If it's springtime, it must be embeds

Well seeing how the last batch of soaps went so swimmingly well (not!), it made me want to continue to bang my head against the wall attempt more embeds. Seeing how it's spring time, I decided on some springtime themed embeds.

I think this would make lovely giveaways at weddings, once I get some super clear soap. I think the main thing that I find disappointing is not being able to see the background too well.

You can see it from the back side here, but the swan ends up looking like a duck. So not elegant (sorry ducks!)

Another thing that says spring to me, even though I don't play, is golf. This one was partly due to the fact I had made a half a golf ball, and had no clue what to do with it.

As you can see, it's a little higher than clear soap, but that works too right?

I hope you're having a lovely start to the spring season and have a great week!

One more embedded soap to use up some of the leftovers.

Frustrations abound

I'd almost run out of white MP soap a few months back, so went to a local store to pick up some base. I usually buy from Otion (Brambleberry's storefront) but with the exchange being as it was, I decided to buy local, but purchase a brand that's well known.

It turned out, well not as expected. First of all, it's not the white base, even though it looked pretty darned white when I bought it. Secondly, it's not as clear glycerin as I expected clear soap to be.

My only consolation with this is that the bottom is scented with grapefruit FO which smells delicious. That and I'm not a baseball fan anyway.

Hope you have a great week.

Coffee, tea or some reasonable facsimile

Do you ever do that thing, where you think oh yeah, I can make what exactly what I see on Pinterest, and it will turn out just as beautiful? I love deluding myself with that, almost as much as I love deluding myself that I'm taller than I actually am. :D

This time, it wasn't Pinterest (well it's probably there too), but of course, the one, the only Soapqueen. I wanted so badly to make something similar to her Thai Tea soap, but as a coffee one instead.

I kinda feel like Murphy's Law rules my world. I guess it partly has to do with impatience and really, there are only so many times MP soap wants to be melted.

The coffee part turned out fine. I added in real coffee grounds and used chocolate espresso FO from Brambleberry. Smells delicious.

My cream part though, didn't come out as well. First, I melted some new base that I thought was white. Turns out, it's a lot clearer when it's melted. Oh, well then we'll use some goat's milk base that I had used previously and need to make into something else. The coffee part solidified quickly, and so I tried to use a fork to push the cream part into it. It's only semi successful though.

I tried to make a whipped topping, but my hand mixer died (not sure why, it's only been around since I was in grade school), so I tried to whip it up quickly by hand. But by that time, the cream portion had solidified enough that the whipped topping didn't sit on it so well. I'm going to have to use some clear soap to stick it on.

Looks like the soaps are wearing toupees.

Well, onwards and upwards. Until next time, have a great week!

Inspired by others

I've been lazy. I wasn't really inspired to do much soaping, and it's a vicious circle. I don't update my website, so no one looks, so no buyers, so I don't want to soap. Ad nauseum.

I went to the FB Melt and Pour group for inspiration and there's been a lot of talk about a soaper named Dean Wilson of Sentinel Candles. Mr. Wilson is kind enough to have a  YouTube channel where he shows how he creates some of his lovely soaps. Using his inspiration in Monkey Farts #3, I created this.

Scent:  Morning Rain

Unfortunately, the way these are cut, and probably the shape, it doesn't show the diamond shaped embeds. Mr. Wilson had used full spheres, but I decided on using only half spheres as it allowed me to pour in the different layers, since the mould I used was an ice cube mould.

Have a great week everyone!