What soapy thing have you done today?

[JuneP]

Now besides healing from surgery, I've developed nerve damage on this fractured, re-built with metal leg. We were at the hospital for 5 hrs last night trying to get to the source of the excruciating pain.
So today I've been pretty much bed ridden other than a couple of trips to the bathroom. So I used some of my time to create a new, low hard oils(47%), no palm recipe to add to the "to make" list in a few months when this leg heals and this heavy brace is removed.
Meantime, I'm enjoying reading about everyone else's projects and spend time every day watching lots of soaping videos.

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

Oh yes I remember you and your sense of humor. Happy to have you back, but I'm saddened by the diagnosis. A tremor swirl huh? Sounds like it will have a "feathery" effect, so we'll need pictures if you can!

Cheers, happy to be back. Missed the wonderful folks on here like yourself. The tremor swirl has some feathering but looks a bit more like a cross between a print out from an electrocardiogram and a frustrated Childs finger painting. Hard to explain. Even harder to look at. Ah well. Just excited to have made soap again!

 

[lenarenee]

Now besides healing from surgery, I've developed nerve damage on this fractured, re-built with metal leg. We were at the hospital for 5 hrs last night trying to get to the source of the excruciating pain.
So today I've been pretty much bed ridden other than a couple of trips to the bathroom. So I used some of my time to create a new, low hard oils(47%), no palm recipe to add to the "to make" list in a few months when this leg heals and this heavy brace is removed.
Meantime, I'm enjoying reading about everyone else's projects and spend time every day watching lots of soaping videos.

I bet it drives an active person like you crazy being laid up. Do you crochet or paint...heck....can I send you some Play Doh?

 

[Slnsgirl]

Love this idea. I will run out today and search for a potato press!

 

[JuneP]

I bet it drives an active person like you crazy being laid up. Do you crochet or paint...heck....can I send you some Play Doh?

That's so sweet. My new cell phone and computer woes are keeping me very busy. I get a lot of email and that keeps me busy as well; and of course I nap a lot which seems to be part of this healing process. I also have a Kindle fire and have books to read, but I can only read so much before my eyes get really tired and I fall asleep with it in my lap! Lol

Until this nerve damage hit i was doing 3 sessions of my physical therapy exercises a day; but stopped that yesterday for the most part till the surgeon gets back to me after he's seen the latest xrays and see if he still wants me to do the ones that aren't excruciatingly painful or just stop them all for a bit, In the meantime I'm grateful for this forum and for Facebook and you tube and the dear friends who are taking care of me during this very challenging time.,

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Oh major flash backs logging in here for the first time in ages. I finally made some soap again after chickening out for however long (long story, diagnosed with young onset Parkinson's but diagnoses changed to Multiple System Atrophy). I stopped making soap for safety reasons. You can imagine right. Tending a bar and shaking up cocktails, sure. Advantage, chick with the tremors. Not so handy playing with the caustic stuff. Anyway, my eldest kidlet is now old enough to be a useful soap minion. I'm back baby. Sort of. I'm going to develop a walking stick swirl or something. So yeah, hi again if anyone remembers me and a big hello in general. The soap was just a basic CP with a tremor drop swirl. Not putting up a pic as it's way to plain and was just practice. Cheers all. Time for a nap.

Hello to you too : )
I am new, so just wanted to wave and say hi! So sorry about your healthissues, sounds very challenging! On the upside you seem equipped with a big dose of humor, that always help, I have found.

Sounds like you having a soapminion can be a great way to get into this soaping thing again. You must train him well, so he can do all the boring stuff for you...*grin*

 

[niclycha]

And I thought you just wanted to make sure I knew...

Today, I melted 2 pounds of cocoa butter and poured it into individual molds so it will be easier to weigh what I need. Unfortunately, it turned grainy. Oh well. It will melt down just fine and turn into soap.

How do you melt your butters. I found some boiler bags, all my pots are magna lite and not many lol. I'm always finding something else to cook besides food, I used to paint reborn dolls and had to use thin layers of oil painting then bake them in the oven anyway, scared to put butters in the microwave. Maybe I should just go buy a saucepan huh

 

[TeresaT]

How do you melt your butters. I found some boiler bags, all my pots are magna lite and not many lol. I'm always finding something else to cook besides food, I used to paint reborn dolls and had to use thin layers of oil painting then bake them in the oven anyway, scared to put butters in the microwave. Maybe I should just go buy a saucepan huh

I actually do mine in a saucepan on the stove. Low heat and watch it. However, I've also done it in the microwave in one minute increments. It's just easier for me via stove top because I don't have as far to carry the hot melted oil. With active dogs, that can be dangerous, although I do make sure Max isn't around when I'm doing anything like that. (He's my extremely hyperactive dog.)

The reason it was grainy, I think, is because I ended up leaving it cool on the counter top instead of in the fridge because there was no room in the fridge. I forgot I had stopped at the grocery store and picked up a bunch of fresh veggies to juice. (Uh, how does one forget something like that?) So they had to cool down very slowly.

