Welcome to the April 2023 SMF Soap Challenge. This month’s challenge is to make a soap using the Faux Funnel technique. This technique is made by pouring pools of color, one on top of the other to make concentric rings, WITHOUT using a funnel. You then will choose to leave the rings as they are, or manipulate the poured soap by swirling with a skewer or spinning the mold to create movement. I have also shown an example of using the Faux Funnel technique as an embed. I’m excited to see what you all will choose to do!
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 throw our plans out of whack, 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. You may use any mold you choose, with the exception of individual cavity molds.
2. Soap must be made with CP/CPOP or HP.
3. A minimum of three colors is required (uncolored counts as a color)
4. You must create your soap by pouring concentric circles. You do not have to pour directly into the center of the previous pour, but you must pour into the circle (no using the wall of the mold). Each concentric circle must have at least four separate pours. Pouring a solid color base before starting the faux funnel pours is allowed.
5. No funnels can be used while pouring your soap.
6. You have the option to LIGHTLY swirl your soap after you have finished pouring. Only minimal swirling should be done in order to preserve the integrity of your faux funnel effect.
7. Cutting your soaps horizontally best shows this technique, and I strongly recommend doing that. Your soap will not be disqualified if cut vertically (like a loaf of bread). The first example below shows the face of the soap when cut horizontally as well as an edge which is what a vertical cut would look like.
8. In addition to your entry photo of your cut soap masterpieces, please include a photo of your soap after you have completed pouring, but before any swirling has been done.
Tips:
A light trace is best for this technique, but don’t give up if your batter thickens. Pounding the mold will help flatten the soap, and swirling can save a less than desired result.
Using a slab mold will allow you to pour closer to the surface and help avoid breaking through the previous layer. Squeeze bottles can help if you are using a loaf mold.
Start by pouring in a few different spots in the mold. You can continue pouring into these spots or move to begin pouring into new areas. You can also try pouring all your batter into one spot. The design you create is your choice.
Below are a few examples for inspiration. Showing the face and side of a horizontal cut. The batter for this soap got quite thick:
This soap was made by first pouring a base of blue into the mold:
This soap uses a faux funnel embed:
As it only uses two colors, this soap wouldn't qualify but it is an elegant example of this technique and one of my all time favorites. By Soaps and Fantasies:
A good example of concentric rings by AromaticaLabo.
There are many YouTube videos available. It's a pretty straightforward technique, so I'm only including a couple of them.
Marie Mousse calls this a modified Dancing Funnel, but I would consider it a faux funnel. The pour starts at around 3 minutes.
Pouring all the batter into one spot:
Good luck and I hope you have fun with this!
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 throw our plans out of whack, 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 April 21 by 11:59 PM GMT (Please follow the challenge specific rules as to what you need to enter).
- After the closing date on April 25 at 11:59 PM GMT the winning entry will be chosen by a voting survey. Voting will be open until April 29 at 11:59 PM GMT 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 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. You may use any mold you choose, with the exception of individual cavity molds.
2. Soap must be made with CP/CPOP or HP.
3. A minimum of three colors is required (uncolored counts as a color)
4. You must create your soap by pouring concentric circles. You do not have to pour directly into the center of the previous pour, but you must pour into the circle (no using the wall of the mold). Each concentric circle must have at least four separate pours. Pouring a solid color base before starting the faux funnel pours is allowed.
5. No funnels can be used while pouring your soap.
6. You have the option to LIGHTLY swirl your soap after you have finished pouring. Only minimal swirling should be done in order to preserve the integrity of your faux funnel effect.
7. Cutting your soaps horizontally best shows this technique, and I strongly recommend doing that. Your soap will not be disqualified if cut vertically (like a loaf of bread). The first example below shows the face of the soap when cut horizontally as well as an edge which is what a vertical cut would look like.
8. In addition to your entry photo of your cut soap masterpieces, please include a photo of your soap after you have completed pouring, but before any swirling has been done.
Tips:
A light trace is best for this technique, but don’t give up if your batter thickens. Pounding the mold will help flatten the soap, and swirling can save a less than desired result.
Using a slab mold will allow you to pour closer to the surface and help avoid breaking through the previous layer. Squeeze bottles can help if you are using a loaf mold.
Start by pouring in a few different spots in the mold. You can continue pouring into these spots or move to begin pouring into new areas. You can also try pouring all your batter into one spot. The design you create is your choice.
Below are a few examples for inspiration. Showing the face and side of a horizontal cut. The batter for this soap got quite thick:
This soap was made by first pouring a base of blue into the mold:
This soap uses a faux funnel embed:
As it only uses two colors, this soap wouldn't qualify but it is an elegant example of this technique and one of my all time favorites. By Soaps and Fantasies:
A good example of concentric rings by AromaticaLabo.
There are many YouTube videos available. It's a pretty straightforward technique, so I'm only including a couple of them.
Marie Mousse calls this a modified Dancing Funnel, but I would consider it a faux funnel. The pour starts at around 3 minutes.
Pouring all the batter into one spot:
Good luck and I hope you have fun with this!
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but I can't wait to see everyone's soaps
you need to have 50 posts in at the time of the challenge announcement to join. I am so sorry.
