not_ally

I have it and use it in shampoo bars, as I loved it as a kid back in the 70's/early 80's. It is reminiscent of the shampoo, not a perfect match though. I do like it and use it as my regular shampoo. It does not seem to stick in my hair in that format in the way that I remember the shampoo did, but none of the FOs I've tried seem to do that with shampoo bars. Did not try it in any other product. I remember searching at some point about a year ago to see if anyone else had something closer and came to the conclusion that they didn't. Then I tried to find a carnation scent to maybe try and bolster it with that, no success with that either (only tried NG Carnation and that was not good.)

Glory, emailed them last night asking them to assure of shipment or refund (text of the email is below), no answer. I am going to follow your lead and turn this over to Paypal and the bank. I have posted on the soapmaking forum and the soap scent review board to give people the heads up on OT service, I hope they take heed. If I don't get refunded on Monday, I am going to contact the relevant Idaho Better Business Bureau, the Idaho Sec. of State Consumer complaint office, and anyone else I can think of to lodge my opinion. If you have any contact info for relevant organizations, would you let me know? Thanks. ------------------- I have tried to call and email you several times regarding my order, which was made and paid for via Paypal on June 7th. The last time I called I could not even leave a message, as your voicemail was not working. I have received no response whatsoever to any of my attempts to reach you. Your record notes/automated "history of changes" indicate that the order was initiated at 10:47 pm on 6/7, queued (presumably for processing) at 10:49 pm 6/7, and the status was changed from "queued to processed" at 8:54 pm, 6/13. My order information is cut and pasted below. If you cannot get my order out by the end of the day tomorrow (Thursday, July 3rd), would you please cancel it and refund my Paypal account immediately? If I do not hear from you I will assume that you will not be responding and will follow up with Paypal and my bank to request that they immediately take steps to ensure reversal of the funds and deal with you directly to recover them if necessary. This has been an extremely frustrating experience. [/sig]

Tried to edit the above, couldn't, sorry. Wanted to add that I was billed through Paypal on the 7th as well. So they've now had my money for 4 weeks; why would they not take 5 ms to return an email or make a call? I'm going to email them now and ask them to refund immediately if they can't get the order out by close of business tomorrow. Of course even if they do that I probably won't get it until the end of next week b/c of the 4th. I'll update here to let you guys know what transpires so that you can follow up/know what to expect if you are also waiting.

Glory, your experience pretty much duplicates mine. Ordered on the 7th (I think the second day of the sale) and despite repeated emails and phone calls/messages (no one has ever answered and the last time I couldn't leave one, just got a message that the vmail box was non-functional) zero response, not even the "sorry, here's the excuse" one that you did. Just TOTAL radio silence. I guess if I don't hear from them tomorrow that the order has been mailed I'll cancel it, request an immediate refund, and - if it does not show up - stop payment w/the bank, and have them deal with it, as you did. This is really frustrating, especially since it seems to be a common practice. I just checked the Vendor Reviews forum on Soap Scent Review Board and they are very mixed. Some folks like them, many complain of extremely inconsistent service and terrible communication/lack of it of the type that we experienced. I am a regular on Soapmaking Forum and posted this over there a couple of days ago (before I saw your post), pretty much summarizes my experience: "Has anyone who ordered during the sale received their stuff from OT yet? I ordered on the 7th (I think the day after the sale started), got an email saying that it was processed. Called an emailed a couple of times w/in the next couple of weeks to see if I could add to the order, no answer to either. Got an automated email on the 15th saying the order was complete, but never one saying it has been mailed, and my account info still shows it just as processed, but no mailing info. Just tried calling again - I have been waiting for IPM and Germall to make lotion/body butter but no one is answering and the voice mail box is not set up to take messages. No response to the emails either. Kind of frustrating, I wish I had known it would take so long, I would have used Lotion Crafter for that stuff instead."

I think anything that you add to clear MP makes it a teeny bit more cloudy, but that is OK w/me for the tradeoffs. Ie; I usually add CandyBee's suggestion of a little bit of OO and CO to make it a little more moisturizing and harder. Colors are even trickier w/r/t clouding, I like making mica blends as per these suggestions from Debbie Chiapas, I think they are more clear and I can control my colors better. I hardly ever use "straight" micas with mp anymore, just make up more of these, and then I have them for later: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/melt-and-pour-soap/inspirational-glassy-color-formulas/

Amazing there is no alcohol in your recipe, I thought that was a basic w/making homemade mp base. Good to know, thanks, JCA.

