Barrs By The Bay

a few new soaps for 2011...

2011-01-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

lately i've been making soap again- and i realized just how much i've missed it! hopefully it won't be so long between these and the next batch...

1. first up: BUTTERMILK-HONEY BABY BEE SOAP.

i am usually hesitant to refer to this as a baby soap only because its wonderful as a face soap, too! actually, any person can use this as an all-over soap and find that it leaves a very soft, delicate honey scent. the buttermilk- as well as the honey- adds to the moisturizing qualities, and as with all of my soaps, the naturally-occurring glycerin attracts moisture to the skin, leaving it very soft.

don't forget, hand made soaps must be able to drain after each use, to prevent a soggy mess and extend the life of the soap.


all wrapped up for gift-giving. :)

2. next up: BERRY-VANILLA GREEN TEA SOAP.

this one has black raspberry vanilla scent, along with a fresh brewed pot of blueberry green tea! so as you can see, it's got quite a bit of 'berry' scent going on! but it's not overpowering, and the green tea gives this soap some anti-oxidant qualities, too.

3. MAPLE, BROWN SUGAR, CINNAMON.
* with shea butter, and Mission St. Ale!


people often tell me that they want to take a bite out of my soap- well if ever i were to do that, this is the bar i'd bite! smells absolutely delish! reminds me of hot waffles smothered with maple syrup! but alas, it's just a wonderful bar of soap! the ale is more than a novelty; it makes for a rich, bubbly lather. this soap is a great 'man's' soap, but of course like all of my soaps, they are great for anyone who has skin! ;) enjoy, but please- don't eat!

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and now i wanted to show you how cute my stocking-stuffer Christmas Soaps turned out...


the soaps were Christmas Cookie with Shea Butter. little colored sprinkles topped each bar, as well as a row in the center, shown here -> -> ->


they looked so cute wrapped up in the cello bags, tied with a wee bit of candy! so fitting.

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and one more thing....

my daughter Carrianne was home for the weekend and she wanted to try making her own soap...

so, i present to you for your viewing pleasure:

NEW YEARS PARTY SOAP

with SHEA BUTTER AND BEER!


i must say, for a 'newbie' she did a wonderful job! scented with spice of the forest and loaded with creamy, luxurious shea butter, and topped with sprinkles- for that party in the shower feel, this is one nice bar. not for sale, she got 'em all! good job, daughter! <3

FRESH CLOVER, BARLEY GRASS & ALOE W/ SHEA BUTTER SOAP...

2010-08-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

i have made this soap many times before, and each time i do, i think 'this is my favorite soap ever!'.

the fresh, green fragrance is so uplifting, and the shea butter makes for a

super luxurious, creamy lather.

i've been told that this soap cleared up a young friends acne, too,

and that makes me happy!

this soap was made the hot-process way, in a small 4 lb batch.

i have 16 large bars and they will be ready after august 24th.

;)

CHOCOLATE CREME SOAP...

2010-08-04T01:38:00.000-07:00

 CHOCOLATE-CREME SOAP...

this is one fragrant soap! 

 not turning out exactly as i had hoped, this soap is still very nice, although beauty is not it's strongest feature! each bar is huge, and filled with cocoa powder, cream and loads of shea butter. i just washed with an end-cut and can tell you that you will love this bar- and some- i'm not naming names- WILL be tempted to take a bite. 
go ahead! a little soap never hurt anyone. just ask my kids! 
;)

made the hot process way, this soap is safe to use now, but will need some time to harden up a bit- will last a lot longer, too.

15 extra-large bars, ready for sale after august 13th

TROPICAL CITRUS-BERRY SPLASH...

2010-08-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

this is my newest soap... made yesterday, it's got a certain *famous* tanning oil scent! also has wild raspberry tea (for light exfoliation) and a dried orange segment on top.

a pretty blue 'splash' of color, too.

it's a great lathering soap, and leaves your skin really soft! that's because the hand-made soap process retains all the natural forming glycerin- unlike commercial soaps, which remove the glycerin. that's why they dry your skin out.

these large, 5.5 oz bars were made the hot-process way, so as soon as they

harden up a bit, they will be available for sale.

ready august 10th.

MILK & HONEY W/ OATMEAL AND ALMOND...

2010-07-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

warm and inviting, meet...

MILK & HONEY W/ OATMEAL AND ALMOND

this soap smells fantastic! so glad i made a 4 lb batch... it's made with milk and lots of sweet local honey. i also added finely ground oatmeal and scented with bitter almond essential oil. the entire house smells just like freshly baked oatmeal cookies! super creamy, highly moisturizing, great for problem skin... you will love this soap! i have 16 extra-large bars- most are almost 6 ozs!

made the hot process way, this soap is ready now, but i will let it cure for a week also, just to let it harden up a bit. don't forget to allow your handcrafted soaps to completely air dry between use, keeping them out of standing water, to prolong their life and prevent a sad, soggy mess.

GREEN TEA, BAMBOO & HEMP SOAP...

2010-07-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

presenting...

GREEN TEA, BAMBOO & HEMP W/ SHEA BUTTER

a sweet lady brought me a wonderful green tea from Japan. i made a triple-strength brew and used that exclusively in this small 2 lb batch. i added shea butter for a very moisturizing, creamy lather, and some additional green tea powder for a little exfoliation. it's scented with bamboo & hemp, so this is a very 'green' smelling soap- in more ways than one! i'm very happy with this soap- although i only have 8 chunky bars - approx. 5 oz. each.

made the hot process way, this soap is ready now, but i will let it cure for a week, just to harden it up a bit. :)

NEW SLATE SOAP DISHES...

2010-01-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

...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...

2010-01-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-01-19T00:31:00.000-08:00

+ 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...

2010-01-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-12-29T12:06:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-11-23T10:42:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-11-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

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....

2009-11-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-10-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-10-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-10-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-10-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-10-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

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

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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...

2009-10-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-10-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

_____________
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...

2009-05-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

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?
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another batch of wedding favor soap...

2009-05-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-01-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-01-08T15:08:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-18T12:58:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-05T22:18:00.004-08:00

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

WHO WILL THE WINNER BE? ...

2008-11-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's been a while since this contest began, and I had 5 suggestions- all of which I loved. I will list them here and will let the winner know by Friday. Soap making begins on Saturday, so please check back.

#1- Liz said: Sandalwood-Vetivert-Patchouli & Baby Powder-Good & Plenty

#2- Starla said: "Snow"- Peppermint & Sugar

#3- Princess Nikki said: Sugary-Vanilla Cupcake Bar & Burning Wood (campfire, perhaps?)

#4- Angela said: Swirly Chocolate & Peppermint

#5- Janet said: Tropical Plumeria, Mango, Hibiscus

I also had two other suggestions for Eggnog & Rum and Chocolate Orange.

Thanks, everyone for taking the time to participate. These were all great ideas! I'll keep ya posted... ~Christine

CONTEST!

2008-11-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

I need new ideas!
Do you have an idea for a special soap? A favorite scent, design, special ingredient or quality you are looking for? Here's how the contest will go.... From now until October 15th*, leave your ideas in the reviews (comment) section of this posting only (below this post). Then, during the week of October 16 through October 22*, I will pick my favorite idea... or two, or three! If I pick your idea, I will make that soap, post about it with pictures and your name as the winner, and you will receive 2 big bars of that soap! Remember your comment has to be on this posting only.
Please include your name, email address (I will need to contact you if you win, right?) and the name of your suggested soap idea.

OK, let the contest begin! :)
_______________________________________________________________

* UPDATE!
Ok, I have noticed that not too many lookers (lurkers?) are entering my contest! :(
So! to make things a bit more interesting, I am giving the winner three (3) big bars of soap! But there's a catch... you've got to tell your fellow bloggers to enter in this contest! I will keep it going until the 31st of October, and will pick the winner during the first week of November.
Ok, now, here we go again... :)

** UPDATE #2!
another contest, unrelated to this one, except for it's at the shop of a fellow believer and fellow etsy artesian! check out the beautiful prints at her etsy shop, then go to her blog and comment there.

And remember, this is the last week for my soap contest... hint, hint ;)

what about new soap?...

2008-10-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

i have been out of it. i feel so bad about not making any soap for so long, but i have been sick for 6 weeks and just haven't had the desire to do anything, much less make soap. recurring UTI's and upper respiratory infections aren't fun, but please don't give up on me, i love making soap and WILL return! :)

i will keep my commitment to the contest, however, even though i didn't get too many replies. the ones i did get are great enough, though and i am excited about choosing a winner and making soap once again! a few new ideas stirring, too. contest is still open, so please- no matter where you are, you can participate. it will be fun! i had someone suggest 'eggnog soap' which i thought was a terrific idea, but she didn't post it to the blog, so i can't include it in the contest. anyway, just wanted to update this in case anyone was wondering. im still breathin'!

FESTIVAL NEWS...

