NEW SLATE SOAP DISHES...

...and new soap labels... 

right: a few soaps prior to being shipped out. i am finally pleased with the labels and wrapping. 

clockwise from top: lemon/black raspberry vanilla, lemon-calendula-ginger/camomile tea, harvest ale olive oil, cafe cocoa creme, spearmint-peppermint tea.

left: a brand new soap dish! hubby created them for me with beautiful slate. they each have drainage slats and holes, are footed to lift the dish off counter top- allowing air to circulate, and have a protective, sealed finish. some even have a few cute glass embellishments.  
thanks, hunny-buns! :)






notice the cute face cloth? my sis is crocheting some for my shop. they are really wonderful to lather up with, and have a gentle exfoliating quality. 
thanks, lizzy! :)

CARROT-HONEY-BUTTERMILK-ORANGE SOAP...

here it is, from fresh-out-of-the-mold, to nicely-cut bars. this soap has some pretty moisturizing qualities from the buttermilk and honey. scented lightly with sweet orange essential oil... it's a pretty color from the carrot juice. the carrot pulp adds to the softness of the bar, but as this soap cures, it will harden up quite a bit.

makes a nice complexion bar, and wonderfully mild for baby. READY: 2/20 

**SEE HOW IT WAS MADE BELOW...

CARROT-HONEY-BUTTERMILK-ORANGE SOAP...

+ tutorial...

have you ever wanted to learn how soap is made? i took pictures during this batches creation every step of the way. if you were ever curious about exactly what must take place before a pot of oils can successfully be turned into a useful bar of soap, read on...

the hard oils: palm and coconut. the liquid oils: olive, canola, castor. in the big pot, read for melt-down.

right: beginning to blend with the stick blender. i like to mix up the oils for a few seconds before adding the lye solution.

below: after adding the lye solution, (consisting of freshly juiced carrots, buttermilk and water, as well as lye) the mixture slowly begins to thicken. lye is essential for all soap making.. it simply will not turn into soap without it.

above: added honey, sweet orange essential oil and fresh carrot pulp.

                                                below: 3 stages of 'trace'... Light, Medium, Heavy.

to the left you can see the poured soap, in it's lined mold, ready to be covered with plastic wrap and placed carefully into an ice chest kept under my kitchen table. tomorrow morning i will unmold and cut.. stay tuned... :)

NEXT UP...

this week my olive oil was ordered... this is one of the main ingredients in my base oils for making my soaps. my pick up date had been moved back, and now i will be picking it up on saturday. my first soaping project on the list is

CARROT, HONEY, BUTTERMILK SOAP. 

i have been wanting to make this for some time. one of my very favorite soaps i've made in the past was the honey-buttermilk. and carrot would be a nice addition- especially since the carrot juice will be freshly made by me! i love using juices from fruits and veggies in my soaps, they have so many wonderful qualities that add to the already-natural, high quality you get when you use hand-crafted soaps. stay tuned for pictures to follow next week... in the mean time, i would love any suggestions you may have on soaps you'd like to see me create- and don't forget to tell me why!

thanks! i look forward to hearing from you!

on another note... 

if making soap is something that appeals to your crafty nature, then please check out this well-written article from a fellow blogger. here you will find 25 links from sites where supplies can be purchased, as well as sites that give you info on what to actually do with your supplies once they arrive! :) this gal did her research very carefully.. she even came up with a few that i'd never been to before! nice job, carolyn!

how to prevent a soggy mess in the bath...

as i'm awaiting the arrival of new base oils (which in turn awaits the arrival of some much needed greenbacks)... i wanted to post about something that's very important to hand-made soap makers- and users- even if they don't realize it (yet)... soap dishes.

self-draining soap dishes are an important part of your hand-made soaps life because the longer your soap sits in a puddle of water, the short it's life span becomes. as a matter of fact, water- although extremely important in the use of soap, is very harmful to the longevity of any type of soap. especially hand-made soap because without all the added chemicals (think: commercial soaps) to prolong the life of the bar,  your soaps will become a soggy, slimy mess. this is particularly disappointing if you have forked out the big bucks for some lovingly crafted bar of hand-made soap.

so! on that note, i want to show you a few beautiful examples of self-draining soap dishes that are handcrafted and rather inexpensive, that will aid in the extended life of your soap. some of my personal favorites, too. :)

1. splintsanddaisies makes this simple wood dish- and i think it's lovely! i especially appreciate how the rails on each side are slightly raised to keep your soap from sliding off the dish. at $4.99 each, you cannot miss with this little beauty. check out  their shop on etsy.com.

