After coming up with a design concept, color palette, and scent, the production process started with a matching top/bottom template for precisely-spaced holes that have to be drilled into some kind of base. I used corrugated cardboard taped with packing tape to help shore up the structure.
Though I chose to do a simplified version of this design, using a standard 10" loaf mold and common-sized straws, fitting the straws into the base, then threading them up through the matching top template, took awhile. I learned that trimming the straws to extend just over the top lip of the mold (vs keeping them full length, helped somewhat.
The "straw-free" holes are where the base layer of pink was poured into the mold.
After allowing the soap to set and CPOP overnight, it was time to remove the straws. That was a nerve-wracking/hand exhausting process, and one that couldn't be rushed. Each straw had to be gently twisted as it lifted from the base soap. Remove them too quickly or carelessly could lead to uneven holes. Yeesh.
Next was filling the holes in the predetermined pattern. I wasn't worried about the overflow of soap, as the bars needed to be planed later anyway, but I was concerned about making sure that the holes were completely filled.
Even though I used a pipette, there were still air bubbles caught in a few of the holes after the cut. I had to go back with soap dough (partially set soap from the leftover soap fill colors) and plug up a few stragglers.
(The corner hole illustrates the before/after.)
(filling random holes were the "Jezebel" moments, in the classic, biblical sense 😂).
But after all of that, they really came out beautifully. This set of bars has the classic cut, displaying the side stripes from the colored holes.
The square bar below preserves the sides, making it slightly larger.
Which look do you like better?
So while I'm pleased with the outcome, this was about 2+ days work for FOUR bars of soap. Was it worth it? Well...
I'm glad that I tried the technique - if I attempted this again I'd do a few things differently to bypass some of the more time consuming bits (like hole touch-ups) while producing more bars.
But...
Enjoy these now. I may never make them again.
😂
]]>
A few years ago I helped my parents downsize their home in preparation for a move to a place with a third of the living space.
If you've ever had to sort through years of possessions, you know: it can be a hugely time consuming, emotionally fraught job. Especially debilitating for those who have lived through lean times and developed a fear of "someday" needing the item they're letting go of. Or a feeling that parting with that item means releasing the good feelings of the time or person associated with it.
In my parents' defense, I'm not immune to attachments to objects/nostalgia, though I do attempt to continually clear the build-up of possessions and clutter (it's ongoing and often overwhelming, honestly). In their day, things were likely quality handmade, rare, pricier, but made to last and therefore "dear." Collecting was a treasure hunt, a well-thought out, researched hobby.
But in the years since mass production (especially overseas) fully took hold, many objects - clothes, furnishings, household items, etc, - have become common, cheap, disposable and basically led to a consumer culture of gaining...status?...security?...entertainment? through amassing things. Possessions that our children will have to sort through after we pass on.
Which is partly why I've chosen a consumable products like soap + solid lotion for my creative expression. I love art, and display lovely works from incredibly talented artists. But if I were a painter myself, I'd likely have storage areas of completed canvasses that I lacked wall space for. As it is, I have portfolios of undisplayed works from my student days, but it doesn't feel right to get rid of it. Yet.
Artisan Soap doesn't present this problem for me. I enjoy the design, the production process, photography, and the cheeky copy writing. I like posting it on Social Media and chatting it up in the comments section. The whole process is happily experiential for me.
Then, I use it (or sell it, to be enjoyed by others) and...it's gone. While of course there is some environmental impact from production, I try to minimize it. Much of my packaging is compostable and/or reusable. Sometimes local clients even return shredded fill so it won't go into a landfill. All good.
Most of our possessions are forever. Even if we dispose of the object, it eventually ends up in some overburdened landfill. It's a lot to consider.
Thoughts?
Second, having unglued lids allows them to be shipped in bundles, rather than as rigid tops that take up more space when being transported to me. My order of gift boxes + lids was shipped in a box 1/3 smaller than an order of half that size sent by my former* supplier. That's a smaller carbon footprint for shipping.
*(A side note about that former supplier, one of the largest shipping giants in North America: the owners had supported both our former president, as well as his pandemic outlook, denying safe pandemic working conditions for their warehouse employees. They also, unsurprisingly, contracted COVID in November. And donated millions to the Tea Party Patriots that helped organize the capital insurrection on January 6th.
And the corners of their clear box lids are glued. So, you know, they're no friend of the earth. Or Democracy, considering that insurrection thing.)
But back to my gift sets: The fill is almost entirely recycled shred (with a few colored bits for pop) from Nashville Wraps. The twine is non-synthetic. The soap wrapping is compostable. Your gift recipient could choose to reuse or repurpose elements of this packaging (best choices) or simply recycle the corrugated base (sorry, I don't think you can recycle the shred - gums up the machines in recycling facilities).
I'm trying to consider the impact of my business. Because, friends, whatever we get rid of never actually "goes away." Let's have as gentle an impact as possible. Our choices matter.
Peace out.
Why fall in love with this technique? Simple: it's an exquisite combination of both versatility + unpredictability. Like Forest Gump's chocolates, "You never know what you're gonna get."
I did four small-batch versions of the Kiss Pour to test it's possibilities - for a relatively straightforward technique, there was a lot to unpack.
Attempt #1: Passing Storm Soap
This was created as a single layer "traveling pour" - I started the pour at one end of the mold and moved it to other areas. Look how subtle, yet dramatic those sides came out! One measure of a good Kiss Pour is how delicately "feathered" the pattern appears - you can see how these bars check that box.
I also CPOP'd (Cold Process Oven Processed) my batches, which intensified the colors and made some areas relatively translucent.
Below you'll find the freshly poured, wet soap, then the saponified (after 36 hrs) soap sliced into bars. Yes, the lighting is different but the soap still transforms, color-wise, after the initial chemical reaction of saponification.
Seeing all six bars at once helps visualize the pattern of the pour.
To order a bar or read more about this small batch soap, click here.
While the final soap colors shifted (and the yellow shows up better) after saponification, this was great fun to create and wound up being my entry in the February 2021 Soap Challenge. Good News: this was my first time reaching the "podium" (though I had gotten other recognition awards before). I won a Third Place distinction out of 165+ international entries, which was pretty gratifying, given the talent level in that group.
Yeah, I'm happy.
Click here for more information or to purchase one of these small batch bars.
Attempt 4: MesmerEYES Soap
So given the stimulating, yet ridiculous complexity of my last two attempt, I wanted to do one more pass at this technique and see if I could keep things relatively straightforward - no layers, no traveling pours, just a simple Kiss Pour, centered in the middle of the mold. Which was torture for me.
But I did it (that's the little video I included at the start of this post).
Here's what the finished, wet soap looked like vs. the soap after a 36-hr saponification and cut into bars:
Again, the lighting in my work space (wet soap) isn't ideal for photography the way my photo set-up is (bar photo) but there is still a difference in how the color looks after saponification.
Anyhow - whatcha think? Do you prefer one-layered designs or the multi-layered ones? Brighter, cheerful colors vs. a more dramatic palette? Did I get into TMI-territory for the uninitiated soap appreciator? I'd love to hear your feedback - please comment below. Your input helps me figure out what to write about.
For more info or to purchase a bar of these small batch designs, click on the title link at the start of each section.
Thanks for indulging me and reading this far - hope you found this interesting. (Photos help.)
Peace Out, friend -
Lisa
]]>In November 2020 I entered a soap technique challenge to produce a mosaic-styled soap. I had wanted to do some version of a rainbow soap for quite awhile, and in researching mosaics online, I realized that this would be a great opportunity to produce a multicolored design with a bit more originality than a typical rainbow bar.
As this would be a labor-intensive, multi-step design, I got an early start, filling a couple different single-cavity molds with vibrant, cosmetic mica-hued colors, some with subtle variations.
After allowing the colored soap to set up for a day, I released them from the molds and cut out circles with various-sized cookie cutters.
I belatedly discovered that soap from the deeper molds was preferable - it would provide more flexibility when it came time to plane (shave) down the soap face to reveal the design. Noted for future batches.
Doing a "practice layout" of the soap pieces was time consuming, but defiantly worth it as the circles had to be "glued" to the bottom of the mold with melted cocoa butter (no worries - it absorbs into the soap). Taking the extra time to make sure that my layout was workable, rather than trying to places pieces on the fly, was a pretty critical step to the design's success.
I traced out the dimensions on the lid of my mold, arranged the design pieces, then placed them in the mold with the melted cocoa butter as carefully as I could. Not exact, but it worked out pretty well:
Next step: whip up another batch of plain soap (colored with activated charcoal), pour it into the mold - being sure to get in-between the soap embeds - then allowing it to saponify overnight. (NOTE: The photos of this step are from a more recent batch.)
Yeah, it does look kind of messy, but the magic happens after it's cut into bars and planed down.
Here's what the planed (vs. unplaned) bars look like - sorry the lighting is a bit off but I was in the middle of the process when it occurred to me to document it.
If you haven't already guessed, it takes a lot of plane-ing to reveal the finished bars - a good 25% of the soap was shaved off. There's also a fair amount of unused soap from initially cutting the circles from the solid color bars, though I'm excited to repurpose some of those beautiful pieces.
Overall, how do I feel about LOVE is LOVE? Fun for sure, though the numerous steps, extra hours of workmanship and quantity of leftover soap does result in a pricier bar (much more labor + materials used). I'm proud of how beautifully it came out, but probably won't make often. I've already made this in various incarnations and achieved the thrill of the experience, you know?
So...how did the soap challenge work out? Ironically, while the bars were actually done within the first week of the month-long challenge, I got so caught up in the busyness of November/December - my company's most intense months of the year - that I totally missed the deadline to submit them by an hour {face palm}.
On the bright side, they did sell out shortly after posting. So there's that.
Anyhow, if you want a bar for yourself, this particular variety is (again) sold out, but my latest batch of Interstellar Soap - made with a similar technique - is here. There's also Playful Soap, made from some of the negative space cutouts of Interstellar! So many possibilities!
While mosaic soap is huge fun to make, there's so many other labor-intensive soap techniques I want to try. 😉
Thanks for reading through - hope that you found this helpful for understanding the process.
#washyourdamnhands
#usegoodsoap
Time to take the mittens off, friends. Democracy needs us.
]]>Before January of 2017, I had never really followed politics: I hadn't attended a march, donated to a candidate, volunteered, contacted my representatives, or paid much attention to policy. Life just seemed so busy - who had time? Of course I voted every four years and (mostly) in the mid-terms, but I wasn't deep into the issues.
Then...our 45th president took power. Everything changed. It was as though I had awakened from a hazy, self-absorbed sleep.
From the inhumanity of policies that impact POC, our environment, our health, and our economy, to the poisoning of our media narratives, calculated division of our citizens, and - for chrissakes - sabotaging of the post office, I belatedly had come to the painful realization that politics DOES, in fact, effect our lives collectively and personally.
Writing this today - almost a year into a largely mismanaged pandemic that has resulted in 400,000+ US citizen deaths - it is starkly obvious how much good leadership matters. A government "by the people and for the people" means that we ("the people") have to keep an eye on our employees (our government).
