SMF May 2021 Challenge - One Pot Wonder

[Peachy Clean Soap]

I had so much fun making soaps for the challenge that I decided to make today’s beer soap as a modified OPW. I did what I could to produce unevenly accelerating batter portions using a non-swirl recipe, colloidal oats, different color cocoa powders and a mildly accelerating FO. I had thick and thin, fast and slow, and lumps and bumps going into the mold. I even poured some batter from the opposite side of the mold . I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

Oh Im looking forward to seeing your creation' Love your soap designs .

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Based on the YT videos I watched, the secrets to fine feathering are using thin batter and making fairly fast passes along the mold.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Based on the YT videos I watched, the secrets to fine feathering are using thin batter and making fairly fast passes along the mold.

In 1st video I noticed how good she cut loaf dwn the center horizontally with no guide most impressive. Your colors are very similar to hers but better' imho .
2nd video first time of seeing gromwell C02 extract for purpel color' pretty.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thanks @Peachy Clean Soap . I made a powdered gromwell root infusion, but didn’t get it started until about a month after my other infusions and it was still on the weak side when I tested it before I started the challenge soaps. I am totally unfamiliar with CO2 extracts. Gromwell extract looks pricey, here, but I guess it depends on how much is needed for the desired color. It might be fun to give it a try.

P.S. I think she’s making a cut to release the soap from the bottom of the mold. When I first saw that my thought was WHOA, what was that? I *think*, but I’m not not 100% sure that she’s running the wire along the hard surface of the bottom piece of the mold.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Thanks @Peachy Clean Soap . I made a powdered gromwell root infusion, but didn’t get it started until about a month after my other infusions and it was still on the weak side when I tested it before I started the challenge soaps. I am totally unfamiliar with CO2 extracts. Gromwell extract looks pricey, here, but I guess it depends on how much is needed for the desired color. It might be fun to give it a try.

P.S. I think she’s making a cut to release the soap from the bottom of the mold. When I first saw that my thought was WHOA, what was that? I *think*, but I’m not not 100% sure that she’s running the wire along the hard surface of the bottom piece of the mold.

Wow that is pricey' beautiful though. thx for your link Update' I think I'd infuse the dry root too.

 

[The_Phoenix]

Doh! So I made my attempt using my new T&S. Stupid me miscalculated on the capacity of the new mold. Perhaps the soap came out fine and it’s definitely skinny but not tall.

 

[earlene]

In 1st video I noticed how good she cut loaf dwn the center horizontally with no guide most impressive.

If you put that portion of the video into slow motion, it really looks like she is simply using the wire cutter to release the soap from the board, like @Mobjack Bay said. When she pulls the soap away, there is only the board below and not another layer of soap. (You can speed up or slow down how fast the video plays in the Settings - gear icon).

Doh! So I made my attempt using my new T&S. Stupid me miscalculated on the capacity of the new mold. Perhaps the soap came out fine and it’s definitely skinny but not tall.

I think you and I and one other person did the same thing, ending up with short soaps. I calculated the after-cure net weight of mine, and they are going to be about 1-3/4 ounces each, probably less once I bevel them! Fine for travel soaps or samples, but too small for home bathing or showering. I am going to have 15 tiny soaps. I don't intend to make that mistake again with this T&S mold!


ETA:

Thank you Earlene!! I hope you are able to get your hand to cooperate and get a soap poured

@earlene I hope the hand starts feeling near 100% soon. Soap making is not hand friendly. When I was dealing with a trigger finger in my non-dominant hand this past winter, it would get really sore when I made soap.

Thank you both. I wanted to make tacos for the last few days, so that's what my hand did today. I'll prep the colorants tonight, so I can soap again tomorrow & let it go at that. My hand feels fine at the moment, but I still have my OT exercises to do, so making soap today would be too much for my thumb.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Gosh - ALL the soaps are lovely on the entry thread. How are we ever going to choose? It's amazing how many looks you can get from the one type of pour. I want them all!!!

 

[KiwiMoose]

My non entry soaps. First up is scented with Fresh Lemon Sugar from RE. Colors are all from Nurture. Lemon Chiffon, Eye Of The Tiger, Lemon Drop, and Celadon. Not enough difference between Lemon Drop and Lemon Chiffon.

Accelerated on me so by the time I got to the orange it just came out in a plop.

Next up is scented with Smell The Rainbow from Nurture. It slipped my mind that this one is a ricer! Ughhhh!!! I did struggle between this one and Bomb Pop as my entry. This one also got really thick by the time it was the red batters turn to go in the mold, so again, another plop! And apparently when I turn my containers to scrape them I dribble off center lol. I need to pay closer attention but when it started ricing all bets were off!

This was fun! My quest to nail this technique continues but I will probably not try it again too soon as I've had at least 8 tries at it in recent months. View attachment 57571View attachment 57572View attachment 57573View attachment 57574

Love both of these Mommy! I see you poured them down the same spout that you poured out of - is that how you get the more solid distinctions between each colour? It's a really nice effect. I poured mine halfway between the spout and the handle to get a stripey effect.

 

[gardengeek]

This was exactly my mistake - I divided up my colors a little bit to get the effect I was after, which isn’t in the spirit of the challenge. Some videos on youtube do that as well, but it wasn’t allowed for this challenge. I’m hoping I’ll have time for another attempt as I’m babysitting my granddaughter today (yippee!) but if not I had fun practicing!

Me too! I'm thankful I caught it before the entry thread closes. My 4th try is now poured and wrapped up for nighty night...LOL!

The entries are all so beautiful! Such talent for sure!

 

[mommycarlson]

Love both of these Mommy! I see you poured them down the same spout that you poured out of - is that how you get the more solid distinctions between each colour? It's a really nice effect. I poured mine halfway between the spout and the handle to get a stripey effect.

