Yes, I did. Still a mystery. Actually, looking back it seems as though it was between two layers. Still, there was only a half hour or so between. So, still a mystery.
What’s with the halo?
- Thread starter KiwiMoose
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@TashaBird Besides the line between the grass and the sky, there is also a ring around your moon embed, as well. Very cool!
Oh yeah, I guess so. I see it now.
Another example of 
. I believe mine was from kaolin clay I used. To powder imbeds. So they wouldn't stick together. In the pot, before use.
. I believe mine was from kaolin clay I used. To powder imbeds. So they wouldn't stick together. In the pot, before use.
it's attracted to the weed :-D
At first it was just on the borders of the soap, then it started appearing around the embeds. So weird! I’d think if it was the .5% vanillin it would be throughout! Soap is so weird.
This is the third time I’ve seen that kind of halo. The first example is in a soap @dibbles made for a competition, where batter was swirled over top of a diagonally sliced pre-made half loaf that was already in the mold. The second example is in the “Browsing Soap Photos” thread where white soap sits over a black diagonal layer. Now your soap with embeds. Perhaps a temperature gradient is a contributing factor. Past that, I have no ideas.
violets2217
Well-Known Member
I'm convinced that it is the temperature difference of the cooled embeds.. I'm about to make a "Space" themed soap using all the soap balls I've made from soap shavings. I'm wondering if I should warm them up on low heat in the oven before dropping them in the soap loaf? But honestly, I really love the effect! Especially the first one that formed the frost on the ground!!!
If you were willing, a very interesting experiment would be to warm up some and leave others at room temperature. (Sorted by colour so you know which is which.) That would give some great info about the effect of temperature if you got haloes on some but not others.
@violets2217 I too think temperature difference could play a part. I soap in my basement, which is quite cool all year. TashaBird soaps in her garage in San Francisco where it is cool most of the time. I am not sure of the temperature in New Zealand in May where KiwiMoose is, but I think it can be cool that time of year too. I think TB and KM both soap warmer than I do, but there would have probably 20-30 (F) difference between my first layer and the new soap. However, I believe Holly of Missouri River Soaps has her soaping space in her attic where it tends to be warm. When she embeds soap balls, it seems that she doesn't get the halos:
Since you are in Florida (and it's summer) you might not need to warm your soap balls before using them. I wonder if chilling some, room temperature for some and warming some would produce different results.
Since you are in Florida (and it's summer) you might not need to warm your soap balls before using them. I wonder if chilling some, room temperature for some and warming some would produce different results.
But if after the soap is poured it’s put under a blanket on a heating pad for a few hours, like I do, wouldn’t that compensate by bringing the whole thing up to the same temp? Even with that question in mind though, it feels like temp has to be the most likely suspect.
violets2217
Well-Known Member
I might just find out… I have to make 10 bars for a Facebook soap trading group I just joined. I have plenty of soap balls. I might just try 3 small batches with the different temp soap balls to see!
ETA: I was thinking about warming them up the soap balls anyways, because I’m worried about them being too cured and hard when I cut the soap…so a double experiment I think.
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
I didn't dare heat up my confetti dough soap balls, since they would have softened/melted into a gooey mess. My own fault if I keep them air-tight. If I would have been more patient, I'd given them a week or two of free drying before burying them into their host rock (HP, to make things worse).
So the saga continues. I just did a pour of 1/3 of my recipe into a mold over 3 large embeds. Instead of just letting it sit and harden before I put the next 2/3 of my recipe on top, I put it on the heating pad for a bit. I’m curious to see if I get any halos. #forscience
I was watching (again) Tree Marie Soapworks confetti soap video and she talked about leaving her soap with embeds in the mold longer than normal because other wise - she gets a halo or indent around the embed! I have a batch destined for confetti chunks (which is the reason for watching this video). At about 12:39 on the video is where she talks about this. Might have to figure out if I have enough for an experiment.
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