Life was crazy over the Holidays!

Hey y'all!! Goodness gracious I haven't updated since October!! Please forgive me folks, life has been crazier than a box of fruit loops for me lately. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, mine was sure interesting to say the least. Thanksgiving was good of course, filled with food , fun, and family. :) Unfortunately I was very sick over the Christmas Holiday's, but thankfully the Hubster's took over for me and took care of Christmas Eve, and Christmas day dinner, with the help of my 16 year old, and dinner was superb to say the least! Santa Claus was very good to the children this year, and it is difficult to pull any of them away from the stuff they got for Christmas. :) I am looking forward to next Christmas, where I will hopefully not be under the weather. First Christmas ever that I was sick, and it was awful! Thankfully I am better now, and was able to cook New Year's Day dinner. :) Now onto the soap stuffs! I know it's after Christmas, but before I got sick, I did a few more batches of soap. The pictures are below!

Mrs. Claus Cookies and Milk (Coconut Milk and Cream) with Jojoba

Elf Sweat Jojoba Soap 

Christmas Memories with Jojoba

Twilight Soap with Jojoba

Yes, I know some of these soap names are a little odd. lol But it was the name of the fragrance. Elf Sweat sounds odd, but honestly it is the one of the most luscious soaps that I have ever used and lathers like crazy! While I do love the others also, Elf Sweat is one of my favorite fragrances thus far. 

The one soap that isn't up for cure yet is the Christmas Memories soap. My best friend, Angel, came down for a week, and made that one with me. It should be ready within the next week or so, so will let you know how it goes. The other interesting thing is I haven't used up all of the Christmas scents yet, so plan to soap with those within the next month or so. lol Stay tuned!

The other update is, I was unable to open my business this past fall unfortunately, but we are looking at Spring. While I love the Fall, Spring is the best time for new beginnings, so will keep y'all updated on that. :) Well I have to get some schoolwork done, but I will check back in soon. Hope everyone is doing great!

Suds & Bubbles,

Soapy

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

*waves* Hey y'all!! Hope everyone is doing good. I got a little busy over the past few days and hadn't been able to update this til now. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day for me. Ok so onto the next portion of my Tis the Season series.
I got this fragrance from a supplier called Snowman Balls, and the fragrance reminds me of when my children and I go out to start rolling snow balls for our snowman after the second snow each year. I am so looking forward to the snow this coming year. ;)  
Anyhow, after receiving this fragrance, I started brainstorming how I would implement colors into this batch because I just didn't want to do the standard white. Now mind you when I think of Christmas, in my opinion blue is not a traditional color (some beg to differ) so I never use it when decorating. However since Snowmen aren't limited to Christmas, but are a Winter thing, and snow is formed from water, annnnnd water just happens to be blue sorta kinda (or rather depicted as such)...you see my thought process here?
I also decided to implement black to symbolize the hat and to have that other color in there. Unfortunately I goofed a little when I added the black as the last layer because I didn't set aside enough to cover the top of the loaf completely. Oh well . lol

I also decided to use coconut milk in this batch also, so yes this is a total vegan batch of soap. :) For some reason I couldn't see doing a snowman type of soap without using some sort of milk in there somewhere. It put me in mind of snowcream a little bit, only with coconut milk instead which would likely be an interesting substitution. Ok, so on to pictures we go. :)
I just have to add that I was unable to get pictures while making the batch because unfortunately my "Photographer" was busy doing his own thing that morning and was unable to come out to the shop to help out. *smiles*  I did get pictures when it came time to cut the soap the next day though, unfortunately the lighting was poor due to it being a rainy and overcast day so I had to tweak and lighten the pictures in Picasa. I hope to eventually get this picture box thingamabobber that someone suggested to me so that I don't have to worry about the lighting.

The Snowman Ball loaf of soap cut in half. I love how the layering came out. :)

The loaf after being all cut up.

I was really pleased with the outcome of this soap. :) Well folks, I have to run and get some studying done. I have a final to prepare for this week. Check back in for another installment of my Tis the Season line.
Oh but before I go, here's a special treat for everyone. ;)

Suds & Bubbles,
Soapy

Tis the Season Part 2!

*waves* Hey y'all! Well here I am again with part 2 of my Tis the Season line. Winter is just around the corner, and is another favorite season of mine, so I decided to go ahead and start doing some Christmas themed scents as well, so I purchased a fragrance called "Elf Sweat". Yeah I know, sounds gross, but it smells wonderful!
I was unable to take pictures of the process but was able to take pictures of the end result. Now mind you , I need to take some better pictures, and the fact that the day was overcast didn't help much either. I hope to get better pictures sometime within the next week or so.

I also wanted to mention that apparently while it was in the mold overnight, it sorta superheated just slightly as you can tell by the small crack up top, but again its an aesthetic thing, and at least it didn't turn into a volcano. lol

*points to the slight crack on the top of each half*

The soap after cutting.

