Blackberry Ridge Soap

Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge - Circling Taiwan Swirl

2016-01-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to participate in the Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge Club for January. I found the technique for this month, the Circling Taiwan Swirl, to be just that, fun....and challenging, too!

In starting, I first wanted to make a decision about scent. Since the soap batter would need to remain fluid for as long as possible, I wanted to be sure to use a fragrance that wouldn't accelerate trace. Based on what I had on hand, I decided to use lavender essential oil. That would be a safe choice!

The next step was to create dividers that would provide four needed spaces for the pour. (Since making these by hand, I've decided that purchasing a set would be a great investment!) I used thin cardboard, measured and cut to the right lengths. I wrapped the pieces that would be in contact with the soap with Glad Press'n Seal wrap that I found in the back of a kitchen drawer. I'm not sure if they even make this product any longer, but it worked like a charm!

After getting my divider system ready, next was to choose colors that would help define the design. White, as a background for darker colors, always creates a nice contrast, so I decided to go with a combination of pearly white mica and titanium dioxide. I also wanted colors that would be complementary to the scent I was using or, at least, wouldn't oppose it. Two shades of purple with deep pink would do the trick!

Making progress, I prepared my oils and lye solution, then gathered everything together. ( For safety, I always leave my lye solution container in the sink until it is cooled and ready to add to the oils. It's close by, but not in the photo below).

At this point, taking time for photography wasn't an option. However, there was time for breath-holding as I added fragrance and blended my colors! Even using lavender essential oil and feeling confident that it wouldn't accelerate trace, I stressed a little about getting the soap batter to the point where it wasn't too thick or too thin. Isn't that the challenge with just about every batch?? In the end, it worked out. By the time I was pouring the last of the soap, it was starting to thicken up, but not too badly. I used a 1/8" diameter dowel stick to accomplish the Circling Taiwan Swirl technique.

Here is an in the mold photo.

I sprayed the top with 91% strength rubbing alcohol. David Fisher, soap guru from About.com says that from his experience, soap made with lavender essential oil can tend to cause ash. Even after spraying a few times with rubbing alcohol, then covering for 24 hours, I found this to be true.

I also poured at cooler temperatures (around 85 degrees), which may also contribute to ash forming. If anyone has experience with ash as a result of either fragrance or low pouring temperatures, please feel free to share in the comments section at the end of this post. I'd be interested to hear about your experience!

I cut the soap log vertically into three 2 1/4 inch sections, then cut each section horizontally to reveal the design. The photo below was taken shortly after cutting. The soap was quite soft at this point and had to be handled with care.

Here is the final result after curing and a little clean-up.

Lavish Lavender

I'm happy with how it turned out! There are so many beautiful Circling Taiwan Swirl challenge entries this month. Good luck to all!

~ Debbie

Soap Challenge Club - The Clyde Slide

2015-09-17T16:52:00.001-07:00

This is the third time I've participated in the Soap Challenge Club sponsored by Great Cakes Soapworks but only the first time I've posted about my experience in this blog. I've been a fan of Clyde from 'Vibrant Soap' for quite awhile and was excited to try one of his techniques. It seems that color always plays such an important part in the end result of any soap making effort. I wanted to be sure that there would be contrasting colors in this project.

The colors I chose were merlot, coral, cappuccino brown, and teal green...all micas. I only used a total of three colors, combining a small amount of brown with merlot to create a deep shade of rust. Once combined, I added the rust, coral and teal green into a base of white. The teal green is more turquoise than I would have liked, but it still ended up being a nice contrast.

The soap batter was fluid (light trace) at pouring due to a non-accelerating fragrance, Rustic Woods & Rum from Bramble Berry. Using the funnel pour technique, I alternated coral and rust and poured teal only at the top of the bowl. This variation of Amy's tutorial is one that was in one of the links to Clyde's youtube videos. I had hoped for a little more 'feathering' than shows in the above photo. To finish, I swirled the top and waited 24 hours for the unmolding.

The cut bars show some pretty interesting swirls. The 'feathering' is subtle and shows up in some unique places within the soap. I like it! This is a technique that I'll definitely try again.