How is that homemade base working out? You said it was surprisingly easy to make, right? I have enough to be getting on with w/r/t to learning cp, but am very curious.

JCA, when I've used MP bases that seem a bit dried out I have added a teeny bit of glycerin. It is a touchy process, though, it definitely makes the soap slimier so you have to use a pretty light hand. Interesting that you just add plain water, I think I will check that out.

I've ground salts that were too big, and they seem to be fine in soap. I do try to do it super slowly so that I can control the size of the grains a little better, and mix them up halfway through. W/my food processers the stuff at the bottom gets much more finely ground that the stuff at the top.y

Ugh, seller is totally unresponsive. Basically says it has been delivered and that they are done. Me: but I didn't order it! Have never heard of you or the person you delivered it to! Have contacted PP, no response yet, and will contact my bank - my credit/debit card there funds the PP acct - and hope that they can deal with it. Vicky, I read the first post on your thread about your dog and have not been able to go back, too heartbreaking. Please know my own heartfelt sympathy (I have my own pup, cannot imagine how awful it was) and thoughts are with you on this.

Really, really good, you skipped a bunch of steps on the learning curve. The embeds are perfect, and they are hard to do, you have to guage temps, placement, etc.. Congratulations! Also, great work on the mold, I bought stuff to make one months ago and am afraid to try it. People like different bases, I am definitely an SFIC fan, which I buy from Wisteria Lane (close for me so shipping is cheaper and I buy in 50 lots so it is cheaper) although BB sells it too. I just read the ingredients on all the bases, the simpler the better.

They are beautiful. I kind of love Zahida and hate her at the same time I've tried to replicate some of her soaps (including the cp/mp mixes) and they are um, pretty different than hers, dang it.

Interesting, TT, as I said I like the BB champagne and don't find it super sweet, just enough sweet (how's that for a description?). Maybe my nose is just off on this one (my best friend did smell one of my bars scented with the champagne FO and Peaks BRV and said "smells like berry pop"), which backs up your take.

Also, if you looking for that fizziness w/o the sweetness, BB's champagne is great. Not really like champagne, per se, but sort of fun and celebratory nonetheless. Really well behaved, super strong, amazing blender (although go low and increase as you go if you are blending, it is strong enough to take over if you are not careful.) I am not a fruit lover, so add this to all of my the fruit soaps that I make for friends that like those, I just think it makes them smell really fresh and bubbly. PS, just checked the reviews for Ginger Ale (you are right suzy, it was previously called ginger fish, terrible name) on the soap scent review board. 14 basically good reviews. People seemed to like the scent, how well behaved it was, and how well it stuck. Oops, sorry, did not realize that you might be using it in candles though, no input on that if such is the case.

Gran, hopefully puma will chime it on this later, but in case she doesn't see this thought I would post a link to the soaper that she posted about, Zahida/Handmade in Florida. Zahida is a magician, all of her videos are worth watching. The cp/mp mixes are the sunkissed and the sea glass soaps. She makes all of her stuff look easy, but boy, it really is not. https://www.youtube.com/user/HandmadeinFlorida/videos

CB, edited what I thought was this post and it wasn't, hope it works this time ... Composed a long windy edit to the last post, but it vanished. Summary: thank you for the usage amount advice on the SLZ FO, would definitely have gone too high otherwise (I like smells strong, plus coconut fades so much usually.) Also, KWYM about chocolate bar scent. I really like Gemlite's cocoa cardomom FO, pretty and a tiny bit spicy. Test it first, their scents can be iffy , but testers are cheap, just make sure you order multiple testers depending on the tester/batch you are making, their testers are tiny (about a third of an oz, although they come in lovely little glass bottles:). I added a bit of Gemlite tangerine EO ( a keeper for me), BB litsea EO (my favorite litsea) to anchor, and some SLZ red sandal FO. Very nice, warm, masculine combo and sticking hard a couple of weeks out, will let you know if that changes. Also, would love to know about the Peak's AS, do update if you have a chance and remember.

Just got my package. All beautifully made and fitted, and the whole kit (mold, top, dividers, swirl tool) is cheaper than just the mold at BB. Definitely the best wooden mold I have ever ordered. I am super excited, off to make soap.

