SMF April 2020 Challenge - Strainer Pour/Pull Through Technique

[Sonya-m]

Hopefully have time for one more attempt; if not, attempt number 2 is my entry. I don’t hate it but it’s not exactly how I wanted it to be.

I am going to down to the wire. I thought I was going to get to it today but my neck is so stiff I need traction tonight and then attempt tomorrow morning. It won't be planed or looking great but it should be hard enough to enter by Sunday night.

And yes I have an over the door water bag traction I use for when my neck vertebrata pressures the nerves. My right hand gets tingly until I stretch the neck to release the pressure on the nerve. Getting old stinks.

I hope your neck/hand is feeling better

 

[AliOop]

Hi everyone, I must withdraw from the challenge this time. My father-in-law passed away this past week after a decade of memory care due to severe dementia. We are thankful that he's in heaven and no longer in pain or confusion. But soaping and other things are on hold for the time being while we sort out his affairs. Best of luck to all, and I'll look forward to reconnecting when life settles down.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Hi everyone, I must withdraw from the challenge this time. My father-in-law passed away this past week after a decade of memory care due to severe dementia. We are thankful that he's in heaven and no longer in pain or confusion. But soaping and other things are on hold for the time being while we sort out his affairs. Best of luck to all, and I'll look forward to reconnecting when life settles down.

Very sorry for your loss.

 

[Sonya-m]

Hi everyone, I must withdraw from the challenge this time. My father-in-law passed away this past week after a decade of memory care due to severe dementia. We are thankful that he's in heaven and no longer in pain or confusion. But soaping and other things are on hold for the time being while we sort out his affairs. Best of luck to all, and I'll look forward to reconnecting when life settles down.

So sorry to hear that. Thoughts are with you and your family. I lost my nanna last week to the same thing

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Hi everyone, I must withdraw from the challenge this time. My father-in-law passed away this past week after a decade of memory care due to severe dementia. We are thankful that he's in heaven and no longer in pain or confusion. But soaping and other things are on hold for the time being while we sort out his affairs. Best of luck to all, and I'll look forward to reconnecting when life settles down.

My condolences to you and your family.

@Sonya-m I’m sorry to hear that you lost your nanna.

 

[dibbles]

@AliOop and @Sonya-m I am so very sorry for the loss of your loved ones.

 

[msunnerstood]

Introducing my challenge fail. I used netting because its what I had and it must not have been thick enough because it mostly just pulled through the soap without taking much of the design with it.

 

[bookreader451]

So my third try is in the mold. Hopefully tomorrow it is okay. The pic below is the first one I made with a shower drain, fishing line, and Popsicle sticks. It tipped coming up so most of the design is on one quarter of the soap

 

[bookreader451]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[szaza]

Oh no @AliOop and @Sonya-m my deepest condolences to you both...

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Anyone need soap? I made a few too many batches for this challenge. The first one, which was a relatively safe design, turned out fine, but then the challenge became a bit of a brain teaser for me. I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationships between the batter trace stage, the thickness of the layers poured and the nature of the object being pulled through the batter (open versus solid area, size of the holes). Then there’s color theory and color balance, which are always challenges for me, especially since I’ve only begun to scratch the surface with micas and my results with natural colorants are far from predictable. You know you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole when instead of cleaning the house and doing laundry you decide there’s just enough time for a last attempt before the deadline.

 

[szaza]

I finally got my second try in the mold. As it turned out, I had just enough masterbatched lye left for this batch (it was a close one) my batter thickened a lot faster than I anticipated and I'm afraid the pull through won't be very visible. Nevertheless my colors looked quite nice, so I hope I'll at least have a reasonably pretty soap to enter tomorrow (with natural colors you never know).
Eta: @Mobjack Bay I used indigo in ammonia for the first time and it turned the prettiest green I've ever seen. I'm secretly hoping it'll stay green)

 

[dibbles]

Anyone need soap?

Good one!

 

[Microchick]

I was thinking of using those $tree cutting mats. I have quite a few laying around that I use as dividers, and so forth, so was thinking of using that, but thought it wouldn't pull through. I may try it eventually anyway, now that I know someone else has basically done the same thing.

It should work if you glue 2 of them together so they won't bend. Good luck!

 

[szaza]

Well, I don't think I really have an entry. I'll try to clean up attempt nr.2 tonight, but it doesn't look good. It's just a blob of undefined colors and the base color is way too dark/yellow (boohoo rice bran oil!). The colors changed to what they were supposed to look like (pink and blue instead of grey and green which they were yesterday when I poured). I think with more fluid and white batter (eg without the RBO) it would've been a nice soap. My first one is so much better looking, but doesn't comply with challenge rules as I lost my third color along the way.

(Edited for choice of words, content still the same)

 

[dibbles]

Well, I don't think I really have an entry. I'll try to clean up attempt nr.2 tonight, but it doesn't look good. It's just a blob of undefined colors and the base color is way too dark/yellow (**** you rice bran oil!). The colors changed to what they were supposed to look like (pink and blue instead of grey and green which they were yesterday when I poured). I think with more fluid and white batter (eg without the RBO) it would've been a nice soap. My first one is so much better looking, but doesn't comply with challenge rules as I lost my third color along the way.

Did you not have a third color at all, or does it just not show up much? If it's there at all, it would qualify.

 

[szaza]

I added it, but it was a very pale green and disappeared because I also added white clay. I sometimes think I can see it, but I'm wondering if I'm just fooling myself..

 

[dibbles]

I added it, but it was a very pale green and disappeared because I also added white clay. I sometimes think I can see it, but I'm wondering if I'm just fooling myself..

If it is there at all, even in the form of a lighter neutral, it would count.

 

[atiz]

@szaza, I was looking forward to seeing your entry!!
I did not have time to make another attempt and my first one was less than successful (see somewhere above in this thread). So I'm afraid I won't have anything to enter either.
But, I really like this technique, so will try it again the next time I get to make soap (probably not for a while though).

 

[dibbles]

Just a reminder that the entry thread will close at 11:59 GMT today (which is the same as 6:59 CDT). Great entries so far!