Sandbar Soaps Blog

Aaaaand... this has nothing to do with soap.

2011-08-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

But it has everything to do with stuff I'm thinking about. So I hope you like it too.

I'm resigned to the fact at this point that I'm not posting in my blog all that often. Every once in awhile though, inspiration will strike and I will feel like I absolutely must share what I'm thinking about here. Mainly because I know that there are folks out there who *do* read my blog when I get around to posting. And they let me know that they appreciate it. Which is really, really nice. I'm pretty crummy at using the phone, (and the pen as it turns out.) Maybe when I'm older I'll grow back into that. There's always hope.

Last week my youngest had her tonsils and adenoids removed. I'll spare you the details. But she's home. Doing well considering and, onward ho.

In my garden, I have given said youngest free reign to plant carrots basically wherever she pleases. I mean really, they take *so* long to grow and you get them in ones and twos so why stop it?

This morning I went out to water and discovered one very happy carrot ready to be picked. She gets to pull any and all carrots since she planted them, after all. But she is sure to face certain death if she eats the carrot. (Tonsils & all...)

So... off I went to find a recipe for soft carrots. What I found instead is an article and recipe for Carrot Pudding. Michael Procopio writes a really nice piece that weaves together Carrot Pudding and the phenomenon of how 1st generation Americans inherit the recipes of their parents, but over time, they change. "They are still recognizable, but they bear the branding of adaptation, of assimilation."

This is something that I've thought a lot about. I like traditional foods. My maternal side of the family came to "America" well over 200 years ago. Don't know of any food traditions there. Probably because it was hand to mouth in those days. Paternal side came from Germany. Or maybe Poland. We don't know for sure. But hey! They were bakers! Yay! But wait... that was in the late 1800's and um... no recipes. Hey guys, what gives? (Now, I must give credit to my awesome aunt who gave all of us cousins a book of recipes from my grandmother's personal collection. And I have a family cheesecake recipe that I guard with my life.) Which brings me to...

The Bialy Eaters.

Easily one of my favorite books of all time. Not a new book. But I read it earlier this summer. Mouthwatering and heartbreaking. Bialys are named after Bialystok in Poland. An authentic Bialy is next to impossible to find. No one even makes Bialys in Bialystok anymore. (Before I read this book, I thought a Bialy was just a Bagel without a hole. Wrong again, Einstein.)

I wish I could know what my ancestors ate. I'm sure there's culture in there somewhere.

With all of the picking of berries, carrots and jam making we've done this summer, I've wondered whether way back when, "my people" were gatherers. Meanwhile. I'll try out this carrot pudding and see how we like it.

Catching Up!

2011-07-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Well! I've been nicely busy! Nice in that it's manageable. I am never, ever, bored.

Edit 11:20am - I saw this *great* dragonfly this morning. Had to insert it into the blog!

So let's see... last week one of my projects was trying to dislodge some soap out of a round mold. This particular mold is an air assist mold which has worked great in the past, but this time the seal broke. There I was looking at a really nice smelling PVC pipe.

Ugh. So I set out to fix the seal. Which I did. The problem was that the seal in the soap tube was stronger than the two top epoxy. So the air assist wasn't going to work. The seal is still plenty usable. All is not lost. I just have to fix the other parts of the mold now. Because I broke it.

But in the end, four cans of veggies and some serious force... we got it out.

And the end result is worth it.

I will be able to fix the mold and use it again. I've also found a liner to use in it. The soap meanwhile, is curing on the rack. It's nicely scented with Red Apple fragrance. I'll let everyone know when it's in the Etsy shop. -H

The Happy Place

2011-07-13T22:52:00.000-07:00

Note: What you won't see pictures of in today's post:

1. Me & my girls at the gas station trying to pump air into my vertical soap mold and having no luck.
2. Me at my local hardware store getting 2 ton glue to fix the seal on said vertical mold.

I am relatively confident that I'll get the soap out of my vertical mold by the end of next week. How's that for confidence? Meanwhile... today was a long day of soaping away. Pictures of soap will have to wait because yesterday we lived in our happy place. Yaaaaaaaaay!

This is one of the amazing dragonflies that hangs out in our yard. They are huge and I love them.

In the mornings I try and spend time in the garden when it's quiet and cool. The quiet is what I like best.

While I'm out there, I snitch peas.

And I spoil the bunny. After that I do stuff. You know. Clean. Laundry. Buy milk. Make trips to the library. Make stuff. Break stuff. Glamorous stuff like that.

Until the bat phone rings and then we go to the beach. And we wait. And play. And if we're lucky...

... we see whales. Not the best photo... but hey. Whatever. Not bad for a quick trip to the beach. -H

Righting the ship

2011-07-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

"It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy." ~Lucille Ball

Baby Grapes - I counted 12 clusters.

I had an amazing week. Beach time, friend time, family time, fun time.

I hear your voices out there. they're saying, "Hey, I don't see any soap photos here, missy."

This is true. I also had some great business time. One things that I learned this week is that what I do and who I am are intertwined. Often, I try to keep it all separate. But how will you why I picked certain colors for a soap if I don't tell you all about that amazing caterpillar I saw? I don't make soap so I can say that I run a business. I make soap because I like to make soap. My husband says that my business statement should be, "Make soap I like and maybe sell some." I have something else in mind. I'm working on a mission statement and not really a business statement. It has me thinking. And enjoying what I do a lot more.

I hope you do too.

Really now. It's not like I don't have anything to say.

2011-03-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

By now you know that blogging is something that I do in fits and starts. I had a particularly productive week last week so, you know the back of the mind says, "Cool. Stuff to blog about."

No good deed goes unpunished though, and as a result I've been having image issues. Not "that" kind of image issues... the jpg kind. Sheesh.

Anyway. No images will upload to my Sandbar Soaps Facbook page directly from my computer. This is a complete hassle since I keep everyone up to date on the soap thing there.

So with no further ado... let me attempt to introduce you, for the 48th time, my most recent soap baybee!

