Multi-layered soap...with embed, Help, Please!

[violets2217]

I have a soap design idea for a friend and she loves the idea and now I'm afraid to make it. It is mainly straight even layers with an embed! A flag with nine layers I think, 8 alternating black and blue layers separated by 1 layer of white, with a red heart in the top layer of black and blue stripes.

So, I have been think of ways to go about this. I guess the most successful, but most complicated way would be to separate batter into 9 equal portions and wait for it to set up to mix and pour next layer. Which I'm leaning towards, because I want to take my time and make it perfect! LOL! I also considered making one color in slab mold the day before and cutting to my mold size and alternating with fluid batter of other color. But then that brings me to the heart embed. I'm ordering a small heart silicone column mold for this and wanted to try to use some melt and pour. So, if I use melt and pour do I need clear soap to get a true red color. I have white melt and pour that I just got to experiment with but have not used yet, but If I use it it will make it a pastel color instead of a bright red needed? I've used CP soap for sun and moon embeds but they have been pastel shades of colors I wanted and sometimes have turned dry and chalky. And if I do the 9 equal portions mixed separately, I can place it at some point during pour. Or would it just be easier to make my layered soap and soap/glue the heart slices to the soap after cut? The more I'm thinking, I'm liking the gluing the heart to the soap after cutting and cleaning up. Would I be successful using a soap frosting to attach the heart?

Any help/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! TIA! Michelle

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I used this YouTube tutorial to make 6-layer rainbow bars:



Make the heart-shaped embed 24 hours ahead of making the soap.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Spoiler: Friesland!

On a serious note: what about stamping the heart, and then fill the pit with a strongly coloured (highly opaque) CP or M&P batter or soap dough afterwards? The main difficulty will be to make it stick permanently, and not break off from the tensions due to uneven cure shrinkage.

 

[violets2217]

Painted on CP soap batter, then sprinkle with red glitter !!!! LOL!
Great idea! Thanks!

 

[Tara_H]

If the placement of the heart could be slightly adjusted, you could do one layer at a time and allow to set up until you reach either the blue or the black layer above the white, then set the heart on top of that layer on its flat side, and continue on. That would give the least amount of messing around with the embed placement in liquid batter.
On the other hand, given that the layers are quite thin, you would need to make sure the mould was entirely level, and somehow mark where you want to pour to for each one. If you just did equal amounts of batter you'd get thicker stripes where the heart is contributing some bulk...

 

[violets2217]

Well it only took me 4 hours to make a very small 3.5 lbs of soap. I'm highly optimistic it will look like the flag. The is too small, but wasn’t too difficult getting it in the soap. And it smells good. Since I was testing, I used a Lemongrass Sage fragrance oil. It's subtle but nice! And it behaved very well. I did each 9 layers separately and had everything measured out and ready to mix. I went ahead and added FO before separating oils and added colors to each oil. I was shocked to find as I was separating oil & lye how accurate my math was. But I am a little concerned about my 6th layer because it heated up quickly & took forever to trace. It was about 109 degrees when I poured…every other layer stayed around 86 degrees. Anyways, the waiting between layers was kinda nice cause I cleaned as I went & final clean up took like 3 minutes!
I’ll probably cut it tomorrow after work and see if it was worth the effort.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

So far, so awesome!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

A sacred tradition demands someone volunteering to post this smilie:

 

[Zany_in_CO]

 

[violets2217]

So, I'm really worried about that one layer that heated up. It's kind of mushy and seeping and one bar actually came apart at that layer. Other than that, its pretty cool bar of soap. I'm gonna wait a bit to see if whatever is seeping will reabsorb and then I'll do a zap test. It's just weird that one layer's measurements were off...it was measured in the middle and every other measurement was perfect....

 

[Cat&Oak]

Can't wait to see it!

 

[Zing]

Ahem! We're waiting for photos!

 

[violets2217]

I’m not unhappy with it, but there is definitely room for improvement. The top half, I’m pretty sure my measurements were off, definitely the first blue above the white. It’s still mushy. I’m procrastinating with the zap test, I don’t want it to be Zappy! It would definitely be easier with a bigger batch of soap. Next time will be better.

 

[dibbles]

Such straight lines! Good job!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Oh I think it's perfect! You really captured the look you were going for. Well done!

 

[Cat&Oak]

Very very nice! Well done!

 

[Zing]

Wow wow wow wow wow!!

 

[jjan]

I have a soap design idea for a friend and she loves the idea and now I'm afraid to make it. It is mainly straight even layers with an embed! A flag with nine layers I think, 8 alternating black and blue layers separated by 1 layer of white, with a red heart in the top layer of black and blue stripes.
View attachment 61930
So, I have been think of ways to go about this. I guess the most successful, but most complicated way would be to separate batter into 9 equal portions and wait for it to set up to mix and pour next layer. Which I'm leaning towards, because I want to take my time and make it perfect! LOL! I also considered making one color in slab mold the day before and cutting to my mold size and alternating with fluid batter of other color. But then that brings me to the heart embed. I'm ordering a small heart silicone column mold for this and wanted to try to use some melt and pour. So, if I use melt and pour do I need clear soap to get a true red color. I have white melt and pour that I just got to experiment with but have not used yet, but If I use it it will make it a pastel color instead of a bright red needed? I've used CP soap for sun and moon embeds but they have been pastel shades of colors I wanted and sometimes have turned dry and chalky. And if I do the 9 equal portions mixed separately, I can place it at some point during pour. Or would it just be easier to make my layered soap and soap/glue the heart slices to the soap after cut? The more I'm thinking, I'm liking the gluing the heart to the soap after cutting and cleaning up. Would I be successful using a soap frosting to attach the heart?

Any help/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! TIA! Michelle

Hi I am so new I don't know how to answer your question but I did watch a ytube by bramble berry she did heart sitting on its side similar to your design, maybe look for vid on ytube. Hope this helps you out

 

[TheGecko]

Hi I am so new I don't know how to answer your question but I did watch a ytube by bramble berry she did heart sitting on its side similar to your design, maybe look for vid on ytube. Hope this helps you out

Before responding threads, always check the dates in the brown bar. Not only is this post from Oct 2021, but if you scroll down, the person made the soap.