What soapy thing have you done today?

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
It's supposed to be an aurora inspired design but my friend was saying it looks like an atlas. Well, I suppose the world is on fire and this is apt. 🔥
My geologist husband says it looks like Andesite from the greenstone belt. The gold could be pyrite. 😊
1647362812468.jpeg
 
I invited an acquaintance over this weekend to for a soap tutorial. Her only experience was decades ago at her Peace Corps stint in Honduras. I think it was hard core making lye from ashes. Am anxious to learn more. Anyway, now another friend is coming with. My soap shop could comfortably accomodate 2 soapers. I've got some thinking to do. I'll probably have them pour a double batch lye solution and double batch oils -- and then split into two.
 
I'd like to tell you that my first soaping session in 3 weeks went smoothly, but it didn't.

But I have discovered a fabulous fragrance for those of you who love complicated designs. WSP's Very Merry Cranberry decelerates trace noticeably. It separated and ruined the first batch I tried with it. This time I was ready for it and stick blended it back together. It ruined my design though, because I could not wait for it to set up some. Tough as nails too. The first batch was CP'd then HP'd (before Thanksgiving) and still smells wonderful.
 
Do you use lard? I know some people on FB were complaining about a certain brand of lard suddenly making soft, sticky soap.
No Lard but very happy to say the bars are not cracking this time although it appeared like there were crack lines but they are good :)
 
I invited an acquaintance over this weekend to for a soap tutorial. Her only experience was decades ago at her Peace Corps stint in Honduras. I think it was hard core making lye from ashes. Am anxious to learn more. Anyway, now another friend is coming with. My soap shop could comfortably accommodate 2 soapers. I've got some thinking to do. I'll probably have them pour a double batch lye solution and double batch oils -- and then split into two.
I have similar space limitations, so I had one person make her soap while the other watched. Then they switched places. It helped me because I only had to teach one person at a time, and they got double the learning: once watching, once doing.
 
Oh, soap peeps, I gotta soapy story today! My neice is in Navy boot camp and weeks ago she asked for a lotion bar which I sent. She said her division mates were intrigued and excited and did I have an Instathingy? So then I mailed her 2 dozen lotion bars and 1 dozen lip balms to share. So evidenly now she is big girl on campus. Every recipient wrote me a thank you! Yes, can you believe it, written, paper thank you notes from 20-somethings that came through this thing called U.S. Postal Service! They all called the lotion bars "lotion." Some favorites are "Sir Zing," and "Mr. Zing" "I miss smelling clean, boot camp is stinky" "I need your Etsy/Instagram." LOL -- and also all the feels, I got verklempt -- talk amongst yourselves!

And so off-topic but I'm so dang proud of her! She had been so content living in her mother's basement playing videogames 24/7 and I feared there was no way she'd survive 2 minutes without her phone. She is excelling and thriving. The young woman who never responded to my texts and emails now writes paper letters to us all the time!
 
Oh, soap peeps, I gotta soapy story today! My neice is in Navy boot camp and weeks ago she asked for a lotion bar which I sent. She said her division mates were intrigued and excited and did I have an Instathingy? So then I mailed her 2 dozen lotion bars and 1 dozen lip balms to share. So evidenly now she is big girl on campus. Every recipient wrote me a thank you! Yes, can you believe it, written, paper thank you notes from 20-somethings that came through this thing called U.S. Postal Service! They all called the lotion bars "lotion." Some favorites are "Sir Zing," and "Mr. Zing" "I miss smelling clean, boot camp is stinky" "I need your Etsy/Instagram." LOL -- and also all the feels, I got verklempt -- talk amongst yourselves!

And so off-topic but I'm so dang proud of her! She had been so content living in her mother's basement playing videogames 24/7 and I feared there was no way she'd survive 2 minutes without her phone. She is excelling and thriving. The young woman who never responded to my texts and emails now writes paper letters to us all the time!
You Never had a loss of Faith in her and now she is exactly where she’s suppose to be! Now her fellow Troops are speaking Blessings over You and your Gifts in which you Blessed them. As a Veteran, I know how much your products meant to them! Proud of You & Her! Stay Faithful & Blessed!
 
