Activated Charcoal Swirl Soap

This didn't turn out exactly like I'd envisioned but I like it all the same. I did loop swirls in a slab mold but it got pretty thick when I stirred in the charcoal so the white didn't penetrate all the way to the bottom when I poured.

6 color swirl in the pot

Well, I believe in stretching my wings every chance I get....so I attempted for the first time a 6 color ITP swirl. I made mistakes of course.......when I took out the batter to mix my colors (this was a 2-pound loaf) there wasn't much left in the bucket; at this point I should have poured my remaining batter into a smaller container so I had some depth to pour my colors into, but I didn't...so, I didn't get as much swirling and color dispersal as I would have liked. I used the pop micas from TKB Trading...they certainly do pop! I warn you, the color in this pic is loud. I did a CP no gel (as soon as I mixed the colors and finished messing with the batter I covered with saran wrap and put in the fridge for 18 hours). I find that if I don't allow it to get to the gel stage my colors don't morph as much; the tradeoff is that it will eat some of your fragrance. Anyway, here 'tis....enjoy!

I originally thought I'd name it Rockstar Dropped Acid but on reflection it has a Key West look to it...maybe I'll name it Jimmy Buffet instead. If you have a suggestion on a name I'd enjoy hearing it.

CP Loofah Soap Tutorial

Well this one was definitely a learning curve....let me give a shout out to Petra on the WSP forum for her instruction on how to do this in a recent thread. This is really pretty simple, except for the unmolding which I now have a fix for. First, you need to mix up your soap to thin trace; if you go to medium you may not have time to get it all in the mold and you want it to saturate all the way through the loofahs. I had a 2 foot long 3" diameter PVC pipe that I set up in a bucket; obviously you need to seal off the end. I took an endcap and caulked it, which is easy enough to remove once you go to unmold. Here is a pic of my setup:


Now, here is what I suggest before you ever get this far: cut the pipe into two pieces using a skilsaw....coat the insides with a thin layer of vaseline, place your loofahs inside and then put the pieces back together and duct tape the hell out of it. Like I said, the worst part of this whole deal is trying to unmold. Ok, so you have this all set up and ready, waiting for the pour.


I have the pipe lined with wax paper, which you can dispense with if you follow my suggestions above and coat with vaseline.


Soap batter has been poured....cover the top with saran wrap and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. Cut the duct tape at the seams, remove the caulk and cap at the bottom and remove the loofah soap for curing. Here's what mine looked like after unmolding.


I'll give it a couple of days to harden up before I cut it; it's butter soft right now. That's it.....easy day if you follow along with the way I will do it from now on.

Soap Porn!

Tranquil Lavender
http://www.etsy.com/shop/catherinefilippelli

Vice Turkish Coffee Graham Cracker
http://www.etsy.com/shop/gloilocksandbody

Chocolate Mint Patty
http://www.etsy.com/shop/svsoaps

Bay Rum and Lime Kaleidoscope Soap
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mountainmamachic

Best Swirl Contest 2010

I know, I know...the contest was over with on January 31st; well, this blog wasn't here then LOL. I have to tell you, there are some serious artists out there! The top 5 winners were:

Winner – (Entry #9) Nicole Benitez, http://www.balsam.etsy.com
2nd place – (Entry #5) Sharon Jernigan, http://www.grumpygirlcandles.com
3rd place – (Entry #46) Lori Nova, http://www.thenovastudio.com
4th place – (Entry #30) Sindy Anderson, http://www.sinfullysweetsoap.com
5th place – (Entry #44) Karen McDaniel, http://www.goodscentsbathandbody.com

Here is their soap porn:

There were a couple more that I particularly loved as well:


I don't know who these two entries belong to, but I know that they are talented!

Feature: StinkyDancer Soaps

For my first feature shop I have chosen my buddy and mentor, Danni D. She has been so giving of her time and knowledge with me, and she really knows her shit....she's been at it for 10 years, so hey! Definite soap ho. Danni is the proprietor of StinkyDancer Soaps and has shops on Etsy and ECrater. I've used her recipes to make soaps of my own, and I'm here to tell you that if you buy from her, you WILL get a quality soap! She does it all...cold process, hot process and mp soaps...and she does it well. Here's a little taste to whet your appetite.

Lemon Verbena

Oatmeal Explosion

Diva

To check out her store, go here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Stinkydancer

You'll be glad you did....and check back often, as she restocks with her Spring Collection!

Tomorrow, watch out for a tutorial on how to make CP loofa soap!

I Am A Soap Ho

My name is Lisa, and I have a confession: I am a soap ho. I have fallen irrevocably, completely, and irretrievably into soap hodom and I have no desire to kick my addiction. The smell of caustic pudding sends me into ecstasies of anticipation, for God's sake! I fear there is no hope.

My friend, Danni (who is hooked through the bag by this habit but she seems able to function otherwise) is a stinky dancer, but a great soaper...she's also an enabler, as evidenced by her constant feeding of my cravings to know more, more, MORE.

I can't get enough...I will frequently be posting everything I can find related to soaping on the days that I can't soap myself....just so I don't get a bad case of the DT's......I am also a closet soap porn viewer. I have no shame left.