Welcome to the September 2022 SMF Soap Challenge! For this month’s challenge, we will make hybrid soaps combining Cold Process (CP) soap with Melt and Pour (MP) soap. There are many different kinds of ways MP and CP can be combined and this month we’ll specifically be trying to pour both soaps together. This may sound a bit scary, but you can create awesome effects with this technique and it’s actually a lot easier than it sounds.
Here's a beautiful example by Handmade in Florida:
Please read the general rules and the challenge specific rules below and let’s have some soapy fun!
SMF Challenge General Rules
1. To enter you must have been a SMF member for at least one month and have a minimum of 50 posts at the time the Challenge is posted (sorry but no exceptions on this). Supporting Members can enter immediately, the time and post requirements are removed.
2. The only members eligible to vote are those with their names on the sign-up list - regardless of whether or not you have submitted an entry. The sign-up list will be posted in this thread.
3. This month’s voting will be password locked. Passwords will be sent by private message (via SMF conversations) to registered participants ONLY, so please check your messages when the voting begins.
4. A separate entry thread will be created and this is where you will post photos of your entry soap. Please do not post photos of your entry until the entry thread is opened. Post pictures of your entry soap only in the challenge entry thread.
Non-entry photos are always welcome and may be posted in the general challenge thread. The challenge thread should be used to upload pictures of any of your challenge attempts (other than your entry) where you can ask for advice and discuss the technique with other members, and provide helpful hints you learned along the way.
5. Your soap must be made after the monthly challenge has been announced.
6. In the spirit of advancing our soap making skills, all members who sign-up for a SMF Challenge do so with the expectation that they will make every attempt to make a soap for the challenge. Writing about your experience in the challenge is encouraged. By doing so, each participant has a better knowledge of your process when voting. We do understand that sometimes things come up in our lives and interrupt our plans, however, signing up with no intent to participate and only to vote is not in the spirit of the challenges and is not allowed.
7. Please add your name to the sign-up list if you wish to participate (you don’t have to enter a soap at the end if you don’t feel happy with what you have made), but please do post your experiences in the main Challenge thread and be prepared to be encouraged to continue trying.
8. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please keep your comments polite.
* * * *
Specific Rules for this Challenge
1. The challenge this month is to make a hybrid soap, combining CP and MP soap. The soaps should be poured together (so both need to be fluid at the pouring stage – no embeds).
2. You can use any pouring/swirling technique you’d like. Keep in mind MP hardens as soon as it cools, so I’d recommend basic pours like drop swirl, layers,… but if you want to give yourself a challenge, go for it!
3. You can pour CP into MP or MP into CP or alternate or pour both together or,….
4. You can swirl your soap after pouring if you are so inclined, but it’s not mandatory.
5. You can use any mould you like and any cut you like (I think with MP silicone might be a little easier than a lined wood mould).
6. For the very brave, combining hot process (HP) and MP soaps will also be allowed.
7. If you prefer homemade translucent soap, this will also be accepted instead of MP soap.
8. If you prefer opaque MP soap this will be accepted. I personally think the beauty of this technique is the combination of traslucent MP and opaque CP soap, but maybe you have an amazing idea for combining opaque MP and CP that I never thought of!
Tips:
I’m sorry, I haven’t been able to find a lot of useful tips since this isn’t a very widely used technique. If you find more, please share in the challenge thread!
1. The densities of the different types of soaps are a little different. Grace from ‘From Grace to you’ uses salt in her CP soap to make it sink into the MP better. I have found that pouring height also makes a big difference.
2. I’d advise using a little less water in your recipe to prevent warping (MP doesn’t shrink during cure, CP does).
Examples:
Here are some examples of the awesome effects you can create with hybrid soaps.
Handmade in Florida (drop swirl with MP poured into CP soap)
Saponaceoussoap (Layered soap with MP and CP soap poured on top of each other)
From Grace to you (pouring CP into MP soap)
My own first try:
Please sign up below if you are planning to participate in this month's Challenge. (Next Post)
Here's a beautiful example by Handmade in Florida:
Please read the general rules and the challenge specific rules below and let’s have some soapy fun!
SMF Challenge General Rules
1. To enter you must have been a SMF member for at least one month and have a minimum of 50 posts at the time the Challenge is posted (sorry but no exceptions on this). Supporting Members can enter immediately, the time and post requirements are removed.