Vanilla...Friend or Foe?

2014-04-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest frustrations a soap maker can experience is working with fragrance oils that contain vanilla. It's very challenging trying to keep pretty colors from turning into muddy something-or-other colors when using vanilla-based fragrances. Color stabilizers are out there and may help for a period of time, but in the end, vanilla rarely, if ever gives up the effort to 'do its own thing.'

I recently decided to do an experiment of sorts using a fragrance that had a vanilla content of between 9-10%. It is a lovely scent and one that I would like to use on a regular basis. As part of the effort, I used the same base recipe for each of two batches. For the first batch, I separated out a portion of the emulsified soap mixture and colored it a lovely shade of purple. I added the fragrance oil to the remaining soap mixture. I wanted it to be a nice, creamy white in order to provide a contrasting back-drop to the beautiful purple. In order to help counteract the vanilla content, I added titanium dioxide to this portion. I poured it into the mold, doing a drop swirl with the purple and finishing with a light chopstick swirl. Below is a photograph taken after unmolding the next day.

The color contrast was beautiful and just what I had wanted. In spite of my satisfaction, I felt that it would only be a matter of time before the white would start to darken. Even then, I wasn't feeling at all confident in the addition of the titanium dioxide! The photo below was taken one month later and it is easy to see that the vanilla turned the creamy white into a somewhat mottled shade of brown.

For the second batch, rather than trying to avoid the effect of vanilla, I decided to work with it instead. Once again, I used the same recipe as before and after blending the oils and lye, I separated out a portion of the emulsified mixture. This amount would be divided in two portions, one that would be colored white and the other purple. I added the same fragrance oil used in the first batch to the remaining emulsified soap. I added brown mica to this larger amount in order to 'assist' the vanilla content in the fragrance. After pouring it into the mold, I topped it with the remaining portions using the nicely contrasting colors of purple and white. Below is a photo taken after unmolding the next day. I was so impressed by the finished product and not concerned at all about the vanilla. If the main portion turned darker (it would), all the better!

Below is a photo taken one month later...

The color has turned into a rich, deep, chocolate brown and is so pretty. Best of all, I was still able to incorporate the purple and white colors that I had wanted in the first place! From now on, cooperation will be the name of the game when working with vanilla fragrances. Is 'friendship' possible with vanilla? I think it is!

Finding Inspiration

2014-02-24T14:16:00.001-08:00

Inspiration for soap design can be found in so many different places. Some of my favorite inspirations come from delicious food recipes, especially desserts and beverages. Both lend themselves to fun and sometimes easy recreations in soap. Who wouldn't love to try their hand at soaping a batch of double fudge brownies with ice cream, or pumpkin mousse triffle topped with whipping cream? That certain cup of chai tea or mocha latte mustn't be overlooked either!

More challenging inspirations can come through scenery, including sunsets, majestic mountain peaks, beautiful lakes, colorful forests, and of course, sandy beaches that stretch into endless oceans. I've seen incredible examples of these re-creations in soap that are nothing less than true works of art! I aspire to that but am afraid that my creativity doesn't extend to that level. I have a great appreciation for those who have achieved such intricate designs!

Other sources of inspiration can come from photographs where color reigns supreme. Scenic photographs might fall into this category. In this case, though, it is color that is the overriding factor, not so much the land or seascape. On the opposite end of the spectrum is inspiration from abstract art or even color palettes that are used in home or clothing design. There's no doubt that these combinations are put together with a definite understanding of and appreciation for color. Beautiful!

Over time I have experienced a greater desire to look for inspiration in creating new soap designs. In this post I would like to share two soaps that are a result of that on-going effort. The first is inspired by a recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Mousse Triffle from the website:

www.homemadewithmandy.com

The recipe consists of pumpkin mousse layered with crumbled gingersnap cookies. Isn't it a delicious looking dessert? My experience in using this masterpiece as inspiration is documented in the post "Pumpkin Snap" from the fall of 2012. As mentioned there, I definitely had some breath-holding moments as I tried to get the layers in place before the soap got too thick. I did take some liberties, and while it isn't an exact replica, I was happy with the result. The Spiced Pumpkin and Gingersnap fragrance oils together were to-die for, by the way!

