SMF Soapmaking Challenge November: Drop and Skewer

[gigisiguenza]

Once I get my errands done and clean my apartment, I'll be giving this a try later today. Im running low on supplies and won't be able to get more til next week, so I sure hope the first attempt is something decent, because I'm only willing to offer up on more attempt at it. I'm crossing my fingers and toes it's not a Drop Swear session LOL

 

[lionprincess00]

I'm ready to throttle LionPrincess, in the nicest kind of way. 16 bars of crap in, I'm almost ready to throw in the towel. Drop swirls seem deceptively simple but they are not at all. I cannot get the look I want although, maybe I do with the drops but then I end up swirling them into oblivion.

Literally lol'd!

 

[doriettefarm]

I'm ready to throttle LionPrincess, in the nicest kind of way. 16 bars of crap in, I'm almost ready to throw in the towel. Drop swirls seem deceptively simple but they are not at all. I cannot get the look I want although, maybe I do with the drops but then I end up swirling them into oblivion.

You can't just rant about 16 crap bars and not post pics, we need entertainment! Just so you know I'm not feeling too optimistic when the swirl-queen herself is ready to call it quits . . . I'm also afraid I skewered mine to death. Batter got thick faster than I expected so don't think I got much drop action in the swirl either. On the plus side, the piped top and gumballs look cute :neutral:

 

[newbie]

Obliterated ****e. Overswirled ****e. Didn't even get soap to drop through ****e. Ultrasound ****e. Last attempt for now is under blankets. You WILL hear me scream, no matter where you are, if I cut and find.....more ****e.

 

[snappyllama]

I like those. The last one looks a pink frog that's given up hope. Poor froggie, it's going to be okay.

Argh - why do the soap gremlins always come out for challenges. Last month I had acceleration... this month, my FO refused to thicken up although I SBed it like crazy. Eventually, I had to just go for it with too thin batter (needed my kitchen back). I bet it looks like an ITP when I cut it tomorrow.

 

[doriettefarm]

Oh man now I'm worried (bites nails nervously) . . . I really like your "crap" attempt #3!

 

[newbie]

I mean, they are not hideous. They are just dreadful drop and skewers. I saw little frog as well. He's stuck in the ether, it looks like.

2 of the bars from #3 actually have a face in them, which is fun. They just aren't supposed to be there like that.

 

[jules92207]

Yeah, I do like your crap newbie. Guess I'm doomed.

I was suppose to go out of town today but my recovery from surgery has been slower than I had hoped so it looks like I will now have time to make some crap myself this week. Hopefully my crap comes even an iota close to newbies crap. I'd be pretty happy about that.

 

[dibbles]

I like them Newbie. I haven't had a chance to have even one try at this (hopefully tomorrow). If those were mine, I probably would have thought I nailed it.

 

[afbrat]

I have to agree with dibbles, newbie. I like those a lot! I would be thrilled if I got something that looked like that! I'm hoping to try tomorrow

 

[DeeAnna]

My three batch-lets are done and saponifying happily as I write. Three color schemes, three fragrances (one EO blend, two FOs). My recipe behaved beautifully -- I'm very pleased with the time it gave me to get the colors made up and get the soap poured and swirled. It even tamed down the rose FO that wants to accelerate.

I have no idea if the swirls turned out decent or not. Newbie talks about "overswirling" and I'm chuckling in amusement -- I'm just tickled I got them swirled at all! It will be hard to wait until tomorrow afternoon for the unveiling!

 

[newbie]

I just don't think they look like drops and skewers. You can hardly tell there was any dropping going on. My last attempt came out usable, thank the gods. Went with a completely different color scheme which perhaps broke my luck. Looks way different from my others. Watch, I will think it's a good one and other people will be like, "Meh."

Three at once, DeeAnna!!! When you take on a challenge, you take on challenge!

 

[DeeAnna]

I wanted to clean up only once! But, man, I'm tired! Not complaining ... just pooped. This swirl stuff is hard work.

 

[Deedles]

I've had milks cause batter to accelerate quicker than water fwiw. Td will thicken with a water discount, but I haven't used full water in a long time so maybe it doesn't so much with full water. Hope it turns out well for you!

I've never made anything but GM soap but I'm just starting to try to do something with colors. I'll trust your experience! I think maybe it's time to branch out and try a non-milk recipe!

I was going to unmold and cut it today but it's still too soft...maybe tomorrow.