2008-09-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

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Well, my first ever festival has come and gone. It really was quite an experience. I met so many wonderful people, learned so much about what people like (and don't like) and had lots of fun. I invited all my customers to come, but only got 3 shows! We planned on selling out... ha! so I brought over 360 bars of soap. I wound up selling about 140 bars, several soap dishes and gave away a few freebies too.
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Lots of people stopped by to say how wonderful the booth smelled, and how beautiful it looked, so that was very encouraging. Also, I think people just like sniffing soaps much more than anything else, because I had lots of sniffers.
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And about half were men, so this is certainly not just a female thing! Even kids. All in all, it was a fun day. It went super-fast... setup, tear-down. Just all a breeze.
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I wanted to say THANKS A MILLION to Ginny and Catrina for their phenomenal help!
Boy, these girls stayed all day (one with a gorgeous baby!) and helped bring in some sales (Ginny's the hard-sell, not my strong point, but she sure has a knack!).
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And Gary, my hunny-buns... he was a great help, loaded, unloaded, and everything else in between, all without complaining. And he stayed the distance too. Love that guy! And to my other great gal-pals for showing up (yes, even bought some soap), Marianne G with hubby D, Cherie', Jo'elle and Granny... your support means so much to me! And a very special thank you to Cheryl W for her work on my banner... it turned out great!

Thanks, Ladies! Love you guys! :)

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STRAWBERRY-ORANGE AMBROSIA GLYCERIN SOAP...

2008-09-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

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I made this batch earlier today, a small 2-pounder. Half is strawberry and the other half is sweet orange. It's made from goats milk and olive oil glycerin, which lathers richly and washes off clean. Each bar is beautiful in scent and color... opaque and translucent chunks thoughout, it will leave your skin soft and beautifully lightly scented!

For sale this weekend at the event, there's only 8 large, 5 ounce bars available.

Will make more upon request. $5.00 each.

ORANGE-ORANGE-ORANGE SOAP...

2008-09-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, I could have come up with a better name, but seriously, this title doesn't even come close to what it really should be, which is Orange-Orange-Orange-ORANGE! :) It's made with orange juice, sweet orange essential oil, dried orange peel inside and of course the lovely dried orange slices on top. It does smell divine, if I do say so myself! This is another batch of HPCP soap, so in another week or so, it will be ready to use. The bars are all big- 5-6 ounces on average. I think this is a winner, and it's making my house smell so fresh and lively- definitely over shadowing all the other soapy smells in here- which is a LOT!
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GOOD CLEAN SOAP...

2008-09-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Another hot-process crockpot soap, you ask? Yes! It's so much fun, I think I've found my niche!
Good Clean Soap is UN-colored, UN-scented... just soap. Pictured here on my newest acquisition: Pine Soap Decks. These little babies will keep my soaps nice and dry. They are self-draining, and oiled for a beautiful natural finish that won't interfere with the beauty of the soap. Made by Cottonwood Herbals, I will be selling them at my festival this month.

The ingredients list is as follows:

Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Castor Oil (makes lots of lather!),
Glycerin (super moisturizer!) and Shea Butter w/Aloe Vera. All NATURAL. All VEGAN.
Great for all ages and all skin types.

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New biz cards, too! Cute, eh? :) And HPCP soap cooking.
Thought it looked too interesting not to shoot.
Ready: NOW

PUMPKIN PIE SPICE SOAP BARS...

2008-09-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Freshly baked pumpkin pie scented the whole house- inside and out- last night. Wonderful aroma, soft and creamy, this batch has real pumpkin puree in the mix, as well as all the yummy spices you'd put in a real pumpkin pie.
Made with the oils of coconut, palm, canola and olive, it's pure vegan.

This soap is brand new and ready to use. Why? Because I made it the hot-process way. No need to cure, although a week of sitting to harden up further would prolong it's life.

LOSING MY BABY...

2008-08-31T00:18:00.000-07:00

Now I know this stuff isn't soap related, but it's near and dear to my heart... and since I'm prepping for the upcoming festival, other things are occupying my mind too. Carrianne is leaving for her 6 month YWAM trip in 2 weeks! I'm really excited for her, but I am sad, too. This place is sure going to be quiet without her around... sniff-sniff... Please read her blog to find out more info, and please pray for her and her empty-nester old-folks. Thanks!

An amazing day!

2008-08-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

If you have been following the story of Connor and his family at connorwatch.org, then you should know about the amazing day they all had yesterday. Please keep praying for this wonderful, Godly family. We are truly blessed to know them and we know you will be blessed, too. God is doing something so totally awesome here...
Click here to read about why this handsome, red-haired young man is smiling! :)

RUSTIC APPLE-ORCHARD SOAP...

2008-08-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

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I made this newest batch Monday night... I think it has a rustic appearance and scent. Made with apple juice and Tazo Red Apple Tea for scrub-ability power, it's a lovely, mild apple fragrance that's reminiscent of times gone by. Cut by hand in various sizes to suit most tastes, each bar is anywhere from 3.5 oz. to a hefty 6 oz. chunk.

Ready September 20th, just in time for the festival!

ORANGE-CUCUMBER-MINT SOAP...

2008-08-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

I made this last night and I really like it... made with essential oils, bits of dried orange peel and spearmint from the garden, it's pretty, it's mild and it gently exfoliates... what more can you ask for in a soap?! :)
Ready 9/13
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OATMEAL, ALMOND, HONEY & CINNAMON SWIRL- OH MY! SOAP...

2008-08-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

This beautiful and delish smelling batch was created last Saturday, and I'm very happy with it. Gentle and loaded with skin-loving goodies, it's almost good enough to eat. Oatmeal has been used for soothing irritated skin, and honey gives an extra boost of moisture. I also used coconut milk for a creamy lather. The almond oil adds to it's already-divine scent and the cinnamon contributes a spicy kick as well as a beautiful warm-brown swirl.
I love this soap and will most likely add it to my regulars... needs a shorter name though! :)

Starla's Candlemaking Best Picks Blog...

2008-08-11T23:17:00.001-07:00

Wow! I was featured on Starla's Blog and I couldn't be happier! She said some really kind things about a few of my bars and I'm so touched. Please check out this blog, as she writes about- and features all things hand-crafted... as she puts it- "My pick of the best places on the web to go to for candle, crafts, instructions and some fine "mom and pop" wholesale shops. "
Have fun exploring her site! Thanks, Starla!

TROPICAL FLOWER SOAP...

2008-07-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

I just finished 2 new batches of soap, but only have pics of one... the Tropical Flower Soap (it's current name).
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So, this is what it looked like right before I packed it up to insulate for the next 24 hrs... if you can figure out what the design is, maybe I'd consider changing the name to suit it. It was SUPPOSED to be called Hawaiian Flower and those starfish-like thingys on top were supposed to be Pikaki flowers. Pikaki flowers are the beautiful white flowers with delicate yellow centers that are used to make leis. I, however, have never been to Hawaii... so that's my excuse as to why these do not resemble Pikaki flowers, hence the name change! Regardless of the look, they do smell of Pikaki flowers and that's a good thing! I will post more pictures once the bars are cut. This soap also contains coconut milk and shea & aloe butter, for an extra moisturizing wash.

The other soap I made, which I will also post tomorrow, is a soap for the guys... Mississippi Mud Beer Soap. Yes, it's made with beer, and it's a strong one, too. It's also got a beautiful essential oil blend of bergamot and grapefruit.. yum! I will cut these extra large. Can't wait to see 'em! Stay tuned...

LEMON-MINT SOAP...

2008-07-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

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This is a brand-new batch of cold processed soap I made yesterday morning. The base is a lovely lemon with peppermint & spearmint herbal tea inside. The top has mint-shaped 'leaves', scented with spearmint essential oil. This soap smells so wonderful! It would make a terrific kitchen soap, but also would be a great 'anywhere' soap, too! :)
Ready August 14th.
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SOME NEW GLYCERIN BARS...

2008-07-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

Since I have to increase my stock of soaps for the fair, and have a wide variety, too, I decided to make some new, small-batch glycerin soaps. So, first up... Honey-Ambrosia.
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This is a variation on the 'Rick's Soap', and goes well with my other 'ambrosia' soaps, which I will have in abundance at the craft fair. It's made with creamy goats milk, olive oil and honey. I also am using a newer brand of soap bases and I like them so much better. Plus I have added chunks of honey soap throughout. I think they are pretty, smell faintly of sweet honey, and as soap, they are lovely!
Next, Ocean-Rain & Hemp.
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This is made from a hemp-oil glycerin and scented with a beautiful ocean scent... I searched for this after a day at the beach, in Monterey several weeks ago. I am pleased with how similar this fragrance smells like the ocean! Next is an upgrade from a soap I used to make... this one is called Spearmint-Olive Oil & Aloe.
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Made with an extremely rich and creamy olive oil base, with added aloe vera gel, and scented with pure spearmint essential oil- very invigorating!
Lastly, Mango-Passionfruit & Yuzu Grapefruit.
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The base of this soap is a mango butter glycerin, scented with yummy, citrus-y yuzu, which is a Japanese grapefruit that smells divine. I also added the contents of Mango-Passionfruit herbal tea, to aid in scrubbing power. This, too is a very nice, fragrant soap. I happy. :)

HONEY-BUTTERMILK BABY SOAP...

