SMF February 2022 Challenge - Ocean-Inspired

[Mobjack Bay]

Hrm. My imagination would appreciate some photos.

I put a photo, here.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

closing date on February 24, 2022 at 11:59 GMT

Dudes, where have you all submerged? Judging from some promising reports here, the submission thread should be way be crowded. We're nearly half through the submission period, and I'd be delighted to see at least TWO more submissions. If only for the illusion of free choice.


@Mobjack Bay
At some time, once I'm grown-up, I'll find out/remember whom to ask for changing the link in the challenge announcement banner from last month's entry thread to the current.

 

[Lyric]

Welcome to the February 2022 SMF Soap Challenge. This month’s challenge is to make an Ocean-Inspired soap. The goal is to use a technique or combination of techniques of your choosing to create a sense of movement in the ocean portion the soap. The ocean design element must be at least 60% of the soap.

PLEASE READ ALL RULES for the Challenge, including the general and specific rules below. Some rules have been changed and updated in recent months.

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.
• The entry thread will open on February 17, 2022 at 11:59 GMT (Please follow the challenge specific rules as to what you need to enter).
• After the closing date on February 24, 2022 at 11:59 GMT the winning entry will be chosen using Survey Monkey. Voting will be open from February 25 through February 26, 2022 at 11:59 GMT and the winner will be announced on February 27, 2022. 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.

* * * *
Specific Rules for this Challenge:

1. This month’s challenge is to make an Ocean-Inspired soap. If you choose to participate, you will create a lye-based soap using a technique or combination of techniques to create a sense of movement (examples are waves, currents, eddies, turbulence, maelstroms, or any interpretation of ocean movement you choose) in the ocean portion of the soap.

2. The ocean design element must be at least 60% of the soap.

3. You may use any shape, colors, additives, embeds or design technique(s), but not M+P, to create the soap.

4. An “ocean-scape” that includes ocean bottom and/or land and/or sky, and/or the inclusion of flora or fauna will be acceptable as long as at least 60% of the design represents ocean water.

5. The criteria give you latitude in your interpretation of the ocean in motion.

6. A photo of one (1) bar of soap from your batch is required to enter. Please position the entry photo at the top of your entry post.

7. If you would like to add additional photos of the entry soap, a photo or other image of your source(s) of inspiration, a description of the techniques you used make the soap, or any other details about your inspiration or process, please do! As noted in #6, please add the details below the entry photo, which should be the first photo in your entry post.

* * * *
I’ve made more than a few batches while exploring different ways to evoke a sense of movement in the ocean. Here are three examples:

View attachment 64175

This soap was inspired by memories of being out on the ocean during a major storm. It was made in a slab mold using the technique shown in a YT video by Yvonne:



View attachment 64178

While Moby **** probably didn't spend much time near either pole, a rare sperm whale sighting in the Arctic reminds me that the ranges of many species are changing as the global ocean moves to a warmer state. The mold-length whale embed was carved from a batch of uncolored soap. I added the details to the whale using soap trimmings after the bars were cut. Those are chunks of sea ice bobbing around in the upper layers of the soap.


View attachment 64181View attachment 64180

This soap was inspired by a stunning NASA/USGS Landsat 8 image of freshwater from Canada's MacKenzie River flowing into the coastal Arctic Ocean. After pouring layered batter into a slab mold from a pitcher using a drop swirl technique, I manipulated the fluid batter on the top of the soap by blowing it around using a pipette. This is the Air Blow aka Dutch Pour technique that was featured in the SMF March 2021 Challenge hosted by @earlene.

My next post will include inspiration soaps made by others and a few design ideas that I think would be fun to reproduce in soap.

I hope you have fun with this challenge!

OMG, I can smell this through my monitor!!!!!

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

1. dibbles -
2. AliOop - yay
3. The_Emerald_Chicken -
4. Scentimentally Yours -
5. Vicki C -
6. Misschief - I'll give it another go (no maritime emoji for me)
7. Kaymay - got the bug now
8. Heather McClain - 🏝
9. glendam - I have been toying with an idea
10. peachymoon - Whale, here goes nothin'!
11. Catscankim - 🏖
12. melonpan - going with the emoji bonanza
13. ResolvableOwl -
14. @Zing , going to my happy place on the sands of Hawai'i on this sub-zero degree F day in Minnesota.

 

[AliOop]

@Peachy Clean Soap great to see you! Been wondering where you've been.

@ResolvableOwl some of us are still dithering about designs.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

@Peachy Clean Soap great to see you! Been wondering where you've been.

@ResolvableOwl some of us are still dithering about designs.

Awww thank you
It's good to be back' took some time off, realized this morning I want to make soap & need my Soapmaking Friends!
Missed ya'll.

Could someone be so kind to enter my name in this challenge' my computer skills are not up to par & I truly appreciate your help.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

1. dibbles -
2. AliOop - yay
3. The_Emerald_Chicken -
4. Scentimentally Yours -
5. Vicki C -
6. Misschief - I'll give it another go (no maritime emoji for me)
7. Kaymay - got the bug now
8. Heather McClain - 🏝
9. glendam - I have been toying with an idea
10. peachymoon - Whale, here goes nothin'!
11. Catscankim - 🏖
12. melonpan - going with the emoji bonanza
13. ResolvableOwl -
14. Zing - going to my happy place on the sands of Hawai'i on this sub-zero degree F day in Minnesota.
15. Peachy Clean Soap - (I'll promise to practice registration for the next challenge )

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Promise & Thank Ü .

