1st SMF Soap Challenge- July

[Saponista]

I use a maslin pan as it has a nice pouring lip and can hold a large volume.

As for other challenges, I have felt there is much more of a community atmosphere here where people can ask for help etc. so you can really see how people are improving and progressing with their soaping abilities. I really like that as the challenges should be a positive learning experience for everyone involved. I have not really found that in any of the other challenges.

I feel like ours was a success and hopefully now other members have seen how it works, they may be tempted to join in on future challenges.

 

[shunt2011]

I think you all did a fantastic job. Lots of support for each other. Amazing talent here for sure.

 

[Saponista]

I am about to make my entry soap. It's this or nothing as this is my last attempt. Fingers crossed it is halfway decent. Must remember to do more white than I think is enough.

 

[jules92207]

I also love doing challenges here. I always tend to do something I've never done so it's never my best work but I trust all of my fellow soapers to help me improve and grow as a soaper. That's the point, right? Otherwise it wouldn't be called a challenge.

 

[dibbles]

I feel like ours was a success and hopefully now other members have seen how it works, they may be tempted to join in on future challenges.

I only need 10 more posts (well now 9) to be able to play. I've never done a challenge, but this seems like a good place to try.

 

[Sonya-m]

I am about to make my entry soap. It's this or nothing as this is my last attempt. Fingers crossed it is halfway decent. Must remember to do more white than I think is enough.

Good luck - I'm certain it will be The One!

 

[kisha]

Aaahhhh! I haven't even attempted to make my first soap yet. I thought when I entered I'd have plenty of time for multiple tries, but I guess life had other plans. I'm finally free tomorrow so that will be my one and only shot. I'm really enjoying catching up and seeing all the entries!!!!

 

[newbie]

I hope everyone will enter something, even if it's not what they hoped. I wouldn't want anyone to think they shouldn't because it wasn't "good enough." I get something from everyone's soaps, boom or bust.

To divert back to the oils issue, I like melting all my hards together and have figured out how long it takes to melt them for the volume I use. I prefer to soap with my oils a little cooler so adding my soft oils to the melted ones helps bring the temp down a bit so I don't have to wait so long.

 

[Saponomancer]

I hope everyone will enter something, even if it's not what they hoped. I wouldn't want anyone to think they shouldn't because it wasn't "good enough." I get something from everyone's soaps, boom or bust.

This is honestly very reassuring.

 

[dillsandwitch]

Dill hubby just doesn't get it:???:. Wait till you've been soaping a bit longer and all of a sudden he understands the different oils in soap and starts telling other people about it. Trust me it won't happen over night but it will happen:wink:. What work do you do?

Hes the one that got me into soaping so its all his fault. He already raves about my soap to his mates. He goes on an on about how soft it makes his skin. Now if you knew him this is something you wouldn't ever think would come out of his mouth. hahaha

We install metal fascia and gutter on new residential houses. Now because it was raining here today all the work for tomorrow got canceled so I hopefully will get a chance to make another attempt.

 

[Saponista]

I just gave some soap to the sky man who came to fit us a new box. He looked a bit confused. Was that a weird thing to do? I have so much I want people to take it away!

 

[kumudini]

My last attempt for which I have all the pictures, before cutting. The soap is still too soft to cut. I'll need to leave it alone for few days. Is it ok to enter it without the cut pics?

 

[Saponista]

I'm pretty sure that's fine, but will leave it to newbie to have the last say as it is her challenge.

 

[kumudini]

If it's not, I might just try to cut it at the last minute and post. When is the last minute though? I'm in the ET zone of USA and the time on this site never made sense for me. Or, let me try, you just responded, it's showing 1:40 pm and that's 4 hrs ahead of my time. So if the deadline is 12:00 pm tomorrow, I might have to post it by 8:00 pm my time. Am I overthinking this, considering my soap wouldn't be any where near what all of you greats post. Yeah, it might not matter much.
BTW, Saponista, I love your new goodies. Fun multiplied. Enjoy!!

 

[not_ally]

K, I seem to remember that it was only the soap in the mold pictures you really needed to post, pics of the bars were welcome but not necessary ....

Also, I thought that the soap you made and posted on another thread (lots of green?) but did not document properly was beautiful ...

ETA: Saponista, I try to give my soap away to random people too. I tried to give some to the plumber the other day, he gently refused it. I was like "really, maybe your wife will like it!" I am a sad, small little soaping nut.

 

[shunt2011]

I've given soap to the cable guy, roofers, carpet layers, mailman, UPS guy. At one time I had 300-400 soaps and wasn't selling go gave them to everyone. Actually, that's what eventually got me selling, people asking for more. I had been soaping for 1+years and my husband was amazed at how much soap was around the house. I still have some of my first soaps.

 

[snappyllama]

I'm glad I'm not the only one foisting it off on everyone that comes in my door. It's like an admittance fee now...

 

[not_ally]

I have so much, but of different batches. The problem is that the people who are happy to get soap (family and friends who have used them) tend want all/a bunch of one batch (usually b/c of fragrance), which I don't want to give them, at least in whole, b/c of the cure time, ie; it will take a couple of months for me to get another one of them cured. I guess I just need to predict better, like you sellers do ...

 

[navigator9]

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.

Glad to hear your eye is OK. You can forget the gloves, the long sleeves, forget to cover your counter, but never forget the eye protection. (Not that the others aren't important, just not as critical) I soap in the kitchen, so I leave my goggles in the kitchen cabinet just above the counter where I mix my soap. That way I can't convince myself that I don't have time to look for them....because they're right there. No excuses ever.

 

[newbie]

Oh yes, post an entry! The ultimate point of this challenge was to learn what happens in each step of a swirl so even if you feel like you overswirled, seeing the step by step helps everyone see the process. Plus we're all gawkers at heart. I'm hoping this doesn't feel like a high pressure challenge.

No cut pics required so you are safe, V.

Because of all the time zones and the weirdness of the time stamps (is it based on Greenwich time???), I was just going with midnight Pacific time as the deadline. I supposed one of the East Coasters could stay up until 2 am swirling and quickly posting but we don't seem like that kind of bunch, and it's not that highly competitive.

I just took about 30 pounds of soap to work and I left it in the break room. I take it in regularly but this was my biggest foist yet. I was heartbroken to see some left inthe box at the end of the day but I was wondering if it wasn't taken because people used the bags to put one or two soaps in, and there were no more bags left. I just left it there. Someone had better take it. I try to unload where ever possible as well and I'm ready to reverse busk on the streets.