2008-07-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

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This is a brand-new batch of soap for my upcoming craft fair in September. It's a baby soap made with buttermilk and a good dose of honey. It smells wonderfully sweet from the honey, and is a beautiful golden color. Honey is safe for sensitive and irritated skin, brings moisture to the skin and leaves it wonderfully nourished and supple. Buttermilk is also very nourishing and gentle... perfect for baby, but mommy can use it, too!
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In the works are two additional baby soaps... one with added lavender and the other calendula.

Pictures coming soon.

Some additional interesting information on honey in bath and beauty products:

Honey contains glucose, fructose, minerals - magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron, copper, zinc, vitamins B1, B2, B5, B3. Natural honey is very beneficial to the skin as it has the ability to attract water and to nourish the skin deeply. Honey is also a natural antiseptic as it contains many antimicrobial agents that kill bacteria immediately.
(from ladyms.com)

WHERE HAVED YOU BEEN????

2008-07-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

I have had a few people remind me that I haven't done much lately on this blog, and yes, it's true. I have had some life issues get in the way, and it's easy to get distracted! But I have not abandoned the soap! :) I just submitted my application to The Taste Of Saratoga Arts and Crafts Fair going on September 20 in Saratoga, California. I'm very excited! I also just received a beautiful gift from my friend Mariah, from Dragonfly Designs, out of New York.
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It's gorgeous wool that she hand-dyes amazing color combinations. I am anxious to felt some soap, and when I do, I will post a tutorial here. Maybe this weekend!

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Check out her etsy shop here!*******************

PLEASE PRAY!!

2008-06-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

Today tragedy struck close to home. Knowing that I have visitors from around the globe, I am asking that if you are a praying person, please pray for Connor. This is a young man, the son of our good friends Eric and Cherie', brother to Jo'elle, who was in a diving accident earlier today. He broke his neck and crushed his spine diving into the lake. He was air-lifted to a nearby hospital in Fresno, and the prognosis is dim. They say it's life threatening, and he has no feeling below the neck. The internet is a wonderful medium to get the word out fast. I know you may not know me, and certainly not Connor or his family, but if you can lift him and his family up in prayer tonight, it would be greatly appreciated. I will post updates as they come. Thank you so much.

Sincerely, Christine

*UPDATE 6/17, 3:00 pm

Connor apparently dislocated his shoulders upon diving into the water, hit his head on a rock, blacked out. He floated to the top, unconscious with a broken neck and crushed spine. He made it through the night, refusing the breathing tubes the Dr. wanted to put in. He is a strong young man. Connors dream was to be a firefighter. He now sees himself spreading the Good News to others from a wheelchair! He has a positive spirit that is infecting all those around him, and it's only been 24 hrs since the accident! At the moment, he is paralyzed from the neck down. But earlier today he felt the tape as it was pulled off his arm when they removed his I.V.!
Please keep him and his family in your prayers. Thank you!

*UPDATE 6/18, 6:52 pm .. (please note updated links to new site)

Please view the special blog set up for Conner here.

*UPDATE 6/20, 10:00 am
My daughter and I traveled to Fresno on Wednesday with two friends to see Connor and to support the family. The waiting room was filled with friends and family. It was a heartbreaking time, yet encouraging to see the love of Christ pouring out to the Williamsons during this tragic time. Catrina and I were briefly able to enter Connors ICU room, as he slept. How difficult it was to hold my composure, standing at the foot of his bed, as he lay there, in all appearances, healthy, handsome as usual, and silently pray. Connors family is so strong, yet their fears and sorrow at times broke through, understandably. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through. There are many new updates on his blog, posted by his father, as well as uncles. The love that all of these family members have for one another is so astounding... to me, it stands above anything else that is going on. I have personally experienced a family tragedy that shook the foundation of my family as I was growing up... you either pull together with love, support, faith, hope and all that can only come from God, or you let anger, resentment, pain and sorrow seep in every area of your life. Our family went that way, and it really destroyed us then, and no one really recovered. That's why my admiration for the Williamson family is so very high. Praise God they can embrace Him through all of this, although I know it isn't easy. Please continue to pray, pray, pray.
Go to the blog and read the latest news and pray. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Christine

STUFF ON MY WISH-LIST...

2008-06-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

I found this great wooden soap mold from Bushy Mountain Bee Farm, and it has hinges for easy soap removal. It's only 19.00, which I think is a great price. Says the size is 3"x8"x12", so it should hold a 4 lb batch.Another great soap mold- called a Behive Tray mold , this one comes from WPS and it will hold 32 oz. of my honey soap and is only 7.00, which I think is a great price. Isn't it cute?
Here's a mold I think would be great for large bath bars- it's the Old Fashioned mold, also from WSP. Selling for 7.25, each of the 3 molds per sheet will hold a whopping 5.7 ozs of soap!
A few more soap molds for my glycerin specialty soaps... this one would work nicely for guest bars as well as for my samples as they hold 1.7 oz of soap: Laughing Face mold.

And for little girls, the Teddy Bear mold. This one's adorable, and I've been searching for something just for my kiddie soaps collection. Sold for 5.95- an excellent price, from Peak Candle, each cavity can be filled to hold 4.75 oz. , which is a lotta soap!

Not wanting to leave those dirty little boys out... a mold with 3 different dinosaurs! Also from Peak Candle, and selling for 5.95 and will hold between 4.0 and 4.25 oz. of soap. I can't wait to get these and make a wonderful bubblegum and beetle juice bar for the youngsters!

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And for a few novelty molds for my hemp oil* soap & pure olive oil soap, from Herbal Accents, and from Fine Art Molds the Icthus ><> 'Jesus Fish'. They produce finely detailed molds that are not to be found anywhere else. And the prices are very good... this one, for instance is only 9.95 per sheet with all 3 fish designs (4 cavities: 2 Jesus & 1 ea of the other two), each one making a 3 oz. bar of soap.
(* To read about the benefits of hemp oil in skin care products, click here.)

Shea Butter is a wonderful thing! Used in all sorts of bath and body products, it leaves your skin soft and supple. I would love to get this beautiful hunk- it's 5 lbs of pure, grade A, unrefined African Shea Butter, and Butters-n-Bars are offering it for 36.50. You can read all about the many benefits of this amazing product here.

THE BEACH...

2008-06-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

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Yesterday my honey took me to Monterey. We had fun. People think we are crazy, but one of our newest fav things to do is go to the movies while in Monterey (we love doing this at Disneyland, too at the huge theater in Downtown Disney)... anyway, we saw Don't mess with the Zohan. Kinda funny, mostly silly. Afterward we hit up PF Chang's China Bistro... I had a dish called Vegetarian Ma Po Tofu, a super yummy tofu dish with broccoli, and brown rice. Hubby liked his meal too, which amazes me, since he really doesn't do well with new places. Afterwards, we headed towards Carmel, and found a great little secluded beach spot right across from the world-famous Pacific Grove golf course. He read while I kept surf-watch, as the waves were getting dangerously close... after about an hour we had to leave because they were 4 ft. from hubby's feet. I was tempted to quietly sneak away and watch, while the waves crept closer to him... but alas the evil little thoughts left me and I warned him it was time to go. Anyhow, it was lovely and the smell of the ocean was particularly incredible, with a faint orange scent, which I had never noticed before. So I thought it would be great to make an ocean-type soap, maybe include some dried kelp for scrubbibility and added nutrients. Any opinions on color, shape, etc. would be much appreciated and I would welcome your suggestions. Thanks! :)
Hope you are having a beautiful, peaceful day, where ever you are!
~Christine

HOW DO YOU MAKE SOAP? pt. 2...

2008-06-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well, the soap turned out nicely. Here's some pics of it uncut and the final bars.

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Did everything turn out perfect? Well, yes and no. The soap is beautiful, replicated perfectly (a worry of mine when duping a recipe) and no major problems. However, I mentioned how my molds were 'pre-lined' prior to starting my batch yesterday, right? I had lined them last week, when I was sick and didn't have anything to do. I made templates of my molds, cut and folded freezer paper, and was happy with myself for getting a usually-dreaded job out of the way.
Well I made the templates by measuring- and drawing lines-
with a hot-pink Sharpie marker.
Note to self: Not a good idea.

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As you can see, the marker bled into my soap! Easily cut off, but not something I had wanted
to do, nor want to repeat in the future!
That means my other pre-lined molds will have to be re-lined! Bummer.
Oh well, every batch is a new experience.
These soaps are going to be ready July 6th.

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By the way, today I have my 6 mo grandson, Tyler.
I just had to include a snap of his cutie-patootie face!
Have a lovely weekend!

~Christine

HOW DO YOU MAKE SOAP?...

2008-06-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Every one always asks me, 'How do you make soap?', so I decided to make a little tutorial for those who wanna know. Now, hopefully when they ask, I can direct them here and they will be happy! :)

Today I am making Fresh Clover & Aloe w/Barley Grass Soap.
I get my oils pre-mixed from Mission Peak Soap, in Fremont. It's great to just drive on over (about 15 miles away) and pick it up. They blend a perfect mix of 5 different oils that create a very hard, lathery bar, and it couldn't be easier.

