What soapy thing have you done today?

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Photographed my Mother’s Day soaps today. Rose Garden (WSP), a light, realistic rose scent, Freshly Zested Lemon (WSP). Just recently got this FO and I love love love it! View attachment 55989Hope it sticks, and Lilac (NG) smells like the real thing!

Your soap is just " Beautiful" OMGOSH Soap Love....

Ummmm....can you tell which two soaps won’t be making it to the website for sale? An unfortunate drop swirl SNAFU caused my normal batch of 12 soaps to be reduced to 10.
This is a first for me but I’ve seen some competitors. View attachment 56015

Very Pretty still.

 

[violets2217]

It could be the quality of the putty. Some of them don't last a year in normal conditions. I don't even know why that quality is still available. Just last year, twice I had to ask maintenance to come out and fix the leak caused by the putty they used between sink and drain. And I was only there for a few months! Worst stuff ever!

Bummer about being without either washers right nos.

Good point about the putty... I’ll need to research some good putty!!!! It was kinda fun replacing the drain the first time...but I’m waiting until I’m in a more positive frame of mind this time! Thanks!!!

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

I'm having one of them soaping Days were everything went wrong! trying to practice the Lollipop Design & forgot my C-Milk about an oz' used double the sodium lacate, thought I needed more SF oil I was short & replaced 10g w/ olive oil' after all that realized I had enough SF oil. now I have a mixture in soap & bottle, my micro scale stopped working due to needing a charge' so my FO / Preservative was a guesstimate. UGH' yep time to just thrown in the towel & call it a soaping day. Good Lord. .

 

[earlene]

I'm having one of them soaping Days were everything went wrong! trying to practice the Lollipop Design & forgot my C-Milk about an oz' used double the sodium lacate, thought I needed more SF oil I was short & replaced 10g w/ olive oil' after all that realized I had enough SF oil. now I have a mixture in soap & bottle, my micro scale stopped working due to needing a charge' so my FO / Preservative was a guesstimate. UGH' yep time to just thrown in the towel & call it a soaping day. Good Lord. .h

Days like that! I call those bad 'whatever' days. Bad soaping days. Bad sewing days. Bad 'fill-in-the-blank' days. I've had days like that. Many. The first time I realized it was in my 20's and it was Bad Sewing Days. Everything that could go wrong related to a sewing project did go wrong. When it dawned on me I had those days, I quit making any attempt to sew that whole day. Sometimes 2, then when I did go back to it, everything was back to normal and no more fiascos. Over the years, I discovered all I have to do is take a day off from doing that particular thing where everything is going wrong, call it a Bad 'whatever-it-was Day' and let it go for a day. If it took me it took me all day to realize it, I'd take an extra day to give my mind and body some R&R.

 

[Tara_H]

Double soap day! I've been looking through the Browsing soap pics thread and feeling all inspired plus it's Wednesday which means I need extra coping.

I was so happy with this fire-inspired soap until halfway through the swirl when it struck me that I had done the colours in the wrong order

Like, it's fine... but it was days of planning and hours of prepping... Doh!


I also had a go at getting back to my roots and making a grocery soap, which was a lot of fun! I was amazed at how slow my current recipe is to trace. I'm sure it's something to do with the home-rendered tallow. The industrial stuff I used to buy would trace fast enough, and go from liquid to solid in the blink of an eye. The new stuff is softer at room temperature and it's a more gradual solidifying, and takes aaaaages to trace.

Not that I'm complaining! But I presume it's a purity thing, which makes me wonder if there's a risk my more recent soaps are less superfatted than I thought

 

[Zing]

It worked!

I love being in the phase of a craft where it's still exciting to see how something turns out! And given how much there is to learn about soap I hope to stay in this zone for a very long time...

View attachment 56061 View attachment 56062
This was my first soap with my masterbatched oils, so far I would call that a success.

(Edit: funny enough the garden this morning was echoing the design )
View attachment 56064

@Tara_H, I have no words for this. This is amazing. I like minimalist designs. I have stared and studied these photos and can't figure out your technique. If it's not a secret, care to share? If it is a secret, just whisper and no one has to know.
I did this one last year

.

