What soapy thing have you done today?

[HippieDippie]

I am way too new to soaping to be getting into such projects but my Aunt is turning seventy and her late husband was Kevin. She loves minions and we always make light about the minion Kevin holding down the fort. I thought it could be fun to try making Kevin the minion soap for her birthday.

Lol. I made a really great plan and then didn’t stick to it even in the slightest. I paid the price.

It’s only the fifth batch of cold process soap I have ever made so it was an excellent learning experience- soap dough is so much fun but not the best way to make Kevin.

Check out my failure!!

 

[AliensrReal]

@HippieDippie , your failure is amazing! Such great work!

Thanks for the compliment of the kaleidoscope soap. I’m hoping to perfect it as much as possible.

 

[Kcryss]

@HippieDippie Those are amazing!!

 

[Firefly24]

Firefly - I love your new avatar! Is that a schnauzer?

Aww, thank you~ Yes, this is my Fritzie. She is a standard schnauzer.

 

[HippieDippie]

@HippieDippie , your failure is amazing! Such great work!

Thanks for the compliment of the kaleidoscope soap. I’m hoping to perfect it as much as possible.

That makes sense, they will fly off your shelves - I imagine a music festival or two and you would be rich selling those.

I see burning man in your future - my husband already wants to buy them and he is a picky dude.

@HippieDippie Those are amazing!!

Thanks, it was a joyous PIMA. I will laugh at these for a while.

 

[Zing]

I am way too new to soaping to be getting into such projects but my Aunt is turning seventy and her late husband was Kevin. She loves minions and we always make light about the minion Kevin holding down the fort. I thought it could be fun to try making Kevin the minion soap for her birthday.

Lol. I made a really great plan and then didn’t stick to it even in the slightest. I paid the price.

It’s only the fifth batch of cold process soap I have ever made so it was an excellent learning experience- soap dough is so much fun but not the best way to make Kevin.

Check out my failure!!View attachment 77327

Wow, if that's your "failure," what does your successful batch look like?! That is super impressive work! Also, I don't believe that it is only your fifth batch, liar liar pants on fire.

 

[Barefoot Farm Girl]

For my 4th batch of soap I did my first ever mechanics soap! The recipe called for pumice and walnut shells but I didn’t have any and don’t need to spend any more money so I used old dried up coffee grounds instead. I used Natures Oil citrus peel & pine FO. Man I’m in love with the scent! I’m calling this an extra win…my husband has been yeah, whatever, it’s soap so far. He walked in, remarked on how good it smelled and asked when it would be ready. He looked so disappointed when I told him it needed to cure for at least a month.

 

[AliOop]

@Barefoot Farm Girl looks great! Enlist DH to be your tester and wash with the soap once each week as it cures. That way, you can both see how the lather and mildness change over time (and he doesn't have to wait so long).

 

[Kcryss]

Waterslide Update
Finally got

For my 4th batch of soap I did my first ever mechanics soap! The recipe called for pumice and walnut shells but I didn’t have any and don’t need to spend any more money so I used old dried up coffee grounds instead. I used Natures Oil citrus peel & pine FO. Man I’m in love with the scent! I’m calling this an extra win…my husband has been yeah, whatever, it’s soap so far. He walked in, remarked on how good it smelled and asked when it would be ready. He looked so disappointed when I told him it needed to cure for at least a month.

That looks so much better than my mechanic soap. Nice job!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I am way too new to soaping to be getting into such projects but my Aunt is turning seventy and her late husband was Kevin. She loves minions and we always make light about the minion Kevin holding down the fort. I thought it could be fun to try making Kevin the minion soap for her birthday.

Lol. I made a really great plan and then didn’t stick to it even in the slightest. I paid the price.

It’s only the fifth batch of cold process soap I have ever made so it was an excellent learning experience- soap dough is so much fun but not the best way to make Kevin.

Check out my failure!!

Those are wonderfully creative and totally salvageable. If you're willing to sacrifice one bar, use it to create soap dough to patch gaps and holes in the rest of the bars. If the patching soap has dried out a bit to much, dampen it with a wee bit of water and work it until it is smooth and pliable, like putty. Or, the soap towards the interior of a bar may be softer. A palette knife makes patching easy, but an offset cake spatula, a butter knife, back of a spoon, etc can be used to push patching soap where you want it. When everything is patched, let it sit a bit to firm up and then use a wet polishing technique to smooth out the cut faces of the bars.

 

[Barefoot Farm Girl]

@Barefoot Farm Girl looks great! Enlist DH to be your tester and wash with the soap once each week as it cures. That way, you can both see how the lather and mildness change over time (and he doesn't have to wait so long).

