What soapy thing have you done today?

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I just finished making a batch of Pine Tar soap. My kitchen smells so fresh!

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I'm making a batch with confetti (that already had confetti from before...it's a confetti fractal....) and was about to mix up some Cloisonne Red mica, even though I recall that that mica performed very disappointingly in my last batch from about 10 days ago. The softer pink form the Winter Rose mica was there, but nothing brighter. So I reach for the bag of mica...but what's this paper cup with a stir stick in it? Why, it's some Cloisonne Red mica, patiently waiting to be incorporated into soap. It's been waiting for 10 days....it never made it into the soap!
So, this is doubly good news for me....1) mica didn't underperform and 2) mica mixing is already done, so I can spend my lye-cooling time on SMF!!!
 
Since I woke up at 2:30 am with the TV still going and the lights on, I decided to do a little clean-up in the kitchen before going to bed. But after doing the dishes, I started in on the bars of soap I had left out on my newly re-organized worktable and beveled a tray of soap before. Then just stayed up the rest of the night and day. That caught up with my by afternoon.

So far today:

✓ planed, beveled & cleaned up a couple dozen bars of soap
✓ powdered raspberries (they were totally dry) & put in capped container
✓ sort of puréed/more like moist powdered strawberries (still a bit of moisture)
✓ puréed blueberries & cherries together (for another Food & Drink soap)
✓ laundered soaping towels
✓ pre-labeled soap trays


Priority for tonight or tomorrow:

- toss/donate items from soaping area
- another batch for SCC Food & Drink challenge
- sort/put away soaping supplies
- photograph alkanet confetti soap
- prep soaps to give away to family & friends
- plan recipe for soap eldest son requested

Soapy goals for the next few days:

- use up more partially empty soaping oils
- transfer more colorants from plastic zip lock baggies to plastic bottles
- color test soaps using the infused oils, etc.
- determine how many more soaps I have left to plane & bevel - make a plan to get caught up
- design soap labels for soaps ready to package & begin packaging
- continue preparing rooms for renovation
 
Hi. Earlene kindly critiqued my newbie recipe mistake, finding it 3% over on oils (faulty measuring) and suggesting way up there super fat. Soap has been sitting two weeks and is hard and dry, only a tad oily. So I tried it and it was a great soap for our dry air in CA. But! I experimented with bright red and green coloring to see how much it would take to make colored lather, and boy was that successful. I dare not get that soap wet! Brown lather everywhere. So we learn.
 
Hi. Earlene kindly critiqued my newbie recipe mistake, finding it 3% over on oils (faulty measuring) and suggesting way up there super fat. Soap has been sitting two weeks and is hard and dry, only a tad oily. So I tried it and it was a great soap for our dry air in CA. But! I experimented with bright red and green coloring to see how much it would take to make colored lather, and boy was that successful. I dare not get that soap wet! Brown lather everywhere. So we learn.
I really can sympathize with the coloring stuff! I’m a newbie, too. With the second batch I tried, I decided to make an unscented soap for hunters in the family, and I’d make it camouflage for fun! All the colors were perfect! I cut it the next day, and the camouflage was awesome except that all my browns turned pink!
I’ve given up on mica and liquid colors. I will use what I have left but when I need to be totally sure of coloring, I will be using herbs and spices!!!
If your soap is too oily or soft, do what I do! If it is ugly, even! I cut it up into chunks and pour a white batter over it to make it mosaic in design. It comes out nice!!!
 
Today I have been working on making sure my notes & photographs are added to my recipes in Soap Builder. Finally took those photos of my Alkanet + Confetti soap with the squiggly worms topping. But just realized there was another soap photo I did not yet take.

Even though I wanted to make a Food & Drink soap today (for SCC), I chose to make quiche instead. And took a really long nap. I haven't been sleeping at night normally; my days are getting turned around. That'd be okay if we were going to Hawaii now, considering the 5 hour time difference, but that's not for another few weeks, so it's not really convenient right now.

So another soapy goal for today is to photograph another soap. Maybe more, but no pressure.
 
This is what happens when they leave me alone in the house on Father’s Day...
..


Very creative. Cant wait to see the cut.

So I bought 65 plunger cookie/fondant cutters and I happened to have a smidge too much batter in the wee hours of this morning sooo...

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Thinking about soap.. Does that count lol? Been extremely busy with no time to soap, not even late at night...

But what I'm thinking about is a soap that will have rose clay and rose petal powder, with either geranium and/or rose (not sure if it's the real deal, it was a gift) EO for scent, madder root for color boost... What do you guys think?
 
Thinking about soap.. Does that count lol? Been extremely busy with no time to soap, not even late at night...

But what I'm thinking about is a soap that will have rose clay and rose petal powder, with either geranium and/or rose (not sure if it's the real deal, it was a gift) EO for scent, madder root for color boost... What do you guys think?
its not going to be real rose, that stuff is worth more than I am
 
What do you guys think?
I think start a new thread... before your request for input gets buried. :)

Soapy goals for today and the next few days:
Inspired by @Earlene, I have a lot of soaping stuff to use up and clear out. So I'm setting soapy goals for when time allows. It's been too long.! :(
 
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This weekend is jammed with family stuff, but here's going to be the attempt list:
Photograph, package and label 27 soap cupcakes
Send out email newsletter
Make 6 ugly sweater soaps (I have 24 to do but only one mold so if I get one round done I will be happy)
Also took a stab at making a rim for the soap challenge
Spent 4 hours looking for my last two sugar scrubs
Spent 2-1/2 hours cleaning half of the office and organizing shipping supplies

Another busy week, but...
Edit photos and videos
Send out email newsletter
Finish rimmed soap
Make 12 ugly sweater soaps (will finish the last 6 during the weekend)
Finish 22 bars of the 40 I had started when my FO gets here on Thursday
Print brewery labels
 
Today, I trasferred 6 mica powders from ziplock baggies to plastic jars and partially filled a mica sprayer (fairy duster). I didn't start using the face mask until after the 2nd or 3rd bag, and by then I had a headache. That doesn't want to quit. I know better and it was right there within reach, but I just didn't. I have labeled two others that I want to transfer to jars, but I may postpone that until this evening or tomorrow.

Made soap, tossed more stuff (recycle & some actual trash), put up some trays of soap for cure. Cut a few bars, planed & beveled. Some mess clean-up, some photographs. Sorted through & organized some of my soap video clips into folders, still more to do on that.

Still need to upload some photographs. Need to rest & make dinner, maybe take something for the HA. Done. Head Ache is gone.

Worked on updating some of my recipes (adding photos & notes).
 
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Bought some oilcloth to make reusable mold liners so I don't have to cut them every time! Should be here tomorrow. Hoping to get a batch or two made tomorrow, we'll see what I decide to do.
 

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