SMF August 2023 Challenge: SHAPES!

[AliOop]

I did not know this would happen with lard! I usually buy lard 6-8 1-lb packages at a time, since my regular grocery store doesn’t carry it. I store it in the freezer and take it out as needed. After reading this, I’ll be buying it in smaller quantities. I’m sorry you had such a mess on your hands! But thanks for the teaching moment.

If you are keeping it in the freezer, it should be fine. I've never, ever had lard or tallow go bad on me before, so it's probably my fault. Since I normally use it up pretty fast, this master batch of oils, as well as the additional lard, was stored at room temp (never more than 75F). But there was a space of about 3-4 months when I made no soap, and it just sat. Lesson learned!!

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Oh my goodness I'm so sorry to here that, that's awful I can't believe they would do that to her some times this world can be so cruel and that's pretty bad. She is so talented and she looks like shes enjoying that so much and that's just so awful they would take that away from her. That school should be closed down for something like that. Sorry I only just got your message now cause I was gone to my Son's place and I just got home. @ScentimentallyYours I hope you find her another piano player. Maybe you could find her some records or CDs with the music she likes, the kind with back ground music. Wow I just can't believe they did that to her I definitely hope you find someone to work with her.

It turns out the woman who runs the music school had a son after Kerry had been attending for several years, and several years later learned that her son also has autism. Kerry’s tantrum was so spectacular that the woman who runs the school made a business decision and asked her not to return. Not all of her student’s parents understood the tantrum, and I’m sure they didn’t know that Kerry was kicked out because of it it. And like many parents I’ve run across, I’m sure they blamed me for how I handled the situation. (Learned to low key my reactions long ago.) I really appreciate your sympathy for Kerry.

I need to make some more music/song themed soap.

 

[CLMP]

It turns out the woman who runs the music school had a son after Kerry had been attending for several years, and several years later learned that her son also has autism. Kerry’s tantrum was so spectacular that the woman who runs the school made a business decision and asked her not to return. Not all of her student’s parents understood the tantrum, and I’m sure they didn’t know that Kerry was kicked out because of it it. And like many parents I’ve run across, I’m sure they blamed me for how I handled the situation. (Learned to low key my reactions long ago.) I really appreciate your sympathy for Kerry.

I need to make some more music/song themed soap.

That's a great idea music themed soap I like that idea and I wish you the best of luck with finding someone to work music with your daughter. This is just an idea but if your daughter loves performing maybe you could find some church's for her to sing in and church's usually have piano players that might work with her and they usually invite people to sing. My mom does this as she loves singing too. I better go make breakfast for my 15 year old son lol

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

That's a great idea music themed soap I like that idea and I wish you the best of luck with finding someone to work music with your daughter. This is just an idea but if your daughter loves performing maybe you could find some church's for her to sing in and church's usually have piano players that might work with her and they usually invite people to sing. My mom does this as she loves singing too. I better go make breakfast for my 15 year old son lol

That’s a great idea for her to sing at church. The biggest problem I would have is she will insist on singing Moody, Blues songs.

Yes, there is inspiration in songs or instrumental pieces for inspiration in designing soap. When I first started making soap 25 years ago, I created a whole series of Moody Blues themed soaps, candles and fragrances to help network with some of the hard core MB fans and build acceptance for Kerry when she went to concerts. I had to explain that she was/still is the obsessed fan; I’m just her enabler. It was fun giving soap away at the concerts to people I knew from online. They were very kind to Kerry.

 

[CLMP]

That’s a great idea for her to sing at church. The biggest problem I would have is she will insist on singing Moody, Blues songs.

Yes, there is inspiration in songs or instrumental pieces for inspiration in designing soap. When I first started making soap 25 years ago, I created a whole series of Moody Blues themed soaps, candles and fragrances to help network with some of the hard core MB fans and build acceptance for Kerry when she went to concerts. I had to explain that she was/still is the obsessed fan; I’m just her enabler. It was fun giving soap away at the concerts to people I knew from online. They were very kind to Kerry.

That's so adorable that she would only want to sing moody blues songs hehe that made me giggle lol. We will have to write her some moody blues spiritual music for her, lol just kidding.

 

[AliOop]

Just a reminder that the Entry Thread opens in THREE DAYS.

 

[CLMP]

You know your getting old when you make a batch of embeds and they mysteriously disappear lol I can't find them anywhere I just made them a few days ago and now they're gone I can't remember where I put them hehe. I have searched everywhere in my house.

 

[AliOop]

Sorry @CLMP I am laughing with you, not at you. I put a bunch of stuff away for staging our house for sale, and darned if I can't find a bunch of it now!

