tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623379221693140212024-03-05T05:03:59.278-05:00Doobs Squeaky Clean Adventuresalliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-53792270223475330702014-02-22T08:40:00.004-05:002014-02-22T11:59:52.138-05:00Belle<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." -Josh Billings</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaods6pJ63NadzCESpirLBKR2H_Z4SUwX9qtv0hCIGgoeepflCIVOEWID0rAXS1HXPjxwRg0AMa8ZoD9yeiU45OTQgQ-gknTeZDYeBKm_hxDSX2C3ipGnJiVYE_2PYj-LVq70WHoSbss/s1600/Bellaroose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaods6pJ63NadzCESpirLBKR2H_Z4SUwX9qtv0hCIGgoeepflCIVOEWID0rAXS1HXPjxwRg0AMa8ZoD9yeiU45OTQgQ-gknTeZDYeBKm_hxDSX2C3ipGnJiVYE_2PYj-LVq70WHoSbss/s1600/Bellaroose.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Belle</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
August 17, 2000 - January 21, 2014</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Best Dog Ever"</div>
alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-17866395385090817922014-02-19T16:01:00.000-05:002014-02-19T16:01:56.452-05:00Back At It!So I changed my plan for today and restocked Lucky. Mainly because I'm all out and ended up giving it all away last time before I could put up the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/DoobsSoap?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">Etsy</a> listing, and also because I'm out of lye until the UPS man comes. And olive oil. And I just bought more olive oil yesterday? Quel dommage!!<br />
<br />
I still have a bit of Vanilla Oak left and I have no idea what to do, scheme-wise, for Sweet Meyer Lemon. Maybe purple, green, and yellow? With my new swirly tools? We'll see once the lye come and the olive oil fairy makes an appearance.<br />
<br />
Today I also made fizzy bubble bath cupcakes. I have some <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/171187879/cinnamon-cranberry-fizzy-bubble-bath?ref=shop_home_feat_2" target="_blank">Cinnamon Cranberry Fizzy Bubble Bath Cupcakes</a> listed in the shop right now, however I just received a sample of lemon cake fragrance in the Great Fragrance Oil Haul of 2014, so I figured why not make more cupcakes?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wy2RSTGZDND4vLo6hNP8sFK-HBwWzuK0TlxCQJdxa0rstNO9elbrNty0aA9NDhhYNAHqoDmqufesZWDvDqxJOmZJzG3qC_ajM536ATX1qD9BuZWz3uu3MkZkr1iyaNy7jbP2okEiG-c/s1600/lemon+soap+cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wy2RSTGZDND4vLo6hNP8sFK-HBwWzuK0TlxCQJdxa0rstNO9elbrNty0aA9NDhhYNAHqoDmqufesZWDvDqxJOmZJzG3qC_ajM536ATX1qD9BuZWz3uu3MkZkr1iyaNy7jbP2okEiG-c/s1600/lemon+soap+cupcakes.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Yes, they are on top of frozen chicken and in and amongst frozen veg. I find if I put them in the freezer they tend to hold together better and the "frosting" is less likely to roll off the side and flop down flat. Flopped-down flat cupcake frosting is *not* attractive, it is just sad. They'll come out of the freezer soon. Then they will take part in a photo shoot and be tucked away in boxes, waiting for the day they can bubble and fizz their way to providing you with a delicious, refreshing, bubbly bathing experience =)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And, because I love pictures of pretty soap, is a picture of the Lucky batch.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUCVHCmISHSlUqMNjf7V6uHvvq3p9OshIr0afeypiHrUF9EP28tN5j6tvo9YiXiDo3IOTmlyQysYQNiBituwgnfFAiKJaYxM6lk_T5YcHpw98xApgeu-oSrCCPTjl1bUwfeCW8SH_xUM/s1600/lucky01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUCVHCmISHSlUqMNjf7V6uHvvq3p9OshIr0afeypiHrUF9EP28tN5j6tvo9YiXiDo3IOTmlyQysYQNiBituwgnfFAiKJaYxM6lk_T5YcHpw98xApgeu-oSrCCPTjl1bUwfeCW8SH_xUM/s1600/lucky01.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It gave me a bit of trouble (thickened up like it was it's job before I even added the fragrance oil), but I think it was because I went crazy with the stick blender. It was a big batch, what can I say. I wanted to make sure it was mixed completely. This is made with my favorite mica, Cellini Blue. It's supposed to turn purple, but it's looking kind of mauve-y right now. Either way, I think it's pretty!</div>
alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-46631395345862254912014-02-18T22:42:00.000-05:002014-02-18T22:42:40.553-05:00Worst Blogger Ever? Probably . . . .<div class="MsoNormal">
I am a terrible blogger. For reals. It has been about 15
years, give or take, since my last post and there is absolutely no excuse!!
None at all, I say.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One could argue that
I have been busy, however I have weekends off, and if I have time to explore
aliens and werewolves in The Sims 2, I could probably set aside some time for
soap. I’ve been making soap. I’ve been making it like a mad woman. My kitchen
is full of it. My soaping room is full of it. Yes! I have about a half of a room
dedicated to soap making!! Woohoo!! I’ve launched the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/DoobsSoap?ref=l2-shopheader-name">Etsy store</a>,
I have a Facebook page that I keep updated, and I talk about soap to anyone who
will listen, however the sitting down and typing out a blog post just hasn’t
been happening. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One could argue I type all day at work (one does not get
reimbursed by MaineCare if one does not write progress notes). I drive a long
way to work and back. One could argue many things, however they are all
excuses. And the fact remains that soap is far more than a hobby for me, and if
