What soapy thing have you done today?

[Zany_in_CO]

You never know what you're going to get until you cut, eh? This time I got two hummingbirds!

You surely did! Wowser!

 

[Doris Ann]

I received my little soap mold with a flower mat on Friday and had to try it out on Saturday. I struggled with how to cut the bars. I think next time I will only pour the loaf to about 1 1/2” depth and cut wide bars next time. Scented with Lavendar, Cedarwood, Patchouli, and a touch of Litsea. Colored with a mix of red strawberry and blue ice mica.

 

[Misschief]

I received my little soap mold with a flower mat on Friday and had to try it out on Saturday. I struggled with how to cut the bars. I think next time I will only pour the loaf to about 1 1/2” depth and cut wide bars next time. Scented with Lavendar, Cedarwood, Patchouli, and a touch of Litsea. Colored with a mix of red strawberry and blue ice mica.

I have that same mold. Yours came out of the mold way better than mine did. I like your idea for the next batch; it would certainly accentuate that mat better.

 

[Quilter99755]

You never know what you're going to get until you cut, eh? This time I got two hummingbirds!
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I love them. I see ravens...baby ravens. But I spent 31 years in Alaska and they are my favorite bird! These are wonderful!

 

[Dawni]

So pretty @Doris Ann! Love that color..

Soap is in the pot! Finally... But gosh, I has forgotten how neem stinks when it's being cooked lol

Edit:
And I have a feeling this is gonna be my fugliest soap ever lol

 

[ShirleyHailstock]

You never know what you're going to get until you cut, eh? This time I got two hummingbirds!
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I love it. I haven't tried this effect yet. It's a little scary for a newbie, but I love reading your posts and seeing your photos.

 

[Dawni]

Soap is in the pot! Finally... But gosh, I has forgotten how neem stinks when it's being cooked lol

Edit:
And I have a feeling this is gonna be my fugliest soap ever lol

And I was right lol
Here they are just cut.. I'm gonna clean em up n post a better picture in a separate thread coz I wanna share my experience with this recipe.

 

[ShirleyHailstock]

I received lots of supplies for new projects. I continue to monitor the soaps that arecuring. The black amber and lavender soap I made is drying nicely, although I believe it will take a long time to completely cure. Enjoying the forum.

 

[SoapySuds]

I haven’t soaped except for the one attempt at the challenge this month. Too much other stuff going on.

I did stare at my curing soap mounds. I smell them.

I have a small loaf of CPOP that seems to be ok. I think my oven may run hotter than the 170F it claims to be its lowest setting.

I need a heat pad. Because dagnabbit, I am tired of non gelled soap. Gelled soap has such a pretty quality to it and I want it for all my soap. It cuts better, looks better and I need it in my life. Ok, need is a strong word, want is more betterer.

Also I need grammar lessons.

On a side bar...

I hate the internet right now. But I love soap. And looking at all the soap. You are all amazing for making soap. Make more. Fill the world with beautiful soap.

Golly, artists are super sensitive, whether they are writing, singing, painting, etc and they say they want to be better and want advice but giving it is like getting into a ring with a wild bear with a batch of cubs and then you step in front of a cub and all of a sudden it’s the worst thing you’ve ever done. People tell you you’re an idiot for saying something, and the idiot that is down there with the bear in the first place becomes the bear or is about to be killed by the bear or both and now it’s a giant slaughter fest.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Here’s to the bears!

 

[Emmanuel]

Today I will do a castille soap with 95%NaOH + 5% KOH as it is said to improve it I will use CPOP with a yoghurt making machine that heats evenly at 50°C

 

[Adobehead]

I received my little soap mold with a flower mat on Friday and had to try it out on Saturday. I struggled with how to cut the bars. I think next time I will only pour the loaf to about 1 1/2” depth and cut wide bars next time. Scented with Lavendar, Cedarwood, Patchouli, and a touch of Litsea. Colored with a mix of red strawberry and blue ice mica.

oops, not the post I wanted, but to say wow, your interesting EO combination inspires me and the pattern on top is lovely. I like it! Hard to type this with the cat walking/laying on my hands.

 

[Dawni]

Soleseifes.. No color. I'm on a roll hehe.. I have this, the neem soap, and a rebatch. And one more planned for tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

[Lauren C]

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I’ve been in so much arthritis pain with the cold weather I can’t stand long enough to make soap. I’m trying to figure out if I can do everything seated at the kitchen table.

I’m so sorry! Hope your arthritis gets better.

I was also opened for surgery because ligaments and tendons were also completely detached. This has by far been one of the most painful surgeries I’ve ever been through and healing time seems like it’s going SOOOO SLOW. I am doing physical therapy and exercising at home but I’m just not one to sit still and do nothing! I’m also allergic to all pain meds so acetaminophen and ibuprofen is the only thing I’m taking. I just hope it’s worth the pain when recovery is done.

I’ve got a torn rotator cuff and detached tendon too—looking at surgery in March. Hope you get better soon! Is it possible to make soap in your condition?

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Here’s my first cold process soap. And the close up pic below it is to show what Anne George’s indigo powder looked like at the top of the pic as compared with the activated charcoal at the bottom of the pic.

My original post:
“I’m about to try my first cold process soap, and I’m really nervous about the process. I love hot process. Also, I’ve only ever used essential oils, but I’m taken back by the cost. So I’m trying the pull through method today in PVC pipes using an EO blend with two fragrance oils as well.
My question—will I still get a blue hue using Anne George’s indigo powder 1 tsp mixed in 1 tbsp oil just before adding to that portion of my batter, or do you find the blue hues only come out when from a heated (or long) oil infusion?”

I’m editing my post because I realized it might be impossible to answer my question. The types of oils I used, or EO/FOs, or whether or not I gelled the soap could all affect the color of the batter, and therefore the resulting color of any added colorants. I’ll find out from my own experiments! I was sooo excited to try Anne George’s indigo—it had just arrived in the mail.

I also want to pass on something I learned. I set up my 3” pvc pipe with a funnel. I actually had 3 pipes with 3 different sized funnels. The largest funnel did well for me the entire pour, but the other two funnels with smaller circumferences in the small, inner center spout got clogged up as my batter was cooling during the pour. I’ll never use the smaller ones again, and I’m not sure the funnels were that helpful anyway. Next time I’ll just pour down the skewer in the center. I’ll keep the skewer in place with a piece of tape across the top of the pipe.

 

[cmzaha]

You never know what you're going to get until you cut, eh? This time I got two hummingbirds!
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Yes, you did get perfect little Hummers. That is why cutting soap is like opening a christmas present. Those are beautiful Kiwi. They are the perfect little bringers of good luck, joy, and love in folklore.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Yes, you did get perfect little Hummers. That is why cutting soap is like opening a christmas present. Those are beautiful Kiwi. They are the perfect little bringers of good luck, joy, and love in folklore.

That's a relief! The others all look like scary beetles!

 

[msunnerstood]

well, believe it or not, Im doing my challenge soap in CP. Im doing separate layers so im getting good practice on the different soaping temps. Why I chose My first real CP soap to be one with complexity is Ive never gotten really straight layers in HP.. there, my soapy thing and my confession in one post.

 

[Dawni]

I wrote a novel in the photo gallery hahaha

I also cut the rebatch I made yesterday. It's brown coz it has a lot of the neem soap I made the day before. The soap thickened up after I filled the loaf mold and wouldn't have looked nice in individual molds. So I left it in the pot lol

The soleseifes are still soft in the mold.. Maybe tomorrow I can show em off hehe.

 

[msunnerstood]

OMG I did it, my first totally CP soap, including piping and nothing over heated or had oil seepage or soap on a roped or any other disaster Ive heard tell about. I do have a few areas with soda ash im going to have to tackle but over all im relieved but likely remaining an HP'er. I just have too much anxiety.

 

[Ladka]

OMG ...likely remaining an HP'er. I just have too much anxiety.

Don't worry, anxiety goes away with practice.

 

[linne1gi]

OMG I did it, my first totally CP soap, including piping and nothing over heated or had oil seepage or soap on a roped or any other disaster Ive heard tell about. I do have a few areas with soda ash im going to have to tackle but over all im relieved but likely remaining an HP'er. I just have too much anxiety.

And soda ash goes away with steaming!

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