Coconut Rose

Hooray. It worked. So this tells me that this is a Facebook problem. So for the short term... I won't be able to share my photos right to my Facebook wall. Wah. But for those of you who like me to blog... I'll be spending a little more time with you.

And of course, as I type, I am hearing the FedEx guy THROW my soap materials delivery on to the porch (and I'm a little worried about broken glass.) So until next time... adios. -H

Just Desserts

2011-01-19T14:55:00.001-08:00

I get tons of soap inspiration from foods. I will often sit and have soap brainstorming sessions solely based on food. It's just fun really.

But, I thought I knew my desserts, I really did. I've traveled some, and when you travel... you eat out. And when you eat out, you get to try whatever local specialty they've got.

Well. Last year I got to go spend some time with some great friends for a weekend away. I got to eat some pretty yummy stuff. But I also got to sit and brainstorm. There's something about the lingering taste of pancakes and maple syrup, right? Well hang on. I'm a texture person, and these mamma jamma's were cooked with lots of FROSTED FLAKES in the batter and fresh strawberries. Super decadent. Wait. I'm off track.

Back on topic. I was brainstorming and one of my friends recommended that I do a Raspberry Coulis soap. Sure. Why not. I got this amazing soap fragrance oil from Bramble Berry called Raspberry Porter recently and I figured this was my big chance.

This friend of mine (you know who you are) also LOVES hearts. Raspberry Coulis Hearts. So it is. But it turns out that a Coulis is actually a sauce. I guess I was thinking of a Clafoutis, which is kind of like a cobbler of sorts. So... there I was... mixing, pouring, coloring. Generally trying to loosen up a little. I was having fun even! (Actually if you are a Facebook "liker" of Sandbar Soaps, you got a sneaky peeky.)

Today I took pictures of the little babies. And what we have here people, is Raspberry Chiffon Hearts!

I really love these. I used a melt & pour base with shea butter. I wasn't going for perfection. (Can you tell I'm working on that?) So there are these cool little textured bits on the sides. (i.e. Cracks.) Normally, cracks would send me over the edge... but I like them here. They make the hearts look, dare I say, "rustic?" So that was my fun. Enjoy! - H

Over Thinking. It's a Problem.

2011-01-17T15:02:00.000-08:00

In my little soap world, 2011 is all about focus. Over thinking can really throw a wrench in trying to focus. Creative, yet up tight people are like that. How can I create, yet totally be a control freak about my project? (And yes, I just called myself "creative.")

This most recent soap was a great exercise in not over thinking but just going for it. And here’s the outcome:

I really wanted to play with my brick red pigment. The control freak guy on my left shoulder told me that if I used red, it would turn pink. "So what," says the recovering sod who was once spontaneous a million years ago.

So yeah, I hear you out there... "oooh! Red mica... wild living." Well all I have to say about that is, "It takes all kinds... and I guess I'm that kind." Broken down, you've got my preferred blend of oils, shea butter being the star, boosted with sunflower oil and scented with Black Tea fragrance oil. It's a complex scent. Not your southern sweet tea... but a dark, smoky blend. One for a black eyeliner day. Not that I ever have those...

Meanwhile... windy yet dry makes for an excuse to go to the lighthouse.

Next up... CP swirls. - H

A Fitting Beginning

2011-01-03T16:26:00.000-08:00

At the end of 2009 I posted a quick thank you to everyone out there who's been joining me on my Sandbar Soaps adventure. I'd like to do the same as we crack open 2011. 2010 was simply amazing. I learned a lot about myself, my business and of course, my soapies.

When I'm busy though, the first thing to go is the blog. It's not that I don't have anything to say... it's just that once I start this conversation with myself, I'd like to offer myself a seat. And some coffee. And probably a cookie. Pretty soon we're having a good old time and I'm behind in most of the rest of my endeavors. (Have I mentioned that I am never bored?)

So that is a long and round about way of saying "thank you." You're the best. And I'm sorry I haven't posted since the month of April.

So let's get this party started:

Chipotle Caramel Hot Process. Oh my.

Everyone like this one. It's got cocoa butter which compliments the deep sweetness. Cranberry seeds visually simulate the redness of chipotle peppers.

Oh. And look out. I now have a Dremel. Just you wait.

Completely Changing The English Language.

2010-04-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Really, what is language anyhow? I think, in my case, it's another way for me to employ complicated avoidance behavior. In this example... a blog. I have managed to not blog now, for almost two whole months. So instead of saying, "I've got the blahs," I say. "I've got the blogs."

Of course, this doesn't mean that I haven't been busy... or working on soap. Of course I have. But here we are and nothing is left of the loaves in my last post.

This week, I am working on soap cupcakes.

I've also got some passion fruit and papaya around here somewhere:

Although, much of it is being felted.

The big news is that I've finally developed my website!

You can find it here: http://sandbarsoapsshop.com/

And as always, if you aren't a fan yet... get your fingers over to facebook.com/sandbarsoaps!

-H

Peppermint and Poppyseed.

2010-02-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

I have a new schedule so.... I am more productive! Yay! This peppermint and poppy seed loaf is so yummy and sweet smelling.

-H

The Name Game

2010-02-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

The big reveal. This loaf was formulated with Oils of Coconut, Palm, Olive, Cocoa Butter, Coffee Butter, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil, Dutch Douwe Egberts Coffee, Droste Cocoa and Chocolate Espresso Fragrance Oil.

I've had a couple of friends suggest names for this soap. So I thought it would be fun to get people's ideas. I have two names thus far:

"Wash My Mouth Out With Soap, Please!"
"I'm Cukoo for Cocoa Suds!"

They both cracked me up.

If you'd like to join in the Name Game... just add your comments here or at http://www.facebook.com/sandbarsoaps

- H

Variations on a theme...

