Saturday, June 30, 2012

Pastels for a Change

I have been enjoying making bright colored soaps of late.  I decided to switch it up and make some pastel soaps the other day. 

The flowers are made from glycerin.  On the others I used goat’s milk glycerin soap from Bramble Berry.  It’s a wonderful base, like the clear and white base I use from them.  I get many comments on how good it makes people’s skin feel after they use it.

Most of these are in soft baby scents including baby powder, lavender chamomile and sweet baby. 

They all have a nice fresh baby scent.  Since I won’t be rocking babies again ‘til Fall, these precious baby scents will help fill the void.

 Thanks for reading!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Pig Farmer Soap

If you live in Iowa, you may know a pig farmer.  Or, you may know someone who knows a pig farmer.  What is that?  Like two degrees of separation between Iowans and pig farmers?  I don’t know. 

Anyway, I make a soap called Pig Farmer Soap.  It’s a very basic soap with essential oils, spices and clay.  It starts out light in color. Once it goes through saponification (the chemical process of oils and lye turning into soap), it becomes brown.

It’s nice and scrubby.  The clay is in there to help absorb odor.  The spices are included for their scrubbing power and spicy-good scent.  The essential oils were chosen to help eliminate odors and provide a nice spicy smell to the bar.

Want to know one other little tidbit about Pig Farmer Soap? 
It’s made with lard.
What pig farmer wouldn’t want a bar of soap made from lard? 

Do you know someone, pig farmer or not, who would love a spicy bar of soap that is good at scrubbing off dirt and grease while also pampering adding a bit of TLC to hard working hands?

 Thanks for reading!

The cutting video is up on YouTube

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Making Glycerin Soap with Kids

A friend brought her daughters over for a morning of glycerin soap making.  It was so fun.  The girls made oval soaps with vinyl fish toys inside.  For extra sparkle, they added glitter to the soap base.

We also made lego blocks, lego peeps, robots with keys, and colorful mustache soaps!  The girls did a great job of carefully pouring the soap base into the molds.  They enjoyed chosing the colors and fragrances for each soap.

We also made some bath salts.  The colors turned out so pretty, and the girls had fun mixing the ingredients.  See the yogurt containers in the picture below?  That’s what they used to shake up the salts, fragrance and color to create beautiful bath salts.   They even mixed different colored salts together and achieved some stunning results  Unfortunately I was so engrossed in the activity I forgot to get pictures of them.

The last project we did was a lip scrub.  This was an experiment for all of us, as it was the first time I made this product.  We used gummy bear flavor.  We added sugar for exfoliation and a bit of sweetness.  The consensus was that even after we licked our lips to get any sugar removed, our lips felt wonderfully soft and moisturized.  I’ll be making more of these for sure.  I hope I don’t eat the one I kept J 

Working with kids is so much fun.  I am energized by their enthusiasm and inquisitiveness.

Thanks for a fun morning of soap making, girls. 

Thanks for reading!


Friday, June 22, 2012

Soap Flop?

Last week I was anxious to try a couple of new cold process soaps.

Here’s a video of one of them.  It’s on YouTube too.


The soap set up super fast and was nearly solid when I smushed it into the mold.
I was afraid the layers might split apart once it was cut, but all is good!

It doesn’t have the exact look I was going for,
but the layers stuck.

The bars don’t look too bad considering
what it took to get the soap into the mold.

It’s scented with a refreshing lime mint.
This one still needs a name.  Any suggestions? 

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Lego Soap

Have you ever played with Lego blocks?  I’m old enough that I didn’t have any as a kid.  No, that's okay.  Don't feel sorry for me.  I had some wonderful wooden blocks and cars to keep me busy and happy and building stuff.  Had Legos been around for me as a kid (really giving away my age here, aren't I) I would have been fascinated with them, and would likely have had them scattered about the house with several building projects going on at once.  Kind of like I do with soap now.

Speaking of Legos and soap, aren’t these little Lego soaps cute? 