it means so much to me, I need to make the effort to share this soapy adoration
with the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So without further ado: the remake of Verbena and Lemon with
my handy-dandy hand-made swirly contraptions!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9aQU7404VLt983nq6eibJIFEEvoH0BOYKI9gX_VKYoVAFSZWaQFBuXvlYwhmHnYw91ikvspFC3vsZbHAXpiIsuwYnpSci5X2RkH-baHhtV6ffO3rm4D60bKhApvUVVRWwalTJleAh2I/s1600/homemade+swirling+tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9aQU7404VLt983nq6eibJIFEEvoH0BOYKI9gX_VKYoVAFSZWaQFBuXvlYwhmHnYw91ikvspFC3vsZbHAXpiIsuwYnpSci5X2RkH-baHhtV6ffO3rm4D60bKhApvUVVRWwalTJleAh2I/s1600/homemade+swirling+tools.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Said swirler thingymadendums</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmG7plYKDxR4LGHhhDRmIXI7Oh57yr9DZYjpqQSXuvSeINqS6kywoqk_C7JqDf3FIu44tw8byG5vTckNJSqdqy6-8oyWFQy0Er3ZgvBdP8wb7rMjLKAbbVTQlWJJMYJLDYLEGtNoPkrw/s1600/verb+lemon+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmG7plYKDxR4LGHhhDRmIXI7Oh57yr9DZYjpqQSXuvSeINqS6kywoqk_C7JqDf3FIu44tw8byG5vTckNJSqdqy6-8oyWFQy0Er3ZgvBdP8wb7rMjLKAbbVTQlWJJMYJLDYLEGtNoPkrw/s1600/verb+lemon+01.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MtqXwRoBJZAyV27C3hQJVn4thnRbY-r8qu_NzbHH4fnFROsVFOtWuQZyKBy-1v0sNqAP8oa65Jeub1M5bYwtty6IA6pz6UpAWty1KoTwWPjsLWlWRrr3wlA8OtMjcuzgyKbfWHRaCaI/s1600/verb+lemon+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MtqXwRoBJZAyV27C3hQJVn4thnRbY-r8qu_NzbHH4fnFROsVFOtWuQZyKBy-1v0sNqAP8oa65Jeub1M5bYwtty6IA6pz6UpAWty1KoTwWPjsLWlWRrr3wlA8OtMjcuzgyKbfWHRaCaI/s1600/verb+lemon+03.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfxVbpAEq7BxyRgnVj73e50AQcA_Bs_KUCB78Uy9cg10TIsc2P73Wc_vWD5XG6XOpc7C63D-2NNr-ePl8W7E7QWeLQmGTQLBr5tAZN8EP6cFDrSMfriTKRqqxhK3Ef7SVJ_ILSMsIcO4/s1600/verb+lemon+o2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfxVbpAEq7BxyRgnVj73e50AQcA_Bs_KUCB78Uy9cg10TIsc2P73Wc_vWD5XG6XOpc7C63D-2NNr-ePl8W7E7QWeLQmGTQLBr5tAZN8EP6cFDrSMfriTKRqqxhK3Ef7SVJ_ILSMsIcO4/s1600/verb+lemon+o2.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the premiere of my men’s
line: A Well Respected Man. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_zo9-3FAOtNYVKbNYFiSJfkqdD6AKJshO0CCnnIpq-TqGM0qc4nFjX8gUfjx4ugsjtVINZtzzxaP-zHoFCSStk5B6sgA9WBdJGh0X1A65s3_d_FAW6P6CSPEMTAm59nwVm9odHKWNzM/s1600/respected+man+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_zo9-3FAOtNYVKbNYFiSJfkqdD6AKJshO0CCnnIpq-TqGM0qc4nFjX8gUfjx4ugsjtVINZtzzxaP-zHoFCSStk5B6sgA9WBdJGh0X1A65s3_d_FAW6P6CSPEMTAm59nwVm9odHKWNzM/s1600/respected+man+01.jpg" height="162" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbG6qxX67DGNlOR6ZrUux7kh9RxmbCfDSKTZHc0h67h5HcEweIowBuUrYpEuexzSrhOPlOnUsc05bd6Y6pCDLAzOneTaqG44IOJ7CAVXxLY929-yx8H2nby1sqRa4yjF5-bVhDs4G4s4/s1600/respected+man+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbG6qxX67DGNlOR6ZrUux7kh9RxmbCfDSKTZHc0h67h5HcEweIowBuUrYpEuexzSrhOPlOnUsc05bd6Y6pCDLAzOneTaqG44IOJ7CAVXxLY929-yx8H2nby1sqRa4yjF5-bVhDs4G4s4/s1600/respected+man+02.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYsGH_HoPRaJrhD5iRbDOjE2m_4_CTXtjXVS9p5zaBeh7bp2PEfYDfeCEr02fclmHOs-LiIXkiSFgV4RUpRKMUbGNzjkxZBrdVmwXqCW9KKNySvZHZG_wm4cfANfUgEXrj944Mkz0eGl8/s1600/respected+man+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYsGH_HoPRaJrhD5iRbDOjE2m_4_CTXtjXVS9p5zaBeh7bp2PEfYDfeCEr02fclmHOs-LiIXkiSFgV4RUpRKMUbGNzjkxZBrdVmwXqCW9KKNySvZHZG_wm4cfANfUgEXrj944Mkz0eGl8/s1600/respected+man+03.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think Sweet Myer Lemon is on deck for tomorrow, and maybe
Vanilla Oak, too. And printer ink. I’ve redesigned my packaging (*again*) and
need ink if I’m ever going to print the blasted labels out and package like the mad woman that I am =)<o:p></o:p></div>
alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-88838677503967562692013-02-25T13:45:00.002-05:002013-02-25T13:45:25.600-05:00Liquid Soap Love!!
<style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 0.79in }
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in }
-->
</style>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I've been wanting to try my hand at
liquid soap for quite some time. I decided to ease myself into it,
and I bought a ready-made liquid soap paste from BrambleBerry.com.
Anyone who got a goody bag of toiletries from Mr. Fabulous and I for
Christmas will know that liquid soap experiment, while producing a
working soap, was not a complete success, as the soap was suuuuuuuper
thin. What did I do wrong? I followed the thickening directions to a
T, using a 20% salt solution. I think I ran astray by not putting in
<b>enough</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> of the salt solution.
</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">I had
some of the paste left, so I tried again about a month later, wanting
to create a soap and lotion set for a friend, and hoping for enough
left over so I could have some too :o) This time it worked! THICK
SOAP!! I was happy, but yet I craved more . . . .</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KNtBwvXcr78GiqDYXCp64iTvDpaDXpa-my2D9xaZhVQsFyKj8CYtYOZmSLXRhUiGnKPiTfjx97VY0sJRHSfauKNIF5_S2rhiCAU1U7EgNO7y8IvoE6bWjNnnyBdpKCuZRhk6v3coomg/s1600/liquidsoap09.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KNtBwvXcr78GiqDYXCp64iTvDpaDXpa-my2D9xaZhVQsFyKj8CYtYOZmSLXRhUiGnKPiTfjx97VY0sJRHSfauKNIF5_S2rhiCAU1U7EgNO7y8IvoE6bWjNnnyBdpKCuZRhk6v3coomg/s1600/liquidsoap09.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liquid Soap Paste, mid-cook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">I
decided that I would not be happy, I would not be satisfied until I
made my own liquid soap from start to finish! And I did just that.
