dublon

Thank you sooooooo much for the advise!! I'll get some glycerin in my next order... I'll get some pics up of my second batch shortly!!

These are pretty darn nice!!! And I love the lovely touch with the flowers around the soaps!!:highfive:

Oh my oh my!!! WOWOWOWOW!!! Absolutely gorgeous!! Where in the world do you girls learn to swirl like that??? Is there somewhere that I can read up on technique??? Oh my god these are really really beautiful!!!

I think the loaf is pretty darn cool!! Darn right gorgeous actually!! Of course blue is my favorite colour also!! Really, very, very nice...

Hmmmmm.. I thought my ears were burning!!! My second batch is the same percentage for the castor. I just tried a small piece of the first batch before posting..there is still a tad of tingle left...:whistle: but other than that... It's really nice. My hands feel lovely and smooth. I've got loads of creamy lather, and it doesn't seem to be too drying, but at this time of year, it's hard to tell for me! I wash my hands about 100 times a day!! The recipe I used will be great for summer use!! I think for my next batch, (I'm gonna buy a SB first)I'll bring down the castor as Eugenia suggests, and up my olive oil, or the shea???.. I haven't run it through the calc yet, but I'll see what it does.. I'll play mad scientist again later on today!! *getdown*

It's cut!! And other than the fact that it is a tad stickier than my first batch, it actually looks ok!! My colors are what I wanted this time anyways. My goof this time?? My ultramarine wasn't quite mixed up enough, so I have tiny speckle here and there, but even that's not too too bad!! My supplier's instructions said to just mix it in some some for the swirl.... nope... don't work!! I'll mix it with oil or water next time!! It turned out an off white, with a pink marble.. (I can't say swirl this time) I'll let it dry a bit, and post a pic later on!

Oh nooooooooo.... I didn't mean to steal anyone else's punch line??? It just came out!! Sorry!!

Oh really???????*faint* You're kidding right?????? Obsessed... and lovin' it!!!! *getdown*

Once again... thank you soooooo much for your answers and support!! :highfive: And that link is fantastic!! It is now in my favorites soaping folder!!! Thank you!! Once I get a few batches behind me, I should stop pestering everyone with my stupid questions and petty concerns!! It's just soooooooooo nerve racking when you don't know what's going on!! It has warmed a bit, but I never saw any gelling when I peeked quickly, but it does look alright! At least there is no cracking this time.. so far!! So I'll keep my fingers crossed!! Thanks again!!

Being from Canada, of course I'm curious to know who it is, although I do understand that you don't want to bad mouth a supplier. Although there is one supplier here in Canada, that should in no way be in business, and I'm wondering if it's not them! All I'll say is this particular company is in BC and they have outlets in the States and apparently are no better there! She has a notorious reputation of taking your money and not sending the goods!

My second batch is in "bed"... but.. it's not as warm as my first batch.. the bottom of the pan is warmish.. kinda!! I took a quick peek, and it looks fine.. to me anyways, but I'm not seeing the darker colour that I had the first time!! It also took me an hour to get this to trace this also, as I changed one of my oils... but it did trace!! Do I leave it, and wait and see what happens, or am I screwed cause it's not warm enough???? I have a huge blanket on it! And this time my colours are just what I wanted too.... a white soap with pink swirls!!! Please advise...

Thanks to both of you!! I decided to go with ½oz. per pound as I had already found it a tad strong in the MP.. so we'll see what happens.. My second batch is now in bed!!! But wowowowowow!!! I still haven't bought a SB so I've done this batch by hand again!! What a difference one different oil makes!!! First batch, using wheat germ, took me 20 minutes to get trace. This time it took me 1 full hour to get trace!! I was seriously beginning to wonder if I was going to get it or not!! But it seems fine, and I'll peek just once in about 2 hours to see if it's gelling or not!! I think I'll like the colour this time too... I think, I hope!!

Ok.. never mind... I did a search.. which I should have done before...:embarasse I'm going to try .5 oz/lb. I'll see what happens!!

