Feedspot Top 100–we made it.

I was recently contacted by Anuj Agarwal to say that we had been included in the Feedspot Top 100 Soapmaking blogs.

“My name is Anuj Agarwal. I'm Founder of Feedspot.

I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Riverlea Soap has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 100 Soap Making Blogs  on the web.

http://blog.feedspot.com/soap_making_blog/

I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of  Top 100 Soap Making Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!”

I have to admit that I had not heard of Feedspot so I had to Google it…

Feedspot is a News and Blog Reader used by over one million users Globally.Its a place where users can read all their favorite website in one place. We are Based in U.S.

We have considered following factors to rank the blog.

· Search Engine ranking

· Social media influence

· Social media buzz

· Alexa Ranking

· Post frequency

· Quality score by our editorial team

 

Thanks guys what an honour.

Soap Dough–a soap making challenge

This is a challenge I was so excited about. It really taught me a new skill and I have new found respect for all cake decorators! The precision and skill that is required is beyond me.

For this challenge I had to call on my best friend Debbie, who is an award winning cake decorator. She has been living in Australia for the last 8 years and we have just reconnected after she moved back here again. What a great way to take up our friendship again. She taught me to mould and shape roses and leaves.

Soap roses and a palette knife

Moulding and shaping the soap lolly. This was harder than it looks. I really battled with the uniformity of the top and trying to get the “dipped” soap layer an even thickness was quite a challenge.

Debs took the plunge and started to add roses to the lolly i had made while I made the next lolly for me add roses to.

As you can see the “chocolate” strip was also quite thick. I was too afraid to roll it thinner as it kept on breaking.

Debs did a great job of adding the roses, while mine was much more basic and simple. She clearly has done more of this than me adn has an artistic eye for bunching the roses together.

Thanks Amy, as always this was a great challenge and I had a lot of fun.

 

Do me a Favour

I have been neglecting the blog a little as I have been very busy making soap and re-stocking our basic line.

We made these favours a long time ago but they are still a favourite with most people who see them.

Fellow Soapers BEWARE OF SCAMMERS

I recently received an email enquiry from Ellen Worrell who wanted to purchase from my website. 

When I replied that we do not take credit cards but can do a PayPal payment she placed her order. Not on the website like most people but typed it out which must have taken ages as it was a large order.
Her address is below for all to see.

Once I had received the order I did a Google search on her name and address.
Turns out she has been doing the rounds. So BEWARE!! I sent her a mail back saying I had done a search on her and was aware of her game. Funny that I haven’t heard back from her!!!
I read an article a while ago about some scammers but could not find the link to add to this post. I am sure if oyu search for scammers or soap scammers you will find information out there.
A word of warning – if it seems like a really nice,order but something doesn't seem right. Question it. This is your business. Dont get fooled.

Rimmed Soap– March soap Challenge

I have wanted to learn how to do this for a while so I jumped at the chance to learn this technique when Amy from Great Cakes soap Works offered it for the March 2016 challenge.  I have not made a video nor done a tutorial but will do at some stage soon.

Making a silicone Liner using Rose’s Box template

Rose Ericson, a good friend, from the States, who made my soap cutter and this soap cutter  for me sent me mould maker to test.
She also sent some combs for swirling but more on that soon.
I took the template apart so I could add putty to the cut in the wood.

Mixing the silicone as per the manufacturers directions.
See the YouTube video here 

#Riverlea soap 

Learn How We Made Winter wonderland soap - a soap challenge entry

This month Amy from Great Cakes soapworks set the challenge for the soap club as a winter themed soap with 2 options – all natural or synthetic.

I chose to do the all natural option as I really want a chance to win the prize: Anne Marie Faiola’s new book Natural Soap making!!

My idea was to have a Christmas tree with pretty coloured baubles floating on the branches…..

I used French green clay, Rose clay, paprika, and cocoa powder to make the baubles.

This was a disaster. Not quite sure what went wrong but I think I mixed too much oil with the colours. The soaps were hard and crumbly and I was unable to make little baubles out of them, but I pressed on all the same. Fortunately I had some of the pink soap in a larger batch, made for Roses which did not go crumbly (I am guessing this is because there was so much more so and less oil?)

The idea was to use Coconut oil, Canola, Palm, Olive for the Baubles and insets and then Coconut, Palm, Avocado, Canola for the "snow" and Verbena essential oil.  

Fortunately the cocoa powder soap worked well and I had my tree trunk.

Once I had the bables made up I put them in my mould that had two sides positioned at angles to create the tree.

I poured layers of french green clay soap ontp each other to try and make an ombre tree. I don’t think it work too well.

Once I had my layers done I put the trunk into the green soap and then poured more soap over it!! Sutpid. It is supposed to be a trunk and stick out! So I had to do a bit of quick thinking.

The rescued tree trunk help in place with wooden skewers.

Day two – soap base poured into the mould and the christmas tree inserted into it. Left over night to harden

More soap base poured onto the tree.

The finished soap. Cut and beveled. Not quite what I wanted but cute all the same.The Verbena oil reacted with one of the oils and made the base a little yellow but it is okay. Looks pretty good.

You can see the video on YouTube here.

#Riverlea Soap 

How to make beautiful, easy Valentine MP Hearts

 
I decided to go non traditional with the colours for this years Valentine soaps.

2800g Clear soap base

Deep brown Mica

Peacock Mica

Titanium Di Oxide

Fragrance oil, we used Forever

Silicone moulds

Chopstick for stiring

IPA for spritzing away bubbles

Little heart shaped cutter

Microwavable jugs

Melt all the clear soap base

Premix all your colours in a little glycerine to prepare them

Pour off 300g soap base add  1/2tsp of Deep brown Mica, add fragrance oil, cover with a lid

Pour off 300g soap base and add 1/2tsp Peacock Mica, add fragrance oil, cover with a lid

Pour off 300g soap base and leave it clear, add fragrance oil, cover with a lid

Add the premixed Titanium Di Oxide to the rest of the clear soap base and cover with a lid

Pour half the brown soap mix into each of your soap moulds and let it go hard

Take the cookie cutter and cut out your hearts. The hearts should stick to the silicone mould. Pull out the main layer of soap and it will leave the hearts behind (left pic)

Spritz both the hearts in one mould and the cut out sheet in the other. Take the clear soap base and pour 150g into one of the moulds and then lay your sheet of cut out hearts directly on top of the clear soap.

Pour the other 150g over the other mould that has the hearts in it. Spritz both lots of soap to remove  bubbles

Leave this to go slightly spongy but not hard, spritz with IPA

Pour half your peacock soap into each mould, spritz with IPA and leave to go spongy, not hard

Spritz again with alcohol IPA and then pour half the white soap over one mould and the other half over the other mould. Leave to go hard.

Cut into squares and wrap in plastic wrap once cool

#Riverlea Soap

Taiwan Modified Swirl - A Soap Challenge

It has been a VERY long time since I last posted. This has been due to a combination of factors, but mainly Christmas. It was much busier than I expected (YAY).

  

This month Amy had a technique that I have been wanting to try for ages - The Modified Taiwan Swirl. As always it was a lot of fun.

This is my second attempt . The pinks, green and white. I used Apple Green Mica, Titanium Di oxide, Rose red Mica and a mixture of Rose Red and Titanium. I am really happy with the results.

Above is my first attempt. Here I used Titanium Di oxide, Peacock green and Shine Red mica.

You can view the video on YouTube or click this link

#Riverlea Soap

Butterfly Swirl - perfected.

I think I finally got this swirl right.

#Riverlea Soap