I’ve been doing a lot of playing with soaps in the past couple of weeks. Here are three more. The first one is a cherry-scented soap. I took out a small portion of the soap mixture after it came to trace and mixed in red soap coloring.
Then I layered part of the plain soap mixture in the mold.
I wanted random streaks of red through the soap, so I drizzled in some of the red.
And more of the plain.
And more of the red.
And so on, until all the soap was in the mold.
And this is the result.
Then I made a soap with lemon pound cake fragrance, which was the base of my inspiration for how I wanted the soap to look–reminiscent of a pound cake. I divided the soap mixture in two parts. The bigger part of the soap mixture, I didn’t use any soap coloring (though it was colored some by the fragrance oil itself–some fragrance or essential oils will add color to soap, and some don’t) and I added about a teaspoon of dried lemon peel. I poured that part in the mold, then added some yellow soap coloring to the smaller part and poured that on top. I wanted to make an effect that was like how a loaf cake will rise in the center when it’s baked. Here, the soap is in the mold, tamped down, with a flat top.
I let the soap sit about five minutes, enough time to start setting and thickening some. Then I used a spoon to mound the soap up toward the middle, to recreate that “risen cake” center effect.
This is how it came out.
And then this one–my favorite, really. I think it’s so pretty. It’s a half and half milk soap–meaning, the bottom half of the mixture (to which I added ground oatmeal) is made with water, so that it will stay light and nearly white.
The top half is made with milk, and has pieces of oatmeal embedded in the top, which I pushed into the soap lightly, to make it stick, after putting it in the mold.
I’ve been making a lot of candles also, in matching scents.
I have four shelves full of product in the studio. I have workshops coming up the next three weekends in a row, then two more in a row after Thanksgiving, until I stop for the year in mid-December.
Winter is my season of (workshop) rest!
Note: I used the same recipe you can find here in my hot process tutorial, only I made these soaps with the cold process method.
cabynfevr says:
Someone asked but I never saw an answer… will you be selling soap by mail? I REALLY want some of the cherry!!
On November 4, 2015 at 11:26 am
Starfish says:
I recently purchased two of Suzanne’s soaps via mail, Sassafras and Honey & Clover. The scents are light and beautiful and the suds are wonderful (I love soaps that make nice suds). I highly recommend them! 🙂
On November 4, 2015 at 11:36 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
Thank you, Starfish! I do sell soap by mail. Email me at [email protected].
On November 4, 2015 at 11:42 am
GrammieEarth says:
You are making wonderful Patience Soaps 🙂 Maybe I need to try that route myself! Beautiful outcomes, as I hope for you…as always :heart: :moo:
Pam
On November 4, 2015 at 11:46 am
boulderneigh says:
Everything looks YUMMY! (I love-love-love homemade scented soaps and good ol’-fashioned terry washcloths.)
Your personal references went from “we” to “I”. I sure hope this doesn’t mean that the man who moved in wasn’t the perpetrator mentioned recently. :-/
On November 4, 2015 at 12:25 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Boulderneigh–NO! It was not! In fact, that incident involved a woman.
On November 4, 2015 at 12:38 pm
Minna says:
Have you ever tried silicone soap molds? You could make your soaps look like cup cakes! Or apples or ducks or…
On November 4, 2015 at 3:50 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Yes, I know about soap molds. I’m not into them. I find non-literal interpretations so much more interesting!
On November 4, 2015 at 4:12 pm
yvonnem says:
Your soaps are beautiful…looks like you could eat them! You have certainly come a long way from your first scary soap making post. Hoping all is well with you. :heart:
On November 4, 2015 at 7:17 pm
starmartin says:
You have been a very busy little beaver!!!
The soaps look great (almost good enough to eat!!)
Because of you, I want to practice, practice, practice making more soap.
Thanks for your posts.
Keep up the good work!!
On November 4, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Leck Kill Farm says:
I sincerely hope you are on your way to healing and so glad that you are ok. We were victims of a break-in that really was very minor yet it took me a very long time to get over the emotional damage. Not doubt it is much harder when it is violent physical crime.
But a woman?!?!? that is odd, sadly it is nearly always a male on female violence. I am ashamed to admit I am curious……you may material for another book once the dust settles……
On November 7, 2015 at 1:08 pm
boulderneigh says:
Oh, I’m so glad in wasn’t your man, Suzanne!
On November 9, 2015 at 1:10 pm