With my $4 thrift store crock pot, I set out on Saturday night at 10
o'clock, vowing not to rest until I made liquid soap! And I did!!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Liquid soap is made out of water,
potassium hydroxide, and oils. It gets cooked into a paste, and then
that paste is diluted into liquid soap. If you would like to learn
how to make liquid soap, BrambleBerry.com has a liquid soap making
video that only costs a few dollars. That's what I've watched
basically every day this past week. Also, there is the TeachSoap.com
forum with literally tons of posts on the topic for perusal. Lastly,
people actually still publish books made out of paper. Catherine
Failor's <u>Making Natural Liquid Soaps</u><span style="text-decoration: none;">
is a great one to start out with. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3nht_12Pn03xMcqi9NQ6KPlX2D2uiZ-q9Pf9mBDaIc9Wf2_XhnguXziMlA42PXmSqvGcL8BMvU7_s1D0JQNfJCmQ4vbFSuLXJrIHQ-2C7a06PBEO2bUDTGOXtxgyDI3gA5TVQOmcQbc/s1600/liquid+soap+01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3nht_12Pn03xMcqi9NQ6KPlX2D2uiZ-q9Pf9mBDaIc9Wf2_XhnguXziMlA42PXmSqvGcL8BMvU7_s1D0JQNfJCmQ4vbFSuLXJrIHQ-2C7a06PBEO2bUDTGOXtxgyDI3gA5TVQOmcQbc/s1600/liquid+soap+01.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liquid Soap with New Labels. Graphics courtesy of The Crafty Clip, www.thecraftyclip.com</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">With
my paste made, I set out to dilute it Sunday morning. It turned into
a day-long event, and it produced little success. Well, I did revamp
my labels, and that's progress, but not liquid soap success. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">I
could not get the bloody stuff to get thick! It was thick like
glycerin, but not thick like gel-like liquid soap. I was
disappointed, though I did bottle some to keep, just in case.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">Today
was better. To bolster my spirits after yesterday's fails, I made a
batch of cold-process, solid soap to instill some confidence and to
inspire me to make awesome, THICK, beautiful liquid soap. </span><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvcvwgxYldvl2PEI7JsGKvHq98Ip4iPHZqfNxGivLxJnQKHMEGh6ahIz9xwMXVyCYavNmOYZUV5XeNAEjKk0TUGYKPUgdPHl4eS_8AFnZNBUOs0E9aSpLdSqUrg5xz3BtdEBeXoD6Hx8/s1600/lemonverbena01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvcvwgxYldvl2PEI7JsGKvHq98Ip4iPHZqfNxGivLxJnQKHMEGh6ahIz9xwMXVyCYavNmOYZUV5XeNAEjKk0TUGYKPUgdPHl4eS_8AFnZNBUOs0E9aSpLdSqUrg5xz3BtdEBeXoD6Hx8/s1600/lemonverbena01.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon Verbena with a Peacock Swirl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">So,
now re-confident in my mad skills, and w</span><span style="text-decoration: none;">ith
Pandora's Hip-Hop BBQ to cheer me on, I portioned out some of my soap
paste and water dilution. I added 3ml of my salt solution. Nothing. I
did this about 7 times over the course of an hour, each addition
making my soap ever so slightly thicker. Finally, thinking “what
have I got to loose? I've got more diluted paste in the crock pot,
more paste that I can dilute, and more oils and KOH i</span><span style="text-decoration: none;">f</span><span style="text-decoration: none;">
none of this stuff turns out. GO FOR IT!” I dumped the last half or
so of my salt solution into my dilution. Cue singing angels!! THICK
SOAP!! Suuuuuuuuper thick soap! Yay!! I did get to experiment with
fragrance oils yesterday, so I knew what to expect </span><span style="text-decoration: none;">when
I added them in today</span><span style="text-decoration: none;">. I
made up SIX bottles of thick, wonderful liquid soap today, and I
couldn't be prouder of my accomplishment. <span id="goog_2091402216"></span><span id="goog_2091402217"></span></span>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj612XPyNhFhbx8Sco8lpp13_5VBZ3u9CBVHcihc72Y7UqNJd9LVWL8E3V1nAQpgdJgpRpjSEPcP0Yhp3QZifw9s5XLC4t7_41uhyPBJ1lVhm6t7p-lowlOoOARAiYBzPMY_Rermad8uIM/s1600/liquidsoap07.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj612XPyNhFhbx8Sco8lpp13_5VBZ3u9CBVHcihc72Y7UqNJd9LVWL8E3V1nAQpgdJgpRpjSEPcP0Yhp3QZifw9s5XLC4t7_41uhyPBJ1lVhm6t7p-lowlOoOARAiYBzPMY_Rermad8uIM/s1600/liquidsoap07.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's Successes And Yesterday's Learning Opportunities</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">You
can find me and like me on Facebook as Doobs Soap & Toiletries
:o)</span></div>
alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-44133313064402614462013-01-14T23:02:00.000-05:002013-01-14T23:03:32.087-05:00Seasonal Flu Season & My Mad Skills!! <span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been recovering from what I suspect to be the flu. It
hit me harder than a cold and knocked me right over, and it takes a lot to
knock me down. It hit me Thursday morning, and of course I had to work Thursday
night through Sunday night. As I stood at work in a foggy daze of congestion
and throat irritation, I thought to myself, “Self, there has to be something in
that small stash of essential oils that can help ease this congestion and
hacking cough.” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> When I got home I did a bit of research, and sometime around
the point Thursday changed to Friday I threw together some things I call “tub
fizzies.” I know I did not mastermind this idea, but I was pretty impressed
that I came up with it given the fact that I barely made it through a night of
work at a job I’ve done since I was 19 and could do blindfolded and on one
foot. I couldn’t do it with my hands tied behind my back, because then I couldn’t
cut pizza. But anyway . . . .<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> The basic things that make any bath fizzy fizz are baking
soda and citric acid. I intended to put this fizzy in the shower and have it
release the essential oils while I stood under the warm water and tried to
fight off the chills this flu gave me, so I didn’t add anything extra that I
would have had this been intended for use in a bath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> I have no pictures of these fizzies as I went through them pretty
quick. I used two NOW brand essential oil blends that I had on hand, Lavender
and Tea Tree and Lemon and Eucalyptus. In order to maximize the effects of the
essential oils, I used them two at a time, one fizzy with each blend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span>I found these fizzies to be incredible, and I was happy that
I could use my mad skills to find some relief, because these fizzies were far
more enjoyable than the feeling I got from the cough syrup I bought Saturday
morning. Yech!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Coming up I’ve got super fun times and several projects to
talk about. I can’t wait to share them =D<o:p></o:p></span></div>
alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-18197614497784678192013-01-04T14:39:00.001-05:002013-01-04T14:40:30.906-05:00A Student No More. Officially, Anyway . . . .Alright, here I am again. Unfortunately, soaping took a back seat while I finished up internship and my very last class. I am proud to say that I got the official email today: I am, for all intents and purposes, graduated. YayYayYayYayYay!!!!! Just one more national exam, licensure application, and I can work in the field I've studied about since 2008. Wicked!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmxmap0jl_7Ble_mCNSge530HFPg7rmN9BBxjgzc7Os39YS-VZ_w1PAcIT62f1YeeuuQ9e9b9Gi7StbpVFLwjyjzgyGhhN4iBd90SJdsowNLlPNIgLmqKYDAqd-HZsf7ltnHcJ5UH7JI/s1600/curing+soap+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmxmap0jl_7Ble_mCNSge530HFPg7rmN9BBxjgzc7Os39YS-VZ_w1PAcIT62f1YeeuuQ9e9b9Gi7StbpVFLwjyjzgyGhhN4iBd90SJdsowNLlPNIgLmqKYDAqd-HZsf7ltnHcJ5UH7JI/s1600/curing+soap+02.jpg" /></a></div>
Now that I'm just working at my pizza slaving job, I've had tons more time for all things soapy. I made Christmas presents for my friends and family, and I am really looking forward to jumping back into my favorite hobby. Stay tuned for more projects!alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-7970451132182317982012-06-02T23:05:00.000-04:002012-06-02T23:17:20.503-04:00Back Again. Again . . . .<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alright, so I lied. I’m so sorry!! I’ve been super busy with
wedding planning, working on getting up and running at my internship site, and
working so that I can eat more than pizza and breadsticks (though that is one
of the perks of slinging pizza). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve also kept busy making soap, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">lotion, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">a
face moisturizer (two tries!), hair detangler (which needs *tons* of tweaking),
and a lemony sugar scrub. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nWvgGjIS7MGMBPGA-H6nXvQwMHf46vPSqq7ab8Q1akQJijAeR4SdUROn98N89rHF5yxpzQ-f1vRGUw0GFrqrPg6A1jV89a7_6qM8UKeGuoi51CrDaRUn0X71PCmLbpbzyEmt76pvVEc/s1600/lots+of+projects.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nWvgGjIS7MGMBPGA-H6nXvQwMHf46vPSqq7ab8Q1akQJijAeR4SdUROn98N89rHF5yxpzQ-f1vRGUw0GFrqrPg6A1jV89a7_6qM8UKeGuoi51CrDaRUn0X71PCmLbpbzyEmt76pvVEc/s1600/lots+of+projects.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHuRHFZ2Zx8wZCIV-gvMH4z72UdXdxWqrcZ-c0fzyiksI2jcAGGRjMWrarO4eGxMhTNcxwjonVQ5iqRNr_Z0dzTfLz8EbqHAW4Domij9euEYuDEPbC9d-rAhyPQWKPv_ANlG0hvfDTNo/s1600/peaock+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHuRHFZ2Zx8wZCIV-gvMH4z72UdXdxWqrcZ-c0fzyiksI2jcAGGRjMWrarO4eGxMhTNcxwjonVQ5iqRNr_Z0dzTfLz8EbqHAW4Domij9euEYuDEPbC9d-rAhyPQWKPv_ANlG0hvfDTNo/s1600/peaock+01.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyAJaZK4n19vmuXNq-UbLD0VPjq36Gr1gCYaioKxOv6fbU3YDXe29TDnjujeY0uulXE4pqfXyvnAlWv_4kcm6EPX7oFcy6ss3MO65mkitt_xPbL8qE2LQ9hyphenhyphen-iZi9P-thRN4pLICb9YI/s1600/face+lotion+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyAJaZK4n19vmuXNq-UbLD0VPjq36Gr1gCYaioKxOv6fbU3YDXe29TDnjujeY0uulXE4pqfXyvnAlWv_4kcm6EPX7oFcy6ss3MO65mkitt_xPbL8qE2LQ9hyphenhyphen-iZi9P-thRN4pLICb9YI/s1600/face+lotion+02.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also, with a bit of help from my amazing dad, made my
very own wooden soap log mold (yayyayyayyay!!) with about $10 worth of
materials and about a half an hour of my time. And some of my grandfather’s
nice anchoring wood screws. (Note to self, buy the good screws next time.)
