Recent content by JanO

I might have just made my own disaster...Update! I decided to let it go and just wait and see what happens. Today I unmolded it and cut it. It cut really easy and has been drying for about 4 hours now. So far it seems to be alright and it looks like it's going to turn out to be a hard white...

Beautiful! :D

Everything! From dreaming up some new idea, to figuring out the recipe and hoping that it all comes together; to cutting and finally using it for the first time. When it all comes together it's better then Xmas. When it doesn't, I just take that as a lesson learned and figure out what to do...

Actually I donate the doelings to the local 4H program as soon as they are big enough to leave mama. The club raises them then sells them and uses the funds for other projects. The bucklings usually end up at the sale barn. I don't have a buck either and have no desire for one. I do...

I use both. Origionally I only used cow milk for soaps. I never planned on having goats at all until my kids brought them home. After we bred them the first time I decided to use their milk also. Depending on what I'm trying to achieve I now choose which one to use accordingly. The cow...

I use 99% lye and I've never had a problem with it. I also know others who use it and they say it's fine for them too. Good thing, cause that's all I can get here.

LJA you sound like me... 1 cow, 2 goats, 2 horses, 3 dogs, and 2 cats to oversee it all. LOL When I use raw milk that's exactly what it is. Completely raw. The only thing I do is skim the cream because it tends to burn easily.

I just checked it, couldn't help myself, and it's not looking good. Lane I think you nailed it. It did trace awfully fast, and it has a huge crack up the center. UGH! I wonder if I rebatch it now, before it has time to really cool, add more lard and refigure the lye solution, maybe can I...

I am assuming you used cow milk. Did you skim the cream before you used the milk? I've used raw milk but I always skimmed it because the cream will burn and/or curdle very fast. I also chill it to just about freezing... where it's still liquid, but there's little bits of ice in it. Usually...

My oils were about 130, and lye water was around 120. I don't think that's cool at all, but when they combined it might have been with all that Shea and PKO.

I posted yesterday that someone gave me some soap supplies. In the bottom of the box I found a recipe called "Basic White" and decided to give it a try. (I have my own recipe but I'm always willing to try something new.) Here it is. 12 oz. PKO 12 oz. Shea Butter (I used mine, not the...

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate them. I decided to go ahead and toss the Shea but I'm keeping the PKO. I haen't used PKO in many of my soaps, but I might as well use what I have, right? She also gave me an assortment of dried herbs and flowers. I still haven't gone through them...

No, I don't bevel my soaps. If I sold them I would, but since I only make soaps for friends & family, I don't.

A lady just gave me her soap supplies. She's moving into a retirement community and said she hasn't made soap for years so she just wanted to get rid of them. Yea for me! Anyway, there is a bucket of Shea Butter, I'm guessing about 2 lbs., and it has a little bit of a rancid smell to it...

I personally like the different colors. That is usually what I'm after. But, some teas actually add some other properties as well. For instance blackberry leaf tea has some healing properties in it that my daughter swears helps with sunburn. (She's a lifeguard during the summer months, so...