SMF March 2017 Challenge- Black Background Soaps

[CaraBou]

...I am sleep deprived, so maybe missed something. Insomnia sucks.

I've got it too! It's one reason I have hope I can still pull this off.

 

[newbie]

Sign on up, Carabou! You can enter until the entry thread closes.

 

[toxikon]

Sooo excited to see everyone's entries!

 

[Arimara]

I may or may not make soap. I've recently lost my source of funds and I haven't really felt like doing anything fun. It's a chore to watch Netflix. I'm still please to note, at least to Artemis, that Afternoon Tea is a stellar scent and is reminding me of earl grey and lady grey teas.

 

[earlene]

I've made 3 possible entries. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my soap planer with me on this road trip, so as of yet, none of them are attractive enough to satisfy my own esthetic needs/desires. No, actually one is sort of good enough without planing and it might actually be my choice. But I remain undecided at this point. Due to family crises (my eldest son is having some healthcare issues), I have lacked incentive to make more than those soaps. I leave here tomorrow, so maybe I'll be up to making more in a few days. I'd like to use up more of the oils I brought with me so I don't have to carry all these partially empty containers back with me.

I do have some soaps to post pictures of that were made with the leftover colors after I used up all the black. Perhaps tomorrow night I'll add them to the thread. I like how they turned out.

 

[SunRiseArts]

I think I will not use black until next Halloween!:headbanging:

 

[Soapprentice]

I made one and I feel it's ok. I would post it in the entry thread but will not be making more as I am not keen on 60% Black soap, not my aesthetic preference ... I may go up until 40, but that's it. I have to admit that entering these challenges is the best decision I took regarding soaping. Both the challenges taught me something or the other that I would not have learnt on my own. Looking forward to more months of learning and growing.

 

[LilyJo]

Haven't entered but reading the posts and the challenges has made me more creative thats for sure - have always made simple one colour soaps but finally last week I made my first swirl design in cavity moulds and they are really pretty.

Taking inspriation from this thread I made a black and orange (I didnt even occur to me until afterwards that it was very halloween!) soap yesterday and although I'm pleased with the design I know I didnt use enough AC. First time using it so didnt want to overdo it and ended up with a grey-ish colour. Its not bad just not perfect!

Oh and the upside is I now HATE my silicone moulds, I will make some more soap later today but will try and use another backup mould that I have never tried. Will also try and make a loaf mould later today cos the softness of the silicone is driving me mad!

Never thought about entering the challenges before as you are all so much more experienced in design work than I am but its certainly given a boost to my creativity and got me doing soaps I never thought possible.

Thanks guys

 

[Soapprentice]

I don't think it is experience that matters to enter... its the will to learn and he courage to show everyone what you made irrespective of it being good or just ok.

 

[amd]

I made one entry but it isn't as black as I wanted. I'm doing another today (I have another men's fragrance that I need to use... I guess the guys are tired if smelling like flowers...) So will be using a different accent with the black but same mold and design - and a little but more AC and black mica.

 

[dibbles]

I don't think it is experience that matters to enter... its the will to learn and he courage to show everyone what you made irrespective of it being good or just ok.

Exactly this. I was pretty new to soaping when the challenges started. Entering really pushed me to try some design work and stretch my creativity. It took a lot of courage for me to post my entries at first, but I did it.

 

[newbie]

100% agree.

As I said before, we try to make the focus of these challenges trying something new, learning something new, stretching yourself a bit or a lot, and not about winning.

I would love to see people enter their soaps (assuming they meet criteria) regardless of whether you think it is cleaned up enough or is "as good as" a more experienced soaper's entry. We don't want that to be the focus.

I mentioned in the rules that I would accept dark gray/charcoal gray if you didn't add quite enough black. Medium or light gray would not meet criteria, but if you got dark gray for your background, post an entry.

Be not afraid, people!

 

[Steve85569]

Exactly this. I was pretty new to soaping when the challenges started. Entering really pushed me to try some design work and stretch my creativity. It took a lot of courage for me to post my entries at first, but I did it.

Yes!
I have learned so much from participating in the challenges too. I just need to take a month or two off every now and then to allow demand to catch up to my production.

 

[mx5inpenn]

Yes!
I have learned so much from participating in the challenges too. I just need to take a month or two off every now and then to allow demand to catch up to my production.

There's no such thing as too much soap!

I certainly don't need to make any more, but its my me time. I made a batch at the beginning of the month that I can use for my entry, but its one I've made before and just needed more practice with. I like to try something new for the challenges and there is usually something on my list of soap to-try's that fits. It just gives me the push to check it off the list. I am making a batch tonight (I hope, have to stay awake long enough to get it done!) that will cross 2 off at once.

 

[Arimara]

In today's attempt, I forgot 90g of an oil and it was a hard oil at that (babassu). I had to pour my soap batter back into my crockpot, after having poured it into two measuring pitchers, and I added the babassu directly to the soap batter with extra water. Now, I'm going to hope and pray this won't be a complete nightmare of a soap and that I cans still use it.

Has anyone ever used Snowcakes by Nuture?

 

[beardguy]

I tried my hand at the challenge today and it was the first time I made a big mistake. I planned on having a black and white soap, but with a citrus scent. I didn't account at all for the discolouration from the orange EO. The white portion of my soap turned yellow the second I put the EO in it. DOH !

Now I have batman soap (a term aptly coined by my s.o.).

Not what I envisionned by a country mile, but I bet it still looks pretty cool when I cut it tomorrow.

 

[BattleGnome]

I didn't soap yesterday which means I don't know if I'll have time before the deadline. I look forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with!

 

[dibbles]

I tried my hand at the challenge today and it was the first time I made a big mistake. I planned on having a black and white soap, but with a citrus scent. I didn't account at all for the discolouration from the orange EO. The white portion of my soap turned yellow the second I put the EO in it. DOH !

Now I have batman soap (a term aptly coined by my s.o.).

Not what I envisionned by a country mile, but I bet it still looks pretty cool when I cut it tomorrow.

The yellow may fade to a creamy color before you cut. Can't wait to see!

 

[mommycarlson]

My first attempt is the black and white bar. The batter thickened up so quick it ended up being a glop into the mold situation, where I just scooped and tapped the mold down, then put a hanger swirl in, which didn't work out the best as you can see.

My 3rd attempt didn't seem to have enough black in it, so I'm posting it here. My soap all appears in pictures like it has white spots, but it really doesn't, it has bumps from my wire cutter, which on darker soaps for some reason appear as white spots.

 

[beardguy]

The yellow may fade to a creamy color before you cut. Can't wait to see!

Nope, still batman soap :mrgreen:

The swirls inside are nothing to write home about and I'm kind of bummed about that, but I was quite pleased with the swirls on the top. The coffee grounds also bled all over the place and there's a partial gel ring on some pieces, so all considered, this one is a keeper (ie. I'll keep it to myself). It smells heavenly though, so I might just redo the recipe with a different colour scheme. I used 75 % orange 5 fold and 25% lemongrass.