What soapy thing have you done today?

[earlene]

A speedy recovery. I've had two wrist surgeries - no fun.

PS Gorgeous soaps, too!

Lovely soaps Earlene, sorry to hear about your hand again, at least you know what your in for, hope it's getting better.

Thank you @DianaMoon and @Relle.

Yes, it is healing very well and recovery/usage is improving faster than from the last surgery & subsequent broken metacarpal incident. It's keeping me from making soap, though. Stitches should come out next Wednesday (other than the one that already came out on its own last Saturday). After that, as long as the incision is intact, I'll be able to wear gloves again and may be making soap again by the end of the month.

Most of the bruising has dissipated enough that it no longer looks like a prize fighter's fist, although some of the purple still remains. The swelling is much diminished and the scar looks much less horrendous than it did a week ago (that was because of the swelling and bruising that it looked so bad.)

I like the Physical Therapy place I am going to this time. They have an online app that I can log into to pull up all my prescribed exercises with video as well. My last place did not have that feature, and only printed handouts. Now I have printed handouts AND an app with demo videos at my disposal. Really quite a nice feature to include in the service!

Woe is me... while i would like to participate in discussing what you all are posting here, I don't often drop in and when I do I stop myself from commenting. JMHO, this thread is long enough without adding to it by adding to the discussion.

For example, this post.

Not to discourage discussion, not at all, but to encourage discussion where ALL members can benefit and participate, simply post a subject in the appropriate forum for all to see, then report "What Soapy Thing..." you did and share a link to the discussion here.

An excellent example of how it's done is @DianaMoon 's recent post here.

An excellent example of how this thread is supposed to work is @Catscankim 's recent post here.

I stand reprimanded, but it does relate to What Soapy Thing as giving soap to someone was the intended topic. The other part was an 'aside' which also affects my current ability to make soap. And the information about the link (edited in later) was also pertinent because it didn't work the first few tries.

And Relle has not reprimanded me, so I am not sure the linked post was wrongly placed. It was one post instead of 3, which I could have done, but I think is offputting.

 

[TashaBird]

A friend gave me some elk tallow and I’d rendered it down a week ago. She wanted to help with the soap making. So yesterday I had it all set up and she made soap for the first time. It was super fun! She brought a photographer who is doing a story on women who hunt their own food. Should be interesting. When I get pics I’ll post them in the gallery. Today is more bath bomb painting. I painted on yesterday that turned our really good. Posted it in the Bath Bomb Art thread.

 

[DianaMoon]

They have an online app that I can log into to pull up all my prescribed exercises with video as well.

That's fantastic! I am having PT for a (mild) case of tennis elbow & they don't even do printouts.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I stand reprimanded,

Please don't feel that way. It was not my intent. Your post was fine. I only used it as example of how a lengthy discussion can follow... I was thinking more about the many previous discussions that all members could benefit from , i.e., not just the ones that post here. The thread has become a "catch-all" for whatever -- not just "What Soapy Thing".
Feel free to correct me if I wrong, but I don't believe that is the intent of this thread.

 

[Catscankim]

And you used me as your example @Zany_in_CO LOL.

I'm only conceding to the fact that the forum: this topic specifically, has changed. I liked the way it was before, but also accepting the fact that admins want things the way they want things. Its their forum so... Its not like I pay for anything here

Anyway, in keeping up with the topic of what the forum is intended for (sorry, I wanted to underline, but can't find it lol):

My soapy thing today was beveling more soap. I love my router so much that I don't mind as much as I used to. I mean, don't get me wrong...I really hate doing it still LOL. But it makes the work so much easier than a potato peeler. And they look a lot nicer.

Edit: they look a lot nicer than *I* can do with a potato peeler. Some people do a better job than I do LOL

 

[AliOop]

My soapy thing yesterday was very soapy: washing a mountain of soapy dishes after making several batches in a row without cleaning up in between. Today's soapy thing will be putting all of them away... and maaaaaaybe making one more try at this month's challenge soap.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

'm only conceding to the fact that the forum: this topic specifically, has changed. I liked the way it was before, but also accepting the fact that admins want things the way they want things.

Well said. Thank you. I appreciate your input and I am re-evaluating. It reminds me of how often I'm cautioned about beating my head against a brick wall.

As to being unable to underline, look for the 3 dots after the B (Bold) and I (Italic). Click to get a drop-down menu that shows more options.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I made a terrazzo soap a la @Mobjack Bay . Can't wait to cut.

ETA: Oh I do apologise, it was a la @Jersey Girl ! The ciaglia method. I'm calling it terrazzo.