Also, I’ve become very absorbed with season 4 of Supernatural, which is good,
because Glee is over until fall. But since I don’t have cable and I watch very
few TV shows online only, it’s okay, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll be back in a few days with a proper project, but until
then, here’s more soap pictures :o)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVW0VV-DiX_cmqqG1rAatjismgyjNe48_eqGTenvQSV2PRbqW2WacdeNu6k76x0DHj8GL5waiAQMf3RnK_kkux8TaCfUB_rWXn0oT7Kfv4Lx2qN9b8dVw7-lXAqsBF6hP7gsTMCD2vgi0/s1600/soap+pink+and+brown+no+dividers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVW0VV-DiX_cmqqG1rAatjismgyjNe48_eqGTenvQSV2PRbqW2WacdeNu6k76x0DHj8GL5waiAQMf3RnK_kkux8TaCfUB_rWXn0oT7Kfv4Lx2qN9b8dVw7-lXAqsBF6hP7gsTMCD2vgi0/s1600/soap+pink+and+brown+no+dividers.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuCPrcFZ6jvgF7fC0lUfUXcZrXqOzMSO0M6PPmeds9FN3C_4RcOm6WcXBZNxu68bHjbhoqxNafQJ39laYpRWgx2_6oYdwMrGxOaeV6YCQaVMdBc36NT0e3_8oyZMW6XsUid4E34ycFuU/s1600/peacock+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuCPrcFZ6jvgF7fC0lUfUXcZrXqOzMSO0M6PPmeds9FN3C_4RcOm6WcXBZNxu68bHjbhoqxNafQJ39laYpRWgx2_6oYdwMrGxOaeV6YCQaVMdBc36NT0e3_8oyZMW6XsUid4E34ycFuU/s1600/peacock+02.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-10596031932678985642012-05-09T15:24:00.002-04:002012-05-09T15:24:59.097-04:00MIA No More!Hello! Did you miss me? I've had a busy week. I was at the Maine State Republican Convention this weekend (supporting Ron Paul and other like-minded politicians) and I've started my internship, one of the last steps in completing my master's degree in counseling. But I've got a wonderful soap project that I'm going to share later on tonight and a few more ideas to do up and share later on. Also, Mother's Day reactions to the Mother's Day lotion :o)<br />
<br />
Stay tuned . . . .alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-89855453887791931842012-05-01T19:44:00.000-04:002012-05-01T19:45:46.964-04:00Peacock Swirl with Lilac Fragrance Oil<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been wanting to try a peacock swirl, and since my soap
forum of choice is having a challenge in which one can interpret a specific
theme (May’s is florals), I decided to be very brave and do a peacock swirl
with lilac fragrance oil. I wanted my colors to reflect real lilacs, so I busted out my cellini blue again (for the purple), electric bublegum neon colorant (for the pink, hoping the titanium dioxide added to the oils would tone it down a bit), cappuccino mica (for the brown bark of the lilac bush), and titanium dioxide (for white). </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTWt3_qfE1SozurSAtejkF5-TRIJLtMrbN2NyUVS0VGHn75jUC9Ra8YT3jH566Rx_7C8_1tB54lBsRqws765-0iXDGnC-5LhGUzk3L0TbHhEEznrfw1LP-fV9gBcixajaVgsWrQFdq4c/s1600/lilac+peacock+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTWt3_qfE1SozurSAtejkF5-TRIJLtMrbN2NyUVS0VGHn75jUC9Ra8YT3jH566Rx_7C8_1tB54lBsRqws765-0iXDGnC-5LhGUzk3L0TbHhEEznrfw1LP-fV9gBcixajaVgsWrQFdq4c/s1600/lilac+peacock+04.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I’ve said before, florals speed up the soap making
process. They can have the ability to turn a nice emulsion of raw soap into a
thick glopy mess in a matter of seconds. Since the peacock swirl is fairly time
intensive, I decided to leave my colors for the swirl unfragranced to keep them
liquid longer and fragrance only the bottom bit of my soap. Good thing, too,
because when I put the dividers into my mold, the bottom was pretty firm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7F_0-fwvSwiD5pIh18b3_TUt7EzVCHa0qLvBXrYRnM_XTjONkmw6E1JkxhtENhT8bTprxTjsVK4bnwHZHIcCNuhEcai1L6_Rft0P7wjqBdPlYTYtdpSca6g-WgvLcBSonsWe1TtJdN8/s1600/lilac+peacock+03.jpg" /><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I added some titanium dioxide to the raw soap and mixed it
up. I poured some soap off into separate containers for the top swirl, then I
fragranced the rest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF00cOrgWxztg38M2MZ3fSpRxmyaLprCt-mcVYezLp1jrH6PXCY-GYaBxDg6QGrXqvNCHdU8IHrwUnU5M_pW_xWXk60hl9ULIpKZIatjI2Ucei97qf6Nu3V4TQmIJh5i8NA_t44SGxoxA/s1600/lilac+peacock+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF00cOrgWxztg38M2MZ3fSpRxmyaLprCt-mcVYezLp1jrH6PXCY-GYaBxDg6QGrXqvNCHdU8IHrwUnU5M_pW_xWXk60hl9ULIpKZIatjI2Ucei97qf6Nu3V4TQmIJh5i8NA_t44SGxoxA/s1600/lilac+peacock+05.jpg" /></a><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you want to know more about the peacock swirl or cold
process soap making in general, there’s tons of resources out there. I read the
Soap Queen blog (soapqueen.com) and the Teach Soap Forum (teachsoap.com).