When I get the 5 gallon bucket home, I mix the oils by hand, as some are more solid than others, and measure out 4 lbs into small plastic pitchers. I also make a few 2 lb jars, for short- or 'test' batches. This way when I am ready to make soap, I just grab a pitcher, nuke it till it's about 110 degrees- give or take- and I'm ready to go, without having to lug out the bucket,
stir it up, measure it out, etc...

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Ok, next I measure my water into a large pitcher that's specifically only used for my *lye solution. I place that water into a heavy pot in my sink, and fill that pot with cold tap water. This will help keep the *lye solution cool when I start mixing the *lye in. It's especially helpful if I'm using milk or other high-sugar liquid in my soap making. Making soap with milk can get awfully hot and smelly and the water bath helps cool it quickly. I also open the window right over the sink to aid in ventilation.

Now I start taking the temp of both the *lye solution and the oils, and when they are both around the same temperature (around 107 degrees), I can begin.

* Why lye? click here to read about the important role lye plays in all soap making.

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It's also important to have your molds ready at this point. I also make sure all my fragrance oils, colors (if any) are out and pre-measured, as well as other additives
such as herbs and other botanicals.

After donning the ever-attractive protective eye goggles (and gloves), I begin pouring my lye solution into my oils. I use a large, stainless steel pot (lye and aluminum don't like one another), and begin whipping with my stick blender. Earlier in my soap-making career (6 mos ago!), I used an inexpensive brand blender, and had problems. Soon it died and I forked over the bucks for a good-quality Kitchen Aid, and don't regret that decision. Invest in a good blender if you are gonna make soap!

This batch reached 'trace' in only a few minutes. Trace is when it starts to thicken up, like pudding. If you lift the blender (in OFF position, please!), you can see a film of the saponified soap on the end of the blender. It also leaves an impression- a trace on the surface. This is when I added my fragrance oils, and if I were making another type of soap, I would add color and herbs, etc. at this point as well.

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After adding the FO, I stirred by hand, so as not to further thicken the batter, then poured off
2 cups into a prepared measuring cup that contained my powdered barley grass.

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I then poured the remaining soap into the prepared mold, smoothed the top, poured on my topping, smoothed that out, and put it to bed.

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I insulate my soap in an ice chest in my kitchen. It stays there for 24 hrs as it continues the process of becoming soap. It will heat up significantly- which is called 'the gel phase', and by this time tomorrow, I will unmold (hopefully!) a perfect, 4+lb batch of soap. After that, it will be cut into bars, set out to cure for 4 weeks and then it will be ready. Tomorrow I will have more pics of the soaps birth, so please come back!

Thanks for reading this post. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or otherwise, please leave them here!
Happy soaping!
~Christine

WHOLESALE SUPPLIES PLUS: New website...

2008-06-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

If I could get excited just a little bit here... my favorite suppliers Wholesale Supplies Plus, just made a website improvement that is gorgeous! So easy to navigate through and tons of features. Even if you aren't into making your own B&B products, you probably will want to once you get a look at this place. There's extensive recipes, a resource library and demo videos, aside from the tons of supplies, and the forums are a wonderful place to get instant support and answers to just about anything in the industry, too. The owner, Debbie May, even has her own blog, too. Prices are the best around, but their customer service tops them all. They are still working on the site, as it just launched today, so give them 2 or 3 weeks to have it all put up, but be sure to stop by and have a look now.
I happy! :)

On another note...
I have been sick and so the thought of making soap (or doing anything) really hasn't been too exciting to me. Today, however, I am getting excited. I plan on 2 batches to restock my dwindling supply. More Pomegranate White Tea and Green Clover, Aloe & Barley Grass, coming up...

Hope you are having a wonderful, sunny day in your neck of the woods.
Christine
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FINALLY TOOK THE PLUNGE... (aka- 'What, no soap again?')

2008-06-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have a few favorite things I like to do, and one of them is blog hopping. I love reading blogs from soapers and vegans! I am somewhat of an addict, of the closet-variety. I guess my family sees me at the computer and thinks I'm actually working or something! ha! :) Well as some might already be aware, I have been vegetarian for 10 yrs. I have wanted to become vegan for many of those years, but just couldn't do it for more than a week or two, at the most. A month ago I received a copy of the RAVE Diet, along with the DVD Eating, in my mail. I ordered it as a gift to me! I read the book, watched the DVD, and halfway through the movie, I got up and threw out my brand-new carton of egg beaters, a half doz eggs, and all the cheese. Oh yeah- and this hurt too- I also tossed out my non-dairy hazelnut, fat-free coffee creamer! Why toss that? Because it has casein, a milk derivative in it. How can that be considered non-dairy? Ask the FDA. Anyhow, I am loving this diet, and hubby watched the DVD and decided to quit all animal products, including dairy and eggs! woohooo!!! this is exciting.
Well, back to blogging... I found a wonderful little blog today and this girl is from my neck of the woods! It's called Vegan Eats & Treats. She is a terrific writer as well as cook, and shares loads of great eats, proving that vegans food choices are wide and varied, and limited to only your imagination! This is very exciting to me! I have also decided to quit using milks in my soap making, and will sub coconut milk in it's stead. :)

Here's some pics I took of the pretty flowers hubby brought me yesterday. I've been sick for over a week now, and hurt my back yesterday morning, so he went shopping at Trader Joe's for me and surprised me with these beauties, sitting on my mac, just so I wouldn't miss them. What a guy.
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ANNIVERSARY, NOT SOAP RELATED...

2008-06-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

It was one year ago today that something happened... I ran over my beloved cat, Kobe. I wanted to put a little tribute to him here, because even if no body else reads this post, I want to acknowledge his existence- as well as his passing. He was a beautiful Maine Coon. Black, with gorgeous red high-lights, he had long hair, a fat tummy and waddled when he walked. He also had a mean streak, really only liked me- some of the time. He was an indoor/outdoor cat. I wished he was strictly only indoors, but when we got him, his habits were already established. He liked to go out to potty every morning, and on warm days, he would stay out on the lawn, on his back, tempting anyone to rub his belly. But no one dared! Anyway, Kobe had always waited in the driveway for me, and always came to the drivers side door, to greet me and walk me to the front door. A year ago today it was really hot. I had to go out and my car was parked in the blazing sun. I sat in the car, engine running, to let the a/c cool the car off before taking off. Kobe, unbeknownst to me, was walking around the back to see me- probably wondering if I was coming out or not. I didn't know he was there, and he was slow. I started backing out... the rest is too horrible. I was depressed for months. I still can't think about it too much. Unless you've been through this before, you just don't know the horror of being the one behind the wheel.
I really miss my ol' boy.

FROM MY GARDEN...

2008-05-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

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I just thought this was too pretty not to share. Every time this cactus blooms, it reminds me of a monk... it's got that half-ring of flowers around it's 'bald head'. hehe :)

A FEW NEW BARS...

2008-05-29T09:26:00.001-07:00

I have been sick this week with a nasty cold. But for some strange reason, I felt like making soap yesterday... 3 different batches! Sure, they were small 2-pounders, but none-the-less, I surprised myself, since I am lazy-at-heart, and when I'm sick, well, I usually don't wanna do nothin'! Anyway!! On to the soap...

This first batch was simple; just oils, scent and color... BAY RUM. I have wanted to make this scent for a while now, as I know it's more of a manly preference and I don't usually make soap with the guys in mind (although hubby loves all the girly scents I make!)... it's a pretty blue-green. I had initially wanted to get some bay leaves to decorate the tops, but I had no ambition to go out and get some. Plus, I made these in clean quart-sized juice cartons, so that wouldn't have worked anyway. Smells heavenly, and very pretty, too.

Next batch was also a simple one, as I needed to make Aunti Lizzy a special soap, BLACK MAGIC was the scent I chose for her. It's really spicy and mysterious, reminds me of walking through the Renaissance Faire in the fall, down the fortune tellers alley. I colored it black and like the way it looks.

The bigger batch was made in a 1/2 gallon oj container, and is scented with CLEAN fragrance oil. It's uncolored and also contains coconut milk. This scent smells like freshly washed, white sheets, blowin' in the breeze on a crisp spring morning.... I know, I have quite an imagination, but it does!!

By the way, if you are ever in a pinch to find a mold, the juice/milk cartons work great. I always save a few, wash and dry thoroughly, cut off the tops, and presto: an instant soap mold. No lining required, you just peel it off finished soap and it comes off nicely, thanks to the heavy waxed paper. :)

Hope you're having a lovely day, where ever you are!
~Christine
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REFRESH-MINT TEA SOAP...