2010-02-13T09:45:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember my Dutch Treat post. This soap is a variation of that soap. I'm using coffee butter in this formula, which is new to me. I also have Droste Cocoa colored layers. I am very excited to cut into this loaf. I loved making Dutch Treat in the past, and I'm curious how this one will stand up to it. As I made this, it smelled more like a lighter, sweeter chocolate experience. No doubt because I did add Chocolate Espresso Fragrance Oil this time around. In the past, I've restricted Dutch Treat to individual bar molds, so doing it in a loaf will give it a new life. - H

Have a Heart...

2010-01-19T10:41:00.001-08:00

The ever elusive soap cupcake.

This sweetie is made with an organic soap base. The foamy top is a combination of the organic soap base and an all natural liquid soap. Scented with Pearberry. Divine. - H

My new felted soap habit

2010-01-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hearts a la Valentine's Day, with a chai/honey fragrance oil blend.

I LOVE this bee. I used a stencil that I thought was super cute.
The bar is scented with Oatmeal Milk and Honey fragrance oil.

This bar is scented with a Citrus Essential Oil blend of Pink Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Litsea, Mandarin, and Sweet Orange. It smells like Botan Rice Candy!

I have been having way too much fun with these felted soaps. First of all, I'm all out of my made from scratch soaps so I used a glycerin soap base for these. It's not "all natural" but it gives me more flexibility to figure out what kind of shape and scent I use for the bar. I think I am going to continue to use the base for these. I think I'm going to switch to an all natural soap base in the future though.

Don't think I'm getting lazy on my other soap making though... I'm expecting a shipment of raw materials this week which includes a 35 pound bucket of coconut oil. Wheee! - H

A Fitting End...

2009-12-30T23:38:00.000-08:00

A big thank you from Sandbar Soaps. 2009 has been a really wonderful year. Packed to the brim from beginning to end. 2010 is shaping up to be every bit as exciting if not more!

Feeling A Little Bloated?

2009-12-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

We've all been there, friend.

This bath fizzy is super cute, even though he turned out looking a little more like a marshmallow peep than a ginger bread man. But he smells heavenly. I can hear some of you out there though. Grumblers and mutterers. "Why isn't he brown?"

He is not brown, because nobody likes to bathe in brown water, mate.

Next up, the bar version on the doggie bone soaps from the other day.

Would you believe this is a hot process bar? Beautiful. - H

Sweet smelling soapies.

2009-11-29T16:09:00.001-08:00

Way too much fun. Two totally different soaps for custom orders.

These cute little bones are for a dog loving family. Gingersnap scented with oatmeal and a smidge of cinnamon. It's a really nice bar that gets a real boost from some really great oils including cocoa butter, apricot kernel and shea butter.

Cute little jelly beans. They smell just like them too. - H

Extreme Makeover - Soap Edition

2009-11-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

I have been working hard on an order for a local customer. Part of the fun of this soap is that I am using an all natural colorant called Alkanet Root.

My first loaf was supposed to turn a dark purple.

I'm sure you are familiar with the color purple. But just in case... this bar of soap is not purple. Not in the least. This loaf isn't going to be delivered to my customer. Which is a shame.

Now, soapmakers everywhere have the mixed blessing of having soap ends, scraps etc. **coming out of their ears.** On the bright side, I always use my own soap. But, you know, sometimes you want to use the really good stuff... and not just the ends. And not the unpurple ones either.

So we gave this baby a makeover:

The Reveal

Ummmm... how cute is that?
Super cute.

I got a bunch of autumn colors and I'm sure I'll be sharing more! :) - H

Lots of catching up to do!

2009-10-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been having loads of fun in soap-land. But the blog has been neglected.

So here is the roundup of my soap fun to date:

I have a new wholesale customer, and I end up with teeny tiny pieces of soap leftover. So... I turned the scraps into a lovely pink grapefruit, lime loaf with undertones of lavender (the scent in the scraps.)

Then, we have a photo of the 5 lb loaf of lavender cold processed soap.

And finally... the party favors I made for my daughter's birthday party. Scented Almond Biscotti. The kids loved them. :)

Enjoy! - H

Getting jello with it.

2009-09-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Got creative this week with a mold. I figured out how to make a barrier using wrapped jello boxes to make three different kinds of soap in one log mold. This soap is all natural lavender colored with alkanet root.

The whole log...
Here's a swirled bar from the middle section. Lovely! - H

The eyes have it!

2009-09-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

Don't for a minute think that I thought of this myself. Check out http://soapylove.blogspot.com. Soapylove is Debbie Chialtas. She is super creative and has a new book out with tons of ideas for melt and pour soap projects.

And if I'm lucky... I'll win a signed copy. You're like butteh Debbie. (And I'm like cheese.)

Up to my eyeballs in eyeballs. Har. These are for the crazy kids at Compost It. - H

Pure white soap goodness

2009-09-12T10:04:00.001-07:00

This lovely soap is going to be shredded, dried, and turned into a natural laundry detergent.

These beauties are a lavender swirl with lavender buds.

Happy Weekend! - H

p.s. - The molds didn't work out. Yesterday was trash day so... no pix.

Mold. The Good Kind.

2009-09-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!

Today, I'm trying my hand at mold making. This is my first try and definitely an experiment.

The first layer of this mold is curing and will hopefully be ready for me to finish in about two hours. I hope to be able to test this in the morning.

Stay tuned! - H

Marbled? Or Jackson Pollock, you decide.

2009-09-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

I had lots of extra colors that needed to be used so I tested out Anne-Marie's (aka The Soap Queen) marbling tutorial. Found here. :) - H

More layered soap

2009-09-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first day of school! That means I'll have nothing but time to myself!

WRONG!!

WRONGITTY WRONG WRONGO!

But I will be turning my personal ship (my life, people) and I'm a gonna get back on a schedule. That means an 8:30 workout whether the 2 year old approves or not. (I'm predicting that I get screamed at by said 2 year old while I'm trying to get my heart rate up. But that's ok. My new mantra is "you can come back when you're ready to be happy."

Meanwhile... I've managed to squeeze in a little soap. I've actually been veeery busy working on prototypes for a potential client. Which has been very fun and informative. Sneak peek below. - H

Kid Stuff

2009-08-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

School starts next week so I'm monkeying around and making prototypes and things.

