tonyjazz

MP goatsmilk, Island Escape FO, Ligthouses made with silicone mold. Top layer clear MP.

Anyone use Tamanu Oil in M&P? Just got a few ounces. Using it for skin full strength. Been reading about it's beneficial effects....

" The Sacred Oil of Tahiti ".......expensive and very interesting.

Thanks for the inspiring comments!!!

It's really amazing to create these soaps using art and aromas.

Learning a lot here about skin care and my skin has benefited greatly from using the soaps I make. This is definitely one of the coolest arts

I have ever engaged in.....love it........TJ

Clear MP, tinted green with red embeds. Bamboo Forest FO.

Thanks all for the great comments and making me feel welcome in the forum, appreciate it. I'm loving MP soap and the creativeness that can be done. Not to mention the benefits of using these soaps for myself and clients........................TJ

Wanted to push the envelope on this one. Started by making a jelly roll for embeds. Had a hole in the middle I didn't like and filled it. Strawberry FO for jelly roll. Each one was about 1" tall. Tricky rolling it and waiting for the right temp to make it pliable.

Placed embeds in the mold and added a blue colored MP base with Mango butter and scented with Passion Fruit FO. Did not fill it completely so some of the embeds stick out and would adhere better to the top clear base. I didn't want the embeds smeared by heat on this one......poured clear base at 130 degrees.

When I unmolded it the bottom looked much better for presentation after a bit of shaving with a razor blade to reveal all the colors of the jelly roll........................TJ

Got some Mango butter today and got creative making these. Made some clear gem shaped embeds and slices of clear embeds (red). These were fragranced with Black Cherry. Each bar also has a heart embed.

FO was a mixture I call " Fiesta Tropical " which is Strawberry, Passion Fruit, Pina Colada and Island Getaway. Very tropical scent..........I tried it today and the lather was great.....MP, goats milk and clear. 2/3, 1/3.....

This is soooo creative........I'm inspired!

I really appreciate the input and encouragement. It's always good to be around creative artists. Most of the ideas I get is from viewing the soap the members here make.

Einstein once said, " It's better to be creative than be knowledgeable."

I totally agree with him. M&P is extremely creative to work with. To be honest, I've stopped painting and candle making. Exclusively working with soap and it's creative side I never even knew was possible.

I'm hooked, got a jones, into it, etc......................Thanks for showing me the way......................TJ

This batch was done with Bamboo Forest FO. I tried to get artistic using the FO theme. MP clear base, avocado and coconut oils added.

Made a smaller shaped bar, green, then cut into slices to embed.

Used a small wood shaver to clean sides, makes ribbons of soap I'll find use for at a later time.......TJ

Leisa: I'm honored by your comments, thanks.

NancyT: They smell great! Thanks for looking.

Denise: Thanks, soap makes a great subject for photography.

I thought I would add some recent creations here:

Still learning and incorporating art, aromas and soap

into something creative that I enjoy making and selling......TJ

M&P with fruit embeds. All the detail on the fruit melted away but, I like the effect. Used 3 layers, last one clear. Strawberry FO and Shea butter.

Found a small wooden cigar box that makes a 7"x11" slab of soap. I get 8 bars 2 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches each.

Any advice would be welcome. I've got the creative juices flowing with M&P soap. I see MP as a blank canvas.....endless possibilities....TJ

Stella: I always test them before a sale......usually make batches of 6 and keep one for personal use and testing, fragrance throw..............

Sherry: The azaleas are really thin flowers and very delicate. I press them for a few days, then apply a thin coat with my fingers on the mold and place the flower where I want. Then with a brush I paint the flower with hot wax and let cool. The insert I fill with cold water and all this helps maintain the flower were I want it when I pour the wax.

Thanks for the comments. PR candles sold out at last show.

On the HC's

I used Vaseline, then with a brush coated flowers in hot wax and let it cool before pouring. Used metal mold with insert and you could probably not use the insert, lots of wax to fill though. Plus the added heat when not using insert would probably make the flowers float down........

Acrylic paint holding up so far, yeah!

The MP bases I use are acquired from a candle and soap store that's been on the island for 25 years. I don't know what brand they are but, I do like them a lot. Goats Milk, Clear, and Coconut is all they carry. I've seen some bases on the net I would love to try though. When I look at the shipping charges, the price almost doubles.

I have recently tried a batch with a wooden cigar box that gives me 8 beautiful bars of artistic soap. I tried an Avocado Oil, Oatmeal, Fresh cut Thyme in a 3 colored layer batch. Used watermelon FO and they look great.

