New Nwebie's First Try

[GrandmaArial]

Ok…not as nice as many of the newbie’s first tries, but I’m satisfied.

What I don’t like… I rushed and took it out of the mold and sliced it to soon… so bars are very distorted (leaving them in the kitchen with dishwasher running on a really hot day didn’t help). That’s a mistake I will never make again. Also very fine riceing I think. Tiny little specs of semi translucent bits through out.

What I like about it. Very soft to the skin, even now. Nice thick, creamy bubbly lather. I super fatted to 9%, figuring I would have lousy lather, but being my first try I would rather be way fat heavy than to chance being even a little lye heavy.

[firegirl]

Oh... I think your soap looks great! I especially love your kitty avatar!! Is that a Bengal? VERY HANDSOME!!

[CBE]

I love your swirls!! You did good Grandma!!! Woohoo!!! I'm still fightin' with my swirls. LOL

[AnitaG]

You did good.

[GrandmaArial]

Thank you very much. I feel like I learned a lot with this first batch. I had almost everything already on hand (except the scale which my wonderful daughter in law gave me, and gloves and lye). But now I think I’m going to have to spend some money! Going to need a real mold (used an old cardboard box) and a stamp like firegirl’s, and.. well... EVERY THING. LOL

Firegirl, that is not a tiger, that is our 22 lb rotwielder, Neelix. We had to convince our big dog Brutus, a 90 lb lab mix the kitten is a puppy as his former owners had taught him to kill cats. It worked, they all believe Neelix is a rotwilleder. And yes, Neelix hates cats as much as Brutus does. He also chases cars and runs to the door to bark with the rest of the dogs.

Creative … thank you, but I’ve seen your first 2 tries, and make me look like a piker. I especially like your second, the lemon custard looking creation. The colors and texture are so smooth. That’s what I want mine to look like. As for the swirling all I did was pour the colored soap back in my mixing pot varying the height so some went to the bottom and some stayed high, like I have seen described here, then poured into the box (mold). Next time I think I will try running a knife through it and try to get it to look like the first picture of your first batch. I LOVE the way that looks.

Thank you to Anita. I apreciate the encouragement. :-)

Well, I better go and write out my shopping list. Not sure how I’m going to convince hubby we need 3 gallons of oils so it comes out house account and I can spend my own money on a real log mold and a soap stamp, some CP safe pigments and scents… maybe some herbs…some of those wonderful expensive oils I have been reading about… I have the feeling I’m going to be making a LOT of soap (guess what everyone’s getting for the holidays)

[maryann]

BEAUTIFUL shade of blue and your soap came out GREAT!!

[KJohnson]

That looks great for a first try! It only gets better!! and more addicating..lol I have already made 2 batches this morning!

Kris

[Synascents]

Simply awesome love the colors of the swirl

[GrandmaArial]

Thank you. You all are encouraging my newest addiction...

But... I have to admit... that pretty blue... was supposed to be forest green. I used vegetable dye because it's cheaper than the pigments, and I had it handy, and I knew I would mess the first batch up anyway. I knew the vegetable dye would change, I just didn’t expect it to change to such a pleasant tone. I was expecting some funky grey or something. Really, I just wanted to see if I could do a swirl because my daughter in law likes the swirled soaps she’s seen here so much. I don’t think the swirl is bad for a first try, though I think I can do better with a bit of practice.