Passing back a little hint.

[starduster]

Some time back I read a little hint from someone here about their soapmaking records.
They said that they printed off each recipe and put it in a plastic cover in a folder for future reference. :idea:
I think they mentioned in particular the http://www.soapmaker.ca/SMhome.htm program. You could do it with any program of course.
It is easier to pick up the folder and find it there than always getting that program back up on computor just to check some point.
I started that imediately on reading that. The folder sits right on my table most times.
I just thought I would throw that back in for the newer soapers since I have found it so wonderful.
Of course I selected one with cute fairies on saying appropriately "Create your own magic."

 

[surf girl]

I'm thinking about putting my recipes and notes into hard format, but currently it's all on my laptop. My laptop is very wee and light and is constantly at hand, usually up and running and not requiring booting up - I carry it from room to room (because I am a freak who is always perusing The Soap Making Forum or looking up the TV listings or fact-checking for various arguments with mr surf girl or, or, or...). It's currently just in Word, and it allows me to update very quickly - I'll add a little line like "Jan 31, 8 weeks, scent still strong" and it's instantly up to date.

[ETA: we have wireless set up, so that I am always online in the house - or out on the patio, for that matter - and can instantly do a quick alteration on soapcalc if I want to resize etc. I plonk the laptop on the counter and use it while I soap, with multiple windows open].

However convenient the laptop is, I still like paper. So I may transfer some version of it into a nice book like you describe, starduster.

 

[IrishLass]

Record keeping is so important. I was recently reminded of how important it is when just this week I was going through my usually anally meticulous notes and realized I did something different for a certain standard recipe a couple of months ago and completely forgot to jot down why I did it differently. Now I'm sitting here racking my brain and wondering, 'What on earth was I thinking to do it that way for???" I'm sure I had a good reason at the time to do it that way, but darned if I can figure it out now.


IrishLass

 

[rszuba]

starduster,
i'm right with ya on that.

i have some hard copies of my soap recipes in a binder w/plastic sleeves and i have a note book with each batch i do written down.

but... sometimes i get in a hurry and fix some face serum and such and don't note it-- then if it works wonders or smells great i am left racking my brain. my husband used my face serum the other day and said that smells wonderful what is in it????????

 

[Chay]

All my notes are written in my journals. They're both handcrafted. The large one is 16"x12" I keep it at home. It contains entries about my life and loved ones, poetry, interesting quotes and advise, sketches, and all of my hand written soap notes and ideas. The small one is 6"x5" I carry it in my bag. It goes with me to the library, work, hiking, where ever I happen to be going. It too is full of brainstorms and doodles.
I'd like to be able to pass them on to a grandchild one day, but who knows maybe a 100 years from now someone will find them in an old estate sell and consider them a treasure.

 

[Sonam]

I wonder about that sometimes, thats why I DON"T keep a journal LOL :? I'm not sure if what's in mine would be treasure.

I just started this thing of writting things down (i usally forget everything and don't make notes) I have a little binder that stays in the kitchen now for this. Its a 6 ring half size binder with loose pages that can be refilled, it would normally be like a day planner i guess. I have been printing out mini half sizes of the recipes from soapcalc and MMS and putting notes on the back of them as i make the soap.

But those don't have a binder yet and I lost a recipe already (that i want to do again), i know its somewhere in my apt! :x

 

[MikeInPdx]

I have a three ring binder I keep my printed recipes in....it's very handy.

 

[kellistarr]

I keep a journal. It serves many purposes. I jot down my soap recipes, why I did it this way, why I added that. I write down preparation dates, cure dates, what the soap is doing, how it smells. It's also for brainstorming. I do a lot of talking to this journal about soap and how I feel about making it, new products I heard about and plan on getting. The results of my soap, how it conditioned, lathered etc. . . This journal is very therapeutic and it spares everyone around me, including DH.

 

[AshleyR]

I do this!

I print my recipes straight from soapcalc.com, then put them in my plastic folders in a binder. The plastic folders are a great idea because I know I have splashed and spilled things on them a number of times when making soap!

 

[IrishLass]

I have big 3-ring binders that I keep print-outs from SoapCalc of every individual batch that I make and with all the foundational information typed in such as the oils/fats, the lye solution, superfat, how much scent, etc. To that, I make sure to add the date, the scent used, and any other additives such as colorants. milks, sugar, etc... I keep the print-outs in the binder with the oldest batch at the back, all the way through to the latest batch at the front.

But I don't stop there. I also have back-up 8 1/2 x 11 lined journals (I really love using the Red n' Black brand journals from Staples), and in those I handwrite every recipe down in meticulous detail of how I went about carrying it out from start to finish, including thoughts & notes about the recipe, the finished soap, and the reasons for doing it this way or that way. I make sure to write down whether things accelerated or not, the temps I used, yadda, yadda, yadda, etc..., and I also record the feedback I get back from my testers.

It may seem so anal, but but my notes are like a life-line to me. I make so many batches and do so many experiments that if if I didn't have my notes I'd get totally confused and plum forget how or why I did this or that, and I wouldn't be able to duplicate any results that happened to turn out great (or else repeat a dreaded mistake and kick myself for not keeping notes ).

Notes are good! Yep, notes are my friend!

IrishLass