2. dressgreen is another beautiful example of a simple wooden dish. i just love this one in particular. please check out their etsy shop.
















3. the brick yard makes a cute ceramic dish. a bit pricer than it's wooden counterparts, but too cute not to mention! i love the innovative 2-piece design. looks very durable, too. check them out!














 4. granddar makes spectacular marble and flagstone dishes- i just love these!! and the prices are reasonable, too. check out her impeccable work(wo)manship! $10. each.

well, these are but a few examples... but hopefully it will give you a good idea how to elevate your soap above the water in a fashionable way. for many more beautiful handmade soap dishes, as well as all sorts of other hand-crafted goodies, search for yourself on etsy.com. :)

by the way...
sometimes i am asked which type of soap dish i use. well, i don't use any of these! i made my own by adding marbles to a deep bowl-type dish. this keeps the soap above any accumulated water, as well as allowing air to circulate around the soap. every once in a while, i simply remove the soap, rinse the marbles right in their dish, hold the marbles in place while i tip it over to drain, and replace the soap. :) see...

easy, cheap and does the trick!

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS CUPCAKE SOAP...

i made this small batch last night... 

the dark portion is scented with vanilla and cocoa powder, while the top has real peppermint sugar crystals- which will wash away after a few uses, but can be used to exfoliate and soften rough areas, too. i have 18 large bars- and they will be ready for use 12/22, 

after they've cured a bit. 

aren't they pretty? :)

(note: the bottom will continue to darken over time due to the vanilla.) 

LEMON with CHAMOMILE -GINGER TEA & CALENDULA SOAP...

i made this soap last night at the same time i made the mint tea soap... it's a 4 lb batch- smells like fresh lemons- because it has pulverized Meyer lemons throughout! pretty calendula petals top off each heartily-cut bar. chamomile and calendula are wonderfully gentle and skin softening, which makes this soap good for every body! makes a beautiful gift, too. :)

ready after dec 21.

SPEARMINT-PEPPERMINT TEA SOAP....

just unmolded and cut, this soap is made with spearmint essential oil and peppermint tea, and boy does it smell refreshing! 

will be ready for use dec 21

LAVENDER-ROSE-VIOLET CREME SOAP...

ready to use after Nov. 28.

this is my newest batch of 25% olive oil soap... Lavender-Rose-Violet Creme. made with coconut milk, lavender essential oil and roses & violets fragrance oil- with lavender buds on the tops, it has a very nice, light floral scent. i am really pleased with how the coloring turned out. each bar is huge- almost 6 oz. but the bars will shrink a little due to water evaporation as they cure. 

LEMON-WILD RASPBERRY SOAP...

made with fresh, pulverized Meyer lemons & wild raspberry tea. this soap is fresh smelling, big on lather, and oh yeah, it leaves your skin soft and sweet! containing 25% olive oil, its great for all your body parts... and the herbal tea gently exfoliates, too.  

ready: November 25.

CAFE-COCOA CREME SOAP...

freshly cut, and on the curing rack... these bars are the first from my new log mold (thanks, julie!). made from freshly brewed French Roast *bucks- double strength, fresh ground coffee for exfoliation, cream & Ghirardelli's dark cocoa powder... a wonderful combination for cleansing kitchen odors (think: fish, onions, garlic) off your hands, all-the-while moisturizing your skin and leaving a nice yummy scent! what more could you ask for at the kitchen sink? :)

each bar is a hefty 5+ ounces... 
ready: 11/23

new wooden soap mold...

i have always wanted a nice wood loaf mold, and now i have one! i bought it at candles and woodcrafts, and couldn't be happier. they have many choices of styles and finishes, and the prices cannot be beat anywhere. if you are a soapmaker and are in need of a new mold- log/loaf style or slab, please give julie a holler.

HONEYED-OATMEAL BUTTERMILK SOAP... the pictures.

this is the cut bar from the batch i made last night. 

it smells of orange and almond... like a warm breakfast bowl! yum!! Ready 10/30

*********************************************************************************************

REMEMBER TO KEEP ALL YOUR HAND-CRAFTED SOAP 

OUT OF WATER FILLED SOAP DISHES!

for some very cool, hand-made soap dishes that compliment 

your soap nicely, click here.

