Saturday, November 5, 2011

ROY G BIV Soap

I love rainbows.  I also love soap.  So I just had to make a rainbow soap.  I call it ROY G BIV soap.  It’s fun to make and the house smells so good while I’m making it.  I made a full loaf each of sample size and full size bars.  Each layer has its own wonderful fragrance.  Here’s what each layer is:

Red: Cherry
Orange: Orange
Yellow: Lemon
Green: Lime
Blue: Blueberry
Indigo: Blueberry Grape
Violet: Grape Soda

The overall effect of the different scented layers is wonderful.  It can be a little tricky to make. Each layer must be poured at just the right temperature so it doesn’t melt the existing layers.  It’s also important that the already poured layers don’t harden too much before the next layer is added so the layers adhere to each other.

I am offering this soap for sale on www.soapartonline.com in the sample size bar, full size bar, sample loaf and full size loaf. 



Thanks for reading!


Monday, October 10, 2011

October Special for Facbook Fans

For the remainder of October, Facebook Fans who place an order of $25 or more and enter the code will receive a free Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon Soap. If you’re not a Facebook Fan, you can find me at https://www.facebook.com/SoapArt 

I have some other great news!  During the months of October and November, all wax warmers are on sale at www.soapartonline.com  These warmers make great gifts, so this sale is a great way to save while getting some of your holiday shopping done.   Check out the great selection of soy waffles, too.   




Friday, September 23, 2011

Sandwich Cookie Soap

Do you like Oreos?  I have always loved Oreos.  After all, what’s not to love?  Instead of buying and eating a whole bag of sandwich cookies, I decided to make some chocolate sandwich cookie soap.  They are the same size as a typical sandwich cookie, which makes them a great size for big and little hands alike. 

They have a nice chocolate/vanilla sandwich cookie smell.  The jury is still out on whether they will squelch my cookie cravings.  I’m afraid I might just take a bite of a soap cookie one of these days!

I had a bit of a scare one day when I only saw two soap cookies on the plate instead of three.  I thought, "Oh no!  What if someone ate a soap cookie (like me in my sleep)!"  Fortunately, no one had.  There just was a cookie out of my line of site.  Whew!


Thursday, September 22, 2011

Soap Therapy

Today I had a bit of soap therapy.  By that I mean I got to make soap.  My favorite soap to make is the soap from scratch.  It’s so much fun to make, but it’s hard to wait the three or four weeks until it’s ready.  I had a heyday today and made three different kinds! 

I made clove soap because I’m almost out, and it’s my go-to soap that I always keep in the shower.  Then I made a batch of lilac.  It’s another one that I love, and I try to always have it on hand.  The lilac smell is just like spring lilacs in bloom.  The third batch I made was a first timer.  I love the At the Lodge fragrance, and regularly have soy waffles in that fragrance melting in my wax warmers.  I’m anxious to see how it turns out!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Candy Corn Glycerin Soap

Glycerin soap is so fun to work with because of its versatility.  I also enjoy it because I get so much feedback from people who have used it and can tell an improvement in their skin from the start.  I have wanted to make candy corn soap for quite some time, but until now didn’t get the timing right.  I finally time it during the fall season!  It was fun (and slightly challenging) to get the colors to look realistic.  I am really happy with how it looks and smells.  I made a full size loaf and a sample loaf then cut them into individual bars.  Now they are all wrapped, labeled and ready to go.  The smell delicious even through the packaging.  Yum!  Now I’m off to sneak a few pieces of candy corn from my bag of the real thing.

Here's a look at the soaps.



Thursday, September 8, 2011

Nougat Candy Sample Glycerin Soap

These cute little one ounce soaps were inspired by a nougat candy that contains chewy fruity pieces surrounded by white nougat.  So yummy!  The soaps smell kind of like fruit loops cereal.  They look and smell good enough to eat, but I’m sure they don’t taste as good as the candies themselves.

I took lots of brightly colored fruit scented pieces and then poured white soap base around them.  The result was a loaf of soap that I then carefully cut into individual bars that weigh roughly 1 ounce.  Each bar is unique, and it will change with use because some colors will appear that are now hidden by the white base.  This is one fun, delicious-smelling soap!

Here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of what they look like.  If I could figure out how to send the fragrance through the computer, I think it would make your mouth water.



Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Pumpkin Spice Glycerin Soap

I love summer.  I am never ready for it to end.  Not that I don’t like fall.  I do.  I just don’t like that winter follows as I’m not a fan of cold weather.  Even though I’m not ready for fall, I wanted to get started on some fall projects.  So I made a pumpkin soap that I’ve wanted to make for a while.  Our house still smells like fresh baked pumpkin pie!  I love pumpkin pie, so I’m basking in the delicious smell and maybe, just maybe, I’m getting a little bit ready for fall now that I've gotten a whiff of these pumpkin spice soaps. 

Each bar is unique, but this is what the finished bars look like.






This is a basketful of sample sizes of oatmeal, milk and honey soaps and the pumpkin spice soaps.


Friday, September 2, 2011

Making Lip Balm

I tend to turn lip balm making into a marathon.  It’s so hard to decide which flavors to make next, so I end up trying to make them all!  Each time I make a new flavor, it becomes my favorite for a while.  I haven’t made any that I didn’t care for.  The vanilla is wonderful, and the pomegranate is my old standby.  I just made blue raspberry not long ago, and I’m enjoying that a lot right now.