So, in the last four years I've decided to educate myself, put my reps on speed dial/call regularly, donate to numerous campaigns/causes, and even canvassed in Iowa for presidential candidate, Andrew Yang (the oddly distorted selfie above features a Republican, a Democrat and an Independent {me} campaigning as Yang Gang). I'm also a volunteer/local distribution point with the Blue Wave Postcard Movement's (BWPM) Get Out the Vote (GOtV) and voter registration efforts.
Hey - want to get involved? Even if you're not "all in" like me, every small step helps.
For example, right now we're developing a BWPM postcard campaign to help promote sweeping democracy reform (For the People Act, bills HR1 and S1, currently before the House and Senate). Feel free to sign up to Blue Wave's email list to hear updates on our efforts and to see where you fit best in joining the fun. A great way to get the skinny on what is going on with our democracy while connecting with new, like-minded pals.
As for the conventional wisdom that one must not mix business with political activism - eh. Courageous Soap products have become decidedly more politically snarky. Though not certain if the effect is measurable, the change aligns with and amuses me.
Time to take the mittens* off, friends. Democracy needs us.
And don't forget:
#washyourdamnhands
#usegoodsoap
I love you!
L.
*(referencing amusing 2021 Bernie memes).
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Second: as an artist, I want as many options as possible. Natural color has a fair amount of latitude within the yellow/orange/red/brown/purple spectrum, but elusive with decent blues and greens.
Third: as a business owner, mica color is less expensive to use, more predictable in outcome, and requires far less labor/prep time (partly why it's less expensive to use), which plays a factor in pricing.
Forth: Anytime you use a mineral-based color (micas/oxides/clays) they've been processed to remove heavy metals, as required by law (a good thing). Cosmetic mica is colored with lab-made, synthetic oxides - the ones I use are FDA lip, skin and eye safe (these colors are used for cosmetics, after all).
Fifth: Achieving those cool, infused, plant-based colors in the following examples is quite a time-consuming undertaking involving measuring plants/oils, heating in a crockpot (or allowing to sit for 2 months), straining out plant bits + cleaning greasy jars, taking copious notes + lots and lots of experimentation.
Let's just do a side-by-side comparison of my Sunset Soap Series, as they share a similar palette but are created using different methods of coloring:
These three soaps are colored as follows:
- Upper Left (Tequila SunSET soap): (yellow, orange, red purple)
Color: cosmetic micas added at trace. This means that I divided the raw, uncolored, slightly thickened soap into four separate containers, then added mica (dispersed in a small bit of oil) straight in.
This method is very WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) - if you compare the finished soap to the raw soap (R), you'll see little, if any, color difference. Adding straight mica color is both time efficient + the color itself is smooth.
- Upper Right (Sahara Sunset soap): (yellow, orange, mauve, red purple)
Color: a combination of plant powders (safflower/paprika/madder root/sandalwood) added at trace with alkanet root infusion also added at trace.
Notice how speckled many colors look on the finished soap. The flecks (especially of the paprika + sandalwood) add a mild scrub, for those who like a bit of texture to their soap.
The method: I divided out 2 oz of the recipe's olive oil into each of my containers - one of those containers used two oz of my infused alkanet OO oil, the other containers were regular olive oil that I added plant powders to. The OO amount used had to add up to the amount required by the recipe. Any additional OO needed was incorporated into my other melted oils/lye water, then poured evenly into the colored OO containers (math was involved).
If I hadn't used one of my colors as an infusion (ie: just used ALL plant powders dispersed in OO), this would have been as easy as adding the mica color and far less math.
So - why not just add the alkanet root at trace, too? Alas, not all plant color works well as a powdered colorant - alkanet (as well as indigo, woad, and others) is best used as an infusion or during the lye stage (a process I won't go into here). Yes - natural color use has a lot of little tricks to keep track of.
I also labeled the containers - colors can look really similar to each other in raw soap and/or shift after cure due to PH changes. For example, the safflower (far L) looks more pale peach-y as uncured soap, but is a lovely yellow after cure. Compare the colors of uncured soap with the cured soap in the photo and judge for yourself.
(Understand why micas/oxide color is so much simpler than natural, plant-based color? Hang on - it gets more complicated...)
Lower Center (SUNSET of the PATRIARCHY soap): (calendula, paprika, sandlewood + alkanet infusions w/added madder root powder).
Notice how the color is much smoother than the Sahara Sunrise (UR) sample - when you use infusions, the plant powder is mostly strained out.
Now we're getting into WAY more math, though. For intense color, I wanted to use a 15% infused color for each of my three initial containers (calendula, paprika, and sandalwood/alkanet combo), so I divided out the specific infused oils, mixed my remaining soap oils/lye water, and added a third of that mix to each of my containers to create the three base colors with the proper ratio of oils/lye.
THEN, to create a forth, redder color, I combined 100g ea of the paprika and sandalwood/alkanet mixes in a different container, and added madder root powder.
Why not just have a forth container to begin with? For this particular recipe, there was just enough olive oil required to divide into the 3 containers for a 15% infused color. If I had to do a forth container that kept the amounts even, the color would have been less intense. A trade-off to consider with multiple color, infused-oil soap.
Alas, the calendula-infused oil didn't seem to produce much color at all, so I'll have to experiment with how much more of the flowers to add to the next infusion. You can see from the blog post pix, that the oil itself looks very yellow in the photo but there you have it: the vagaries of natural color at work.
I'll end this post with what has worked best for me in most cases - a hybrid of plant infusion, plant powder, mineral-based, and/or mica color.
For Alkanet Reign* (above) I simply colored the entire soap using 15% infused alkanet root oil in my soap base, then divided out about 12% of the raw batter for each added, powdered color: titanium dioxide (mineral-based white), activated charcoal (plant-based black) and raspberry (cosmetic mica).
Working with a combination of added colors seemed to work best for this soap design (and, tbh, for my sanity).
BTW - another consideration with achieving more intense plant-based color in CP soap: you have to force gel (ie: super insulate your molded soap after pour or CPOP: process it overnight in a warmed - then turned-off - oven) during the initial saponification stage to get better color saturation.
Oh, and did I mention that you should keep cured, plant-colored soap out of sunlight to preserve the color as long as possible? Yeah, that's because plant color fades over time (mica colors do not). You know - nature. It's fleeting.
Despite the unpredictability, ephemeral nature of color longevity, and extra work, I'm actually kinda delighted with my natural color experiments and plan to keep at it.
My next post will explore my experiments with the blue/green spectrum of natural color, but truthfully, I'm still trying to crack those colors so it could be another month or more.
Hope you found this informative and at least a little entertaining. If you're a soap client/appreciator, what do you think of micas vs plant-based colors? If you're a soap maker who has worked with natural colors, would love to hear any insights you can add (below in the comments).
Thanks -
L.
*(It was suggested I call this soap Purple Rain, which would have been clever but let's not get into copyright infringement.)
]]>What is Brush Embroidery? Essentially, one creates a base soap and, after initial saponification (24 - 36 hrs), cuts the batch into fresh bars that must be decorated with piped soap "icing" before completely curing. You can drag a small brush or other implement through the piping to further sculpt a design.
]]>Most Artisan soapmakers have been told at some point, "Whoa - that soap looks good enough to eat!"
Amy Warden of Great Cakes Soapworks has obviously taken that sentiment to heart because her August Soap Challenge - a Brush Embroidery technique - was first used in cake decorating circles.
What is Brush Embroidery? Essentially, one creates a base soap and, after initial saponification (24 - 36 hrs), cuts the batch into fresh bars that must be decorated with piped soap "icing" before completely curing. You can drag a small brush or other implement through the piping to further sculpt a design. Presumably, the water content of freshly cut bars helps the piped soap to adhere better than dryer, cured soap.
As I often say at the start of these challenges: "Looks cool - how hard could this be?" followed by: "How can I make this more difficult?"
(OOPS - did I say "difficult"? I meant..."interesting.")
Amy offered two different challenge categories: the regular category allowed for one color of piped soap, the advanced for two or more colors. However, embedded color in the base soap was permitted, which inspired me to recreate my Grandmom Melli's cameo for the regular category (for the advanced category, an experiment with sunflower and other florals).
My Italian Grandmother, Annie Melli, was a strong-willed and formidable figure to me growing up, but I've belatedly learned to appreciate her strength and humor. With passing years, I've also discovered I've more in common with her than nose shape. Our love of family, cooking, singing, and an inability to sit still, for starters. Plus, we're both kinda (ahem) "take charge" types (aka: borderline bossy). But as I've gotten older, I now more fully appreciate the journey past generations had taken to provide the life for us that they did.
Her parents immigrated from Italy, and she met my Grandfather, also an Italian immigrant, in Philadelphia. Her mother died of peritonitis when she was 14, leaving Annie to raise four siblings while keeping house and dating my Grandfather. He gave her this cameo when they were visiting Atlantic City, likely a rare moment that they didn't have all the siblings in tow (seriously - dating with four kids tagging along!). Yeah, they did that.
Sidebar: The coloring of this cameo reminded me of a beer soap I made last year, which you can read about here. I talk about immigration in that post, so skip it if you're triggered by a larger view of the topic.
But I digress...
I wanted to try two designs, one for each category, both based around embeds. then decide which three bar set to enter (only one category entry allowed).
First, a 1/4 inch thick slab of soap was needed for the embeds, unscented and colored with Moroccan red clay. Half the batch had added spent coffee grounds for texture. After overnight saponification, I cut oval shapes for the cameos and circular shapes for the coffee-imbued embeds. A last minute addition of some mica topping added further depth and texture to the round designs.
Second Step: the embeds were placed in a small batch of base soap, which was colored using Indigo powder added at the lye stage. CPOP-ing the batch for full gel for the most saturated color, with lavender and a small amount of grapefruit essential oils for scent. The grapefruit added a touch of yellow tint, producing an intriguing sea foam green rather than the bluer hue I originally envisioned, but still a lovely, soft color which worked for my purpose.
Third Step: the color piping. The cameos required no added color or scent, so seemed a good place to start - I wanted to see how long it would take to do the more complex design. I ended up making most of the tiny (4 oz) batches from the soaping 101 recipe (85% coconut oil, 15% OO, 20% SF). It still hardened quicker than convenient while doing the cameos, but truthfully I was taking more time with the individual bars, trying different looks for the woman and the necklace chain. I also had different oval embeds to work with. The resulting cameo designs range from smoothly figurative to more abstract.
(The advanced category floral bars had less issues with the piped soap setting up too quickly, as the designs were more straightforward.)
Here's how my regular (1 color) category set came out:
Here's a hyperlapse video of how I did the cameos. Apologies for it not being more centered, but you can still get the gist of the process:
The Advanced Category piping had two colors - a pale yellow ( cosmetic mica) and brown (cocoa powder). I experimented with using the coffee/mica colored embeds as both another design element as well as part of the floral designs. These were created much more quickly - I was able to get five designs done in the amount of time it took me to do one of the cameos.
Here's how the advanced category sets came out:
I ultimately decided to enter the regular category - the uniqueness of each cameo design (and memories of my grandmother) pulled at me more.
Time did not allow for additional batches on this one, but it was pretty fun. Which entry would you have done? When I ran a poll on FB, the floral design got slightly more votes, but eh, sometimes you just gotta go with your heart.
Annie would have understood.
- L.
