New Soaper in NC

[ShianeRaine]

Hello everyone. I am super excited to have found a forum that actually seems to be active for soap making. Forums used to be the go to for online learning but they seem to be less as much these days.

I started making soap about 2 months ago and am still trying to come up with a "go to" recipe. I have bought homemade soap for years and decided I'd like to try it myself! I am still learning that soaping is chemistry. My worst science subject in school next to physics. BUT, I am having a BLAST with it!

I have been a traditional artist most of my life but I also enjoy textile arts in the form of quilt making, photography (my first ever art love), mixed media, watercolor/acrylic painting, and now have added soap making to my already way too long list of arts and crafts hobbies. I really need a "She Shed" so my husband will quit rolling his eyes at the number of Amazon, Nurture Soap, Elements Bath & Body, and all similarly related shop's boxes, that mysteriously end up on my front porch so often. (Is it bad that sometimes it's like Christmas because I've forgotten that I ordered something and what it is?)

I look forward to meeting other soap makers, both experienced and inexperienced, while I learn this super addictive craft!

I am too nervous to share my soap fails just yet so I thought I'd share my first pretty ones. In order of make. Thank you for having me! I'm super excited to see everyone's soaps and to learn from you all!

 

[TheGecko]

There are no ‘failures’, only opportunities to learn.

 

[AliOop]

Welcome, and thanks for sharing your pretties with us.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Welcome to SMF

 

[Cat&Oak]

Welcome! Very pretty bars ❤

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome Shiane!


IrishLass

 

[Zing]

Wow. You really hit the ground running with swirls and layers and all that! My firsts were plain Janes. Welcome!

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum. Your soap is lovely.

 

[Johnez]

Wow I really like that green one, good lookin soaps!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

soaping is chemistry. My worst science subject in school next to physics. BUT, I am having a BLAST with it!

Told you so! It was never you! It was only them! Nobody is “too stupid” for chemistry, or math, or anything. But schools have an incredible talent to redact and tackle topics in a way that totally misses the point of adolescents, too occupied with hormones to bother with redox reaction balancing and pH calculus around acid-base reactions.

Welcome to SMF, @ShianeRaine !

 

[Momma Hoot]

Welcome to the forum, @ShianeRaine!
Love the layered soap, did you use natural colorants?

 

[ShianeRaine]

Edit: Oof, I messed up the quotes and replies but I hope you'll all forgive me. Forums have come a long way since I used them.

Wow I really like that green one, good lookin soaps!

That one is castile soap. I failed like three times in a row and decided to try it for simplicity. I actually used it the other day and I'm not totally happy with the fact that it's not bubbly/lathery. I'm beginning to think there may not be a recipe for bubbly/lathery, yet moisturizing at the same time. LOL! BUT, I'm hard headed as they get so I'll keep trying! Thank you so much for your kind words! ❤

Told you so! It was never you! It was only them! Nobody is “too stupid” for chemistry, or math, or anything. But schools have an incredible talent to redact and tackle topics in a way that totally misses the point of adolescents, too occupied with hormones to bother with redox reaction balancing and pH calculus around acid-base reactions.

OMG, you made me laugh for real! Soooooooooooo funny!!!! Thank you so much for your comment! I very much needed it after my fail batch (maybe not fail but it'll probably take a year to determine such) from Saturday. If it takes a year, pretty sure the gorgeous gardenia scent will be gone by then!

Welcome to the forum, @ShianeRaine!
Love the layered soap, did you use natural colorants?

Momma, I used mica powders from Nurture Soap. I'm new to soap making so I'm not totally sure yet what constitutes natural. I did get a clay sample set from NS recently though that I hope to try out. I realllllly would love to get into natural colorants. I've been looking at rhubarb root for sale (or growing myself if possible) and dandelion for possible colorants. But the "newbie" thing has me a bit overwhelmed to say the least.

Thank you all sooooooooooooo much for your kind welcomes! Dang, I have missed forum life! I figured it was done and done! Can't wait to dig more into the posts to meet new virtual friends and learn everything I can! ❤