this. I used French green clay for my batter color in different strengths and some cranberry seeds along with Nuture's Ruby Red mica and scented with BB Crisp Anjou Pear FO. I used 3 mica layers and then did a hanger swirl, but not too much as I didn't know how the mica layer was going to react and I didn't want to muddle it too much. I enjoyed the challenge and learning and practicing a new technique. Thank you for these challenges as it has pushed me to soap more. As many of you know I've had a terrible year full of loss and have had a hard time pushing myself to make soap which I so enjoy. The darker area on the side of the mold is just a shadow.

 

[mommycarlson]

Attempt #3! This one is fragranced with Jamaica Me Crazy from CC. The main batter is colored with TD, the two accent colors are Atomic Orange and Lemon Drop Yellow from Nurture. The mica oil line is Lime Appeal, also from Nurture. I used much less oil this time. I did 1/2 T of oil and 1 t of mica. I laid the white batter in, then half the mica/oil and then did my two colors, then the rest of the mica/oil and then the remaining white batter. I swirled with my hanger tool and after looking at the sides of the mold it seemed like it needed to be swirled a bit more so I did a second swipe. I had much less mess of oil and mica this time, in fact, nothing to wipe off and nothing on my fingers as I cut the soap! That's a shadow making it look like a darker green on the right

 

[Cellador]

I did three different soaps with this technique and finally decided on this one as my entry.
It was a challenge for me in a couple of ways-
First, I have never used this technique before. And, second, I have never worked with so many colors/layers before.
My 5 year old daughter has been asking me to do a rainbow soap for over a year now, and I finally gathered the courage to try it.
The mica lines are kind of subtle- they are the black at the bottom and top. I like how they almost make cloud-like forms at the top of the bar.
Mica colors used: Luster Black (BB), Vibrance Orange, Yellow, Green, and Purple (NS), and Lapis Blue (WSP).
Scented with Ozonic FF (WSP). It's a light and crisp scent, maybe with a hint of watery florals and melon. It behaved perfectly!
Thanks to all who helped put the challenge together! It really helped me get through my soaping slump.
Edit: I forgot to take a pic of the first Mica Oil line until I started piling the red on. Yup, I am a messy soaper.

 

[dibbles]

Time is tight for me this month, but I really wanted to try this technique. This is my one and only for the challenge, but not the last time I'll be doing this - it's fun and makes such a pretty soap. I have a friend who loves (LOVES) Karma, so I decided to test out a new to me dupe from Fragrance Buddy. I left the main batter uncolored to test for discoloration, and used Nurture's Electric Orange and Satin Gold for the accent swirl colors. The mica in oil swirl is Nurture's Mocha Brown. I poured the uncolored batter and added the mica in oil layer, then poured the orange and gold layers and repeated the process. This was swirled with a hanger and the top was swirled from the bits of leftover batter and some drops of the brown mica in oil.

 

[Serene]

Name of the Soap: Did I make it on time?
Scent- Guava Fig from Nurture. Testing it.
Colors- Crapton of micas from...Nurture


Love this technique. My only issue was not enough time for more than one attempt. I do have a feeling that I will be doing a lot of these in the future. I am not pleased with the outcome of the colors, but my fault for using these challenges as a testing ground for all my new goodies. I had fun and learned a lot.

 

[Primrose]

This was attempt #2 out of 4 and I'm so stoked with how this turned out. Scented with Little Black Dress, two mica layers and a spoon swirl (my first). I'll definitely be playing with this technique again. Finding the best colour combination to show it off as well as the best swirl technique is a lot of fun ... The ideas I had that I thought would be perfect turned out not so good, and then this one surprised me.

 

[Primrose]

**** phone gremlins! Here is the actual soap!

 

[amd]

Entries are closed! Thanks everyone for submitting your entry, voting will be hard! PM with the voting survey will be sent out this evening (US CST).

 

[soap1daze]

This is my 2nd try at this technique - I didn't take a picture of the mica layer on the first try so I could not submit it. ( that one is on the original challenge thread ) But I like this one as well. This is a 60% lard recipe accompanied by coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and castor. Moved at just the right speed for this. I used French green clay for my batter color in different strengths and some cranberry seeds along with Nuture's Ruby Red mica and scented with BB Crisp Anjou Pear FO. I used 3 mica layers and then did a hanger swirl, but not too much as I didn't know how the mica layer was going to react and I didn't want to muddle it too much. I enjoyed the challenge and learning and practicing a new technique. Thank you for these challenges as it has pushed me to soap more. As many of you know I've had a terrible year full of loss and have had a hard time pushing myself to make soap which I so enjoy. The darker area on the side of the mold is just a shadow.View attachment 30345 View attachment 30346

Beautiful soap. I love the color combination and wonder what did you mix your mica with, or did you just dust it on the various layers?

 

[redhead1226]

Beautiful soap. I love the color combination and wonder what did you mix your mica with, or did you just dust it on the various layers?

Thank you for the compliment I mixed my mica with oils from my batch. This was the actual challenge, to mix with oil and use for swirling as part of the design, not to dust it like a mica layer. I like the color combo as well. I used different strengths of french clay and Nuture's Ruby Red Mica ( similar to a burgundy ) .

 

[amd]

Top three votes are:
1. @redhead1226
2. @dibbles
and tied for third:
@mommycarlson and @Serene

Beautiful entries!

 

[zanzalawi]

gorgeous soaps, well done!

 

[Cellador]

Congrats- well deserved!
Thanks again to amd for hosting!

 

[scard]

To the winners and all who entered, what beautiful soaps!

 

[mommycarlson]

Thank you everyone

 

[TFriedman]

This is my 2nd try at this technique - I didn't take a picture of the mica layer on the first try so I could not submit it. ( that one is on the original challenge thread ) But I like this one as well. This is a 60% lard recipe accompanied by coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and castor. Moved at just the right speed for this. I used French green clay for my batter color in different strengths and some cranberry seeds along with Nuture's Ruby Red mica and scented with BB Crisp Anjou Pear FO. I used 3 mica layers and then did a hanger swirl, but not too much as I didn't know how the mica layer was going to react and I didn't want to muddle it too much. I enjoyed the challenge and learning and practicing a new technique. Thank you for these challenges as it has pushed me to soap more. As many of you know I've had a terrible year full of loss and have had a hard time pushing myself to make soap which I so enjoy. The darker area on the side of the mold is just a shadow.View attachment 30345 View attachment 30346

Bautiful. I hope finding your way back into soaping helps you find peace.

 

[redhead1226]

Bautiful. I hope finding your way back into soaping helps you find peace.

Thank you very much. Yes I have always thought it to be therapeutic, as do many others.