What soapy thing have you done today?

[VikingChick]

The basement where we hide all of our crap in a desperate effort to keep our house presentable for company--

So having grown up in iowa and then living in Minnesota for 18 years, i totally get this! I miss having a basement!

 

[Vicki C]

Beautiful blues! So how has the blue held up?

Did not hold up AT ALL! Oh well this is how we learn I guess.

 

[Vicki C]

I received a wholesale order for six dozen bars! I am giddy with excitement.

 

[Vicki C]

So kinda a soapy experience today. Decades ago, in the late 90s, a couple gave us homemade CP soap for Christmas and it was incredible and lovely. At the time, it was their tradition to spend a day making soap to give as gifts. It was the first time that I sat up and thought, hmm, this is awesome soap, I should try to make it myself someday!

'Someday' turned into 2017 when I decided to give homemade CP soap as Christmas gifts myself. This couple now continues to make a simple holy trinity of oils soap, unscented and uncolored. They have not discovered this awesome sub-culture of soapers, they have not watched any YouTubes, Instagram, social media, or visited this forum. They have expressed surprise when I use the word 'soaping' as a verb. Innocent little lambs in the woods that they are, and we love them dearly.

Today these friends visited our "new" home and wanted the grand tour. They even wanted to see the basement! The basement where we hide all of our crap in a desperate effort to keep our house presentable for company-- and where I soap. I have 5 soaps curing and on display, and several batches in shoe boxes. They got excited to see all the soap. The wife says, with great affection, "thank you, Zing, for completely wrecking the idea that we would ever again give away our soap as gifts." LOL -- they were the ones to inspire me to soap in the first place! I actually really like their soap, especially their rosehip soap using rosehips from their garden. They are dear, dear friends and I will be forever grateful for introducing me to CP soap.

And that, folks, is my origin story.

I would love to hear everyone’s origin story! My journey started when my kids (now 34 and 35) were homeschooling, we went to visit a kind neighbor couple to watch them make soap. We were watching people do what they did - also visited a bread baker, a blacksmith, others I can’t think of. In any case I was immediately smitten, but terrified of lye, as I think many beginners are. I had another friend who made soap and recommended the Susan Miller Cavitch book, and I started making my own. For years I made soap each fall for Christmas gifts in a gigantic slab mold and sometimes timidly ventured into colors, swirls, etc. Then I discovered the amazing world of soapers on YouTube and never looked back!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Did not hold up AT ALL! Oh well this is how we learn I guess.
View attachment 59645View attachment 59646

Glad you shared these outcomes – I guess you'll have quite some more treasures hidden in your archives

Phycocyanin is a difficult stuff. Such a beautiful, deep blue when it's leaking out of spirulina infusion. But it instantly discoloured for me when I added a few drops of base (dilute sodium carbonate already ruined it, not to speak of NaOH at all) Actually I'm impressed that your soaps had some tint at all to begin with.
When I used spirulina for my sushi nori I added a ton of it, to just use the generic chlorophyll green (and the seaweed smell), but the infusion had been pointless and all the phycocyanin had long been gone.

 

[Vicki C]

Glad you shared these outcomes – I guess you'll have quite some more treasures hidden in your archives

Phycocyanin is a difficult stuff. Such a beautiful, deep blue when it's leaking out of spirulina infusion. But it instantly discoloured for me when I added a few drops of base (dilute sodium carbonate already ruined it, not to speak of NaOH at all) Actually I'm impressed that your soaps had some tint at all to begin with.
When I used spirulina for my sushi nori I added a ton of it, to just use the generic chlorophyll green (and the seaweed smell), but the infusion had been pointless and all the phycocyanin had long been gone.

I suppose it would work in a rematch or in M&P? Such a beautiful blue. As you just said.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Possibly. My current spirulina source are pills (shame on me), but I'm keeping an eye on powdered phycocyanin extract … some day … homemade spirulina infusion just isn't concentrated enough to be useful to dye anything else than beverages.
Maybe M&P is pH wise just at the edge of what doesn't destroy phycocyanin yet (but then it should work for HP too?). Or go the syndet route.