]]>
The pointy layers technique was such a blast that I tried about four variations - honestly, with more time, I would have created more. What my experiments had in common (fellow challenge soap artist may relate):
1) Every batch looked uniquely intriguing (difficult to choose what to enter)
2) No batch was reproducible
I suspect that working at the required, extra-light trace (just past emulsion stage) is what contributed to both. Honestly, the raw soap was so soupy that transporting the finished batch to the oven for overnight CPOP (Cold Process Oven Process) - a span of maybe 4' from where I worked - was nerve-wracking.
It was also challenging to figure out what to enter: I liked the clean simplicity of the first attempt, the emotion of the second, the design of the third, and the POP of the forth. I ended up posting this grouping to FB to get a sense of what appealed to most people. The verdict was almost evenly divided. This was a Rorschach test of soap design.
Ultimately, I chose to enter my final attempt (#4). While my design concept initially started in a different direction, I felt drawn to the bold yet simple palette. One comment on my private FB page mentioned the artist Mondrian. I also looked into the later works of Jean Miro.
Here's what I found:
Piet Mondrian, Dutch painter and theoretician, is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century and a pioneer of 20th century abstract art. As his work evolved from figurative painting to an increasingly abstract focus, Mondrian's artistic style was reduced to simple geometric elements, as seen in his 1930's piece, Composition II with Red, Blue, and Yellow.
Jean Miro, Spanish artist, sculptor, and ceramist of roughly the same period, also started with a figurative style, was greatly influenced by cubism, then ultimately favored a more surrealistic style of expression, a "Sandbox for the mind" with a childlike spirit. His 1968 painting, The Birth of Day, illustrates a bold simplicity that defined many of his later pieces.
The more I thought about these two artists, the more I could relate to their style and evolution. In art school, we had started with technique fundamentals - usually more figurative (literal representation). But after you've become practiced in line work (drawing), understanding light (photography), shape (sculpture), and color (painting), there's more freedom to find your own style.
I started out as an animation major - who knew I'd end up working in the medium of soap (and learning about chemistry)? It has been a gleeful process.
So there you have it. Pop soap with a side of art history.
Thanks, kind reader, for following along the process. And thanks again to Amy for organizing, and for Teri's generosity in sharing her fun technique.
Soaping friends: Did you attempt this challenge? Were you able to resist creating less than five batches? What did you think?
(Non-soaping friends - did you agree with the entry choice? Judging by the FB response...well, we'll see {g})
- L.
]]>
...an understandable mistake - I had stored the bars in a candy tin for protection in my luggage. After arriving in town and showing the folks my latest artsy soap designs, we moved into the living room, leaving the tin in the kitchen. I didn't discover it was gone until later, when I attempted to retrieve it to give everyone their soap.
Apparently Mom had be tidying up and thought the tin held candy, and so put it in the refrigerator (Dad discovered it later while looking for a beverage). Logical enough. No harm done. A mistake any of us could make.
Except, when I opened the tin and handed their soap to her, Mom looked genuinely confused: "Do these go back in the refrigerator?"
My parents had moved into a Senior Independent Living community about a year and a half before. Great place, lovely community - and just in time, as Mom's memory was starting to slip. I had been making the trip back every two months or so to check-in, visit and help out where I could.
But circumstances were such that I wasn't able to get back for about 5 months, - I was alarmed at her memory deterioration since my last visit.
We're lucky - we have assistance in place for my Dad (who by far has the most stressful job as primary caregiver), they have local caring friends, and family, and the facility has a Memory Care unit if/when we get to that point.
But there's an ache. Mom's reality is shifting. She wants to "go Home" - not to their previous address of 40+ years, but to the house she grew up in. Gently correcting her causes agitation. There are other, more telling incidents... (Have a family member with dementia? You get it.)
When I returned to Colorado, I shared my deep sadness with a friend. She recommended I listen to a clip called Rainy Days and Mondays from the podcast series, This American Life (episode 532, "Magic Words"). The story centers around Karen Stobbe, her husband Mondy, two improv actors, and Karen's mother Virginia, who had dementia and was now living with them.
Like everyone else in their situation, Karen and Mondy had to find a way to navigate through Karen's Mother's bewilderment and distrust of the world in which she was now living. Their solution appeared in the basic rules of improv - "Step into their World," "Always say yes, never say no," "Accept a gift."
In other words, rather than pushing the patient to recognize (our) reality, improv allows us to move into the wilderness with them. So, instead of insisting that their present residence is her home now, the rules of improv would have me respond to my Mom this way: "Yes, tell me about your home."
I am not an improv actor. Gaining some level of mastery of these techniques will take practice. The clip from the podcast provided lots of interesting examples of what Karen and Mondy did - much was trial and error - but it's a direction to try.
Karen and Mondy's story has a powerful, if bittersweet conclusion: using Improv creates new experiences to share in the moment with your loved one. But memories of our history together will continue to fade. If I want to have a more relaxed and meaningful relationship with Mom, I must surrender the urge to "reason her back" into my world and our shared past.
After Dad assured Mom that the soap didn't belong in the refrigerator ("Think of Irish Spring, honey - you wouldn't store THAT in the refrigerator. This is like Irish Spring*."), Mom sat back down and looked at my artisan soap. Then she took a big whiff of the scent (lavender + spearmint) and smiled.
Mom has always loved lavender. So. There's a happy moment.
Treasure shared experiences while you can - they're often fleeting.
Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother and others, friends. If your Mom is still here with us, give her a big hug.
- L.
(Have a loved one experiencing dementia? The clip, Rainy Days and Mondays, is worth the 20+ minute listen. If you check it out, tell me what you think, below.)
*(NO NO NO - it's NOT like Irish Spring. But I understand)
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Used @Goldspotbrewing microbrewer's "Pussy Riot" stout: made by all-female brewers in response to the election of our 45th POTUS. And not in celebration, if you get my drift...
]]>The base of the soap is its own natural caramel color and I. LOVE. IT. With the lighter topping (added titanium white), the combo reminds me of the cameo necklace my grandmother left me. She had received it as a gift from Grandpop when they were dating, after he (and, gradually, the rest of his family), arrived in the US as immigrants from Italy.
Their politics had always been "party of Lincoln-conservative" - how would they regard our current GOP's stance regarding "chain immigration"? Would I even be here?
- L.
]]>Need a kickstart for a new experience idea? Here's two that you can do in the comfort of your own home and another you can join me for if you're local:
1) Learn to Whistle Through Your Fingers (right here) - tutorial by Cleverly.me
or this one by Art of Manliness
NOTE: These tutorial claim that you can learn this skill in less than a minute. It will likely take longer. But - like so many dreams - is still worth pursuing. Persistent practice pays off! You'll thank me one day when you gain mastery! (People standing right beside you may not).
2) NETFLIX origami (right here) - tutorial by NETFLIX Origami
Still get NETFLIX DVDs and Blue Ray discs in those little red envelopes?Repurpose that discarded paper flap!
(Die-hard streamer with no Netflix paper flaps? There's always regular origami - YouTube tutorials abound! Or get really ambitious and try this elephant by Origami Art School.)
3) Local to the Boulder, CO area? Learn to make soap with me. My current classes are listed here. FYI - Soap making can be addictive.
This is not my fault.
(If you tried one of these, or have more suggestions for fellow 101 New Experience challengers, leave them in the comments below...)
- L.
]]>I wasn't planning to sign-up, but organizer Amy Warden enlisted the expertise of one of my soap SHEroes, South African soap maker/chemistry geek, Clara Lindberg of Auntie Clara's Handcrafted Cosmetics. (Dammit, Amy!)
]]>(Auntie Clara has pursued studying this and other soap chemistry phenomenon, and has written blog posts about how to intentionally create glycerin rivers. A great read, if you're into that sort of thing. I am.)
For the 200+ soap makers participating from dozens of locations around the globe, Amy offered two versions of the challenge: the regular category features glycerin rivers throughout the bar, the second, more advanced category, requires that some section(s) of the soap contain glycerin rivers, contrasting with other river-free, smooth portions on the same bar.
Why is the second category more advanced? In the regular category, the formulation would be consistent, even if using several colors. The advanced category requires formulation changes in the same batch (by varying water amounts) to achieve smooth soap in some sections, glycerin rivers in others.
Both versions require CPOP-ing - Cold Processed/Oven Process-ing - the batch after pour, to achieve the heat needed for full gel. "Gel" refers to a version of saponification that produces not only more intense colors and a lovely translucent soap quality, but is also a critical step in producing glycerin rivers. (Note to Clara - I'm pretty sure I had inadvertently achieved them without CPOP-ing in the past).
The other requirement of the challenge (no matter the category) is that designs had to be accomplished in "one pour" - that is, you wouldn't be able to make a plain loaf of soap, allow it to saponify, cut into cubes, then drop into the glycerin river batch, thus BOOM, providing a contrast of river-ed and non-river-ed design. Nope.
How hard could this be?
Pictured above was my first attempt, in the "regular" category - but some background, first: Here in Colorado, we've had a years-long run of Pine Bark Beetle infestation (climate change suspected), resulting in swaths of dead trees in our forests, including the Western slope of our beloved Rocky Mountain National Park.
As awful as brown trees blanketing random mountain slopes look, the planks cut from the beetle kill are curiously beautiful, with varying degrees of grays and blues throughout. You can see from my concept sketch (based on this online image), the planks look very different from the golden/white hues of typical (healthy) knotty pine. Tree-hugger that I am, I thought it would be interesting to recreate the look, using the natural texture of glycerin rivers in the design.
And in a nod to my #useitchallenge, I incorporated oils that I don't typically use, but had on hand - grapeseed and rice bran - along with more typical coconut, sustainable palm & olive oils.
Alas - the rivers only showed up in the white areas. And the soap thickened up so quickly (probably from using copious amounts of Titanium white in the entire batch) that I had to abandon the design before all the raw soap was used. I quickly tossed it into another mold, which came out like this:
Still intriguing looking soap - almost like the strata of the earth - but again, the glycerin rivers only showed up in the white sections, not the other colors. Why couldn't this go in the advanced category, you ask? Because the formulation was the same throughout - a requisite of the advanced category was that you manipulate the formulation of the same pour in different ways. (Dammit.)
Ironically, the advanced category was sounding easier than the regular one, so my next attempt would purposely produce rivers in some sections, others without, by varying water amounts. I used a base oil combo of olive/coconut/rice bran/tallow/castor, along with titanium white (entire batch), plus Brambleberry's Stormy blue, Queen's purple, and Moss green micas. The scent was a lavender/spearmint combo - the end result was this:
This was more like it: I was going for a smooth white base with smooth green and purple topping (check!). By adding extra water and color to each of the two stormy blue layers, hoped to get a few rivers in the lighter blue and a lot of rivers in the darker blue, then accented with a hanger swirl to bring some of the layers up through each other (visually, like a pond thawing).
Once more, the soap thickened up ultra fast - perhaps from floral essential oil, Titanium white, working at warmer temps, or a combo of these factors - so the hanger swirl was more subtle than if this had been a more fluid soap. As for the rivers? The darker blue section came out great, but the lighter blue seemed to have formed more of a "glycerin creek" - with color migrating out in a band along the white base - rather than a fine layer of rivers throughout. Curious.
