The Elemental Swirl - Challenge #2

I would really like to thank Amy Warden of  Great Cakes Soapworks for being generous enough with her time to create these challenges once again this year.  It is fun to try new techniques I may not otherwise have tried.

This week is the Elemental Swirl.  What's interesting about this one is that you are combining two techniques, both of which I've done in the past.  I also learned that I need to let my soap set up a bit more before doing the ITP (in the pot) swirl in order to avoid 'mud'.  All righty then - now comes some decisions.

First I needed to decide what elements I wanted represented in this soap.  So very many options.  Finally I decided to make this personal and a friend directed me to a quiz which determines your Element and I came up as Air, so that would be my top layer.  So what should my second be?  Since I am a Sagittarius which is a Fire sign that became my second element.  Next was trying to decide what scent was going to represent both elements.  Hmmm well there was a dilemma.  I needed something that was going to behave to allow me time to work and spices are not known to play nice.  Okay so the spices were ruled out, or were they?  What if I added them to the other scents I wanted, maybe it would behave then?  Air was easier for me as I always think of air as fresh, bright and carrying the scent of flowers on its breeze.  Here is what I came up with:

• Lavender
• Rosemary
• Spearmint
• Black Pepper (for heat)
• Menthol (cold heat) - just a titch of this one
• Lilac fragrant oil

I am now ready to go.  For the fire portion I chose Bordeaux & Romantic Rose micas with FD&C Red #40.  Air received Dark Blue (morphed to a greeny tone) & Cornflower Blue micas plus Ultramarine Blue.  I used cocoa powder for the dark line, but I didn't use quite enough...

Now for the reveal......

In the log is the wet soap.

Another in the log shot.

Here you can see what it looks like prior to cutting showing the two layers - kinda.

All cut and ready to go onto the curing rack....

Amy this was a lot of fun and I look forward to our next challenge.  Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this.  For those of you that missed the link above to go to Amy's Blog please, click HERE.

For those of you who would like to purchase one of these bars they will be ready at the end of the month.

Tiger Stripe Soap Challenge

Amy Ward of Great Cakes Soapworks has generously started another round of challenges to soapmakers and I have joined this year for trying different different swirling techniques in soap.  Here is where you can see Amy's video on how to do this technique.  Before I go any further I would really like to thank Amy for doing these Challenges as it allows all of us to try new things.

So our first challenge is the Tiger Stripe.  As most of you know I love Pink so I decided to do Pink & Black for my colours, nice high contrast.  Everything was going according to plan, got the pink to where I wanted it, the black was a lovely deep black and then I added the fragrance.  It left the pink gorgeous but it morphed into a lovely grey, I loved it!

Now comes the pour.  I decided to leave this at a fairly thin trace in order to make sure it didn't get too thick.  I used a well behaved fragrance so I knew it wouldn't make it move too fast (Energy).  Unfortunately, it was too thin so the first part of the pour was not quite what I was going for.  By the middle of the loaf it had gone to where I wanted it to be.  At the end, well it was too thick, of course.  But I soldiered on, I wasn't going to let mere soap best me and I did my normal top with lots of glitter.

Now the wait was on.  What was this going to look like when I unmoulded it and cut?  How bad was it?  Here I am, am experienced soapmaker, fussing like a newby about what was inside the soap.  It's amazing what a challenge will do to you! 

It's now tomorrow, I can open up the present that is my soap.  Oh heaven this is as exciting as Christmas except there was some trepidation involved.  I lift it out of its mould, good so far, unwrap the soap, hmmmm maybe a little soft yet.  Should I wait?  Nah..  I pull out the cutter, prepare the soap to go in and slice!

Here is what I found!

I am pleased and this was fun so I will be doing this again.

Amy, thank you for the learning opportunity.  I look forward to the next challenge.....

To see all of the participants take a look at Amy's Blog HERE

Still Settling In

I am still settling in and figuring out all the ins and outs of blogging.  I decided to use Blogger in order to create a blog that will be easy to follow and find.

So here I sit, in front of the computer trying to decide what to post today.

On March 15th we celebrated our 3rd anniversary and I realized that even after 3 years this business continues to evolve, just as a child does.  Three years ago I wouldn't have believed what Malaspina Soap Factory has achieved.  I started out wanting to make a simple soap; one that be contain this and that, but not that and the other thing.  I've discovered I like this, that and the other thing, and so do my customers.  I have discovered that people respond when you are passionate about something; they will understand when your belief system is not their's if you respect where their path is taking them too.

The one thing that has not changed in the 3 years of business is requiring the best quality ingredients.  Through this undying and unchanging requirement I have been able to design 3 totally different lines of soap.  One satisfies my need to honour those who have come before me, to the homesteaders in my family who believed, and still do, that you don't waste anything, that you treat the land with respect thanking it for what it provides you.  I am fortunate enough to have been able to churn butter, milk a cow and get the eggs. There were some things I was just too much a city girl to handle, but my grandparents still insisted I experience them at least once. For them I developed my homesteader line of products which has tallow, lanolin, egg, goat milk, all types of dairy and most of all, respect.

After that we remember that not everyone shares our lifestyle choices and for them I developed a line respecting the beliefs of those who prefer to not have animal products in their soaps.  And then for those that wish to take it one step further I have created the Savon de Naturelle line of soaps.  This product line is created using vegetable oils & fruit butters as well as infused oils, herbs, botanicals, & clays to create colour.  Essential Oils to create a beautiful scent.

I do know that I can't please everyone, but oh man, I am going to try.

I must also say that there have been so very many people who have inspired me.  Other soap makers have inspired me from day one and helped me discover that I can push out of the box because of the other side of that self-imposed wall are so many new ways of thinking, creating and doing.

Hmmm, this is beginning to sound like a thank you speech.... perhaps it is.  As I move forward with this blog, I will tell you what I created, how I made it and I promise, lots of pictures.  We'll talk about different products that I offer from humble castille (100% Olive Oil) soaps to shampoos and all the way to shaving products.  I hope you'll visit often, make suggestions and ask questions.

C'ya soon!