The second soap that I would like to share was inspired by a photograph taken when my husband and I took a cruise to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The colors in this photo are the main attraction and, in my opinion, gorgeous!

The beautiful turquoise and aqua water against the blue sky backdrop is what caught my attention. I've never made a soap using these colors before and honestly, it surpassed my expectations. I simply love these colors!

So, there you have it, a couple of examples of inspiration brought to the soap making table. What I'm continuing to learn as a soap maker is that inspiration IS truly limitless and can be found...everywhere! In addition, and always important to remember is that inspiration lies completely in the mind's eye of the beholder. We are all unique, and so too are our inspirations. Here's to going forth and being inspired!

Give It A Swirl

2013-10-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed at the beauty of the fall season! Leaves in shades of red, gold, orange, and yellow come together in an explosion of color that is unsurpassed! What a great time of year to not only enjoy the color extravaganza, but to also focus on typical traditions like apple cider sipping, soup suppers, warm sweaters, visits to the pumpkin patch and, of course...fall soap making.

I have made a few batches recently trying a technique new to me... the mica swirl. I thought it was pretty easy and a fun way to add interest to the top of soap! The first soap that I made was fragranced with a harvest-type scent. I added gold and copper micas to sunflower oil keeping them mostly separate, but allowing them to blend just a little where they met in the middle. I used a dropper to disperse the micas over the soap and then used a wooden skewer to feather the color out. The result was an almost leaf-like pattern that was a perfect complement to this fall-fragranced soap! Due to the vanilla content, it is curing out to a beautiful rich brown which is causing the mica swirl to "pop" out even more.

Inspired by the results, I decided to try it again. I used a familiar and favorite fragrance, Cranberry Fig. The swirling color of choice was merlot mica dispersed again in sunflower oil. I wanted to keep the bar simple, adding only a pencil line of merlot mica and a light topping of cranberry seeds.

The merlot mica creates such a beautiful contrast against the creamy color of the soap. I would give the mica swirl technique a definite 'thumbs up'. It's yet another fun and easy way to get creative with soap!

On the Move

2013-08-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

It seems especially true that change is one of those inescapable certainties of life. That's where we've found ourselves over these past several months. It has been quite awhile since I've had a chance to update my blog. Since February! If I were to give a fast-forward version of life since then, it would go like this: In December, the company my husband works for was sold and merged with another. Working out of a new location increased commute time from one hour daily to four. Moving becomes an option...no, moving becomes a necessity! And so, preparations began in March for a move from our foothills setting down into the valley. First on the list was the unenviable task of sorting and sifting through years of accumulated stuff. Honestly, how much can one basement (and house) hold?? Maintenance projects outside, sprucing up inside...the list has gone on and on. In the end, it has been an all out effort to get ready to list our house for sale. That happened earlier this summer and we are under contract with an expected moving date of mid-September. The housing market is brisk with limited inventory. Even so, we have a purchase offer on a home that will coincide with the sale of this one. I can't wait for life to regain a sense of routine and normalcy. That will certainly include making soap! Currently, many of my soap supplies are packed away, patiently waiting to be put to good use.

I will really miss soap making here on Blackberry Ridge, but I'm certain that new adventures await! In the meantime, I'm purposely enjoying this lovely Pacific Northwest summer, tucking memories away and anticipating all that the future holds. I've come to the conclusion that change isn't just about endings but about beginnings, too. Here's to new beginnings and the certainty that, even in the midst of change, God is indeed good and life is good, too!

First Contact...Coconut Milk!

2013-02-05T14:39:00.002-08:00

There's been a lot of 'buzz' lately in the soap making community about the benefit of using coconut milk in making cold process soap. Coconut milk comes from the 'fruit' of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) plant and is high in saturated fats that add wonderful moisturizing qualities to soap. In addition, coconut milk contributes to a nice bubbly lather!