Here you have half an eyeball...

It's my take on a Soap-Queen tutorial posted today!

I want one for myself!

2009-08-19T20:43:00.001-07:00

Here's today's project, and frankly, I'm amazed. I loved this soap so much, that I filled up my pot with water... let it soak up the soap left over in the pot... and I bottled the water to keep for myself. That's insane. But true.

Oils of palm, coconut, olive, shea, cocoa butter, sweet almond, jojoba, oatmeal, honey, calendula petals, chamomile extract and calendula extract. - H

Who knew soap could be so sassy looking?

2009-08-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

But there you go. This was fun to make. - H

Knitting yarn soap

2009-08-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

I tried a new glycerin soap yesterday. I love the mold (I got it from Bramble Berry) the bars are a lot bigger than I thought. Which is a good thing considering the detail on it.

Not the greatest picture, but I was in low light and I haven't had the opportunity to take more yet.

I scented it with Buttercream and Snickerdoodle, just because I thought is was fun. They smell yummy.

I almost forgot to update you on my cool treat from the Farmer's Market in Friday Harbor!

This is called "Bone Garden - Summer" I love it. Some people view this as "gothy" but I don't. It's more themed around Day of the Dead art than anything I suppose, but I'm not the artist so who am I to say. Anyway, I love it. It's one in a set of four. There is one for every season, and this one is the summer print. When fall hits I am going to get the fall print and so on until I have all four. (Collect them all!!!) Har. The artist is Rosa Blair who is here in Friday Harbor.

- H

The cupcake reveal...

2009-08-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

I am really happy with how my cupcake soaps turned out. Two are already gone. And I think I want to give one to my mom... so maybe I should just plan on making another batch right away. I am not known for my cake decorating skills, so the frosting isn't perfect looking, but I'm satisfied.

If it weren't for the fragrance oil, these would be all natural. The bottom is carrot cake scented, with cocoa butter, cinnamon and honey. The top is cream cheese frosting scented with shea butter.

Think next time I'll do a swirl frosting. Looks better, I think. - H

Hello beautiful, and goodbye sweet babies.

2009-08-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

I am attempting to make my version of cupcake soaps this weekend. So far so good.

This is the bottom. It's a really yummy, rustic soap filled with honey, oats and cinnamon. I did add scent to it for the whole "cupcake effect." The scent? CARROT CAAAAAKE! It gets better... I've got Cream Cheese Frosting scent that will go on top. Well... the scent won't go on top, but the soap that I pipe onto the cupcakes to frost them will be. Oh yeah.

Now, I need to calm down a little, because this is my first try at cupcake soap. And let me tell you, there are some pretty amazing cupcake soaps out there. And if I have a disaster trying to get the frosting "just right" well... we won't go there. Yet.

Next up...

These lovelies are going to Compost It this weekend. If I can get the ingredient labels printed. the light-colored soaps in the back row are all natural Ylang Ylang. I'm not a fan of the scent, but the soaps turned out great. The small brown bars are all natural oat and honey bars. The large bars just haven't been cut yet. Isn't the coloring interesting in the bars? I added the honey in the large bars a little later than I usually do in the soapmaking process, so they are a lighter color. And I have some Orca soaps going to Compost It as well. Fun!

I'll be sure to post when I get the "frosting" on those beauties. Stay tuned. - H

Cute as a bug.

2009-08-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

Like my super-cute prototype ladybug?

Other cute things...

This jar of Peach Vanilla Bean jam I bought at the Farmer's Market.

And this tea! Hand blended by Amanda of Isla Botanica. I wish I would have taken a picture of the package it came in, but I forgot. I gave it to a friend. And saved half for myself. Yum.

It's a black tea called Vanilla rose. Real locally harvested rose in there. Amazing. Click on the image for a closer look. Seriously. There's a rose petal in there that looks like a seashell.

All for now. - H

Gah! I am like, so bisseh!

2009-08-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

Or at least it feels that way.

So, you know when you are looking through your pictures and you think, "oh, I need to blog about that." Or, "oh, I totally forgot to blog about that." Those are the times when you've been ignoring your bloggy duties.

Granted, blogging isn't going to get my laundry done, or mow the yard so... I mow. Instead of blog. (Hey! Wake up out there! I'm talking!)

So this week, I'm working on soaps for Compost It. Compost It is a shop here in Friday Harbor that carries all sorts of neat stuff. Huge variety of things that are fun, handy, local goods, environmentally sound goods, you get the picture. Really good stuff.

I've been buying a good chunk of essential oils from them for my soaps. Did I mention that they are selling my soap in their shop? How cool is that? They carry mini bars of mine, and also my Orca Soaps.

The shop!

Look! A composter that says "Compost It!" Clever sharks.

So when you come to Friday Harbor, and I know you will, go to Compost It.

Did you know, that when I make an oatmeal soap, I hand grind the oats so that you get yummy exfoliation without getting too scratchy? Well. Know you know.

I know I've got much more to blog about, but I'm plum out of words. You know where to find me. - H

Surprisingly productive.

2009-07-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to gripe about the weather (right now) but I will say that it has been HOT!

Funny thing about soap and temperature... if you have the temperature wrong... bad things happen.

Have you ever seen a bar of soap sweat before? It ain't pretty. It's natural and all, it's just not aesthetically pleasing to most people. So making soap (and other things that melt really easily) was out of the question for part of this week.

Today, I put together some baby shower favor soaps for a friend of mine. I think they turned out pretty well.

Side view. So important.

My neighbors must think I'm so crazy. Always taking pictures of plates in the yard.

On Tuesday, I made up a batch of Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap. I cooked this one up this time so that it can be used right away.

Turned out really nice. - H

You're my favorite mistake...

2009-07-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

It was such a great loaf. And sure enough... I sabotaged myself. You heard me. I loved it so much I was afraid to cut it. So I waited. Too long. And the layers split. Boo hoo. - H

Yum. That's it... yum.