 

[penelopejane]

I have been thinking about soaping because my DH will be away on Thursday for a few days and I am going to make 3 lots of soap.
Trying to be good and declutter while I wait and think about what I am going to make.

 

[niclycha]

Making soap now lol. Got all my oils measured, Shea Butter melted, lye water is cooling, with bamboo silk. ..
Trying to decide what colors, I have been wanting to do a rainbow soap so I think that's what I'm gonna do. ..no white at all in this one. Not sure what technique I'm going to use yet, I never know until I see how thick. Using Black Raspberry Vanilla from Crafters choice. No discoloration or speedy trace. Stay tuned lol. This will be 8th Loaf.

 

[TBandCW]

Getting ready to make soap! It's been a couple of months, hope I remember how!
Measured out the butters/oils in a bowl and mixed the colors last night. Thanks Carolyn for the hint using those little plastic cups with lids from Smart and Final, I use that for my colors now. I also use them to put scrub samples in.
Mixed up my lye, melted oils/butters and will be helping hubby make candles while cooling. I'll be making Pikake soap that traces pretty fast with three color swirl. Wish me luck!

 

[rosyrobyn]

Made two different recipes of pine tar soap for my son with psoriasis. Wow, does that stuff stink! I really hope it mellows out to the smoky campfire smell that others have talked about. I don't know if I'll be allowed to keep this one in the house while it's curing.

Both recipes also moved very fast. It was my first time using a fast moving ingredient so I'm quite proud that I was able to get it in the mold while it was still flowing - but didn't have time to scrape the bowl very well.

 

[Rowan]

Now besides healing from surgery, I've developed nerve damage on this fractured, re-built with metal leg. We were at the hospital for 5 hrs last night trying to get to the source of the excruciating pain.
So today I've been pretty much bed ridden other than a couple of trips to the bathroom. So I used some of my time to create a new, low hard oils(47%), no palm recipe to add to the "to make" list in a few months when this leg heals and this heavy brace is removed.
Meantime, I'm enjoying reading about everyone else's projects and spend time every day watching lots of soaping videos.

Thinking of you June and hope they can sort out the pain quickly! Really glad you have your soapy distractions, because pain is pretty exhausting. Let us know what the surgeons say. As we say in England "fingers crossed" (good luck).

 

[Dahila]

take downstairs to mock the table my brand new displays, after they dried outside. My DH made them) I am so happy higher are for soaps, lower for creams.

 

[penelopejane]

My darling son actually rang and asked for more soap today. He doesn't like any of the scents I've given him so far so I've been desperately going through cured possibilities. The perfect mans the only scent I have so far that I haven't given him that he might like. I have forgotten the FO in mixes so often it's ridiculous. Good soap for DH for a year but none for my son.
I've got 10 new FOs sitting here ready to try.
Desperate to make some more tomorrow but should REALLY tidy the house for visitors. Ho hum.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

I have just now checked my soaps for the challenge, and although I am happy with the result as a general soap, the left over micas I had from CS REALLY morphed!!

But the thing is, it may still work, even though it was not even close to what I personally wanted. At. All.

So I have to either,

1) post the result in the challenge entry thread and make a new soap for the challenge before it is to late. But since I am all out of blue and green that means I have to do the other colors. (Unless my Nurture order of blue and green gets here on time, which I doubt)
or...

2) PM one of the deciders to ask if the colors are not to far off, and will be approved for an entry.

I am leaning towards the latter...

 

[crispysoap]

Made a lard/coconut soap, with a new FO, Sugar plum. My sister keeps asking for something fruity. (For some reason she doesn't like the 6 or 7 fruity FO I already had so let her pick a new one). Fingers crossed she likes it

 

[shunt2011]

Getting ready for my next show over Memorial Day weekend. Making more bubbly bath fizzies as they sold like hotcakes at my last show. Labeling the rest of my soaps and deciding which scents to take. I really need to cut down on how many I have....such a FO HO.

 

[dillsandwitch]

made some vanilla soap in my new silicone lined mould that I made the other day. its in the oven now so hopefully will know soon how it all turned out

 

[Ruthie]

Oh major flash backs logging in here for the first time in ages. I finally made some soap again after chickening out for however long (long story, diagnosed with young onset Parkinson's but diagnoses changed to Multiple System Atrophy). I stopped making soap for safety reasons. You can imagine right. Tending a bar and shaking up cocktails, sure. Advantage, chick with the tremors.

So good to see you back, DP!! Missed you! I've been AWOL a lot lately, too. I fell and damaged the ulnar nerve. Finally agreed to surgery but it has been almost 2 months and feels no better. So I'm gonna suck it up and make soap anyway.

Soapy thing I've done today? Visit the forum for inspiration. The rest of the day will be spent in the garden. We have stormy weather headed this way, so gotta do the outside stuff first. On Monday I'll be labeling soap that has been curing for nearly a year.