 

[LynetteO]

So kinda a soapy experience today. Decades ago…
Today these friends visited our "new" home and wanted the grand tour. They even wanted to see the basement! The basement where we hide all of our crap in a desperate effort to keep our house presentable for company-- and where I soap. I have 5 soaps curing and on display, and several batches in shoe boxes. They got excited to see all the soap. The wife says, with great affection, "thank you, Zing, for completely wrecking the idea that we would ever again give away our soap as gifts." LOL -- they were the ones to inspire me to soap in the first place! I actually really like their soap, especially their rosehip soap using rosehips from their garden. They are dear, dear friends and I will be forever grateful for introducing me to CP soap.

And that, folks, is my origin story.

My origin story began with receiving a bar of homemade soap from my boss, my very 1st year as a secretary @ Montessori K-8th school. I . The next October she asked if others wanted to learn as she used to teach soap making & has 20+ wooden loaf molds. I said yes. So for next few years I made soap every October for Christmas . Then I took a soap coloring class @ GreenCastleSoap here is Spokane, Wa. Tracy introduced us to a SAP chart & explained the math to calculate lye. The officially but me HARD. I have made numerous batches since April. Then I found this forum & am as happy as a kid @ Christmas! I absolutely love how helpful & informative everyone is. Huge to all y’all! That’s my origin story. p.s. I made my 1st soap dish to go with

 

[AAShillito]

So kinda a soapy experience today. Decades ago, in the late 90s, a couple gave us homemade CP soap for Christmas and it was incredible and lovely. At the time, it was their tradition to spend a day making soap to give as gifts. It was the first time that I sat up and thought, hmm, this is awesome soap, I should try to make it myself someday!

'Someday' turned into 2017 when I decided to give homemade CP soap as Christmas gifts myself.

This couple now continues to make a simple holy trinity of oils soap, unscented and uncolored. They have not discovered this awesome sub-culture of soapers, they have not watched any YouTubes, Instagram, social media, or visited this forum. They have expressed surprise when I use the word 'soaping' as a verb. Innocent little lambs in the woods that they are, and we love them dearly.

Today these friends visited our "new" home and wanted the grand tour. They even wanted to see the basement! The basement where we hide all of our crap in a desperate effort to keep our house presentable for company-- and where I soap. I have 5 soaps curing and on display, and several batches in shoe boxes. They got excited to see all the soap. The wife says, with great affection, "thank you, Zing, for completely wrecking the idea that we would ever again give away our soap as gifts." LOL -- they were the ones to inspire me to soap in the first place! I actually really like their soap, especially their rosehip soap using rosehips from their garden. They are dear, dear friends and I will be forever grateful for introducing me to CP soap.

And that, folks, is my origin story.

That's so cool!

I would love to hear everyone’s origin story! My journey started when my kids (now 34 and 35) were homeschooling, we went to visit a kind neighbor couple to watch them make soap. We were watching people do what they did - also visited a bread baker, a blacksmith, others I can’t think of. In any case I was immediately smitten, but terrified of lye, as I think many beginners are. I had another friend who made soap and recommended the Susan Miller Cavitch book, and I started making my own. For years I made soap each fall for Christmas gifts in a gigantic slab mold and sometimes timidly ventured into colors, swirls, etc. Then I discovered the amazing world of soapers on YouTube and never looked back!

That's awesome!

My origin story began with receiving a bar of homemade soap from my boss, my very 1st year as a secretary @ Montessori K-8th school. I . The next October she asked if others wanted to learn as she used to teach soap making & has 20+ wooden loaf molds. I said yes. So for next few years I made soap every October for Christmas . Then I took a soap coloring class @ GreenCastleSoap here is Spokane, Wa. Tracy introduced us to a SAP chart & explained the math to calculate lye. The officially but me HARD. I have made numerous batches since April. Then I found this forum & am as happy as a kid @ Christmas! I absolutely love how helpful & informative everyone is. Huge to all y’all! That’s my origin story. p.s. I made my 1st soap dish to go with View attachment 59658

Love that dish!

Love that dish!

Thank you so much! Was my 1st attempt so I of course feel it needs some improvement. Hoping to make numerous before December.