2009-07-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

So I've continued to play with my melt and pour soap. Last night... I made a yummy, yummy layered bar. It's amazing.

I afraid to cut it into bars and ruin it. So get this... the top and bottom layers are scented like fresh baked bread, the white layers are cream cheese frosting scent, and the other layers are chocolate espresso scented. This soap smells like those Italian Wafer cookies called Quadratini. - H

Panda, Peppermint and comparisons.

2009-07-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

I had a good soapy day on Friday.

So kids, this is a great picture to point out the differences in soap types. Clearly, the panda is a different kind of soap altogether. It comes from a glycerin base, and although, there's still work involved, it's much less toxic when you're making it. I hate to compare it to fimo... but that's my mental comparison. The polymer clay of soaping, if you will. You can do a lot creatively with it and the end product depends on the individual making it. I make skeleton guys and pandas. There you go.

Now notice there are three bars of green soap in the picture above. The two on the left are a cold processed peppermint soap.

I mixed a lye/water mixture with palm oil, coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil and apricot kernel oil. Then I blend it until it reaches a thickened state.

I do this when the kids aren't around. Once it's the right consistency, I add peppermint essential oil colorant, and poppy seeds for mild exfoliant. then they get poured into molds.

After three days, they look great like in the first image. They come out of the molds and dry out for about 4 weeks. I've tested the pH levels and they're good! They drier your bar of soap is, the longer it will last. And make sure you have a good draining soap dish. Nobody likes a soggy bar of soap.

The soap on the right side of the image was cooked instead of being poured into molds. Hot Process. Once it reached the right consistency and pH levels, I put it into a paper lined mold. It's a pain to mold. It's really thick and sticky... and I have to pound the mold against the floor for a while to get as much air out as I can. I bevel the bars once they're done & they can be used right away. But they aren't as fine grained as the cold processed bar. Still great, just different.

So there you have it. Soap 101. - H

Eerily Cute.

2009-07-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Don't say I didn't warn you.

I'll explain how this little guy cam into being in a day or so. Those berries are white currants, by the way.

- H

Prototypical

2009-07-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I should be working on a couple of bars of Peppermint soap for a friend, but this melt & pour stuff is all new to me, so I can't help but to play with it.

Cool, huh? I was thinking maybe sometime I'd do a blue shell on a white background. Whoa. - H

Anybody got any good Orca jokes?

2009-07-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Alright! So my next challenge is Orca Soap! This is unlike the cold process/hot process soaps made from scratch that I'm used to. It's a molded soap using a melt & pour glycerin soap base.

I made a bar last night that was... meh. This morning's attempt turned out much better.

It took a few tries of figuring out what color gets poured when... but I'm really pleased with the end result. - H

And that's a wrap!

2009-06-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

Phew! Got the wrapping all done! Thanks so much to all of my friends who gave me input. It really helped. If all of the pieces fall where they are supposed to... I'll get these delivered today!

Not sure if I'll have anything to post until Monday at the soonest... so enjoy your weekends! - H

Round two of the label vote

2009-06-25T10:28:00.001-07:00

Ok! So We're going with door number two! Seemed the consensus was to try out a different font. I got all of these fonts at fontspace.com.

Here are our beautiful contestants:

This lovely font is my favorite. It is called "Teaspoon" and it was created by Haley Fiege. Her website is called kingdomofawesome.com. It is. Check it out.

This font is called "Rickles"... so I had to get it. Created by Font Diner.

"Lemon Chicken" by Crack-a-Jack Studios, www.crack-a-jack.com. I think they're in Australia.

"akafrivolity" by James Milligan (akaType.) He has some other cool fonts too.

I like to call this A Very Brady Font, but it's called "Cheri."Created by Ben Balvanz (Font-a-licious.) He's got a bunch fonts on there. And by a bunch, I mean pages & pages. And they're all good. So thanks for helping me. I need all the help I can get! LOL -H

sorry for the ugly pdf

2009-06-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Um... so I tried e-mailing a bunch of my friends with a pdf document. I was trying to get feedback on the labels I've been working on today. The document made the images totally ugly.

Totally.

So I am resorting to the blog. Anyone want to give an opinion on which label they prefer?

or...

Thanks! - H

Finally, a bath fizzy I love.

2009-06-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

I was tinkering with the bath fizzies again and I just love these.

First off... they are really big. The bee and the dragonfly were over three ounces a piece. The dragonfly is scented with essential lavender oil, but oddly, it is my least favorite. The others are scented with fragrance oils and the scent is a little more subtle. I made the bee to match my Mr. Bumble Soap.

Later, I made these little solid lotion bar shells.

Really. They're perfect. I am making enough to fill the tin. I'm putting together a goody basket to be auctioned off at the Team-Works Charity Golf Tournament on July 8th. You can read more about Team-Works here. So, I'll be giving them a basket with this tin filled with lotion shells, a large Mr Bumble Bar and the Bee shaped bath fizzy. I'm going to try to tuck some more goodies in there too... but they have to be perfect for me to add them. So says me.

The shells are made with beeswax, cocoa butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil and coconut essential oil.

Lastly... if you love candy... READ THIS BOOK!

I won't bore you with a review... but I devoured it. Har. - H

Vacation's over... time to blog!

2009-06-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Well folks... where to begin? I had a super fun trip. Funny though... I thought we cleaned the house before we left. So this morning was spent tidying up.

You know good and well though that the first thing I had to do when I got back was to check on whatever soap project I had on the soap shelf.

So what you are looking at here are some seashell soaps. They were really tedious to make. First off... I need to give credit to PJ Soaps and Brambleberry for their tutorials on the melt and pour variety of these soaps. The soaps in the picture are actually layered cold processed soap. So it took me about three days of soaping for a little batch of twelve small soaps. They look really neat... but I think it's too much for the work. However... I would consider trying these again by using a swirl technique instead of layers. Once I did the first dark layer, I carved out channels and poured a light layer... then finished off with the dark. It's cocoa soap with cocoa butter on the dark and shea on the light.

