Yesterday I had the pleasure to meet and virtually work along side six soapers.  It was a SKYPE conference of soapmaking women.  Much like the stirring of the caldron pot in a joint soaping experience.  We all had a fabulous time making new soap friends and learning new techniques.  Emily Shieh of ShiehDesignStudio was our instructor.

I have known Emily since early 2009.  She was the first person (outside of  TheNovaStudio classes I took) that I  had the opportunity to make soap with.  We had previously split 500 pounds of product in 2008 and then split another supply in 2009.  My mission to pick up local oils pounds and pounds, go to Emily's and split the supplies and then make a soap.  It was a wonderfull day of soap magic well except for the accelerating fragrance and stick blenders on my part!

When I heard Emily was doing a SKYPE conference I jumped at the chance to join in and am so glad I did!  She has taught me so much about the grace of soaping and working with color, form and texture.  I hope you take a look at her work and see what a talented and generous artist she is right here !  As we were going to work in peach to purple who could resist?

The soaps to the left are as instructed.  The few on the right were hit with a touch of coat hanger for effect although minimal I rather like it.

So as this was a test batch I made the little flowers and balls from a previous orange soap then dipped them in micas for this color.  When these are used the flowers will turn an orange color oh and some of them will turn purple!

This photo was an after thought and I love how the color reflects off the silver so feminine.

 If Emily ever decided to do professional lessons don't hesitate you will be completely thankful you took it!

Aloha,
Pam
 

Whimsy for a Monday morning!   Are you up for a road trip north?  How about Albany, Oregon! If you are in the neighborhood here is a worthwhile side trip! A community project dedicated to saving an old lumber town. A Christmas Rooster and an elaborate Dragon are just two of the 52 animals locally sponsored, designed and crafted by the towns volunteers.  The imagination of the creatures is amazing!  Here are a few I'd like to ride upon.  There are cats and dogs and fish and gorgeous horses birds and beasts.  Take a look!

 http://albanycarousel.com/WP/events-2/ 

I'll go with you!!

Zulu with merrikat and flamingo!

 

Soap Asian Pear with Synergy

I enjoy watching you-tube videos of soap making when I'm caught up!  Recently there was a challenge from one of these channels to do a Synergy Soap, a challenge much like the Paint Chip or the Tiger Stripe Style.  So the Soaping 101 challenge is to do a soap showing motion, color or textures, a soap denoting different forces of nature perhaps.  The interpretation is left to each person.

Asian Pear Lily is such a lovely fragrance blend and this was my first experience using it.  I wanted to incorporate this challenge with this fragrance and see where it led.   As I was working with a small sample I needed another fragrance so added some pink grapefruit essential oil.  The pink grapefruit went into the colored parts and the Asian Pear Lily into the ivory which riced a touch but was workable.

Three Colors

Three styles

Two fragrances.

The colors I enjoy working with are muted.  This fragrance calls for muted colors in my imagination.  When I see tablespoons of color going into a soap it makes me think of colors running down the drain and colored bubbles suitable for a Dr. Seuss illustration.

Using a tried and true recipe with my favorite Cocoa Butter off I went.  Fragrance check!  Color well ivory with a touch of French Pink Clay and a lick of Mica from TKB should compliment the Asian Pear theme.

So here we have three colors two fragrances and three looks from one batch of soap!  It turned out beautiful and smells like I want to put it on my body and rub it in my hair!  The cure tick tock tick tock.   "Patience is a virtue possess it if you can, it is seldom found in woman and never found in man"!  unknown author or perhaps a woman from the 1800's who was reluctant to take credit back then.

Have a wonderful 4th everyone.  Mella L