Kaylors Kreations

woo hoo.... Isn't it fun?? Looks good.. can't wait to see it all done!!

Wow!! You LS gals sure are something. I'm still working out CP, but darn it if you don't make me want to try LS!! Keep up the the bubbly stuff!!

Dang You Sporadic... you enabler:p, they have all kinds of tropical-ly flavors. I've been looking for some different and yummy ones... now to hope theres some $$ in the bank to order some... ---- Libby

Norm is the original host of This Old House, a PBS series about fixing up old New England homes... If I had to guess, a combo of Pine sawdust, sweaty guy and maybe even NE Clam Chowder?? He is from Massachusetts... Probably not that appealing as a FO...:undecided

OK ladies.. I know this post is a little old, but here comes some baking experience to answer a couple questions... Demerara Sugar was originally named after a colony in Guyana, who originally made this type of sugar (else where called Turbinado) for bulk sale. Most sugars called Demerara are now made somewhere else though the name seems to have stuck. It has that yummy brown color because of the way its made... the cane being boiled and then crushed to release the 'juice' and then spread out and left to dry. The boiling/steaming process slightly caramelizes the sugar crystals giving it that brownish color. If your looking for larger crystals in the more refined white version try looking for Sanding Sugar, it has a much larger crystal size and is usually used on cakes and the like as a large 'glitter' type thing. They can also be gotten in a variety of pre-colored crystals. Hope this answers some questions... Gee can ya tell I took a ton of cooking classes at the ed-connect school back home?? ---- Libby

Ohhh.. good Idea, my kids have been on a pancake jag lately... Don't think lil one would mind pretty colored pancakes, but not so sure about the boy... Bet if I cooked on just enough heat I could get hearts ON each pancake... Sounds like something to try tomorrow on the last day of spring break Oh yeah, I am going to get some wood n make me real ones, but payday isn't till the end of the week, with foamcore, I can figure just how I need to cut the much spendier wood to get it right when I finally get to the 'real' ones... and THEN I'll have one more mold then I started with! ---- Libby

I think they're cute. And definately inspiring a new soaper to give it a whirl... I think I'm going to have to make another trip to Michaels for some more foam core, to make me a slab mold to play with making such pretties.. that is if my pops ever come in... ---- Libby

It's probably just like momma always said.. never underestimate peoples ability to surprise you... Just look in people's cart at the dollar store next time your in and see what they're buying. Artfully finished TP MUST be better than some of that stuff!

And its all Y'alls faults... I was happy playing with my wax and wicks and FOs... but then I got involved here on this board and now look at me..... worrying about which FOs I have that are good soapers and buying lard and being concerned about if I have enough OO in the cupboard for both cooking and soaping... If anything, I'll just have that much more to add to my crafting skills... and I'm not so Fight Club spooked over lye (though I know its still dangerous...) Dang IT!!:pLub Y'all Now if only the UPS or Mail man or whoever is bringing me my Pops would hurry the heck up n give em to me!!!

Hmmm.... I think maybe I'll whip up a batch of unscented Castille type soap, will have to dig around n see what I want to play with as far as a recipe. Otherwise I have some cleaning up and candle pouring to do, need to dig up my containers for my April scent, Tulips, I think I might want to see how celica's Swirl Pillar might work in a container environment. Think I'll do a couple swirly pillars too just for the heck, hopefully I have enough wax to mess with. May have to run out for another 10lbs... hope I have my weekly coupon saved, otherwise the pillars are going to have to wait... Looking forward to the EB making his visit this year, hoepfully I don't have 2 dead kids by then. I think I'ma chuck em out the house tomorrow to try to regain some sanity... ---- Libby

Thanks Gals, I feel like a McDonald's Commercial... I'm Lovin it!! I have a feeling I'm going to have to wait for my pops and give both recipes another spin before I decide which I like better to use as a 'plain ole bar of soap' for my planned b&b and soap line. I used 2 different colorings so not sure the super fast trace and hard trace on my colored bits here the recipe or the coloring... Oh well.. guess that means I'm going to have to make more and buy more FOs and other stuff... DARN:p ---- Libby

