JacquiO

There's no lard in my whipped bars. I used coconut, crisco and pko for my hard oils.

Let me know how it goes. I've haven't felted since then. I tested some and the soap did end up getting mushy inside. They may have been felted too thick. I purchased some wooden soap saver dishes to see if that helps them dry out better but ya know, so much soap and so little time to shower. lol

Oh, I wonder why that was the case? I don't really sell soap right now. I just wanted to formulate a nice foot scrub bar and I decided to go whipped because if you drop it while scrubbing your feet it floats and you don't have to search around for it. The only thing I would do is add more pumice. I added 8 tbsp to a 2lb oil batch but I think I could have added a whole cup. It's still too rough for overall body use but for the feet it could be even more coarse. It's not even fully cured yet but I've still been using it and it makes my feet feel nice and soft afterward as opposed to the pedi-file I used that makes my feet feel so dry.

Thanks a lot everyone. I guess I didn't so much screw up the soap as the colors which I totally miscalculated, wasted so much mica and still ended up with a big gray mess. Oh well attempt #2 will be this weekend. I've been telling myself forever that I'm going to get those six cavity molds but first I want to master this 6 color swirl. I wish all the pics weren't gone on that tutorial.

It's not the lye that prevents mold and bacteria it's the PH level of the soap. The buggies can't live in it.

It's CP soap. Same cure time as standard CP. There's no need to gel. Here's the tutorial. It's pretty fool proof. Just be sure to chill your lye solution overnight. It really thickens quick once the lye is added. http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/coldprocesssoapmaking/ss/whippedsoap.htm Thanks Everyone!

I loved making this soap! It was so fun and easy. Made this into a pumice foot soap scented with a peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree EO blend.

Very nicely done. Did you do crockpot method or oven?

http://www.scottcrewcandlesupply.com/store/agora.cgi?cart_id=5930445.31749 http://www.goplanetearth.com/index.html HTH, J

I tried following this tutorial with disastrous results. http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62435 It's very hard figuring how much oil to use for your mold when half your weight in oils is supposed to be salt. I calculated my lye solution for the amount of oils but should I have added more water to account for the weight in salt? I also used non-iodized sea salt. Is it not supposed to dissolve all the way cause it came out pretty grainy? Would a flaky kosher salt work better? If anyone has a better salt bar recipe please share. I'm using sodium hydroxide and would prefer to keep it that way. TIA, Jacqui

With HP I get the best result dissolving it in my lye water (long as it's water soluble TD). When I add to my oils sometimes it doesn't incorporate fully and after the cook forget it unless you dissolve it in some water first and then still you'll be trying to mix it in forever. Don't ask me how I know. Just an FYI - If you want to do a colored swirl in your HP and your working with a powdered colorant, clay or ground herb mix it with a little superfatting oil, water or veg glycerin. It's hard to incorporate a dry powder into fully cooked soap but using this method none of your colors will morph on you.

I'd love to see a photo of that Leisa.

I'm glad that method worked for you. I have made pumpkin soap using HP and I add it (all my fruits purees) after the cook. As long as they're puree and not chunky you shouldn't have any mold problems. Also don't add more than 1/4 cup puree per # of oil in your recipe.

A fiery orange or red perhaps.

I'd say awesome but I'm too busy seething with jealousy right now. How the f--k do you do all that! OMG! You don't have to answer that but it just boggles my mind the amount of work that went into each loaf and what did you do to get those embeds? I prostrate myself at your feet almighty soap goddess!

This one has my vote too! Excellent for great smelling votives and tarts. Holds up to 8% fragrance load. Smooth glossy finish. Does shrink quite a bit. I never repoured my tarts with this wax but always have to top off votives.

A wax tart should continue to smell for several days and several burnings. You definitely want to use the maximum amount of FO allowed by your wax. A typical vybar blended paraffin can hold 8-12% FO. So you can add 1.5 to 2 oz per pound. Just double check with your wax supplier on what the recommended fragrance load is for your wax. Added vybar can up your fragrance load but if your already using 2 ounces per pound the next culprit most likely is your fragrance oils and improving that is just a matter of changing your supplier. You can check out the fragrance review section here for good throwing FOs. The only other thing that may make it appear that your tarts lose scent after a couple hours is just your nose getting desensitized to the smell. After two hours turn off your warmer. Wait until the next day and then re-warm the same wax and see if you still get a strong smell from it. HTH, Jacqui

I see what you mean! He's adorable!

Really love your soaps Billie and Wayne. I'm working on a eucalyptus peppermint exfoliating foot soap today myself. I love that EO combo it's so soothing.

Beautiful soaps. Me too! Really want to know how you kept your pink sugar from turning brown?

Hi Everyone, We got back late Sunday and boy was I beat. That car ride did a number on my back. I had a great time. I'm looking forward to coming back next year. Thanks Abbie, Kim, Lori and everyone else that worked so hard to make this possible. Check out my photos of the gathering on facebook and feel free to friend me: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10911&id=100001029321115&l=ca214e9e0c Cheers, Jacqui

Do you have to sign up in advance for the Yankee swap?

I use a para/soy blend. I get a little dip but I can't be bothered with a repour.

That's really sweet.

I've been trying to find more info on the contest. Is there any information available about that yet?