 

[Tara_H]

@Tara_H, I have no words for this. This is amazing. I like minimalist designs. I have stared and studied these photos and can't figure out your technique. If it's not a secret, care to share? If it is a secret, just whisper and no one has to know.
I did this one last yearView attachment 56117.

No secret! The trick was using multiple gear ties so I didn't have to try to get it back to the bottom without leaving marks the idea was haunting me for a week or so and I just had to try it out!
I love yours too Seems like we have very similar tastes, our soaps could be cousins

 

[Zing]

No secret! The trick was using multiple gear ties so I didn't have to try to get it back to the bottom without leaving marks the idea was haunting me for a week or so and I just had to try it out!
I love yours too Seems like we have very similar tastes, our soaps could be cousins

Aha!! That is brilliant!! It's on my bucket list. What's the name of this? The Tara Winter Tree? The Tara Triple Tie?

 

[Tara_H]

Aha!! That is brilliant!! It's on my bucket list. What's the name of this? The Tara Winter Tree? The Tara Triple Tie?

Let's go for Tara tree, short and sweet just like me

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Days like that! I call those bad 'whatever' days. Bad soaping days. Bad sewing days. Bad 'fill-in-the-blank' days. I've had days like that. Many. The first time I realized it was in my 20's and it was Bad Sewing Days. Everything that could go wrong related to a sewing project did go wrong. When it dawned on me I had those days, I quit making any attempt to sew that whole day. Sometimes 2, then when I did go back to it, everything was back to normal and no more fiascos. Over the years, I discovered all I have to do is take a day off from doing that particular thing where everything is going wrong, call it a Bad 'whatever-it-was Day' and let it go for a day. If it took me it took me all day to realize it, I'd take an extra day to give my mind and body some R&R.

Sounds like a great idea... Phew my "whatever Day" I threw in the towel and called it a Day.

 

[Tara_H]

Today, aside from cutting the grocery soap and continuing to slog away at the tallow (omg so much!) I cut the fire soap. Some of it is quite acceptably fiery.



I also tried an experimental pour but it is stubbornly too soft to cut so will need to wait until the morning.

 

[VikingChick]

I’m laid out from my second COVID shot - seriously, Top 5 on the Feeling Awful scale - so I stayed home from my Job that Pays Me. I’m physically wrecked but mentally ok.....so I took the opportunity to obsess over fattty acid profiles, and I now have, if it turns out, what will be my go-to recipe! Now I just gotta wait for my stuff to come so I can take it for a test drive.....

 

[ResolvableOwl]

I have cooked a decadent portion of pastitsio (the Greek twist on lasagna) yesterday, but I badly cut my finger at the last onion – so I'm feeling terribly uncomfortable with water right now (cleaning the dishes ). Under the plaster, the swollen, bloody skin looks quite like a miniature version of @Tara_H's slaugterhouse photos.
Other than not being able to wash my hands properly, I did something overdue soapy: I “masterbatched” (diluted) my ROE. I was really annoyed by that sediment that made me uncertain about distribution of active agents throughout the whole bottle, and I don't want to shake it too often to avoid air contact, AND dosage is painful.
So I diluted the rosemary extract 1+8 in HO sunflower oil, and filled it into a small brown glass bottle with drop counter lid. Then I went to the precision scale and measured if I did my math right. Each drop weighs 29.4±3.4 mg and holds just shy of 300 µg of carnosic acid, just the amount recommended for 10 g oils. The ROE “concentrate” went into the freezer (just out of general paranoia), and my working solution is now much easier to handle.

Stuff! I used the lollipop challenge to experiment with my pvc column molds and my colors dispersed with glycerin. Love the molds... the glycerin not so much.

Whoa! That on the bottom right looks like the reflections in the circular waves on a bucket of water If one only could manage to create such effects deliberately and reliably…
What did you use to create these small dark dots? I especially like those in the olive zones.

 

[The Park Bench]

I’m laid out from my second COVID shot - seriously, Top 5 on the Feeling Awful scale - so I stayed home from my Job that Pays Me. I’m physically wrecked but mentally ok.....so I took the opportunity to obsess over fattty acid profiles, and I now have, if it turns out, what will be my go-to recipe! Now I just gotta wait for my stuff to come so I can take it for a test drive.....

