Monday, March 19, 2012

The Agony & the Ecstasy–last chance

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I am impatient and the thing I find most difficult in soap making is the waiting. Waiting for the soap to be hard enough so you can take it out the mould. I tend to make soap in the afternoon for this exact reason. I then can sleep away the waiting time and it is not so agonising.

I had a lot of fun trying this technique AGAIN. But I think this will be the last time I try it  (probably not) as I am ALWAYS disappointed with the result. It looked so beautiful while I was making it and then I cut it!

 

Riverlea Soap

Monday, March 12, 2012

Training in the Eastern Cape

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Last year I held a Melt & Pour soap making course at Just Boutique. I met a really inspiring young lady called Karen who sent a mail to all her friends about her experience at the workshop.  A friend of hers, called Lucy, contacted me and said she would love us to come and teach some rural community ladies how to make soap so they can then sell it to the surrounding game lodges. What a great idea. Lucy works for the Angus Gillis Foundation.
So I am off to Grahamstown on Wednesday for a few days of intensive soap making. This will be quite a challenge as the ladies first language is not English and chemistry knowledge will be minimal at best.
They will learn how to make Cold Process soap from scratch, re batching, Melt and Pour.
Rebatch
 
Riverlea Soap

Friday, March 9, 2012

Market feed back

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Hi Odette

Just to let you know that I love your soap. I don't think I've ever been so keen to wash my hands.

I have tried many soaps in the past but found them all the same. Yours have something special. It brings a feeling of something wholesome and pure.

This might sound corny but something in your soap resonates with something deep in my soul. Maybe it's the country.

Look forward to buying lots more next time.

Be blessed,

Cesaltina

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What a nice comment!

Riverlea Soap

Monday, March 5, 2012

Making Vintage Rose soaps–Part 3

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You may have seen part 1 and part 2 of this journey. It started with wanting to make round soap and it morphed into the vintage soaps. Anyway I am still on the search and I think that this is the way I will continue to make them from now on. Sometimes the simplest route is the best route! Why we try to make things harder for ourselves I have no idea… or maybe it is just me that does that..
Prepare your moulds: I used a stainless steel pipe and a plastic drain, down pipe.
DSCN0002-001 Place a sheet of plastic on the bottom/ outside of the moulds and tape it down really well.. I also put a lid inside as well to prevent any leakage..
Then: take a sheet of PVC. For those of you who don’t know what that is – it is a medium thickness, clear plastic like sheet. Roll it up and place it inside the tube. It is now lining the inside of the tube. Stick the join down with tape.
Make your soap as usual and remember to wear your safety gear – the 3 G’s – Goggles, garment & gloves.. Once you have made your soap and are at trace,pour the mixture into the moulds. Make sure they are standing securely – you don’t want them to fall over.
Vintage soap rounds
Leave the soap to gel and set and don’t be impatient like me. The soap was still warm when I tried to peel the PVC sheet off it. So it was a little sticky and left the outside of the soap a little pitted. Never mind it’s handmade and not perfect.