2008-05-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

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This is a brand new batch of cold-processed, handmade soap. I am calling it 'Refresh-Mint Tea', and I think when you use it, you will know why! It's made with spearmint essential oil and Stash brand Moroccan Mint tea, including the contents of the tea bags, for a nice scrubby effect. I just unmolded and cut the 4 lb block moments ago, and already it's giving the entire house an uplifting, fresh minty scent. Made with the oils of coconut, palm, olive, canola and castor, it's a great sudsy, creamy bar.
Ready for use June 24
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LEMON-BURST & BABYBEE BUTTERMILK W/HONEY~ GLYCERIN SOAPS...

2008-05-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

***
I have been busy making some lovely little molded glycerin soaps at the requests of several friends and family members. The first soap follows in the line of my Ambrosia Salad Soap, using a super-creamy yogurt base with shea butter and lemon fragrance, it's got a strong, cheery citrus scent that lingers. The latter is my BabyBee Buttermilk that I haven't made since little Ty was born. A friend at Catrina's work, A Children's Garden, asked if I could make her a large, grown-up sized bar. This one's loaded with even more honey than the first, with added buttermilk and olive oil. Super emollient and still gentle enough for baby, but mommy can use it too. Makes a great face bar.

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STRAWBERRY & LAVENDER GLYCERIN SOAPS...

2008-05-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

I made some new glycerin soaps upon a special request for a special friend- Mrs. S. and her lovey daughter- Miss E... Strawberry Ambrosia, in flower molds, and Lavender. They smell so fragrant and look lovely. I am very pleased! :) I used the yogurt base, which I really love and get nothing but complements on- so sudsy, so creamy! The tops of the Lavender soaps, which I made in flower molds as well as a loaf, are crystal-clear glycerin, with lots of pretty lavender buds, so you can see their beauty better than if they were simply floating in the opaque soap. I hope these snaps captured that... Here's the finished products, some wrapped and ready to go!

New business cards...

2008-05-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

I found a site that lets you create free business cards, and it was very easy to use, but best of all it was FREE! I am very excited about this, as my old version of PrintMaster on the even-older HP was messing up all my cards... and I hadn't yet forked over the bucks for a new program for my iBook. :( Anyhow, I thought this company 'Business Card Land' was worth mentioning... take a look at the cute cards I made. They let you download your design to a pdf file, and it's compatible with Mac and those other guys. Check them out for an easy to use, totally free, works-the-first-time business card printing program. They also print invitations and flyers... yes, those are free too.

AMBROSIA SALAD SOAP...

2008-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last night I took about 2 cups of the bits and pieces of soaps I had saved, chopped them up and re-soaped them! Actually, I melted a yogurt base and scented it with Fresh Strawberry fragrance, then poured it over all the little bits and chunks... and voila'! Ambrosia Salad Soap was born!
This is the first time I used the yogurt base and it is really wonderful! So lathery and creamy... hubby loves this and used it right away! Anyway, it's a glycerin-based soap, and some of the bits inside are also glycerin, but others are cured pieces of CP soap, so it's ready to use now.
I am listing them in my etsy shop now.
Two pounds of soap, and each bar is at least 4 oz.

NEW SOAP SAMPLES...

2008-05-07T14:35:00.001-07:00

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, it's no secret that I hate marketing my product! Honestly, I really do not like promoting myself or the soaps, and if they could just sell themselves without my having to do craft shows or in-home parties, that would be wonderful! The etsy shop is great and loads of people make a living selling their products there. I just have yet to hit the big time. I just started out, so I'm cutting myself some slack, and I'm not giving up, but it would be nice if I could figure out the secret to getting more online sales! In the mean time, I have some wonderful people buying my soaps and it IS picking up! Marianne G (my dear friend who also happens to sell Avon) wanted to add some of my soap samples (*1.5 oz bars) to each of her customers orders this week, so I got busy making labels for my Pomegranate White Tea bars. I haven't purchased a print program for my iBook yet, so I had to use the PrintMaster on the old HP, and it flubbed-up! No surprise there! So I made these on the AppleWorks ap. I do own Photo Shop, so if any of you geeks out there are scratching your head right about now, saying to yourselves 'Why oh why doesn't she just use that to make her labels and business cards?!!', then please drop me a line and tell me how to go about doing that! It's so confusing to me, but I am teachable! :) Promise!
Anyhow, here's 8 of the sample soaps on their way to Marianne's Avon customers...
***Need an Avon rep? Marianne is awesome!
Drop her an email at gloverfamily4@yahoo.com or shop online!

Banana Island Soap...

2008-05-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

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This soap is made with real, ripe banana. It's also scented with Iced Pineapple, Coconut Creme, and Coconut Milk. A very sweet-smelling, extra creamy bar.
In the etsy shop June 1
Ready for use June 5

SUMMER WINE...

2008-05-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Summer Wine... I named this new soap after an old song by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood...
It's a two-tone bar, the top half being scented with Roses & Violets, and the bottom half with White Zinfandel Wine frangrance, and the entire batch has real White Zin all throughout. I embedded dried purple wisteria petals on the top... I think this soap smells heavenly! Fragrance is strong but beautiful, but I think as it cures, it will mellow a bit... a very pretty soap to display in your dish!
Ready for use June 2, so look for it on sale in my Etsy shop toward the end of May.

RUBY-RED CHAI GOATS MILK SOAP... unmolded, cut and ready for the drying rack!

2008-05-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is the spicy Ruby Red Chai Tea w/ Goats Milk.
I had to try it out, even though it won't be ready to sell for a few weeks... wow! So incredibly creamy, and lathers up a lot. The fragrance is mild and the color is beautiful. Although there will be a little shrinkage due to water evaporation during the 4 week curing process, right now each bar weighs a hefty 4.5 to 5.5 ounces!
Want one? Then look for them at my etsy shop at the end of May.
Ready to use 6/1

Thanks, Aunti Lizzy!!!

2008-04-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

My new fragrance oils arrived moments ago from Nature's Garden, via the UPS man... Thanks sister, I can't wait to dig into them and start making some awesome new soaps! I had to open each and every one up and give a whiff... so far my favorite is Egyptian Dragon! yum.

RUBY-RED CHAI GOATS MILK SOAP...

2008-04-30T11:42:00.001-07:00

I just finished a 4 lb batch of soap. I used only natural tea, one I loved right out of the box. It's Trader Joe's 'Ruby-Red Chai', and it's loaded with all-organic Rooibos Tea and Spices... Cloves, Allspice, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. The side of the box states that it's "Made from South African Rooibos, naturally caffeine free and full of antioxidants... warms the body, soothes the mind and heals the soul." I thought that sounded like it was just begging to be made into a fantastic soap! I also used Goats Milk for an extra-creamy, moisturizing wash. The contents of the tea bags were added inside and on top, for exfoliation and beauty! Here are a few shots before I wrapped the whole thing up nice and cozy in my ice chest for it's final phase through saponification-land! I'll be posting pics after unmolding it tomorrow morning, of course, so come back to see the final results. It's this exciting? :)

WILD BERRY EXPLOSION SOAP...

2008-04-29T09:03:00.001-07:00

I didn't know what else to name this baby... made with Acai juice (from the Amazon Rain Forest- which has loads of antioxidants in it!), Blueberry juice, Strawberry juice, Wild Raspberry Tea- which adds a bit of scrub-a-bility to it, and Blackberry Vanilla fragrance oil!
I layered a vibrant purple, which didn't turn out as I'd hoped- sort of a marbled effect, but looks nice anyway. This soap smells fantastic! I'm really excited to be making soap once again. I've cut some regular sized bars of 4.5-5 oz, but left a few biggies, per my daughter Carrianne's request. :)
Ready May 29th, so look for them that week in my etsy shop if you'd like a bar (or two)!

NEW SUPPLIES ON THEIR WAY NOW!!....

2008-04-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to two very generous, wonderful people in my life, I will soon be receiving my soaping oils (thanks hubby!) from Mission Peak Soap in Fremont, AND brand-new frag oils in wonderful, exotic scents (thanks aunti Lizzy!) from Nature's Garden! How surprising and special is that?! Very!
Here are some of the FOs aL has surprised me with:
Black Magic : A magical blend of earthy sandalwood & ylang ylang, with a quick top note of patchouli. Base notes of baby powder and vanilla.
Bay Rum: Bay Rum fragrance is a spicy, cultural blend of crushed cloves, cinnamon sticks, and crisp pine needles, with a sweet orange freshness. Very highly requested scent!
Butt Naked: We have had so many requests for this...now we have it! The tantalizing base note medley of granny smith apples and honeydew melon, middle notes of strawberries and pears, with hints of spice.
Ice Capade: Refreshing and calm- Ice capade fragrance begins with top notes of lemon, peppermint, and spearmint; a warm middle note of buttercream; and base notes of vanilla and menthol.
Egyptian Dragon: Culturally unique blend of essences of tears of myrh, dragons blood, patchouli; with floral notes of rose and jasmine, with base notes of woodsy musk.
Kama Sutra Sheer Suduction: Absolutely seductive! A sensual floral accord of African violets and lily of the valley, complimented by slight hints of kiwi, lime, and grapefruit.
Kama Sutra Honeymoon Romance: A truly romantic, passionate fragrance. This unique aroma begins with top notes of fresh ferns and water lilies. Middle notes of fresh rose petals, clove, french jasmine, and lilac, with a background of sandalwood.
Clean: A duplication of this fabulous fragrance by DLish. It combines the fragrance notes of litsea cubeba, orange, sweet lime, pink grapefruit, passion lily, rose geranium, and white musk. Clean Sweet Layer combines the fragrance notes of sweet orange, grapefruit, lime, neroli, and rose to add a sweet feminine layer to the scent while maintaining the soapy, clean essence.