2. The only members eligible to vote are those with their names on the sign-up list - regardless of whether or not you have submitted an entry. The sign-up list will be posted in this thread.
3. This month’s voting will be password locked. Passwords will be sent by private message (via SMF conversations) to registered participants ONLY, so please check your messages when the voting begins.
4. A separate entry thread will be created and this is where you will post photos of your entry soap. Please do not post photos of your entry until the entry thread is opened. Post pictures of your entry soap only in the challenge entry thread.
Non-entry photos are always welcome and may be posted in the general challenge thread. The challenge thread should be used to upload pictures of any of your challenge attempts (other than your entry) where you can ask for advice and discuss the technique with other members, and provide helpful hints you learned along the way.
5. Your soap must be made after the monthly challenge has been announced.
6. In the spirit of advancing our soap making skills, all members who sign-up for a SMF Challenge do so with the expectation that they will make every attempt to make a soap for the challenge. Writing about your experience in the challenge is encouraged. By doing so, each participant has a better knowledge of your process when voting. We do understand that sometimes things come up in our lives and interrupt our plans, however, signing up with no intent to participate and only to vote is not in the spirit of the challenges and is not allowed.
7. Please add your name to the sign-up list if you wish to participate (you don’t have to enter a soap at the end if you don’t feel happy with what you have made), but please do post your experiences in the main Challenge thread and be prepared to be encouraged to continue trying.
8. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please keep your comments polite.
* * * *
- Competition entries must be uploaded to the separate entry thread before the closing date.
- Note all times listed are Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and it is your responsibility to convert times to your own time zone.
- The entry thread will open on September 22 by 11:59pm GMT (Please follow the challenge specific rules as to what you need to enter).
- After the closing date on September 27 at 11:59pm GMT the winning entry will be chosen by a voting survey. Voting will be open until September 29 at 11:59pm GMT and the winner will be announced on September 30. There is no prize attached to this challenge.
- If you fail to make the challenge deadline, you are still welcome to upload pictures of your soap to the general challenge thread, but your entry will not be eligible for voting. We always love to see anything you have created.
- Even though there is no prize, this is still a competition. If your entry is deemed not to fulfill the general rules or the rules specific to the challenge in any way, then you will be given the opportunity to amend your entry. If this is not possible, your entry will not be included in the voting.
- All the challenge mods reserve the right to have the final say on whether a soap is eligible for voting.
Specific Rules for this Challenge
1. The challenge this month is to make a hybrid soap, combining CP and MP soap. The soaps should be poured together (so both need to be fluid at the pouring stage – no embeds).
2. You can use any pouring/swirling technique you’d like. Keep in mind MP hardens as soon as it cools, so I’d recommend basic pours like drop swirl, layers,… but if you want to give yourself a challenge, go for it!
3. You can pour CP into MP or MP into CP or alternate or pour both together or,….
4. You can swirl your soap after pouring if you are so inclined, but it’s not mandatory.
5. You can use any mould you like and any cut you like (I think with MP silicone might be a little easier than a lined wood mould).
6. For the very brave, combining hot process (HP) and MP soaps will also be allowed.
7. If you prefer homemade translucent soap, this will also be accepted instead of MP soap.
8. If you prefer opaque MP soap this will be accepted. I personally think the beauty of this technique is the combination of traslucent MP and opaque CP soap, but maybe you have an amazing idea for combining opaque MP and CP that I never thought of!
Tips:
I’m sorry, I haven’t been able to find a lot of useful tips since this isn’t a very widely used technique. If you find more, please share in the challenge thread!
1. The densities of the different types of soaps are a little different. Grace from ‘From Grace to you’ uses salt in her CP soap to make it sink into the MP better. I have found that pouring height also makes a big difference.
2. I’d advise using a little less water in your recipe to prevent warping (MP doesn’t shrink during cure, CP does).
Examples:
Here are some examples of the awesome effects you can create with hybrid soaps.
Handmade in Florida (drop swirl with MP poured into CP soap)
Saponaceoussoap (Layered soap with MP and CP soap poured on top of each other)
From Grace to you (pouring CP into MP soap)
My own first try:
Please sign up below if you are planning to participate in this month's Challenge. (Next Post)
