“As long as you’re having fun, that’s the key. The moment it becomes a grind, it’s over.” -Barry Gibb
Bramble Berry’s Chief Operating Officer Norman takes the office bicycle for a spin makes good on a lost bet. =)
Archives for May 2013
Facebook Photo of the Week (May 24th ~ June 1st)
Every week on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page I get to see some of the most creative and unique bath and body products on the market. I love how willing you all are to share your homemade recipes and fun soapy pictures with us. I hope you are ready to drool for this weeks winner, it’s a real treat!
Baby Sprinkle Series: Mini Flower Bath Bombs
Another addition to the series of Bramble Girl Sprinkle tutorials – Mini Flower Bath Bombs! The sweet little flowers pair fabulously with the Strawberry Tart Melt and Pour Soaps and the Ombre Gift bags for a gift package that your guests are sure to appreciate. Try out your own color scheme with Bramble Berry’s LaBomb colorant line, and be sure to download the free PDF’s to complete the look of these favors and add a bit of flair to your sprinkle decor.
[Read more…]
Inspirational Glassy Color Formulas
Hi everyone! It’s me, Debbie Chialtas of Soapylove! I love helping out here on Soap Queen. I hope you like this post!
When it comes to glycerin soap inspiration, I always find glass beads to be an amazing source of ideas. The same qualities of glass (color, translucence, surface texture, and shape) apply to glycerin soap as well!
For the Soap Lab issue of “Let’s Get Soapy” – carried on Bramble Berry if you click here – I did a special article about combining pigments with micas to get glass-like colors. By doing this I got the intensity of pigments with the light reflection of micas. I was really pleased with the results. I used the above beads as my color reference, then started mixing!
Here are my formulas, all made with colors carried by Bramble Berry. Maybe you already have some in your soaping tool box!
HSCG Conference Guest Post: Kevin Dunn AKA Dr. McSoapy
Who would have guessed how entertaining a chemistry lesson on molecular structure could be. We soap makers sometimes think of ourselves as mad scientists. We get a kick out of the chemical reactions that occur during the process of saponification.
Kevin Dunn, PhD is the Elliott Professor of Chemistry at Hampden-Sydney College. He has done and continues to do research projects on the chemistry of handcrafted soap. He is the author of Scientific Soapmaking about the chemistry of cold process soap.
Dunn received a nickname at the session. He became known as Dr. McSoapy.
Hello, Dr. McSoapy! [Read more…]
HSCG Conference Guest Post: Kevin Dunn on Superfatting and Discounting
I wasn’t sure going into this how much I would comprehend. I understand the reaction of Saponification on a very basic level. I was familiar with Kevin Dunn as he is of some “fame” in the soapmaking world, so of course I wanted to hear him speak.
Baby Lily Moves In
Announcing Soap Challenge Club!
Hey everybody! It’s Amy Warden with Great Cakes Soapworks! I’ve got a surprise for you while Anne-Marie is lying low after Baby Lily’s arrival.
Soapy Social Media Roundup
Between the arrival of Miss Lily and getting recaps from our HSCG Conference guest bloggers (here, here and here), there has been serious excitement in the air here. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite happenings this week in social media. I have been making it online in between feeding Miss Lily seventeen trillion times a day.
Favorite Pins
Facebook Photo of the Week (May 17th ~ May 24th)
This week’s Facebook Photo of the Week has a twist; instead of featuring just one soap, it features an entire display of soaps! It’s bound to give you some extra soapy inspiration for the holiday weekend.
HSCG Conference Guest Post: Milk Soap
Have you ever made milk soap? Did you add the lye directly to the milk? Ewww! What’s that smell?
Baby Sprinkle Series: Strawberry Tart Melt and Pour Soaps
First in our series of Bramble Girl Sprinkle tutorials – Strawberry Tart Melt and Pour Soaps. These adorable little guest-sized soaps make for a wonderful token of appreciation for guests. Paired with flower-shaped mini bath fizzies and packaged in a sweet ombre gift bag your guests should be excited about their next opportunity for a soak in the tub. Have you downloaded your free sprinkle PDFs yet? Attach one of the custom-designed tags to the favor bag to complete the look!
HSCG Conference Guest Post: Peacock Swirl Class
Don’t you just love a beautifully swirled soap? I love to see colors gently swirled together. The possibilities of colors and designs are endless. I have read about the Peacock Swirl. But I haven’t tried it. Frankly, I was a little intimidated.
Lily Days are Here to Stay (Baby Update)
Amber and I just returned from a quick visit to the hospital to see Anne-Marie and family, including little Miss Lily (it isn’t official but the name has stuck so far!). Mama and baby are doing great, with baby clocking in at 6 pounds 2 oz and 19 inches. But let’s just cut to the chase; the chase, of course, being a gratuitous amount of adorable baby pictures. =)
