What soapy thing have you done today?

[cmzaha]

Nothing again. There is really no point now that my Spring Craft is officially canceled. It is beginning to look like I am going to be put out of business this year since I am afraid my weekly market is in jeopardy of not re-opening. Kaiser has been threatening and this might just be their excuse.

 

[lloydcreeksoapllc]

Having a hard time finding the post button. Still haven’t found. Making pine tar soap plus aloe based cp soaps today.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Experiment #9
I am almost out to tallow, have used it all up. The butcher says he will have more sebo next Tuesday, so I can make some more. In México this could take a little more time, a few more trips to the butcher than planned, we shall see. At least he didn't use the word "mañana" which means probably never.

I didn't have a pink colorant, I usually use Rose Clay but it is on order. So I grabbed a littls sprinkle of the cochinea from my dye room and powdered it up and let it sit for a couple of days in a tablespoon of water. A very small amount was plenty to color this batch. I will make it again with more titanium dioxide for a lighter pink.

This batch has goat's milk instead of water and is scented with a pachouly/bergamot/ geranium EO blend. I topped it off with two drops of real Rose Otto, it's pretty nice. For speckles, I used cranberry fiber. These aren't gallery type photos, they are working photos, only good to illustrate the text, I hope that is okay.] View attachment 44933 View attachment 44934

I love the color and the speckles. Really pretty!

 

[Belindasuds]

I woke up early this morning and spent the last few hours organizing soaps. I'm making donations of soap to a local groups who support the homeless population. Also gifting soap to each of the households in our building. Following the necessary steps and safety measures takes a little extra time, but it's time well spent. Helping others in some small way feels good and it also frees up some space on my curing racks. Going to plan out some fun/creative designs next! (excited). But first, I'd like to spend some time getting familiar with the forum here. I must confess that although I have been a member for 2 years I haven't visited nearly enough. With the extra time I have on my hands right now I'm looking forward to remedying that.

 

[ShirleyHailstock]

New supplies arrived yesterday. I can go back to experimenting.

 

[Belindasuds]

That's great news! Happy Soaping Sunday

 

[rdc1978]

Nothing again. There is really no point now that my Spring Craft is officially canceled. It is beginning to look like I am going to be put out of business this year since I am afraid my weekly market is in jeopardy of not re-opening. Kaiser has been threatening and this might just be their excuse.

I'm not sure how the CARES program works, but I wonder if you could get a loan to tide you over just to see if the market picks back up? If this is your only source of income you may also be able to get unemployment, which, as i understand it, through this act will be designed to cover self-employed and gig workers.

I was just musing the other day, as I washed my hands for the 15th time...that the next big thing is going to be lotion bars. I don't sell anything and have no plans to, but I will try to make some for myself.

 

[luluzapcat]

I made my first color-infused oil yesterday (with paprika), and I've spent all morning obsessively planning the soap to make with it. I'm still new to colors and swirls, and found it pretty challenging to work out how to make a soap that is 1/3 colored using the infused oil as part of the oils in the colored portion--even as someone who loves math and spreadsheets!

I'm planning an in-the-pot swirl, but a quite small batch since this is new for me, and I wanted a mold that gave me lots of cuts to see the patterns that bloom! So I was thrilled to find I had saved an old Republic of Tea canister back who knows when. I can get 5 or 6 mini round bars out of that.

Fingers crossed I get the batter consistency right for a nice swirl...and that the color turns out nice!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Cut my 'seascape' soap just now. @penelopejane is gonna love those stearic spots (not)! Luckily I kinda get away with it in this type of soap, with al the white in it anyway. I used ground orange peel in the 'sand'.

 

[TheGecko]

I tried to make a lace top soap with an impression mat. It was going pretty well until the end, when I saw that I left out the fragrance. But it’s a perfect excuse to try again, right?

There is nothing wrong with a fragrance free soap.

I woke up early this morning and spent the last few hours organizing soaps. I'm making donations of soap to a local groups who support the homeless population.

I did that last month. I had a box of what I called "uglies"...lots of crooked cuts (didn't have a soap cutter then), the fragrance hadn't stuck, the color morphed, air pockets, etc. I cut the bars in half and took it down to the local homeless shelter...they were so happy to have it. After reorganizing the garage so I could get a freeze in, I now have another box to donate, but we're in quarantine for another week so it will have to wait.