I let him try it last night with the disclaimer that it won’t be at its best. He gave it 5 stars already

 

[HippieDippie]

For my 4th batch of soap I did my first ever mechanics soap! The recipe called for pumice and walnut shells but I didn’t have any and don’t need to spend any more money so I used old dried up coffee grounds instead. I used Natures Oil citrus peel & pine FO. Man I’m in love with the scent! I’m calling this an extra win…my husband has been yeah, whatever, it’s soap so far. He walked in, remarked on how good it smelled and asked when it would be ready. He looked so disappointed when I told him it needed to cure for at least a month.

I love this! This sounds like body bliss. I have heard multiple times about walnut and haven’t found a local source either - brialliant repurposing of coffee grounds.

Those are wonderfully creative and totally salvageable. If you're willing to sacrifice one bar, use it to create soap dough to patch gaps and holes in the rest of the bars. If the patching soap has dried out a bit to much, dampen it with a wee bit of water and work it until it is smooth and pliable, like putty. Or, the soap towards the interior of a bar may be softer. A palette knife makes patching easy, but an offset cake spatula, a butter knife, back of a spoon, etc can be used to push patching soap where you want it. When everything is patched, let it sit a bit to firm up and then use a wet polishing technique to smooth out the cut faces of the bars.

Can you explain how to make soap dough from a solid bar? I used soapsorcery method. I would love to salvage these.

I am so grateful for any help!

Wow, if that's your "failure," what does your successful batch look like?! That is super impressive work! Also, I don't believe that it is only your fifth batch, liar liar pants on fire.

I am touched with the OCD and have yet to make a batch I would call a success beyond learning - but the “O” always hit before the “C” and I fixated on many techniques that have yet to truly set in.

I just tried a batch for the soap club challenge this month - once it is all said and done - I will post that semi success so we can share in laughter at my ADHD soap making. I am excited to see what awaits tomorrow morning in my “lab”.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Can you explain how to make soap dough from a solid bar? I used soapsorcery method. I would love to salvage these.

I am so grateful for any help!

I'm not making full blown soap dough, just using little bits of soap for patching. What lye conc do you use? I use 40%, but even at that low water amount I usually can scrape bits of soap from just below the surface layer that will soften up enough for patching. That approach works best within a day or two of cutting the soap. For harder/drier soap, I very lightly spritz a small chunk of soap with water, wrap it in plastic wrap, let it soften up overnight and then work it to a dough consistency. The bits of soap I use are small - the size of a hazelnut, or possibly a walnut. I forgot that you used soup dough to make the soap. If you have any of that left, you should be able to use it to patch without having to sacrifice a bar.

ETA: you can watch Teri of Tree Marie Soapworks use bits of trimmed soap to patch a bar, starting at around 17:30.

 

[Marie_with_an_e]

Yesterday, I did my first market in 15 years!

Long story short: owned a soap biz, husband died unexpectedly, closed soap biz, went to school and became an RN, married my high school sweetheart, moved to California, moved back to Virginia, opened new soap biz.

Anyhoo, the market was a very small Renaissance fair and the weather sucked but we did great; steady business for the four hours we were there.

The best part, though, was that I came home to a message from another market manager asking if I wanted to be a part of a large juried market put on annually by the city and that I was already approved! The app window was already closed, but another vendor told them about me and paid my fee! I’m so excited .

 

[Barefoot Farm Girl]

Yesterday, I did my first market in 15 years!

Long story short: owned a soap biz, husband died unexpectedly, closed soap biz, went to school and became an RN, married my high school sweetheart, moved to California, moved back to Virginia, opened new soap biz.

Anyhoo, the market was a very small Renaissance fair and the weather sucked but we did great; steady business for the four hours we were there.

The best part, though, was that I came home to a message from another market manager asking if I wanted to be a part of a large juried market put on annually by the city and that I was already approved! The app window was already closed, but another vendor told them about me and paid my fee! I’m so excited .

That’s amazing! Your stuff looks beautiful!

 

[Marie_with_an_e]

That’s amazing! Your stuff looks beautiful!

Thank you!

 

[Barefoot Farm Girl]

Thank you!

Soaping goal’s right there

 

[dmcgee5034]

Appreciate you honoring us with your backstory, @Marie_with_an_e

Congrats on a successful market and the lead into the next - woo hoo! All your items look lovely, and I adore the look of everything. Very nice!

 

[Barefoot Farm Girl]

First success Goat Milk Soap! This is my 5th batch of soap and my 2nd attempt at goat milk soap. No one warned me that soaping is a straight up obsession! I go to sleep thinking about my next batch and wake up with so many ideas. So much soap, so little time

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Beautiful white soap!