SMF November 2023 Challenge - Splash Swirl Technique

[Tammyfarms]

Congratulations to everyone, especially @KiwiMoose @not_ally @The_Emerald_Chicken and @Ford, but really everyone who entered or those who made soap and didn’t enter. This looked like an easy challenge but it wasn’t easy at all. @dibbles thank you for hosting! Without our wonderful hosts the challenges wouldn’t be possible.
This time of year has me reflecting back on the year and part of that is my soapmaking journey. In May I made a commitment to myself to enter challenges to build my skills and boy, I have made more soap this year than I have made in a long time. I made a lot of soap outside of the challenge soaps playing around with different techniques and recipes. My skills have greatly improved. Anyhoo, very appreciative for the challenges and the folks on SMF.

 

[Zing]

I like my second attempt better than my first, by far, but missed the deadline, obviously. SOAP IS SO WIERD AND UNPREDICTABLE, PEOPLE! My two colored accents totalled 25% -- but it looks like the majority! Thanks for the tips on this forum, I used pliers on my gear tie and got a much better U-shape. I dipped my hanger tool up and down three whole widths. Darn those stearic spots again. It smells awesome, scented with orange, litsea, tea tree, bergamot (credit to Sheer, Sheer - EO Calc - Essential Oil Calculator ). It's for our oldest child to match their new bath. Have a good week,

 

[dibbles]

Love it @Zing

 

[KiwiMoose]

Lovely @Zing! I wonder whether you are soaping too cool and that's just one of your harder fats setting back up again, rather than stearic spots per se? What are your temps usually?

 

[Tammyfarms]

Really pretty @Zing. You are right, soap is SO WIERD And unpredictable! There are so many variables and even though we may think we are doing the exact same thing every time it only takes one small difference in any of those variables to get different results. I forgot to post in my entry that I used 10% each of three colors so my accents were 30% of my soap and it looks like a lot less than yours. I wonder what soap magic caused this

 

[Zing]

Lovely @Zing! I wonder whether you are soaping too cool and that's just one of your harder fats setting back up again, rather than stearic spots per se? What are your temps usually?

Huh, I thought those two things were one in the same! I normally soap when things are 'warm to the touch' but in the winter now I'll start soaping at a higher temp. I followed @AliOop 's instructions to heat everything to 160 but that didn't help (ooh! someone else to blame!). In the past I only melted hard oils but lately have melted everything.

 

[AliOop]

Huh, I thought those two things were one in the same! I normally soap when things are 'warm to the touch' but in the winter now I'll start soaping at a higher temp. I followed @AliOop 's instructions to heat everything to 160 but that didn't help (ooh! someone else to blame!). In the past I only melted hard oils but lately have melted everything.

Wait, this Idaho soaper is responsible for stearic spots developing in Minnesota? How does THAT work?

 

[Zing]

Wait, this Idaho soaper is responsible for stearic spots developing in Minnesota? How does THAT work?

What, are you an attorney or something, what's with the third degree? Sheesh!

 

[UnScented Arizona]

So, can we post up what we did, even though we weren't in the contest? Black on the bottom. Coat hanger.

 

[Shelley D]

So, can we post up what we did, even though we weren't in the contest? Black on the bottom. Coat hanger.View attachment 75554View attachment 75556

Beautiful! I'm always a fan of the dark/light contrast and you nailed it! And you plunges stayed straight! Maybe you should do a tutorial on this technique!

 

[UnScented Arizona]

Beautiful! I'm always a fan of the dark/light contrast and you nailed it! And you plunges stayed straight! Maybe you should do a tutorial on this technique!

lol. Not sure I'm qualified to tell others how to do anything at this point. Thanx for the kind words.

 

[Shelley D]

lol. Not sure I'm qualified to tell others how to do anything at this point. Thanx for the kind words.

Yours came out looking like what most of us were trying to accomplish in this challenge so either you got really lucky or you have a natural "feel" for the technique That's what I had pictured in my head for my attempt but purple and green plunges but it was a total failure

 

[UnScented Arizona]

Yours came out looking like what most of us were trying to accomplish in this challenge so either you got really lucky or you have a natural "feel" for the technique That's what I had pictured in my head for my attempt but purple and green plunges but it was a total failure

oh. Well. I just watched the lady on the video and did what she said to do. I did put the black on the bottom, cause I thought that would be easier. Just, down, move over, up, move over, down, etc. with my coat hanger. Maybe next time add a different color layer to the top would be cool too.

 

[Shelley D]

oh. Well. I just watched the lady on the video and did what she said to do. I did put the black on the bottom, cause I thought that would be easier. Just, down, move over, up, move over, down, etc. with my coat hanger. Maybe next time add a different color layer to the top would be cool too.

I watched a bunch of videos on the technique ~ my weakness was not mastering a fluid recipe first for this technique. I made the mistake of trying a new recipe with a new technique and it just went wrong all over the place

 

[not_ally]

@UnScented Arizona, that is a spectacular splash swirl. The contrast between the colors and the uniformity of the splash parts is a very beautiful result. And it works perfectly with the top.

 

[KiwiMoose]

@UnScented Arizona - beautiful example of a splash swirl!