As with the first batch, I still really like this soap, but not sure if it fulfilled the requirements of the challenge.
Third time's a charm, right?
I had been tweaking the design and formulation of one of my women's soaps, Incorrigible Flora, for years. Something was not quite right with the background color (Moroccan red clay) in the previous version - the hue didn't allow the stamp detailing to pop. Until this challenge, I hadn't considered how glycerin rivers might provide a striking, yet still neutral background to the stamp.
I used a palm-free blend of base oils: olive, sweet almond, coconut, castor, babasu, and Shea butter. The scent blend had me a little nervous - geranium rose, spearmint and various citrus - as florals tend to accelerate set-up and, since I was trading out the Moroccan red clay for titanium white, I was already concerned about a speedier rate of trace.
I did what I could to compensate: heating the essential oils slightly and gently stirring them into the bottom layer of soap (no scent in the top design). I also added an additional 60 g of water and a high amount of titanium white. The soap separated out for the top "bulls-eye" design had a normal amount of water and was further divided out into 3 colors: madder root/raspberry mica, Moroccan red clay, and titanium white.
As predicted, the main/bottom section of soap thickened quickly, but was still easily poured into a 2-lb mold. As I mixed the top colors, the base soap set up nicely. However, the other colors started setting up quicker than I was accustomed to, despite the fact that I hadn't added any of the EO's nor additional water - I ended up with interesting looking mounds rather than a smoother bulls-eye pattern.
Figuring out how to cut this loaf was intimidating:
But - deep breath - cut it I did, and happy to report that the glycerin river'd (main body) /non-glycerin river'd (top) differentiated sections had come out as intended:
And the main section provided a fantastic backdrop to the Milagro Heart stamp:
(Like these gorgeous soaps? They're all limited edition and available by clicking the following links: Tree-Hugger, Thawed, and Incorrigible Flora)
So there it is: my Glycerin River journey.
Thanks again to Amy Warden for organizing this intriguing soap challenge and to Clara Lindberg for her continued inspiration. If I hadn't done this challenge I wouldn't have found the missing design piece to this soap.
(...until I once again decide to tinker with it. You never know.)
Soaping pals - did you do this challenge? How did you like your results? Would you do this again or incorporate glycerin rivers into your product line (on purpose)?
Non-soaping pals: 1) hope that this post wasn't too technical (boring) and 2) what do you think of this effect?
LMK in the comments below (and thanks for reading this far).
- LMG
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YouTube research led to many useful tutorials, and a very talented Taiwanese Soaper (her company name roughly translated to "Oh My Double Cow Baby" - both impressive and confusing) provided a basic guide that I adapted to fit my supplies and concept. Even after filling a 10" log mold, I had enough soap left to fill a six cavity heart mold - and decided to have some fun with Micas and swirling, resulting in this:
One challenge with the original Grapefruit Star Anise soap was its lazy moniker -
so friends, this soap needs a real name and you probably need a bar of luxurious, moisturizing soap. Want to win one? Here's the scoop:
Post your suggestion(s) in the comments either in this post, on the Courageous Soap FaceBook page or on Instagram@couageous_soap (you can see some videos of "the making of" on there as well). Please "like" the post for your entry to count. If you want to "like" the page as well, go for it (but not required)
No limit on entries, but make them separate comments, please, to help my page's reach. Contest ends 2/28/19 @11:59 PM MST.
Soap facts: The base oils include olive, sweet almond, coconut, sustainable palm and Shea butter. The scent is a blend of pure essential oils of Pink Gapefruit/Star Anise/Litsea Cubeba. The natural colors include turmeric, activated charcoal, and Titanium white (with gold cosmetic mica detailing on the heart-shaped bars).
I'm the judge - if your suggestion resonates the most, you WIN and will get your soap in early March (after cure). Free shipping for a winner in the continental USA. Located out of the country? We'll work out something.
So grab yourself a tamale and side of millet (oh wait - that's what's in MY freezer) and kick back, zen out and come up with the winner! This blog post explains what I look for in a name. Or check out some of my other products to get inspired.
Want one of these beauties whether you win or not? Here's the product page.
Don't forget to comment with your suggestion(s)!
Thanks, pals - now get to it!
- L.
UPDATE, 3/6/19:
Kathleen Brewer has won the contest with the name Gustav's Dream - see the story on this here. (Kathleen - I'll be in touch and we'll get you your soap!)
Thanks to everyone who had participated - it was a really hard choice...
Yeah. Ridiculous.
Between my #useitchallenge + general Konmari-ing of life, I've been attempting to get a handle on my soaping supplies. Time to wrangle the natural colorants, exfoliants, infusion herbs + detailing botanicals bursting from tight drawers and overflowing boxes.
When I first got into artisan soaping, I "didn't know what I didn't know", so took a deep dive, ordering large sampler sets of natural colors and other plant-based additives to test drive options. My unbridled jump may have originated from my Dad's example - he's an ultra curious, creative soul who's enthusiasm for shiny objects outshines mine. But yikes - what a job culling through that stuff during his and Mom's latest move (hence: #useitchallenge.)
For the record, we creatives love an orgasmic mix of plenty. And maybe there's a a touch of FOMO - just...maybe. But once my mind feels as cluttered as my supply drawers, overwhelm replaces excitement. I'm no longer using my materials, just storing them.
To be fair, some samples matched my evolving style perfectly and I've happily reordered those. But, the next rabbit hole: how much to order? Ordering bulk is more economical. But I'm not a large scale manufacturer. And I get bored if I make the same thing the same way too many times (perhaps you've noticed my design evolution). I'm still left overstocked with botanical bounty.
Other types of the plant-based abundance were more suited to rustic products, which, I've found after some experimenting, isn't my design thang. I'm not big on exfoliation additives, either (no offense meant to "robust scrub" fans).
Still, after recovering from the overwhelm and spreading everything out, a number of hidden treasures surfaced ("Finishing" salts! Cranberry seeds! Indigo!). After researching the uses of certain colorant samples I never got around to trying, I'm now planning products based on those. You'll see them featured over the next few months.
Honestly, this is how I roll. I still like having a lot of options, I like brainstorming different ways to assemble things. It's more a matter of using my treasures vs perpetually squirreling them away, and releasing what I don't need without that fear of "what if I need it later?!?" I mean - really? How hard is it to reorder dandelion root powder if I change my mind?
So I'll "Konmari-thank" my extra plant-based supplies, package them up with a few of my favorite natural colors into sampler packs to pass on to my soaping students and others interested in trying new materials without investing in large quantities. Tree-huggers, rejoice!
Over the next few weeks, I'll post a link to the product page for different sets
A usage page link is also in the works with info that covers options re: colors to add in powdered form at trace, as base oil infusions, or at the lye stage. I'll also share thoughts on using plant-based exfoliants, detailing, and Tussa silk.
Have you been following my #useitchallenge? What hidden treasures have surfaced, even if not soap related? Are you using them or Konmari-ing them out (with a heart-felt thanks, of course)?
Lemme know in the comments below!
Thanks, pal!
L.
]]>Over the next year I'll blog each week about the products, projects, and recipes designed around some forgotten elements that I've rediscovered. Anything expired is out, anything not needed/desired will find a new home (ideally avoiding a landfill 'cause I'm a tree-hugger). If a course I've paid for is no longer relevant, I'll bid it farewell. At this point I know that time spent for the wrong reasons can never be recovered.
]]>Then, there's the stuff.
Apparently I'm not alone, judging by the popularity of Netflix's new show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. And yes - thanking, acknowledging and moving on from what is no longer relevant is priceless.
Clutter clearing is good. But what about rediscovered treasure?
Leonie Dawson, an Australian artist, author, hippy and blogger, wrote a recent post announcing a year-long No Spend Experiment. Though she and her spouse went from in-debt to self-made millionaires, a review of their finances revealed where she was engaging in "unconscious spending that wasn't contributing to (my) net worth or happiness." The No Spend Experiment was designed to "reset (my) financial barometers again."
Leonie's goal was to be more conscious of what she habitually bought/collected, but hadn't used or engaged with (200+ unread books, rooms of crafting supplies and home schooling curriculum, blindly trolling cheap box stores for items she "might" need rather than the specific item she was shopping for, etc.).
Both Marie Kondo's recommendation to only keep what "sparks joy" and Leonie's No Spend Experiment inspired my own "#useitchallenge. Because while I'm fairly decent at weeding out unneeded clothes and books and the like, I do have a weakness for cooking, courses, and soaping supplies.
The clutter in these areas was partly due to my love of experimenting, a natural curiosity, or simply needing a supply or ingredient and having leftovers afterwards. And a bit of FOMO - wanting to try a new soap technique, business course, or eating plan, buying supplies, and then life happening and not getting around to the implementation.
Over the next year I'll blog 2 - 3X/month about the products, projects, and recipes designed around some forgotten elements that I've rediscovered.
Some personal guidelines:
1) Anything expired is out, anything not needed/desired will find a new home, ideally avoiding a landfill 'cause I'm a tree-hugger (happily, Courageous Soap products are consumable* - that is, you enjoy using the soap or lotion and - bazinga - it's GONE! Your children won't have to empty these products from your home when you're in the great beyond! Hopefully!).
Moving on.
2) If a course or book I've paid for is no longer relevant, I'll bid it farewell. Time spent for the wrong reasons can never be recovered.
3) I'll still buy certain supplies - some basics are needed to create (Leonie, the hippie blogger/painter, points out that she still needs canvases). But NO exotic supplies that get relegated to the back of the cupboard - at least not this year.
SO exciting! My creative process craves some parameters so using ingenuity, being a good steward of resources, investing consciously in new supplies, plus gaining shelf space(!) and eco-peace feels fantastic! A fresh start for the year.
I'd love to hear from you - what do you think of the clutter clearing trend? Are you excited at the thought of rediscovering some buried treasure or does facing your storage stress you out? Do you find the Konmari Method developed by Marie Kondo or Leonie Dawson's No Spend Experiment appealing? What do you think of my #useitchallenge?
If you have tips or insights to share, I'd love to hear in the comments below!
Rock on, friend -
L.
*(not to be confuse with "edible." No eat-y the soap, please.)
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Besides clever copy (and gushing mentions by an industry influencer), an online maker's best friend is fabulous product photos. We solopreneurs have to wear about a bazillion hats: visionary, designer, manufacturer, strategizer, marketer, etc. I'm luckier than most as I went to art school back in the day, so know a little something about basic photographic composition and lighting (as well as how to wield an X-acto knife).
But I relied on natural light for much of my photography - picture quality was dependent on weather/season/time of day. I needed consistency for clean product shots, which meant investing in a light box.
Lightboxes range from $20. to $100.+ online, depending on size/complexity. But I needed mine by, like literally, the next day, and didn't feel like paying expedited shipping. Fortunately, I happened upon several tutorials on how to make one.
After getting the basic idea from different sources, I knew I could cobble together one fairly easily. And in fact, I did put one together in about 15 minutes, with materials I had on hand. So, my out-of-pocket cost were...zero.
Your costs will depend on what you have around, but here's the basics. Feel free to improvise - that's what I did:
Materials:
- Cardboard box (I used a 12"x12"X12" but hey, knock yourself out if you want to go bigger).
