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Showing posts from February, 2014

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

Versatile Blogger Award

Well, that was a nice surprise to discover....  I have been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks much to Silvia of SoapJam (one of my most favoritest soap blogs) for thinking of me. VBA RULES:  (Copied from  versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com ) If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.  Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.  Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.  Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)  Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself. I chose 15 blogs, some old favorites, some new discoveries.  Some of the blogs are about soap and the rest mirror some of my other interests. SoapJam Oil and Butter

Cobblestone Makeover

Remember this not-so-great batch?  It's ok if you didn't; it wasn't that memorable.  I had just resigned myself to the fact that my family was going to be using fruit loop scented soap for months to come when a commenter suggested that it be rebatched into a cobblestone soap.  Genius!  I've always used this method to use up scrap pieces of soap, but this was my first time reinventing a so-so batch. I finally did it last week.  Chopped into little chunks, the colors really popped and the swirls were suddenly gorgeous. I added it to another batch of soap of the same scent.  It so much easier on the eyes, methinks. Thanks so much, SoapJam , for reminding of a great way to turn a less than mediocre batch into a beautiful soap!