SMF October 2019 Challenge - Mini Drops Swirl

[Michele50]

Sign up list:
1. Artemis -- love those little drops
2. Cellador-- I'm so busy... but I have been wanting to try this
3. AMD - my recipe moves far too fast for this, so wish me luck!
4. SoapySuds - I may try this without squeeze bottles!
5. Shunt2011 - Going to try to find time to give it a try. Haven't soaped since February.
6. Arimara - Edit: I definitely want to try this to though I may have to get some tools.
7. MarnieSoapien - IKEA here I come!!
8. DKing - I would like to give it a try.
9. bookreader451 - I really want to give this a try
10. Geniash - Excited to give it a try! First challenge.
11. amy78130 - I’m down!!! I haven’t tried this yet!
12. szaza - I told myself no challenges in October.. so I made my first try yesterday.
13. SYT - I've signed up for other challenges and then got too busy to soap or vote. But really need to try this one, so many possibilities!
14. Megan- This will be my first challenge! Very excited!! I've been wanting to try this technique for a while.
15. DeeAnna. Need to find some soapy mojo. This sounds like fun. I'm with Arimara -- If I sign up, I WILL make soap.
16. Dawni - rarely do I CP but I wanna see if I can pull this one off.. It's one of the few designs I'm drawn to try. Who knows, maybe I'll even attempt it in HP (like my previous
17. Msunnerstood - Can it be done in HP? Time to join Dawni and find out!
18. Mobjack Bay - of course I need to learn how to do this, right?
19. Primrose - done this once before but will have another go
20. Mommycarlson - Love this technique!
21. KristaY-I've been dying to give this a go!
22. Kiti - I think I can do this. I like the idea of using some powdered herbs in the swirl!
23.Michele50 - I wasn't sure if I'd be back in town in time for this challenge; yippy, I can give it a go!! I've been dying to try this technique.

 

[MarnieSoapien]

We took a family trip to IKEA this weekend so I could pick up some squeeze bottles... and they were sold out?! Argh! The nice guy I spoke with told me they would be restocked today. My hubby said he would go pick some up tomorrow, so I'm going to be cutting it pretty close to see if I can get an entry in!

 

[Michele50]

We took a family trip to IKEA this weekend so I could pick up some squeeze bottles... and they were sold out?! Argh! The nice guy I spoke with told me they would be restocked today. My hubby said he would go pick some up tomorrow, so I'm going to be cutting it pretty close to see if I can get an entry in!

So sorry to hear but nice of that fellow to restock them for you; hope you meet the deadline. I'm cutting it close as well....maybe we'll both be lucky. You've got a sweetheart of a hubby to make the trip back to IKEA for them.

 

[Karmic]

You guys all take such crazy good pictures of your soaps. I think I need to take a few lessons on "instagram ready photography" to be able to catch up lol.

My last batch came out with the correct shape to the drops I was looking for but I seemed to have skimped on the batter for the top part this time. Probably because I was afraid of acceleration and fighting to get the stuff out of the bottles again. Also, the base color did not turn out anything like I was expecting lol. It's very light and pastel compared to the dark color I was going for. I don't think my soap gelled either, it took forever to be able to cut. I'll post pics anyway because it's pretty but I still don't think it's quite challenge worthy.

I may or may not try one more time. I have the stuff, the question is do I have the curing space lol

 

[szaza]

I went on a trip, so my time for more tries is over. I feel like I've finally gotten the hang of the technique, but my color combo isn't what I wanted it to be. I used alkanet, so I'm hoping the colors get better after some cure time. My boyfriend is going to take another picture for me before the entry thread closes.
I didn't post pictures of my first try yet because I was afraid I was going to have to enter that one (I love the colors, but the batter accelerated a bit) so here it is now

 

[Dawni]

I'm cutting it way to close and don't even have trials to speak of.. Was thinking I'd find time but it looks like I have to MAKE time, and soon. I really wanna enter this month.. Don't like signing up n not make the soap (like last month)

Awesome entries so far guys n gals!

 

[amd]

My second attempt (with piping bags) was an absolute fail. I can't even look at the soap without crying. My own fault for using a new FO that I wasn't sure how it would behave. Of course it accelerated and it was a mess getting it out of the piping bags. The soaps have holes! So I'm off to look for some squeezy bottles and see what I can do to salvage an entry this month. My first attempt isn't even good enough to compete with y'alls "failures"

 

[Michele50]

My second attempt (with piping bags) was an absolute fail. I can't even look at the soap without crying. My own fault for using a new FO that I wasn't sure how it would behave. Of course it accelerated and it was a mess getting it out of the piping bags. The soaps have holes! So I'm off to look for some squeezy bottles and see what I can do to salvage an entry this month. My first attempt isn't even good enough to compete with y'alls "failures"

 

[Primrose]

Those who are cutting it close to the deadline are not alone - I have had plans in my head since the challenge thread went up, but have lacked time to do it. Hoping hoping hoping I might manage tonight ...

 

[Michele50]

Those who are cutting it close to the deadline are not alone - I have had plans in my head since the challenge thread went up, but have lacked time to do it. Hoping hoping hoping I might manage tonight ...

You can do it!! I'm pulling for ya. This is one I've wanted to do for well over a year, more like almost 2. These challenges are helping me 'make' me chip away at my 'want-to-do' lists. Sep and Oct challenges have knocked 2 off my ever-growing list.

 

[Primrose]

You can do it!! I'm pulling for ya. This is one I've wanted to do for well over a year, more like almost 2. These challenges are helping me 'make' me chip away at my 'want-to-do' lists. Sep and Oct challenges have knocked 2 off my ever-growing list.

