What soapy thing have you done today?

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He is and we have gone through alot together and hes always been there for me a simple pick up cuddle and chin tickle gets him purring in my ear he is a bit of a fatty though sure he gets fed somewhere else his brother is like a stick in comparision but doesnt get fed anymore than Tyson does
My kitty Celie HATES it when I soap because I lock her in the basement so she doesn't get into the lye solution, and loudly lets me know how unhappy she is. She is a very curious one, that one, so I'm protecting her. She's the best and seems to know when her people need her to be a lovey and to purr. Sounds like you've got a good furry friend there, glad to know!
 
My kitty Celie HATES it when I soap because I lock her in the basement so she doesn't get into the lye solution, and loudly lets me know how unhappy she is. She is a very curious one, that one, so I'm protecting her. She's the best and seems to know when her people need her to be a lovey and to purr. Sounds like you've got a good furry friend there, glad to know!

Iv got 2 tyson and bruno they are brothers. Tyson escaped out the cat box when i adopted them and was wondering stray for about 5 weeks before being caught. Poor thing was full of ticks when i got him home and you should have heard the noise they both made the morning i came down after i got him back it was absolutly one the most heart breaking things iv ever heard there was no way i could keep them apart a second longer. We all have a different kinda bond bruno kinda snuggles and wants a massive fuss. tyson is happy with just cuddles and some company. Funny story not long after i had him back i went to an appointment at the hospital for a phyciatric assessment and as i was getting ready i heard tyson come in the house so went to see him for a cuddle and he brought me and left me a single bird feather and dropped it on my bottom step of my stairs as if it was a good luck present i took the feather with me and honestly that was first time someone other than my regular doc and colleagues seemed to care, understand and want to help with how i had been feeling.

I lock them outside just out of precaution really now iv got everything setup in my spare bedroom i could technically safely soap with them in the house but if there was a spill i would be trying to stop them while also trying to sort the spill out so just feel happier with them being out of harms way. And as for noise i cant hear a thing i know they meow at the window but its hard enough to not even be able see bruno at night let alone hearing him
 
I'll have to try HP pretty soon. I like the unplanned, amalgamated-type look the cut bars seem to have with that process.

Is it necessary to have a separate crock pot for soaping? What is the consensus on this forum about that?

I did buy a tall SS pot at ARC store recently for HP (either planned or emergency HP fix of a CP disaster, should I have one occur), but many people seem to say HP is safer and perhaps more controllable in a crock pot/slow cooker.
Unplanned? No. I plan my designs, colors, fragrance, tops etc. HP takes a bit longer of course but I also love not worrying about ash or soap on a stick. I do miss not being able to get the creamy looking tops you can get with CP though. I figured out how to pipe HP and I love the look of that so who knows, maybe someday I can get the creamy top too. Both techniques has pro's and cons.

Separate Crock Pot is a must for HP just like separate bowls for CP.
 
I have both of those molds. The rectangular ones make a smaller size/weight bar, and the silicone is very thick. So I poked holes in the mold because they can be 'soft' after a few days, not from my recipe but because there is no airflow in the mold.

These are the molds I ordered today, that are coming Monday. I think my soaps will still go through gel phase in the rectangles, since they are close together, but I might have to take extra care to gel the ones in the flower molds -- time will tell. Please chime in about this, if you have any experience with it. TIA

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I’m wrapping a bunch of soaps today. I’ve told myself that I need to cut my inventory in half before I make any more soap. I don’t sell but I want feedback from other people before I make a bunch of soap that is subpar. I tweet constantly and looking for that perfect base recipe...I’m close I think!
 
Lmao Theres a massive waiting list me thinks saying that im running down my stash have far too many already. Nearly finished one my faves so debating ordering more defo best scent that stays in the soaps alot have felt kinda disguised by the soap itself but this is very potent even after unmolding. Do you have bakewell tart in america? also known as cherry bakewell?

I know what a bakewell is but I’ve never had one or seen one here :/ I have plenty of FOs that I need to soap...but it’s just so exciting to get MORE!!!!
 
I know what a bakewell is but I’ve never had one or seen one here :/ I have plenty of FOs that I need to soap...but it’s just so exciting to get MORE!!!!

I agree i have to admit i do love a cherry bakewell but the smell of this fo far surpasses the actual eating of one not sure iv come across any fo that is quite so realistic. I have cola cube fo too have you heard of them little cube sweets covered in sugar think they are red these days think they used to be brown takes me back to my childhood memories.

Cut end off my cherry and white rugby soap definatly didnt come out as i planned think i know what i did wrong but i actually really like how it did come out and oh my it smells amazing. Got my charcoal today so planning a black and white stripped charcoal and white clay soap with poppy seeds. as a face soap reason im thinking stripes or swirls is because i want to use the charcoal and clay but dont want a nasty grey coloured soap
 

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My soapy thing of the day is to watch ash develop! I've made 3 batches of CP soap: a two-tone beer soap at a workshop where I was closely supervised and everything went great; spritzed with alcohol, wrapped in plastic and then a towel.. #2 was the one where I wore swimming goggles and didn't dissolve my lye all the way; split the batter into main coloured with colorant, 2 small amounts coloured with charcoal and zinc oxide, batter thickened fast and my intended swirls became lumps, but I got it in the loaf mold and smoothed out. Sprayed with alcohol and wrapped in a towel (but not plastic, I don't think). #3 was a week later: copper, yellow and white shampoo bars in individual molds. I ran out of time before an appointment, and didn't spray nor wrap in any way, just rushed out the door. Also made the tops very lumpy to provide "finger grips" on the soaps.
Well! The shampoo bars developed ash within 3 days or so. I didn't mind much, as there was white in the soap and it kind of goes. The baby blue loaf developed ash about 10 days later! I thought I was out of the woods on that one. The original soap was made end of Nov, and no ash.
I don't *mind* it necessarily, but I didn't think it had happened, especially on the blue loaf. How late does ash usually show up??
 
