tamtam

You can get the wool roving from any # of companies online. It comes in any color imaginable. I started out making felted christmas ball ornaments to get used to the felting idea. Now it takes me literally 10 minutes to make one soap. Even kids could do it. You can find instructions online too. Just search for felted soaps.

I sell handmade soaps from a local lady so I started felting some of them and they sell pretty well. Its fun and you can be so creative with the colors. I call them Wooly Wash.

this is a calendula chamomile bar with gold mica in the top layer. I like how it turned out, except the ground chamomile didn't want to suspend, it mostly floated on the top, which ended up being the bottom of the bar.

These are some MP loaf bars I did lately. I seem to keep making the same sort of weird layers. The green is mint and is a sort of unintenional swirl. THe yellow is a goats milk citrus EO blend. The blue is another EO blend called Sea Breeze. I sure enjoy the surprise when I cut the loaf. SOrry for the glare, I'm not the best photographer.

With M&P, it's just about impossible to get the cool swirls like you see in so many CP soaps. I have found that if using part opaque and part clear, the clear seems to be 'heavier' and will always sink to the bottom of the mold. Many folks have gotten 'swirl' by pouring clear first , then pouring the opaque into the clear and letting it swirl on its own. It's very tricky getting the temperature just right between the two, the second pour can't be too hot, or it will all mix together. Do some searches in the forum for more suggestions on MP swirling. Also search on the soapdish forum, there is someone there that does beautiful MP swirls and at one time posted a tutorial showing how they do it.

Just cut this today, its goatsmilk base, layers with jade mica in clear base. Rosemary and p.mint EOs. I think I like it and it smells great. Its fun to get a surprise when you cut the loaf! I found a great little plastic box for a mold, holds about 2 lbs, makes (6) 2 1/2" X 3 1/2 slices almost an inch thick. this is fun...

Dr. Bronners soap can be found at any health food type store. or online. Do a search for SLS on this forum or online and you will find lots of info. SLS is a detergent used in many products, including shampoo and industrial cleaners. I use a SLS free M&P base, from SFIC.

Many M&P bases already have this ing., but many people DON"T want it in their soap, for various reasons, it has been shown to be an irritant. If you want super lather, add a little Dr. Bronners liquid soap to your base, it reeealllllly works great. about 1/2 TBSP. pp

You usually have to get Dr. Bronners soap at a health food type store, or a whole foods. It is a GREAT soap for anything, its all natural ingredients, even organic oils. I use it mixed with baking soda for toothpaste, for general body wash and even shampoo with it. I take it camping in a little squirt bottle and use it for everything. They have a website too, I think you can order it online. It comes it different fragrances. Its not cheap, but worth every penny.

My secret for getting great lather in M&P is add about 1/2 TBSP. Dr Bronners liquid soap pp of base. I have it around anyway and I found this suggestion on another forum, it works fantastic, gives rich thick creamy lather. But I will say the base makes a difference, I use the SFIC.

Someone asked about the colors, yes it is opaque purple with clear purple, also the opaque layer has ground lavender. I'm glad it turned out good, cause it was a pain waiting and getting the timing right between the layers. The swirl happened because I didn't wait long enough, when I poured a clear layer, it swirled into the one below it. Now I need to try to swirl on purpose and see what happens. thanks for the comments.

This is totally an experiment with no plan, just started pouring layers. One layer turned out swirly, which I think is cool. This is goat milk base, with clear base, scented with Lavender, orange and patchouli EOs. I like how it turned out, do ya'll??

I am looking to buy/try shampoo bars or some other natural type shampoo. anyone who makes and sells these, please PM me. I probably will try several to see what I like the best. Thanks!

I love them both! Its fun to see what others come up with for M&P, the possibilities are endless! Did you do the swirl in a slab mold,, or what? I like it, it looks sorta tie dyed. Are you worried about the colors bleeding?? I think I will do a citrus layer today similar to yours. keep on meltin!:highfive:

man I love the cool water the best, but those are my favorite colors... I think its prettier than an all over swirl, you go girl!!

I'll take one Grumpy, sent you a PM

Did you use pigments, liquid, or micas for the colors and did they bleed after awhile??? I love it!!

Thanks for the comments. The swirls in the first soap I made from colored chunks with a melon baller, its a pringles can soap... gotta try the PVC pipe. The curls in the yellow soap I did from colored chunks with a potato peeler. I melt the base, pour it into a ice cube tray, then color each cube how I want, I can get many different shades for curls that way.

I did alot of research on the web, there are tons of recipes out there. Here are some basic guidlelines that I use Essential oils- 1 tsp. PP Herbs finely ground- up to 1 TBSP. Aloe gel- up to 1 TBSP honey- up to 1 TBSP oils(jojoba, apricot, hemp, others) 1 TBSP oatmeal finely ground-up to 1/4 cup powdered milk- up to 1/4 cup clays- 1-2 tsp Those are the basics- I have found with dried materials, like herbs or oatmeal, the finer you grind them, the more they stay suspended, let the base cool way down then stir them in.

These are some more MP fun. #1 shea butter base, scented with Rose geranium and a little bergamot and patchouli (EOs). called Rose Petal.-- I could do this one with a peppermint EO for the holidays. #2 scented with rose geranium and lemon, really clean fresh smell. called sunbeam swirl #3 two different OMH, with goats milk base. I have to get going on some more loaf type soap, need to try some swirl and marble effects. Thanks for the kind comments, I'm glad I have a store to sell this stuff, cause I can't stop!

I'm posting some of my MP creations so far. First one is pringles can Citrus splash, with citrus EOs and ground lemon verbena. I made a nice lavender pringle can soap too with ground lavender. The next is Lavender Rosemary, with powdered herbs and EOs. The third is just a tranquility blend EO, the color really is more turquoise blue. All my soaps I enrich with an herbal blend oil, a little Dr. Bronners liquid soap and either milk and honey, aloe, or herbs. Its fun seeing what you can create. I'll post more, let me know what you think. Thanks, I love this forum.

Usually the rule of thumb is 1 TBSP oils pp so your recipe has 8 tsp oil, ..how many TBSP is that? I think its a little too much oil for 1/2 lb base.

I tend to use glycerine soaps for hand washing vs. bathing, and recommend to customers they do the same., and stress keeping the soap dry. ITs the nature of the beast, without the chemicals, they just don't last. Also to boost lather I use a secret ing.- Dr. Bronners liquid soap, it has moisturizing oils and works great in MP, just add about 1/2 TBSP pp. Lather galore!

the film will probably wipe off once the bars are hardened. As far as using alcohol, you have to spritz RIGHT AWAY when you pour, once it even hardens a little, the alcohol will not work. Using a fine mist works better too. Good luck, those flags are really cool!

I don't make CP (yet) but I try to use MP bases that have the least amount of chemicals and add ing known to be good for skin.. I feel like a "natural" MP is still better than store bought detergent bars. And I don't claim that mine are more natural than CP... the cake analogy was a perfect one. A cake made either way can be good, they are just different from one another. I like both types of soap, I sell CP goats milk and honey soap from a local lady and its wonderful. But I have always bought glycerin soap till I started making my own. Its all good and we are the cleanest people around!