- Light diffusing material (I used wax paper - tissue paper or sheer fabric works, too)
- white poster board
- X-acto knife (or box cutter or scissors), straight edge (metal ruler), and cutting board (or extra cardboard to cut on - not necessary if using scissors)
- clear packing tape
Instructions:
Step 1:
Lay your box flat by removing any tape from the bottom/top sides. Slip the cutting surface inside (to protect the panels you're not yet working on) and cut out a panel from the side, leaving about 1.5" from all edges.
Repeat on two adjacent sides:
Tape the bottom panels together so that your lightbox stays upright. Keeping the front panels on allows you to shield your camera from possible flare from your light sources, though some DIY videos took those off. Up to you.
Step 2:
Cut a length of white poster board to line the inside of the box (since I had a 12" wide box, I cut my poster board about 11.5" wide to fit easily).
Keep the length as long and the paper as clean as possible - you'll next tape the top edge of the poster board to the top, back edge of the box - the idea is to have a smooth, "infinity" horizon (no line) for your product shots.
Step 3:
You'll now add on your diffusing material to the top and side panels. I used wax paper - some people use white tissue paper, others sheer fabric - whatever you choose, make sure your selection allows "softened" light through. Use your clear packing tape to attach each panel to the outside of the box.
Step 4:
Now add light - using higher wattage daylight (cool) bulbs are best. Some people recommended using inexpensive, clamp-on lights - I just used adjustable desk and floor lamps (plus a camera flash for the front lighting) - again, what I had on hand. I would get some higher wattage daylight bulbs for my next shoot, but we made it work.
There's a boat load of detailed product photo lighting tips on the internet - I'm not going to get into all of that here, as I tend to mess around until I get a shot that works for me.
Here's one of the product shots we did this afternoon, my latest version of BADASS QUEEN soap, with our cool new lightbox:
Hope that you found this helpful. Let me know in the comments below if you made your own lightbox using some of these tips, and how it worked for you.
Enjoy!
- SL
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Awhile back, I unearthed a plain, white ceramic soap dish from the back of a cabinet, filled it with stones and soap pieces, then set it next to my kitchen sink for post-cooking wash-up. I've been genuinely surprised at the many inquiries about it since.
Many people find natural soap care a mystery. The little display I put together - born of a repurposed dish, decorative stones, plus natural soap pieces - was a clever, if unconscious solution: the stones provided both aesthetics and drainage if you are mindful of surface area (more on that, below).
Since then, I've observed how many of my customer friends didn't quite know how to store their Aroma Art soap for maximum display and longevity. This post, then, is an educational outreach.
Friends, let's first acknowledge that natural, hand-crafted soap - especially Aroma Art - is an investment - pricier than commercial bars for many reasons: higher quality and craftsmanship, of course, but a higher percentage of glycerin in the softer soap oils (ie: avocado, sweet almond, castor, etc.) than your usual, mass produced soap. Commercial bars tend to skim off glycerin for more expensive products (such as moisturizers) and use a higher percentage of cleansing oils (coconut, palm, etc) - generally cheaper, more bar hardening, but more drying.
Though artisan soap has many benefits, the higher percentage of softer oils does result in a bar that takes longer to dry. If you've ever left any bar of soap - especially one with a higher glycerin percentage - in a ill-draining soap dish, you're left with mushy soap.
Or, perhaps you've had the unfortunate experience of innocently placing wet soap directly on a surface without drainage (often glass, metal, or a granite counter) only to find it has effectively "fused" to the surface, such as in the photo (L). Ugh.
Below are a few tips that have helped preserve my soap - the hand-washing soap pieces in that ceramic soap dish at the start of this post have lasted for months. Try a few methods out and comment below on how they work for you.
Surface
In my experience, surface is the most important factor in soap longevity. For example, I generally place my soap upright (as opposed to flat) and switch around which edge I store it on for as long as the soap can stand up, because an upright position allows more air circulation for drying. Then there's the surface itself: some soap makers swear by these basic unfinished cedar platforms - I'm still testing them out, so I'll keep you posted.
(UPDATE 4/26/18: Alas - I have NOT been able to get these soap platforms to work well. If laid flat on the surface of the wood, the soap fuses right to it. Bummer - I really their look.)
Glass and metal look lovely but wet soap generally sticks to them - plus soap reacts to certain metals, which can cause rancidity. This soap holder to the right would seem to be great for draining, and I liked the contemporary look of the design and material, but it's a bear to wrestle the bar off of the metal after it's dried. You can see how the dish "lifts" from the left side as I try to remove the soap.
Plastic works better, but admittedly lacks aesthetic appeal. Still - the slots in this kind of dish come in handy for my purposes - to both organize and prop up various soap piece test samples for maximum drying. (Husband: "Can't we please have a full bar of soap?" Me: "No room - we must test eight different formulas.")
One reason the stones in the soap dish (L) work so well is that my arrangement allows for air space between the soap and the stones. If a tiny soap was lying directly on a flat rock, the limited air circulation would interfere with drying and likely cause the soap to stick as well.
Note - I recommend draining the water runoff from the dish after using the soap (simply lift the dish, cradle the soap/stones with your hand, and pour off water in bottom of dish. Takes moments but does a lot to preserve your bars/soap pieces).
In the surface area dep't, I've had the best luck with the aforementioned soap stones, and soap lifts - porous, bio-corn pads that come in a variety of colors and can be trimmed, if necessary, to fit the soap dish of your choice. Notice how the soap easily releases from the Soap Lift (R). It's a great option - you can keep a dish that matches your aesthetics and decor, but still be able to display and use your soap.
In the shower, gym, or camping I've liked using Soap Nets, a clear netted pouch with a built-in wrist/wall strap that allows soap to hang - and dry - more quickly.
The netting of the pouch provides airflow from all angles, coupled with a gentle, non-abrasive scrub for a rich lather without synthetic foaming agents: a plus for those who buy handmade soap to forgo excess chemicals in their body care products, but like a robust lather.
Dividing
Obviously, the more soap is immersed in water, the quicker it will melt away. An alternate way to preserve soap is to simply cut a bar in halves or thirds and use a section at a time. This not only saves the unused portion from being exposed to more shower spray, but you'll have a more manageable size for travel or guests use. (Soaper's trick: bevel your cut soap by running a carrot peeler along all edges.)
Drying
Some soap makers recommend using a dry wash cloth to wipe down soap after use. I've never actually done this - perhaps this makes sense but I gotta wonder - doesn't the bar wear away as you wipe it down? (Must ponder.)
Did I miss anything? If you have a recommendation for soap longevity that I missed or have tried out any of these methods, comments below on how they worked!
Thanks!
Lisa (aka: Shaman Lisa)
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Amy Warden's Rustic Soap Challenge appears deceptively simple: Create a soap with texture, incorporating some form of the Hot Process (HP) soap-making technique. To mix it up a bit from past soap challenges, the soap wrapping would be relevant - a package deal (get it?).
#trueconfession: I'm a Cold Process (CP) Snob for a reason: CP has more potential for controlling the trace (viscosity) of raw soap, hence endless potential for fancy-schmancy-ness. HP soap's oatmeal-like consistency offers more limited design choices. I'm in it for the art, friends - we know this.
Yet HP intrigued me. One big plus? The HP process "cooks" out moisture, hence, needs a much shorter cure time. Cure refers to the typical 4 - 6 week period required for excess water evaporation from Cold Process soap, which hardens/finishes off the bars. This is why you'll find racks of soap perpetually airing in my space (unsurprisingly, my space smells very nice).
Another plus: HP requires far less quantities of essential oils than CP, as scents aren't added to HP soap until after "cook" (the period of heating/stirring which causes excess moisture to evaporate, resulting in the aforementioned oatmeal consistency). As essential oils tend toward the pricier end of ingredients - and I don't use synthetic fragrance for scenting my products - the savings for a bulk soap maker can be significant.
The REAL challenge for me - beyond an unfamiliar technique - was making my soap interesting without relying on a hoopla of swirls, bulls eyes, and obsessive flourishes. The design parameters required took me in a different direction, conceptually.
The result is Ogres Have Layers: I'll first explain the background/influences behind the concept, as well as my process.
Background: These last few months since the election have found me wearying of the prevailing, media-fanned vibe around the divide between "us" and "them." This was my head space as I viewed Amy's demo videos for this challenge. I was struck at her combination of CP/HP techniques in her soap design to create interesting layers. CP + HP together? Whoa - the possibilities of us all getting along!
This led to pondering the whole concept of "layers," which then, naturally led to the "Ogres Have Layers" line from the original Shrek movie (or is this just how my mind works)? Shrek was judged on the outside as being rough and abrasive - an "other" - yet after getting to know him more deeply throughout the movie, it became obvious that on the inside, he was a softy. An easy trap - judging each other on our outside identities, politics, social class, education, ethnic backgrounds, and preferences of CP over HP. But inside we've more in common than we don't. We all have layers.
Process: I imagined this soap as a character, inspired by the idea of viewing others that we find "different" as Ogres. Ogres Have Layers reminds us that we're all complex - some parts of us seem more abrasive, others are smoother and softer. Since I viewed this soap as a character, I wanted a vertical soap, so adapted a small box for the purpose.
I used a base oil mix of coconut, olive oil, lard + avocado oils, scented with an herbal/ woodsy mix of cedarwood, lavender, cypress, and ylang ylang essential oils (EOs).
The bottom, "abrasive" layer (character's pants) was colored with cocoa powder mixed with ground coffee. I used some soap chips for the belt, to give some variety to the top edge of the layer, then covered the chips with the remaining brown soap.
The second layer - also CP - was the uncolored base soap with added calendula petals - this represented the shirt as well as a "softer" layer - calendula is known for skin soothing properties (more symbolic than therapeutic).
The HP layer would be third, colored with nettle-leaf powder before being cooked in the microwave. This layer contained no added botanicals or exfoliants as the HP process itself would provide enough texture for a rustic look.
Amy's video helpfully demonstrated the microwave HP process, but for those of us accustomed to CP techniques, it was an odd way to work. There are numerous stages of the HP cook - first, an alarming, separating "applesauce" stage (R), progressing toward a more unified "mashed potato" stage, then finally resulting in the "oatmeal" texture as the soap continued to evaporate moisture. The food analogies helped me visualize the stages, though at no point was I tempted to eat this.
After a whole lot of stirring and stick blending until the soap simply became too thick, I judged it ready to add to the mold. I wasn't concerned about having this soap break through the lighter layer (appearing as a ragged, rustic shirt collar), but the raw soap itself was so...gloppy...that I wasn't sure if I'd end up with air pocket holes in the green layer.
Thankfully, it seemed to work out OK. Here's what the un-molded soap ended up looking like (L)
Here's the soap cut into bars. Whew - no gaping air holes!
Since the design was meant to imply an ogre-like figure, I used a plain stamp to suggest a face, then added mica to the stamp to stand out more. You can compare them to the unstamped bar (L).
Next came the second part of the challenge - the rustic packaging. The requirements stated that the soap design had to be as visible as possible, so no covering more of the soap than was necessary.
Ultimately, small pieces of leftover material and cord got fashioned into a little "vest," while the label grew out of leftover art paper from other product wrappers. I attached the label w/twine to the side of the vest.