 They are the perfect size for little hands, and are scented with various delicious fruit fragrances that kids are sure to love.

I couldn’t resist making little Lego peeps along with the blocks. 

If you’re interested in these, you can buy them at SoapArtOnline or Etsy in sets of three block and three peeps.  You can get all three in the same color or put together your own combination of blocks and/or peeps in the colors you choose. 

Now I’m off to build something colorful and sweet with some of these cute little soaps.

Thanks for reading!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Little Piggy Soaps

Aren't these little piggy soaps adorable?  Each one is about an inch long, and about a half inch wide and a half inch high.  I should have put a coin by them for size comparison.

I'm not sure what I'll do with them yet, but they sure are cute. 

Can you spot what's different between the first and second pictures?

These will probably be up for sale pretty soon.  They might come a few to a bag, or I might put them on grass in a bigger soap. 

I don't know when I started liking pigs so much, but I just love these little pigs and my Smiling Piggy Soaps.

Thanks for reading, and I'll be stopping back to see if anyone has spotted the difference in the two pictures!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Baby Feet!

During the school year I get to take care of babies 0 – 12 months old while their mothers are in Bible study.  It’s such a fun and rewarding part of my week.  I just love snuggling those precious babies.  During the summer, I always go through a bit of baby withdrawal.

Hence, these cute little baby feet.
They are available at the SoapArt Website

These baby feet lotion bars come in several colors and in three fragrances.

Baby Powder: Smells like baby powder with a hint of baby wash
Lavender Chamomile: Smells clean and baby fresh
Sweet Baby: A fresh blend of vanilla, sugar, peach and violet.

Of course, they can be left unscented, or they can be scented with any other fragrances I have.  I just think these three are the most baby-like of my collection.

These would make a wonderful gift for the new baby.
They’d also be cute for favors at a baby shower. 

Most importantly, I get to enjoy the wonderful baby scents as I’m making them.  It’s not as good as holding real babies, but it will get me through ‘til it’s time to hold the babies again.

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Corn Palace

Recently Hubby and I found ourselves just 30 miles from the Corn Palace, located in Mitchell, South Dakota.  So we made an impromptu stop. 

I was very excited to check it out because they sell my corn on the cob soaps in their gift shop. 

It really is an impressive place.  See this mural?  It’s made completely out of corn.  How cool is that?  And they put up a new mural every year.  Even cooler.

Want to see what the murals have been each year since 1892?  You can find that list here.  It's a quick and interesting read.

Did you know that special colors of corn are grown just for the Corn Palace?  That’s how they get the different colors in the murals.  You can check it out on the FAQ page of their website .  You can also suggest a theme by going to the FAQ page and emailing the Corn Palace with your idea.  Wouldn’t it be an honor to have your idea chosen for next year’s (or any year’s for that matter) mural?

 The Corn Palace is a fun and educational place to visit.  If you go there, please tell them that SoapArt sent you.  And don’t forget to ask about SoapArt’s Corn on the Cob Soap.  After personally experiencing the Corn Palace, I’m even more excited to have my soaps offered in such a unique and wonderful place.

If you are interested in Corn on the Cob Soap, but can’t make it to the Corn Palace (or if you got some there and want more), you can purchase it from the SoapArt website or from SoapArt on Etsy.

Thanks for reading!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

There’s No Place Like Home

I have been a fan of the Wizard of Oz for as long as I can remember.  When I was growing up, we didn’t have the kind of TV viewing options that we have today.  So it was a big deal when The Wizard of Oz was on TV.
I’m not sure what it is about the movie that appeals to me so much.  I’m pretty sure it’s not the flying monkeys, though. 

These little red shoe soaps are inspired by that childhood favorite.

I haven’t found a shoe mold yet that I am thrilled with.  So I made my own. 
I haven’t decided  yet how I want to package this sparkly pair of shoes.  But a few ideas are swirling around in my brain.  I know why they call it brain storming.  It’s like a storm brewing in there with lots of ideas, some good, some not, all clamoring for attention.  I could unceremoniously wrap them in plastic wrap.  Or put them on a pedestal inside a clear box.  However, the clear box I have in mind looks more like a hat box than a shoe box.  But does that really matter?  They could be shrink wrapped together then put in a cute little organza bag. 


