This year's Christmas presents

[Todd_in_Minnesota]

Here are some of this season's work (only the ones that turned out).
1. White/pink is rose scented
2. Yellow round is Rosemary/Lemon
3. Red/Green flames are Balsam/Orange (with some glitter added in for fun)
4. Green swirl and YinYang are a mystery. I poured them with some leftover slurry from a bigger project and didn't write down the scents. Sloppy of me.

Enjoy!
Todd

 

[lsg]

Nice soap!

 

[shunt2011]

Very nice!

 

[Cactuslily]

Nice job! They'll make lovely gifts.

 

[snappyllama]

Nice! I especially love the colors on 3.

 

[Rowan]

Lovely soaps, Especially the red flames soap. Do you mind me asking how you do the swirl to get the look of flames?

 

[dixiedragon]

The Yin-Yang is great!

 

[navigator9]

The recipients of those soaps will be very lucky. I love the yin yang, yours is very precise. I've been thinking about doing one for a while now, thinking about exactly what I want it to look and smell like. It's time to stop thinking and start doing, thanks for the kick in the pants!

 

[Todd_in_Minnesota]

Lovely soaps, Especially the red flames soap. Do you mind me asking how you do the swirl to get the look of flames?

Hey Rowan,
Thanks!
I got this effect using a silicon mold (3.5" x 11"), pouring at early trace, pouring red, then white slowly to sit on top of it in a distinct layer, then the green the same way on top of the white.
I get the layering by pouring onto a flat spatula that's conveniently exactly 3.5" wide (pancake turner type spatula). If I hold the spatula flat at the level of what I've already poured, and pour the next layer onto it, it spreads evenly rather than plunging in deep.
Then I use a home-made swirling tool that I put into the mold before I started to pour. It's a strip of thin steel about 1/2" wide bent to fit into the mold. In the attached pic you can see I made two, different widths.

I pour on top of one of these tools, then when I've got the colors layered in I can draw it up through one 'column' of the successive layers of slurry, then press it back down in the adjacent 'column' (imaginary columns, makes it easier to visualize for me). I still honestly have very little control over what is actually happening during the swirling... mostly I'm trusting luck that I'll get an interesting outcome. When the trace is just the right consistency, and the colors are a nice sharp contrast, AND I manage not to over-mix, it can come out pretty nice!
Thanks again.
Todd

 

[Todd_in_Minnesota]

Nice! I especially love the colors on 3.

Thanks Llama!
The red/green/white is a bit more exuberant than I usually go for (especially the glitter), but I figured it's Christmas, so why not?
Todd

 

[Rowan]

Thanks Todd, that's really clear instructions. That's a great idea about the pancake spatula. I've always struggled with breakthrough on a normal spatula. I really like your swirl tools too!