That was me yesterday, 2nd Moderna vaccine and 2nd time reacting... UGH... But I did use the down time to get my line of scrubs listed on my website I feel amazing today and hope you feel better tomorrow!

 

[Aromasuzie]

I just happened to have an empty pringles container so thought I'd try the lollipop swirl, first time try. Settled on purple, lime green and yellow mica for coloring. First mistake, buying shea butter that was bright yellow so that threw off all my colours. I added sucrose to the water before I added the lye. That turned bright orange, go figure! I didn't bother adding the yellow mica, the yellow is my uncolored soap batter. I was happy enough with my pour, covered the mold but I think it then overheated as there was an oil slick on top. Uncovered it and oil supposedly disappeared. I popped it in freezer so I could unmold it. All the oil must have been down the sides, very messy. I was happy with it, even though the colours aren't distinct enough. I'd like to have another go, kids, go and buy some pringles please!

 

[violets2217]

Whoa! That on the bottom right looks like the reflections in the circular waves on a bucket of water If one only could manage to create such effects deliberately and reliably…
What did you use to create these small dark dots? I especially like those in the olive zones.

The bottom right was easy to do, but will probably never be able to replicate. I was attempting the lollipop swirl and my batter accelerated A LOT so I just plopped it all back in the pot gave it a stir and poured/spooned into my mold and banged it on the floor a lot!
The other too were experiments gone wrong... I tried pre-dispersing my colors (mica, clay and other spices..etc ) in glycerin. It didn't work out too well and the bars ashed badly. I think if maybe, I would have stick blended a little maybe the would have mixed better? Who knows?!?!? But I was also attempting more challenge soaps so I didn't want to SB too much. The olive tones...one of my favorite natural colorants- Matcha Green Tea Powder.. It usually turns an ugly brown with speckles during cure that I absolutely love! I tried that batch/colrs again on my last attempt in the challenge. Its my favorite so far!

 

[AAShillito]

I love my Nurture 9-bar cutter. It was less expensive and smaller to store than the longer cutter. It is made in the US, ships fast, is sturdy as a tank, and cuts like buttah.

They do offer an extension deck for longer loaves, but I didn't want to pay for that. So, I just use a book, a block of wood, or my hands to hold up or prop up the part of any longer loaf that hangs off the cutter.

They go out of stock pretty quickly, so if you want one, I recommend signing up to be notified when they are in stock (do that for each color you'd be willing to buy). Then when you get the email, get that baby in your cart and press Purchase - because they go fast!

I'm glad you love your NS cutter. It's on my wish list!

 

[Quanta]

I just happened to have an empty pringles container so thought I'd try the lollipop swirl, first time try. Settled on purple, lime green and yellow mica for coloring. First mistake, buying shea butter that was bright yellow so that threw off all my colours. I added sucrose to the water before I added the lye. That turned bright orange, go figure! I didn't bother adding the yellow mica, the yellow is my uncolored soap batter. I was happy enough with my pour, covered the mold but I think it then overheated as there was an oil slick on top. Uncovered it and oil supposedly disappeared. I popped it in freezer so I could unmold it. All the oil must have been down the sides, very messy. I was happy with it, even though the colours aren't distinct enough. I'd like to have another go, kids, go and buy some pringles please!

View attachment 56131

I think your colors are perfect and complement each other very well. I think not adding the yellow mica was the right decision because the pastel shade looks better with the more pastel green and purple.

 

[The_Phoenix]

Interesting. I could never get everything to combine properly when I made them cold. When I poured in the melted ingredients, they just solidify before I can stir them in. I found it was much easier to use SCI powder and heat it up with the other surfactants before mixing in the melted stuff.
What kind of mixer are you using, and what kind of beaters? Are you using dough hooks?

I used my Kitchenaid mixer. Whip attachment. I pour the melted ingredients in a thin stream and don’t let it hit the sides of the bowl. I really don’t enjoy making shampoo bars.

 

[Aromasuzie]

I think your colors are perfect and complement each other very well. I think not adding the yellow mica was the right decision because the pastel shade looks better with the more pastel green and purple.

Thank you. I’m keen to have another go.