Do you know someone who loves shoes (that’s like asking if you know any women)?  These cute little shoes would be a fun gift.  They don’t have to be ruby red and glittery – unless they are for a Wizard of Oz fan such as myself. 

Maybe making these little shoes will keep me from wanting to buy more shoes.  Nah.

If you have any ideas to add to my packaging brainstorm, I would love to hear them.  None of the ideas produced so far by the storm in my brain have struck me as THE one.

Thanks for reading!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Vacation

I have another vacation story I want to share with you.  On the evening I was on the still, clear lake, I caught some fish.  Then let them go.  If you missed that story, you can read it here.

While on the lake, I also got to listen to a couple of loons play Marco Polo.  That was very entertaining.  Other than Marco and Polo, I have no idea what else they said.

We stayed at Loon's Nest Resort near Park Rapids, Minnesota.  We have had several wonderful vacations there.  It's a great place to stay.

A view of the sunset from Loons Nest Resort

I also saw a flock of geese and heard some crazy honking.  They landed in a little cove nearby with a huge splash, splash, splash, and so on.  They honked for a bit longer then settled in on the water.  I also saw a big bird circling around, presumably doing a little fishing himself. 

This is a picture of my Fisherman's Soap
It contains Anise Essential Oil that is said to mask human odor.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the boat on the calm lake.  There were only a couple of other boats that even came within sight, so it was kind of like having the whole lake to myself.  I would have enjoyed company to share these cool things of nature that I got to witness, but as it is, I will cherish those couple of hours on the calm water and remember them fondly. 

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Extra Bubbly Good for Shaving Soap

One of my most requested soaps is my Extra Bubbly Good for Shaving Soap.  It includes Bentonite Clay for slip, and Castor Oil for a little extra bubbly.

Bar From Prior Batch of Extra Bubbly Good For Shaving Soap

It’s scented with Bramble Berry’s Cold Water fragrance oil.  The soap is layered with three different shades of blue using Labcolors. 

It can be used with a regular razor, and you can either lather up the soap in your hands then put it on or you can use a shaving brush to give it even more lather.

Available at SoapArtOnline and Etsy

I quit using shaving cream the day my first batch of this soap was cured and ready to use.  I used to need lotion after using shaving cream.  But this soap leaves my skin feeling smooth and moisturized. 

Here’s a video showing how to make the layered soap.  You can also go to YouTube and watch if you prefer.


Thanks for reading/watching!



Monday, June 4, 2012

Gone Fishing

Last week I got to go on vacation in Minnesota.  Ever since I was a child, this has been an important part of summer for me.  I have always loved being on the lake and enjoying the scenery and wildlife.  And I have always loved to fish.

The weather was cold and windy the first several days of vacation.  I’m not one to row out in a little 14’ aluminum craft when there are whitecaps.  So we were well into the week before I got to go in the boat and fish.


One evening I went fishing when the lake was so still it looked like glass.  I am a catch-and-release type of gal; I’m not after big fish to feed my family.  I enjoy catching fish of any type or size that put up a bit of a fight.  I caught several fish on this particular night.  I caught my first northern in many years.  It was small, about 14”, but it was fun to catch.  Once I got it in the boat, it broke the line, so I had to grab him so I could take the hook out and send him on his way.  I also caught several rock bass.  They are good fighters.  I can pretend like something really big is on the other end of the line. 

More fish soaps since I don't have any
pictures of the real thing to share

Want to know a secret?  Sometimes I do that with weeds too.  I’m pretty sure that some really big fish that got away were actually weeds, but I leave a window of possibility that rather than a weed, I truly did have “the big one” on my line. 

I have no proof of my catches.  I was alone in the boat, and I didn’t have a camera.  So I hope you’ll take my word for it J

Thanks for reading!