HONEYED-OATMEAL BUTTERMILK SOAP...

this soap was just made.. so you will have to wait until tomorrows posting to view the finished product, but here it is, right before being put to bed in the ice cooler. ingredients are yummy, and i have to say, my entire house smells so wonderful right now! in addition to making the soap, i had some orange-iced cinnamon rolls baking in the oven that i embellished just a bit (just for fun, pictures to follow!)

the soap:

HONEY: to moisturize the skin. adds a mild but wonderfully sweet scent.

OATMEAL: soothing, especially to irritated skin.

BUTTERMILK: extra moisturizing qualities, you skin will drink it up.

other goodies included are brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and      almond & orange essential oils.    i topped it all off with oatmeal and dried orange peel granules.

the cinnamon buns: 

i buy pillsbury orange cinnamon rolls. preheat the oven and melt about 1 tablespoon in a pie plate to melt. sprinkle walnuts and brown sugar all over melted butter. place rolls over that. bake according to directions. when done, place plate over top of pie plate, invert. drizzle with orange icing. i like to leave the icing on the stove while they are baking to warm them up; they drizzle nicely. sprinkle chocolate chips over all before serving if you like. i personally forgot to do this. 

whoops, sorry hunny! :)

BUTTERMILK PUMPKIN SPICE SOAP...

well i finally got around to making a fresh batch of soap thursday evening... and i'm so glad i did! fall is in the air and nothing represents it better than pumpkin! this 4 lb batch is made with loads of pumpkin, creamy buttermilk and pumpkin pie spice. the color and scent is all natural, and it smells yummy! when its fully cured in 4 weeks, it will be nice and creamy- and will make your skin soft. i love making all vegan soaps, but i have to admit that i also love using buttermilk for it's skin softening properties. 

ready on Halloween! :)

a mommy first...

As much as i love love love making/selling/sniffing/using/dreamingupnewsoap- i love my babies more. by 'babies' i mean my daughters. i have two. and in 3 weeks, our youngest will be moving away for 2 (or more) years! where is she going, you ask? she is leaving all her friends and family, all that she has known, loved and found comfort in, to live in San Francisco- in the Tenderloin District- doing missionary work with YWAM- Youth With A Mission. You see, she hooked-up with YWAM back in September of '08- serving 5 months- 2 of which were spent overseas in Vietnam and Thailand. She loves the street people of San Francisco, however, and upon her return, she applied for a staff position- and was accepted! Her heart is so geared toward loving these 'unlovable' people that she sold her car, quit her job (after working as long as she could, saving her earnings) and is moving up there. This is not a paid position! She needs to be fully funded to do the Lords work- being the hands and feet of God- something that most of us would not want to do, sadly enough, me included! We are so proud of her. If you have a heart for helping people but cannot leave it all behind to go live where the need is- perhaps you will consider helping another way? Carrianne has a blog set up- please go visit her there- on the blog you will find info on ways to support her. Also you can view what she did during her last missionary excursion- both in the city of SF and South East Asia. Most importantly, she will need prayer support! This is not the best of locations to send our precious daughter! Yet it is where her Heavenly Father is calling her to go- where the neediest of souls reside! If you are unfamiliar with the Tenderloin District of San Francisco, I strongly suggest you perform a google search, you will see what I'm talking about! Go to the blog, sign up for email updates and watch as God moves in her life, and in the lives of those she touches. Watch the next few weeks- new activity will be posted- and please pray for our baby girl!

Thank you!!! In Jesus' name, Christine

soap favors, the next stage...

_____________
well i finally finished making, cutting and curing all the guest-sized soaps for wedding favors. today i began the task of labeling and packaging- 100, out of the 200 i need to have completed by june 5th. these particular soaps will be coupled with a business-card size refrigerator magnet- instead of the usual printed ribbon. i wanted the favors to be special, since the young woman getting married is so very special to me- so i had Vista Print print up some magnets that i designed right on their website- as a keepsake! along with the soap, which will eventually (and hopefully) get used up, they compliment each other nicely. they are all tucked into an ivory-colored organza drawstring bag. later, we will tie a small twig of manzanita branch and they will be ready to give!

here's 100 bars laid out, before & after labeling...


here's 60 in their bags, boxed up.
_____

more BAMBOO & HEMP, but with a twist...

i chunked up some of my green-swirled bamboo/hemp soap that were cut too small for favors, and made a big fresh batch to add them to. i think they turned out really pretty, don't you?
______________

another batch of wedding favor soap...

