This time of year brings all kinds of creatures to mind, and they don’t have to be your classic Halloween characters. If you like spooky, you will love this eerie soap. Its glowing eyes light up in the dark and its opalescent sheen is certainly otherworldly. Treat your guests to a little surprise when they wash up before dinner!

Materials
1/2 lb.clear melt and pour soap base
Opalescent green mica
Glow powder (see note below for suggested source)
Wasabi fragrance oil
6 Bar Oval Silicone Mold (The 3D Alien Head Mold has been discontinued and replaced with our 6 Bar Oval Silicone Mold)
Melt and Pour Tool Kit

1) First, melt 1/2 ounce of clear soap base and stir in about 1/8 teaspoon of glow powder. Stir until incorporated. Holding the face portion of the mold in your hand, use applicator tool to fill eye spaces with glow soap. Don’t worry if they look sloppy. Simply wait until soap has hardened, then use scraper tool from the M&P Tool Kit to cut away excess.

2) Close mold and clamp with rubber bands. Stand upright on table. Melt 7 ounces of clear soap base. In a small cup, dissolve 1/8 teaspoon of opalescent mica in 1/4 teaspoon of fragrance. Stir mixture into your melted soap. When soap cools to 120 degrees, pour into the mold. I suggest filling 1/4″ up into the funnel since my soap settled and had an air pocket when it was finished. It’s better to trim away excess than have a bubble like mine!

3) Let cool overnight or put in the freezer for 15 minutes. Unmold. Use a sharp knife to trim off any excess at seams.

For maximum glow, expose to sun for at least 15 seconds then bring into the dark. The longer, the better!

Note about glow powder: There are several colors and brands available online, but we recommend ordering the Night Glow Powder from TKB Trading. Theirs is approved for use in soap specifically. Other companies say theirs is safe but isn’t actually certified.

Have fun!!

Debbie, Soapylove

As you may have read in my previous posts (step 1 and step 2), I was asked by my cousin, Katie, to make the favors for her autumn themed wedding. Delighted to get this request, I quickly got to work on some ideas.

Materials (makes enough for about 60 shapes, each approximately 1 1/2″ long):
1 lb clear melt and pour soap base
Merlot mica and Copper mica for the red/orange look
or Gold mica and Cappuccino mica for the brown look
1 ounce Red Apple fragrance oil
Aluminum disposable cookie sheet (or your own baking sheet as long as it’s not warped)
Mini cookie cutters

1. Using 2 separate Pyrex measuring cups, melt 8 ounces in each. Color one cup of soap with a generous pinch of merlot mica, and the other with copper mica. Fragrance each cup of soap with 1/2 teaspoon fragrance oil. Allow each cup of soap to cool to around 120 degrees.

2. Holding one cup of soap in each hand, pour colors into pan, varying areas so they can marble. Use all of your soap. Take a popsicle stick and swirl the colors, creating a marbled effect. Stop when you like the design or a skin starts to form. Mist with alcohol to pop any surface bubbles.

3. Allow to cool completely. After about 20 minutes, you should be able to peel back the pan and lift up the edge of the soap sheet with your fingers (in a rigid pan, you can pry up an edge with a butter knife).

4. Place on a sheet of wax paper and cut out with cookie cutters (you should cover the seam on the cutter with tape before you begin, or else the soap may force the seam open).

I needed to make 175 favors, and put 2 soaps in each organza bag. To get 350 soaps, I made 2 sheets of gold/brown, 2 sheets of merlot/copper, and then marbled my scraps to make one more sheet of merlot/brown (not shown). Each guest will get 2 soaps in differing shapes and color schemes.

Last week, I introduced you to my newest project – making my cousin’s favors for her wedding. If you missed that post, check it out here. I am going to make leaf shaped mini soaps, marbled in autumn colors.

First, I’ll make sheets of soap which I’ll cut into mini soaps with cutters. Since I need to make 350 soaps, I need a large surface to create big sheets. In the past I have used my own aluminum cookie sheets, but they’ve started to warp, so needed an inexpensive alternative.

I went to a party supply store and found the perfect thing – disposable aluminum cookie sheets. They have a nice smooth surface and won’t warp when I pour hot soap onto them. At $1.50 per sheet, they were a steal! I got 6 of them.

Now I needed to figure out how much soap to pour per pan. To do this, I filled one with water to 1/4″ depth (the thickness of the soap sheet I want), then poured the water into a large Pyrex to see how much that is. In this case, it’s 2 cups. I have found that with m&p soap, the weight and liquid volume is virtually the same. So I’ll need 1 pound of soap per pan.

