I made another go at the Soap Challenge Club. Spent all day on it. When I put the final product into the oven to CPOP, I realized I hadn’t followed the rules for my category!!! 
Oh well. It’ll be pretty.
Oh well. It’ll be pretty.
What soapy thing have you done today?
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Try using some damp baking soda and / or washing soda, rub it between your palms, then rinse. It may help. I find this works well for really dark iodine stains, as well as with indigo stains I get on my hands.
Dawn strips my skin to the nth degree.
I know that feeling
I am still looking for a small workshop space to use for, at the very least, curing my soaps. That way I will have a lot more room for my bins of molds & other things, and won't be feeling overwhelmed when I walk into my 'work' room to grab all the things I need for another batch.I think a lot of people are feeling the change of season right now too, which I know affects me as well. Winter is my least favourite time of year, as beautiful as it is where I live, even during the months when the white stuff is crazily piled up. That usually becomes time for me to manage chronic pain. I am intending to push myself to go snowshoeing this year, even when I'm feeling
and especially when I'm feeling like this. I didn't get out & about outdoors last winter, especially when I was snowed in, despite the fact that I have an outdoor playground right outside my door.Much love & healing to all, sincerely, especially those who are struggling with emotional issues
I do know that it can seem like an endless abyss.I didn't do ANYTHING soap related today, or for the past week, other than continue to research & learn. Too much firewood stacking to do at the moment.
Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
YIKES! I've found that straight washing soda is caustic. Even diluted in water at 1 tablespoon to 16 oz. water, it strips My skin to the nth degree! I wear gloves and use it to clean wax off containers and utensils. Works great for that!
Think "wall space" and use it all the way up. Here's a pic of how this could work for you....
This is what 2,187 bars of soap looks like.
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Today I made my second batch of soap for the weekend, and the oily implements are in the dishwasher, the soapy implements are waiting quietly for tomorrow to be cleaned, the bars are covered and (I presume) doing the Saponification Shuffle or whatever it is that transforms them (like caterpillars into butterflies) during the first 24 hours...
Now to start thinking about my three-day motorcycle trip this week! yay!
Now to start thinking about my three-day motorcycle trip this week! yay!
Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
Mixed metaphor. (English Major here). That would be Saponification "Metamorphosis". "Shuffle" would be appropriate if they were playing cards or dancing (as in
"Shuffle Off to Buffalo" ). 
Really?? It doesn't bother me at all....likewise straight up borax. Dawn, regular shampoos, other liquid detergents, even store bought toothpaste ravage my skin, hair & otherwise.
I wear gloves and use it to clean wax off containers and utensils. Works great for that!
Yes, works great as a cleaner, which is why I use it in the cleaners I make for my home. I make one which is multipurpose & cleans my sinks, toilet, shower / tub etc really well, completely non-toxic & very effective. Washing soda is also very good for soaking jars & other containers with labels on them which are difficult to remove cleanly. They slide right off for me after a soak in some hot water & washing soda.
Think "wall space" and use it all the way up. Here's a pic of how this could work for you....
This is what 2,187 bars of soap looks like.
Yeah, I have run out of that with shelves which are nearly up to my ceiling lining every wall in my spare bedroom
It's not only my soaps, but my plants I have harvested in vacuum sealed jars, my infused oils, natural colorants & tinctures, soap making supplies, salve & cream making supplies, packaging, books, labels, molds & so forth. It's a jam packed room Still sussing out alternative options. At the moment, I have approximately 350 bars on my shelves, with many more to be added over the winter in preparation for next year, so I need to come up with a solution before the snow starts falling & getting things home becomes more challenging. As it is, I often have to ratchet strap heavy loads on the roof of my vehicle & then drive everything home an hour+ away from where I live on a very lengthy, twisty, narrow gravel road
It's been AGES since I've posted, but I'm still a faithful reader of the forum. I tried a new swirl - based on Holly's Chopstick Swirl - and I'm in love!
I did two concentric semi-circles instead of her three because I did a smaller batch - and I only used two colors instead of her three. I made this in a loaf mold and did a horizontal cut, just like Holly did (except using a regular soap cutter).
I used Fragrance Buddy's White Tea & Ginger (recommended on the forum), and I really love it! I think the results of this swirl far outweigh the effort - my kind of swirl!
I tried a new swirl - based on Holly's Chopstick Swirl - and I'm in love! I did two concentric semi-circles instead of her three because I did a smaller batch - and I only used two colors instead of her three. I made this in a loaf mold and did a horizontal cut, just like Holly did (except using a regular soap cutter).
I used Fragrance Buddy's White Tea & Ginger (recommended on the forum), and I really love it! I think the results of this swirl far outweigh the effort - my kind of swirl!
