New CP Soapmaker in South Carolina

[Jorah]

Hi, folks

I'm a new soap maker hailing from the northern edge of South Carolina in the southeastern US. I work in Charlotte, NC as a SharePoint admin, and fell into soap making by accident when I stumbled over a conversation online where someone described most commercial soaps as being 'not true soap,' which sent me down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out what 'true soap' might be. Next thing I knew, I was reading Simple & Natural Soapmaking by Jan Berry and making my first batch of CP soap. That was at the beginning of April & now I've made a couple hundred bars of soap, if I'm counting right.

Just yesterday I made my first custom mold, and this weekend I plan to make at least three batches to try out different scents. Attaching photos of my latest two batches and the new pine-board mold.

Before starting to make soap, I had a long series of hobbies, including knitting, so I'm familiar with the mad rush to Learn All the Things and Buy All the Tools.

Pleased to meet everyone!

-Jorah

PS: The crinkle-cut soap is a simple Bastille-style, the smooth bars are a clay-and-pumice experiment, and the pine mold is about 19 x 3.5 x 7 inches and should give me 19-40 bars, depending how much I fill it. I built it to allow the long side to be removable to make getting the loaf out a bit easier.

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Chaiat5]

Hi!! Welcome aboard! I'm new here too

 

[Twig + Forest]

Welcome to the forum

 

[BWt]

Hi! Welcome to this forum. Your beginning soaps are lovely. Everyone cut alike! My beginning soaps were woefully crooked.

 

[Jorah]

Hi! Welcome to this forum. Your beginning soaps are lovely. Everyone cut alike! My beginning soaps were woefully crooked.

My first ones looked like mudpies!

 

[Iluminameluna]

I'm with @Jorah ...
I'm SO impressed! That's so much neater and beautiful than mine. I started making much more humble soaps, and some were mere lumps.
All I can say, is WOW.
ETA: Oh, and Welcome to the Forum! Left me speechless and rude! So sorry!! Not excusable!!

 

[CloudShave1487]

Hi, folks

I'm a new soap maker hailing from the northern edge of South Carolina in the southeastern US. I work in Charlotte, NC as a SharePoint admin, and fell into soap making by accident when I stumbled over a conversation online where someone described most commercial soaps as being 'not true soap,' which sent me down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out what 'true soap' might be. Next thing I knew, I was reading Simple & Natural Soapmaking by Jan Berry and making my first batch of CP soap. That was at the beginning of April & now I've made a couple hundred bars of soap, if I'm counting right.

Just yesterday I made my first custom mold, and this weekend I plan to make at least three batches to try out different scents. Attaching photos of my latest two batches and the new pine-board mold.

Before starting to make soap, I had a long series of hobbies, including knitting, so I'm familiar with the mad rush to Learn All the Things and Buy All the Tools.

Pleased to meet everyone!

-Jorah

PS: The crinkle-cut soap is a simple Bastille-style, the smooth bars are a clay-and-pumice experiment, and the pine mold is about 19 x 3.5 x 7 inches and should give me 19-40 bars, depending how much I fill it. I built it to allow the long side to be removable to make getting the loaf out a bit easier.

Welcome to the forum! Amazing stuff. I love the cut on those soaps, I can tell you put in the love as well as the work into your soaps. Very evident in the photos. Enjoy your stay here, everyone is so nice and respectful here! =)

 

[MomInWA]

Hi, folks

I'm a new soap maker hailing from the northern edge of South Carolina in the southeastern US. I work in Charlotte, NC as a SharePoint admin, and fell into soap making by accident when I stumbled over a conversation online where someone described most commercial soaps as being 'not true soap,' which sent me down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out what 'true soap' might be. Next thing I knew, I was reading Simple & Natural Soapmaking by Jan Berry and making my first batch of CP soap. That was at the beginning of April & now I've made a couple hundred bars of soap, if I'm counting right.

Just yesterday I made my first custom mold, and this weekend I plan to make at least three batches to try out different scents. Attaching photos of my latest two batches and the new pine-board mold.

Before starting to make soap, I had a long series of hobbies, including knitting, so I'm familiar with the mad rush to Learn All the Things and Buy All the Tools.

Pleased to meet everyone!

-Jorah

PS: The crinkle-cut soap is a simple Bastille-style, the smooth bars are a clay-and-pumice experiment, and the pine mold is about 19 x 3.5 x 7 inches and should give me 19-40 bars, depending how much I fill it. I built it to allow the long side to be removable to make getting the loaf out a bit easier.

I was just visiting family and friends in SC/NC/Virginia/WVA last week! Pleasure to make your acquaintance. You do lovely work.

 

[Jorah]

I was just visiting family and friends in SC/NC/Virginia/WVA last week! Pleasure to make your acquaintance. You do lovely work.

Why, thanks! I'm still very much 'only an egg' when it comes to making soap, but a lifetime of factory and craft work have given me some transferable skills (I worked for three years making traditional sand molds in an aluminum foundry, for instance). We're going to look at Virginia for our 'forever home' after I retire; it's a balance right now between Virginia and Maine, and while I adore Maine, the ability to ride my motorcycle year-round is very appealing.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I'm a little late to the party but I just wanted to join the others in saying ...

I'd also like to say how much I have enjoyed following your journey from where you started to where you are today! Impressive!

 

[Kaybrantley]

Greetings from your neighbor in the Tarheel State. Your soaps are beautiful and the mold is impressive.

 

[Jorah]

Greetings from your neighbor in the Tarheel State. Your soaps are beautiful and the mold is impressive.

Thanks for the kind comment, Kay! I hope I regain all of my enthusiasm for the soap once I conquer the DOS!

Re: North Carolina: I work in Charlotte three days a week, and my profile photo was taken at the 'grand canyon of the east!'