Was looking for a tracking no. on something today and found a $207 charge for something I had never heard about, did not order, and has apparently been delivered to someone I did not know. Not too worried about getting reimbursed, but it is strange that it can happen at all, and a good reason to check on things so that you know to dispute them.

I can't wait to get the second half of my shipment, according to tracking it is coming today. The first half (loaf lid, swirlers, sample (freebie) micas was great. I am just sadly eager to get the rest of it, it makes me wonder if my life should more exciting

JCA, that is beautiful. Wasn't tempted to do the feather swirl but am now based on your posts. CB, I have the Nurture 2.5 lb mold, bought during the sale, it is a really good, heavy duty, no bow one. If you want to do tester sizings, though, the WSP/Crafter's choice is also v. good and cheap, definitely recommend for small batches.

Oops, just realized that it was Peaks which did not stick, so will have to try the SLZ in cp. Did you find the SLZ one held well?

Cb, story about the workings of the aging brain, I was checking my FO chart/notes for something else and saw that I *have* tried the SLZ sandalwood, the notes were: "Great coconut scent, not getting much sandalwood though. Poss use as coconut mixer?". I agree with you even when I don't know it Good to know that JCA found that it was not a sticker in CP, though, that was from my MP days. Pawz, it was meant to be. Cute little wienie head. I love mutts, have one and a half (my own plus joint custody of my mom's), it is so interesting to look at them and try and figure out which part came from where! Fred (the black and white one) is mostly spaniel, God knows what Patsy's mix is, though I am convinced there is a bit of flying squirrel in there somewhere ...

Candybee, am going to place an order with Soapalooza at some point, will have to add the coconut FO to it. Although as a newbie I am a little afraid of the ricing thing, have only had one batch out of 35ish so far be problematic (that one was scented w/SC's True Rose, love the scent, but it went to cement w/three strokes of the whisk), which was not fun. As an aside, I LOVE sandalwood, but it has been so hard to find one that is exactly right. Plus, even if you get close, you almost always have to assume that it is going to discolor, so I feel like I have to stay with creamish-brown colorants, not my favorite schemes. B/t/w, you like pinks, right? I tried BB's Flamingo Labcolor recently and it was a beautiful deep reddish pink. Might be my favorite color, I keep trying to make excuses about why it is a good color choice for any given soap ("water scent, OK, evocative of red tide, Flamingo will work" ) Got an email from paypal and the vendor on the TS molds this am. They had shipped and turns out s/he (not sure, just initials in the inquiry emails) was making a partial refund because actual shipping was cheaper than the estimated amount! I got the paypal email first, saw "refund" and was bummed b/c I thought the order had been canceled, but good news for a change. I love vendors who refund when they don't have to

Cb, what on earth is one of those swirls? I am off to google it now. How great is it to be able to experiment with making beautiful swirls (OK, in my noobiness it is iffy, but hugely fun to try), for the price of oils and lye? I am convinced that coconut FO and cheapish reusable soap liners are the holy grail/s of the soapmaking world. I think the FO is out of reach, but someone can do the soap liner surely? I am going to make that my next project and post the results, I am too lazy and instant-gratification tended to line wooden molds with paper. FYI, the link I posted has dividers for the mold, they are cheaper than ones I have seen anywhere else ($10 or $11 for the 9/12 inch molds, I think? Check.) I even bought their Hanger tools, even though it is really hard for me to justify buying something I can make out of an, um, hanger, because they were not too expensive, matched the mold, and seemed like just the right thickness.

Oh, just got it maybe, tall silicone mold? I was going to try and make my own mold liners for these with no melt mylar or silicone baking linerrs, they would be perfect with a liner. I;'ve thought of making my own silicone molds but the silcone mix is so expensive it is not that much more expensive to buy them. B/t/w, another great deal if you need a small liner is bescented's mini molds, they are on sale for 50% off for $3.50 each. They definitely need support, but they fit really well into my ED silicone molds with some cardboard tucked into the bottom and sides, size is @ 2.75 x 3 x 10 (w/h/l),at that price you cannot go wrong. Sorry to enable (again). Ok, weird, just went to bescented to get the link, couldn't find the individual mini molds, just a listing for buy 5 get one free at the original price of $7.00 each. These were at such a great individual price - expecially if you have boxes/molds you can use as supports - it might be worth checking with the site owner. Maybe it was just a loss leader for her, though.