Soap for Crystal Barn Country Estate in the Natal Midlands

Making soaps for Crystal Barn Country Estate – such and honour. You can see a quick Youtube video here

SoapMaker–The best soap making software around.

In 2007 I started making soap and I soon realised that it was a real pain working out the lye content and oil percentages every time I wanted a new recipe. I am pretty sure you all know what I am talking about.
If you are not a lover of Math's then this may lead you to break out into a cold sweat. I do like Math's but I like to save time more. So I did a little internet research and came across an AMAZING tool – SoapMaker.  My business was just starting out AND the programme was in dollars!! The cold sweat was back. What to do? I emailed the contact address and asked if there was a payment plan option not really expecting a reply. Boy was I surpried when an email came back with a link to download – FREE. Please note the options available now are a lite version for $49.00 or Pro version at $99.00.Ever since then I have done everything in my power to download every beta test they have and test the heck out of it.
I recently realised that I communicate with this faceless person (Crawford Woodman) and it would be nice to know more about the man behind SoapMaker. You can see the basic information on his about page.
I have decided to write this post of my own accord and have no affiliation with SoapMaker, other than using it to run my soap business.
SoapMaker was created By Crawford Woodman as an aid for his wife, Diane’s, soap making business. She was very involved in the initial programme creation and always had the best soap with many repeat clients.
Where about in the States are you? State is good enough. (boy am I on the wrong foot already I know you Americans and Canadians love getting mixed up!! – OOPS):
We live in Canada, in Perth, Ontario. It's a small town with a heritage flavour - lots of lovely stone buildings built after the Rideau Canal was finished in the early 1800's.
If you don't know where it is, like me, Google it. Wow is it pretty.
Do you have any children?
We have 3 - two daughters and a son. All are grown up and married. We have 4 grandchildren.
I see that Jason Bowles was/ is your programmer for SM. Does he still work on SM? If so is it a full time undertaking?
Jason was only involved in the early days. I wrote version 3 myself.
Version 3 is the latest update and it is AWESOME
Do you have any programming background? What was/ is your profession before SM took over your life?
I worked for Nortel for 30 years, first as a programmer and then as a manager.
I also had to Google Nortel. Nortel was a multinational telecommunications and data networking equipment manufacturer founded in Montreal, Quebec in .
Do you employ other people to work on SM?
Nope - just me.
If you started SM from scratch what would you change or do differently? If anything?
I would use a platform that could easily be ported to different operating systems like Macs and Android. But I'm stuck with Windows. There are over 100,000 lines of code and it would take a complete re-write to do that now.
Is there a vision for SM? I.e. is there some sort of plan or does it just grow depending on what users ask for and what is feasible?
I'm 73 and don't really have the energy for major adventures anymore. But I enjoy hearing from users and trying to make the program as useful as possible. Our son is studying computer programming - maybe he'll want to undertake some major changes.
How do you decide what feature makes it into an update? I.e. Do you have to have a minimum no of people ask for it?
I don't really have a set algorithm. I guess it's a combination of how many people ask for a feature and how feasible it is to build it within the overall structure of the user interface and the database. And often if I notice something that seems a bit awkward while I'm testing, I'll decide to change it.
Does your wife have any input about new features and how useful they will be?
Diane used to. In fact SoapMaker was originally created for her soap-making business.  But she retired from soap-making a few years ago so now she hasn't kept up with the program. But she's supportive - doesn't complain when I spend hundreds of hours on a new update.
Do you know how many users you have? You can see a list of some of them here
I have almost 8000 registered SM3 users, and one of my resellers sells CDs which do not always get registered so there could be more. I don't know how many are still active -it seems people get into the business for a few years but then drop out later. There are also still people with the old version 2 SoapMaker - I still get the occasional upgrade purchase.
For all you die hard SoapMaker users there is a Facebook group that is a great help if you are stuck. My advice, though, is to use the programme as much as possible to get the most benefit from it . This programme will save you so much time – I could not survive without it.
Thanks Crawford, you and SM rock.

Making Lavender Drop Swirl Cold Process Soap

We recently made a video of a popular Cold Process Soap called Lavender Drop Swirl.

We used Violet Blue Mica, Violet Luster mica, Olive Yellow Mica, Titanium Di Oxide 

You can see the video here

 

 

Neroli Spoon Swirl - A video

I love making this soap. I smells gorgeous and looks amazing.
I used Neroli Essential oil and Titanium Di Oxide with Peacock green Mica 
You can see the video here.


#Riverlea Soap

Mini Desserts - a soap club challenge

I have been a little separated from my blog this year. The best laid plans have gone awry leaving me behind in my posting and I have just not managed to catch up. I will have to spend a good few hours post dating.