YouTube is also a fount of knowledge, as well. You can also find the Rhino Song
there. But I digress . . . .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvy7wpvuif-ASjLkNH0ngLAhR1VAnkRVujJ2KDFoyhQEb2MSkFzNoog-PjJVJWMCrfWYMw8o_PvvMaEjDkS43GUF3IuU1MuFacMmVAwE9q4RXff5VNorZURUN8NU2wiRnKqU8aIo6Kcv0/s1600/lilac+peacock+o2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvy7wpvuif-ASjLkNH0ngLAhR1VAnkRVujJ2KDFoyhQEb2MSkFzNoog-PjJVJWMCrfWYMw8o_PvvMaEjDkS43GUF3IuU1MuFacMmVAwE9q4RXff5VNorZURUN8NU2wiRnKqU8aIo6Kcv0/s1600/lilac+peacock+o2.jpg" /></a><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The swirl came out really neat, and even after I shoved the
dividers into my mold, I’m still pretty impressed with the results. Don’t tell,
but I think this soap may be bridesmaid’s gifts once June 23<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> rolls
around . . . .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0W0FOGM0dVRMwiwhXIioFCUiz755OOU9zFsfsCSVsrEaBtOP4qvxV9a-xRyfBfp1uNpHJ4IqcGAhZDU421bqDiUW9Zn2pedR3Hf92s-W0yZ3Mo8NNmjJxdUCtQCzVHpYtu_dibZpryU/s1600/peacock+lilac+soap+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0W0FOGM0dVRMwiwhXIioFCUiz755OOU9zFsfsCSVsrEaBtOP4qvxV9a-xRyfBfp1uNpHJ4IqcGAhZDU421bqDiUW9Zn2pedR3Hf92s-W0yZ3Mo8NNmjJxdUCtQCzVHpYtu_dibZpryU/s1600/peacock+lilac+soap+01.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-59055923570731321042012-04-30T21:14:00.000-04:002012-04-30T21:28:14.039-04:00Soap Update!<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since beginning my soapy adventures blog, I’ve shared three
batches of soap. All have been unmolded or cut, and I’m excited to show how
they came out.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr. Fabulous’s bastille came out of the mold pretty nicely.
I was impressed! It was still too soft to cut though, so I saved that for today
when I got home from my first day at internship (!!!!). It still has the consistency
of firm cookie dough, but it cut beautifully and should cure out to be a
fabulous soap. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKaE8qPpjX_bX3TUAXSjy5g_ZA06kgEUFt09SQNLQpqa3XWOBQgzWH8t2Cfp2VQ01isZ6zkOkrcJ7fyjRv62-3Z-K_kT5ljQJgAFf8BRF2VC2rEujVE4K469VKY0XoR7PCOUgvbaRUI4/s1600/bastille+cut+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKaE8qPpjX_bX3TUAXSjy5g_ZA06kgEUFt09SQNLQpqa3XWOBQgzWH8t2Cfp2VQ01isZ6zkOkrcJ7fyjRv62-3Z-K_kT5ljQJgAFf8BRF2VC2rEujVE4K469VKY0XoR7PCOUgvbaRUI4/s1600/bastille+cut+02.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RqJH98WaOsrgsM6onJvRgvq6CcEATSG8rxRWfLLjl27yIPbhyN4pc1DhERwDdu_c2MjbBkG8DJrfuPk46dBqtFuaJVlq1NcOUrNonJ4jKHLIs3abaZymz36SsySNfNY1XwYkEplUEtk/s1600/bastille+cut+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RqJH98WaOsrgsM6onJvRgvq6CcEATSG8rxRWfLLjl27yIPbhyN4pc1DhERwDdu_c2MjbBkG8DJrfuPk46dBqtFuaJVlq1NcOUrNonJ4jKHLIs3abaZymz36SsySNfNY1XwYkEplUEtk/s1600/bastille+cut+03.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My rose soap ended up being nicer than I thought it would
be. It didn’t turn completely brown, but it did form some ash on the top. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JzNN_vsMwtdV5-tFmxv12B4R3hotA6BP6y4PYrYu4nKak_Wdt5-ThYe_CRYfxvW_UpD6RVAe7UnwPNxc0UyJ_AkiTeBt0RDPEObyUJAVUsh_qs-FvbCaSiyuTQau1tx0nPhJKP-to2U/s1600/04291208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JzNN_vsMwtdV5-tFmxv12B4R3hotA6BP6y4PYrYu4nKak_Wdt5-ThYe_CRYfxvW_UpD6RVAe7UnwPNxc0UyJ_AkiTeBt0RDPEObyUJAVUsh_qs-FvbCaSiyuTQau1tx0nPhJKP-to2U/s1600/04291208.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Soda
ash forms when the soap cools to quickly, at least that’s what I’ve been told
and my experience thus far. I’m not surprised, however, because the chemical
reaction in which the soap gets all hot and gelatinous and goes into “gel phase”
didn’t extend throughout the entire mold. I also didn’t pop a towel over it as
I wanted to see if just the wooden mold by itself would be enough. No worries,
though. The soap is still perfectly alright to use, and the ash can be scraped,
washed, or steamed off (though I’ve never had any luck with that last method).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_o-WkF_Mq8WVbd-yKzKS8Dn7cgeUi9tMPlD7nDl3a1oPrhEAz3Rfc5-vuQ23Mmqof1xL4Hz0Dx0ecv_ufPcIkMWni-2t1k2qsYI09N_EhoDvMGJwxCp7GdT_L5dwxRZY5F5fv377YUME/s1600/04291209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_o-WkF_Mq8WVbd-yKzKS8Dn7cgeUi9tMPlD7nDl3a1oPrhEAz3Rfc5-vuQ23Mmqof1xL4Hz0Dx0ecv_ufPcIkMWni-2t1k2qsYI09N_EhoDvMGJwxCp7GdT_L5dwxRZY5F5fv377YUME/s1600/04291209.jpg" /></a><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last, but certainly not least, is my lilac soap with the cellini blue mica. I’m going
to have another go with the lilac, as my soap forum of choice is having a
challenge for the month of May that has to do with floral scented soaps. It
will be my first soap picture post there, which makes me excited. My current lilac
soap, however, turned out better than I even imagined. The purple color is
amazing, the smell is perfect (even has that earthy “dirt” quality that real