While the creative process was great fun in this challenge, I'm on the fence re: Hot Process soap making - my hand was sore for days from all the stirring. Yes, I'm a stirring wimp. I say this without shame.
Ironically, I still have to wait for this soap to cure for a couple of weeks before I can try it - remember, the bottom two layers are still CP - only the green section is HP. Yep - back to cure time. In soap, as in life, we must make allowances for each other. This is part of getting along. We accept our layers.
Still - who knew that I'd have such fun dressing up soap bars in little vests?!?
What 'cha think? Would love feedback on this project, general questions/comments or, if you're part of this month's challenge, let me know what your entry was in the comments (below).
Big thanks, Amy, for inspiring me to once again stretch my technique knowledge - Great fun!
Peace out -
- L.
(Update: Ogres Have Layers won the first place Blue Ribbon in July, 2017 at the Denver County Fair, Soaps and Lotions category)
Wise elder: “You have two wolves fighting in your mind at all times: the wolf of encouragement and the wolf of doubt.”
Naive Youth: “”but grandfather, which will triumph?”
Wise Elder: “The one you feed.”
Me and doubt: we’re well acquainted. We have us some junk food in that space.
Late July, 2016:
Bleary-eyed, I looked over the entry notification from 2016 Denver County Fair. Deadline: four days away.
We had just moved back into our home after months of hotel living, waiting for our gutted kitchen to be repaired from a water line leak. Yay for good homeowner insurance, but construction = energy suck. Lost production space? Total drag.
The day we returned to our uncompleted (though functional) space, friends arrived from the East coast. I was preparing what product remained (pre-water line break) for an upcoming summer market. Visitors had just left when I noticed the email call for entries. I was bone tired.
First thought? Nothing to enter. My fancier premium products had sold out for Mother’s day. I had counted on ramping up production in late May, upon returning from my first Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic’s Guild conference (yes, there are soap maker’s conferences. Seriously.)
Except I returned to a flooded kitchen.
Next thought? Chips (preferred nosh for the wolf of doubt).
If you’ve read my previous blog posts, you’d recognize a soft spot for the Denver County Fair (DCF). Since I first stumbled upon it in 2012, the DCF’s mix of edgy whimsy, snark, and playfulness has captured my curiosity. They hold live contests that include best tattoo, speed texting, tea dueling, and chicken calling, plus revere both odd competition categories (Peeps dioramas! Homemade Robots!) as well as the more traditional jams, quilts, and poultry. They appoint a Drag Queen of the Fair. This year’s featured guests: the Minions. And a two-faced cat. DCF is a hipster wink.
Entering had become so ingrained a tradition that, despite my mental fatigue, the thought of blowing it off felt oddly bereaving.
True, my most artistic cold process soaps weren’t available, and due to required cure time (4 – 6 weeks), there was no whipping up any in four days. But I did have a few bars left of Long Road (aka Lemongrass Geology), which had a compelling story.
Plus the soaping conference had inspired me to try out a few more glycerin soap techniques, and happily, glycerin soap (aka: melt-and-pour) requires no cure time. Stepping away from the computer, I ended up making a glycerin version of IndiGOAT Curls and I won’t lie – creating a new product variation was huge fun. Check pix to the left to see others from that batch (and take a class with me – I’ll show you how to do it).
Yes friends, I stopped wallowing in self-pity and put on those big girl panties, theoretically feeding that wolf of encouragement a kale Smoothie (or grass-fed beef?).
And despite bad metaphors, the judges at the 2016 Denver County Fair liked IndiGOAT Curls enough to give it a Third Place ribbon in the soaps and lotions category. Long Road, meanwhile, took the First Place Blue Ribbon.
But…what if I had kept feeding the wolf of doubt junk food thoughts?
Agonizing over whether to enter a county fair competition may not sound particularly courageous*, but choosing to not feed the wolf of doubt IS. We face crossroads daily, friends, where it’s easier to flop on the couch with Netflix and a cold one, rather than answering What Calls Us. Each decisions adds up incrementally, forming our habits, calcifying our lives.
A happy outcome in this case, but there’s no guarantee that a situation will match your vision. I’ve answered The Call plenty of times where the outcome was foggier. Or I’ve opted for the Netflix/couch combo, then wondered how whole sections of life evaporated.
But given enough distance, even the foggy, unexpected outcomes had merit. They’ve still moved me incrementally along my curious path.
I encourage you to answer love, to answer that which calls you, even if circumstances aren’t perfect. Who knows? Maybe that call is coming because this is the perfect time – you need a distraction, to break an old pattern, to get back on track. The tiny act of saying yes when it seems infinitely easier to retreat can change everything.
What awards/accolades, incredible times, sweet moments, and loving kisses have we all missed out on because we fed the wolf that wasn’t serving us?
Be courageous, friends. Pay attention. Feed the right wolf.
(And comment below on which you’ve been feeding and how that’s working for you. I’d love to hear!).
- L.
*(…or maybe it is? A brilliant quilt artist friend won’t enter any of her gorgeous creations, though she’d KILL the awards. Sometimes we extroverts can’t judge what’s considered gutsy).
]]>September through December, 2016: A blur of catch-up from summer production issues, market season prep, a re-brand + new website launch, plus the the brouhaha of the election and it's aftermath. Ai Carramba.
Friends, there's but one thing to do to extricate from the onslaught - we must exit the crazy-train and return to creating. We must return to art.
And, hoo HOO, what great timing to enter another of Amy Warden's soap challenges: The Tiger Stripe.
I used a 2 lb loaf mold and a slow trace base oil recipe, divided into five colors: white, a light blue + a medium blue cosmetic mica, a gold cosmetic mica + activated charcoal (black). I used a scent blend of tea tree, eucalyptus, and a few EO's that wouldn't speed up trace or discolor the base. Added 1.5 tsp of powdered sugar to the water (before adding lye) to see if it made a difference in the liquid consistency of the raw soap - it did.
The scented, colored base was divided into squirt bottles, with a bit of the light blue left to provide some visual "space" in the soap. And I had my hanger bent into shape for a bit of swirling at the end. Here's the set-up:
I placed the mold on an angle, poured a small amount of the extra light blue, then alternately poured in thin streams of color via the squirt bottles. The colors were extremely liquid:
After getting one side filled, I carefully tilted the mold on the opposite angle, then poured the squirt bottle colors in again.
When this second layer was complete, I added an extra layer of the light blue for some solid space in the bars between tiger stripe groupings:
I choose to add in the extra light blue in a lattice design, rather than a solid pour of color. Why? The colors were still pretty liquid-y to work with - if poured in all at once, the weight of the added soap may have disturbed the integrity of the tiger stripes below. Plus - and this is peculiar to me - I simply wanted to see how it would come out.
After pouring the raw soap to the extent that felt right, alternating sides, solid areas with striped ones, I did a hanger swirl, then finished off the top with some variation of a mantra swirl. Below you can see the colors distinctly (in the background are tester soaps made with the scrapings from the squeeze bottles).
And...here's the cut soap about a week after unmolding:
So...the verdict? Overall, really pleased. The cheerful color combo compliments the design waves caused by the hanger swirl - all adding up to a bar packed with visual interest. A friend said that the design reminded her of sea shells: Sea Shell Shores, perhaps? Kinda has an ocean vibe. Must ponder.
The scent is refreshing with a little bite, but not at all medicinal (sometimes a challenge with tea tree/eucalyptus combos). I like how the solid color areas are flat - I think that something with the lattice design allowed flecks of other hues to come through.
What else would I try? Well, the gold mica seemed to morph/fade a bit next to the black lines - perhaps this wouldn't have happened had I made the lines slightly thicker...but then, maybe not. Working with metallics is tricky business. And I really liked seeing how skinny I could push the lines.
The gold is quite distinctive on top of the bars - so who knows? Another soaping mystery, though if you have an insight, please mention it in the comments below.
So, thanks, Amy, for pulling me from the black pit combo of FB politics + endless market prep to immerse myself in the pleasures of creation! Woo HOO!
So what do YOU all think of the Tiger Stripe technique? Are you a participant in Amy"s Tiger Stripe challenge? If so, how do you feel about your result?
Thanks, friends - SL
]]>“NEVER give up! NEVER Surrender!” – Jacob Nesmith, Galaxy Quest
I’ve found my motto for soap challenges issued by Amy Warden of Great Cakes Soapworks.
The Basics:
The May challenge, Teardrop Technique, is designed to produce an elegant teardrop shape suspended in the center of the bar. This is achieved by using a slow trace formulation, removing about 25% of the raw soap for the teardrop shape (divided into individual cups of color), pouring 30% of the remaining batter into your mold as a base, then slowly and carefully pouring your colors – one on top of the other – down the center of the mold.
After applying your center color, the soap is finished off by pouring equal portions of the base-colored soap equally and at the same rate along the sides of the mold (“wall pour”) so that a classic teardrop shape forms from the pressure of the wall-poured soap edging toward the middle of the mold. Yep – what could be simpler? What could possibly go wrong?
While the Teardrop Technique instructions sound straightforward, the reality of producing a decent-looking teardrop shape it is deceptively tricky. Good thing I truly enjoy the learning process, ’cause there were a boatload of errors at first.
But remember, “NEVER give up, NEVER surrender!”
Let’s deconstruct my efforts so that we’ll learn together…
Attempt #1:
I often try other experiments when participating in challenges. For last month’s Location Challenge, I used Indigo powder at the lye stage and CPOP-ed the soap for a deeper sky color. As I use mostly plant-based, natural colors and those results were promising, I boldly decided to CPOP again, using alkanet root in the lye stage as the base color in my first attempt (pix, L), with activated charcoal, madder root, and titanium white for highlights. I envisioned a delightful, deep purple w/a red, black and pinkish teardrop shape.
While the design result on the red-brownish bar was graphically arresting, the “smoldering volcano” look wasn’t what I had in mind. Plus, that red-brown color was….eh. Biggest mistake was the consistency of my color pours – Amy warned that we’d be tempted to over-blend/thicken the raw soap, but coupled with titanium white’s quick set-up, I was left with an unhappy glop that simply wouldn’t pour smoothly. :(
Attempt #2: I returned to using natural indigo powder at the lye stage + much less titanium white (with cocoa and charcoal powders). While I like the base soap blue (CPOP, again), I belatedly realized that I had poured the bottom layer too shallowly + allowed it to set-up too long, resulting in the poured colors sitting on top of that layer instead of breaking though. Alas! Once more I was left with a volcano theme – some even looked to have funnel clouds arising (though I did like how the soap tops came out).
Attempt #3: Time to simplify: My third attempt used a different slow trace formulation, no lye-stage color, and no CPOP. Instead of pouring the colors from paper cups (difficult to control flow), I opted for increasing my recipe slightly so that I had enough color to put in squeeze bottles (made pouring far more consistent).
In the pix to the L, the squeeze bottle colors are prepped (plain, charcoal, safflower, and madder root), plus the mold is 30% full of base color with the remaining base color divided evenly into two containers for the wall pour.
There were other challenges: For whatever reason, the consistency of the middle pour seemed to blossom out in a curious way. The most difficult aspect of this technique was, undoubtedly, trying to get the consistency of each stage and color exactly right – too thick, and the pours are for naught (as demonstrated by my first attempt). Too thin and the colors run. Yeesh.