I'm about to try my 2nd batch this morning.. Instead of the wheat germ oil that I had in my first batch, I'll be using Sweet Almond.. I'm trying to make a whiter soap!! I've run it through Sôap Calc, and it seems to work, hardly any difference than the wheat germ! What I'd like to know is how much FO would I use for 40 oz of oil. I'll be using Peak Rose Bouquet. I had tried this in M&P using ½ oz. for 1 pound and it was too strong or something... I didn't like it in the M&P at all. Seeing as CP stays warm for such a long time.. would 2 oz of Rose Bouquet be alright in 40 oz. oils!! TIA

I'm glad I'm not the only one waiting to see how it went!! I'm waiting to get to bed too!!!! :laugh2: Just kidding!! Take your time Ashlie!!!:highfive:

Thank you!! And they ship to Canada!!

It is great fun actually.... nerve shattering too though!! 2nd batch will be done in the morning.. changing the wheat germ for Sweet Almond.. I'll try that one for size!! Hopefully the color won't be as dark!!

Double thanks Carrie for the answers!! :highfive: I'm reading up on the use of ultramarines and oxides, etc.. I'm learning alot!

Oh yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Way to go Ashlie!!!! Go for it... you can do it!! :highfive: If I can do it, you can do it.. believe me!! I'm a total clutz, and I made it through my first batch last night!!! Yes Robin's tutorial is fantastic!!! I had that right beside, with DH turning the pages!!!! Just relax... you will be fine!!!! Once my lye was mixed I stuck it on the stove under the kitchen ventilator, so the fumes went right outside... cause it's freezing like heck here too!! Have fun Ashlie!!!!

Hmmm a new term that I have to snoop for!! Geesh I never thought at 50+ that I would still be learning soooooooo much everyday!! And about that blue, are there any liquid colours that do well in CP?? I have seen the lab colours.. are they really good and worth the investment?? Or am I best to use ultramarines and oxides.. I just got a sample of these ones in today..so I'll have to read up on how to use them...I know its around here somewhere, I saw it the other day!!! Again, thanks everyone for all your kind words of encouragement!! I've cleaned it up a bit.. taken off the ash and cut off some of rough parts.. that I could anyways, so here's a pic 24 hours after it was finished!! It's not horrible maybe, but it really wasn't what I was going for!! Tomorrow's batch I think I might try using Sweet almond instead of Wheat Germ?????? I ran it through the Soap calc this morning, and there wasn't much difference!! Last night I was soooooooooooooooo nervous!! And now I'm ready to start all over... tomorrow morning!! Oh.. and the cracking?? That is entirely my fault!!:embarasse Along with the flexible mold this morning, last night I had tried to move it to try and take pic, to show you the gelling....ooooopppppsssss, bad mistake!!! I learned my lesson!!!!

That doesn't sound to appetizing!! Well I've cleaned it up.. taken the ash off, and might not be quite as bad. My brown "swirl" is morphing to a dark purple now. I also tried just an insy bit, and I think it might be very nice, although it still tingles a bit.. I have to go out for an hour but I'll post another "cleaned up" pic when I get back!!

Thanks everyone for the encouragement!! The scent is lavender EO, but I don't think I put enough in.. (½ oz for 40 oz oil) I was also supposed to have a blue swirl in there!!! I guess I'll forget the blue liquid dye in CP!! I haven't tested it for lather yet... aren't we supposed to wait until it finishes to cure?? The recipe says 2 to 4 weeks.. I haven't dared to touch it with my bare hands yet.. Do I have to wait until cure if over before touching it or trying it?? I'd be willing to bet.. that's my main problem!! I couldn't resist peeking last night!!

I do believe I made soap!!! But..... The colour is really all wrong.. the swirl... we won't even mention that one..:lipsrseal It cracked a bit when I got it out of the mold, and there is a tad of ash.. but other than that.. It looks ok I think! I don't have holes, or liquid oozing. Actually it looks like a block of badly coloured glycerin! Of course I'm going to try again!! Later on today!! I'm going to keep doing it until I get it right!!

Oh goodie, goodie, goodie goodie!! On that note, I just might be able to go to bed then!!! Thank you for putting my mind at ease!!:highfive:

Well I had to peek again :lipsrseal darn this is hard!! Now the whole thing is dark brown!! And I lightened up on the covers too. Course the wood stove is heating a plenty tonight too!! Now it's too hot in the house!! :rolleyes2 I had wheat germ in my first post... Actually that's the colour the whole thing has become!! So much for my "swirl"!! This is truly quite the surprise night anyways!! It is fun though!!! Can't wait to see it in the morning..