What soapy thing have you done today?

[dmcgee5034]

Only had to work half day today! Made a batch of soap especially for pouring into cavity molds in Christmas shapes for a special order that came in last night and am packaging other items. I have on Hallmark type holiday movies for background and they just roll to the next one. Well, this one comes on and it’s set in New Zealand so of course I exclaim “maybe @KiwiMoose will be in this” - lol, because surely you must be as the Official Soaper of NZ….

 

[Servant4Christ]

Just out of curiosity, where DO you live (general area)?

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[Savage Daughter]

I am both in awe and envious! I also would have gladly captured that event on video had I been there! And I cannot lie, I probably would have laughed way more than would have been socially acceptable

In case you haven't noticed yet LOL I don't really do the whole 'socially acceptable' thing I am a spur-of-the-moment, jump-into-it-because-why-in-gods-name-not, bugger-anyone-who-judges, unapologetic-YES-to-everything-even if-I-end-up-on-my-arse kinda person.....and lord knows I am constantly laughing at myself

I woulda been laughing right along with you....I was laughing about the bull kelp incident when I was up to my chestiness in sodden leaves, tarps, straw & soil today, dirt in my hair, on my face, from head to toe How can I not laugh at myself?!? LOL I'm also constantly learning, taking joy in the lessons & having fun, even if I look to someone else like I've lost the plot I don't care!

Say YES to everything NO FEAR

Just out of curiosity, where DO you live (general area)?

On a little island which is off the East coast of a bigger island, about an hour drive into the bush, at the end of a dead end dirt road, a 3 minute walk from the ocean

 

[AliOop]

I made some CP soap today! Tomorrow we shall see if it might work the this month's challenge. The base color of the soap morphed, so there was a mid-course change of direction that might have mucked it up. Oh well, the top swirls look nice.

Next, I made a batch of lotion. While that was cooling, I started diluting some LS paste to whip up a batch of my SIL's favorite "bodywash" (which is really just @IrishLass' Creamy Cocoa-Shea LS). As I poured boiling water over the paste and additives to start them melting, I got the idea to put the glass measuring container in the microwave, instead of my usual canning-jar-in-pot-of-boiling-water setup.

Well, well, it turns out that the microwave works very well for diluting LS paste - who knew?! I did have to watch closely to make sure that the LS didn't puff up and out of the container while nuking it. But other than that, it was a pretty fast and easy process. Rather than hours on the stove, it took less than 30 minutes. About every 8-10 ten minutes, I nuked it for another 60-90 seconds to keep the dilution temp high so the paste would dissolve, and the added stearic acid would melt completely. Once most of the soap blobs were dissolved, the stickblender emulsified everything. A few spritzes of alcohol knocked down the foamy head, and voila - diluted LS in about 30 minutes. Yay!

 

[Servant4Christ]

I made some CP soap today! Tomorrow we shall see if it might work the this month's challenge. The base color of the soap morphed, so there was a mid-course change of direction that might have mucked it up. Oh well, the top swirls look nice.

Next, I made a batch of lotion. While that was cooling, I started diluting some LS paste to whip up a batch of my SIL's favorite "bodywash" (which is really just @IrishLass' Creamy Cocoa-Shea LS). As I poured boiling water over the paste and additives to start them melting, I got the idea to put the glass measuring container in the microwave, instead of my usual canning-jar-in-pot-of-boiling-water setup.

Well, well, it turns out that the microwave works very well for diluting LS paste - who knew?! I did have to watch closely to make sure that the LS didn't puff up and out of the container while nuking it. But other than that, it was a pretty fast and easy process. Rather than hours on the stove, it took less than 30 minutes. About every 8-10 ten minutes, I nuked it for another 60-90 seconds to keep the dilution temp high so the paste would dissolve, and the added stearic acid would melt completely. Once most of the soap blobs were dissolved, the stickblender emulsified everything. A few spritzes of alcohol knocked down the foamy head, and voila - diluted LS in about 30 minutes. Yay!

I've diluted mine that way. I just have to remember to write down the total weight before nuking so I can add more distilled water to replace what evaporates.

 

[Misschief]

On a little island which is off the East coast of a bigger island, about an hour drive into the bush, at the end of a dead end dirt road, a 3 minute walk from the ocean

Atlantic or Pacific

 

[Servant4Christ]

Atlantic or Pacific

I assumed near Australia based on the use of the word bush instead of woods or forest.