I'm looking forward to getting Butt Naked (the scent, silly), Bay Rum, Clean & Egyptian Dragon the most, but they all sound wonderful. I'm also getting Baby Bee Buttermilk (how did she know I was out?) so I can make more baby soap for my favorite baby. Also some lovely Blackberry Vanilla, one of my personal all-time fav frags. I'm jazzed. I'll be making soap all next week... I sure hope I remember how. ;P
Thanks, aunti Lizzy. You rock. Oh yeah, check out her 'myspace' page.

GETTIN' BACK IN THE MOOD...

2008-04-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

As you have probably guessed, I have been a bit down lately about the lack of funds coming in for my supplies. Don't feel sorry for me, that's not my intention! I just wanted to share why I haven't been posting, much less making soap lately. Anyway, much like anyone else that needs a kick in the pants to get started off in the right direction again, I spent my weekend surfing soap shops for some motivation. I got some, and now today will use my resources that I already have on hand to make something... hopefully a beautiful batch of soap! By the way, I made another sale at my etsy shop on Saturday!!
I have made pure olive oil soap in the past, and although the bars are beautiful, the lack of lather could be discouraging to some. I mean, I have a bar of my olive oil spearmint tea in the bathroom, and I must admit, I have to get the water good and hot to get a mild little lather out of that baby! It's a lovely soap, and gentle as well as very moisturizing, thats for sure. But I personally like a little bubbles to go with my wash. Anyway, since olive oil is readily available, and coconut oil seems to be eluding me, I thought I'd make a coconut milk soap, using olive oil as my base oil, and then add some beautiful rose-violet fragrance oil. I am excited about making this, which for me is the main ingredient, if you will, to get me to actually roll up my sleeves and do it! So I will jump on that... and in the mean time, take a look at something completely unrelated... I have been surfing some vegan blogs for more inspiration... as many of you that know me well, know that I have been a vegetarian for 10 years, fighting the scale all the time. Veganism is something that I love to think about being, but just haven't been able to pull it off. I am on week 3 now of being totally vegan (following Dr. John McDougalls plan), yippee!! So I've found some wonderful recipes along with my inspiration. There are many creative people out there! Check out this talented lady. Of course, vegan cupcakes are not McDougall approved :( but it doesn't hurt to look!
Stay tuned...

Got soap?

2008-04-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

I have not been making soap lately. I have not even posted lately. I just don't have the funds for the oils. I have been told that it would be 'soon' , but things are really tight around here, so some things take more priority. I am itchin' to make a few batches, though! So if you are reading this wondering where the heck I've been, or if I've lost my desire to soap, please don't give up on me!!!
Keep checking back.
Thanks,
Christine

New Arrival...

2008-04-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

This morning the UPS man brought my Nature's Garden order! It's always exciting to me when I get a package on my doorstep. I opened each and every bottle of oil, even though I have bought some of them before. I did get a few new ones, however, five of which I wrote about in my last post. My new fav straight out of the bottle is the White Zinfandel Wine... wow! I am going out later and will pick up a few bottles of olive oil and some of my favorite White Zin and make a 4 lb batch today. Another wonderful one is the Fig Lychee, but I just realized that it's not a soaping oil! :( It is good for body products though and since I've wanted to try my hand at making a solid lotion bar, then this would be perfect. Anyway, I'm off now to clean my kitchen, just so I can mess it up again making soap! I think I'll make a batch of Ricks before I go out...

WHAT DO YOU THINK...?

2008-04-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

Several new inspirations for soap popped into my mind recently while window (well, monitor screen) shopping. So accordingly, I placed an order for supplies to make them.
I'd love your opinion!

1. White Zinfandel Soap
Here's the manufacturers description: "The aroma of fruity dry pink wine with undertones of red raspberries, currents, strawberries and rose petals with a light alcoholic background. A wonderful aroma of zinfandel wine."
My idea is to make this soap in long, pillar-type bars with a light-pink swirl, use a lightly fruity zinfandel in the process, and shea butter for extra softness.
What do you think?

2. Hawaiian Pikaki Flower Soap
The manufacturers description: "Pikaki Flowers are also called Hawaiian Jasmine, and are customarily used to make Lei necklaces. Our pikaki is a fresh white tropical flower aroma."
The pikaki flower is pure white with a soft, yellow center.. the appearance is very soft. I would like to make this soap with extra glycerin and color the top half with a pale yellow.
What do you think?

3. Fig Lychee Soap
The manufacturers description: "Absolutely breath taking! Our fig lychee fragrance combines the fresh fruity aroma of fig with the unqiue addition of a popular Chinese fruit, lychee. Lychee fruit is noted for being sweet, yet slightly spicy. Lychee is used in wine making in China, and provides this fragrance with a well-balanced, extra kick! Sure to please! "
Figs have a burgundy center with a unique, crunchy-like texture. This bar should be large, hand-cut and filled with exfoliating poppy seeds, colored with a deep red hue.
What do you think?

4. Roses and Violets Soap
Here's what the manufacturers say: "A soothing medley of wild rose and sweet violet blossoms with touches of coconut, orange, and musk."
I would love to make this soap in large, decorative bars, topped with beautiful, dried rose petals, rose water in the process, colored perhaps with a soft violet swirl and a few finely pulverized rose petals throughout for exfoliation.
What do you think?

5. Palm Island Soap
Here's what the manufacturers say: " A luxury spa fragrance! Palm Island is a private island paradise located in the Grenadines frequented by many celebrities. Home of one of the most romantic and serene vacation spots in the world, Palm Island is an escape from a busy world. Natures Garden has created Palm Island fragrance to embrace the feeling of complete well-being of the mind, body and spirit. This upscale fragrance begins with a rejuvenating medley of sweet orange blossoms, yuzu, and kumquat; followed by middle notes of juniper, Mediterranean fan palm, and rosemary; and creates complete ecstasy with base notes of fresh sandalwood and Tahitian vanilla beans."
When I read this description, a calming, pale green against a powder blue came to mind. I may try my hand at coloring this bars bottom half sky blue, topped with white, and a faint green swirl, representing palm leaves blowing in the breeze! Added cocoa butter for that 'tanning in the sunshine' moisturized skin! :)
What do you think?

POMEGRANATE WHITE TEA SOAP- new batch...

2008-03-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally decided what I should do with my last batch of soaping oils; make more Pomegrante White Tea soap! I had made the initial batch in early February, and eventually, little by little, they have all but disappeared! Their popularity had really grown in recent weeks, so it made sense to whip up a fresh batch. New oils will be in my near future, too, as a little birdie told me so! ;)

Anyhow, I cut 21 bars... in various sizes; some are 5+ ounces, while others are a 'meager' 3.5 - 4.5 ounces each! Incidentally, your average store-bought commercial soaps weigh-in somewhere between 3 - 4 ounces per bar.
This soap smells so lively & fresh... Ready: 4/21

Key Lime Pie Soap & New Labels...

2008-03-30T17:35:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted for a while because I was running low on my oils, save for 1 last batch-worth... and I'm almost out of my Rick's Soap ingredients. It's difficult waiting, but I know that in a short while the work will be flowing and hopefully, so will the bucks! So, in the mean time I have been keeping busy with cleaning and organizing my house. I spent the weekend with my sisters and girlfriends... we went to Blakes Steak House in San Jose and saw our friend Cherie' sing in her band 'In The Red'. They were hot! If you need an awesome country/rock band for your event in the bay area, I highly recommend them!
Anyway aside from partying, I also got busy making new labels for my soaps. I really like how they turned out. Today (Sunday) I decided to make some goats milk glycerin soap, colored and
scented with Key Lime Pie. They turned out really nice, as I used the same pour method as I use for Ricks Soap. I also decided how I wanted to use my last batch of oils; I made more Pomegranate White Tea soap. I have been selling lots of it, and now have just a few bars left. I have to say that they are neck n' neck with Ricks Soap in popularity, with Maple Sugar bars and Esspresso Cream following closely behind. Here's some pictures of the glycerin soaps and the pretty wrapping on the Esspresso & Maple bars. I will post pics of the new Pomegranate soaps tomorrow after unmolding and cutting the bars.
.

CROCK POT SOAP...

2008-03-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I got brave this morning and ventured into a whole new territory... hot process soap making... but instead of an oven, I used a crock pot. I found a few sites that had tutorials that were really helpful, such as The California Soap Company's Debora Yavas with her extremely detailed photo depiction of her crock pot soap making and also gracefruits blog, and momma muse's instruction page.

