What soapy thing have you done today?

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The only soapy things I did over the weekend was playing with the cream soap I made back in October. My husband got me an industrial stand mixer for Christmas so I was finally able to whip it properly. Now I'm waiting to see if it stays at a "whippy" consistency and for how long. I'm new to cream soap, only having the soap shred experiment and the October batch under my belt, and one attempt at liquid soap, so every time I play with it is a learning experience for me. The other soapy thing was figuring out my recipe size for the hidden hearts swirl challenge. Will hopefully be soaping tonight.
 
I just finished rendering all of the fat that I've had in the freezer from our bull that we had to send to Camp Kenmore last spring. Oh, my goodness, I have 10 1/2 pounds of the most beautiful white tallow! I saved out one quart to use for cooking, but the rest will be made into soap. i did it all in my kitchen, and the fat was so clean that it just smells like a good roast in the oven in here. At least, that's my interpretation. I could be nose blind to it all. We'll see when hubby comes home from work!
 
jewels621 said:
I just finished rendering all of the fat that I've had in the freezer from our bull that we had to send to Camp Kenmore last spring. Oh, my goodness, I have 10 1/2 pounds of the most beautiful white tallow! I saved out one quart to use for cooking, but the rest will be made into soap. i did it all in my kitchen, and the fat was so clean that it just smells like a good roast in the oven in here. At least, that's my interpretation. I could be nose blind to it all. We'll see when hubby comes home from work!
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I am envious. I can't find tallow around here for love or money.
 
Soapy stuff = 0. Uninspiration = 1.
I think I might be burned out. I just can't seem to even CARE about soapmaking right now. I was hoping that the January challenge would inspire me but I can't seem to be excited about it. I walk into my soap lab, turn on the light, take a look around, and then park myself on the couch to watch Shameless. I have a list of craft shows to sign up for and a pile of applications to fill out for them, but I can't even do that. I'm stuck. The husband has asked for more salt bars as he is about to crack open his last bar, and I don't want to. I have a tote full of dirty dishes to wash, and I keep thinking "I should do that and then maybe I'll be interested in making soap again" but the tote just sits there mocking me. Anyone wanna give me a good smack to the head and tell me to get over myself?
 
I couldn't say much in my earlier post as I was at work and a customer came in. Just wanted to say, amd, it has been months since I've done any soaping, any knitting, anything creative. My blogs are a sorry witness to that. It wasn't until I had a few days off at Christmas that any thought of creative endeavour starting entering my stream of thought. Since Christmas, I've made four batches of soap (not counting the soap dough), picked up my husband's sweater again (started it in 2015!), and am getting creative with tea blends.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is just walk away for a while, do something else, do nothing, look after you. Do keep in mind, though, that salt bars need time to cure so......

:wink:
 
Zany_in_CO said:
. forget everything on your "To Do" list and spend 20 minutes every day doing something you love -- :thumbup:
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Misschief said:
Sometimes the best thing you can do is just walk away for a while, do something else, do nothing, look after you.
Click to expand...

You can't take care of other things and other people if you don't take care of yourself first.

It's not being selfish. It is self preservation.

You can't give what you don't have.

Caution though, don't wallow in it, some folks get stuck there and that's not good either.

After Christmas is the time I 'refill' my my 'joy bucket'. I knit & spin purposely for myself. I pour over the seed catalogs (even if I don't need new seeds since I save them year to year). I do things I enjoy for no other reason than I enjoy doing them. My husband respects that (now) and leaves me to it or joins in to fill my 'love bucket'. :mrgreen:


ETA: I taught someone how to make Cold Process Liquid Soap and Lotion. She's made M&P, some CP & lotion bars in the past.
 
Thanks for supporting my lack of interest! I did do dishes last night, but mostly because the grocery shopping trip was derailed by a missing debit card (it's been found, but not in a timely manner for last night's shopping) and it was either dishes or take down Christmas decorations... and I made my attempt at the hidden hearts challenge. I was only somewhat interested in it last night, but as I got into the details of pouring the different spots of soap - my batter was behaving beautifully so I could actually take my time and not rush, and just enjoy watching the soap fill the mold at a much slower pace than my usual "pour fast and hope for the best", I started to feel a bit of interest in it all again. Normally I'd be sitting here at work dying to get home and cut soap to see how it turned out, but I'm kind of "eh, whatever". Hopefully when I see the actual cut I'll either be inspired by the beauty I created or inspired to make a second attempt because I know I can do better, lol. I've been tough on myself because I set some pretty tight goals for myself and my lack of motivation has derailed those goals. So new goal will be to figure out a more relaxed set of goals - ha! Failing forward, right? In the meantime I've reconnected with my love of reading for pleasure, which will make the hubs happy if the piles of books all over the house slowly disappear...

