Faux Funnel Pour– Soap Challenge week 6

 

I have been wanting to join this challenge since it started but I have been busy with training and then I was away. Amy Warden from Great Cakes soap came up with this GREAT idea to link soapers from all over the world together but to also challenge themselves. Thanks Amy.  I have already tried this method a few times. You can see my attempts here and here and here. I had nearly given up hope that I would ever make a soap with his method that I was happy with. Well I am glad to say I am finally happy. I am not sure what I did differently but I am sure it had a lot to do with my helper – my Dad!

For the recipe and method you can click here.

You can see the premixed colours above – I used Titanium dioxide, Green pigment, blue pigment and pink dayglo pigment. Once the soap mixture had reached light trace I added Grapefruit fragrance oil. This is one fragrance I know does not set up too fast so that is why I used it. We separated the mixture into 4 jugs and mixed in the colours.

Dad and I then started to pour into the mould in alternating colours starting with blue, then white, pink and finally green until all the soap

The final product cut. I am really happy with it.

Riverlea Soap

Technorati Tags: Riverlea Soap,Cold Process soap,Faux funnel pour

Bunnies–a tutorial with M and P

I know this is a little late. I intended to do it for Easter but ran out of time. It is still fun all the same.

I have mentioned a book called Soapylove in past posts and have made Debbie’s soaps here and here.
I have also used chocolate transfer sheets before and am having quite a lot of fun with them. They are easy to use and give you such fun soaps for a little amount of effort.




You will need:

• A mould – I used a silicone round one and a silicone square one
• Clear Glycerine soap base – M and P. The amount is determined by how many you will make and the size of your moulds
• Spraying alcohol
• Fragrance oil – I used a Sweet floral – oh so nice
• A special cutter that will give you a perfect round. Seen above – the yellow ruler thing. Contrary to popular belief I am not mental so cannot cut a perfect round with scissors! LOL) 
• Jugs, stirrers and or spoons, transfer sheets

Method:

• Melt your clear base in a jug in the microwave in short bursts, making sure it is not too hot
• Prepare your transfer sheet by cutting it to fit the base of your mould
• Place the transfer in the mould, shiny side must be facing down. i.e. you will pour the soap onto the rough side. If you run your finger over the sheet it will feel slightly rough. Debbie attached her sheet to the mould with sticky tape. I did not as it is quite difficult to tape a round mould
• Add your fragrance oil to your melted, cooled soap
• Pour the soap carefully onto the transfer sheet
• Spritz the soap with rubbing alcohol to remove bubbles
• Now you wait - approximately 30 – 40 minutes, depending on how large the soap is
• Once the soap is hard remove it carefully from the mould 

It is quite important that you do not pour the soap when it is too hot as you can see below: we lost a bunny head.





Riverlea Soap

Technorati Tags: Riverlea Soap,M&P,Melt and Pour

Lavender Swirl

I received a load of micas, pigments and oxides and have been wanting to try them out for ages.

Don’t you just love this Lilac colour?

I love to make soap!

Mixing the Titanium dioxide and Lilac colours

		Lavender Swirl VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Next week I will show you what it looks like cut into slices.

 

Technorati Tags: Riverlea soap,Cold process soap,Handmade soap

Riverlea Soap

 

Making Solid Bubble Bath

This was a LOT harder than it looks. The mixture stuck to my hands, then it stuck to the rolling pin and everything else it touched.

I do have to say, though, I am very please with the result. I think they would make really nice Baby shower favours.

They are already all sold out. YAY

     

Technorati Tags: Riverela Soap,Baby shower favours,wedding favours

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Training in the Eastern Cape – part 2

What a long trip – 739km give or take.
Day 1: The Farm to Port St Johns. I don’t travel very well for long distances after my back operation so we decided to do the trip in two parts. On day one we drove from the farm to Umngazi River Bungalows in Port St Johns for one night of R&R . WOW what an amazing place. I wish we had had more than one night. We will definitely have to go back for more time.

I was very spoiled with a complimentary massage at the Spa. This was just what the doctor ordered after 400 odd kilometers of travel in a car.

 

 

 Day 2: Port St Johns to Grahamstown. We got off to an early start on Thursday as we had a 6 hour drive ahead of us. This turned into about 9 with all the road works! We finally made it at 1730 and drove straight to the Angus Gillus foundation

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where we were met by Lucy. Lucy works very hard to find funding for projects. She and Cynth (her trusty helper) then arrange for certain groups in the community to be trained in a particular field so they can start and maintain sustainable businesses. Very noble.

Day 3: Training. We drove for about 40 minutes to get to the Township of Glenmore where the ladies were to be trained.  What a special group of ladies. They learnt about safety when making soap and you can see them below all kitted out and ready.

After the theory we had a lesson on how to use the stick blender.. the things we take for granted! Below you can see their soaps gelling. Cynth (in the red top) is paying close attention to my demo as she and Lucy will have to remind all the ladies of what they learned.
   
Once we had done the hard part of teaching Cold process I then showed the ladies how to make rebatch soap. And then they also got a demo on using Melt and Pour. They were all given a Riverlea Soap Melt and Pour kit to take home with them to practise.

Lucy has promised a follow up email to show me how the ladies are progressing. I am very excited. We also discussed the possibility of one group knitting cotton face cloths as an add on to sell with the soap. And they could also make homemade paper to wrap the soap.


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