Welcome to the April 2022 SMF Soap Challenge! For this month’s challenge, you will make soaps using a Straight Line design. This is a fun technique that I have been intimidated by for a long time, but actually looks more difficult than it is.
Please read the general rules (there have been some changes lately, so really, PLEASE READ THEM) 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 in the challenge entry thread only.
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.
* * * *
Specific Rules for this Challenge
1. The challenge this month is to make soap using a Straight Line design. This means you’ll pour a layer of soap and wait for it to set up enough to support the next layer, to create perfectly straight lines. You’ll need to make a minimum of 3 layers to enter, but if you can, I’d encourage you to go for more layers (you’ll be asked to judge each other’s soaps based on the amount and straightness of the layers)
2. You may use any method you choose to make your soap, EXCEPT Melt and Pour! Cold process (CP) or cold process/oven process (CPOP) is the method that will work best.
3. You may use any mold you choose.
4. Your lines may be straight or slanted
5. You must use at least two colors (obviously). Using uncolored batter for one of the colors is acceptable.
6. The individual layers should be one single color (no extra techniques within the layers).
7. Your layers can have different thicknesses.
8. You can either make individual batches of soap for each layer with a (relatively) fast moving recipe (so you don’t have to wait too long for the layers to set up), or make one big batch with a slower moving recipe and divide out smaller portions for the layers. The first seems more intimidating, but I’ve found it to work better (and faster) than the latter.
9. For your entry photo you can choose your favorite bar or bars from your batch. If you choose to include more than one photo of your soaps in the entry thread, please post the photo you would like to have used for the voting survey first.
* * * *
Tips:
1. Make sure your layers are made with enough batter so you can still stick blend them safely. I think some people use a mini mixer for small layers – so that’s also an option if you have one.
2. Choose your recipe based on the approach you’ll be taking (one slow moving big batch vs multiple faster moving small batches)
3. Be aware that big batches of soap generally trace faster than smaller batches
4. This is a technique where you can use accelering fragrance oils (but you don’t have to). If you use one big batch of slow tracing oils, you can add the fragrance just before pouring to make the soap set up faster (but don’t forget it in one layer..).
5. The big batch slow trace with accelerating fragrance technique didn’t work for me with EOs even with an FO I had to wait a long time to get everything set up.
6. If your layers don’t set up quick enough you can pop your mold in the oven on low heat.
7. I have found that with a fast tracing recipe, the time I needed to measure and mix all my ingredients was just enough for the previous layer to set up, making it a very streamlined experience without much waiting and a lot less time consuming than I expected.
8. I have found light or medium trace to be the perfect consistency for pouring. If the batter is too thick, you need to bang the soap really hard to make the top of the layer flat. If the batter is very fluid it will need more time to set up.
9. You can pour over a spoon or spatula to make sure you don’t break through previous layers.
10. If you go for slanted layers, be aware you might need to adjust the amount of batter for each layer.
For more inspiration and explanation you can look at these blog posts:
December 2017 Soap Challenge"Straight Lines Design"
And for the ambitious soapers:
Soap "The universe in the jewelry box"
Great Cakes Soap Challenge Club Straight Line Designs Challenge
Or these videos:
This is the result of my own experiment with this technique (this one is made from 5 different batches and the first time I succeeded at this technique):
Please read the general rules (there have been some changes lately, so really, PLEASE READ THEM) 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 in the challenge entry thread only.
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.
- The entry thread will open on April 18 at 11:59pm GMT (Please follow the challenge specific rules as to what you need to enter).
- After the closing date on April 26 at 11:59pm GMT the winning entry will be chosen using Survey Monkey. Voting will be open from April 27-29 and the winner will be announced on April 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 onto 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 soap using a Straight Line design. This means you’ll pour a layer of soap and wait for it to set up enough to support the next layer, to create perfectly straight lines. You’ll need to make a minimum of 3 layers to enter, but if you can, I’d encourage you to go for more layers (you’ll be asked to judge each other’s soaps based on the amount and straightness of the layers)
2. You may use any method you choose to make your soap, EXCEPT Melt and Pour! Cold process (CP) or cold process/oven process (CPOP) is the method that will work best.
3. You may use any mold you choose.
4. Your lines may be straight or slanted
5. You must use at least two colors (obviously). Using uncolored batter for one of the colors is acceptable.
6. The individual layers should be one single color (no extra techniques within the layers).
7. Your layers can have different thicknesses.
8. You can either make individual batches of soap for each layer with a (relatively) fast moving recipe (so you don’t have to wait too long for the layers to set up), or make one big batch with a slower moving recipe and divide out smaller portions for the layers. The first seems more intimidating, but I’ve found it to work better (and faster) than the latter.
9. For your entry photo you can choose your favorite bar or bars from your batch. If you choose to include more than one photo of your soaps in the entry thread, please post the photo you would like to have used for the voting survey first.
* * * *
Tips:
1. Make sure your layers are made with enough batter so you can still stick blend them safely. I think some people use a mini mixer for small layers – so that’s also an option if you have one.
2. Choose your recipe based on the approach you’ll be taking (one slow moving big batch vs multiple faster moving small batches)
3. Be aware that big batches of soap generally trace faster than smaller batches
4. This is a technique where you can use accelering fragrance oils (but you don’t have to). If you use one big batch of slow tracing oils, you can add the fragrance just before pouring to make the soap set up faster (but don’t forget it in one layer..).
5. The big batch slow trace with accelerating fragrance technique didn’t work for me with EOs even with an FO I had to wait a long time to get everything set up.
6. If your layers don’t set up quick enough you can pop your mold in the oven on low heat.
7. I have found that with a fast tracing recipe, the time I needed to measure and mix all my ingredients was just enough for the previous layer to set up, making it a very streamlined experience without much waiting and a lot less time consuming than I expected.
8. I have found light or medium trace to be the perfect consistency for pouring. If the batter is too thick, you need to bang the soap really hard to make the top of the layer flat. If the batter is very fluid it will need more time to set up.
9. You can pour over a spoon or spatula to make sure you don’t break through previous layers.
10. If you go for slanted layers, be aware you might need to adjust the amount of batter for each layer.
For more inspiration and explanation you can look at these blog posts:
December 2017 Soap Challenge"Straight Lines Design"
And for the ambitious soapers:
Soap "The universe in the jewelry box"
Great Cakes Soap Challenge Club Straight Line Designs Challenge
Or these videos:
This is the result of my own experiment with this technique (this one is made from 5 different batches and the first time I succeeded at this technique):
Can’t wait to see what you all come up with!
Seriously though, I went the accelerating fragrance route, because I didn't have much time to soap (if I wanted to get to bed at a decent hour, that is). Let's just say, that's probably wasn't the best choice for me.... aaaaand there will be zero straight layers in this soap.
I mixed my lye solution each time, so it was very hot and the soap traced faster, but you could also masterbatch both your lye and oils. You can even add your fragrance to your oils already if you only masterbatch for this soap. Then you only have 3 things to add together before blending to trace and pouring. You can still use an accelerating FO so the layers set faster (just be sure you can pour at trace). Hope your next try comes out more to your liking!