 

[ResolvableOwl]

@Peachy Clean Soap Incredibly glad to see you back, and with more vigor than ever! You see you haven't missed out much at the February challenge … most people seem to have underestimated how short this month is. (Or are they all busy with cleaning splatters of blue soap off their dirty dishes? I won't tell anyone about my backlog …)

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

@Peachy Clean Soap Incredibly glad to see you back, and with more vigor than ever! You see you haven't missed out much at the February challenge … most people seem to have underestimated how short this month is. (Or are they all busy with cleaning splatters of blue soap off their dirty dishes? I won't tell anyone about my backlog …)

Awww so appreciate your kindness . I'm jumping in w/ one main intention' creating a bar soap thats not so drying for my skin @ this time of year' I'll decrease my C-Oil ( coconut oil) to a bare minimum see if that helps?) & of course creating a SeaScape design worthy of entering our Feb Or Fab challenge . Thx again

 

[glendam]

@ResolvableOwl I still want to make my soap, I hope I get to. This past week was so different. We lost one of our dogs on Valentine’s to old age and disease. As I grieved it occurred to me that grief is like the ocean. Sometimes it just touches my feet like a gentle wave, and others it knocks me over like a strong wave and threatens to drown me.
Anyway, I am debating between two techniques. I might be able to try one of them today. I was going to make soap yesterday but needed to finish a home Diy project first. I look forward to seeing all the entries anyway!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Dudes, where have you all submerged? Judging from some promising reports here, the submission thread should be way be crowded. We're nearly half through the submission period, and I'd be delighted to see at least TWO more submissions. If only for the illusion of free choice.


@Mobjack Bay
At some time, once I'm grown-up, I'll find out/remember whom to ask for changing the link in the challenge announcement banner from last month's entry thread to the current.

I never see the banner on my ipad. Will ask for the change.

I apologize for missing a string of posts to this thread. I thought I was checking carefully! So much for vigilance.

@glendam so sorry to hear about your dog

It’s so exciting to see the posts to the entry thread! Keep ’em rolling in!

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

@ResolvableOwl I still want to make my soap, I hope I get to. This past week was so different. We lost one of our dogs on Valentine’s to old age and disease. As I grieved it occurred to me that grief is like the ocean. Sometimes it just touches my feet like a gentle wave, and others it knocks me over like a strong wave and threatens to drown me.
Anyway, I am debating between two techniques. I might be able to try one of them today. I was going to make soap yesterday but needed to finish a home Diy project first. I look forward to seeing all the entries anyway!

So sorry for your loss' our fur baby's become our family & its so hard saying good bye. Hugs

 

[ResolvableOwl]

@glendam
Don't apologise to me. I'm not the host, I'm just glorying in not being late this time . Glad to hear you're looking forward, and project your energy into creativity, instead of just crying. We have enough salty salt in this challenge already (200 g from my side alone).

 

[dibbles]

@glendam I'm sorry you lost your dog. It really is like losing a member of the family. ❤

 

[Zing]

@glendam , my deepest condolences.

 

[AliOop]

Ok, @Zing has "helped" me by posting his amazing entry. One of the three plans I had been considering was a black-sand beach soap based on the EXACT SAME BEACH that he mentioned in his entry. In fact, I had the name all picked out: Waves on Punalu'u. But since he totally aced that one, obviously that design is off the table for me. That narrows it down to only two other designs between which to choose. Maybe I should make both and see which turns out better?

 

[Zing]

Ok, @Zing has "helped" me by posting his amazing entry. One of the three plans I had been considering was a black-sand beach soap based on the EXACT SAME BEACH that he mentioned in his entry. In fact, I had the name all picked out: Waves on Punalu'u. But since he totally aced that one, obviously that design is off the table for me. That narrows it down to only two other designs between which to choose. Maybe I should make both and see which turns out better?

Okay, thanks, but also, didja see that @dibbles totally beat me to the whole Hawai'ian theme??!! And of course Owl's entry with that story?! Seriously, I love these challenges and it's great inspiration to see where everyone takes the idea. Good luck -- and mahalo -- to all entrants.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

@Zing & @dibbles
Your soap took me back down memory lane when I visited Hawaii for the 1st time & having the
the pleasure of viewing there beautiful black sand beaches.

Ocean Inspired soap is done & going through the magical soap transformation at the moment.
Felt so good to make soap today' its been 3 months, though i've forgot Cream De Coco ' sweetened coconut milk' gosh darn it, I didn't add sugar cause it's in the coconut milk, hope the castor oil can bring some bubbles. Also noticed we have a new soap calculator format & forum' hope my soap recipe turns out? i'll post pictures after the cut.
Everyone's soap entries are beautiful. .

 

[peachymoon]

My third time’s (not) the charm attempt at a OPW. I used the Cheeky Goat’s video as inspiration for this. I think it’s the closest I’ve gotten to a successful OPW, consistency-wise, but it has all these white-ish splotches everywhere which my first two attempts also had. I’m guessing these aren’t going through gel phase ‘cos the leftover batter I put in a 1 lb. mold definitely gelled. I do oven process these. I leave them at 170 for 15 minutes and then turn the oven off and leave at least overnight if not for a full week ‘cos I make these at my boyfriend’s on the weekends lol. It seems to be enough for my usual batches of soap. If anyone has any other ideas as to what may have gone wrong please let me know! My heart hurts a little looking at these and feeling like I got so close and the design is so muddled by the splotches.