flowers have), and the soap is just overall awesome. Yay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hD0a9QuND8cGkeAIc0VVVRn-fOdevqbS5XML_1vx_aMpXABHTU2n7Duy1BOUs6xZv9F0kiOP6Nvb3yfR-kRocdJg-BtHNVc-zbDmFWobHGDw4CgsWmdR3HO4XWrhR60fQDjQMw4lekU/s1600/04291207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hD0a9QuND8cGkeAIc0VVVRn-fOdevqbS5XML_1vx_aMpXABHTU2n7Duy1BOUs6xZv9F0kiOP6Nvb3yfR-kRocdJg-BtHNVc-zbDmFWobHGDw4CgsWmdR3HO4XWrhR60fQDjQMw4lekU/s1600/04291207.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve got so much soap. This is just a little bit of it. I can’t wait for it to all cure so I
can package it and give it away. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmxmap0jl_7Ble_mCNSge530HFPg7rmN9BBxjgzc7Os39YS-VZ_w1PAcIT62f1YeeuuQ9e9b9Gi7StbpVFLwjyjzgyGhhN4iBd90SJdsowNLlPNIgLmqKYDAqd-HZsf7ltnHcJ5UH7JI/s1600/curing+soap+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmxmap0jl_7Ble_mCNSge530HFPg7rmN9BBxjgzc7Os39YS-VZ_w1PAcIT62f1YeeuuQ9e9b9Gi7StbpVFLwjyjzgyGhhN4iBd90SJdsowNLlPNIgLmqKYDAqd-HZsf7ltnHcJ5UH7JI/s1600/curing+soap+02.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-77611824494697080822012-04-29T13:39:00.002-04:002012-04-29T13:39:39.696-04:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mother’s day is coming! And I’ve decided to make lotions for
all my moms. But shhh, don’t tell them! </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh2v_xjqlTbhcUpfgKMEJ_LGssEnvzvVcD9YQnwJtCMeq0xT8pz6Y2KzfriqTS5FK1MDrjY9pVyy5PhrI6hH0K_WMFwJs_LB4cBu-aQw9UfjdU80sspuSGWbk1ijVOjgYZ5vXRc-4KKI/s1600/04291203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh2v_xjqlTbhcUpfgKMEJ_LGssEnvzvVcD9YQnwJtCMeq0xT8pz6Y2KzfriqTS5FK1MDrjY9pVyy5PhrI6hH0K_WMFwJs_LB4cBu-aQw9UfjdU80sspuSGWbk1ijVOjgYZ5vXRc-4KKI/s1600/04291203.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I recieved a sample of “Sweet Meyer Lemon” fragrance oil in
my latest Bramble Berry order, so I decided to give it a try in lotion. It
smells deliciously sweet, almost like candy, and I love it my new lotions.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMkRSWk5-DFeoTJhMzw4Q_N9NOh1kTgfF9MkhztIHa5G38bP3nFkVkNj_np0QPgqFdv1R1u4mhYYQ3mwLuT75UFj9EHYgd5el-eqJZ3kGre9DnPOImNT4tgyTbIdRNuz06VHqegUkVBU/s1600/042912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMkRSWk5-DFeoTJhMzw4Q_N9NOh1kTgfF9MkhztIHa5G38bP3nFkVkNj_np0QPgqFdv1R1u4mhYYQ3mwLuT75UFj9EHYgd5el-eqJZ3kGre9DnPOImNT4tgyTbIdRNuz06VHqegUkVBU/s1600/042912.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In making soap, I narrowed down my oils and have a good
mixture that I both like, can acquire fairly inexpensively, and are good to my
skin. I have very sensitive skin, and having soap that won’t dry me out and
turn me into an itchy red welt is important. I decided in designing my lotion
formula to carry over some of those oils. So, in every bar of soap and every
bottle of lotion I make, one will find avocado and grapeseed oils and shea
butter. I find them to be very nice to my skin, and hopefully to my moms’ skin,
too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicu8x-dPjsHmxlttnp06rSTTjPwjMHdn22aqWJE2fA0MJYPROXLcGlvLuzVaEcKsqohc25yflaQcyXViY_WxmQgZZvCuHrFjcK_t1gG8RhePrvMeV35woTVjD7fgoO9zix5KCXayROlXU/s1600/04291205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicu8x-dPjsHmxlttnp06rSTTjPwjMHdn22aqWJE2fA0MJYPROXLcGlvLuzVaEcKsqohc25yflaQcyXViY_WxmQgZZvCuHrFjcK_t1gG8RhePrvMeV35woTVjD7fgoO9zix5KCXayROlXU/s1600/04291205.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have found lotion making to be almost as fun as cold
process soap making, and this time it was no different. I really enjoy that I
can customize my lotions and formulate them to meet my needs exactly. I can
make a thicker cream for my feet and elbows and lighter lotions for everyday
use. I know all my moms (my mum, my sister, and my fiancée’s mom) will enjoy
this lotion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-15859334741388252102012-04-28T10:09:00.000-04:002012-04-28T10:09:44.503-04:00My Take on a "Spoon Swirl." Oh, Boy.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I bought my lilac fragrance oil from Bramble Berry, I also
grabbed another floral, “baby rose,” as well. Even though my lilac batch went
smoothly, I was still concerned about my soap advancing too quickly, so I tried
a swirl, but then I lost my head completely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It started out nice. I mixed my pink (Electric Bubblegum Neon
colorant form Bramble Berry) into my oils like before, just to give myself a
few more minutes on the other end. Pretty!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc4colBB1ZtdYuvSzmw_cRudlc_BOz6_7Fz7zoINOUJHoSJNIgNzlAolEjw6YI9B0Vlgn283kClCNghDQWgpfORFDXwWQ8bbvM15wKF-QCdxiGGjxT482y16Z5pbiwRkuJMzYMtEY0Ds/s1600/rose+soap+06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc4colBB1ZtdYuvSzmw_cRudlc_BOz6_7Fz7zoINOUJHoSJNIgNzlAolEjw6YI9B0Vlgn283kClCNghDQWgpfORFDXwWQ8bbvM15wKF-QCdxiGGjxT482y16Z5pbiwRkuJMzYMtEY0Ds/s1600/rose+soap+06.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigE-A4deTPIT9VqPhHN58WU19dOtyw3EOwXdaL0hHZdrfccQ0n7KSaAiDV0JVDvYdngzjgOKLSCBu-5VU391Vm8UBqcbJfOjExFt7OK11pbGrDPFKQqMBG7MgJZtHgTdWiDr0anbKRBlQ/s1600/rose+soap+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigE-A4deTPIT9VqPhHN58WU19dOtyw3EOwXdaL0hHZdrfccQ0n7KSaAiDV0JVDvYdngzjgOKLSCBu-5VU391Vm8UBqcbJfOjExFt7OK11pbGrDPFKQqMBG7MgJZtHgTdWiDr0anbKRBlQ/s1600/rose+soap+05.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, I added my lye, mix-mix-mixed, separated out the portion I wanted to make brown,
stirred in my fragrance, and poured that soap! Then I swirled. With a teaspoon.