Like I said, we had a great trip. On the way back we stopped in Leavenworth again. Lucky for us, there was an accordion festival over the weekend, so there were some Lederhosen sightings.

Now for those of you who aren't familiar with Leavenworth... in short... it's a town nestled in the Cascades that was settled by Germans and is modeled after a little German town. What can I say... I only dig the town of Lynden more because it is Dutch and if you know me... then you know how I feel about Dutch things. (Pardon my punctuation.)

Anyway, Leavenworth is pretty neat. All of the signs are catered to the feel of the town.

This is the 76 Station and a Subway sign. But all of the signs are like that. Cold Stone... you name it.

The town pretty much looks like this. The soap shop was closed again. Which I think is really weird for a Friday when the accordion festival is in town. But I won't dwell. A good time was had by all. We're glad to be home.

More soap tomorrow! - H

This is what we think of hotel soap.

2009-06-16T22:20:00.001-07:00

Get the picture?

Seriously though, I used to really look forward to hotel soap. But those days are over. We're on a little road trip today. We stopped in the town of Leavenworth, WA and guess what I saw... a soap shop! It was closed though. We got there after 6:00 so many of the stores were closed. But we had brats, and a good time was had by all.

Curious how I am going to blog on soap while I'm on the road? So am I! - H

Now I know why people make them so big.

2009-06-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

The kids and I made cupcake bath bombs today. There are some great tutorials out there on them. Of course, at Brambleberry... but I found that Turtle Taylor has a great one too.

As usual, I have never made bath bombs before, cupcake or otherwise, so I was in all new territory. But we were happy with the end result.

We made them in a mini cupcake pan... so they don't last very long in the tub. But it was fun.

This morning we went out and picked more lavender to try and get that project going again.

Fun! - H

This whipped soap is dedicated to my friend who's name starts with a "B."

2009-06-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

You never really know how your friends will feel about you putting their name out there for the world to see... so why take chances?

So I had coffee with my friend a week or so ago, (we'll call her "Bunny") and of course, the conversation turned to soap. First of all, Bunny is very punny. She greeted me by saying, "if you sell your soap, is it laundered money?" Now... that is extremely punny. But I am a dim wit, so it took me a minute to get it. Anyhoo, she asked me if I could make whipped soap. I never had. And frankly, I found the prospect to be terrifying.

In order to make whipped soap, you whip your oils until they're fluffy. Then, you add chilled lye water. I use lye water, but I don't know if I am graceful enough to chill it and then add it to a mixer. I can get a little clumsy at times.

At any rate... I toyed around with my soap tonight and I think I may have had a successful experiement.

They look like chocolate macaroons don't they? I used the largest frosting tip that I had. I'm not very experienced in the old cake decorating so I'm a little green in my piping skills. All of us at the house were pretty excited about the result. I even put a little Snickerdoodle fragrance in there. The consistency was just like chocolate mousse. I'm very pleased. The next hoop these little guys have to jump through is... drying. Not sure how quickly they're going to harden. But as soon as they do, I'm giving them to "Bunny."

Another way that I used this whipped soap is by joining two pieces of soap together to make a not your everyday soap ball.

I'll share another picture after the center dries and I clean it up a bit. But I kind of like it. It's perfectly round.

My lavender project is on hold. The lavender soaked up all of the oil, so I have to wait until my other bushes bloom. It'll just be another week or so. I think I need to pack a lot more blooms into the jar.

That's all the soap news I have for now. - H

Spa Bar Results

2009-06-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

This was a very interesting soap experience for me. I did a bunch of new things all at once and learned a lot. But it was also a success, so I'm happy. First of all, I used the molds that I made out of tape, cardboard and hot glue. And then any leftovers went into little silicone bowls.

I lined the molds with freezer paper using a folding method that is supposed to prevent your soap from leaking onto your mold. Mostly a success... but there's a little leaking in the corners. But it doesn't mess up the end shape of the soap. So, who cares. Due to my glue gun fest on the edges the leaks didn't go through, and that would be a real mess.

So there you have it. Shampoo bar on the left, and salt bar on the right. Interesting to note... I tested the pH of these and they are a little more alkaline than a normal bar of soap of mine is. The good thing is that I know why. Normally, my molds are pretty well insulated, but since these were made out of cardboard the heat escapes a lot quicker. The chemical reaction takes longer in a colder bar of soap. These guys will be just right after they cure. I'm pretty jazzed to use them.

I'm running out of clever blog titles... Bubble Gum,

2009-06-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

This is the latest bar of mine to come out. It's a new formula that's heavier on Palm & Coconut Oil. It also has almond oil, shea butter and avocado oil in it. It makes a harder bar. This one I'm calling Bubble Gum. I blended essential oils (vanilla, pomegranate, melon) and a fragrance oil from Brambleberry called Energy and the bar smells like... Bubble Gum. It has little chunks of Vanilla Pomegranate soap in it.

Now for some big news... my molds came today!!! Yay! There are three pictured... but I bought six. This is really going to help me produce at a level that I am happier with.

Later this week I am going to try to make some 4th of July themed bath bombs. I can't wait to show you how they turn out!

Infusing Lavender.

2009-06-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from a fun weekend. This morning I went out to water our struggling peas and went out to check on my lavender. I have two types of lavender, but I don't know what either type is, really.
But this is the kind that is blooming. I have one bush of this type and three bushes of the other. I've got plenty of lavender through the summer. I usually just trim the bushes back and use the trimmings for kindling. This year, a big windstorm blew all of my kindling lavender around the yard. It's still everywhere. Just useless.

This year, I'm going to be infusing the essential oils!

First, I picked the blooms and put them in a bag. Next, I took a stone and sort of hammered the bag gently to release the natural oils. Then I put them in this cute mason jar.

I used avocado oil as my carrier oil. So the lavender blossoms will soak in the oil for 24 hours. Then tomorrow I will strain the oil and add more fresh lavender blossoms. I'll do this for 3 or 4 days. Then, I'll have lavender oil! Hooray!