 

[AliOop]

I made a third attempt at the May SMF Challenge soap. It's on the heating pad now; I'm hoping it will be ready to cut and photograph by 10am tomorrow. Otherwise, it will sit in the mold till we get home from our trip, which will be after the voting is closed.

 

[Professor Bernardo]

The 7% of glycerin should be 59.5g, but would it be ok to make it 60g?

Should be no issues at all.

I'll make it with 4: 50% SA, 30% CO76F, 10% Castor/Vit E, 10% Cocoa Butter, the 7% SF will be Glycerin and 850g of total oils.

Glycerin is not a fat, it is a sugar alcohol or polyol. It should be added after the cook is complete.
Cut back on the coconut oil to around 10%. Try using some Shea Butter too.

 

[Iluminameluna]

Glycerin is not a fat, it is a sugar alcohol or polyol. It should be added after the cook is complete.
Cut back on the coconut oil to around 10%. Try using some Shea Butter too.

I will remake the recipe with your suggestions. Thanks, Prof!

 

[~Dragonfly~]

I sold a spinning wheel that I no longer use. What does that have to do with soap? It means I have extra funds to buy soapy things. There's only so much soap one can use so I'm now considering selling. The ones I have made so far are all different sizes so in case I do decide to sell, I ordered an All In One Tall & Skinny Standard and Slab Mold. Waiting 3 weeks for it to get here is going to be hard! If I don't decide to sell, at least all my soaps will be close in size.

 

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

Here are some soapy things that I have done this week.
KeepItSimpleSoap results

 

[squarepancakes]

Unmolded my marble soap made last week. First time I used a slab instead of loaf and I totally messed up. I ran out of space in the styrofoam box I use and decided to stack the marble on top of another half filled square mold. Horrible idea as my marble slab ended up "sinking in and expanding at the bottom".

Have a lot of waste slicing the pregnant slab of marble and some parts were quite meh. That said, I had extra batter and roughly mixed it up, filled up 1/2 of a 500g loaf and it was more marble-like than my actual marble attempt. Might try it out again next weekend.

Oh and yes, the random batch of foaming whipped sugar scrub I gave away was a hit and I got my "first paying customer".

 

[JoyfulSudz]

Does shampoo count as a soapy thing? I made my first syndet bars and passed them out to a few friends for testing. I made two different recipes. Hoping at least one of them is a winner

 

[Misschief]

I am in the process of making a batch of salt bars for my daughter and granddaughter. It feels like I haven't soaped in forever!

 

[Ugeauxgirl]

I have discovered that I like making soap right before I go on vacation cause I can leave it in the molds forever, and it's fun to cut when I get back. I made a small batch of Zany's 67% Shea butter soap, a batch of 100% coconut soap and a batch to test some new french green clay I bought. The Shea soap turned a hideous shade of baby poop green when I poured the FO in. It was supposed to be lavender, but it changed back a few hours later. I forgot the superfat on the coconut oil soap, but remembered at the last second and saved it. Fingers crossed on the French green clay. I prefer that my soap sessions be a little less exciting....

And THEN, since I splashed myself with oil and forgot my apron, I made Zany's recipe for oil stain remover with polysorbate 80. Fingers crossed that it works. I have a lot of shirts with oily stains. No idea how that keeps happening...

 

[TashaBird]

No soapy things can happen until I do my dishes from last week. They HAD to wait so they could saponify, am I right?! I’ve got a wolf and a moon embed that have been wrapped in plastic wrap for about a week. I’m having fun doing the embeds without the whole complex horizon, and I’m hoping folks will USE them more!! People kept saying they were too pretty to use and I told them I was gonna start making only ugly soap. This is my compromise. Pretty, fun, but more simple. I may just do one color, light blue, or maybe an ITPS. Oh yeah, and I finally got stupid covid. Fortunately I got a second booster a couple weeks ago. The hubs had to travel and had his first work conference in 2.5 years and I had a feeling it was coming. So far he’s got mild symptoms and I have none. It’s stressful as heck due to loss of work and what not. And, I don’t know if I should make things like leave on products right now. But, soap seems safe. #soapingiscoping

 

[Zing]

I made soap today! I made what's become my signature soap, "Spring Clean" (rosemary and lemongrass) which recently has been selling like hot cakes. Super easy session what with the whole masterbatch thang.
Also labeled and packaged and mailed testing pine tar soap to trusted testers (they are my children so I can tell them what to do), and a gift box of soaps and lotion bars to a good buddy celebrating a milestone (ends in 0) birthday.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Also labeled and packaged and mailed testing pine tar soap to trusted testers (they are my children so I can tell them what to do)

You will wash with it and you will enjoy it!