Skip to main content

To-Do list

Just a short note to let you know that I'm still alive.  :)  I've been on a little hiatus, having spent some time in Texas, making a wedding cake for and participating in one of the happiest weddings ever.  But I'm anxious to get back into my soaping routine and here are a few things that I have lined up for this coming week.

1) The first order of business is painting my soap studio.  Ace Hardware stores are having a special promotion during March, offering a free quart of paint every Saturday (last day is tomorrow!!).  I've been wanting to repaint for months so it is perfect timing for me.  I chose Briarwood, a pale green, and painted the first half last night.  I love it!

2) I've joined Amy Warden's soap challenge and I'm looking forward to trying all kinds of different techniques in the coming months.

3) Inspired by a soaping friend, I'm going to make a loaf of whipped soap.  I haven't whipped any soap in at least a year and I usually use my decorating tips and cupcakes molds.  I've never made a loaf, so here goes.  (And then we will compare notes, Holly!)

4) Mother's Day and the start of the Farmer's Market are only about 6 weeks away!  Enough said there.

....I just realized that I should have added pictures to this post--a nice thought if my camera were with me.  Well, wedding cake and soap studio before/after pix will get a post of their own soon!

Comments

  1. Two Blooms Design StudioMarch 30, 2012 at 8:40 PM

    Nice to see you back. I'm doing the soap challenge as well and enjoying it. Think it's this week or next that Amy is doing one with whipped soap.

    Our markets start soon as well.

    Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amy@10th Ave.March 31, 2012 at 12:27 PM

    Thanks, Michelle, I'll have to look for the challenge schedule and see what's coming up.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Soaping with Madder

I know that any color added to soap can morph into a surprise, but there is an added element of unknown when using botanicals to color my soap.  Some people jump out of planes or ski off mountains, but this is how I live on the edge these days.  Hmm.  If I weren't having so much fun, I'd be embarrassed. I recently had my first go with madder.  So....whatsa madder?  It's a root--the root of the madder. Ahem. (I love puns...) I infused 8 oz. of olive oil with 2 t. madder root powder for almost a week.  This amount worked out to be 20% of the oils in my batch. I wanted something in the way of embeds to add visual interest.   I dearly love my soap balls but I don't want to over do a good thing.  I've recently done square-shaped embeds, so this time I cut a bar of white soap into slices. I panicked a little that it wouldn't get dark enough--it was kind of a dusty peach--so I added 1/4 t. dried powder right before pouring. Madder powder can get a little
21 comments
Read more

Soap Challenge--Piping

I'm jumping into Amy W's soap challenge here in week 3--piping soap.  I chose to make a version of a batch I made last year--my Sweet Pea scented soap.  It was really popular for me last summer so why mess with a success? Some soapers assume that piping soap means that it must be whipped, but it's not necessary to whip it first.  When I don't want the whipped look (or more frequently, don't want to clean beaters) I just let it sit until it thickens up on its own.  (By the way, don't you adore these itty-bitty dishes?  I just bought them a few weeks ago. A set of four cost $1 at the Dollar Tree!) I used a Wilton tip #3 to make the little squiggles. I added tip #103 sweet peas and made leaves with a # 352 tip. One thing I love about piping soap....it never leaves even a trace of ash to spoil the design.   And then I took lots of pictures (it was a rather photogenic batch).  Here are a few-- These will be cured enough to have them at t
37 comments
Read more

Loofah--from vine to soap

If you've followed my blog for a long time, you've already seen a post on one of my favorite things to grow--loofah, but I think it's time for another one.  People are often surprised when they learn that loofahs are grown.  No, a loofah isn't a sea sponge, but the mature "skeleton" of a zucchini-like plant.  Everyone knows they are good for the bath but they also make great natural pan scrubbers in the kitchen.  They are so popular that I have to remember to tuck away any that I want to keep myself. I raise three or four plants every year.  Like a zucchini or a cucumber, it likes to spread out with little regard to another plant's personal space.  Here is last year's crop. Early in the summer, the loofahs remained neatly on the trellis: But then they wandered over to the basil: Cozied among the tomatillos: And hung out with the butternut squash: Harvest time was a regular treasure hunt.  But I ended up with about 20 loofahs fr
17 comments
Read more