I made my spa soap this morning. No pictures yet. Unfortunately for me, I forgot to scent the soap. So it'll be an unscented spa experience. Meh.

Ah! But I was also poking around the yard to see what other flowers might be good to infuse and I found tons of wild roses. They smell heavenly and they're cute.

Every single one of the petals was a perfect heart. Enjoy! - H

Spa Day... ha!

2009-06-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Not really. But that's my soap project I'll be starting later today. I'm going to make (for myself) a shampoo bar, and then a salt bar from the same batch of soap. So it's kind of like my own personal spa kit. Get it? I've never made a salt bar, but you can bet I'll share pictures when I have them.

Meanwhile... I've been reconciling myself with some soaps that I stuck in a box because I hate them.

Here's the story. I thought it would be a really yummy idea to put vanilla bean paste in a batch. Sounds good, right? Well... it could be better. Turns out it looks really cool... but the soap ends up smelling like really strong men's cologne. Not my fave. So I did the old "NO! NO! NO!" routine and boxed them all up.

A few weeks later, I pulled them out. I figured I'd just grate it up and wash my towels with it. Funny thing though... the scent had faded. So this is how they turned out.

My camera doesn't take very good close up pictures. But they're good. The soap to the left I tried to bevel. I don't know why I thinkI can have a perfectly even bar of soap. So I tested out a bar & I like it. Not so much for me... in terms of scent, but I'm sure someone will like it. It's the bourbon, I'm sure.

I have a busy weekend so ciao 'til next week! - H

Breakfast Rebatch

2009-06-03T10:01:00.001-07:00

"Rebatching" is when you shred your soap, cook it, and turn it into a new bar of soap. I thought I'd give it a shot this morning.

You can really tell which is my first attempt, and which is my second attempt. The neat thing about these bars is they can be used right away.

A little dorky, but hey. I made some peppermint soap yesterday that turned out great. Came out of the molds really easily. - H

Back in the saddle again...

2009-06-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Nothing terribly special here... but it's soap. This is Vanilla Pomegranate with Shea Butter.

Finally everyone here is all well. This afternoon I'll be a busy bee making soap since I'll have a couple of hours by myself. I still haven't tested out the box molds that I made... but... I might have some new molds coming in the mail this week. That would be exciting.

Meanwhile... it's been a virtual wild kingdom around here. We've had baby deer and baby geese making their debut. And I caught this guy sitting under the house.

More soon! Glad to be back! - H

Frankenmolds.

2009-05-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

The glue on the bottom here is to make the box level. Pretty!

Amazingly, I still do not have the flu. Everyone around here is getting better (for those of you who want to know) but they aren't well yet. They are however, circling the refrigerator like sharks wondering when the jello will be done. That's a good sign.

After everyone went to bed last night I stayed up and got some soaping done, so pictures will come soon. Otherwise, today I made some box molds!

I have a couple of box molds that I love. They have liners in them and all I have to do is make the soap, and not worry too much about the lining. Well, I wanted more. So I bought more. But something went all wonky with the vendor, so I haven't received them. Wah. So... I sat up googling trying to figure out a work around. However, I want my work around to not involved spending any more money. So that eliminates buying 20 pounds of liquid silicone. Maybe next year.

I found this really interesting article on how this taxidermist makes silicone molds for his... er... dead things... using 100% silicone caulk and acrylic paint, so that is a nice little DIY project that I may try.

So at any rate, I took a cardboard box, did some measuring and made myself two molds today. I wrapped each side of the box in packing tape to help protect it from soap leaks. Then... I got my glue gun and sealed up all of the edges. I then line the box with freezer paper. Once the soap hardens, you just lift the freezer paper out with the soap. In theory... this should work great.

We'll find out! - H

Beware! Beware!

2009-05-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

I realize this isn't soap, people. (Hmmm... but maybe it could be! *note to self*)

No soap today. Everyone but me at my house has the flu. The bad one. I don't know how I am the last (wo)man standing, but I am. So if I drop off of the face of the earth for a few days, you'll know why. But I have lots of fun soapy news to share... so stay tuned! - H

Mr Bumble turned out beautiful!

2009-05-23T09:51:00.001-07:00

So as you can see, Mr Bumble's Soap turned out just dandy. Made with cocoa butter, avocado oil, almond oil, coconut oil, palm oil, beeswax, oatmeal, and scent. Smells yummy.

The big bar will go into my Etsy cache, and the smaller bars will go into a sampler pack I'm putting together.

Frankensoap

2009-05-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

Peppermint up top... chocolate on the bottom. I'm going to cut it tomorrow, I think.

When will I learn though? Leave the soap in the mold for at least two days. This soap is fine... it just would have sharper edges and a smoother surface if I wouldn't touch it!!! Gah!

I swear I'll stop taking pictures of these now.

2009-05-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

Lavender - These guys are pretty. The swirl is good and goes all the way through.

I know I've been doting on these two bars this week, but I've had a setback. So they've been getting all of the love. I tried to make a CPOP batch and failed.

CPOP is when you make the soap as usual, then put it in the oven for... er... I thought 2 hours. But now I'm not sure. I ruined it and now it's in my trash bin. Along with all of my hopes and dreams of shortening my cure time. *sigh*

So this morning I got back on my horse and made a batch of cocoa... and a batch of what I'm calling "Mr. Bumble's Oatmeal Soap." Mrs. Bumble (me) forgot to put milk and honey in... so instead of being Oatmeal, milk and honey... it's just oatmeal. It will still be good though. My mind must be somewhere else today.

The Morning After...

2009-05-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

I took the the freezer paper off of the lavender this morning. It looks great. Now I put the molds somewhere *where I won't touch them* because I poke & prod until I'm fully dissatisfied. So they're hiding in a safe place.

Let's Give Them Something to Blog About...

2009-05-19T18:55:00.001-07:00

I didn't make any soap today. The day's not over, but I think sleep may win out tonight.

