WanderlustSoaps

Sponiebr,

  I love these molds and at that price you cant beat them.  I have been thinking about making some custom silicone molds, maybe after I get some of these I use one as a base and make a bigger / different shape out of it, if / when I do, Ill post a pic for you.

Hi Pam, welcome to the boards.  I am sure you will find plenty of information and lots of willing people here to help you.

Hello Patricia, Welcome to the boards.  I love Barbados, every time I have been it has been wonderful.  Good luck with your business venture.

Hi Jorie,

  Welcome to the board.  I dabbled with candles for a couple months 13ish years ago when I was stationed in Hawaii, something else came up during the move out there and I never did get back into the hobby, I always remember loving it though.  Maybe someday Ill get back into it.  Anyway there are a ton of great people here and lots of info, have fun.

Hello and Welcome birdcharm,

  Like you I am new and have been a lurker for some time now.  I never got into actual Bird Watching but have always enjoyed watching them when I am outside.  Hope you have a great time here on the boards, there is a ton of information and lots of great people here.

I know this is a really old thread but I love it.  Thank mystical_angel and everyone else that has added to this.  As a new soap maker this information is invaluable.

Ken

2 hours ago, Candybee said:

Hi Ken! Welcome to Craft Server!...

Another program you may want to check out is the Soapmaker ...

Anyway I am a complete nut when it comes to spreadsheets. ...

 

I also wanted to say thanks for your work in the Navy and for helping keep us all safe! Hope you are liking Virginia. I live in the Shenandoah Valley now but for years I lived and worked in the DC area before I moved to the valley here. This area is full of history and if you are a Civil War buff the valley is a great place to visit.

Candybee, Thank you for the warm welcome and your support of our Armed Forces.  I have looked into Soapmaker3 and love the look of it but until I know for sure that this is going to be more than a passing hobby I really dont want to spend any more money on things other than ingredients and equipment.  I wish they still had a free trial but thats ok, with the amount of work I have put into Soapsheet it does just about everything I could possibly want from it for now.  When / If I ever do actually make it to the point I can start a business I will probably look into it and compare what I can get from it versus my soapsheet and quickbooks.  I am never satisfied though and am sure that I will continue to update the sheet and  I hope you try it out and give me some feedback on it since you are also an Excel nut.

Thank everyone else that has already given me such a wonderful welcome, I am glad to be here and hope to contribute back to all the people that I have already learned so much from.

Ken

5 hours ago, Sponiebr said:

Just looking at your screenshot, I see there isn't any measurements in grams...

 

Sponiebr,

  I will include this in the directions, but if you look in the upper right corner of the picture there is a grey button that says "Convert Measurements", this is used to switch between imperial and metric measurements, and it will do the conversion for you plus it changes all the labels, here is what it looks like in metric.  Also for those that sent me a PM already, I am actively working on writing the instructions and should have the file out to you soon.

Well Hello Everyone,

My name is Ken and I’m stationed in Virginia, USA. A little about me, then how I got the soaping bug. I have been in the US Navy for 20+ years now. Started as a Nuclear Engineer, then a Steam Engineer, and for the last 14 years I have been a Gas Turbine Engine (Jet Engine on a ship) Mechanic. My time has endured 7 deployments ranging between 7 to 10.5 months and has seen me all around the world a couple of times. Along the way I met the love of my life Danielle and I have two wonderful daughters Krysta (17) and Kayla (15).

Two months ago after watching a youtube video I had decided that I would make some bath bombs for my anniversary. When looking online for Essential Oils I went to Essential Depot which I use for some of the other things I make. While looking around their site just out of curiosity I clicked the soap making tab and they had a video, which led to another, and another, and the hook was set. In the couple of months I have lingered around here, watched hours of youtube videos and read several books to include "The everything soapmaking book" by Alicia Grossso, "Soap Crafting" by Anne-Marie Faiola, and "The Soapmaker's Companion" by Susan Miller Cavitch. So far I have only made two 4 pound batches of Oatmeal, Milk and Honey soap, but more will follow soon. Someday, probably 3 years or so from now, I think I would like to own a business making and selling soaps / bath and body products, when and if I ever get there I think I want to call the business... Wanderlust Soaps.

My wife likes to say when I start a new hobby I go full Nerd cause I do a ton of research, read everything and watch so many youtube videos. I also love MS Excel and although I like soapcalc it’s a PITA to save recipes, I also wanted an offline version, so after looking at the three versions of soapsheet.xls and noticing it had not been updated since 2005 I spent two weeks modifying it and think I have it about done, just need to rewrite the FAQ / directions, if anyone wants it PM me and I will email it, eventually I will get it hosted and put a link here somewhere, I just want to test it more and make sure there are no little mistakes (testers welcome, feedback appreciated). Here is a screenshot. And with that my introduction is over. Thank you for having me and for all the great info I have found on the site already.