With my curiosity piqued, I decided to give coconut milk a try. I purchased organic coconut milk from the refrigerated section of my local grocery store. I had planned to use coconut milk for 100% of my liquid, so with that in mind, I adjusted my lye discount down to between 4 and 5%.

I froze coconut milk in ice cube trays the night before, then measured out the amount needed for my recipe. I only discounted my water slightly, soaping at 36% (water to oil weight). I also soaped at cooler than normal temperatures (below 100 degrees).

My goal was to keep the lye/milk solution from overheating. It worked nicely and ended up staying very light in color with minimal odor. (It's not uncommon for milk soaps to have an ammonia-like odor due to the chemical reaction between the lye and milk. Soaping at lower temperatures can help minimize that.) I added a small amount of honey, colloidal oatmeal at trace, as well as Oatmeal, Milk & Honey fragrance oil. A picture is worth a thousand words. I'm in love with this light and lovely soap!

Coffee Crazy

2013-01-18T14:44:00.004-08:00

I purchased a pound of coffee butter a few months ago and have been wanting to give it a try ever since. It smells WONDERFUL, and I finally put it to good use yesterday by adding it to a soap recipe. I decided to keep things simple and used distilled water for the entire liquid portion of the batch. I may try using brewed coffee another time, but for now I wanted to keep the variables to a minimum with a new recipe and new (to me) fragrance oil.

I added coffee grounds to the main part of the soap, as well as the topping, and also created a coffee ground 'line' between the topping and the base. I didn't add fragrance to the upper portion in order to keep a nice contrast between the top and bottom layers. Even without fragrance oil added, the coffee butter alone will keep the top layer from being white. It's more likely to cure out to a creamy tan color which is just fine! This soap smells incredible, and I have a feeling this won't be the last batch of coffee bars coming out of my soap kitchen. Warning! Coffee craze in progress!

Pretty in...Peach?

2013-01-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and presents one of the first holiday soap-gifting opportunities of the year. In thinking about a Valentine's Day soap, images of pink, red, and chocolate brown typically come to mind. Perfect colors for a holiday best known for gifts of pink candy hearts and chocolate.

I decided to go for a light to medium shade of pink with dark brown swirls. In the end, the 'pink' ended up being more 'peach', and the brown (cocoa powder) ended up not being a problem. Whew! At least that worked out! The "berry" fragrance oil, even with titanium dioxide added, did affect the pink. So, I'll continue to be challenged by trying to achieve perfect colors! Isn't that what soapmakers do? Always learning, refining, perfecting? I love the challenge!

Berries and Chocolate...

A Little Soap, A Little Snow

2012-12-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

It is winter white this morning on Blackberry Ridge! While it is raining in the valley, we are experiencing snow in the foothills. This is our second snow this month and to be expected, as December is well underway with winter officially arriving in just a few days.

It has been an incredibly busy fall! My husband and I took a trip to Colorado in October to celebrate my in-laws' 60th wedding anniversary. It was a wonderful time honoring them as they reached this amazing milestone! Following, we were able to spend time in the Denver area with our oldest daughter and her husband. Family time is the best time! November brought participation in a musical drama at church and Thanksgiving spent with extended family visiting for the holiday weekend.

Interspersed with the normal routines of life were several soapmaking sessions with Christmas gift-giving in mind. I used fragrances, some typical for the season and some not. Sleigh Ride, Cranberry Fig, Applejack Peel, Cucumber Melon and Green Clover & Aloe have been dutifully curing these past few weeks.

Above and below are photos of Cranberry Fig made with Coconut, Palm, Olive and Castor oils as well Olive butter. Burgundy oxide and just a hint of gold mica color the swirls with a sprinkle of cranberry seeds on top.

Merry Christmas!

Pumpkin Snap

2012-10-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

October is here which means that the fall holiday season is just around the corner! Although our weather in the Pacific Northwest continues to linger on the summer side, I've been thinking 'fall' when it comes to making soap. I love the warm, cinnamon-y scents that bring to mind pumpkin parties and Thanksgiving Day gatherings. With that in mind, I decided to do a medley of two favorite fall scents...(drum roll).... Pumpkin Spice and Gingersnap! My inspiration to combine them came from a photograph and recipe for a dessert that was layers of pumpkin mousse, gingersnap cookies, and whipped cream, I couldn't resist trying to pull off a re-creation in soap. It's amazing how often you can find inspiration for soap in food recipes!

