June 2021 SMF Soap Challenge - Garden Inspired

[Tara_H]

Yes, this was so much fun and just what I needed for this month! Thanks @szaza for the challenge

I think this was the hardest yet to vote on, so many amazing entries, I was sitting there for ages going back and forth...

 

[szaza]

@gardengeek that's a stunning soap you made!

 

[szaza]

First of all, congrats to everyone who participated. I was seriously impressed with all the artistry this month.

But since this is a competition, let's look at who you all voted for:
1. @Tara_H
2. @dibbles
3. @KimW

It was a tight race!

 

[Tara_H]

Oh my goodness, what a lovely surprise to wake up to! Thank you everyone, and congratulation to @dibbles and @KimW
And of course thank you to @szaza for such a fun challenge!

 

[dibbles]

Agree with Tara_H - such a lovely start to my day! Congratulations to @Tara_H and @KimW, and thank you @szaza for the fun idea.

Every soap was a work of art and the creativity in using a garden ingredients and designs was awesome!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Congratulations to everyone! It was so amazing to see how the deliberately loose requirements inspired everyone to so different creations – that garden ingredient turned out to be unexpectedly challenging for quite some. And in the end, the vote was demanding because the techniques were vastly different, and mere gut-feeling aesthetics didn't help much.
Thanks @szaza for hosting!

@Tara_H
Among my other favourites, I think you well deserve your trophy! I've been mesmerised by your first tree swirl soap back in April (can well understand how deeply that view out of the window inspires/tantalises you), and that curly cherry blossom hairstyle added just that twist to it (glad that the colour came out so well in the end!). Actually it looks less like a tree trunk by itself this time, but more abstract, dancing, nearly self-conscious.

 

[Vicki C]

Congrats soapers! They were all beautiful. Tara, any thought to a YouTube video of making that soap? It’s amazing, and so original.
Also side note I am holding my infant granddaughter and “soapers” kept autocorrecting to “diapers”

 

[KimW]

Yes, a lovely surprise indeed! BIG congrats to @Tara_H and @dibbles, another big thanks to @szaza for hosting. I can only echo what dibbles has already said in that all our soaps were works of art and over flowing with creativity.

 

[The_Phoenix]

I’m not @Tara_H but I think she might have poured black, then white, used a hanger to make the two sides of the trunk. Do a little shaping of the top. Let that set. Mix the “confetti” with white batter and poured that on top of the set bottom layer. How’d I do? I’m thinking of trying this for a fall apple tree soap. It’s just the slightest abstract and non-fussy.

I adore it, by the way. Very out of the box.

 

[Tara_H]

I’m not @Tara_H but I think she might have poured black, then white, used a hanger to make the two sides of the trunk. Do a little shaping of the top. Let that set. Mix the “confetti” with white batter and poured that on top of the set bottom layer. How’d I do? I’m thinking of trying this for a fall apple tree soap. It’s just the slightest abstract and non-fussy.

I adore it, by the way. Very out of the box.

Thanks!

You were very close with the guess - it's 5 gear ties in first, then pour black, spoon white on very gently for the uneven landscape, then the white with shavings mixed in, and finally pulling the ties up one at a time through the whole lot.

Things I would do differently next time are: make a more concentrated effort to go in at the bottom and out halfway up for the trunk parts, and have a more strongly contrasting set of shavings to make shadows in the blossom canopy. I did a sort of AWP technique there but it didn't really show up in the final cut.

 

[MrsZ]

Congrats to the winners! Now I wonder what next month's challenge will be?

 

[amd]

Now I wonder what next month's challenge will be?

July will be an UnChallenge month. There are five mods for the challenges so we each take two months, and have unchallenges for July and December. For Unchallenges the rules are pretty lax - I believe anyone can enter just by posting their soap in the thread and there is no voting. It's a fun sharing opportunity on the forum. (Ahem, as if our usual sharing isn't fun enough)

 

[MrsZ]

July will be an UnChallenge month. There are five mods for the challenges so we each take two months, and have unchallenges for July and December. For Unchallenges the rules are pretty lax - I believe anyone can enter just by posting their soap in the thread and there is no voting. It's a fun sharing opportunity on the forum. (Ahem, as if our usual sharing isn't fun enough)

Ok, that makes sense. Sounds fun.

 

[Primrose]

Well done to all the entrants, and the winners! And thank you to szaza for such a great challenge. I have really enjoyed seeing the variety of different techniques and the outcomes, it really impressed me. Massive props to Tara for her abstract tree that I never would have even thought of.

I've loved this challenge and had lots of ideas to participate, sadly these little buggers are talking up all my time and goat milk at the moment

 

[Vicki C]

Thanks!

You were very close with the guess - it's 5 gear ties in first, then pour black, spoon white on very gently for the uneven landscape, then the white with shavings mixed in, and finally pulling the ties up one at a time through the whole lot.

Things I would do differently next time are: make a more concentrated effort to go in at the bottom and out halfway up for the trunk parts, and have a more strongly contrasting set of shavings to make shadows in the blossom canopy. I did a sort of AWP technique there but it didn't really show up in the final cut.

I’m going to have to try this. I love the idea of a fall soap with this technique!

 

[The_Phoenix]

Ah hah! So that’s why there are

Well done to all the entrants, and the winners! And thank you to szaza for such a great challenge. I have really enjoyed seeing the variety of different techniques and the outcomes, it really impressed me. Massive props to Tara for her abstract tree that I never would have even thought of.

I've loved this challenge and had lots of ideas to participate, sadly these little buggers are talking up all my time and goat milk at the moment

View attachment 59037

Be still my heart. How old is that adorable baby goat? So cute!

 

[The_Phoenix]

I’m going to have to try this. I love the idea of a fall soap with this technique!

Me, too! Let’s do it together!

Look what you started, @Tara_H.

 

[dibbles]

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I’m going to have to try this. I love the idea of a fall soap with this technique!

Me, too! Let’s do it together!

Look what you started, @Tara_H.

I was thinking the same thing. @Tara_H made a stunning soap. I wonder how many trees might pop up in this month's Un-Challenge.

 

[Tara_H]

Wow, it's a confetti un-challenge! Tara trees for everyone!

 

[KimR]

Dumb question, how do I get to the photos of the entries?