What soapy thing have you done today?
- Thread starter FlybyStardancer
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It looks great! And your staging is fantastic! (Someday I may take a photo not on a plastic cutting board in my basement....naaaahhh).
But best of all, I'm sure it smells great...I luvs me some patchouli....
Marilyn Norgart
Well-Known Member
I agree your soap looks pretty and so does your background. the colors scent and background work together 
. I have to figure out something for taking pictures and maybe get a different phone cuz it doesn't take nice pics
. I have to figure out something for taking pictures and maybe get a different phone cuz it doesn't take nice pics
I finished my soap baggie! I'm gonna try this puppy out in the shower tomorrow. The cotton I used was a bit thick - so next time I will use 4 ply, or a larger crochet hook. Not bad for a first crochet attempt - I actually ended up with a perfect square before I folded it and stitched it up into a bag 
Marilyn Norgart
Well-Known Member
is this something you will have to take the soap out of after each use or will dry in the bag?
I’ve been watching YT videos specifically on photographing soap. Learning a lot.
Marilyn Norgart
Well-Known Member
See, this is one thing that just doesn't interest me. The other things are budgeting, accounting, marketing, properly doing inventory, branding, labelling, and packaging (a much bigger deal for my other products: serums, creams, lotion bars, etc. etc. Soap is easy on that front.). Writing formulations down properly *barely* interests me, but I know it's necessary
I am making shower gel right now I just could not wait any longer for my soy wax, so I desided to make something else instead. And I need shower gel, so that's what I'm cooking in my crockpot. And I needed to find a use for my 50/50 stearic/palmitic acid candle wax, so I made it to be 20% in my recipe (the rest is 20% coconut, 60% olive + 3% citric acid and 2 tbls sugar and 1 silk cocoon). I hope that will give a dense lather. If not, that is okey too. I tried my silk cocoons for the first time, it dissolved smoothly in the lye. I just cut it to pieces and let it soak for a while in the water. But it had a bug inside Luckily it did not end up in my lye.
The phenolphtalein test does still show some pink. Perhaps it must cook some more, perhaps my KoH have more than 90% purity or perhaps one or some of my oils have a lower sap. value than the value from the calculator. I will just let it cook some more, and if it still shows pink, I will either add a tiny bit of olive oil or a tiny bit of citric acid. I will also do a zap test, just to be sure. I did use zero superfat, so I was aware it could be slightly lye heavy. I am no expert on liquid soapmaking at all. This is my second time. But it does look promising this time. I just hope I don't destroy it as I did last time with horrible scents. I have chosen a Kumquat fragrance, since I'm trying to keep things simple to avoid any disasters I have not sniffed my fragrance yet. I perhaps should do that, it might be horrible. Luckily I have a Kiwi on hand. My other scents are quite advanced compositions, and I know some of them really need a to cure in a soap since I have experienced morphing from horror to absolutely beautiful. I don't want to risk anything by using such scents in liquid soap. So simple fruits it will be.
I just could not wait any longer for my soy wax, so I desided to make something else instead. And I need shower gel, so that's what I'm cooking in my crockpot. And I needed to find a use for my 50/50 stearic/palmitic acid candle wax, so I made it to be 20% in my recipe (the rest is 20% coconut, 60% olive + 3% citric acid and 2 tbls sugar and 1 silk cocoon). I hope that will give a dense lather. If not, that is okey too. I tried my silk cocoons for the first time, it dissolved smoothly in the lye. I just cut it to pieces and let it soak for a while in the water. But it had a bug inside Luckily it did not end up in my lye.The phenolphtalein test does still show some pink. Perhaps it must cook some more, perhaps my KoH have more than 90% purity or perhaps one or some of my oils have a lower sap. value than the value from the calculator. I will just let it cook some more, and if it still shows pink, I will either add a tiny bit of olive oil or a tiny bit of citric acid. I will also do a zap test, just to be sure. I did use zero superfat, so I was aware it could be slightly lye heavy. I am no expert on liquid soapmaking at all. This is my second time. But it does look promising this time. I just hope I don't destroy it as I did last time with horrible scents. I have chosen a Kumquat fragrance, since I'm trying to keep things simple to avoid any disasters
I have not sniffed my fragrance yet. I perhaps should do that, it might be horrible. Luckily I have a Kiwi on hand. My other scents are quite advanced compositions, and I know some of them really need a to cure in a soap since I have experienced morphing from horror to absolutely beautiful. I don't want to risk anything by using such scents in liquid soap. So simple fruits it will be.