I forgot to get a skinny whatsit to swirl with, and I ended up <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*stirring*</i></b>
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwMKvYbaaoRsJKdHrnb7o6NxjovHMwpDUD7XOayTunWj1tMasBe-CMD883YtvjtpyMXZiO6_XxT9KUdO6xkvI-7eVFOJJGNxo4_wQ1kRYxwsgPWb_apEQXYWQMwbHZAZz4rcCdpCU-Fw/s1600/rose+soap+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwMKvYbaaoRsJKdHrnb7o6NxjovHMwpDUD7XOayTunWj1tMasBe-CMD883YtvjtpyMXZiO6_XxT9KUdO6xkvI-7eVFOJJGNxo4_wQ1kRYxwsgPWb_apEQXYWQMwbHZAZz4rcCdpCU-Fw/s1600/rose+soap+02.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The top is a bit on the ugly side. Let’s hope that the
bottom stayed pink, or that my wedding guests don’t open their soap until they
get home. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhlcim6_8USKnLQ7mZT7v8duOOSyzT1zQUoQTdaH2Pdy27Aw7PuzDR_jW97kiYqYsu2gpQU2ys-5MUfrpQUk8ShiSrt9B10muI59AMz29RFqjLUzNYwOmT0QX6Elyd0r_mcl9iyH1q_c/s1600/rose+soap+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhlcim6_8USKnLQ7mZT7v8duOOSyzT1zQUoQTdaH2Pdy27Aw7PuzDR_jW97kiYqYsu2gpQU2ys-5MUfrpQUk8ShiSrt9B10muI59AMz29RFqjLUzNYwOmT0QX6Elyd0r_mcl9iyH1q_c/s1600/rose+soap+01.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All and all, though, it smells fantastic, and I know it will
get the user clean, and that’s really the point of soap, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-60373933184840864262012-04-27T18:44:00.000-04:002012-04-27T18:44:17.157-04:00My First Bastille Soap & a New Mold<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When one hears the word “bastille,” one may think of France,
Dickins’ <u>A Tale of Two Cities</u>, or the French Revolution. When talking
soap, however, bastille is a term that is short for “bastardized castile.” That
cleared it right up, didn’t it?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34n6t40pjrDh-Ffm5IwlGUeqYd0HjxN-aVdF9Fm5LRwgMz9xynfLMm-juwjrmW0V8ziiI2HS56noEnFb9PtPgxZatLJXOHmo_4G1jGKKdz5VYOAHyuT3eUC33n35ErS8i4McI9HkbPqE/s1600/bastille.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34n6t40pjrDh-Ffm5IwlGUeqYd0HjxN-aVdF9Fm5LRwgMz9xynfLMm-juwjrmW0V8ziiI2HS56noEnFb9PtPgxZatLJXOHmo_4G1jGKKdz5VYOAHyuT3eUC33n35ErS8i4McI9HkbPqE/s1600/bastille.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>(From Wikipedia.com)</o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Castile soap originally was soap made from olive oil pressed
from olives from the Castilla region of Spain. These olives were believed to
produce the finest olive oil in the world. Today, it basically means a soap
made with 100% olive oil. Don’t let tricksters trick, however. Some would have
you believe that the term “castile” simply means an all-vegetable soap. It does
not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today I made bastille soap by special request. My fiancée wanted
an uncolored, unscented soap to take camping. Because we do that, evidently. He
wanted castile, and I wanted to use my new shipment of shea butter. So we
compromised with a 95% olive oil/5% shea butter formula. </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJrnSKH-APVUbyMIxsHk-4ZI7Lk9VDYvuBVdUfwp_dSut6WsWsIeOXmECV11ycpt6eY9sAQH1m-Bu6muPC8HKf1c1ZLKhBCmoAEiQ17AvpGgures-ZS01kdMb7LTSKo5tTnYldfkJl_Rw/s1600/round+bastille+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJrnSKH-APVUbyMIxsHk-4ZI7Lk9VDYvuBVdUfwp_dSut6WsWsIeOXmECV11ycpt6eY9sAQH1m-Bu6muPC8HKf1c1ZLKhBCmoAEiQ17AvpGgures-ZS01kdMb7LTSKo5tTnYldfkJl_Rw/s1600/round+bastille+01.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I took the opportunity while at the local big box hardware
store to check out their PVC pipe. I wanted to be able to make round soap
without all the pouring that individual round molds require. I ended up with a
nice two foot section for about $3. I decided that this soap would be the first
one I made in my new round mold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MsATpFyGxuAxE5ezB0aZy13jteAV4xNoHF90XubgMAIWxblp3Hu_P425-9PL6Twis0S-odbYkSsz50ks2DkgNmG6BrotLRW1vdeJH9tmmywXs80G0sqjdYxRYrubBzEr2F8LRFK1jLw/s1600/round+bastille+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MsATpFyGxuAxE5ezB0aZy13jteAV4xNoHF90XubgMAIWxblp3Hu_P425-9PL6Twis0S-odbYkSsz50ks2DkgNmG6BrotLRW1vdeJH9tmmywXs80G0sqjdYxRYrubBzEr2F8LRFK1jLw/s1600/round+bastille+03.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Carefully, I lined the bad boy up with freezer paper. I could
grease it with mineral oil, since it doesn’t saponify, but there’s no way my
arm was going to fit in there! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
carefully, I poured the soap, and left it to sit. I’ll check it tomorrow when I
get home from work, and then slice it up and give it a good long cure.
Generally, I like to cure my soaps for 4-6 weeks. Olive oil soaps, or soaps
with high olive oil content, however, do better with a much longer cure. So
this is one treasure that just may have to wait.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZeCmibPRRmd4nnY8k8C9wv8qVMpAvEnJYx72-9lqFr4IMXnraQ0_kgPR2nlQZ1wceYUlXK93FxImB2P1ZG9wboUkYD6D-TuyiaSwBhn4U-Xfj2Y_eOrLA259pp2e8qVCu8t-3w78y7s/s1600/round+bastille+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZeCmibPRRmd4nnY8k8C9wv8qVMpAvEnJYx72-9lqFr4IMXnraQ0_kgPR2nlQZ1wceYUlXK93FxImB2P1ZG9wboUkYD6D-TuyiaSwBhn4U-Xfj2Y_eOrLA259pp2e8qVCu8t-3w78y7s/s1600/round+bastille+04.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-75149891032857396132012-04-27T00:16:00.001-04:002012-04-27T00:38:56.889-04:00The Packaging Conundrum . . . .<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been fervently making soap for my June 23<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>
wedding. I wanted to have personalized favors, not the same old things that
everyone else has. Bubbles are great for kids, but not so much for grown-ups. My
most favorite wedding favors of all time are the mini maple syrups and peach
preserves that my friend had at her wedding last fall. They were adorable! (I tried to find a picture of them, :o( but I couldn't.)</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since I would eventually like to turn this hobby into a
business, and since I need my products to be tested by those I trust enough to
give me their honest opinion, I thought that soap wedding favors would be
perfect. I have my favors taken care of and can get feedback from my friends
and family. Yay! </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But how do I package a bar of soap? The bars are too big for
boxes, shrink wrap bands require an additional investment in a heat gun, and I tried waxed
paper. Fail. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I found these awesome coffee filters. In my cupboard!
