What soapy thing have you done today?

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I'm working from home these days and this is our slow time so I have some time to get started on the four soap commission from a local winery. First up is the red wine soap, scented with Merlot. I have another 3 batches to make before the end of this week. I have a market this coming Sunday and early Monday morning, we're headed out for a 2-week vacation.

I'll be making the other three batches (white wine, rose, and cider) throughout the week.
 
I did a total fly by the seat of my pants soap last night.
I mean, I knew I had to make Eucalyptus soap for my event next month, and I knew the colors and the basics...but basically, I did an impromptu heat transfer method at like 11pm at night because I've been procrastinating too much on it. Soap was 115 Fahrenheit at trace so I think it went okay. (I never do heat transfer, I think this is like my second time trying it).
I forgot my clay and oatmeal at first (I usually add it before my lye) but I was able to get it in before trace.
All in all, it seemed like a successful soap making session, even if I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off the entire time.

Now to wait for the cut! (I'll post later if it looks okay :p).
 
I did a total fly by the seat of my pants soap last night.
I mean, I knew I had to make Eucalyptus soap for my event next month, and I knew the colors and the basics...but basically, I did an impromptu heat transfer method at like 11pm at night because I've been procrastinating too much on it. Soap was 115 Fahrenheit at trace so I think it went okay. (I never do heat transfer, I think this is like my second time trying it).
I forgot my clay and oatmeal at first (I usually add it before my lye) but I was able to get it in before trace.
All in all, it seemed like a successful soap making session, even if I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off the entire time.

Now to wait for the cut! (I'll post later if it looks okay :p).
Posted in the gallery. It was okay, I liked my last batch better.🤷‍♀️
 
Almost got to the end of the weekend without making soap (shock, horror!) SO I whipped up a double batch and split it off into an Anjou Pear loaf mold and Snowdrop Blossoms cavity molds. Both look and smell great.
One thing I have noticed more recently as a long time (49 years) hayfever sufferer is that the floral fragrances really get to me now. Particularly orange blossom, neroli, and other 'sweet' florals. Sneezing for hours and hours! Maybe that's why I don't make too many of them? I must say I love orange blossom though.
Oof--I'm so sorry! if you find a good solution to this, lmk. I'm violently allergic to cedar and most other trees, so I don't use them... But maybe if I convince a friend to let me cure the soaps at his apartment? Then he'd get a nice-smelling apartment and I could breathe!
 
On Monday, I made a red wine soap and a white wine soap. Today, I've made a Spiced Cider Soap, scented with a combination of Gingersnaps and Pumpkin Pickin' and I'm about to make a batch of Rose Wine soap, scented with Love Spell. All four batches are a special order for a local winery, using their wines and cider.
 
Finally got to try out my new oil MB tool and I'm in loooooove. It's a 15L candle wax melter off of Amazon.

After a slight snafu with my olive oil (left the spout open when filling... Oops) I successfully prepped 15kg of oils! I use 1kg of oils per loaf, so that's 15 loaves.

Way better than my previous crock pot method and sooooo much easier to weigh out individual batches. I was able to knock out two double batches last night and have 4 more prepped to do today.

I even found myself weighing out quarter batches of oils and lye solution for my ombre soap. Made this fragrance oil (gorgeous but very accelerating) much easier to work with, as I could mix one layer at a time without worrying about the last color being a gloppy mess.

This is my first attempt at an ombre so I'm excited to see how it turns out.
 
I tried to emulate one of my favourite soaper's ( Clover Soapworks) swirly tops in a slab mold today. FAIL! It still looks pretty - but my gold mica swirl on the top didn't turn out all glittery like his does. Mine was orange - yes orange! And the rest of the soap is teal, white and green so orange doesn't;t really go with the theme.
Is it because I put a little soap batter in it that it turned orange? Should I have just left the mica and oil alone? I was scared I wouldn't have enough of just the mica, and also that it wouldn't absorb well so i thought the soap batter would help.
 
I went to my local farmers market yesterday before my parents arrived. The farmers market has a gift shop section with local products. The last time I came They had soap and I couldn't find it. I asked about it and they said that their supplier no longer makes soap and they're looking for someone else. I said, "Well, I make soap...."
 
I went to my local farmers market yesterday before my parents arrived. The farmers market has a gift shop section with local products. The last time I came They had soap and I couldn't find it. I asked about it and they said that their supplier no longer makes soap and they're looking for someone else. I said, "Well, I make soap...."
And so it began… 😊
 
Cut & stamped latest 4 bar mini batch w/ lard @ 73%. The main thing I’ve noticed soaping with lard vs. my vegetable soaps is the finished scent. I’m not smelling 🐷 in lard the bars but using fragrance @ 3%PPO in lard bar is not as strong in finished veggie soap @ same %ppo.
 
Gotta take advantage of serendipity, @Ugeauxgirl !

Hurray! I made soap today! It's for the un-challenge, colored with turmeric and cocoa powder. Lordy what a mess. I like to save on dishes so frequently will use my soup-soap pot for one color. But it's clumsy to pour. I hate it when all my spatulas get covered with batter and my gloves start slipping, splatters flying, etc. Not a pretty sight and sooo very far from YouTube land.
 
My soapy thing today is catching up on the forum and daydreaming of the next soap once I unpack all my boxes after the move. I'm definitely planning a mica line one.
And also, daydreaming about my future soap area/room: I signed my new apartment contract today and, to my surprise, the contract says there is a basement! I heard of no basement before! (long story short, as I'm moving back to my country my parents went to see the apartment for me) So this got me thinking... could it be my new soap space? :dance: time will tell!
 
🤦‍♀Realized that I used iodized salt to render all of my lard and tallow. Which means all my lard and tallow has iodine in it. Which is a metal that can cause DOS...?
Welp... Maybe I'd better make a lot of pie crusts? And I love tamales...
But maybe I can re-render this and make it soap safe.
 
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On Monday, I made a red wine soap and a white wine soap. Today, I've made a Spiced Cider Soap, scented with a combination of Gingersnaps and Pumpkin Pickin' and I'm about to make a batch of Rose Wine soap, scented with Love Spell. All four batches are a special order for a local winery, using their wines and cider.
I guess it IS about time to break out the autumn scents, isn't it?
 
I tried to emulate one of my favourite soaper's ( Clover Soapworks) swirly tops in a slab mold today. FAIL! It still looks pretty - but my gold mica swirl on the top didn't turn out all glittery like his does. Mine was orange - yes orange! And the rest of the soap is teal, white and green so orange doesn't;t really go with the theme.
Is it because I put a little soap batter in it that it turned orange? Should I have just left the mica and oil alone? I was scared I wouldn't have enough of just the mica, and also that it wouldn't absorb well so i thought the soap batter would help.
Can you post a picture link?😍
 
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