Distressed that yet another attempt appeared to be going south, I finished off the steps for the technique and tried to figure out options for finishing off the top.
Remember “NEVER give up, NEVER surrender”? Well, at this point I was pretty much, like, “SCREW it – may as well have some fun!”
Having a set of squeeze bottles (still relatively full of soap) opened up other design possibilities.
And…ya know, third time was a charm. You can actually see the teardrop shapes in the center of the soaps to the R. I’m also really pleased that the sides of the teardrops are smooth, not all jaggedy. The top circles are pretty fun, too.
Friend Cheryl McCutchen wants me to call these Psychedelic Psuds. Too bad I didn’t use Patchouli as a scent – if I ever attempt these again, perhaps I will. You just never know with me.
Remember, friends, “NEVER give up, NEVER surrender!”
Now go watch Galaxy Quest. Really. You won’t regret it. Your kids will like it too (even if they don’t know what Star Trek is.)
Thanks, again, Ms. Amy Warden for setting up such an intriguing challenge! And if you, dear reader, are a participant in the Teardrop Technique, let me know which soap entry is yours.
Peace Out, friend!
{Sigh}
April’s soap challenge theme is Location, requiring participants to enter a soap design that reflects something special about where they’re from or presently living. Amy, a Kansas native, appropriately chose a Wizard of Oz-themed soap as an example. Her reasoning is that once people hear she’s from Kansas, they ask if she’s “seen Dorothy” (Amy seems the patient sort).
I live in Colorado, transplanted decades ago from the East coast. Once people hear that I live here, they’re curious about…legal pot. Though tempting to consider marijuana concepts – hemp oil soap! – frankly, scent could be problematic.
Besides, our geology holds more visual possibilities. We have an especially curious rock-cut landmark near Morrison, Colorado known as Dinosaur Ridge, and its Northern neighbor along the same hogback, known as the I-70 Point of Geological Interest (PoGI).
Fun facts: The PoGI formed from flood sediment deposited during the Late Jurassic Epoch (140 – 135 million years ago) when a large part of the West was a semiarid plain with a semitropical climate. This sediment was composed of grey, green and maroon claystone, gravels, and sandstone in a limestone bed. While this formation extends into many states, it was first discovered and identified in Morrison, Colorado, and is broadly known as the Morrison Formation. It is a truly mind-boggling slice of geology.
When I first arrived in Colorado from NYC, The “I-70 Point of Geological Interest” struck me as a hilarious name. Can't explain why. Something about those solemn blue signs announcing the approach, as if startling this ancient site might spook it and cause it to flee. Or perhaps because NYC, despite it’s many wondrous features, does not seem to have geological points of interest with noteworthy signage.
Fascinated by the rock layer variations of the **I-70 Point of Geological Interest, I chose to do an abstract interpretation plus try out new techniques.
My intentions, beyond homage to this oddly striking place, were threefold:
First: To use Indigo powder in the lye phase to produce a natural blue truer to color. As natural soap makers know, coaxing a decent blue from Indigo can be frustrating – the standard adding at trace usually results in a color closer to grey (meh).
Second: My first attempt at CPOP-ing (Cold Process, Oven Processing) the soap to force a complete gel phase. This involves preheating the oven to a low temperature, placing filled soap mold(s) inside and closing the door, allowing the soap to “cook” for an hour before turning off the oven and leaving it overnight. This method is known for producing more vivid and somewhat translucent natural colors.
Third – To provide a reason to carve my first stamp for a soap project (like I needed an excuse)!
Using a lined, 2-lb loaf mold, the project was done in two stages. The first stage was constructing the geological strata: earthier tones of safflower, turmeric, Moroccan red clay, cocoa, and activated charcoal, sprinkled through with cp soap chip embeds, using lighter base oils. Lighter oils help the naturally colored + uncolored sections avoid becoming overly yellowed or green – especially important when I did the second stage, involving the indigo.
I chose pure essential oils of fir needle and sage to reflect local, native foliage. Added to the mix was pure lavender essential oil (a drought-tolerant plant that grows readily in our western landscaped yard) plus dandelion leaf, which also (somewhat regrettably) thrives here.
Tilting the mold at a 45 degree angle, I alternated pouring medium-trace layers of colored raw soap, decidedly tricky. Allowing the soap to rest/thicken, I mixed a second, smaller batch for the blue sky using the same percentages of the lighter base oils. The indigo was then added at the lye phase, then strained into the oils. Before adding the Indigo soap layer to the top of the strata, I sculpted a “peak” a bit off-center, as shown in the photo, above right.
The CPOP (Cold Porcess Oven Process) was…interesting. In the above photo, the far left heart is a sample of lye stage, indigo soap CPOP’d in a silicon mold – compare this to the middle soap, also from a silicon mold but cured the usual way (wrapped in towels, not initially cured in a pre-heated oven).
I belatedly found out that CPOP in a ***silicon mold isn’t ideal as the soap tends to overheat and bubble – hence those puffy, sponge-y looking patterns in the L soap. But the color is awesome. Actually the middle color is pretty cool, too, though a bit less robin’s egg-y in color (alas – doesn’t show up well in the photo). As a basis of comparison, the far R soap’s center layer shows indigo that was added at trace instead of at the lye stage – notice how grey it appears.
As for the PoGI’s neighbor, Dinosaur Ridge – they’re a package deal, sharing the same hogback formation and all. Dinosaur Ridge is known for its visible dinosaur bones embedded in the rocks, as well as tracks – offering a perfect excuse to try carving a stamp. There it is to the R, that cute little footprint (!)
Had I the presence of mind, I could have carved a few tiny dino bones out of scrap soap, then embedded THEM in the bars for a paleontology dig bathing experience! Whoa Nellie! Excuse me while I sit back and ponder that one. Not like it wouldn’t be incredibly TIME-consuming, but has that stopped me before? (No, it has not.)
But I digress – how DID this soap with the over-the-top-name and the multiple intentions turn out?
PoGI is pretty cool. The sky looks pale in the photo (it’s actually the color of the far L heart, center photo, above) but the dino tracks are easy to spot and I love the “movement” of the strata layers. Happily, the scent smells heavenly – the fir needle/sage/lavender turned out to be an awesome combo.
Thank you, gentle reader, for staying thus far – it’s a longer post but there was just such fascinating stuff going on with this project! Hopefully, you learned something new to make it worth the read. {BWAHAHAHAHA}
BTW – I DO recommend that you visit the I-70 Point of Geological Interest. It’s really pretty awesome. Kids love it, too.
What do you think? Leave a comment below. And if you did the Location Challenge, let me know what your soap entry was.
Thanks again to Amy Warden for heading up yet another intriguing soap challenge that pushed me in all the right ways. Now I really must go eat something. And get to bed. And (eventually) get a shower. <3
*(I often buy up the tutorials I’ve missed. They’re that good.)
**(Sometimes referred to as the Geological Point of Interest. Colorado isn’t always consistent with names, apparently)
***Not a problem with wooden molds w/freezer paper linings. Go figure.
Tall and Skinny Shimmy
I won’t lie, I’m on the fence about this technique. It took FIVE tries before I was able to get something decent enough to enter. Why was this challenge so…challenging?
The goal of the technique – which btw, looks quite intriguing when done correctly – is to have a thin, “shimmying” line of contrasting color run up the center of the soap. You can see an example of this on my entry soap to the L (“Picasso’s Breakfast”), starting at the bottom where the green color snakes between the yellow and white, then the white curls between the yellow and green, and the thin line of yellow passes between the white and green to the top.
To achieve this effect, one must use an alternating side pour while working with very thin trace raw soap. And there’s the rub…
For those new to soap making, “trace” describes the consistency of emulsified raw soap batter. For certain artistic effects such as embedding designs or layering, a heavier consistency is used. Flowing design work, however, requires thin-traced soap.
The “challenge” is getting this consistency absolutely correct: the soap has to be exceptionally thin trace, as in just-this-side-of-emulsified. Too thick, and your soap won’t pour smoothly. Too thin, and your colors will blend together in a muddy fashion, OR your soap won’t fully saponify (reach the chemical state where the dissolved lye will mix with the oils).
And that’s problematic because…?
Among other issues, your soap won’t hold together (See botched batch, R).
Yeah. That was my 4th attempt, the second one that didn’t come out. Would have been cool, though. My first attempt looked even worse.
Amy Warden of Great Cakes Soapworks definitely comes up with worthy challenges.
The Process, in short:
Because of working at such thin trace, technique developer Tatiana Serko of Creative Soap by Steso recommends that you make a small (6 bar), tall and skinny mold for the project. Though initially annoyed at having to create a completely fresh mold for each try, I grew to appreciate that these were such small batches, given two of my five attempts botched.
Here’s my set-up: The six-bar tall & skinny mold is in the center, with extra foam core strip underneath for the side tilt. For color, I used plant-based pigments (safflower, comfrey, and activated charcoal), plus titanium white.
While Tatiana recommended against using a stick blender (accelerates trace), I found that only hand-stirring greatly increased chances of a failed batch. After experimenting, I opted for very minimal stick blending.
My thin-traced soap batter was divided into paper cups – important! – as one must work relatively quickly with this technique. In an impetuous move, I used scents with floral/spicy notes (patchouli, lavender, grapefruit, cedar, black pepper), which can accelerate trace, but hell, this was my fifth attempt – after that many tries I become rebellious + slightly delirious.
Tatiana also recommended making a “little nose” (folded spout) at the edge of the cup for easier pouring, which was a good call – totally worked.
This technique requires a tilted side pour: soap color(s) flow down the edge of one side, then after carefully switching out the strip at the bottom to the alternate side, pouring your next color(s) set. Repeat.
TIPS:
1) Always pour on the bottom edge of the tilted side (as shown)
2) Tatiana recommends having a color palette card (or alternate way) to map out the order of your color pours/design. Otherwise it’s way too easy to lose track of what you’re doing
(“WAIT! Which side was I just on?!?” Yes – this happened on at least one attempt.)
Here are the three versions that worked:
(Far L) Picasso’s Breakfast: My cousin Maureen came up with that name – BRILLIANT! (She will get a bar.) The shimmy, while subtle, is there.
(Middle) Blue Giraffe: I liked the design but would have preferred that the natural colors (woad and Indigo) would have been bluer. That’s the gamble with natural color, but I’ll keep messing with them.
(Far R) The contrast on the Peppermint Twist (colored with madder root) makes the shimmy more visible, but it simply wasn’t as interesting as Picasso’s Breakfast. I mean, that NAME. That bold graphic! That egg-y image!
Picasso’s Breakfast makes me laugh – isn’t that why we take on these challenges in the first place? To have a bit of fun while learning something new?
What did you think of the Tall, Skinny Shimmy technique? If you’re also a participant in this month’s challenge – did you find it pretty easy or, like me, especially confounding? Shall we thank (or curse) Amy Warden???
(KIDDING – we thank you, Amy!)
Yee HAW! (as we Westerners say). 😉
OK – not to sound super horn-tooty or anything, but this win was significant for a couple reasons:
There’s no guarantee that you’ll get any recognition – in fact, another soap that I entered did not. Go figure. Sometimes, people just don’t “get” what you’re trying to do. That’s OK! (BOOM – see how I did that? Their problem for not “getting” what I was doing, not mine. Thick skin achieved. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!) 😉
2. I learn from both going through the process and from seeing what other contestants do. I’ve found this invaluable in the international soap challenges that I’ve entered – which, PS, I’ve yet to win.
