michelleB

Welcome Melinda! You're gonna be sooooooo glad you stumbled across this place! Heck, you probably already know what I'm talking about since you mentioned *lurking* for a bit (I was a lurker too at first, a little shy and unsure). To me that means you've probably been reading up on recipe, ideas, tips, procedures, etc....which is only one of the many benefits of belonging here. After you realize how friendly everyone is and how all of the different personalities and skill levels make up the perfect mix of e-buddies...you'll be every bit as addicted to this forum as you are/will be to candlemaking! My hubby thinks this website is my desktop and/or screensaver because day or night, no matter WHEN he walks past me, this is what I'm lookin at, ROFL!! Can't help myself though. Great to have you here and I look forward to learnin more about your candles. Good luck with your venture!

Oh Thank you for posting that link! I've bookmarked it so I can refer back to the pics while I'm mixing up my next batch -- which will probably be in just a couple more hours. Woohooo! I'm gonna play with swirlies tonight!

Oh gosh you guys, ...er, gals! Thanks soooooo much for saying such nice things. Ya know, I was really nervous about putting the pics up because I look at everybody else's soaps and they're always so gorgeous! I'm gonna keep working at the swirl though, til I can get it just right. Too stubborn for my own good, so I can't just give up. Michi -- I used a Word template that I found somewhere on the web (don't remember exactly where) and I just modified it for my own use. Prints out 4-to-a-page cigar band style labels, and I used a buff colored cardstock. Then I just cut them on my paper cutter (I cheat and print lines to cut on, cuz I can't cut straight without em). I wrap the labels around my soaps and use a dab of hot glue to hold it together in the back. So far, so good. No problems with it not staying together, and I don't have to wait for glue to dry. Carrie -- I just LOVE square soaps. I know what you mean about soap boxes & not being able to use em with the squares though. Bummer because the boxes are so pretty! I make a more "standard" shaped rectangle soap too, for those who prefer them, but my favs will always be the chunky ole squares. Thanks for looking everyone & for such encouraging comments!

Gosh those DO look nice! Wish I could smell em all! That does it! I'm signing up for the next cp swap, lol.

Oh my goodness! They're so beautiful!! WOW I'm jealous. And I bet they smell outta this world too. Gosh if I could get my swirls like that, I'd be one HAPPY camper. Great job!

so........have ya tested that stuff yet??????? I'm DYING over here! LOL. Just itchin to soap up a batch with corn starch, and hoping you won't tell me it's a waste of time. I've already got my box of corn starch out & it's waiting on me in the kitchen.

Ooooh those look so creamy and smooth! Love the swirlie!! Good job!

Ok, thought maybe it was time I took my turn and posted some pics of my soapin, lol. I've got several batches under my belt now but I still consider myself a newbie because there's always sooooooo much to learn. Anyway, these are my goat milk soaps scented Cherry Almond, with a half-assed swirl using red mica...that didn't go all the way through the soap, but oh well. They smell sooooooooooo YUMMAY!! And lather like a dream too, so I'm tickled to death with em! Here's a close-up of the pitiful swirl that only went about 1/2 the depth of the bar: [ATTACH]4479[/ATTACH] And here they are wrapped up and ready to go: [ATTACH]4478[/ATTACH] No matter how many "almosts" I make though, it only inspires me to keep on keepin-on!! I'm just gonna give this batch to my close friends and then try the swirl again for the "real thing". Wish me luck!

I vouch for Snowtop's too! I just got my box from them today, with another bottle of their Maple Sugar fo and I can't wait to tear into it! Makes me want pancakes really, really, really bad! Yummmmay!

Hmmm...ok now I'm very intrigued. Does it hold very much?? I mean, I don't make humongous batches, so it's totally ok by me if it holds 2 lbs or so. Just trying to get an image in my head of how I would use it. For silverware drawer size, I'm thinking it's maybe around a foot or so wide, maybe a foot and a half long?? Compartments perhaps 2-3 inches wide? Or am I way off? Sorry for all the questions!

Hey Glo, Do you by any chance have a picture of what this drawer organizer looks like? Or a link to a picture? This sounds perfect for me, and I'll head out to kmart this evening if I can figure out exactly what I'm going in there for, lol.

ROFLMAO!!! Like an old lady! Bwaaaaaa!!! Lipstick... everywhere but on their lips!!! heee heee. Gosh, I've never smelled Moonlight path, but now I know ALL i need to about it, lol.

Yum! I think they're purty, and I'll bet the smell is absolutely drool-worthy! Don't know what to tell ya about the color morphing in the oven, but I'm sure somebody else here will be chiming in to give some pointers. One thing I've learned on my own batches, the colors have a way of deciding for themselves what they want to look like when they're ready to debut, LOL. Great job!

Awesome looking truffles! I love them thangs, lol. Very nice packaging too. If I saw those out somewhere, I'd buy em in a second.

Hi Donna, I'm in the same boat as you apparently...want to try out all of the butter "stuff" I can possibly make, on the tightest budget possible to get the most for my money. My thoughts are for you to go with the majority of shea butters because you'll run through it pretty quick if you're going to be diving into whipped sheas & such. Where are you ordering from, btw? Just wondering if it's somewhere I haven't looked yet & if they're a little cheaper on some other supplies I'm in need of, as well as the butters. Good luck with your decision & happy experimenting with your butters!