Thank you Kiwi! I did pour out of the same spout that I poured my batter into. I have done the initial pour on the side then poured out of the spout and have had different effects. I want the feathery effect but so far it has eluded me I can't seem to get the right batter consistency.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Gosh - ALL the soaps are lovely on the entry thread. How are we ever going to choose? It's amazing how many looks you can get from the one type of pour. I want them all!!!

Ditto That'

 

[glendam]

Here are the soaps I‘m not entering for the challenge.

For the first soap, which had four layers, the colors are quite interleaved. The layers were poured at 90 deg from the spout of a batter bowl (2000 ml). This was a huge pouring vessel compared to batch size (450 g oils) and the spout is broad. The batter for each color was passing through/over the spout simultaneously for much of the pour. The colorants are indigo, annatto, with a little AC added to the darker indigo layer. The soap is scented with lemongrass EO.

View attachment 57525
View attachment 57526

For this next batch (450 g oils), I made a pink base batter using madder tea for the water and a little TD to add some opacity. The split layers were colored with strongly colored paprika, rhubarb and alkanet infused oils until I achieved the colors I wanted. The two warm color layers are scented with NS Satsuma and the two cool purplish layers are scented with NS Lavender and Sage. The acceleration of the purple layers had me scrambling and I forgot to take the crucial photo, but this batter was poured at about 45 deg from the spout of a 1000 ml measuring cup. I added the layers in the order shown below, from left to right. I had no idea how it was going to turn out because the purple and orange layers seemed to be moving at different speeds on the way into the mold.

I LOVE this soap! I don’t think it looks ridged IRL, but I can’t seem to get a better photo.

View attachment 57527

View attachment 57528


In case anyone is interested, I made the concentrated oil infusions using the method Chass of Wild Plantanica uses to make hers. It makes adding botanical colorants almost as easy as adding micas.

These look like really cool rock formations, reminds me of pictures of the Grand Canyon.

 

[Vicki C]

Now, as to my non-entry, I have decided my first attempt won't be entered. So I have to try again. Maybe tomorrow. My hand is very sore today and I barely slept last night, so doubt I can manage more than a bit of set-up; maybe I'll prep the colors. The mold is already prepped, so the hand pain from doing that is out of the way.

I don’t know you but I wish I (or someone) could help you! How frustrating.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Gosh - ALL the soaps are lovely on the entry thread. How are we ever going to choose? It's amazing how many looks you can get from the one type of pour. I want them all!!!

I too find it particularly difficult this time. Especially when looking at the bars that didn't make it into the competition and are collecting in this thread … C'mon, that's the stuff you're turning down?

I'm half annoyed, half glad, that I restricted myself to a single attempt.

 

[Feelin' Soapy]

Another non-entry: In response to several requests for an unscented soap, I made one using the OPW technique. No problems with fragrance-related acceleration or ricing (haha!).

It's a lard-based goat milk soap with NS Copper Penny, Celestial Silver, Hello Spring, and TD.

 

[amd]

Hey Peeps! I'm currently in the process of reviewing the entry thread. I'll try to clarify a few things for everyone as I go along so that if you need to correct entries you still can, or if you need to remake for an entry you can. I'll also send PM's specifically.
One thing I do want to note is that for the "one pot" entry photo, it should be the view from the top of the pot - I think some of you got it right, some have not.

As part of getting the technique correct is the layering of colors in the pot, entries without this photo will not be included in the final voting. If you do not have this picture, I hope you have time to do another entry!

To clarify a question that someone asked in their entry - if you do several pours, essentially a layered technique, that is allowed, but you will need to have the in the pot picture for each pour included in the entry, especially if you do different colors in each layer.

ETA: Reminder: NO COMMENTING in the entry thread. Please keep your comments in the challenge signup thread.

 

[SPowers]

I want to apologize for making comments in the Entry Thread. I did not know this was a 'rule' until today when I received a very rough (and rude) 'dressing down' for my infraction. I am a 'big-picture' kind of person who doesn't always read every word when perhaps I should. Hence the reason my OPW is ineligible. I made the decision to limit myself to 1 entry only in these challenges so perhaps next time I'll be more diligent in reading all the rules.
Thanks for the very nice comments above - they are appreciated and keep the 'fire' alive!

 

[AliOop]

@SPowers sorry to hear this! I also have accidentally posted a comment on an entry thread, even though I HAD read the rules and DID know better. I just forgot which thread I was on.

Your soap is always lovely, and although it is against my best interest in eventually making it into the top three, I do hope you will participate again next time.

 

[glendam]

Hey Peeps! I'm currently in the process of reviewing the entry thread. I'll try to clarify a few things for everyone as I go along so that if you need to correct entries you still can, or if you need to remake for an entry you can. I'll also send PM's specifically.
One thing I do want to note is that for the "one pot" entry photo, it should be the view from the top of the pot - I think some of you got it right, some have not.
View attachment 57658
As part of getting the technique correct is the layering of colors in the pot, entries without this photo will not be included in the final voting. If you do not have this picture, I hope you have time to do another entry!

To clarify a question that someone asked in their entry - if you do several pours, essentially a layered technique, that is allowed, but you will need to have the in the pot picture for each pour included in the entry, especially if you do different colors in each layer.

ETA: Reminder: NO COMMENTING in the entry thread. Please keep your comments in the challenge signup thread.

This is Interesting, just my 2 cents, when I did this for the Soap challenge club last year, only the last color poured was visible from the top, and what was important then, was to have the colors layered from the side view. But I suppose this sample picture is more of a pour on a mold rather than of the pouring vessel? Either way I look forward to seeing all the entries.