So with the vision in mind, I had to decide if I really wanted to step out on a soap making limb and go for LAYERS. I decided to do it! No risk, no reward, right? My biggest question was as to how difficult it might be to keep the different layers from moving into a too-heavy trace that would mean having to "glop" rather than pour the soap into the mold. It was challenging, but taking it step by step, focusing on one layer at a time made it manageable, along with a little breath-holding. :)

I was happy with the end result and the extra effort was worth it. Pumpkin Spice and Ginger Snap, both Bramble Berry scents, are each scrumptious on their own, but together they are, well, indescribable!

The recipe for this batch included oils of olive, coconut, palm and castor as well as olive butter. I really enjoy soaping with butters and olive is right at the top of my butter 'likes' list. I did add pumpkin puree to the layers scented with Pumpkin Spice, brown mica to the layers scented with Gingersnap, and titanium dioxide to the unscented cream layers. (The gingersnap fragrance oil will eventually turn dark brown in soap, but I wanted to have a nice contrast of orange, brown and cream right from the beginning.) In order to have plenty of time to work with the layers I soaped with a 28% lye solution which worked out fine.

Happy Soaping and Happy Fall!

Tried and True

2012-09-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

While it can be fun to venture into new territory when making soap, sometimes it is also nice to revisit recipes and fragrances that are friendly and familiar. Such are the two soaps in this posting, both among my favorites! The first is scented with vanilla and chai tea fragrance oils. Warm and spicy, these fragrances together are a perfect complement to cool, crisp mornings, falling leaves, and soup suppers. Settled in a base of coconut, palm, olive, and castor oils, with a touch of olive butter and vanilla bean specks, this soap simply says "Welcome, Fall!"

Next is a crisp, clean "green" scent aptly named Green Clover & Aloe. I first became aware of this fragrance in soap many years ago when I purchased a bar from Kathy Miller's website. It was awesome and I've continued to make a variation of it ever since! This, too, is anchored in a base of coconut, palm, olive, and castor oils rounded out with rich olive butter. Colorants used are ultramarine violet and chromium green oxide topped with a hint of glitter.

Simply Sweet

2012-09-08T10:08:00.003-07:00

My recent post on using rose clay to color soap naturally was my first venture into that process. Recently Bramble Berry put out a natural colorant soap challenge to soap makers which gave me that little nudge to try it again. I decided to go with an infusion of annatto seeds in olive oil to create a shade of orange that I hoped would be perfect for the last bit of orange essential oil I would be using. Somehow, when I thought of what would complement the sweet scent of citrus orange, chocolate came immediately to mind. The second natural colorant to enhance the always to-die-for scent of chocolate would be cocoa powder.

I first began by infusing the annatto seeds into olive oil. After doing a little research, I added 2 tsp of annatto seeds to ½ c light olive oil and placed both in a small double boiler to simmer on low. I had originally planned to heat the annatto seeds and oil for 2 hours, but the color seemed pretty light, so in the end I let it infuse for five hours. By this time, the infusion was at least a medium shade of orange which I thought would add sufficient color to the main base of the soap batch.

Once the infused oil had cooled, it was time to make soap! I decided to use the annatto seed infusion at a rate of 5 percent. For this one pound batch (16 oz of oils by weight) I added .8 oz of infused olive oil. It initially seemed a little darker than I was hoping for but in the end turned a just-right shade of soft orange.

For the swirl, I separated out a small portion of soap and added 1 tsp of pre-moistened cocoa powder. At light trace, I added orange essential oil to the main base, as well as the chocolate fragrance oil to the swirl portion.

Timing is so important when trying to create a swirl, so I quickly proceeded before both portions of soap moved into a heavier trace. I used a hanger to accomplish the swirl this time. I’m fascinated by this method of swirling and amazed by the unique designs it creates.

