SMF September 2021 Challenge - Weather Event or Life Event Inspired soap

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1. Tara_H - wedding bells ahoy
2. Vicki C - going to have to ponder this one…
3. linne 1gi - H
4. Peachy Clean Soap's -- I'm In 🙌🏼😉
5. glendam - Need to pick between an Earthquake or a Hurricane
6. catscankim - ok, I have an idea
7. ScentimentallyYours - one or two ideas, need to plan
 
I made a Life Event soap twice this past month since the death of one of my brothers. The first one did not come out at all as I planned, and I have no photos of it as yet, but the second one is very satisfying in the results.

I posted about it here: A recent Life Event soap

Just another example of making a soap that would fit into this challenge.
 
I just realized I made an error in post #1 about the date for announcing the winners. The winners from the challenge entry thread will be announced on the 30th as there are obviously not 31 days in September. My apologies.
 
1. Tara_H - wedding bells ahoy
2. Vicki C - going to have to ponder this one…
3. linne 1gi - H
4. Peachy Clean Soap's -- I'm In 🙌🏼😉
5. glendam - Need to pick between an Earthquake or a Hurricane
6. catscankim - ok, I have an idea
7. ScentimentallyYours - one or two ideas, need to plan
8. Mobjack - I think I see an idea off on the horizon.
 
I wish I was in a position to participate but I’m in the middle of a move and all my soapy stuff is packed up. ☹️ October 2010 through August 2013 was a series of major life events for me…..some happy, some sad. I’d love the opportunity to explore that in soap and maybe I will someda. Thanks for the idea, @earlene!
 
My first attempt for the challenge was a total cram and slam. The soap I planned requires a fluid batter so I thought I would be making life easy by using an OO and lard-based recipe, along with a tried and true FO The store brand virgin OO from the local grocery store traced in the blink of an eye and it went downhill from there. I made the recipe again with a newer bottle of Costco OO and it was fine, but I could’t bring myself to try the same soap again. I hope to be reinvigorated enough by a good night’s sleep to make another attempt at a challenge soap tomorrow.
 
I made my planned soap for this challenge and it failed. It's not failed to the point of failing as far as soap goes, it just isn't what I planned so I am not using it. I'm not posting a picture yet in case I need to use it as a backup.

I'm doing another soap today with a different inspiration. But I almost started to make soap...then realized that I don't have enough lard. Frustrated. In an hour or so I will be creating my masterpiece.

I came here in a panic thinking that I missed the deadline. I actually dreamed of soap last night...I was lining a wooden mold with freezer paper and it didn't fit and the soap came out all wonky...I have never lined a mold with freezer paper before, so I don't know where that dream came from lmbo.
 
Well, I cut my first challenge "attempt"...

Normally I would hold back from posting on case I needed it as an entry down the road, but... Yeah, no.

My inspiration is our wedding, which was held in a big old castle, and with a classic red rose style. Think old oak beams and stone walls, red roses and heavy velvet, and just a touch of cream lace and gold.

I decided this would be a good opportunity to try a secret feather design, contrasting a delicate white wispy central motif against a dramatic red backdrop.

Well. I think I was a bit heavy-handed with the SB, and the red wasn't quite what it was meant to be. So I'll be making another attempt, unless I suddenly remember a life event which involved ribcages floating in raspberry jam.

IMG_20210920_131153.jpg
 
Two more days before the entry thread opens.
@earlene, this would be my first soap challenge here on the forum so I'm unsure - can we can join the challenge even on the last day, as long as the entry thread is still open? or is there a deadline to register for the challenge before the entry thread opens?
 
@earlene, this would be my first soap challenge here on the forum so I'm unsure - can we can join the challenge even on the last day, as long as the entry thread is still open? or is there a deadline to register for the challenge before the entry thread opens?
You can sign up for the challenge up to and including the day the entry thread closes. The one caveat is that your entry has to be posted to the entry thread before it closes, which this month will be at 1:00pm GMT on September 28th.
 
My venture should be about to finish saponifying right now. No idea if it comes out anywhere near my ideas. We'll see. It will be a spot landing in any case, since the most unreliable and patience-demanding part of the process is still ahead. 🙄 If I deem it entry-worthy, I will submit it. (Not gonna retry it if it doesn't meet my conceptions.) But in any case, I will share my experiences here.


As an appetiser:

woadcester.jpg
“Woad-cester Sauce” (woad indigo vat, yellow-brown in the reduced state, will hopefully lend its cerulean colour to the soap at 0.25%TOW). Fructose vat doesn't work well at ambient temperatures, so I heated it up over a candle (woefully, that means that the soap will not be orthodox palm-free, since it was a palm stearin tea light).

woad_whipped.jpg
Once the whole party was over, this is what the excess batter of the squeeze bottle with the actual, dyed soap batter (diluted with rinse water, and whipped from shaking) looks like. It turned into just about the sky blue hue which I hope the main batter will end up like🤞
You can estimate what a beast of colourant indigo is, by the discolouration that happened at the top and bottom, over night, from just standing and saponifying along.
 
My venture should be about to finish saponifying right now. No idea if it comes out anywhere near my ideas. We'll see. It will be a spot landing in any case, since the most unreliable and patience-demanding part of the process is still ahead. 🙄 If I deem it entry-worthy, I will submit it.
Make sure you sign up on the sign-up list, RO. :cool:
 

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