(OK – that’s not entirely true – the soap that won the 2015 Denver County Fair Blue Ribbon – BADASS QUEEN – was actually one that I had developed for a soap challenge last winter. Different contest, though.)
However, I love seeing other creative interpretations of the parameters of the challenge, love seeing how more experienced soap makers go through their processes. I enjoy their blogs, and their creative insights are fascinating. Sometimes they achieve results that I simply can’t, as I only use natural ingredients (especially with coloring), but that’s the limitations I choose to work with – seeing others’ work still generates interesting ideas.
Though…now as I think about it, the grand prize winner for the was Trish, who was relatively new to soaping and only used two (natural) colors. So there you have it. No excuses. I can continue to improve. (her entry was awesome, btw.)
3. I finally won first place against a lotion.
No way around it – this sounds petty, but here’s the story: for the last few years I’ve had the top ranking soap at the Denver County Fair, only to be beat out for first place by a lotion (“Soaps and Lotions category”). I mean, c’mon! Two different products, people!
This year, the top lotion entry came in second, though in fairness, it was probably lovely. Another soap came in third.
I won’t lie – First Place was enormously satisfying.😉
– L
]]>
As an artist in any medium, you have to keep things fresh. Those of us suffering from the “Oh, SHINY!” syndrome never lack ideas. Frankly, I often have to keep away from soap challenges or I’d spend my time doing nothing BUT.
However, sometimes learning a new technique is so compelling that I just can’t resist – so along with about 160 of my global soap making compatriots, I signed-up for Amy Warden’s Great Cakes Soapworks August 2015 Challenge: the Mantra Marble Technique (MMT).
Here’s Amy explanation of MMT, which she cheerfully credits to Erica Pence of Bath Alchemy Lab:
“Mantra Marbles is a technique that combines Ebru paper marbling with the mantra swirl in a slab mold using horizontal dividers. Half of each bar is marbled, and half is a solid color, then the two halves are married by the mantra swirl in which the loops form a figure eight between the marbled and solid colored soap. The effect is quite stunning, and you can achieve a similar design on each bar.”
(Er…did you get that?)
If you aren’t a soapy arts participant, probably not. But, lucky YOU – today we’ll walk through this advanced soap making technique together so that you gain a true appreciation of Erica Pence’s creativity and Amy’s generosity in designing a challenge around this lovely look.
First, we’ll need a base oil soap formulation that sets-up slowly – no bees wax, shea butter, babasu oil, or other oils that cause raw soap to harden quickly. We want a liquid enough consistency to to achieve the lovely marble technique.
MMT also requires a lined, slab-styled soap mold with dividers for the different elements. To the right you’ll see my 8-bar soap mold with dividers situated at the 1/4 and 3/4 marks, leaving a section for half the volume of soap in the center.
(Alas, I was to learned the error of lining the dividers with freezer paper: when I poured my raw soap into the center section, the dividers – which had seemed steady enough – promptly slipped sideways. Fortunately, my potty-mouthed exclamations summoned our son from the adjoining room. He helpfully held them in position until enough raw soap was poured to keep everything in place. He has, subsequently, been forgiven for spending too much time indoors on the computer.)
In later experiments with this technique, I used plain cardboard dividers which were less prone to slippage.
Next, I prepared the colors and scent, using only natural ingredients of plant- or mineral-based origin and pure essential oils.
I wanted to experiment with a redesign on my Winter White holiday soap so this batch was colored with madder root, activated charcoal, cocoa, and titanium white powders.
The essential oils I had in mind were a bit risky – my blend uses clove oil, which is known to accelerate set-up (hardening) in raw soap – but the other two scents (peppermint and fir) would hopefully balance it out. Fingers crossed.
With my raw soap mixed and scented, I set aside about half the batch for the center section, then divided the rest of the batter between the squeeze bottles used for the four colors.
Now, to get creative…
As Amy noted her description, Mantra Marbles works best with a solid color to set off the side marbled details. I chose white as my solid color, with black, brown, red, and white as my marbling choices.
In a bold and somewhat rash move, I decided to thicken up the center, white portion of my soap by stick blending it to a more robust trace than called for in the instructions – my theory was that having a more solid center would keep the dividers in place so that I might have more time to work with the thinner-traced colors for marbling.
Ah – not so much. As mentioned before, the freezer paper-lined dividers started slipping around and using a heavier traced soap perhaps exacerbated the situation (though fortunately, having our son in close proximity saved this batch from becoming a soapy disaster).
Using the filled squirt bottles, I quickly layered the side marbling colors to provide stability and weight on either side of the dividers, which seemed to help. Eventually I returned to calm and our son returned to his computer game, so all was well. You can see how the three sections ended up looking (Left).
Amy had demonstrated three variations on the Mantra Marble technique. I choose to do the Nonpareil Mantra Marble, which required laying out the soap colors horizontally, removing the dividers, then running a soap comb vertically through the entire mixture.
At first I wasn’t sure about the thick lines that the soap comb left in the center section, but I warmed up to the look after doing the next step…
…which required the use of an implement to created a figure 8 design (ie: the “mantra swirl” in the name) through both the marbled and solid-colored sections of soap, thus uniting them in awesomeness.
Amy demonstrated this using a spoon handle, a skewer, and a pencil, which yielded different results depending on the thickness of the tool. I ended up using a chopstick, which had the desired thickness to meld the two designs the way I had wanted (left side of mold).
After mantra swirling both sides of the mold, my finished soap (before cure) ended up looking like this:
And when cut into bars, looked like this:
I really LOVE both the variation, plus design consistency in each bar. And that thicker soap in the center? Totally cool to see the artfully formed “ridges” produced by the combing through heavier traced soap, combined with the mantra swirling.
An aside: a friend recently returned from (I’m not making this up) “Marble Carving Camp” saw this soap, and remarked that it truly DID remind her of cut marble – perhaps because the ridges were in the white sections?. Who knows? The marble in the title actually refers to the colored, swirled effect, not the solid portion of the bar, but I appreciated her observation, nonetheless.
Just a fun coincidence.
(Or WAS it?) :)
I was so enchanted with this technique that, of COURSE I had to try it out with a few other colors and thicknesses:
The mauve bar (far L) used thinner-traced soap and a subtler color palette – it has a much smoother overall surface. The golden bar, Autumnal Arabesque, (far R) was created at a thicker trace, resulting in even more pronounced ridges.
Ultimately, though, the white bars had the right combination of elements, so Winter White was my entry into the soap challenge.
Thanks, again, Ms. Amy Warden and Erica Pence, for a truly fascinating and challenging technique.
If you, dear reader, are part of this soap challenge – or just giving it a whirl from seeing this post – what were your results?
And if you’re more of a soap appreciator than a soap maker, what do you think of the Mantra Marbles Technique?
]]>Hallelujah, hallelujah! I’ve found “my people” and they do SOAP CHALLENGES!
In October, I heard from Amy of Great Cakes Soapworks, who offered a chance to join her monthly soap challenge club. For a nominal fee, members receive a an artsy soaping tutorial, along with deadlines for submitting your creation to post for community viewing/voting, and the chance to win fun, soap-related prizes.
November’s theme was soap “combing” techniques, which I had been wanting to learn anyway. What is this “soap comb,” you ask? It’s a very complex tool used to carve intricate designs in soap – KIDDING – it’s actually a simple but brilliant tool that you can make yourself with cardboard, skewers, and packing tape (though it is used to create designs). Some soap suppliers carry manufactured ones that are sturdier and more accurate, but I had the requisite supplies on hand so here’s mine (to the right).
Amy supplied a slow trace recipe (the soap must stay liquid enough to “comb”) and step-by-step video instructions, but neglected to mention was that this is a totally addicting technique due to endless possibilities for variation. And they all look AWESOME! No matter WHAT you do!!! Despite the fact that it’s a helluva lot of WORK!!!
There, I said it. (So freeing.)
Unsurprisingly, I made this recipe, like, FIVE+ times this week, but here’s why: 1) those addicting, aforementioned variations to achieve different designs and, 2) I only work with natural, mostly plant-based (plus a few mineral-based) colorants, which are highly unpredictable. You just never freakin’ know how they’ll look after 24-hour cure. It’s all about testing.
Back to the comb thing-y. You’re probably scratching your head, like, “OKaaaay…you do WHAT with it?” As part of the soap challenge, we have to describe our basic procedures, so briefly, here’re the steps I used on one of the few batches (a “serpentine” swirl) that I remembered to photograph as I made the soap. While the soap I ultimately submitted use different colors and scents, it was a similar process:
First, I divided my soap batter into a base slab (the black on the bottom of the mold in photo below) and added in colorant/scents – I used activated charcoal powder for the black and scented with frankincense, myrrh, and other essential oils (EOs), which thickened the base layer considerably. (Note that NO EOs are used in the highlight colors, as they’d become too thickened to comb through.)
(Out of respect to Amy’s work putting together the tutorial, I’m not disclosing the finer details of recipes, proportions, etc. – feel free to contact her at Great Cakes Soapworksfor more information.)
For this batch I used purple, gold, and plain mica, titanium white, and activated charcoal powder, to color the highlight stripes. They were applied by either using individual squirt bottles or measuring cups. Here’s what the added bands of layered color look like…
…and then what they look like after an initial pass with the comb:
Next, one would usually use the comb in between the design lines going the opposite direction, to form a sort of “chevron” pattern. I decided to use an individual skewer to do this because my comb wasn’t very exact and I’m OCD about detail:
Isn’t this COOL? Already you can see the “magic” happening! Seriously, you could stop here and be left with an awesome design. But will I do that? NOoooooooo.
Next, I turned the mold 90 degrees and used a shorter comb in the opposite direction:
…And with an individual skewer, I made “S” curves down the soap…
…which ended up looking like this:
Incredible, huh??? Now you know why I made so many batches – I can’t get over how cool this technique is!
Oddly, after initial 24-hour cure, the purple color didn’t show (nor did woad powder or an evergreen mica on yet another). They’re still great looking, but not what I initially envisioned. Here are some of those efforts (along with the version I eventually submitted):
See – ALL of these comb swirls look totally AWESOME, but some of the natural colors just didn’t translate. For example, the 2nd from left is a cut bar of the serpentine swirl batch I just showed you…do YOU see any sign of the purple mica??? Neither do I.
These are some of the trade-offs with using natural colors, but I push it as far as I can.
You’ll notice that the redder bar did come out pretty nicely, though, color-wise.
Above (and at the start of this post) you’ll see my challenge submission, Bad Ass Queen, colored with madder root powder, Moroccan red clay, charcoal powder, titanium white, and uncolored soap batter. I’m still adjusting the scent, which at the moment is a combo of rose geranium, lavender, and sage. I used a “peacock swirl” technique,* but I love how it kind of looks like petrified wood. Already I can see it the next version…
(Enough! I must go now ’cause I have an idea for another batch…)
(What do you think of this challenge? What creative project has YOU happily obsessed? Do tell in the comments below!)
L.
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