So now, a sweet smelling batch of orange and chocolate is officially on the curing rack! I really like the idea of using natural colorants and it may become something I do more often.

Rose Clay

2012-08-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

This was my first attempt to use rose clay as a natural colorant for soap. I have used white kaolin clay before and liked the nice creaminess it adds to soap bars. Rose clay is another kaolin clay, mild and gentle to the skin. The beautiful rose color comes from its iron oxide content. Like white kaolin clay, rose clay is known for adding a silky creaminess to soap.

I knew that using clay as a colorant might add some challenges to the soap making process. Since clays by nature absorb moisture, I was uncertain as to how much water to use for the liquid portion of my recipe. I wanted to be able to work in a swirl if possible, so decided not to go any lower than a a 33% water to oil weight. I pre-moistened the clay by adding 1 tsp clay to 1 tbsp water (1 1/2 - 2 tsp water would have probably been enough). After blending my oils and lye solution until emulsified, I mixed in 1/4 tsp titanium dioxide, then removed a small amount of soap for swirling. I added the rose clay to the remainder, only using about half of what had been pre-moistened. The result was a beautiful shade of rose pink. Using all of the clay would have yielded a deeper color which would have been pretty, too. I will definitely try that another time. It soaped nicely and I'm happy with the swirl. The fragrance is a soft feminine scent with a hint of mimosa, jasmine and musk.

Butter You Say?

2012-08-03T14:55:00.001-07:00

Including butters in a basic vegetable oil recipe can add desirable properties to soap. Any number of vegetable butters are available to soap makers, including almond, avocado, olive, mango, shea and cocoa to name a few. Kokum is yet another, one that I've used before and found that it contributed to a hard bar with nice lather.

Kokum butter is obtained from the fruit kernels of the ‘garcinia indica’ tree, a tropical evergreen that grows along the western coast of India. It is a butter rich in the conditioning fatty acids oleic and linoleic. It also contains the antioxidant Vitamin E as well as stearic acid which contributes to its characteristic hardness. Recommended usage in a soap recipe is from 2 - 5 percent. I added it at a ratio of just over 3 percent.

Kokum butter is a great addition to any soap recipe including this batch scented with Pineapple and Coconut fragrance oil.

Oatmeal, Milk & Honey

2012-07-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Oatmeal, milk and honey are a great combination for breakfast! These three ingredients also join together nicely in cold-process soap. I used goat milk for 100 percent of the liquid in this batch and once again, was amazed at how well-behaved the frozen goat milk was when combined with sodium hydroxide (lye). The mixture stayed manageably cool and a beautiful creamy color with minimal odor. I'm now a fan of using milk in soap! Finely ground oatmeal and clover honey round out the namesake ingredients for this delectable "breakfast" bar!

'Welcome Summer!' Berry Bar

2012-07-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a quart of fresh goat milk from a local produce market. Goat milk is known for containing fats that contribute to moisturizing qualities in soap. Working with it can be tricky, though, as it tends to heat up and can even scorch when combined with sodium hydroxide as part of the soap making process. One method to counteract this is to freeze the milk, then weigh out the needed amount according to the recipe being used. I found this worked very well and the goat milk/sodium hydroxide solution stayed cool....no overheating! Other ingredients include oils of palm, coconut, olive, shea butter, oxide colorant and a delectable berry fragrance oil. Mmmm, so good!

Been on 'pause', time to hit 'play'!

2012-07-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it has been over a year since I first started thinking about a way to chronicle and share my soap making experiences. Somehow, the busyness of life put blogging on the back burner! But now, with new resolve, I'm moving forward from my first posting on the lovely duet of Lavender and Orange. Soon to come, a 'Welcome, Summer!' berry bar, as well as a soap rendition of Oatmeal, Milk and Honey.

The Journey Begins....

2011-06-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

I enjoy making cold-process soap and especially trying new scent combinations that come together to create a unique and whimsical sensory experience. Such is the recent duet of lavender and orange essential oils anchored in a base of nourishing palm, olive, coconut and castor oils. Rounded out with rich kokum butter, the result is a luxury bar both herbal and citrus, earthy and sweet.