Unplanned? No. I plan my designs, colors, fragrance, tops etc. HP takes a bit longer of course but I also love not worrying about ash or soap on a stick. I do miss not being able to get the creamy looking tops you can get with CP though. I figured out how to pipe HP and I love the look of that so who knows, maybe someday I can get the creamy top too. Both techniques has pro's and cons.

Separate Crock Pot is a must for HP just like separate bowls for CP.

I hope, in my ignorance, that i didn't offend you by saying 'unplanned' looking. How on earth did you make that amazingly beautiful marbling effect on your recent rose bars?!? (I just thought that's how HP comes out sometimes.)
 
I'm done! It's taken me the best part of the day, but my challenge entry is ready. Will take some pics later as the evening cools off a bit and the light is better. Then I have to wait to post them of course, once the challenge entries are open.
Exciting!
cant wait to see it!!!
 
I agree i have to admit i do love a cherry bakewell but the smell of this fo far surpasses the actual eating of one not sure iv come across any fo that is quite so realistic. I have cola cube fo too have you heard of them little cube sweets covered in sugar think they are red these days think they used to be brown takes me back to my childhood memories.

Cut end off my cherry and white rugby soap definatly didnt come out as i planned think i know what i did wrong but i actually really like how it did come out and oh my it smells amazing. Got my charcoal today so planning a black and white stripped charcoal and white clay soap with poppy seeds. as a face soap reason im thinking stripes or swirls is because i want to use the charcoal and clay but dont want a nasty grey coloured soap
even if it didn't turn out the way you wanted it is still pretty. haha it seems to be a soaping thing
 
Unplanned? No. I plan my designs, colors, fragrance, tops etc. HP takes a bit longer of course but I also love not worrying about ash or soap on a stick. I do miss not being able to get the creamy looking tops you can get with CP though. I figured out how to pipe HP and I love the look of that so who knows, maybe someday I can get the creamy top too. Both techniques has pro's and cons.

Separate Crock Pot is a must for HP just like separate bowls for CP.
please post some pics of your soap you piped. I like the rustic looking tops on HP
 
My soapy thing of the day is to watch ash develop! I've made 3 batches of CP soap: a two-tone beer soap at a workshop where I was closely supervised and everything went great; spritzed with alcohol, wrapped in plastic and then a towel.. #2 was the one where I wore swimming goggles and didn't dissolve my lye all the way; split the batter into main coloured with colorant, 2 small amounts coloured with charcoal and zinc oxide, batter thickened fast and my intended swirls became lumps, but I got it in the loaf mold and smoothed out. Sprayed with alcohol and wrapped in a towel (but not plastic, I don't think). #3 was a week later: copper, yellow and white shampoo bars in individual molds. I ran out of time before an appointment, and didn't spray nor wrap in any way, just rushed out the door. Also made the tops very lumpy to provide "finger grips" on the soaps.
Well! The shampoo bars developed ash within 3 days or so. I didn't mind much, as there was white in the soap and it kind of goes. The baby blue loaf developed ash about 10 days later! I thought I was out of the woods on that one. The original soap was made end of Nov, and no ash.
I don't *mind* it necessarily, but I didn't think it had happened, especially on the blue loaf. How late does ash usually show up??

@MGM you can get rid of soda ash by putting it over steam i saw someone suggest boiling a pan of water and holding the soap over it once it starts to boil. personally id hold it with tongs as i dont fancy getting steam burns

even if it didn't turn out the way you wanted it is still pretty. haha it seems to be a soaping thing

Oh i know i really like how its turned out even if it wasnt planned like that. Definatly going to use that colour combo to do some swirls. My last duel colour soap cane out sooooooo much nicer than i even expected it to
 
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I rebatched some lotion bars. Back when I was experimenting to duplicate a name brand, I ended up with a huge batch that was a huge disappointment (way too soft and oily). To get the right proportions, I had to melt that first batch and add a ton more beeswax and hard butters. Now I've got lotion bars up to my ears -- may have to pay folks to take them away. :)
 
I hope, in my ignorance, that i didn't offend you by saying 'unplanned' looking. How on earth did you make that amazingly beautiful marbling effect on your recent rose bars?!? (I just thought that's how HP comes out sometimes.)
That one was fun. I in the pot swirled the two red/pink colors just a bit. I used the white as a layer in between pours and then used a gear tie to swirl once it was molded.
 
That one was fun. I in the pot swirled the two red/pink colors just a bit. I used the white as a layer in between pours and then used a gear tie to swirl once it was molded.

Wow! Your swirl mojo was on High when you made that soap, it's one of my top 5 favorite looks I've seen on this forum!

I'm running over the the HP Forum section (assuming there's one) so I avoid asking a bunch more dumb questions about HP!!! :D
 
Wow! Your swirl mojo was on High when you made that soap, it's one of my top 5 favorite looks I've seen on this forum!

I'm running over the the HP Forum section (assuming there's one) so I avoid asking a bunch more dumb questions about HP!!! :D

Pretty sure there isnt one but youtube is full of videos of hp soap making that might help sort your basic questions you may have
 
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