What soapy thing have you done today?

[Martha]

Tried to make my rainbow soap for the soap challenge last night. You see the key word in that sentence, right? I was so worried that the batter would thicken up on me while I was pouring the 7 colors, that I underblended the batter. It was a liquid mess. Sigh. Gonna give it another try today.

 

[LynetteO]

Yesterday I started my day with baking mini cakes for my two dearest girlfriends with birthdays that fall back to back. Then I went to a co-worker/friends house to make lotion. Came home, made chocolate cream cheese frosting for mini cakes , decorated cakes, cleaned up & then made 1 LAST batch of soap for 2021
at 10pm last night using new flower silicone birthday molds. Unmolded today.

 

[Zing]

So just like @LynetteO, I also was busy except for the baking, making lotion, frosting, decorating, and cleaning part. Still trying to use up leftover embeds, I made a soap for just household use. I've been liking working with confetti and can't wait to see the cut. Its cozy and gellin' in the towel pile hidey hole. It also may be the last one for 2021.

I wish I had a better handle on volume of batter. I do math, double or triple check, and most always end up with excess batter -- enough for 2-4 single molds. It's better than having too little, but my basement has limits. At the risk of reviving that whole pathetic Jason Momoa thread, my favorite meme card from Nurture Soap is the guy that says "I want to make soap. I just don't want to have soap.

 

[TashaBird]

Had a fun farmers market today! Sold a bunch of Santa’squatch which made me happy. Super tired. Painted some Krampus bath bombs for a bit when I got home.

 

[LynetteO]

…my favorite meme card from Nurture Soap is the guy that says "I want to make soap. I just don't want to have soap.

Love that. So darn true! In fact, after Christmas I’d like to cut that out in vinyl & hang it in my craft room, when it’s no longer “out if service” with wall renovation.

NS meme cards were unexpected fun . Chuck Norris still on fridge somewhere.

 

[Basil]

Today I unmolded and cut soap I was working on for the grandkids. I was listening to ‘Let it Go’ from Frozen . It actually turned out after the fugly, I mean ugly soap I made right after!

 

[Catscankim]

I would love to do this month's challenge, but I am trying to squeeze in a few more christmas soaps.

But I did use the challenge for inspiration for a soap that I cut yesterday. The smell is Cranberry. I overcame the discoloration with TD. I used my new water-based td that I just got from MM. Not sure I like it, as opposed to oil-based. Although it is certainly easier to disperse. But I felt like it was harder to incorporate into the batter without a lot of sb, which gave me lots of bubbles. But I didn't get any glycerin rivers, which I was worried about.

 

[AliOop]

I would love to do this month's challenge, but I am trying to squeeze in a few more christmas soaps.

But I did use the challenge for inspiration for a soap that I cut yesterday. The smell is Cranberry. I overcame the discoloration with TD. I used my new water-based td that I just got from MM. Not sure I like it, as opposed to oil-based. Although it is certainly easier to disperse. But I felt like it was harder to incorporate into the batter without a lot of sb, which gave me lots of bubbles. But I didn't get any glycerin rivers, which I was worried about.

those straight layers!!

 

[Catscankim]

those straight layers!!

My lard bar gives me lots of working time. This was so much easier than it looks. Blended to emulsion and split it off in three equal amts. colored and fragranced one and sb to trace and poured. Waited for that one to set up before I worked on the next layer, that I further split off into two equal colors, plus one dixie cup full for the gold (which you can't really see, shoulda used more). ITPS, Poured and let that set up. You can see I got a little impatient with the third layer because of a little breakthrough.

 

[maryloucb]

O, Christmas Tree!
Turned out better than I expected.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Only genuine with stearic snow!

 

[Catscankim]

O, Christmas Tree!
Turned out better than I expected.View attachment 62572

I love the secret feather swirl! Not easy to do! Great job!

 

[Zing]

O, Christmas Tree!
Turned out better than I expected.View attachment 62572

Really nice job, there, @maryloucb ! I've tried this every year with varying success and impressed with yours! What scent is it? Also, care to share any lessons learned, whate degree of trace to use, etc.?

 

[maryloucb]

Really nice job, there, @maryloucb ! I've tried this every year with varying success and impressed with yours! What scent is it? Also, care to share any lessons learned, whate degree of trace to use, etc.?

Thank you! I'm honestly surprised it even remotely resembles a tree! I used equal parts fir needle, cedarwood, clary sage and vetiver EOs. I really love the scent.

The first layer was at pretty light trace, so I had to let it set up a bit before I poured the darker color. I'd say next time I might want to get it a little thicker, but it's always nerve wracking because it does thicken up by the end! If you have squirt bottles, I would definitely use those for the swirl part. It's challenging (but not impossible) to control where the darker batter is going by pouring over a spatula. You can see that in 1 or 2 of the swirl layers they went all the way out to the edge of the soap, which I was trying to avoid!

 

[Zing]

I cut and posted my latest batch, soap for the kitchen. Now doing a mountain of dishes. Yeah, my 6th batch in a week and I CAN STOP AT ANYTIME, I SWEAR, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM, JUST GET OFF MY BACK, WOULDJA?!

 

[TashaBird]

Work in progress. A combo of air brush and hand painting. Comfort and Joy FO from NS smells like apple cider! They’ve got black and red embeds inside. Hoping to finish these up tomorrow and make some soap dough embeds.

 

[Zing]

Thank you! I'm honestly surprised it even remotely resembles a tree! I used equal parts fir needle, cedarwood, clary sage and vetiver EOs. I really love the scent.

The first layer was at pretty light trace, so I had to let it set up a bit before I poured the darker color. I'd say next time I might want to get it a little thicker, but it's always nerve wracking because it does thicken up by the end! If you have squirt bottles, I would definitely use those for the swirl part. It's challenging (but not impossible) to control where the darker batter is going by pouring over a spatula. You can see that in 1 or 2 of the swirl layers they went all the way out to the edge of the soap, which I was trying to avoid!

I bookmarked this scent , gotta order me some vetiver and clary sage. Can you describe it or compare it to something?

 

[TashaBird]

I bookmarked this scent , gotta order me some vetiver and clary sage. Can you describe it or compare it to something?

Those are two of my favorite EOs ever! Vetiver is kind of spicy and mystical very rich. Clary sage has that herbaceous sage undertones, with a sweeter overtone. (Varieties, and others perceptions may vary.)

 

[maryloucb]

I bookmarked this scent , gotta order me some vetiver and clary sage. Can you describe it or compare it to something?

I thought it would be one you would like @Zing ! Here it is from eocalc: Under The Stars » EO Calc - Essential Oil Calculator The vetiver is very earthy and deep, and the clary sage is green, herbaceous, bright. I know it's used as a green tea scent. The whole blend is very "planty" It really smells like a freshly cut tree to me.

@TashaBird clary sage is definitely my favorite EO right now!

 

[Guspuppy]

Well I very gently dumped my challenge soap out of the mold today so that air could get to more sides than just the top. Here's hoping it's actually soap! Nothing leaked out or anything so...... maybe?!