I scraped out four different partial jars of body butter, remelted them together with a bit of extra jojoba oil, and poured them into cavity molds, to be used as lotion bars.

They turned out a bit greasy, so I'll be remelting them with a titch of beeswax to firm them up. On the plus side, the bigger round molds make it easier to apply to my arms and legs. So once I get the consistency tweaked, I think these will be my go-to lotion bar molds.
 
Today I made some soap requested by a midwife - using her own breastmilk! My first reaction was Eeeeeeeew! But I didn't tell her that 😂. She has just weaned off her baby boy, and has four other kids so the whole family will use the soap. She's commissioned the whole batch of course, otherwise I wouldn't have made it.
 
Today I made some soap requested by a midwife - using her own breastmilk! My first reaction was Eeeeeeeew! But I didn't tell her that 😂. She has just weaned off her baby boy, and has four other kids so the whole family will use the soap. She's commissioned the whole batch of course, otherwise I wouldn't have made it.
@Zing - have a look in the photo gallery.
 
@Zing ❤️❤️❤️ My nephew was Navy Nuke until last week. He’s been in my area over much of the last decade and often brought a Navy friend or two or five to our house for a home-cooked meal. They always helped with the clean up! I‘m really going to miss those visits.

Okay, I still can’t do a hanger swirl like @Jersey Girl , but I’m pretty chuffed with this batch even though my new hanger tool turned out to be a tad short for the mold. A bride-to-be ordered it for her bridesmaids after trying a bar of my soap at a house she rented on the outer banks. I think the property owner picked up a bunch of bars during my fundraiser in December.

8231F2DC-47EF-42E7-95AA-2231A4A6FDA8.jpeg
 
@Zing ❤❤❤ My nephew was Navy Nuke until last week. He’s been in my area over much of the last decade and often brought a Navy friend or two or five to our house for a home-cooked meal. They always helped with the clean up! I‘m really going to miss those visits.

Okay, I still can’t do a hanger swirl like @Jersey Girl , but I’m pretty chuffed with this batch even though my new hanger tool turned out to be a tad short for the mold. A bride-to-be ordered it for her bridesmaids after trying a bar of my soap at a house she rented on the outer banks. I think the property owner picked up a bunch of bars during my fundraiser in December.

View attachment 65201
Really pretty Mobjack!
 
Trying to decide what to do with my next batch. It's called "wild rose" and it's got geranium, petitgrain, orange, litsea, cedarwood and rosewood essential oils. I'm using rose clay and activated charcoal. It's going to move fast, so I need something simple. Maybe a hanger swirl?
 
@Zing ❤❤❤ My nephew was Navy Nuke until last week. He’s been in my area over much of the last decade and often brought a Navy friend or two or five to our house for a home-cooked meal. They always helped with the clean up! I‘m really going to miss those visits.

Okay, I still can’t do a hanger swirl like @Jersey Girl , but I’m pretty chuffed with this batch even though my new hanger tool turned out to be a tad short for the mold. A bride-to-be ordered it for her bridesmaids after trying a bar of my soap at a house she rented on the outer banks. I think the property owner picked up a bunch of bars during my fundraiser in December.

View attachment 65201

These are beautiful! ♥️♥️♥️
 
@Mobjack Bay - those soaps are super cool. Like the swirled hearts and the hearts stamps. Nice job.

BIG soapy day today! Two friends came for a tutorial. I had made my lye solution and oils last night. At the last second I decided I wouldn't make my own and just coached them each making their own. It really took me back to my newb days with milk carton molds. We did a simple in the pot swirl. I had them pick 1-2 micas and 1 esssential oil. They just left with their toweled bundles. It really made me realize how far I have come, too. I had to laugh so hard, though, because after 3 years of using a stick blender, I learned that you just have to briefly press on the safety button. All this time I've been holding down 2 buttons at once!
Then they both wanted to watch me make my batch. I did an Ione swirl.
 
Back
Top