Anyway this month we had our challenge from Amy Warden at Great Cakes Soapworks - Mini desserts. I have to admit I was a little intimidated by these tiny suckers! Once I got over that intimidation I had a lot of fun.

My first desert was Pistachio Dream cake. I used chocolate chips for the base and also added a little chocolate brown oxide to ensure I got a deep chocolaty brown. For the chocolate curl I shaved little of the base off and then piped a "Leaf" onto the top and then pushed the chocolate curl onto this.

Strawberry Mousse Cake: I made this dessert with White chocolate chips and Titanium Di oxide to ensure I got a good white base. I then coloured the base with Red Dayglo and titanium di oxide to get pastel pink. I then piped roses and added leaves with the same green I used on the leaf of the Pistachio cake.   

Mini Strawberry Cupcake: I did not use any food in this cupcake. I did use the same roses as the Mousse cake and piped the leaf onto in at the end. I started with the base, using red Dayglo, then a day later piped the icing and then added the rose and leaf on the same day.

Strawberry Meringue Pie: I used Chocolate chips in the base along with desiccated coconut. I then poured pink soap coloured with red dayglo and titanium di oxide onto the base and then piped white soap onto the top. I added coloured jojoba beads  for the sprinkles.

Thanks Amy. This was a lot of fun and not as intimidating as I had initially imagined. i will definitely be making more in the future.

#Riverlea Soap

Lacy Soap

I saw this tutorial and thought I would try to make the soap. As I already had a mat I was set to go.

I am pretty please with the result. We used Violet Ultra Marine and Titanium Di Oxide.

Next week I will show you how I did it.

#Riverlea Soap

Even More Valentines Soap 2015

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Website closing down sale

Our website is closing down and moving so we decided to have a sale.

Good news for you.

The sale will start on the 10th of February 2015 and run until 20th February 2015.

The sale prices will only show on the website from the 10th February 2015.

Please remember to bookmark our new web address.

 

Check out our new website

#Riverlea Soap

A bit of Eye Candy

I have been furiously making soap as I have loads of markets and sales coming up. Here are just a few pictures of what I have been making

#Riverlea Soap

 

Handmade Roses in soap

 Riverlea Soap

Valentine hearts - a tutorial

I have been so busy recently that my little blog has been neglected. Sorry to all of you who follow me. I will try to make it up to you with a fun Valentine tutorial.

Hearts Recipe:

300g  Olive Oil

500g Coconut Oil

200g Palm Oil

8g Beeswax

149g Lye

373g Water

1-2 teaspoons Burgundy oxide

Flexible Silicone heart mould

Layer One and Two Recipe (pink and white)

300g  Olive Oil

500g Coconut Oil

200g Palm Oil

8g Beeswax

149g Lye

373g Water

40g Jasmine fragrance

2 teaspoons Pink Oxide

2 teaspoons Titanium Di Oxide

This recipe fit into our Blue Silicone Log Mould with some soap mix to spare so have another mould ready for the extra. We made a whole lot of hearts.

Remember to take precautions when making cold process soap as you can burn yourself. We have an easy way of remembering your safety gear - the 3 G's Garment(apron), goggles and gloves. Never make CP soap without these. The one time you think it will be okay - it wont.

1. Make up your first batch of soap for the hearts adding your colour to the oils before you add the lye.

2. Pour the soap batter into the heart shaped moulds and leave overnight

3. In the morning remove the hearts and cut them into even slices. I made mine 2cm thick

   

4. Put the hearts aside but close enough to reach when you need them

5. Premix your Titanium Di Oxide and Pink Ultra marine in a little bit of water. I used my mini mixer to make sure they were mixed well. Put those aside for later

6. Make up your next batch of soap as per the recipe for layer one and two get it to just emulsified.

7. Pour 2 cups of soap mix into a jug and add your Pink Ultra Marine that you mixed earlier, stir well to incorporate the entire colour.

8. Take approximately 7 g of your fragrance and add to the soap mix. Stir well and our into your mould

9. Let that sit while you add the Titanium Di Oxide to the rest of the left over soap mix. Stir well and then add the rest of your fragrance.

10. Now comes the hard part, very carefully spoon the white soap mix onto the pink layer, trying not to disturb it. Once you have poured soap to about 1cm below the mould top take your hearts and set them into the soap with a gap in between

 

  

We made another batch of soap with the hearts made from the left over soap in the first batch

I couldn't take photos while I was making the soap but you can see the YouTube video here. Hope you enjoy it.

 

#Riverlea Soap