 I have really enjoyed doing this line thus far, as well as being surrounded by the scents of the holidays. It warms my heart and brings back a ton of memories. I even found myself at one point singing Christmas carols. lol I know, it's strange, but it's my favorite time of the year.
Well folks, I have a couple of things to do before bed, but look for another post soon. :)
By the way, before I forget, how do y'all like the new fall blog layout? Isn't it just the cutest thing you ever did see?

Suds & Bubbles,
Soapy

Tis the Season Part 1!

*waves* Hey y'all! Hope this finds everyone doing well! As for me I have been busy as a bee between making soap, the kids, and my schoolwork. :) Sometimes I have to hide behind the shop to take a little bit of a breather from everything and just commune a little. Thank goodness summer is completely done. Fall is in the air, cooler temperatures, days are beginning to get shorter, and fall colors abound in nature. Halloween and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I love this time of the year!
I have started on the seasonal stuffs and so far I have been pretty much pleased with the results. The first one that I did was pumpkin. It took me some time to find a good pumpkin scent that had been already tested for reaction in cold process soap making. Thankfully I found an awesome supplier whose fragrances other soap makers have not only raved about the quality of, but also were very reasonable in price as well. :)

I tried a new recipe and this one had Jojoba in it as well, and decided to use cream instead of water or goats milk in this go round. I have heard people talk about how creamy and luscious their soaps are when using cream, so I am looking forward to trying it when it comes up for cure to see how accurate it is. I also decided to put some real pumpkin in it as well to not only keep it in the pumpkin theme, but also due to the benefits such as the gentle exfoliant properties, zinc, as well as the antioxidants of the pumpkin . Yummy goodness! :)

Anyhow, I was not able to get pictures of the entire process, because once I added the pumpkin fragrance, it accelerated fast and I had to get it in the mold quickly. At any rate, here is a picture of the batch after it was cut up. :)

I will tell you, I loved the scent in the bottle because it smelled like spiced pumpkin pie, but the only issue I have with the fragrance is the cinnamon smell is almost overpowering a bit after soaping with it. I am hoping that by the time cure time is up, the fragrance will have softened a bit.

Ok folks, that's going to do it for me tonight. I have to wrap up a few things and wind down for the evening. Look for Tis the Season Part 2 coming soon! :)
Have a good evening y'all!
Suds & Bubbles,
Soapy

End of Summer

*waves* Hey y'all! Wanted to go through what I had left on hand complete with pictures for those who are inquiring. :) Had to go by memory because I can't get out to the shop to double check and my computer is having issues at the moment. My next time out there I will put in another post in the event I missed something. ;)

*NEW* Cucumber Soap ( sizes are around 4.25 ounces per bar.)

Luna Shea Butter Soap (only a couple of these left, sizes vary from 3 oz and up)

Goatsmilk, Oatmeal & Honey Soap (sizes are from 3.75 oz and up)

Goatsmilk Rosemary & Lavender Tea Soap (sizes are around 3.50 oz and up)

On the right, it's Lavender Tea with Honey (tannish purple soap), on the top left is Lavender with Hint of Rosemary scent. Both are mildly scented. (sizes range between 3.50 oz and up) (no more square lavender glycerin available.)

Goatsmilk Lavender Soap with Honey.

Johnny's Gift soap, 1 bar left close to 3 ounces or so if I am not mistaken.

Coming up from cure...

*NEW* Top of the Morning Soap with Jojoba (ranges around 4 oz. a bar)

Next batches I make will be scented with Fall and Winter Scents, so stay tuned! Oh also, look for my grand opening to take place on November 1st, web link will be available soon!
Y'all have a good evening, and stay dry out there with all this rain we're having. :)
Suds & Bubble's,
Soapy

Irish Mornings, Fall, Time Management

*waves* Hey y'all! Goodness gracious I have been as busy as a bee. I had orientation for school, which by the way I did pass (found out today) so I will be starting my normal classes in about a week or so. I am really excited, although I am as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.lol I am sure I will be fine though, I have just have to continue to manage my time.
So Fall is in the air, and land sakes am I ever happy! I know everyone has a favorite season, one of mine is the fall and I love absolutely everything about it! The crispness of fall is divine, and I love the colors and most especially the scents and flavors of the season. There is something about either a cup of homemade hot cocoa, or some hot apple cider that just hits the spot when it gets cold out. All is right in the world when you get that first whiff and taste of hot apple cider. Yum Yum!! Ok so I know y'all are interested in some soap talk and pictures. lol So here we go!

Y'all know I had gotten in some Jojoba (pronounced HoHoBa - lesson courtesy of one of my best friends, Princess. *winks*) after hearing all of the wonderful benefits of the oil, I was very anxious to use it in this recipe. So I brainstormed and decided to use a faux funnel technique, sorta. ;) I say sorta simply because when I seperated the soap batter, the container that held white soap didn't have a pour spout, so I had to use a funnel but used it for that color only. I don't have any good pictures to show of the technique this time, because the lighting was poor when I was pouring. Thankfully though I did manage to get some better lighting thanks to the hubby after I poured and started swirling.

