TAS

Ken posted a temporary site -

A temporary backup copy of SoapCalc is here (just the calculator and View Recipe): http://www.soapcalc.com/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp This is on another domain and on another server from the same hosting provider.

TAS

Can't believe it... Christie strikes again - same form email she sends to everyone. Sigh. I would like to see her karma rap sheet. Wow, some people really are pieces of, well you know what.

TAS

PS we should start a page with names of scammers (I recently had a horrible experience with a woman who has an internet presence, wants soap and "who's all about quality", but does not think she should pay for products). Double sigh.

I've never tried it but I was reading about another rhubarb fo and the reviewer said that it smelled like play-dough for about a month and then the scent changed and it was lovely. Maybe your soap will go from an ugly duckling to a swan. Hope so.

TAS

ps let us know!

Hi guys - sorry to be AWOL but I am transferring data from old computer to new computer (what a pain). First of all thanks for all the great, encouraging comments.

Yes, I do my own photos, sometimes more successfully than other times.

Soapymomma, rituals, if you look it up in the dictionary means "a ceremony consisting of a series of actions."

Gotta run - still trying to get everything to work on the new computer. Ug.

TAS

I worked up some Valentine goodies and thought I would share with you -

This is from my "Love and Desire" series - heart shaped bath bonbons, and bath bombs with individual "naughty" quotes wrapped inside.

This is for the "goddess" oriented - bath bombs, perfume and lotion. The bath bombs have "rituals" instead of naughty quotes...

and

From the "Follow Your Heart" series.

You can see descriptions on my blog or web site (Valentine Specials) -

http://www.tastouchsoaps.com/TAS_Touch/Valentine_Specials.html

I had fun creating the concept, labels and products and fortunately sold some (whew).

TAS

TAS,

Hi there, Love the curles.

Do you ever have trouble with the curles causing air holes in your soap - or does the soap you pour over the curles just fill in all the gaps??

Thanks much, Vanessa

Thanks Vanessa,

What I do to avoid air holes is this:

1. mix your oils, eos and any additives and stick blend well.

2. add your curls and hand stir.

3. add your lye and continue to hand stir until you get a light trace.

4. pour all into mold.

5. wait for your surprise when you unmold.

TAS

do you have a cheese slicer? you can make soap curls with that (but I found that they come out a bit thicker). I actually bought the beveler to - gasp - bevel my soap bars but did not like it and thought about selling it, then I read a post by Kristy saying she used a beveler to make soap curls... I bet there might be some soaper who wants to sell their little used soap beveler. I also read you can use a carpenters chisel.

TAS

and a milk-castile is NOT a good choice - it doesn't curl

um, what happens?

TAS

I use to do the same thing - used a pencil or dowel to get a curl, but the beveler works. I think if the soap is too fresh it is harder to get a good curl, but then it depends on the particular bar - tallow is easier, all veggie is softer and mushier to work with.

TAS

I got a pm (because she did not want to hijack that particular thread) from one of our members asking:

I posted pictures of some of my stamped soap here -

http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79881

"I have a beveler, but I don't get the spiral effect like you do with your curls. Especially like the curls around the soap in the first picture you posted. And you are cutting the curls on fresh soap, I'm assuming, right?

To answer her question I created the spiral effect by taking a plain old vegetable peeler and running it down the length of a log. Yes, I used fresh soap.

In the same post, second picture, I used the soap beveler to make the curls.

Here a couple of pics -

Soap and beveler

Finished curl

Happy curling!

TAS

I saw some at Costco. A big container, and it say hydrogenated, but I don't know if it is what you want - the price seemed very reasonable.

TAS

Tas, love your soaps and the stamp. I have trouble stamping even on fresh soap. I wish I could get mine that clean and deep. I always get the impression of the rubber backingwhen I press hard. If I do it lighter you can barely see the stamp.

Could you share how you make the curls for your soaps? Are they CP?

Hi Jeana

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Mercury is retrograde and causing my computer to have little hiccups - plus I could not find the photos that I wanted to share with you.

Anyway -- glad that you like my soap/stamp. When I do veggie soap it is always much softer and I need to have a lighter hand when stamping. The tallow soaps are easier to stamp in that they do not get "squished."

For the soap curls I use a soap beveler, or a cheese slicer. I got the soap beveler at KB. Here are some pics. Hope this helps you "curl your soap."

Oh, and yes, I do the CP method.

Please share you creations once you have "curled you soap."

TAS

Hi Linda,

I'm not sure about stamping on a fully cured bar of soap because I have never tried to do that. Here is what I have tried and know works. I have used mica with both a plain rubber stamp and a metal stamp purchased from www.owossographic.com but only on fresh soap.

This is what I do

After I cut my soap into bars I just take my stamp and "dip" it into some mica (which I put into a flat plastic plate) then place it on my soap and press it in. Easy-peasy

If your soap is hard (cured) the rubber stamp might not make an impression. Kelly Bloom said that she dipped her stamp in some oil (jojoba I think) before she dipped in mica and stamped. Please let us know what happens - does it work or not

Here is a pic of my rubber stamped soap -

and here is a pic of my metal stamped soap -

Happy stamping!

TAS

EOU, OBN and New Directions. I simply LOVE essential oils.

Sorry for being so thick - what is OBN?

Thanks

TAS

Good going! reminds me that I should do something for valentine's day.

TAS

amazing. truly. cool too.

TAS

My MIL loves it but I don't so she buys it from a friend of mine. I mean she really loves it. She is 89...

TAS

I didn't really sell lotion for $200 dollars more. There should have been a decimal $2.00 more.

I need to learn to type.

Well I was so totally impressed with you raking it in. I still am impressed -

TAS

Wow!

Tas

Macro and set your camera at the highest resolution.

TAS

Instead of liquid soap could we sub melt and pour?

This looks like a great recipe - thank you for sharing it.

TAS

Good Morning,

Not sure if this would be the place to post this question.

I am considering purchasing drums of coconut and palm oils with some friends and we will need to purchase a drum heating belt.

Can anyone recommend one or what specs (watts, volts, amps) would qualify a good one?

I know nothing about electricity.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

TAS

when you coming to Illinois TAS, lol.

My hubby was born in Joliet so maybe someday. Where are you located, and when are you coming to Colorado?

TAS

I am looking for shea oil and soapers choice is out. I was wondering if anyone knew where I could buy some, at least enough to get me by until soapers gets more in. thank you.

I got mine at Colorado Organics. Good price and quality and I can pick it up and avoid shipping costs...

TAS

I use tallow and lard. I got into a "discussion" with another soaper who soulfully told me that she just couldn't bear the thought of using soap with animal FAT. I told her that I respected her views but that animal OIL came from animals that were not killed for the specific purpose of making my soap, and that using the tallow made it more earth friendly because all parts of the animal were utilized to create something beneficial. Then I went on to say how palm harvesting was displacing native populations, not to mention the poor orangutans. She shut up.

I understand you can get sustainable palm - anyway that is what some web sites claim.

TAS