Sweet. I’d used them before for round soaps, but I’d never thought to wrap my
rectangular bars with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re
absolutely perfect for it, though. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_5Z8eBIlI5jjMh7ggLn58sYFT2qnwzFD1b2XxlFpgyyyMhLlDgvgeFUaPnO-C2eQe0QhRMXPP41w_NvjlLMBqXA9xyf-1K-IeftnOjrfurcvEC8Qlv9eG2cDkKpb9oMdZLvgccN9-kg/s1600/soap+wrapping+06.jpg" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I found a groove, and went to town. I got 27 bars of soap wrapped with my new technique, and watched 3 episodes of "Don't Trust the B-- in Apartment 23" while I was at it. So I'll need to work on my speed, but the finished bars look so cute, I don't even care how long it took.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLDUJHO41OgBSTKSc28d3XQ0fjj7IKdF8oJa-I291-gd6n-FQjRBXSfeBFu2G6cANGMZZq66TAvzcHc2sL_poh_QbPGdW3nVBvbnqQwtjquBg0RrdQrabLPy1n_1thRyHWhH7Ie0L1e8/s1600/sopa+wrapping+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLDUJHO41OgBSTKSc28d3XQ0fjj7IKdF8oJa-I291-gd6n-FQjRBXSfeBFu2G6cANGMZZq66TAvzcHc2sL_poh_QbPGdW3nVBvbnqQwtjquBg0RrdQrabLPy1n_1thRyHWhH7Ie0L1e8/s1600/sopa+wrapping+02.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aH4znfLEpW9xYk-ceU9JTG9etFWKkcPGKRXJsdLJn6GDuvgyzAmVKJaKuf5MhgsqCtH14tWADhqOeTThdQ8maj1eRJSrW82sR-gtacMCRoWoBt2hnHfwbtjtAafKWbteYnzgvG4hAzM/s1600/soap+wrapping+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aH4znfLEpW9xYk-ceU9JTG9etFWKkcPGKRXJsdLJn6GDuvgyzAmVKJaKuf5MhgsqCtH14tWADhqOeTThdQ8maj1eRJSrW82sR-gtacMCRoWoBt2hnHfwbtjtAafKWbteYnzgvG4hAzM/s1600/soap+wrapping+01.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Coffee filters and No-Wrinkle Elmers Glue Gel, my packaging best buddies :o)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg7uAz2fRiaxaQECO-lgguXFqoQ3fHuUNSwljaeEHB9PGjgpKIReUQDUSIRdPU8wTJfUsatedgxMQXPrGQIGoifsCQzoyqzK16ysqw8NXyzKk0HLSsyt0vqGI94B6cOme5OjzDqT2C8E/s1600/soap+wrapping+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg7uAz2fRiaxaQECO-lgguXFqoQ3fHuUNSwljaeEHB9PGjgpKIReUQDUSIRdPU8wTJfUsatedgxMQXPrGQIGoifsCQzoyqzK16ysqw8NXyzKk0HLSsyt0vqGI94B6cOme5OjzDqT2C8E/s1600/soap+wrapping+07.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-25235619961681282422012-04-26T00:32:00.000-04:002012-04-26T18:07:21.425-04:00Lilac Soap!I absolutely luurve the smell of lilacs. There was a very large lilac bush next to the kitchen window in the house that I gew up in, and I always remember looking forward to when it would bloom. I found a lilac fragrance oil one night while absent mindedly surfing through BrambleBerry.com, and I just had to have it.<br />
<br />
If I was going to make lilac soap, however, I wanted it to be purple. It's kind of hard to make purple soap since the base oils used to make soap are often very yellow. Yellow and purple make brown. I did not want brown soap.<br />
<br />
Enter Cellini Blue Mica!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Lec3LVXZz_FxzRZOc0j8_bJ2QIUZHcr5bnzDP2zWiSP7RjAkSIN5bo2W198DUrMWlXOiJeuBm_rie_7fBxgpvNXCtM9iiHOWu_NAqrhHSWFVI4jVrRb1AeVgqZ05r83fZ8qbxHF0BQg/s1600/lilac+soap+cellini+blue+mica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Lec3LVXZz_FxzRZOc0j8_bJ2QIUZHcr5bnzDP2zWiSP7RjAkSIN5bo2W198DUrMWlXOiJeuBm_rie_7fBxgpvNXCtM9iiHOWu_NAqrhHSWFVI4jVrRb1AeVgqZ05r83fZ8qbxHF0BQg/s1600/lilac+soap+cellini+blue+mica.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Since I used a floral frangrance oil, which usually have a tendency to speed up the soap making process, I mixed my mica into my oils before adding my lye. I didn't want to over-mix my raw soap and end up with a thick, gloppy mess. I've been there. It's not a fun place to be. Micas are mined from the earth and cut and polished to shimmer and shine. Mineral make-ups are made with micas. This blue is lip safe, which means I can use it to color lip balms and lip sticks if I were so inclined. I can also make some awesome electric blue eye shadow with the right ingredients. But for now, I'll stick to the soap. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnko80SeyDu5e33JgEvfCeQ6evPjW3Zg25R2104-NwKWtxZOBK0moCJd-ct5bWsGOUyUFPE-fAF7duGaPK8QzijgaA2E6tGaD3wreqPky2XRcEIP3irqjDo4-sGSY7mdbWznR3iNE57WM/s1600/lilac+soap+oils+with+mica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnko80SeyDu5e33JgEvfCeQ6evPjW3Zg25R2104-NwKWtxZOBK0moCJd-ct5bWsGOUyUFPE-fAF7duGaPK8QzijgaA2E6tGaD3wreqPky2XRcEIP3irqjDo4-sGSY7mdbWznR3iNE57WM/s1600/lilac+soap+oils+with+mica.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Blue mica makes purple soap? Well, this mica does. It morphs the raw soap into a glorious pink color:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6bwN8HVTHCdves5cknv2wndhyphenhyphenRA96mFdFCO2QKadV51Rba94u1hnoksAsaWn5Xi3BWb3pwZv25qif_9LRlAaYG7DLRR8CuICgPMgMVcvSwtjytCThz7aqKNw5dqmT7ZhbH85CWRqji8/s1600/lilac+soap+poured.jpg" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Then, as the soap saponifies, it turns purple. This soap is in gel phase and it's starting to turn purple!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieve-bxFXlzq9vHqNJkjcQtQKa4mtXjmTmQ7ZYWe2ptm9QlCLo4qjLG0mzjReJlbLS6ruaUGi9_P_pZUl30-Wt0NlH58KITc3PmhD1ETtciWkuxLoxZ6i6QRPeRsEHkiVUsUk_E9G4M7c/s1600/lilac+soap+partial+gel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieve-bxFXlzq9vHqNJkjcQtQKa4mtXjmTmQ7ZYWe2ptm9QlCLo4qjLG0mzjReJlbLS6ruaUGi9_P_pZUl30-Wt0NlH58KITc3PmhD1ETtciWkuxLoxZ6i6QRPeRsEHkiVUsUk_E9G4M7c/s1600/lilac+soap+partial+gel.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is what it looked like when I got home from work: a glorious deep, translucent-looking purple that smells absolutely divine! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBn55vFT7IDqz5HenppwfQPn4OmyeHmvQqmrkM3gymy3HUWori-6JCN-YXEvqn4egy9CeCd-VShR8gKULSGz4F9MgQL25NnLypnzFib9KoznV0dp84v80lN-AYJ2_d7iOqlgFJ2sKcHA/s1600/lilac+soap+full+gel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBn55vFT7IDqz5HenppwfQPn4OmyeHmvQqmrkM3gymy3HUWori-6JCN-YXEvqn4egy9CeCd-VShR8gKULSGz4F9MgQL25NnLypnzFib9KoznV0dp84v80lN-AYJ2_d7iOqlgFJ2sKcHA/s1600/lilac+soap+full+gel.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Now to just wait six weeks to use it . . . .alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262337922169314021.post-16273848285381880302012-04-24T23:14:00.000-04:002012-04-27T19:37:15.363-04:00The Wonderful World of SoapI make soap. It's sort of new. For the past four months I've made a bi-weekly trip to Paris Farmer's Union to buy lye from the drain cleaner section. Today I got my first shipment of lye from an on-line supplier. 8 pounds of food-grade lye, which will soon be lovely, lathery, fragrant soap. I can't wait!<br />
<br />
I'm not entirely sure how I decided to make soap. I remember wanting to try it last summer, but last summer was one I'd rather forget, and I had no time to take up a new hobby. I wish I would have, though, because it's so much fun. I love everything about it. From formulating the recipe to pouring my raw soap to enjoying the finished product, there is not one thing about this hobby that I don't like. I just wish I had more time to do it in.<br />
<br />
So this is where I talk about it. My trials. My tribulations. My triumphs. This is where I share my soap story.alliedoobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384497409591544318noreply@blogger.com0