Welcome to the August 2020 SMF Soap Challenge. This month’s challenge is the Zig Zag Cosmic Wave Technique. This technique, as far as I can tell, was created by Fraeuline Winter. She credits Tatsiana (Creative Soap by Steso) and Jelena (Soap Techniques) for her inspiration for the swirl.
PLEASE READ ALL RULES for the challenge.
SMF Challenge General Rules
1. To enter you must have a minimum of 50 posts and have been a SMF member for a month (sorry but no exceptions on this).
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. Please do not post photos of your entry until the entry thread is opened. Non-entry photos are always welcome and may be posted in this 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. You are allowed to change your entry photo until the entry thread closes. If you decide you want another try after you post your entry, and you like the second better, you can change it up until the deadline.
7. In the spirit of advancing our soap making skills, all members who sign-up for an 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.
8. 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 produced), but please do post your experiences in the main Challenge thread and be prepared to be encouraged to continue trying.
9. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please keep your comments polite.
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· Competition entries must be uploaded to the separate entry thread before the closing date. The entry thread will open on
August 21, 2020 at 11:59 pm GMT (Please follow the challenge specific rules as to what you need to enter).
· After the closing date on
August 27, 2020 at 11:59 pm GMT the winning entry will be chosen using Survey Monkey. Voting will be open from
August 28 through August 30, 2020 at 11:59 pm, and the winner will be announced on
August 31, 2020. 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 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.
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SPECIFIC RULES FOR THE AUGUST, 2020 CHALLENGE
1. You will make your soap using the Zig Zag Cosmic Wave Technique.
2. Ideally, you are looking for an ‘S’ curve running lengthwise through the center of your soap.
3. You may use any mold, however, a standard log/loaf mold is the best suited.
4. You will pour into one end of the mold with the opposite end of the mold elevated. Using a towel, books or other objects that can reduce the height of the elevation by about half part-way through your pour is helpful. I used two removable sides from another mold and the combined height was about 1”.
5. This is basically a variation of an in the pot swirl. You will layer the colored batter into a pouring vessel and pour alternately at the corners of one end of the mold, using a
slight back and forth motion. (See linked videos for examples)
6. Your picture must include either a minimum of 2 soaps from your batch, or the whole uncut loaf. If you upload more than one picture to the entry thread, please upload the photo you want to be used in the voting survey first. Otherwise, make a note stating which photo you would like to be included in the survey.
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Helpful tips:
1. Choose 2-3 colors with good contrast.
2. To elevate your mold, using a towel, books, or other items that will allow you to reduce the incline by about half part-way through your pour is best. I used two (removable) sides from one of my wood molds which each measured about ½”.
3. When layering the colors into a pouring vessel, I have found that not filling the pouring pitcher too full gives more control. I used half of my batter and then refilled the pitcher.
4. I recommend pouring one layer of soap to about the height you want your finished soap to be (slightly higher if you want to plane the surface). You can pour to fill your mold if you wish. In this case you will cut your soap horizontally through the center of the bar (as opposed to the normal vertical cut). I have found that while there is patterning doing this, it is not as distinct. My example soaps were made using 20 ounces of oils for a mold that measures 9 x 3.5 x 2.5. I planed the top surface for a smoother look to the bars.
5. Pour the batter until it reaches about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way to the opposite end of the mold, and then remove one of the items or refold the towel used for elevation. When the batter reaches the far end of the mold and starts to bunch up, remove the other item used for elevating so the mold is sitting flat.
6. Watch your batter. If it starts getting too thick to push the previously poured batter forward, elevate the end you are pouring into to help it along.
7. Use a slow-moving recipe and a well behaved fragrance or essential oil. Split the batter at emulsion or very thin trace so you have time to color and pour the layers into the pouring vessel.
8. This is rather difficult to explain with words – watching the linked videos will be very helpful. Please ask for clarification, or any questions you have.
9. Although similar in appearance, this is NOT a clamshell swirl. The key difference between the two is the Zig Zag Cosmic Wave soap is poured in two places at the end of the mold while the Clamshell Swirl is poured in three places. Watching videos of the Clamshell technique could be helpful in seeing more examples of how to pour using the zig zag motion.
Good luck everyone, and have fun! I'm looking forward to seeing what you make.
Technique videos:
Some soaps I have made using this technique:
View attachment 48274View attachment 48275View attachment 48276
Other examples:
By Lucie Kantorova:
View attachment 48277
By Nani Kozmetika:
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By Seifen Im Gluek:
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elevated mold:
View attachment 48281
batter layered in pouring pitcher:
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first pour, just before removing first elevating item:
View attachment 48283
