What soapy thing have you done today?

[Zany_in_CO]

If it were not for the sleeping DH, I’d be busy fondling my soapies right now!

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with ZNSC. This post will go in my files with the rest of them for future reference.

 

[mx5inpenn]

Still trying to figure out how to cut the soaps. On one of the videos she gets all the way to the end but doesnt show how she cuts them. I dont want to butcher a loaf by trying to figure it out. So if anybody has any insight it would be appreciated lol.

It's just a regular vertical cut

 

[SparksnFlash]

I unmolded last nights soap, but didn't cut it yet because I don't know what to do with it. all the corners stuck in the mold, so will be losing a few usable but unsellable bars. I unmolded early and always do, but its been raining if that matters. I dunno...

I made a thin blue line charcoal soap tonight. At the last minute I added a gold mica line. Hope that wasnt a mistake cause I didn't need to do it, I just felt like it would be a nice touch.

I wanna make a Ukraine soap, but haven't decided on colors yet.

Hello, a little late to this thread, but a thin gold line is for dispatchers (911, EMS, etc) No mistake, and probably will be appreciated by the seldom heard and rarely seen ones that hold it all together.

 

[earlene]

I have been seeing videos of the oasis swirl, which was this month soap challenge clubs challenge. I love this swirl. Still in the planning stages, and i dont have dividers, so will just use cardboard box cutouts.

Also still trying to figure out how to cut the soaps. On one of the videos she gets all the way to the end but doesnt show how she cuts them. I dont want to butcher a loaf by trying to figure it out. So if anybody has any insight it would be appreciated lol.

Edgar Kameraki created this technique and taught it for the Soap Challenge Club. It's so pretty, right? Anyway, he does have a YouTube video showing the technique and the cut.

I had no seen the Oasis swirl. (Not currently a paying member of the Club, but will be again, I am sure & can then look at that Challenge). Quite nice. I watched several videos on the swirl & wondered if anyone has shown how they look cut the other way. I think the soaps would be lovely cut horizontally as well, even though that is not the intent of this swirl.

I do wish I could figure out a way to do translated closed captioning on youtube (for the Edgar Kameraki video).

 

[dibbles]

I had no seen the Oasis swirl. (Not currently a paying member of the Club, but will be again, I am sure & can then look at that Challenge). Quite nice. I watched several videos on the swirl & wondered if anyone has shown how they look cut the other way. I think the soaps would be lovely cut horizontally as well, even though that is not the intent of this swirl.

I do wish I could figure out a way to do translated closed captioning on youtube (for the Edgar Kameraki video).

Cut the other way (horizontally), they would look very much like a mantra/infinity swirl I think.

As for seeing the Oasis Swirl tutorial if you join a future Soap Challenge Club challenge, you won't have access to past tutorials when you join a current one. I don't think that has ever been the case, or at least not for a long time. The challenges are available for purchase though. All of them are $13.95 with the exception of the making transparent soap tutorial. If you join a challenge, you can download and keep the current tutorial during that month.

 

[AliOop]

As for seeing the Oasis Swirl tutorial if you join a future Soap Challenge Club challenge, you won't have access to past tutorials when you join a current one. I don't think that has ever been the case, or at least not for a long time. The challenges are available for purchase though. All of them are $13.95 with the exception of the making transparent soap tutorial. If you join a challenge, you can download and keep the current tutorial during that month.

When I joined in the past, I paid for a year-long membership that gave me access to all past tutorials. Not sure if they still offer that, but if so, it was and is a great deal. I downloaded all the tutorials during that year and hope to work my way through them some day.

 

[earlene]

Cut the other way (horizontally), they would look very much like a mantra/infinity swirl I think.

As for seeing the Oasis Swirl tutorial if you join a future Soap Challenge Club challenge, you won't have access to past tutorials when you join a current one. I don't think that has ever been the case, or at least not for a long time. The challenges are available for purchase though. All of them are $13.95 with the exception of the making transparent soap tutorial. If you join a challenge, you can download and keep the current tutorial during that month.

Three years ago, I paid a one-month all-access fee so I could look at all past challenges & turtorials. I haven't looked lately, but expected that would still available. It's not an option anymore, I see.

Sad, because of the 23 tutorials now available for purchase, some others from the past are no longer purchasable as far as I can tell. Darn, I always thought I could go back and do that again for full access, but alas that is no longer the case. It's not that I cannot afford to buy them; it's that I don't really have time to participate in everything all the time, as I am sure is true for most people.

Ah well, I guess if I want to bad enough, I can certainly find enough information on any soap swirl or technique out there with a little concerted effort, right?

 

[Catscankim]

Edgar Kameraki created this technique and taught it for the Soap Challenge Club. It's so pretty, right? Anyway, he does have a YouTube video showing the technique and the cut.

You are so awesome. I did not see that one. You don't get many hits yet when you search for it. I never thought I would like neons, but the one video I watched used neons and it was very pretty. Hence my mad dash to buy neons when I got paid this week lol.

 

[AliOop]

@earlene it won't even take that much effort...many of the challenge participants put their process videos on YT and Instagram.

 

[Catscankim]

It's just a regular vertical cut

Thank you!! I was thinking that, but in my minds eye I couldn't picture it.

 

[Dooleykins]

I've been a bit quiet on here because I've been insanely busy.