 

[AliOop]

The Entry Thread has been officially opened! Looking forward to seeing everyone's beautiful creations!

For those of you on the fence, you still have until the closing date of August 28 to officially join the challenge and enter your soap. To sign up, please copy and paste these instructions and the list below into a new message. Then add your name and the next number for the next sign-up:

1. Ford....
2. glendam
3. Georgeandstella I'm in
4. 2lilboots
5. ScentimentallyYours
6. McKherring Farm
7. klaw2
8. CLMP-this will be interesting .
9. Tammyfarms - looking forward to the fun.
10. dmcgee5034 - I am finally feeling shapely for this challenge
11. The_Emerald_Chicken
12. Cindy D. all my good molds & color samples are at the other house...challenge
13.

 

[CLMP]

I can't wait to see everybody's soap this month. I'm just letting everyone know my soap might not be ready untill Sunday I just finished making a shape and I have one more to make before I'm ready to make my soap. I just hope everything goes as planned.

 

[VikingChick]

I’m really excited to see the entries!

 

[AliOop]

Here is the cleaned-up version of my non-entry soaps. They actually turned out kinda cute after some creative cutting up and hole-patching.

I'll trim them up in a few days and probably give them to friends to use as guest soaps, since most of them at most are about 2" x 2.5" in size.

 

[Cindy D.]

LOL, my shapes are not behaving like they are supposed to, my fitness band told me to "take a break and breath". No matter how they look, they will still be soap!
Can't wait to see what everyone makes!!

 

[glendam]

our microwave just died, just when I see it is time to make the soap; and it takes a while to get a new one installed. But maybe our hot weather will actually be useful. It has been 103 or so lately, so I may just have to leave the oils outside.

 

[CLMP]

I love your soaps pumpkins were a great idea with fall coming around the corner. Wow they are awesome @2lilboots and @dmcgee5034 you both used a pumpkin idea that looks so different from each other and yet they are both beautiful!

 

[Tammyfarms]

You know your getting old when you make a batch of embeds and they mysteriously disappear lol I can't find them anywhere I just made them a few days ago and now they're gone I can't remember where I put them hehe. I have searched everywhere in my house.

Not laughing at you, laughing because we are sisters! I lost a hoof pick for my horse today. Next thing I knew, it was right there, sitting in front of me. Ir may have been in my hand when I was digging through the bag I use for brushes.

 

[Tammyfarms]

My entry is posted. This is the not entry “practice” soap. I wanted to do a reverse feather swirl and this was my first. I didn’t make enough batter so the tree comes out of the top of the soap instead of the sky surrounding it. The tree gets wider at the top instead of the bottom and the branches are wonky. It is scented with peppermint EO and I am sure friends will be happy to receive it as it smells wonderful.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

My entry is posted. This is the not entry “practice” soap. I wanted to do a reverse feather swirl and this was my first. I didn’t make enough batter so the tree comes out of the top of the soap instead of the sky surrounding it. The tree gets wider at the top instead of the bottom and the branches are wonky. It is scented with peppermint EO and I am sure friends will be happy to receive it as it smells wonderful.

Turn it upside down and tell people it’s a Victorian tree, like in the PBS series Victoria, where they hung trees from the ceiling. This is one more case where an alternate perspective is useful because it’s hard to get one’s original preconceived vision out of one’s head* to reimagine the art.

* side story. I made several dichroic glass tiles for the Autoharp Gathering six years ago. Pic for reference.

On one of the tiles, I messed up royally, and the image came out backwards. If it didn’t say Autoharp gathering, I might have gotten away with it. I took it with me anyway, and put it in the silent auction along with another correct, facing tile like the one above. In an impulsive flash, I labeled the backward one as a dyslexic tile. Wouldn’t you know, it fetched four times the value of the correct tile. I try and remember that when I look at soap that turns out different than I expected.

 

[CLMP]

Not laughing at you, laughing because we are sisters! I lost a hoof pick for my horse today. Next thing I knew, it was right there, sitting in front of me. Ir may have been in my hand when I was digging through the bag I use for brushes.

Soap sisters for life lol I'm glad you found your hoof pick that also happens to me alot lol unfortunately I still can't find my embeds lol they were fake chocolate chips I made to sprinkle on top of my soap and put them in a tiny cup now I can't find it anywhere lol

 

[CLMP]

Oh I love your tree that is amazing @Tammyfarms that's a technique I haven't tried yet but plan on trying it in the future. It is truly cool ( because of the snow.)