For creative types like most of us, it's really hard to turn off the right side of our brains. I'm a hospital CEO by trade, and I love the creative, strategic-thinking stuff, but hate hate the analytical (accounting, budgeting, paperwork aspects). I try to find ways to make the business stuff creative as well, but it has to get done one way of the other. My wife has agreed to take on more of the record keeping, website, photography tasks, for which I am eternally grateful. I'm also have to be careful not to let my soap-obsession creep into my 9-to-5 too much. Technically, I'm salaried, so it really doesn't matter as I am "always on the clock," but there is a time and place for everything.See, this is one thing that just doesn't interest me. The other things are budgeting, accounting, marketing, properly doing inventory, branding, labelling, and packaging (a much bigger deal for my other products: serums, creams, lotion bars, etc. etc. Soap is easy on that front.). Writing formulations down properly *barely* interests me, but I know it's necessary
Hey, a dude after my own heart! Anything about photography draws me in. As does anything about artistic techniques (of all kinds.) I've been watching painting techniques the last few days, thinking how to use some of them for soap. Some yes, some not so much, but they are simply enthralling.
Do you ever do HDR manipulation with your photography? That's another very addictive technique for artistic expression of one's photography. Not so great for soap, but boy is it fun with all kinds of other things. My son got me hooked on it years ago. My Dad would probably have done, too, but I think it was mostly after his time. Of course it does take up a lot of space on the hard drive!
I know a lot about a lot... Woodwork is another creative outlet for me as is cooking and, strangely, computer science. What I know about photography, however, you could stick in a gnat's ear. My wife has recently started a fashion blot, and has become our family "expert" on photography, and as much as I'd like to pick up one additional hobby, I just don't think I have time. BUT, being one who cannot resist... what is HDR manipulation?
HDR=High Dynamic Range. Here are a couple of links on the subject.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/what-is-hdr-photography/
https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/to-hdr-or-not-when-and-if-you-should-use-hdr/
https://expertphotography.com/hdr-photography-tips-improve-photography/
The software I use for HDR is called photomatix pro.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/what-is-hdr-photography/
https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/to-hdr-or-not-when-and-if-you-should-use-hdr/
https://expertphotography.com/hdr-photography-tips-improve-photography/
The software I use for HDR is called photomatix pro.
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See, this is one thing that just doesn't interest me. The other things are budgeting, accounting, marketing, properly doing inventory, branding, labelling, and packaging (a much bigger deal for my other products: serums, creams, lotion bars, etc. etc. Soap is easy on that front.). Writing formulations down properly *barely* interests me, but I know it's necessary
Yeah - details and lists and organization - makes my brain shut down !
Gorgeous socks. Socks are the reason I always wanted to learn to knit so I could make some. Never happened and crochet socks are not nice.
I did not make anything soapy but did get a gallon of lotion made. I need to make a couple more gallons but this will have to do today. Next I will make another batch of deodorant, since my order of tubes came in yesterday.
I love this huge stainless steel bowl with a flat bottom because I can heat my oils and butters right in the bowl.
Happily cooling in it's ice bath
I did not make anything soapy but did get a gallon of lotion made. I need to make a couple more gallons but this will have to do today. Next I will make another batch of deodorant, since my order of tubes came in yesterday.
I love this huge stainless steel bowl with a flat bottom because I can heat my oils and butters right in the bowl.
Happily cooling in it's ice bath
I just chucked in about 5 soap ends that I had lying about ( I always have about 5 on the go in the bathroom and another 4 or 5 at the kitchen sink so they need using up). The idea is not to take them out - but rather use up the ends that would otherwise be too small. When all gone i can put it through the washing machine. As mentioned - the cotton is a bit thick so I need to find something thinner next time, otherwise this one will take too long to dry out between uses.
Marilyn Norgart
Well-Known Member
well I never even thought that you would be using ends up--must be cuz I don't have "any" of those laying around DUH
No, like most people on here - no soap ends lying around
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