Hand Cut and Waves

[xxxtennillexxx]

I just bought some M&P for the first time. Is it best for actual molds or are you able to hand cut it like all of the beautiful CP soap that I always see? Can it be put in the "loaf" type boxes and hand cut too? I love all the swirly, wavey soaps and I know I will not be able to achieve this any time soon but I'm curious if it's even possible w/ M&P?

Thanks in advance!!

[kestagano04]

Yes, you can use a loaf mold and hand cut. That is my favorite way to make it!

Edited April 27, 2010 by kestagano04

[xxxtennillexxx]

Yay! That is exactly what I was looking for! It is so beautiful! I love the way it looks, handmade but very upscale. I would love to be able to make some like that to sit in my bathroom as decoration. Thank you for posting the pic, it is awesome!

[kestagano04]

Thank you!

I use a tupperware cheese keeper for my loaf mold. It is the perfect size for a 2lb loaf, and it is soooo easy to unmold.

Here's one on ebay (the larger of the 2)....

http://cgi.ebay.com/VTG-TUPPERWARE-CHEESE-BUTTER-KEEPER-LOT-518-1-636-1-/110522569658?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bba893ba

[prairieannie]

Cripes Kest, i SWEAR I could smell that soap when I clicked on the photo and I don't even know what kind it is!! It's beautiful!

[Kitn]

That soap is gorgeous.

[candlemama]

Beautiful soaps! Love it. And I love that Tupperware idea. I need to get one of those. Why did I pay $13.95 for my silicone loaf mold from WSP again?!?

[kestagano04]

Thank you ladies! These ones are scented Tuscan Lemon.

I first heard about using a cheese keeper from DeannaEC. I just recently bought another one for $9 shipped.

[Alajane]

kestagano04, thanks for the link for that Tupperware cheese keeper! Several months ago I was watching ebay for one and didn't find it, so it sort of got lost in the recesses of my brain! I was the lucky winner of that auction, along with another one I bid on just in case I didn't get that one. The other one is labeled a butter keeper, but the dimensions are about the same height and width, just 6 inches long instead of 9, so I can use it for smaller batches.

Thanks again,

Jane

[kestagano04]

kestagano04, thanks for the link for that Tupperware cheese keeper! Several months ago I was watching ebay for one and didn't find it, so it sort of got lost in the recesses of my brain! I was the lucky winner of that auction, along with another one I bid on just in case I didn't get that one. The other one is labeled a butter keeper, but the dimensions are about the same height and width, just 6 inches long instead of 9, so I can use it for smaller batches.

Thanks again,

Jane

:yay:

[xxxtennillexxx]

My local Walmart had 2 loaves of Velveeta cheese w/free cheese keepers just like this! I got 1 and my sister got the other. I might have to "borrow" it from her & forget to return it! You might want to keep an eye out b/c I know I have seen them at Walmart around the holidays before too. It was like $5 and I got the cheese too!!

[CandleMama6]

My local Walmart had 2 loaves of Velveeta cheese w/free cheese keepers just like this! I got 1 and my sister got the other. I might have to "borrow" it from her & forget to return it! You might want to keep an eye out b/c I know I have seen them at Walmart around the holidays before too. It was like $5 and I got the cheese too!!

I will have to keep my eyes open for this. And thanks for the tupperware idea too!!

[Alajane]

I remember Kraft having those boxes with cheese several years ago--I got one and used it for cheese (imagine that--it was obviously before I discovered soaping!!). Think it must have gotten thrown away in a cleaning orgy at some point.

[xxxtennillexxx]

"I remember Kraft having those boxes with cheese several years ago--I got one and used it for cheese (imagine that--it was obviously before I discovered soaping!!). Think it must have gotten thrown away in a cleaning orgy at some point."

Kraft owns Velveeta so it's probably the same box. I tried it w/A white French Milled base w/Pink Sugar FO and a little bit of burgundy color and worked perfectly! Mine is not anywhere as close as the ones posted, but not too bad for my first time! I really need to get one of the miter boxes to cut it, that was the worst part!

[rcrafty]

Kestagano04 - I love that soap . I am wondering how you get such nice swirls in m&p? Are you pouring different colors at the same time or is there some trick to that? When I try to swirl m&p it fades into the other soap and it is hard to see.

[kestagano04]

Thanks, rcrafty!

With the lemon soap I used a clear and opaque base. It's kind of a lumpy swirl. I melt and prepare them at the same time, and then I wait for them to cool down quite a bit before pouring. If they're too warm they'll fade into each other. I pour one at a time, switching it up, kind of like layering. I spritz with alchohol after each pour.

For thinner swirls I pour one color warmer than the other. With the soap in this picture I poured all of the opaque base into the mold first at a cooler temp, and then the blue clear base at a warmer temp. I held the pitcher up higher while pouring the blue so that it would penetrate deeper into the opaque. I then dragged a butter knife through a couple of times.

I hope that helps!

Edited May 2, 2010 by kestagano04

[rcrafty]

Thanks for the help Kestagano04 - This technique has baffled me for a while, I am going to have to try it out this week

[kestagano04]

Good luck! Post pics if you can :smiley2:

[candlemama]

Wish I would have read your tips last night, before trying to make swirls in my M&P, Kestagano04! Oh, well... at least they smell nice.

[mparadise]

I use the plastic drawer organizers from Dollar Tree as a loaf mold. They hold 4 lbs of soap perfectly. I have one for each scent plus a couple of extras in case I am doing more than one batch of a scent at a time or one breaks and I am in the middle of a batch. No they don't last as long as the WSP silicone ones but for $1 vs $14 who really cares! I've been using them for a couple of years and only cracked 2 and only because I dropped them on my tile floor and they landed on a corner, while they were full so they were rigid AND heavy.

Also I like that they all stack inside of each other and I can just cover them in cling wrap between uses so they don't take up a lot of room but they still stay clean and free of dust when I store them.

[CandleMama6]

I use the plastic drawer organizers from Dollar Tree as a loaf mold. They hold 4 lbs of soap perfectly. I have one for each scent plus a couple of extras in case I am doing more than one batch of a scent at a time or one breaks and I am in the middle of a batch. No they don't last as long as the WSP silicone ones but for $1 vs $14 who really cares! I've been using them for a couple of years and only cracked 2 and only because I dropped them on my tile floor and they landed on a corner, while they were full so they were rigid AND heavy.

Also I like that they all stack inside of each other and I can just cover them in cling wrap between uses so they don't take up a lot of room but they still stay clean and free of dust when I store them.

Would you mind posting a picture of them? I am looking for someone less expensive to start to make sure I like this soap thing before I spend a fortune on molds.