They are great for that hey! Also to add to my ever growing "must try that" list hahaha

 

[Primrose]

First go is in the mould! Just prepping for a second go

 

[user 29721]

Someone posted a question on taking pictures of the soap for the challenge and I wanted to share my setup. It's fairly cheap ($14) but works great for taking pictures of small objects, such as soap: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q3VPV98

 

[Karmic]

Someone posted a question on taking pictures of the soap for the challenge and I wanted to share my setup. It's fairly cheap ($14) but works great for taking pictures of small objects, such as soap: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q3VPV98

It was me!! Thank you so much. I might have to look into one of those

 

[Michele50]

Someone posted a question on taking pictures of the soap for the challenge and I wanted to share my setup. It's fairly cheap ($14) but works great for taking pictures of small objects, such as soap: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q3VPV98

WoW, @geniash, thanks! Inexpensive and quite a nice little set up. I have all kinds of studio lighting from way back when I used to take photos, I had no idea there was a set up designed for “small items.” Cool

 

[Karmic]

Sign up list:
1. Artemis -- love those little drops
2. Cellador-- I'm so busy... but I have been wanting to try this
3. AMD - my recipe moves far too fast for this, so wish me luck!
4. SoapySuds - I may try this without squeeze bottles!
5. Shunt2011 - Going to try to find time to give it a try. Haven't soaped since February.
6. Arimara - Edit: I definitely want to try this to though I may have to get some tools.
7. MarnieSoapien - IKEA here I come!!
8. DKing - I would like to give it a try.
9. bookreader451 - I really want to give this a try
10. Geniash - Excited to give it a try! First challenge.
11. amy78130 - I’m down!!! I haven’t tried this yet!
12. szaza - I told myself no challenges in October.. so I made my first try yesterday.
13. SYT - I've signed up for other challenges and then got too busy to soap or vote. But really need to try this one, so many possibilities!
14. Megan- This will be my first challenge! Very excited!! I've been wanting to try this technique for a while.
15. DeeAnna. Need to find some soapy mojo. This sounds like fun. I'm with Arimara -- If I sign up, I WILL make soap.
16. Dawni - rarely do I CP but I wanna see if I can pull this one off.. It's one of the few designs I'm drawn to try. Who knows, maybe I'll even attempt it in HP (like my previous
17. Msunnerstood - Can it be done in HP? Time to join Dawni and find out!
18. Mobjack Bay - of course I need to learn how to do this, right?
19. Primrose - done this once before but will have another go
20. Mommycarlson - Love this technique!
21. KristaY-I've been dying to give this a go!
22. Kiti - I think I can do this. I like the idea of using some powdered herbs in the swirl!
23.Michele50 - I wasn't sure if I'd be back in town in time for this challenge; yippy, I can give it a go!! I've been dying to try this technique.
24. Karmic - I think I'm eligible now? Might as well try

 

[Primrose]

Neither of my two loafs turned out what I was hoping/aiming for, although they are still pretty.
My entry is uploaded as I probably won't have enough time for another go. Interestingly I didn't attempt suspended drops in that one but I got them anyway lol

I would love to know how people are able to get good shapely drops in the top of their soap as I seem to just end up with layers

This is my non entry, which was supposed to be alternating layers of mini drop and suspended drop but ended up being just spotty!

And this is the soap I was trying to emulate

I will be doing this again as I want to try to
A) achieve the layered soap as per sunflower states soap
B) achieve proper definition and shape to my mini drop swirls
C) play with the best ways to achieve the outlined suspended drop as mentioned earlier

Thank you very much to dibbles for hosting a great challenge

 

[MarnieSoapien]

Hubby came home last night with 4 squeeze bottles! I kicked out an attempt and it's been put to bed. Here's hoping my soap reflects my vision and can get a worthwhile photo in tomorrow. I did get a bit worried when the squeeze bottles started making rude noises. I think I'd be better off with either smaller bottles or filling my bottles with more batter.

 

[amd]

Attempt #3 was an epic failure. I intentionally picked an FO that the last time I used it decelerated (I was trying to make soap cupcakes and had to wait 45 minutes for it to harden up enough to pipe and even then it was too loose so my piping was quite gloopy). Not last night. Last night by the time I got to coloring the 3rd and 4th colors it was rock hard, so I was mashing the color into it. I wound up with lots of uncolored chunks of soap in my plop swirl mash into the mold soap. I placed the embeds and covered it with a ton of glitter. Checked the soap later and it was oozing FO/lye (not sure which because I was ticked and didn't feel like zapping myself). I'll let it sit until tonight and check it out. Gremlins are running amuck at my house, please steer clear.

Well, hopefully my first attempt will qualify. I'll get that entered tonight and show off my failures later.

 

[amd]

My failures.
Second attempt using piping bags. I did switch up my recipe a bit by adding more liquid oil (about 100g OO to 980g of my regular masterbatch recipe), also a coconut milk soap. Fragrance was NG's Lemongrass Kiwi Cassis, I use this in sugar scrubs and can't keep it in stock so I thought I would try it in a soap. It accelerated alot on me, so I finally wound up just squeezing the piping bags to get it out. Trying to do a drop swirl (inserting the tip into the batter) just left me with holes in my soap, that's how thick it was.

Third attempt I intentionally picked an FO that I had previously had success with not setting up, not this time though. You can read about that nonsense in the above post. Fragrance was Micas & More A Thousand Wishes Type. The soap actually looks pretty cool if you didn't know what my intention was, and the oozing has stopped (you can really see it in the picture). I decided when I cut it that it was oozing some of the oil that I used to premix my colors (the ooze had no smell and no zap), so I left them to sit for several hours and the oil absorbed back into the soap just fine. I'll double check for lye heaviness in a few days just to be safe.