The Great Cakes Soap Challenge this month was to create a feather swirl in cold process soap. We could make either a reverse feather swirl or a secret feather swirl or both. I decided to do both and intended to enter the natural category. Intended is the key word here. I actually made the soap in time but still managed to miss the challenge deadline. Where does the time go? Oh well, it was still a lot of fun and gave me an excuse to make a video. :) Continue reading
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Indigo & Paprika Lotus Flower Soap
The Great Cakes Soap Challenge for January 2016 involved a technique called the Circling Taiwan Swirl that produces a lotus flower when the soap is cut horizontally. I went with natural colorants and tried out a new blend of essential oils. I ended up making 3 attempts at this swirl technique. The best part is cutting the soap and having absolutely no idea what you’re going to see. :) Continue reading
Indigo Shimmy – Soap Challenge Club Entry
The soap challenge this month involved learning a fun new technique called the Tall & Skinny Shimmy. In my first attempt at this technique, the soap got a bit too thick on me. And thick soap just doesn’t shimmy. In my second attempt, I used natural colorants and essential oils that were more conducive to a slow trace along with a really slow tracing recipe. :) Continue reading
Elderberry Spice – Soap Challenge Entry for October 2015
In order to make soap, you need three ingredients: oil, sodium hydroxide (lye), and a liquid (water, milk, etc). A lot of soap makers use milk, beer, coffee, and teas instead of just plain water. Each of these various liquids can lend different properties to soap, like a boost in lather or actual skin care benefits. The soap challenge this month focused on the liquid we use. The challenge was to use an alternative to water and discuss the benefits, if any, to the skin. We had to use all natural colorants and only essential oils for fragrance, too. This was a very interesting challenge and a lot of fun to research.
The very first idea that popped into my mind – Elderberry :) Continue reading
Moringa & Indigo Clyde Slide – Soap Challenge Club September 2015
The soap challenge this month involved learning a technique created by Clyde Yoshida of VibrantSoap called the Clyde Slide. I think this is probably my favorite challenge so far, mainly because it introduced me to Clyde’s YouTube channel. From the color tutorials he provides to the various pouring and swirling techniques he uses and the wonderful way he explains everything, I just couldn’t stop watching his videos. I tend to have a hard time with the creative part of soap making, because I’m so left-brained. But after watching Clyde’s videos, I bought myself a color wheel and even got a water color set to help me coordinate colors in the future. My entry doesn’t have all of the beautiful feathering like Clyde’s soaps, but it was a lot of fun trying the Clyde Slide technique. :) Continue reading
Kápia Méra 