So fed up with my soaps...

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Sonya-m

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Going wrong!! I cannot remember the last time I had a batch do exactly what I had in mind!

Planned a travelling faux funnel for today using a lovely fresh FO - rock salt & driftwood. Had my colours ready: pale blue and blue/grey. Reached emulsion with no problems, mixed in my colours and decided rather than wait for it to thicken up a little I would SB since the colours looked a little uneven (in hindsight that would have worked fine with the colour scheme). Bam!! Too thick to pour so plopped it in!

My whipped soap was ugly, this time cos of the naughty FO. before that was the spin swirl tutorial fiasco where it took me 4 batches to get a usable soap/recording.

Sorry for the rant/pity party, I just want to make a batch of soap and have it turn out how I planned

I feel like I've completely lost the ability to make good soap!
 
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Or go back to basics and make a plain soap or a simple mica line soap. Sometimes the cure for the "gremlins" is just doing something you know will go right. Then, once you have broken the curse, you can go back to doing more challenging designs.
 
Sorry Sonya, I know its discouraging. And maddening! Maybe do Susie's advice, start with a basic soap to get your confidence back, than head for the more challenging. Then....post pics!
 
I feel your pain. I am in a slump right now, too. It can be so discouraging. Just when I think I know whT I'm doing, I start turning out ugly soaps.

I took a break (2 weeks) and I've been rereading my old notes on successful batches. I'm going to give it a go today and see what happens.

Read thru your notes. I found that my good batches were the ones that I stopped SBing at emulsion or light trace and where I added just a bit more color. Keep at it, you'll be fine!
 
Thanks guys. Think I'm gonna give another batch a go tomorrow. Don't know what yet though, maybe back to basics is what I need.

I did make a soap today with neem in for a friend which I fully expected to be a pain so had planned a basic itp swirl. To my surprise it wasn't fast moving so ironically I could have done what I liked with that one but stuck with the two colour itp - hopefully it will look ok (even if it stinks!)
 
I go through phases were everything just goes wrong no matter how hard I try. Keep going and you will come out the other side of your slump eventually!! Hopefully with something spectacular!
 
It is really annoying when it happens, I know o_O
I stickblended past that point of no return, and it wasn`t that long ago either. This is the argument I had with my brain at the time. Guess who won...

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Lol!! Yep, that's pretty much my afternoon summed up!!

I have new oils melted and lye water ready for round two tomorrow.
 
Or go back to basics and make a plain soap or a simple mica line soap. Sometimes the cure for the "gremlins" is just doing something you know will go right. Then, once you have broken the curse, you can go back to doing more challenging designs.

Absolutely! Sometimes you need a success, ANY success, to get rid of bad mojo.

Also, I bet your soaps are fabulous even though your designs didn't turn out as planned. My second favorite soap was a complete design fail that turned out so cool and got tons of compliments and attention. People totally thought it was on purpose (I planned a 4 color swirl that turned into a 4 color plop and drop).
 
I feel for you; but don't be discouraged.I'll bet the next one will go just fine,

i had one of those ploppers with the spin swirl challenge and I wound up liking the soap. You may wind up liking your "plopper" as well!
 
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It really sucks when you make plans, but your soap makes other plans. I've never had a problem with a simple batch, only the more complicated ones. That's why I rarely bother with fancy techniques, and probably why I rely on fancy molds for my "pretty" soap. I agree with the advice to go simpler for a few batches, to get some successes under your belt. Then you'll be ready for the fancy stuff again. Until then...

awwww.gif
 
Well here's the plopped soap, not the travelling faux funnel I had planned

ImageUploadedBySoap Making1459189635.204703.jpg
ImageUploadedBySoap Making1459189646.174261.jpg

And the itp swirl I did with the neem soap - this one did go as planned but I hadn't actually planned much for it as is expected it to move too fast

ImageUploadedBySoap Making1459189710.105165.jpg
ImageUploadedBySoap Making1459189726.180100.jpg
 
I did make another batch today and was going to go basic but the FO behaved beautifully so I went for it. Quarter of my mould is a two colour itp swirl topped with a mica line then the remaining 3/4 is a white base with a drop hanger swirl using the same two colours as the bottom quarter. In my head I know how I hope it looks so fingers crossed for the cut!!
 

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