I thought I was perhaps overly optimistic about my potential soap sales when I first started talking about scaling up, but that has not been the case. I've been selling soaps faster than I can make them (with cure time, of course). I'm working on scaling up my current production so that I'll have enough (hopefully) later this summer.

In the meanwhile, I'm supplementing with a number of other body care products that are also doing well, but don't require cure time.

Today was supposed to be an "Un-day" (day off) but I decided to get a jump on the week by knocking out a few batches of soap. Apparently my brain didn't get the memo that it was no longer off for the day... In my first batch, I forgot the colorant. In my second batch, I remembered the colorant but forgot the fragrance (it was sitting right next to my mixing bowl, pre-measured and everything. Oiiii vey.

Spent the long weekend cleaning out my (heated) garage to make a dedicated soaping space. Since I seem to be quickly outgrowing my 3 crockpots, I ordered a candle wax melter that had good reviews for oil master batching for soap makers. It has a 20L capacity, which should be enough for 200 bars for me.

Still working on figuring out a lye masterbatch system that I'm happy with - so I've been continuing to mix my lye individually for each batch. The advantage of the garage setup is that I can easily step outside to mix my lye solution. I will also have a dedicated refrigerator and freezer just for soap making supplies, which will be so nice!

I have arranged to get a large batch of tallow from two local cattle ranchers following the spring butchering. I have a full upright freezer emptied, cleaned, and ready for it. Just need to figure out an efficient system for rendering. I'm thinking I'll use my outdoor propane stove that I had purchased for processing poultry, and my large stock pots reserved for the same purpose. I also have a 16 gallon kettle pot designed for home brewing beer that I've been pondering using, but I'm not sure it would work for rendering lard. Probably going to dig through the archives for insight.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I've been selling soaps faster than I can make them (with cure time, of course). I'm working on scaling up my current production so that I'll have enough (hopefully) later this summer.

Good for you! Congrats!

In my first batch, I forgot the colorant. In my second batch, I remembered the colorant but forgot the fragrance

Oiiii vey indeed! You need to think of a thing to help you to remember. Checking everything off the recipe as you go is one way. When I need to remember to do something, I wear a fat green rubber band on my wrist.

 

[KiwiMoose]

When I need to remember to do something, I wear a fat green rubber band on my wrist.

I can just imagine me doing this and thinking - I put this green band on my wrist, but i can't think what on earth it was supposed to remind me of!

 

[melinda48]

Hello, a little late to this thread, but a thin gold line is for dispatchers (911, EMS, etc) No mistake, and probably will be appreciated by the seldom heard and rarely seen ones that hold it all together.

Pop your molds in the freezer for a bit and the soaps will come out of the molds more easily.

 

[Catscankim]

I made an oasis swirl soap tonight. Only did two colors to get a feel for it. Kept confusing myself with the swirl though. I practiced in the air with a chopstick for two days. “Wingardum leviosa” is what i felt like like. We shall see

 

[LisaBoBisa]

Patiently waiting for my micas. I ordered two day delivery for my neons from mm…not thinking that it was a holiday weekend so that was stupid of me lol.

In the meantime i have been cleaning my house, just to wreck my kitchen later again when my micas arrive.

I have been seeing videos of the oasis swirl, which was this month soap challenge clubs challenge. I love this swirl. Still in the planning stages, and i dont have dividers, so will just use cardboard box cutouts.

Also still trying to figure out how to cut the soaps. On one of the videos she gets all the way to the end but doesnt show how she cuts them. I dont want to butcher a loaf by trying to figure it out. So if anybody has any insight it would be appreciated lol.

If you spray your cardboard dividers with an acrylic sealer, you can at least reuse them! I cut mine out of bookboard and sealed them with acrylic sealer spray (and then acrylic paint when I ran out of spray).
All the oasis swirl bars look gorgeous... Can't wait to see yours!

I had no seen the Oasis swirl. (Not currently a paying member of the Club, but will be again, I am sure & can then look at that Challenge). Quite nice. I watched several videos on the swirl & wondered if anyone has shown how they look cut the other way. I think the soaps would be lovely cut horizontally as well, even though that is not the intent of this swirl.

I do wish I could figure out a way to do translated closed captioning on youtube (for the Edgar Kameraki video).

It really looks like a mantra swirl becomes an oasis swirl if it's cut vertically instead of horizontally! I never would have tried the infinity swirl if you hadn't challenged us all to do it, and planning to do mantra and oasis swirls next!

 

[dibbles]

The act

It really looks like a mantra swirl becomes an oasis swirl if it's cut vertically instead of horizontally! I never would have tried the infinity swirl if you hadn't challenged us all to do it, and planning to do mantra and oasis swirls next!

The oasis actual swirl is different than a mantra or infinity swirl, but it is similar. Some of the YouTube videos might show the differences.

 

[Feelin' Soapy]

I made an oasis swirl soap tonight. Only did two colors to get a feel for it. Kept confusing myself with the swirl though. I practiced in the air with a chopstick for two days. “Wingardum leviosa” is what i felt like like. We shall see

I made an Oasis Swirl the other day. The swirl reminded me of the old trick of patting your head while rubbing your belly. I practiced with my finger on counter multiple times, but I still had a hard time maintaining the pattern in the batter. Probably a good coordination exercise for my aging brain! I'll post pix in the gallery soon.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I'll post pix in the gallery soon.

I just saw it! Nice! Here's the link:
My First Attempt at an Oasis Swirl

 

[Feelin' Soapy]

Thank you, and thanks for doing that @Zany_in_CO !