Hmmm...ok this may sound even "stupider" lol, but does anyone have a pic of what the bottle looks like? So I can maybe stand a better chance of finding it in the store? I know brands will be slightly different, but right now I don't have a clue what any of them look like and I can't find a thing. I've kept my eyes peeled for this stuff for the past 6-7 months with no luck. If I can get a picture to go by, I'll head out tomorrow on another hunt from store to store. Preferably, I'd like to see what's being found at Wal-mart, and/or drug stores because I've got access to both of those places and just might be able to spot it on the shelf now. Thanks in advance!

ooh! You found sweet almond oil at Wal-mart??? What section of the store? I'd LOVE to be able to get my paws on this stuff to try it out before ordering a large quantity. I've yet to find it anywhere locally though. Course, I could be just looking for love in all the wrong places, lolol :undecided

Oh my, that would explain everything!! No wonder it won't stay mixed & won't thicken up right. I sure don't have any e-wax and can't tell ya how much I appreciate your generosity in offering to send me some! What a terrific community this is! But I really wouldn't feel right taking your supplies just to make up for me not checking the recipe before I jumped in. kwim? I'd feel like such a bum, lol. Where's a good source for getting e-wax? I might as well get some on it's way, because if I can get this to turn out, I know I'll be needing more in the future. I just LOVE goat milk b & b stuff!! Won't soap without it, and hopefully I'll have meself some yummy lotion with it too! MMMMMMmmm Thank you, thank you for your help. I really appreciate it & maybe some day I can return the favor!

Hello, I'm hoping somebody can help me out here with a quick-fix of a terrible mess I've got in the kitchen right now. I just got a recipe from a friend for a "home-made goat milk lotion" and it sounded soooooo simple that i just had to try it. Problem is, after almost 2 hours whipping & blending, I've still got a MILK consistency and it's extremely greasy feeling. GRRRRR! I shoulda known better than to do this once I saw the ingredients. Here's what I used (per her swearing to me that this would work): 2 T. Soy Wax (strongly suspect this caused the greasy feel) 2 T. Olive Oil 2 T. Coconut Oil 3 T. Canola Oil 1 T. Vit E Oil 1 cup warm goat milk "smidgen" of FO Ok, while you're laughing over the ingredient list, here's the instructions: Melt soy wax & coconut oil. Remove from heat & add other oils. Slowly blend in warm goat milk. Add FO as mixture thickens. Beat until thick & cool. Put into a container/containers & refrigerate. Use within 7 days (because there's no preservative in the recipe). Sooooo....can anyone tell me what the problem is? I'm no lotion maker (obviously, lol), so I can't tell what caused everything to go wrong. Can this be saved at this point??? I've just can't bear the thought of wasting all of my precious goat milk!! (I doubled the recipe, so even MORE is at stake). Is there anything I can add, to firm this up? I've only got basic soaping ingredients on hand because that's normally all I do...soap. Should I just toss it all out and write this down as something to *not* do again in the future??

Well MYYYYY goodness, I'm definitely gonna be adding the OP step in from now on! I've had an occasional problem with incomplete gels before (not too bad, but once or twice), and now that I look at how PURTY this batch came out, and how easy it was to pop it in the oven for a bit....I'd be just plain crazy not to do this with all of my batches from here on out. Thanks everyone for answering my question! The general conscensus (sp) seems to be that the OP step simply effects the gel stage, and has no real effect on the curing time. Very, very handy to know! I was a tad bumfuzzled until now, thinking that perhaps they were doing some extra "cooking" while in the oven, like with HP. Ok, I'll let these puppies sit for their usual 4 weeks or so...although I almost *always* sneak one in the shower way before then, lol.

Hello, After trying out the new Salt Bar recipe using the CPOP method (my very first go-round with CPOP), it made me wonder...does the "OP" at the end of the "CP" make the bars ready to use immediately, like with the HP method? Seems to me it would, but I thought I'd better ask to make sure it was fully saponified. My skin may not be the in the best condition, but I'd sorta like to hang onto it for a while longer, LOL. I'm familiar with CP'ing, as that's how I do all of my other batches, but adding this new step at the end is pretty easy. So if it speeds things along, I may just start doing it this way all of the time.

Or even "Quat-A-Melon", tee hee hee! Sorry, couldn't resist.

LOL at Monkey Farts! Yep, somebody was drinkin the day they mixed those scents. Put a spin on that one and call it "Primal Breeze" lololol

hmm....dividers. Methinks me needs to get me some dividers. I've got a slab mold that holds 2.5 lbs. I'll use that instead of the log mold for these and maybe it won't be so bad at cutting time (fingers crossed). If I were patient, I'd just hold off altogether and order a different mold, but Ida wanna wait anymore!! Now, does anyone have any alternative uses for these things if something goes wrong and they don't become soap bars? Perhaps cubing them up and using them for Margarita garnishes???? Or just set them out in a bowl beside of the tequila bottle? (chug, lick...chug, lick, etc) I'll post pics of these as soon as I get em cut (no shower scenes though!).

Ok, lemme see if I've got the basics on how to do this before I go tearin' up my kitchen, lol..... I wouldn't simply CP this. I would CPOP this, correct? And that means doing the CP thing & my little swirlie thing & then sitting the mold in a warmed oven turned off, but around 170 degrees. Right so far? And I'd leave it in the oven for only about 45 minutes or so? Then cut into bars. Do I possibly have the gist of it? Oh I'm so excited to get a batch of these going! OH...one more thing that I've just gotta ask somebody. Ok, I use soapcalc, and I usually go with 35-38% in the box where it says "Water as a & of Oils". Is this what is meant by water discount? Or do I need to use a different program to get that part right? Or do I just need to be looking in another place on that page? I'd sure hate to screw up the water amount in these salt bars & end up with salt water TAFFY or something. Yikes!