Very happy with swirl

[surf girl]

I tried a swirl in November with one of my first batches, and it ended up being marbled. Nice, but not what I was going for. So I decided to try again. I wanted to play with activated charcoal. My goal was a serious black, but I ended up with a bit of a grey. Still happy, though.

So here's the soap when it went into the mold:
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And here's the soap cut, today:
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I'm calling it "Zed", because that is the name of my black and white dog. Maybe when I get around to taking some more soap porn photos, I'll take them with him in it!

 

[ChrissyB]

Ooh La la!! That is wonderful!
What did you use to grind your charcoal with?
And what did you use to scent it with?
It looks great!

 

[surf girl]

Hi ChrissyB!

I used straight Patchouli EO, and not much of it, for fragrance. I am still just starting to fool around with scents. I used only about 4-5 mL (didn't measure) for a 2 lb batch, and you can smell it when you walk into the house. Good thing I love patchouli.

For charcoal, I used Charcodote (an activated charcoal liquid use as treatment for toxin ingestion) because that's what I had kicking around. I did some calculations for volume of liquid to volume of powder that people have used on this forum, but I think I need more if I want that gorgeous jet black that I've seen in photos. I also wanted to see how this would turn out without gel - I don't know if it would have been a blacker black if I'd let it gel. So many variables to play with!

 

[Lindy]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love that! I've been wanting to play with charcoal too but hadn't thought of the liquid form. You did an absolutely amazing job Surfgirl!

 

[topcat]

Awesome soap surf girl! Looks absolutely fantastic in the mould and really, really nice cut too. Patchouli seems just about right with the black/white colours....anise would be nice too IMHO. Everything I have heard about and seen with gel tells me that you will get deeper, sharper colours when it happens, so that may be all you need to get the definite black you are looking for next time?

Can't wait to see your next batch pics!

Tanya

 

[clearhearts]

That's beautiful, I love it. It's very glam, boudior like

 

[tincanac]

This is beautiful

Never thought about using charcoal in soap!! My dad used to tell me that when he was little (they were really poor), that they used to brush their teeth with charcoal and bicarbonate of soda.

I think your soap looks absolutely fabulous - I dont know why I cant do the swirl thing! I have tried a dozen times - but have resigned myself to the fact that I am swirl challenged - but I think I may have come up with a new design concept in the process - isolated streak soap!

 

[jcandleattic]

Wow - very pretty!

 

[bubblefan]

That looks awesome!

I have swirl envy.

 

[digit]

Very happy???? I would be deliriously thrilled to make swirls that fab!!!!! Awesome!!

Digit

 

[AshleyR]

That is AMAZING!!!! Good job!

 

[SoapMom]

I have to know...how did you get your swirl to look like that? It's beautiful! I can never get mine all the way to the bottom and throughout the soap like yours.

 

[Jody]

HOLY COW SURF GIRL!!!!

Absolutely stunning!!!!!!!!

 

[Deda]

Surf Girl! Those are the most beautiful soaps! I'm fascinated by the swirl, it's really lovely.

 

[Tabitha]

Now that is some sexy soap!

 

[surf girl]

Now that is some sexy soap!

I have to know...how did you get your swirl to look like that? It's beautiful! I can never get mine all the way to the bottom and throughout the soap like yours.

I used a technique described here... actually, I think it was a link someone posted to a swirling method. I have it bookmarked on my other computer, so I'll post it next time I use my laptop. It involved a zigzag of colour, then a layer of soap, then a zigzag in a different direction, then a layer of soap, etc. Final step was to swirl with a chopstick. I kind of mucked it up with way too big blobs of colour - no finesse whatsoever - but it turned out OK anyway!

 

[surf girl]

Here it is - it was actually posted by someone else on another thread today:

http://beauxeaux.com/swirltutorial/howtoswirl.htm

 

[SoapMom]

Thank you so much! I'll have to try this next time I do a batch! Thanks for remembering to post it!

 

[tincanac]

That is beautiful and a really simple technique

going to experiment with MP soap

 

[SoapMom]

Let us know how yours turns out!!!