Just cut the batch I made yesterday. It’s a spoon swirl, first I’ve done since the May challenge. Scent is FB Dragons Blood - can’t compare to others, since it’s the only DB FO I’ve gotten, but it’s really nice. Colors are BB Dark Green (not dark at all), BB Rose Pearl, BB Copper Ultra Sparkle, and NS Electric Orange, all done half as is, then the remaining of each lightened with TD, then a small mica drizzle on one side of the top. I did 2 passes of a spoon swirl with a small rubber scraper.
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[Aragorn voice]
There may come a day when I do my research first, THEN make soap! BUT TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY! (nor was Sunday...).
Yup, my first attempt with indigo wasn't very successful! Who would have thunk it? I mean, I did zero reading on using indigo in soap!
The good news: I got soap out of it. The bad news: it isn't blue.
Perhaps my role in the soap making community is that of bad example. "Hey kids, don't do what he does!"
There may come a day when I do my research first, THEN make soap! BUT TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY! (nor was Sunday...).
Yup, my first attempt with indigo wasn't very successful! Who would have thunk it? I mean, I did zero reading on using indigo in soap!
The good news: I got soap out of it. The bad news: it isn't blue.
Perhaps my role in the soap making community is that of bad example. "Hey kids, don't do what he does!"
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Well last night I made a pop bottle pour that seized up so bad I had to grab pieces of the colours and shove them in the mold. The fragrances did not say anything about seizing but holy moley. I would have added my video but there were too many choice words that I couldn't bleep them all out.
Times like this make me second guess my soaping and I want to throw in the towel. But I will persist because I am just....that....stubborn. Plus I packed away all my fabrics so I can't even start a quilt LOL
Times like this make me second guess my soaping and I want to throw in the towel. But I will persist because I am just....that....stubborn. Plus I packed away all my fabrics so I can't even start a quilt LOL
Some of us learn by trial and error.... it's still learning.
I can relate! People have frequently commented on my patience. I have to explain to them that it’s not patience but stubbornness. The more accurate term where I am concerned is “Challenge Motivated.” I learned this in a career counseling workshop, where everyone in the group took a test to find out what they found reinforcing at work. Money, status, flexible schedule, etc. My results labeled me as challenge motivated, and the description fit me perfectly. Then I looked for how to reinforce people like myself, and the page was blank. Puzzled, I asked my work colleagues why I didn’t get a page detailing reinforcements. They all started laughing at me. “That’s the thing,” they said. “You will set out to do a project that looks difficult to do or a problem that’s complicated and to solve, and maybe you would be the one person to figure it out. Being able to make it work is your best reinforcer.”
OK, that profile was absolutely accurate to describe me. Stubbornness keeps me going where other people will quit. 
Not soap, but it is a cleanser. I made the test batch size, 4 4oz jars, of my DD Haunt Off yesterday. This is a make up remover that she formulated to remove Stage make up and airbrushed make up. This make up is sweat proof and most times needs alcohol to remove. This can cause all kinds of issues with the face. Her stuff is great for this type of make up and it does not dry out the thin skin of the face.
I made cute ghost bath bombs today - which in itself isn’t that impressive BUT I made the mold on my 3D printer - designed it in procreate & tweaked it in TinkerCAD, printed the three parts, & it WORKED! Mostly. About halfway through the batch the mixture started to stay in the mold and just break apart in the middle. Not sure why.
I do that too! I'm one extreme or the other, no research or all the research
so I can relate either way! I do like the "rustic" look of bar though!That's cool that you designed and printed your own mold! I'm not familiar with making bath bombs so I'm no help with the other issue but I'm happy for you on the design and 3D printing part
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I am working on a recipe for a chocolate and peppermint soap. I have not been thrilled with the Christmas FOs that I purchased. Since they discolor the soap batches I think I will have to make plain soaps with them.
Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
Maybe not? Think peppermint EO & BB's Vanilla Select FO 50/50 for a Candy Cane scent. Skip the chocolate (or sub it for half the cocoa butter in your lip balm recipe. YUM!)) and do an in-the-pot swirl with 1/6th of batter tinted red.
I don’t normally make special soaps for Christmas as I normally just use holiday packaging but I decided to try a couple this year. Lots of people had great things to say about Comfort and Joy from NS so I had bought that sent a while ago. And recently I got Frankincense and Myrrh from Scentsational Soaping Supply (crazy fast mover by the way) to try. I might make one more different fragrance and sell them in a little gift box of three and see how it goes. Been dabbling in wax melts recently so I can use them in those as well. Here are the two I made so far. Can you guess which is which?
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I don't use FOs so can't help you there. I use Peppermint First Distilled essential oil. And I add benzoin resinoid which has a delicious vanilla-y/chocolatey scent. Good luck.
I hear you! If I'm having one of those days where everything keeps going sideways there's always quilting. I feel better grabbing a quilt that's waiting for the bindings hand stitching to be finished
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