The lip balms are fun to make.  After they are cooled and capped, it’s time to label them.  Labeling used to involve super glue and index cards.  I switched to using adhesive labels, and that has made the process a little simpler.  Next it’s time to put shrink wrap on them.  The final step is to heat the shrink wrap into place.  If you’ve never done this, you should really try it sometime.  It’s fun to watch the wrap shrink onto the product.  The shrink wrap bands come with a perforation in them so users can remove just the portion on the cap leave the bottom part on to help the label stay in place.

I just got a new shipment of lip balm flavors, and can hardly wait to try them. 

Here are a few new flavors I’ll be making soon:

Candy Corn
Chocolate Mint
Gummy Bear
Lemonade
Orange Cream
Peace of Mind
Pearberry

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Lotion Bars

When I first began formulating a lotion bar recipe, I knew I wanted a product that would be highly moisturizing without feeling greasy.  It was important to me to stay away from nut products (including shea, which comes from the nut of the fruit from the karite tree that grows in West Africa).  After some trial and error, I came up with my current recipe. 

Here’s a little information about the role each ingredient plays.  The Beeswax contributes healing, antiseptic, emollient and softening properties.  The Apricot Oil is said to penetrate the skin without leaving an oily feel.  The Sal Butter is said to moisturize the skin and help prevent wrinkles.  While it is said to also offer protection from the sun and other harsh elements, I would not recommend relying on it as a sun blocker.  Vitamin E is an antioxidant and also possesses some anti-aging benefits to skin. 

There is usually some color and fragrance oil added.  All ingredients have FDA approval for use on the skin.  A friend of mine who is a hair dresser told me that my lotion bars are the only thing that keeps her hands from getting cracks in the winter and the only product she has tried that keeps her cuticles nice all winter.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Glycerin Soap

This is a revised version of one of the first glycerin soaps I made. On my first try, I made them in round molds with the oatmeal on the top part of the bar. Someone dubbed it my cheesecake soap. Yep, it did look a lot like a mini cheesecake.

I love the combination of oatmeal, wheat germ and goat milk in this soap. It’s so nourishing for the skin. The smell is hard to describe, but it’s absolutely delectable. I decided to make some sample bars as well as the full size bars this time. The sample size soaps make good gifts and are a great way to try a few fragrances to find your favorite. Or if you’re like me, sample sizes will give you lots of variety in case you just can’t settle on a favorite.



Sunday, August 28, 2011

Robot Toy Glycerin Soap

I made a test batch of these cute little soaps today. They are a great size for kids’ hands at 2.5x2x.75 inches. The child will be able to get to the robot after several hand washings. A prolonged soak in the tub will hurry that process along. I would guess that a determined child could find other ways to release the robot. I need to test these to make sure the robot holds up through everything. They are scented with a yummy berry fragrance that kids love.

The pictures aren't the greatest, as I took them on my counter with wax paper as the background : ) But they'll give you the general idea.

Do you like the clear soap surrounding the robot? Or do you think white or colored soap to partially hide the toy would be more appealing?



Saturday, August 27, 2011

Jasmine Goat Milk Soap

I'm keeping track of Hurricane Irene by watching the weather channel while I get some much needed soaping done. I'll share pictures of today's creations in an upcoming blog.

I recently made a batch of soap that was kind of an experiment. I am working on perfecting a goat milk soap recipe, and I think I finally got it. I colored this with neon pink and blue and swirled the colors together. The jasmine started out very strong, and it’s still pretty good. I’m happy with how it looks, but the best part is how it works. It is very creamy and has lots of wonderful bubbles. There are big bubbles and little bubbles. And I love how my skin feels after I use the goat milk soap. The picture shows the soap in the pan before I cut it into bars.


The picture below shows some individual bars that I cut from the pan.






Friday, August 26, 2011

Hurricane Irene

So, I have been thinking about what to write about today, but I’m having trouble getting my mind off Hurricane Irene. My heart goes out to all those who have already been affected by the storm and to those who are preparing for its arrival. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to have to evacuate your home/business to wait out the storm, having no idea what you will find upon your return. My thoughts and prayers are with all who are/will be affected.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Clove Soap

My go-to soap from scratch right now is Clove. It’s hard to choose a favorite, because I love all of them (Well, almost all of them. I must say I’m not a fan of lavender yet). Here’s what I like best about the clove soap:

- It’s moisturizing
- It’s exfoliating. I add ground cloves to give it scrubbing power.
- It’s bubbly!
- Clove is a natural odor combatant – so I feel extra clean : )
- Last, but best of all – the fragrance is amazing!!

Clove soap is a great unisex soap that can be used as hand soap or as an all over body soap. If you’ve tried the Clove Soap, would you take a minute and let everyone know what you think?

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

New Website

I am very excited about my new website at www.soapartonline.com. I have lots of products up, and will continue to add products on a regular basis. I just switched hosts, and I could not be happier with my new host : )

Older posts will give you a little history about SoapArt. The short version is this:

I began making soap in 2008. Other products I make include lotion bars, lip balms and candles. All of these products are almost all natural and are offered at an affordable price. Many are offered in a wide variety of scents and colors. A big part of the fun of soap making is working with the colors and fragrances.

I always have new product ideas swimming around in my mind – it seems I have more ideas than I have time to create them : )

Do you have an idea for a product you’d like to see SoapArt offer?