My soap was a 2 lb.
experimental batch, made with my soapquick mix (from Mission Peak Soap Co. in Fremont), containing coconut oil, canola oil, olive oil, palm oil and castor oil (superfatted 5%). I scented it at trace with 2 oz. of Hydrangea fragrance oil, and colored a 1 cup portion of traced soap with green oxide and the remainder of the pot with purple oxide.
It was my first time using the oxides, too. I purchased them from Wholesale Supplies Plus, which offered the best prices for oxides and ultramarine's that I could find anywhere. I obviously need way more experience using colors!!

Anyhow, I basically made my lye water solution and set it aside to cool. While that took place, I put my 32 ounces of oils into my crock pot set on warm. About 40 minutes later when the lye pitcher was cool to the touch, I took the crock out of the cradle and poured my lye water into the oils and began mixing with the stick blender. It began thickening and reached trace quickly, about 2 or 3 minutes of mixing, and poof! it was ready. I took out 1 cup worth of batter, and added to that the green color, stirring well. Setting that aside, I added my fragrance oil and purple color to the rest of the batter in the crock, and stirred well... and it was getting stiff! I then dumped the green mixture on top, gave a quick stir, but not much, and placed the crock back on the cradle. I covered it and turned up the dial to 'low' setting. It took about 30+ minutes to gel. It was like a chunky petroleum mass... kinda difficult to describe. But if you are used to doing CP, don't expect the same texture, as it's not a 'pourable' batter. I glopped it into my prepared mold and pushed it in good, slamming it on the floor to settle it in the mold and release any trapped air bubbles. I placed a piece of plastic wrap on top, smoothing the mixture as best as I could, folded a dish towel on top, and placed into my cold oven to keep it warm. I checked it periodically and it got very hot, continued gelling and then became opaque as it cooled down. The whole thing took about 6 hours from start to finish, which was when I unmolded it and cut into bars. Amazing! Smells wonderful, looks so-so, but works great!

I will definitely be making more crock pot soap again!

Ginny's Starfish...

2008-03-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

My dear gal-pal Ginny P snapped this beauty on the beach yesterday afternoon. I just thought it was gorgeous and had to have it on my blog!

Thanks, girlfriend!

Incidentally, she is the wife of Rick, of 'Rick's Soap' fame!! ;)

SURFIN' SAFARI...

2008-03-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

In my quest for more (information, that is), I have come across some really wonderful products and sites. They are so unique, in fact, that I cannot simply put them in my favorites. I am a bit forgetful these days, so I have decided to blog about them here, in hopes that it will remind me to keep up to date on what these sites are up to, and also so you can check them out, too. If you have a really unique and interesting site that's soap/craft related, please comment (click 'review' under this posting) on it so I can check it out!~

1. First on my list is MARTIN CREATIVE GROUP for soap molds. I have looked at tons of molds all over the internet and I have to say that this one really stands out. The designs are phenomenal. If you are looking for some new and interesting molds for all types of soap making, then you have to take a look.

Crocheted Face Cloths, Easter Sunday & Big, Old Soap...

2008-03-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Friday I received my first package from scraps n' things... 6 beautiful, white, hand-crocheted face clothes. I am getting 6 more cream-colored ones, hopefully today. I love them! I had to use one and they are wonderful... lightly exfoliating and really hold moisture and suds up well, too. I am planning on using them in gift sets... along with a simple soap plank and a bar of my soap, of course! Thanks, Shannon!

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. After a beautiful service at New Hope Community Church in Gilroy, hubby and I headed to the Monterey coast... it was warm and beautiful. We went to the movies (I know, we're weird!) and then on to the wharf where we had a nice lunch at Rappas, over looking the bay. We then walked up the wharf, window shopping... then went into the museum to browse around. I spotted a crate of enormous, old soap bars- the label read 'half-pound'... these babies were like bricks!

Anyway, it was a lovely day, calm and relaxed... of course remembering what Christ did on the cross for us so long ago made it all the more special.

Have a wonderful week~ Christine

The Ultimate Blog Party winner!!

2008-03-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

The party is over and the winners have been chosen! If you participated in The Ultimate Blog Party, hosted by 5 Minutes For Mom, then you know how much fun it was. I had such a great time visiting other shops and getting to 'know' some of these talented artists! I also enjoyed having loads of wonderful visitors to my blog and especially reading the many wonderful comments we received about our soaps from visitors from all over the world! A winner was chosen to receive 3 of our soaps that were donated for the give-a-way... and the winner is Crystal Adkins, from Kentucky!! woo-hoo...good for you, Crystal! I will be getting your soaps out in the mail tomorrow, and I hope you enjoy them!

Thanks so much for participating, Crystal, and everyone else that visited and said wonderful things about our soaps and site!

REBATCHING 101, in the microwave...

2008-03-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight I decided to do some house cleaning. Of my soap scraps. I absolutely love the batch of Clover, Aloe and Barley Grass soap I made a few weeks back. It's fresh, pleasant scent makes it my favorite face bar. However, when I made that batch, I neglected to line my mold and had to pry the entire 4 lbs out with a large kitchen knife, a spatula and eventually a cheese blade. The bars had to be sliced smooth on 3 sides just to make them presentable. This left me with quite a bit of leftover scraps, which, as a soap, worked just as good as the rest. But... well, you know. So tonight I got it all into my food processor and shredded it to bits. I melted it with a bit of water in my microwave, in 30 second bursts. Stirring in between sessions, I got it to a nice, melty- but somewhat gloppy stage. I added the oil from 6 evening primrose capsules, then about a half of an ounce of lemon fragrance oil and the juice of one Meyer lemon, including the zest from the fragrant peel. I then slopped it into my 2 lb mold, slammed it on the counter a few times to release air bubbles and pack it in good, and put it to bed. I washed my hands with what bits remained in the bowl, and boy do they smell nice! I will post pics when I unmold in a day or two... should get about 1.5 lbs, or 4 nice bars. ps... since it was only the sides and bottom that got stuck in the mold, this new batch consequently does not have the green barley grass top as part of it's ingredients.
:)
Here they are!

ETSY STORE OPEN FOR BUSINESS... AND A SALUTE TO BLOGGING WOMEN EVERYWHERE...

2008-03-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's just one listing, but the shop is up and running! I'll be adding more later on today, and tomorrow, too. If you haven't already visited, please stop by!

On another note, I have been party hopping, thanks to The Ultimate Blog Party, and meeting so many friendly, creative, amazing women! I honestly do NOT have any clue as to how these ladies do what they do. I mean, some of them are home school mothers, while others work full-time 'real jobs' (their words, not mine!), run successful online businesses AND blog like there's no tomorrow! Many of these gals are fabulous writers and photographers, too! Not to mention keep beautiful, clean homes, have happy husbands, well-fed children... the list goes on and on! I am put to shame by them. As much as I'd love to sit and blog surf and actually BLOG, I am realizing that I cannot. Many reasons would be quite obvious, if you've ever seen the inside of my house before... while other reasons I try to keep well hidden. Ok, I'll admit it, because I know my children have told countless people during my 'home schooling' years... I am highly unorganized. There, I admitted it to all the world. Ok, just to the random half-dozen or so visitors I hope to get this week. Regardless, I just can't do it. At least not at the same time that I'm expected to grocery shop, cook, clean the house, babysit the adorable grandson AND shower, make soap, wrap soap, ship soap... amid a paper-strewn floor, searching for scotch tape, wondering who will wash the dishes (no, we don't own a dishwasher!)... blah blah blah. And I'm not complaining, really.

This post is actually a salute to all the amazing women who CAN-- and DO-- do all that, and more. But not me. I'm the one standing in awe.

And the Cutest Birthday Present Ever award goes to...

2008-03-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday. I don't really make big hoop-las over it... but who am I to stop others from doing so? :) I actually had a very wonderful day... e-cards, calls and gifts from daughters, sisters and girlfriends, a wonderful dinner-date with hubby at Chilis (& tasty margarita for me!), and a surprise package at my doorstep when awaking from a lovely birthday nap! Is this not the cutest birthday present a 45 year old girl could ever receive? Enormous, gorgeous Starbucks coffee mug with coordinating gift card, 2 adorable bath oil critters, 4 Easter hand towels and a darling Easter story book... not to mention the kitty card with furry belly and sweet sentiments inside! Thanks Mary, you rock!!!!

MOVING INTO MY SHOP SOON!

2008-03-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

I had a gorgeous banner created for me by Julie, for my Etsy shop! I am so excited because she did it exactly as I had described it to her, all through a few online conversations! She is really talented and she is extremely reasonable, flexible and sweet, too!

Check out her work at her own Etsy shop or send her an email at alternati@etsy.com.
I haven't moved in yet, but you can take a look at mine, here!

HAS SPRING SPRUNG...?

2008-03-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

The weathers warming up here on the west coast... and I couldn't be happier.

First and foremost, this means more work for hubby... you just can't pour concrete in rain and mud. :) I thought I'd go out for a few moments and take some snaps of of my garden. Looks like I am actually going to have to spend some time away from my iBook and work in the yard! yikes... But the rosemary looks and smells wonderful, so I think later on I will cut some for drying and soaping with!