 

[maryloucb]

My name is Mary and I’m an essential oil-aholic And I just ordered 5 more! Sun Pure is having a 20% off sale!

 

[Vicki C]

My name is Mary and I’m an essential oil-aholic And I just ordered 5 more! Sun Pure is having a 20% off sale!

Umm…I think you’re fine… (see back wall)

 

[maryloucb]

Umm…I think you’re fine… (see back wall)
View attachment 59676

I feel much better now!

 

[John Harris]

Just finished a 40 bar recipe, 5 oz. each. I was a little nervous because it has been almost 2 years since I have soaped. I worked the procedure out in my head, step by step. I used silicone coated parchment paper to line the mold - very frustrating because it wouldn't hold tape one bit! As I was letting the lye and the oils cool, my soaping partner said, "That mold is way too small for the amount of oils!" I panicked and went and got 5 or 6 silicon molds for emergency backup. I mixed the oils and lye at 120 degrees F each. Seemed to be the perfect temperature - the mix went perfectly. Tracing went well. The pour went well. It was a perfect session! And the amount of oils, etc. was just the right size for the mold. I felt very good putting the cover on the box for the night.

Here's the recipe:
Grams of oil - 5130

Olive - 1776
Palm - 341
Coconut - 1354
Shea - 250
Bees wax - 100
Lard - 908
Castor - 400

I'm kind of surprised that I have so much lard in the recipe considering that 2 years ago I was VERY hesitant to pollute my soap with pig fat! (That comes from a soap forum I belonged to long ago.)

 

[LynetteO]

Umm…I think you’re fine… (see back wall)
View attachment 59676

Just a skosh jelly of all that space to make

 

[AliOop]

@Vicki C and @maryloucb I don't see any problem with any of that - just good smells and good times!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Oh my goodness. Hello there! New plates, who disc?! The red one was a good co sister you for how fine the detail was. But for the fat design of the blue one, I would’ve gotten more detail if batter was thicker. Both FOs seemed to actually decelerate! Somali Soul and Satsuma by NS.

Beautiful as always. Love all the colours, and I'm a huge fan of orange!
Speaking of orange...
I finally got around to making soap with pumpkin puree in it (we don't have canned pumpkin here so I did it the old skool way). I used Tangerine EO, Fig FO, Apple harvest FO (which is kinda cinnamon-ey) and a titch of cinnamon leaf EO. Three colour layers.

 

[LynetteO]

Beautiful as always. Love all the colours, and I'm a huge fan of orange!
Speaking of orange...
I finally got around to making soap with pumpkin puree in it (we don't have canned pumpkin here so I did it the old skool way). I used Tangerine EO, Fig FO, Apple harvest FO (which is kinda cinnamon-ey) and a titch of cinnamon leaf EO. Three colour layers.

LVE the colors, choice of smells AND that spoon top! Every time I try that I “erase” & give up.

 

[AliOop]

Made another batch of soaps for the ladies' retreat order. Finally, a well-behaved fragrance and perfect pour at light trace. Of course, then I had to bump one of the molds and mess it up a bit. But nothing too serious. I even washed up all the soap dishes afterwards.

 

[Vicki C]

Just a skosh jelly of all that space to make

It’s a huge space - my ex-husband was a cabinet maker and I have repurposed his woodworking shop in a separate building into my she-shed / soap studio. The gigantic clock is there because otherwise I COMPLETELY lose track of time.

 

[Vicki C]

I used silicone coated parchment paper to line the mold - very frustrating because it wouldn't hold tape one bit!

Here's the recipe:
Grams of oil - 5130

Olive - 1776
Palm - 341
Coconut - 1354
Shea - 250
Bees wax - 100
Lard - 908
Castor - 400

I'm kind of surprised that I have so much lard in the recipe considering that 2 years ago I was VERY hesitant to pollute my soap with pig fat! (That comes from a soap forum I belonged to long ago.)

Children’s glue sticks work for holding silicone sheets onto most surfaces, but I have never used silicone coated parchment paper. Also, that’s a huge batch! Glad it went well. Maybe you will post pics?