 

[Zing]

Cut my 'seascape' soap just now. @penelopejane is gonna love those stearic spots (not)! Luckily I kinda get away with it in this type of soap, with al the white in it anyway. I used ground orange peel in the 'sand'.
View attachment 44963 View attachment 44964

I think you could probably get away with anything you want....

Just tucked away two loaves of soap under towels! It's my very favorite that I make and haven't in awhile because I didn't have an essential oil. It's 50/50 rosemary and lemongrass essential oils plus some cedarwood. Hanger swirl. I call it "Spring Clean".

Fondl, er, turned some curing soaps, always a simple pleasure.

Made more lotion bars for my "essential worker" staff plus supportive staff working remotely (yay, re-routing the non-stop ringing phones out of my food pantry!). My pyrex measuring cup EXPLODED on me! Yikes. Then I spilled lotion bar "batter" all over my floor while pouring into molds. Thankfully the kitchen is still under construction so, who cares?

And -- non-soapy but crafty -- boxed 3 more dozen seed eggs and made a dozen more https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/bird-seed-eggs.78745/ .

 

[penelopejane]

Cut my 'seascape' soap just now. @penelopejane is gonna love those stearic spots (not)! Luckily I kinda get away with it in this type of soap, with al the white in it anyway. I used ground orange peel in the 'sand'.
View attachment 44963 View attachment 44964

Beautiful, beautiful soap!
Of course you can also try some salt mixed directly into the mix to create the same (but controlled) effect (like little stars) as random stearic spots!!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Beautiful, beautiful soap!
Of course you can also try some salt mixed directly into the mix to create the same (but controlled) effect (like little stars) as random stearic spots!!

Actually - in my defence - I just realised that about a quarter of my water was oat milk and that always makes it more 'motley' looking.

 

[penelopejane]

Actually - in my defence - I just realised that about a quarter of my water was oat milk and that always makes it more 'motley' looking.

"Motley" works perfectly in this soap.
"Perfection" is often NOT the way to go.
I think I will make a sign for myself!!

 

[Adobehead]

Experiment #10
If this quarantine goes on much longer, I am going to have way too much soap! Just kidding, there is no such thing as too much soap.

I got this idea from someone here, you know who you are...... but I used goat's milk instead of water. It has cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, espresso coffee and peppermint EO. It is kind of a mocha cinn-a-mint latte.

I used my new wire cutter and loved the ease of changing the thickness of the bar and the precision. I have to wipe the wire each time to get a pretty surface.

 

[Misschief]

The only soapy thing I've done all month was to make a mold for this month's challenge. I also decided on my recipe. Now, to make the soap.

 

[cmzaha]

Not really sure why other than to get off my backside and do something, I poured 3 batches of soap today. A batch of my high shea butter soap, a batch of Heather and a Chai Tea Vegan batch. I hate making my vegan recipe but I am out of lard so vegan it is.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Experiment #10
If this quarantine goes on much longer, I am going to have way too much soap! Just kidding, there is no such thing as too much soap.

I got this idea from someone here, you know who you are...... but I used goat's milk instead of water. It has cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, espresso coffee and peppermint EO. It is kind of a mocha cinn-a-mint latte.

View attachment 44972 View attachment 44970 I used my new wire cutter and loved the ease of changing the thickness of the bar and the precision. I have to wipe the wire each time to get a pretty surface.

Nice work adobe! Are you on Lockdown there too? I didn't think Mexico was hit too hard with the virus?

 

[Adobehead]

Nice work adobe! Are you on Lockdown there too? I didn't think Mexico was hit too hard with the virus?

Thanks KiwiMoose! That's a big compliment coming from you.
We are supposed to be about three weeks behind the US and yes, we are staying inside even though there are only 2 confirmed cases in my town. But without much testing, who knows if that is right? and it doubles every week, we may catch up soon.

 

[SmockingRN]

Cut my 'seascape' soap just now. @penelopejane is gonna love those stearic spots (not)! Luckily I kinda get away with it in this type of soap, with al the white in it anyway. I used ground orange peel in the 'sand'.
View attachment 44963 View attachment 44964

Very beautiful, I see the starry sky, the green sea and perfect sand!