This is a lovely Black-Raspberry Vanilla scented soap with a purple swirl. Wild raspberry tea added for a scrubby effect- and extra glycerin to moisturize. Each bar weighs in at approx. 1.85 oz- that's a good-sized sample that will last for several showers. Smells heavenly! Can't wait to label and wrap all these bars up in their beautiful cream-colored organza bags!
______________

New soap... HEMP & BAMBOO WITH MINT...

I made 4 lbs of soap yesterday for wedding favors for our daughters best friends upcoming wedding. This is a hemp oil, bamboo (fresh, clean scent) bar. I swirled a fresh green color, and added Moroccan Mint Herbal tea throughout for a gentle scrubby effect. I am very happy with it. It's the first batch of 5 total batches for this event.

And now for something completely different...

I love shopping on Etsy. Have you heard of Etsy? It's a wonderful online experience for shoppers and sellers- and the best part is, it's all handmade goodies! It's really an amazing place, so much so that time seems to simply vanish whenever I go there. You can search for things a variety of ways, including location, color & categories (more than you can imagine, probably). Jewelry, clothing, housewares, furniture, fun and whimsical stuff- the talent here is astounding.
Oh, and I would like to personally recommend a few of my favorites from time to time- starting with a little shop of gorgeously-made crocheted hats, scarves and such, called Creative Hook. Here's a sampling of her amazing work- and she custom-made it for me in less than a week! Please go on over and have a look- you won't be disappointed in Creative Hook!

HARD AS STONE...

I am a wimp when it comes to being cold. I am not used to the chilly weather here on the
Central Coast of sunny California! Of course, it does get cold but usually not this cold. And I made a big boo-boo. Not anticipating this weather way-back in August, I moved my big 50 lb boxes of oils out to the detached garage. I had pre-filled several plastic pitchers with the appropriately-weighed amounts of each of my soaping oils- Coconut, Palm, Olive and Canola. Now I used up my last pitcher and have been dreading hauling everything outside, into the freezing-cold storage room. But I bundled up, loaded up and out I went. After carefully pulling out ALL the boxes, setting up my pitchers, weight chart, scale and large metal spoon & ladle, I opened the first box; coconut oil. Or should I say 'coconut brick'. This stuff was completely impenetrable. :( Oh how I wished I had poured it all into jugs way-back-when, in the warm summer months. I don't know what to do now. Any suggestions? Am I overlooking a completely logical way of removing very precise measures of my oils, now that they are in this frightful state? Help!!

Angels...

These little glycerin goats milk cherubs and angel hearts have gilded wings. Scented with maple sugar fragrance, the soaps are pretty to display, lovely to smell and give a wonderfully rich lather. Goats milk is skin-pampering and gentle to all skin types , too.

Christmas Vanilla Cupcake Soap!

VANILLA CUPCAKE SOAP

I finally made soap!! woohooo!!..

This is a new batch of Hot Process/Crock Pot soap. Superfatted with Castor Oil (for loads of lather), Glycerin (very moisturizing) and Shea Butter with Aloe (skin loving emollient), this is a sweet-smelling treat in the bath or shower. Would make a wonderful gift all by itself, these bars are a generous 5+ ounces each. Ready to use now, because the HP method eliminates cure time, but the bar will get harder- which prolongs the soaps life- as it sits another week or two. I added candy sprinkles to the top, but those will wash away with the first use... looks pretty though! The vanilla will eventually turn this creamy-colored soap brown, but that's the color of vanilla beans anyway, and I think it will still look lovely! :) Enjoy. For sale tomorrow on at the shop.

THERE'S A WINNER!!!

I have come to a decision. After careful consideration of all the entries (5, to be exact!), my first choice for my favorite new soap idea is....

Vanilla Cupcake Soap! Thanks for this great suggestion, Princess Nikki, I can't wait to make this and send you 3 big bars! Contact me to leave your mailing address, but it will be several weeks (for curing of the soap), but pics will be posted ASAP.

I also have a runner-up...
Angela with her suggestion of Swirly Chocolate -Peppermint Soap!
Please contact me to leave your mailing address, you will receive 2 bars when this is done! Thanks for giving me this great soap idea!

Ok, now since I started this to get new soap ideas in the first place, I wanted to let everyone that contributed ideas know that I loved all of your suggestions. I will be making all of them eventually, over the next few months and would love to send you a bar of 'your soap'... for free!

Thanks everyone. It's been great fun for me!
I will post each and every new soap as they are made. ~ Christine