Here's the swirl. Now before I forget let me tell you that I had just a wee bit of my Top of the Morning scent left, and wanted to go ahead and use it before I get my fall/winter scents. As you can see the colors are those of the flag of Ireland, to suit the scent of course, but with a bit of black in it to give it a little bit of a contrast. Yes that is one of the molds that my Daddy made me. Bless his heart he made me another set that I have got to go pick up in the next week or so.

After the pour and swirl. Now mind you I had quite a bit of soap batter, well..a little too much actually . lol But I made due. The only thing that I wish didn't happen was the slight grey from where I didn't leave well enough alone and was trying to pull down some of the black soap batter.

Came in the next morning to unmold the loaf of soap and found a little bit of soap ash. Mind you it was because I couldn't cover it properly due to the mold being too full. It's just an aesthetic issue and easily fixed though. :)

We unmolded the soap and lookey there!

This is after the first cut.

Close up of a cut bar.

The loaf all cut up. Don't mind the soap spill on the corner of the box lol. Soaping can be a little messy sometimes. *giggles* Anyhow I love how unique the soap looks, don't you? I can't wait to try it when it comes up on cure time.

Ok folks, I will be making more soap within the next couple of weeks or so, so look for me to add some seasonal stuff! I am going to finish this cup of hot apple cider, and hit the bed. Sleep well everyone!
Suds & Bubbles,
Soapy

Safety, Research and School

*waves* Hey y'all! Hope everyone is doing ok, and all of my East Coast readers are ok after the terror that was Hurricane Irene plowed through. We didn't get much here in my local area, thankfully just a little wind and some light drizzle. It wasn't until the next day that we actually had some severe weather come through and tear apart some trees. I wasn't able to get any pictures while the storm was going on, a good picture isn't worth risking my safety for, especially not when the storm is directly above us. Safety is an important thing, whether it's storm related or in making soap, but unfortunately some do not take the same amount of care with soapmaking as they do with impending severe weather. In saying that I would like to share what came through one of the email lists that I am on. 

There was a lady completely new to soapmaking, who found a recipe online for making homemade soap and had a terrible experience with it. The recipe called for 3 cups of olive oil, the same amount of cold water, and 3/4 cup of lye. She was attempting to make liquid castile soap mind you, and this was a cold process recipe. She didn't allow the lye water to cool so it was extremely hot when she added it to the oil which was room temperature. She stated that she then added 5 pounds (9 cups) of boiling water to the traced soap mixture, and let it sit overnight. She added the recipe claimed that the soap would absorb into the water by morning. Upon checking in the morning all of the liquid had separated, and there was hard matter on top. She commented that both the liquid and hard matter stung and burned which isn't a surprise there.

She provided a website that she got the recipe from, and I looked through the recipe. I'm not going to provide the web link here and give them any sort of traffic because there is too much misinformation on that site. One such thing was recommending making lye water in a standard glass bowl, which is highly dangerous.  Anyhow, there are several things wrong with what she did. Her major mistake though was that she never took the time to do research before doing her first batch of soap. She just attempted to do the very first recipe she found , and based on the recipe she showed us she used, she skipped some key parts. So even if the recipe would have been a good one, she probably would have had a flopped batch anyway.

This isn't to say that there isn't a soapmaker out there that hasn't had their flopped batches regardless of whether they are adept at soapmaking or not. Mistakes can happen, and sometimes some of the best recipes can flop for a variety of reasons. You learn from research, and experience though. Yes I know it is exciting to make soap, it is better for your skin, cheaper in the long run and vastly better for you than the store bought commercialized brands. However it is never ever wise to jump into it head first. To do that is no different than playing in traffic on a busy highway. Please, I implore you, don't do the very first recipe you find online, read some books on this topic, and do a ton of research before you decide to work with any recipes containing lye. Please please please, start with the basics because you have to learn to crawl before you can walk. I also want to remind everyone that it is always best to weigh out your oils, water and lye on a digital scale instead of using measuring cup amounts, that way you have the correct amount of your ingredients. You run the risk of not having enough oil and way too much lye if your weights are not correct. Ok, I'm done with my soapbox *giggles* for today, I wanted to share something for those of my readers who don't know...

I enrolled into College a couple of weeks ago, and was accepted. My financial aid came through and my classes start mid September. I am excited!! I am going for my BA of Art's in English! You may wonder when will I have time for my soapmaking escapades? I have two wonderful words for you: Time Management!!! lol
Nothing will change with my soapmaking though so don't worry. I am actually getting ready to order more oils and fragrances that I need because I have so little left, so stay tuned for another chapter in my soapmaking journey. :)
Well folks, it's late here and I am tired!! Will post again soon! Goodnight!
Suds & Bubbles,
Soapy