ULTIMATE BLOG PARTY... CHICKS ONLY!

2008-03-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

I am so new to this blogging life, but it's exciting and I wanna know more! Maybe someone will actually start to read these postings of mine! Anyhow, I found out about this 'Ultimate Blog Party' via the 5 Minutes for Mom blog, and it's going on March 7-14 and I wanna go! If you're a gal and you've got a blog, you can sign up too. I hear it's a great way for women bloggers to connect and meet, plus get more traffic to your own blog!

I am also just about ready to start listing my soaps on Etsy, a great place for crafters to sell their goods on their own site. Thats where I found Rio Oso Designs (where she makes Etsy banners and cool cards) and her blog The Downtown Boutique, where you can read all about The Ultimate Blog Party, and also where you can find all kinds of wonderful handmade goodies by many talented people. You can also read about an adorable baby named Lilly... who is in need of much prayer on her other site Ambrosia Delights. Wow, Angie, you are one busy lady! Anyway, this is how I found out about Ultimate Blog Party. Whew!

Look for me and my soaps on Etsy very soon!

OLIVE OIL MINT TEA SOAP...

2008-03-05T17:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I did something new. I made pure olive oil soap. I scented it with Moroccan Mint tea (and leaves) and added spearmint essential oil. They are still really soft now, but when they are fully cured, they will be very hard and long lasting. Olive oil soap is known as Castile soap, and is wonderfully nourishing and gentle to your skin.
Ready: April 4

Getting ready to start selling...

2008-03-05T17:18:00.001-08:00

I wrapped up 3 batches of soaps that will be ready for sale soon. I thought they looked so pretty in their wrappers that I just had to show you...

All my cold process soaps weigh between 4-5.5 ounces, and will be selling for a dollar an ounce.

I'll post when they're ready to go.

ESPRESSO CREAM SOAP...

2008-03-03T09:41:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I decided that I needed some coffee... soap, that is! I brewed a pot of double-strength *bucks espresso and used French Vanilla coffee creamer, coffee butter and added fresh, finely ground coffee beans. This is one rich soap! No color added, the scent is pure, strong coffee, mellowed by the creamer. It will be curing, to harden the bars, for the next few weeks, but I just had to try it out last night... wow! What a smooth, creamy lather. Left my skin soft and nicely scented. Not overpowering in the least. This would make a lovely kitchen soap, but a true coffee lover would enjoy using it all over. Coffee soap is believed by some to remove odors (think: onions & garlic) from your hands, and I would have to agree. The grounds have a nice, gentle exfoliating effect, and the coffee butter (thanks JustJulie!) is extremely softening. I am very pleased with this soap. Generous 4.5+ oz bars will be ready 3/22

Some recent soaps...

2008-02-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

1. MANGOSTEEN FRUIT SOAP
2. CLOVER & ALOE & BARLEY GRASS
3 NEW 'RICKS SOAP':

1. I made 2 lbs of soy soap with XanGo juice. It's going to take a few weeks to cure, and it seems to be soft, as a pure soy soap usually is softer. I am anxious to see how this baby cures! Ready 3/25

2. Yesterday, I made 4 lbs of clover, aloe topped with a layer of barley grass. It's mild, clean scent. The barley grass is from the AIM Company, and is made from young barley shoots... with antioxidants and health benefits that put wheat grass to shame. This is a nice, hard bar. Ready 3/25

3. Ricks soap is an olive oil, goats milk and honey soap that I've made before for our friend Rick. He has sensitive, dry skin, and he says this soap really helps keep the itchiness down, and he loves it. So do lots of other people! I use the same formula as before but a slightly different method to produce these beautiful, new bars. I am very pleased with them. They have a slight honey scent, and that's all! Ready: now!

MANGOSTEEN FRUIT SOAP...

2008-02-24T13:06:00.000-08:00

Our good friends, Bernard and Jane Lhermine are Xango distributors. What's Xango, you ask? It's a wonderful, natural healing juice made from the fruit of the Mangosteen. Known as 'The Queen of fruits', it's grown in Thailand and most of South East Asia. The fruit is as amazing to see as it is to taste, but the Mangosteen is not something one would just take a bite out of, like an apple. It's bitter rind, however, carries most of the healing, vitamin-filled properties known as Xanthones. Xango takes this rind and makes juice that's not only palatable, but downright tasty, too. They also offer wonderful business opportunities to people who care about their health and the health of others. If you want to learn more, visit the Lhermines site. If this fruit is so wonderful for the inside of your body, can you imagine how beneficial it would be to your skin? I will be making some CP soaps from this prized little fruit later on this month, and will post about it here when I do, so stay tuned...

ORANGE CREAM SOAP...

2008-02-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

This soap is made with milk, for rich, creamy lather. Milk is known for its gentle, skin-softening qualities. It's lightly scented with orange creamcicle, which smells yummy. Hubby could smell this one coming up the walkway tonight! Big 4.5 oz bars, will be ready for purchase mid-March.

Maple Sugar soap...

2008-02-22T12:34:00.000-08:00

Here they are. They turned a light caramel brown on top, but stayed creamy on the inside. These bars look and smell wonderful. I cut 16 huge 4.5 oz bars from this batch.

Maple Sugar soap...

2008-02-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

I just finished a batch of Maple Sugar soap. I was sitting here thinking about how spring should be right around the corner, yet its cold and rainy out... and I wanted a big stack of pancakes! But thats not conducive to my diet, so I did the next best thing and made soap that smelled like pancakes! I will post pics tomorrow morning when I unmold and cut the bars. The house sure smells good... but I still want pancakes. :(

Minty Yuzu Grapefruit...

2008-02-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

I made 4 pounds of CP soap that smell fresh and lively! Uncolored and specked with Moroccan Mint tea, the large, 4 oz. chunks and bars are almost translucent in appearance.
Ready for use March 1.

WHAT'S YOUR SCENT?

2008-02-14T16:46:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be a good idea to list some of my favorite soap scents here, and hopefully others will catch on and add to it. It would really be helpful to know what people like... or don't like. I'm adding the descriptions from the supply source I obtain them from. Feel free to check this posting often, add to it in the review section, and comment on it, too. My desire is that this list will keep growing... and not just from me! ;)

Lemon, The aroma of a freshly squeezed juicy lemon.
Spearmint, Spearmint has a fresh minty smell reminiscent of Peppermint. The major difference is that Spearmint oil is sweeter, and not quite as harsh.
Yuzu Grapefruit, Also referred to as Japananese Grapefruit, Yuzu is not your ordinary grapefruit scent. Yuzu begins with top notes of mandarin, tangerine, lemon satsuma, and ruby red grapefruit, middle notes of bergamot, and base notes of oakmoss.
Pearberry, Bath and Body Works duplication. A fruity fresh fragrance blend of ripened pear, raspberries, strawberries, and gooseberries, with slight musk undertones.
Tangerine, Tangerine essential oil has the typical citrus scent – fresh, radiant, and tangy sweet. With only subtle differences, it smells a lot like the Mandarin, with some even considering them identical. In comparison to Sweet Orange, Tangerine can be seen as lighter with more candy-like tones.
Bay Rum, A potent, floral, vibrant blend. Top notes of ozone, jasmine, muguet, lemon and rum. Mid notes of pungent floral, lilac, rose, carnation, lavender, cedarwood and balsam. Patchouli and vanilla at the base.
Coconut Cream, A delicious, sweet, creamy coconut. Buttery top notes with nuances of sweet burnt sugar, cinnamon and peach at the heart of the fragrance. Base notes of coconut, vanilla and powder.
Fragipani, A complex, rich, lush, floral fragrance. Top notes include muguet, ozone floral, citrus, juicy pineapple, ripe banana, raspberry, bergamot and plum. Heart notes of jasmine, lilac, plumeria, ylang ylang, rosemary, chamomile, honeysuckle, hyacinth and camphor. Amber, creamy coconut, powder and musk complete the fragrance.
Hawaiian Plumeria, A potent, exotic Hawaiian Plumeria scent. Fresh floral top notes with berries, ozone and apple. Heart notes of jasmine, carnation, rose and gardenia. A light musk at the base.
Maple Sugar, A potent, exotic Hawaiian Plumeria scent. Fresh floral top notes with berries, ozone and apple. Heart notes of jasmine, carnation, rose and gardenia. A light musk at the base.
Orange Creamcicle, It's a delicious, creamy, fruity sensation. Top notes of ozone floral, muguet, pineapple and sweet orange. Lilac and juicy peach mid notes. Musk, powder and vanilla at the base.
Pomegranate, The essence of a fresh, fruity pomegranate. Top notes of fresh floral, pomegranate, grape, citrus, sweet strawberry and muguet. Heart notes of juicy spice, jasmine, rose, lilac and camphor. Base notes of amber, musk and powder.
Tahitian Vanilla, A complex, exotic fragrance. Rich creamy nuances with a hint of heavenly tropical flowers.