December 2019 Un-Challenge - New to You

[Nona'sFarm]

I haven't been inspired. The holidays depressed me since I lost my mom and dad in rapid succession in 2018. I did see something I might try. Sorry for the bummer post. Just really feeling it this year and miss the forum.

@bookreader451, so sorry for your loss. When I lost my Mom, the first year was the hardest, especially during the holidays. She always planned these big get togethers. I come from a rather large family and we had each other to lean on.
I hope you have others you can gather solace from, you will be in my prayers.

 

[Misschief]

I haven't been inspired. The holidays depressed me since I lost my mom and dad in rapid succession in 2018. I did see something I might try. Sorry for the bummer post. Just really feeling it this year and miss the forum.

I'm inspired but I still haven't made my soap. I'm feeling unmotivated, for some reason. It's understandable that you're feeling depressed; just be kind to yourself.

 

[dibbles]

@bookreader451 take care of yourself. I think we tend to feel our losses more, or maybe in a different way, during the holidays.

 

[Kiti Williams]

Omg !!!! This is it!!!!
Super excited about this one.
The things that were new with this one are;
Recipe
Some ingredients (palm oil, heavy cream, and coconut cream)
Fo
Swirl method
Colors
And i used TD.

Very pretty! I love the color!

 

[earlene]

My order of the micas I needed for granddaughter's graduation soap (which I will decoupage - new to me) came the day before we left San Antonio. So there really wasn't enough time to start the soap. But I do plan to do it in January once we return from you parents' house so she can start the new semester.

I am actually off to Las Vegas in the morning to meet my husband for a few days, then fly back here for New Years.

Good work, everyone, making new-to-you soaps.

 

[Tee]

@Tee you achieved super pretty blues with the indigo. You did great and made pretty soap!
@Curtis that is a really fun soap! I love the colors and especially that you went with a slightly olive green. It can be holiday soap, or not, which is brilliant.

Thank you!! I appreciate your kind words!

 

[soapmaker]

I haven't been inspired. The holidays depressed me since I lost my mom and dad in rapid succession in 2018. I did see something I might try. Sorry for the bummer post. Just really feeling it this year and miss the forum.

Bookreader, I am so sorry. I lost my sister 09/18 and I'm still in pain. But we have to keep living somehow. And for me that includes making soap. Best wishes to you fellow traveler.

 

[Curtis]

I wanted to try a Christmas tree soap using the reverse feather swirl technique (I think that's the name). There were many things that were new to me on this one: using my new mold from Nurture Soap, this particular swirl, using palm oil and trying to make a tree on the top of each bar of soap.

I added kaolin clay and 2 tbs honey to the oils before I added the lye water (2.1:1 ratio). At emulsion I added in some reconstituted goats milk (from powder). I used balsam FO from Natures Garden along with a little more balsam EO. I soaped a little under 90 degrees, which is what I have been doing. The batter was a 34:66 saturated to unsaturated fat ratio.

I was really careful not to over stick blend since this was going to take a bit of time. Once I added the FO & EO the batter thickened up a lot more than I wanted it too but it was still workable. I used cocoa powder for the tree trunk and that got super thick; so thick I could not pour a reasonably thin line like I wanted. I added the green to a squeeze bottle; that was also thicker than I wanted but not too bad - not as bad as the brown. The green is a mix of spirulina and moringa powders.

I covered the soap with 2 blankets so it would definitely go through gel. That might have been overkill given the goats milk and honey. I unmolded and cut after 48 hours and it was quite hard...I probably could have done that part after 24 hours. I wasn't really sure what I'd be getting when I started to cut the soap. Given how fast the batter moved I was pleased. I'll be giving these out as Christmas presents, which is a little cruel - presents that cannot be used for another month.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I would be very happy to receive one of those for Christmas @Curtis

 

[Katherine1121]

I haven't been inspired. The holidays depressed me since I lost my mom and dad in rapid succession in 2018. I did see something I might try. Sorry for the bummer post. Just really feeling it this year and miss the forum.

So sorry for your losses...

 

[Misschief]

Alright, who took my palm kernel oil? I know I have some but I can. not. find. it! I have everything ready to make my December soap and my recipe calls for PKO. I have no idea where else to look so soaping will have to wait.

 

[Quilter99755]

I wanted to try a Christmas tree soap using the reverse feather swirl technique (I think that's the name). ]

These are awesome soaps. Being a soaper, I don't think it is bad to warn people not to use them for a month, etc., but I also know that life gets in the way sometimes when you have deadlines. They will understand.

 

[Misschief]

I never did find the PKO but I did make my soap. I'll know by tomorrow whether it's how I had envisioned it. This is the hardest part.... waiting to unmold (apart from tearing the house apart looking for my PKO, that is.)

 

[Kosmerta]

First time using MP imbedds. Also first time fragrancing my soap with essential oil, I'm worried it isnt strong enough though

 

[Misschief]

I cut my un-challenge soap last night and trimmed it this morning. I don't usually trim my soaps but, in this case, it was definitely called for. I chose to try the mica marble technique as done by Shira Body. I've done mica lines before but I just love the look of this technique and knew right away that this was what I wanted to try for this challenge. I'm pretty happy with it but I think I was a little heavy handed with the mica in some spots. Also, my usually well behaved recipe thickened up a bit more than I'd anticipated but that was because I used all hard oils and I let it stand just a little longer than I should have. I'll definitely be trying this technique again; I love the look of the mica marbling.

 

[The_Emerald_Chicken]

I cut my un-challenge soap last night and trimmed it this morning. I don't usually trim my soaps but, in this case, it was definitely called for. I chose to try the mica marble technique as done by Shira Body. I've done mica lines before but I just love the look of this technique and knew right away that this was what I wanted to try for this challenge. I'm pretty happy with it but I think I was a little heavy handed with the mica in some spots. Also, my usually well behaved recipe thickened up a bit more than I'd anticipated but that was because I used all hard oils and I let it stand just a little longer than I should have. I'll definitely be trying this technique again; I love the look of the mica marbling.

View attachment 43081

This is a lovely design. Do you have a link to the technique that you could share, @Misschief ?

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I cut my un-challenge soap last night and trimmed it this morning. I don't usually trim my soaps but, in this case, it was definitely called for. I chose to try the mica marble technique as done by Shira Body. I've done mica lines before but I just love the look of this technique and knew right away that this was what I wanted to try for this challenge. I'm pretty happy with it but I think I was a little heavy handed with the mica in some spots. Also, my usually well behaved recipe thickened up a bit more than I'd anticipated but that was because I used all hard oils and I let it stand just a little longer than I should have. I'll definitely be trying this technique again; I love the look of the mica marbling.

View attachment 43081

Those are beautiful! I got better results on my second try (not posted) compared with the pink and gold mica soap I posted above, but neither is as nice as yours. I still need to up the amount of mica I’m using. I told my son’s fiancé that I would be willing to make small soap favors for their wedding in June and a marbled soap is under consideration. I like the idea of a non-gold mica with a white soap.

 

[Misschief]

This is a lovely design. Do you have a link to the technique that you could share, @Misschief ?

Sure do!

 

[Misschief]

Those are beautiful! I got better results on my second try (not posted) compared with the pink and gold mica soap I posted above, but neither is as nice as yours. I still need to up the amount of mica I’m using. I told my son’s fiancé that I would be willing to make small soap favors for their wedding in June and a marbled soap is under consideration. I like the idea of a non-gold mica with a white soap.

Yours is lovely, too, Mobjack Bay. Did you cut yours vertically or horizontally?

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thank you. I cut it horizontally. I used a lot more mica for the next one, with more layers and more irregular layering: