1st SMF Soap Challenge- July

[lionprincess00]

No. I leave it.

If I don't stir the lye until the bottom crusties are gone, lye clumps to the bottom of my container. I stir and stir and stir making sure to scrape the bottom with my skinny spatula til the bottom of the container is smooth feeling.

 

[not_ally]

I don't get the crusties unless I let the lye sit for a while (I often do, though, since I usually soap at RT.) Even then, it is rare, but when it happens it will not stir away w/the spatula. I have to melt it in the warm water bath, then - b/c I am impatient - poke the crystallized slab with a knife until it breaks into smaller pieces so that I can stir all the crystals away. Good to know that it is best to leave it/mix it back in rather than just use the lye water with the hard stuff remaining/stuck on the bottom. Thanks, LP.

 

[TVivian]

NA- what size is your mold? I took the glass out of a picture frame, taped the sides (so I didn't get cut) and laid it on top of my slab mold which was on a heating pad. That way I could lower the ash, make sure the heat stayed in, and still watch my soap. It worked really well! I can't, not watch the soap.

 

[not_ally]

That sounds kind of genius, Viv. Sufficiently so that I am going to find a darn picture frame where the glass will fit on top of the mold. Thank you for that idea, I certainly would never have thought of it by myself .....

 

[Balloons]

Finally got some time to myself this evening that I was able to get my soap made! It's nothing fancy because I made a BIG mistake and started to panic. I did not have my goggles on when I was mixing my colorant into the batter and the batter splashed in my eye. Of course this is the same eye that has had broken blood vessels in it since Friday for unknown reasons. Of course I had to stop and rinse my eye out. I also put in some refresh liquigel eye drops. I don't think I did any damage to my eye but I guess I will see tomorrow. I will never not use my goggles again...lesson learned! Oh...I'll post my soap pics on the official challenge entry thread once I get it cut tomorrow evening.

 

[not_ally]

Balloons, that is really scary. Please monitor this carefully and go to the doc tomorrow if things seem strange. I forgot to put on my goggles today b/c I was wearing my reading glasses and freaked out when I realized that they were off. I know it can happen, especially when you are an absent-minded type like I am, but keep an eye on it (no pun intended), please.

 

[Balloons]

not_ally.....I know it can become a serious issue.....but I did get a good laugh at your no pun intended comment. I will definitely keep a close eye on it. It actually feels fine. Really hoping I won't have to go to the eye doc. Last year at this time I had to go to the eye doc because I dropped a hot cigarette ash in my eye and it stuck to my eye. It did fall off...but it left a blister right next to my pupil. Can you imagine what he will think if I have to go and see him for this, lol.

 

[not_ally]

You are worse than I am at accident-ing, I thought that was impossible. I am really paranoid about my vision, b/c I read so much, I cannot imagine the degree of the loss if there were problems there. I'm sure your doc is glad that you are checking in and that you have insurance

 

[jules92207]

Getting lye water or raw soap batter in my eye is probably my biggest fear with soaping. I've recently invested in a face shield and use it all the way through washing my soaping dishes. Sometimes I just use my safety glasses when mixing my lye water so I can be sure it's all mixed but sometimes I even wear both!

 

[Saponista]

I have the same fear. I wear goggles all the time when soaping. I once flicked bits of soap into my eye when I was cutting it after 48 hours. That hurt like hell, I even wear goggles when cutting soap now.

 

[Sonya-m]

**** you ash!!!


Just steamed it with my iron

 

[newbie]

Ah, back to your clear beauty!!

 

[Balloons]

Woke up today worried about looking at my eye after last night. Turns out...It's perfectly fine! WOW did I get lucky.
Sonya-m....The soap I made last night has ash. I'm so disappointed. I think I am going to try the iron steam trick. Hope it works for me.
Jules...I'm definitely going to look for a face shield the next time I am at Lowes or Homedepot.
Sap...I will most certainly be wearing some kind of eye protection from now on.

 

[Sonya-m]

Look how it shimmers, so pretty!

One of the bars from my first (illegal, cos I did my swirls wrong) attempt

 

[newbie]

I love doing lots of mica and getting that effect!!!! It's difficult to capture in a picture so I'm sure it's much more shimmery in real life. I mentioned once what a nerd I was, sitting there staring at wet soap. When yours is wet, can you see the mica start to move?

 

[Sonya-m]

Yes!! I nearly took a video!!!

 

[kchaystack]

The only worry I have with getting that shimmer is staining on the wash cloth... but sometimes it is worth it.

 

[Sonya-m]

Oh it's definitely worth it! I use one of those shower puff things and that doesn't hold the staining at all

 

[Saponista]

I just made another attempt with the first colours I posted, totally cocked up with the amount of white and it looks muddy try again tomorrow, that's what I get for trying to fit too many things into a week. ~sigh~

 

[newbie]

I almost took a video too but I wasn't certain it would catch it, plus how do you title it? "Watching mica flow" "Staring at Shimmers" "Shimmer Trance". You know, they just don't sound like blockbusters.