ETA: and catching up with this forum! Sometimes I disappear for months, so I have a lot of reading to do here as well!
 
amd said:
Soapy stuff = 0. Uninspiration = 1.
I think I might be burned out. I just can't seem to even CARE about soapmaking right now. I was hoping that the January challenge would inspire me but I can't seem to be excited about it. I walk into my soap lab, turn on the light, take a look around, and then park myself on the couch to watch Shameless. I have a list of craft shows to sign up for and a pile of applications to fill out for them, but I can't even do that. I'm stuck. The husband has asked for more salt bars as he is about to crack open his last bar, and I don't want to. I have a tote full of dirty dishes to wash, and I keep thinking "I should do that and then maybe I'll be interested in making soap again" but the tote just sits there mocking me. Anyone wanna give me a good smack to the head and tell me to get over myself?
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I'm having the same problem for the first time ever. Just no motivation. I'm going to try to force myself to start this weekend. I know once I get back into it all will be good it's just starting. I haven't made soap since July... I've never gone that long. It's going to cost me some customers if I don't light a fire soon.
 
shunt2011 said:
I'm having the same problem for the first time ever. Just no motivation. I'm going to try to force myself to start this weekend. I know once I get back into it all will be good it's just starting. I haven't made soap since July... I've never gone that long. It's going to cost me some customers if I don't light a fire soon.
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True story: I love stalking your website! Your soaps are just lovely. The patchouli I bought from you several years ago is still one of my favorite soap memories. (I find flattery to be a personal motivator, so I hope that gave you some feel good vibes.) Post your pics when you finish up this weekend! I love seeing "behind the scenes" photos.
 
amd said:
True story: I love stalking your website! Your soaps are just lovely. The patchouli I bought from you several years ago is still one of my favorite soap memories. (I find flattery to be a personal motivator, so I hope that gave you some feel good vibes.) Post your pics when you finish up this weekend! I love seeing "behind the scenes" photos.
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You are too sweet. Thank you!!! I'm still making that stuff. I have two customers I make a batch every 6 months for. It's grown on me. :)
 
shunt2011 said:
You are too sweet. Thank you!!! I'm still making that stuff. I have two customers I make a batch every 6 months for. It's grown on me. :)
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Patchouli is a required taste! I used to make Patchouli Mint, but it only sold at one show that I do every October. The last show there, I mentioned that I wasn't going to be making it anymore, so they cleaned me out and made me promise that I would make it just for them next year! I can live with that.
 
amd said:
Patchouli is a required taste! I used to make Patchouli Mint, but it only sold at one show that I do every October. The last show there, I mentioned that I wasn't going to be making it anymore, so they cleaned me out and made me promise that I would make it just for them next year! I can live with that.
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Patchouli is one of my fave scents, along with Sandalwood but it's getting sooooooo expensive. :(
 
Last night I cut my Hidden Hearts challenge soap. Very happy with the outcome, just hoping it's allowed because I may have cut it wrong... I also forced myself to make a restock for the store. I have been out of Nag Champa for 2 months or more. People must have finally run out of their stock of it, because I have gotten a bunch of emails and messages about it this week. It's a simple drop pour in a tall and skinny mold so I didn't have to think about it too much. I went to "bed" early and watched YouTube soapers until the hubs came upstairs. Slightly daunting when one of my favorite soapers is making a test batch, and it's still larger than the biggest batch that I make...
 
I finally brought all my oils and butters into the kitchen....I'm getting closer to making something.....still not done it yet though. Tomorrow may be the day! I'm going to try pouring a couple 15 lb batches. That way I can be done with my best sellers for at least 6 months. And restock my husbands favorite, he's been out since September and is also on his last shaving soap.
 
I cut my hidden heart soap at about 2 am or so. This morning I uploaded some photos, so began working on getting some of those posted. I have several soaps I am very pleased with that I made while in Wisconsin Dells last month, but so far only have a photo of one of them. Time to re-charge my camera battery, then I'll do more.
 

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