*BUT* I had a great soap day! Let me tell you why. The other day I read this post on Anne-Marie's (of Brambleberry) Soap-Queen Blog. There are some super cute soap molds with knitting yarn on them. I immediately thought of my friends at Island Wools here in Friday Harbor.

I love Island Wools. When we moved here it was cold! Last winter with the help of Theresa on YouTube (tjw1963) and Island Wools, I taught myself how to crochet. Friday Harbor can feel pretty small when you have a new baby so I always looked forward to going in to Island Wools and figuring out what was next. (My favorite yarn is Puffin by the way.) Check them out when you're in Friday Harbor. They're right on the main drag (Spring Street.)

At any rate... I showed Rusti the molds and she loves them. Hopefully, I will have some pictures of knitters soap bars to show you soon. We shall see! So that was fun.

Now a confession. I peeked. I shouldn't have. But I did. This a lavender bar I made last night. There's freezer paper on the top of the mold there, but through it, you can see that the swirls looks good!

I peeled the paper back, just a little and then put it back. I really shouldn't look at it for another two days. Nighty, night! - H

I'm a comin' for you, bear.

2009-05-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

"Ooooh noooo!"

Mondays are often times a day that is devoted to catching up with myself after the weekend. I suppose it is that way for most people. I did make some lavender soap today, so I'll have a fun picture to share later in the week.

Meanwhile, I did a lot of thinking today about what my next project will be. I'm definitely excited to dive into a oatmeal, milk & honey project. But I'm unsure if I should do a layered larger box mold, or make multiple smaller bars that have a bottom oatmeal layer with a top honey layer.

Anyone care to toss me out an opinion or suggestion? Meanwhile, I lined a box in case I decided to go with that. I have yet to do a home made lined mold. Looks fine to me.

Box mold? Or sarcophagus?

- H

Thunday Thanks-uary.

2009-05-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

Ith Thunday!

Boy am I thankful today! I just (yesterday) got my first shipment of soap supplies from Brambleberry!

Understand what I'm saying here. For months, I've been squirreling away bottles of oils into my grocery cart. Trying to look innocent as I tuck yet another 14 oz jar of coconut oil behind the 8 oz bottle of Avocado Oil. By ordering bulk items, I'm not just saving money... I'm entering into a committed relationship. I am saying, "Soap, we're in it for the long haul."

I heart you Brambleberry

That's beeswax in the measuring spoon.
You know what that means... honey soap! Buzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Cheers! - H

p.s. Since I'm just a baby blog... Brambleberry is my first shout out! Yay!

Fun with scraps!

2009-05-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday!

At the the moment I have two sizes of soap. The round one here is about 3 oz and the square ones you've seen are between 5-6 oz.

Lavender - Yes. I cut a hole in this and hung it from a tree. It is so pretty and scented with Lavender Essential Oil. Made with all vegetable oils including Almond, Apricot Kernel, Avocado, Coconut and Olive Oils. Soap is pretty cool in that soap scraps, like what's left from the hole of that lady lavender there, can be used for other purposes. Nutty people like me can find the humor in soap. Like maybe... special talents... like, being able to balance soap on your chin.

I tell ya, those Yoga people can do some pretty impressive things. No? Not funny? Hm.

Scraps like these can be used. I can give bigger ones away as samples. Of course, I use them myself too. So "scraps" translates into "mine! mine!" sometimes. Other scraps like the cool pink ribboney ones in the photo can be put in soap bars. Pictures to come of results of that in a future blog, I'm sure.Some us though, just like to stick our faces in a cup of soap scraps and just take a big whiff.

Time to mow. See ya! - H

Don't eat me beacuse I'm beautiful.

2009-05-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Really. Don't. Unless you have a mouth like a sailor. What? You *are* a sailor? Well pardon me.

Dutch Treat - This is one of may favorite soaps to make. And if you know me, you already know why. This baby is made with all vegetable oils (do you notice a pattern here?), Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Dutch Coffee (yes, there is a difference), Dutch (as in Droste) Cocoa.

No colorants or scents are added or needed in this naturally rich and fragrant bar. It kind of smells like brownies. Yum. I like the texture of it so much that I am going to be formulating a lot of my soap recipes around it.

I have to say about the picture, I love it. Yeah, I know, I took it myself so, I shouldn't toot my own horn, but, look! Do you see the little Delft piece all snug in there? And who's wondering about what flowers I used? CHIVES!!! My chives are going to seed and the flowers are so darling. I had to use them.

Lunchtime. Gotta go. - H

OK... Here We Go!

2009-05-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

So, yay. This is my Soap Blog. Why blog on soap? Well frankly, it's my most recent obsession.

My first foray into soap came because I am a cheap bugger. I didn't like how much I was paying for laundry soap. So I looked to see if there were any homemade alternatives. There was. After a few months of that I figured, that wasn't for me. But that got me curious. And when I'm curious... look out. The Quest was on. After many trips to the library, hours of web searching and putting together all of the right tools, I was ready to try making soap. So I did and haven't looked back. (I have yet to attempt my own laundry soap, although I've eyed a few recipes. Ill let you know if I ever do it.) So after making a few successful bars of soap, I began giving them as gifts. Soon, people were asking to buy my soaps and so Sandbar Soaps was born.

I make all of my soaps using the cold process method. I've tried the hot process, and I prefer the end product of the cold process better. The short version is that I make a batch of soap and pour it into molds. The soap then sits in the molds for about three days. Then they come out of the molds, dry and mellow out. The harder the bar... the longer it will last. I like my soap to dry out for six weeks. I can't ever wait that long though. :)

In this first post, I'm posting the pictures that I've taken of some of my soaps.

Lemon Creme

Yes, that's "creme" not "cream." If this was a milk soap, it would be "cream." This soap is made with all Vegetable oils, Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil. The freckles come from a lemon tea blend and it is scented with lemon essential oil.

This is the end of my first post. I have to go watch the LOST Season Finale. That said, if you are interested in any of my soaps I would be delighted to make you some. Just e-mail me at: sandbarsoaps at gmail dot com. More to come! - H