naninkansas

As long as the pH is okay I think it's alright to just try it out. I know I couldn't wait. I haven't yet made any unscented but I will put that on my list to do. I'm glad it's turned out well for you!

So, how's the soap???

Yep, I got the Kraft magazine in the mail yesterday, saw the photo and immediately thought it was soap. Hmm, and I've only just started soaping and hanging around the forums!

Awesome soaps. Are those mint leaves in the speckled bar and if so are they scratchy?

Look good!

Very neat soaps. I'm anxious to hear if the black bleeds as well.

Hee, hee, I just orderer myself a beveler. You're molds looks so nice, but my hubby made me mine and they'll work. His aren't as nice looking as your's though.:tiptoe: :tiptoe: :tiptoe:

Jeana, for the orange I used a combination of red and yellow oxide powders. I wish I'd have used more yellow and less red though because the color is more coral than orange. I brushed gold mica on top. The middle layer is not colored and has now turned more of a light to medium brown. The bottom layer just has some cocoa mixed in. Thank you all for your very kind comments.

I really, really like these. I would love to try a bar with Monoi someday.

My husband just made me a tray type mold. I can't wait to try swirling. I'll be happy to get something that looks even half as nice as yours do here.

I love your soaps. Goats in the Garden is such a great name for a soap!

Hi Deb. Being new to soaping as well, I'm just going to say that I would hesitate to use any recipe with that many different ingredients on my first batch. I found a very basic recipe by doing a search here and used it for my first attempt just to insure that things went well. I don't remember the name, but it was 4 different oils, 25% each. Hopefully some of the experienced people will be able to give you some advice.

Oh my gosh I couldn't stand to wait that long!!! I had to at least try a bar from each batch the next day.

They all look beautiful!

Thank you all for your kind words. Honestly I almost have as much fun taking the photos as I do making the soaps, but then photography is my first passion. I think one of the reasons this is so much fun for me is because I have such a large family that I can share this with. My cured soaps have been disappearing and it's because my husband is giving them away. He's been off work after having shoulder surgery and has made me a couple of molds already, so he's gotten involved. Then my grandkids come over and my granddaughters fill a plastic baggy with soap before they leave. I'm turning them into little soap 'snobs'. Thanks again.

I am new, but already so addicted to soapmaking and so inspired by everyone here that shares their knowledge and their photos. I plan to inundate my family and friends with this stuff! My grandchildren will never use store-bought soap again. First ones are my very first attempts. Orange-Spice and Oatmeal, Milk & Honey, both made with all veggie oils. Then I tried a lard bar and made it CPHP. So far it's my favorite. It's not the prettiest but I love how it feels. It was Blackberry-Sage. Then I did a Yuzu bar and added calendula petals. Last one is one I just did. It's Chocolate-Vanilla-Orange. The middle layer has turned a caramel color since I took the photo. I have so many more ideas for things I want to try.

Thank you all for the advise. I'm not sure that I'll ever be making this again, but if I do I will heed your words. It ended up looking like some of the nastiest, lumpiest, most disgusting stuff I'd ever seen. I almost pitched it, but since it was soft I thought why not try to melt it down and do something to salvage it. So I cut it up and threw it into the double boiler, added a little water and beat the crappola out of it when it melted. I put it back into the mold and it now looks like soap. It's been cut and is curing so we'll see. Thanks again.

Very pretty. I like how white they are.

I really like the layer in the second and love the colors in the last. Really nice.

I've been to Manhattan once many, many moons ago. Something about a football game if I remember right. It's all a blur....... Actually I'm from New York, moved to Seattle, then somehow wound up in Kansas where I've been for what seems like forever.

Hi Scented. I'm between Wichita and Hutchinson, right off 96. Itty bitty place called Mount Hope. Where are you? I need to learn to be more patient. I fix the lye water, then measure and melt the oils and wait. Obviously not long enough though! :rolleyes2 I like the idea of getting the stuff ready the night before though.

Thank you. I'll look for a thermometer next time I'm in town!

I didn't check the temps with a thermometer (need to get one). I let them cool, but I know they were warmer than room temp. I added the fragrance to the tar/oil mix before mixing in the lye because I was afraid I wouldn't have time to after. I used my stick blender for less than a minute, then used the whisk, but wow, was it fast! I'm anxious to see if it turns out. If it does I will give it all to my sis and tell her to MAKE IT LAST!

SOAP ON A STICK!! Being the adventerous person (aka 'sometimes not so bright') I decided to try Pine Tar soap for my sis that has exzema. I've made 4 batches of soap so far and figured I might give this a try. I also learned that pine tar is not the most pleasant smelling stuff around. I scented it with Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Oil so hopefully it'll smell obnoxious in a 'better' way. Oh, and pine tar is MESSY. But, the soap is in the mold so time will tell. BTW, I want to get my post count up but everytime I have a question I do a search and find my answer....... I'm not a very chatty person, so at this rate I'll never get my post count up!

Beeee-u-tifulllll! Who'd have thought that looking at a bar of soap would make me drool. The one with the red swirls reminds me of the little strawberry ice cream sunday cups I had as a kid. Then I looked again and it made me think of cheesecake. Mmmmmm.