 

[Whillow]

@Benjifrazer I love that landscape. The sharp details are amazing. Your colours work so well together. DId you happen to make a Youtube video on this batch? Your vids are very informative and I had taken your advice on the lard soap and it work sooooo well for swirls and stays fluid a long time (as long as the fragrance oil isn't being a jerk).

I have not made any soaps recently, as I am getting ready to go to Mexico for my daughter's wedding and there is a ridiculous amount of work to be done still and I leave on Saturday. I will be anxious to get back to get some soaps made for next year.

 

[Savage Daughter]

Atlantic or Pacific

Pacific hahaha

Although it coulda been in a completely different ocean LOL

 

[Misschief]

Pacific hahaha

Although it coulda been in a completely different ocean LOL

The only reason I was curious was because you mentioned surfers. West Coast of Van Isle is our fave place to be; just can't stand all the tourists who's fave place it is, too.

 

[Servant4Christ]

I feel like I'm playing Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? Only it's Quasi were trying to find.

 

[Misschief]

I feel like I'm playing Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? Only it's Quasi were trying to find.

Some of her posts have had me curious. The west coast is a huge area, as is the east coast. She satisfied my curiosity.

 

[AliensrReal]

I feel like I'm playing Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? Only it's Quasi were trying to find.

I tried googling lady hauls kelp out of the sea and got a hit for a lady named “The seaweed lady”. Very educational on bull kelp.

 

[Misschief]

We took my grandson to Long Beach (BC) a couple of years ago. He'd never seen kelp like this.

 

[AliensrReal]

I’m learning so much about kelp.

Tried the Luna Swirl for the first time. I don’t expect it to come out very good, but I hope whatever the design is that it comes out pretty. Scented with champagne margarita and I used my slow moving recipe. I had so much time to do everything I wanted. Lovely scent too:

 

[AliensrReal]

First try at Luna Swirl. I think it came out okay. As always, I used neon colors.

 

[VikingChick]

First try at Luna Swirl. I think it came out okay.

Nice! i haven’t yet garnered the patience to try that one. I love your colors!

 

[Shelley D]

I tried googling lady hauls kelp out of the sea and got a hit for a lady named “The seaweed lady”. Very educational on bull kelp.

I just Googled bull kelp hadn't thought to Google an article title!

 

[AliensrReal]

Nice! i haven’t yet garnered the patience to try that one. I love your colors!

It was my most intimidating swirl yet. Honestly, it does require some patience if you want the colors to slowly get lighter or darker. I’m gonna aim for more swirls next time. I was a little afraid everything would blend together.

 

[Jorah]

On Thanksgiving morning I made a batch of blueberry muffins from a box mix, and my first pumpkin pie, ever. This is the first baking I've tried since I started making soap, and I believe that my soapmaking has made me a more confident follower of recipes. I churned right through both muffins and pie, and ladling in the muffin batter certainly echoed making soap in molds. The pie didn't come out tasting great, but I don't think it was anything I did wrong! Tonight we'll have our third turkey-based supper in a row, and tomorrow will make Day Four; fortunately, I I really like turkey, and even had some for lunch today.

"But Jorah," I imagine you saying... "this isn't really about soap." True enough, but I did learn another lesson today; if you grab a bar of soap to test it, jot down what batch it is from! I was running low on shower soap, grabbed an unlabeled bar from my stash, presumably assuming that I'd remember which batch. I really like it. It's slightly too cleansing, but has the best lather I've seen from my soap yet, and isn't bothering my skin at all. But. I don't have the slightest idea what it is. So that's my learning for today. Document, document, document. Yes, it's a lesson I've had many times. Perhaps someday it will sink in.



The reddish soap is an almond oil, palm, and coconut with a little madder root. The cream soap is a four-oil/two-butter blend that I came up with, which looks promising. I made both batches last Sunday.


Kodiak brand blueberry muffin mix.


Pie made with canned pumpkin mash & a frozen crust; my mom would have been so disappointed in me.

Now that I'm finally done, I'm wondering how much longer it may take to unmold this Goliath. And not sure how I'll cut it with my 12-bar cutter! It never occurred to me how different sizing up just a bit would feel!

I love making huge batches, and hate that my custom mold has languished for months as I got back to basics. I got 40 bars out of it, the last time I used it! Partly my frustration is that prep and cleanup on a small batch is just as much work as for a big batch. I think I'm nearing the time to break it out again; possibly a 40-bar batch of lard soap? Just have to settle on the color and scent...

As for cutting with your 12-bar cutter, can't you just whack off the end with a butcher knife, then proceed as usual?