 

[amd]

amd, I like the soaps. What FO did you use? They're not pen-holder worthy IMO.

Thanks T. I used BB ancient sedona. It was a sample... I didn't like it out of bottle and not liking it in soap. Hoping it will calm down in the next few weeks... But the soap may get rebatched. Its gooey. On to the next attempt!

 

[penelopejane]

I'm the newest member of the "drop & swear" club. For some arcane reason I started thinking about DOS. I've only had 1 bar out of one of my first batches that ever had anything that remotely looked like DOS, but I started thinking about it SO I decided to use the rosemary oleoresin extract that I bought a long while ago and never used. I got the decimal point wrong (duh) and my pale green base was a nice shade of baby poo brown. I went ahead and finished so I could practice the swirl. I'll see what that looks like tomorrow. On to Batch #2...

I used ROE in a base and it accelerated (not because of the ROE) and I didn't mix the ROE in properly so I have little brown dots through the soap. Yet another non-gift-able soap.

 

[doriettefarm]

I'm working on attempt #2 right now . . . think newbie jinxed me with the over-skewering comment last night!

 

[Rowan]

Obliterated ****e. Overswirled ****e. Didn't even get soap to drop through ****e. Ultrasound ****e. Last attempt for now is under blankets. You WILL hear me scream, no matter where you are, if I cut and find.....more ****e.

This made me laugh so much, my husband looked at me as if I had lost my senses!! Newbie, if I could do crap like you, I would be ecstatic (double entendre not intentional!). They are absolutely gorgeous. I love the colour combinations, and your black looks so intense, the colours just explode out!

 

[Rowan]

1. Kchaystack - I need a new idea for a video...
2. doriettefarm - I'm in, ordered a 1lb loaf mold and it arrives tomorrow!
3. Traderbren- I'm always in for a reason to make soap.
4. Snappyllama - Delicate and Wispy ?!?! I'm more of a plop-and-hope-for-the-best swirler... this is going to be a challenge.
5. dibbles - I'm in!
6. coffeetime- needs an assistant to get this in. Should I hold this addition for a nice ransom?
7. Mrs Spaceship - Yay, I get to break in my new tall & skinny mold!
8. newbie- oh crud. Drop swirls are not so easy for me.
9. BlackDog - because I'm not through punishing myself with swirls just yet!
10. Commoncenz - because despite my name, when it comes to these challenges, I'm clearly lacking common sense
11. MissChief - because I just don't have enough soap yet
12. DeeAnna. Ulp! I just got back from 3 days of scuba diving in Florida, and I think oxygen narcosis affecting my brain.
13. Dharlee - is this right? lol
14. Saponista- avoided the number 13 so surely spectacular soap is forthcoming
15. Judiraz- I'm w/ newbie, drop swirls are not my best.
16. PenelopeJane - my first try in a comp and doing a drop swirl.
17. Afbrat - that last challenge was fun!
18. Deedles - Another diver who can't blame this on Nitrogen. Gotta jump in the deep end at some point!
19. gigisiguenza - even though the soap gremlins have taken up residence in my soap closet and are wreaking havoc on my soaps lately
20. mymy - normally my mate is doing all of the swirls! Now I want to try it myself.
21. CaraBou - Another diver down, to the deep, envisioning Haida bubblenet swirls around salmon, sea lions and humpback whales
22. Cactuslily - She's all in! Ante up!
23. AMD - because NaNoWriMo isn't enough of a challenge this month
24. Sonya-m - hopefully I will have unpacked my soap supplies in time!!
25. Songwind - Sounds like fun!
26. Soapswirl - swirl challenge? Of course I'm in
27. jules92207 - I can definitely swear so I'm half way there
28. lenarenee- happy that this does not require paper cup pours, but suffering from dishpan hands.
29. Krystalbee - Yay I can finally participate! Love to swirl.
30. KristaY - I can't come up with anything fun to say because I'm ROTFL at all the dropping and swearing!
31. SunWolf - Love drop swirling!
32. TeresaT - Because sucking at the previous two challenges just wasn't enough! :wink:
33. Rowan - I'm sure I'll trip, swear, drop and plop whilst skidding madly and swirling the chopsticks in a mad dance. If I can time it together I may even get soap!

 

[traderbren]

I was all set to soap this week, and then I went and adopted a dog. He's stuck to my side like glue, so until I can get him crate trained, soaping is out. My cat and kids and husband leave me alone, but this dog won't let me leave his sight. :/ I hope to drop and swear before the deadline!