I can see the benefits for skin using these soaps and will never buy commercial soap again. I have my own business that I visit clients everyday and I show them my soaps and they sell.

So I'm really enthused about all this new form of creativity with soap. I read a few nights ago " Think of a MP base as a blank canvas". I can really relate to that. Although I'm fairly new to this I feel like it's something I've done before..................Thanks TJ

Thanks so much for the advice, very helpful and informative..........TJ

I am super enthused making MP soap. They are a great addition to my line of candles and surprisingly are selling well. I use what is available locally: Goats Milk, Clear and Coconut MP bases.

The person at the store told me I should not add any oils ( coconut oil, Shea butter, Avocado oil, etc. ) to my MP base. I have seen recipes on the net contrary to this. I read that adding Shea butter adds to hardness. I've gotten bad advice from sales people before like, " You can use crayons for color in your candles." Ruined 3 candles.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Is there a picture gallery for soaps? Can you post pics here? Thanks TJ

Thanks for the advice. I picked up 3 different kinds of MP bases today. Clear, Goats Milk and Coconut. Made 10 bars for personal use. Fast, easy and very interesting. Great soap......Got blue and red soap colors. Made my own yellow from annatto seeds and olive oil infused.

I want to make my own soap and have been studying whatever I can find here and on the net. Monday I will go and get some MP base from my candle supplier. I've been checking my fragrances for candles to find out which are soap safe.

The lady that waits on me at the candle store gave me a small slice of some soap she made. It looked like a jelly roll. It was the best soap I've ever used and want to make it for myself and as gifts for Valentines Day.

From what I've read I understand you can use mica and food coloring in small quantities.

Any tips, especially about coloring agents would be most appreciated.

I want to make bars and mold soaps.

Thanx.........................TJ

I like this candle! The look of having taken a few sips gives it a realistic look.

Got my first silicone mold for a lighthouse. I have painted lots of seascapes on canvas and wanted to apply that to candles. Made a small pillar candle with embedded sea stones and used a metal wicking tool. The LH mold I left a lot of extra wicking to go into the pillar candle. In a small stainless steal mixing bowl I placed a bunch of stones on the bottom and added hot wax for a base. The pillar and LH was placed inside. Then with a torch I melted away excess wax to reveal the stones. Then made a water candle of the whole thing. Island Escape FO.

Thanks all for looking and comments! I did try this with FO's but, no good. Smoked, sputtered, maybe just a drop would work. TJ

I saw this on the Internet and tried to incorporate my azaleas I have into this candle. Used a wine glass, water and olive oil ( any cooking oil works ) and a plastic wick holder made out of a transparent CD cover. Unwaxed, zinc core wick embedded into plastic. The holder becomes almost invisible and to my surprise does not burn. Have tested this for up to 30 hours on a very small amount of oil. At night the glow is incredible.

Thanks Envy for the comments on the florals. Had a bunch of azaleas that bloom this time of year and pressed them, used Vaseline and a painting knife to apply them on the mold and painted with hot wax. I love these at night.

Coconuts have a soft and hard end. The part with 3 darker holes are the soft part and one of them is super soft........to get to the drink and when the coconut starts to make a new palm. So , I always try and use only the hard part. You mentioned that wax was getting through the cracks................unless its been dropped or banged around it show be waterproof. I had an unpleasant experience with one of my coconut candles ( one with 2 frogs ), that was my favorite candles and I re-wicked and refilled it 3 times. BAD IDEA! Ignited the husk...so I'm placing a stone on the bottom and glue the wick to that.( Short wicking ) So far that works fine and no refills.........

Thanks Stella for the comments and input. Very helpful tip about the off centering......I think this was more of a bad placement technique when taking the pic. I placed the candle on one of the folds and it gave the illusion of it being slanted.( not to mention the anamorphic distortion using close up lens).....That info is very helpful to me and I will re shoot that pic cause I use this one on my website......Great Eye, thanks.............

Thanks soapbuddy for the fine comments/////

Toni S........So glad you liked these, my favorite.........stems are painted in acrylics........still waiting to see how acrylics work on candles.....I was always taught that acrylics don't work on top of oil......."("........

Got some new molds for these. Parrafin wax, watermelon FO. Seeds painted in acrylics. Kamasutra FO for the 'canes...............

The middle pyramid is my attempt at the Puerto Rican flag, blue and white star painted with acrylics. ( I live in PR )......TJ