My DH is really a sweetie, I was sitting on the sofa watching a movie with our little one when he came in yesterday early afternoon and he had a gift for me... a bucket of Lard and a HUGE bottle of OO OMG He really does listen to me!!!! So I just couldn't let his gift go to waste... I pop my numbers in Soapcalc and figure what I'm going to need then it hits me, I really didn't like how that first batch came out shape wise... when I make a quick run to Wally World, I also make a second stop at Michaels right across the street (now tell me that isn't a dangerous intersection) and pick up a packet of soap colors, a teeny tiny jar of glitter and a piece of foamcore. I looked online and found what is more or less standard for soap size, and made myself a mold. it's 3.5x3.5x10 inches. For something to start with, I don't think its too shabby. Though I have a feeling I'll be cutting myself some wood to make more permanent ones in the near future... WOW did the lard trace fast, Since I've only ever made the other soap the other day, I made it the same recipe but with lard instead of the Veggie Shortening. I only used a few drops of the soap color and I think I nearly found out what soap on a stick is (or on a spatula). It didn't swirl very nicely because the colored bit was so firm but it's still a pretty soap to me, or at least interesting looking. I think little one will be begging for a bar of this since it has such a nice little sparkle to it. ---- Libby

ohhh.... pretty sparklies... I love everyone's pretty multi colors soapies...

Oh man... I miss Tucson sometimes... I know I really did for the 4 years we were stuck in the middle of Alaska... nothing like -50 to make you wish for a nice hot Arizona summer day at the zoo.... We're in the middle of TX now, not bad, but still not Tucson... ---- Libby

ok, ok I admit it, I'm hooked, in fact I just popped over to TKB and found a sampler set of the pop colors and a couple other things I just had to toss in the cart. I'm really thinking this will help my skin, usually my hands get REALLY REALLY dry after washing them. But after washing up my mess from last night, I haven't even had to reach for the lotion yet... I didn't get a realy foamy or bubbly anything when I washed up, but have read enough to know not to really expect too much on the first day. Now the hard part I guess.. waiting for the cure. I'm going to have to bust out my FOs in my candle space n see what I have in the big bottles I might want to soap... practice makes perfect right?! Off to Albertson's to pick up some more OO and maybe a little lard... see which I like working with better.... and what makes a better soap for what I like... ---- Libby

Yay!! I did it I made soap!! So its not quite as pretty as y'alls, but it's mine!! It really wasn't as scary as it seemed, the lye bit was easy and what I was most unsure about. I used Scandalous from NG for my FO and though I don't have any micas or anything yet.. I'm going to have to look at those pop colors, sooo pretty, I used a few drops of believe it or not blue food drops. Sure came out a pretty pinky purple, go fig Thanks everyone for the encouragement!! I'm definately going to try this again!! ---- Libby

Where I am, theres not much of a price difference between the veggie and the lard.. I think I'm just more comfortable tossing a bucket of veggie in the buggy than a tub of lard because I have never before had a reason to even purchase/use it in the past.. i know sounds kinda lame, probably just like kids who say they don't like broccoli when they've never eaten it, kits new so its scary... OH and I just mixed my lye water and have my oils cooling as I type... I survived the (what to me was) the scary part.. I've made white sauce before and know when that turns from milk, butter n flour to a suce.. so I think I'll recognize trace when I see it... Will definately post a pic when I unwrap the baby tomorrow evening! Thanks everyone for your input!! ---- Libby

Thanks E, I just looked in my cupboard and found a big bottle of OO I didn't think I had So no problemo with upping my OO content now. For some reason this payday ALWAYS seems like we get shorted on. Soon as I'm finished making dinner and decorating my boy's birthday cake ( I always do something fancy for em), I'll triple check my numbers through soapcalc and be on my hopefully merry way. Will let everyone know how it goes tomorrow after I finally do this thing. ---- Libby

I haven't opened anything I bought yet... was going to wait till later today after I got the house all clean, children settled and the like. It would be easy enough to take my Crisco back and change it for lard. I just wanted to go with the veggie because I know, that once my soap has properly cured, I plan on sharing it with family, and I have a couple no-meat members of the family and wanted to be able to tell em it was meatless. Guess I could just fudge it with them, they aren't vegans, jut not meat EATERS... Or would it be a solid enough soap if I used none or much less Stearic? I know a Castille bar is just OO or OOand some castor, and probably makes an even softer bar than what I would end up with minus the the Stearic. ---- Libby

ok... I've decided to do it.. put on my big girl pants and try a CP... I think I can, I think I can... SO after taking an extra couple hours at a couple extra stores, I finally found all my ingredients... man that castor was a pain, and go figure with freezer paper... So I'm going to make my lye water and melt my oils tomorrow... to soap on Sat evening. I hope... My oldest turns 11 so I have cake and fun stuff to do for birthdays!! i'm planning on using what I could find on the cheap.. lemme know how this sounds... 5% Castor 35% Crisco 20% Coconut Oil 30% sunflower 10% Stearic to help up the hardness... now a question... when do I add the Stearic? Seems silly I guess, but again... Soap Virgin!! I ran it through lye calc and used the fixed lye like in e's tutorial, which I've printed out and read and reread and will prolly reread a third time before i even break the seal on my lye... looking forward to lining my box tomorrow and getting on with 'making a baby' ---- Libby

I hadn't done any homework yet, but as I've said I also hadn't really done anything else either. The little bit of menthol crystals I put in the tiny bit of stuff I had made, barely even makes my lips tingle after a week of sitting and curing, and only slightly gave me a warming when I put some on some of my driest skin, so it really was more or less a thinking out loud thing.:undecided The whole general idea of the cream in a tube came out of frustration at my hubby... and we all know how frustration makes one act and think and speak more rashly than usual. So after looking at pages and pages of infromation (and feeling like this after it:*faint*), maybe instead of 'dupe'ing something, i should just stick with my original thoughts of fancy goodies for us gals n such and maybe just buy a pair of good kitchen gloves to use to slap the original crud i can't stand on him... besides I think my lotion in a tube would smell better with a little Kama Sutra FO and a little less oil of some sort, though its fab on my dry dry skin. I apologize for getting defensive, its just been a long day here and after being shouted at in actuality by kids for a few hours it seems like everyone is hollaring at you. And thank you for your advice, I think I'll wait to become more experienced with what I'm doing before trying to jump into the deep end again. ---- Libby

The only thing I have done so far is make a lotion bar with a little menthol in it... I wasn't sure about anything else, which is why I asked.. guess that was kinda silly if I'm going to be barked at. I'm all about learning, and reading and everything. Perhaps it would have been a little more constructive to maybe offer me some advise about another EO to use or other options rather than jump down my questioning throat :undecided , or maybe I should just toss out any ideas of B&B stuff and go back to my candles... I admit, I don't know these things, and again why I was asking, and I did say I was reading off the back of the original item I want to 'dupe'. I can scan it and show you if you like. I'm open to suggestions, and not really in need of an ego bashing lecture. Sorry if I'm stepping on toes, but I thought that was the point of the community, to share one's knowledge with others that are short on their own and wish to expand themselves. ---- Libby

oh too cute... if you ever needed to try to explain sap to someone that had no clue, this would be a good one! ---- Libby

Like I said, I'm taking my cues from the labeling of the IcyHot lotion. It states 10% for the menthol and 30% for the wintergreen. I'm going to pick up the EO tomorrow and put in an order for some Cocoa butter then too, you'd think this stuff was gold the way Hobby Lobby prices an ounce of it.. 2.99 WOZA:shocked2: More than likely I'll play with my levels until my hubby finds them comfortable. start with a bit n work up from there. I was looking for an opinion and thanks for finally giving one, I'm a chandler in practice, so the B&B is new to me and with anything in life, its better to get words of advice from someone whos tried it than to crash and 'burn' with some of these things. Thanks. ---- Libby

sounds wonderful, I haven't been in a bbw for such a long time. I avoid the mall like the plague most of the time, its easier to spend your cash on candles/b&B supplies if your not out spending it at the mall ya know... Though I'm kinda suprised there would be any kind of cherry note in a cherry blossom scent, since its a flower and itself doesn't really have any kind of cherry to it. Although outside of lilies, those blossoms are one of my favorite flower smells, just reminds me of one of the first places I lived outside of mom &dad's the neighbor was married to a wonderful Japanese lady that brought a couple seeds with her from Kyoto and planted them in her garden here in the states, oooh... you knew it was Spring when those babies broke out in pink and lovely, was worth the AZ temps to open the windows and let it in. ---- Libby