Next week, I’ll melt, color, scent, and pour my soap. They’ll be marbled with metallic micas, so make sure to check it out! It’s a really fun technique and can be used for lots of beautiful effects!

My cousin, Katie, is getting married next month! Unfortunately, since the wedding is in Wisconsin (I’m in San Diego) I can’t be there, but I will attend in spirit! Katie asked me if I would make her wedding favors. Knowing how significant every decision in wedding planning is, I am so flattered and honored!

When we spoke about what she would like, she just said, “I’m pretty flexible as long as it is fall-ish. Just like a leaf shape or something.” Great! I love design projects, so I started thinking.

First, I looked at her invitation. It has gorgeous, traditional autumn colors. Incorporating them with a leaf shape would be fun. Plus I have a great fragrance on hand I’ve been dying to use.

One thing I asked her was, “how many guests?” She has 175! Wow. So this would have to be an efficient process, too. No 4 cavity mold action for this project!

To incorporate the colors, I decided to use a few of the metallic micas from Brambleberry. The gold, copper, and cappucino would be perfect. I’ll use them to make a marbled sheet that I’ll cut with mini cookie cutters into leaves and acorns. Finally, I’ll scent them with Candied Apple fragrance and put 2 soaps into little organza bag for each guest (that will be 350 soaps! Gulp!).

I ran it by Katie, and she liked it!

Next – gather supplies and find trays that are large, flexible, and totally flat. Tune in next Thursday to see how I will make them! See you then!

-Debbie, Soapylove

For many kids and teens this is the last week of summer before school begins, and my son will be starting preschool for the first time! To celebrate this big step I have created these bright and happy Vivid Soap Blocks. They use a guest size soap mold, perfect for small hands, and pair up non-bleeding colorants with crystal clear Labcolors. The letters are cut by hand, but you can find small letter fondant cutters in craft stores if you prefer or use Bramble Berry’s Alphabet Mold (when they’re back in stock next wee).

1 lb clear soap base
Purple non-bleeding liquid soap colorant
Red Labcolors soap colorant
Red Apple fragrance oil
Square and Round Guest Soap Mold
Exacto Knife
Alphabet template or fondant cutters

To choose your color combination, you need to consider the bleeding factor of the Labcolors. Like watercolor paints, certain colors bleed together nicely and some do not. So in this case, choose your face color first from the non-bleeding liquid color selection, then choose a Labcolor that is the same color or a lighter color in the same family.

1) For the alphabet template, click on alphabet image and print out.

2) In a Pyrex cup, melt 4 ounces of clear base. Stir in a few drops of non-bleeding colorant, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon of fragrance oil. Pour into molds, filling each only 1/4″ full. Put in freezer for a few minutes and unmold.

3) Roughly cut letters out of template. Place on top of soap and cut through paper and soap at the same time with Exacto knife.

4) Melt 8 ounces of clear soap base. Stir in Labcolor, one drop at a time (they’re really concentrated – it’s easy to overdo it!). Pour a thin layer into your mold, then put letter soap into the hot soap, pressing down to mold surface. Spray with rubbing alchohol to remove any bubbles, then quickly top off mold with more melted soap. If you chose a letter that has an inner shape, like my letter Q, place this piece into the hot soap and press down before topping off mold.

5) Allow to set overnight or put into a freezer for a few minutes and unmold.

The color combinations I show above are:
Letters E and U: Purple non-bleed liquid and Red Labcolors.
Letters Z and Q: Blue non-bleed liquid and Brilliant Blue Labcolors.
Letter H: Red non-bleed liquid and Canary Labcolors (red looks orange when done).

To learn more about gorgeous Labcolors and the cool things you can do with them, come back on Thursday for a few helpful hints!

One of the beauties of crafting with Melt and Pour Soap is how great it takes color. You can get every shade of the rainbow, in any level of opacity or clarity. But if you want to combine colors in one design, like in the monogram bar above, you need to use non-bleeding colorants.

There are many types of soap colorants but oxides and ultramarines are the most stable you will find. When I first started u

sing them, I was discouraged, thinking I could only get opaque shades. But as I kept experimenting I learned that they’re extremely versatile.

You will find them in liquid or powder form. Liquids are extremely easy to use – just add them drop by drop to your soap until you get the shade you like. There are many beautiful colors available. However, some colors are only available powdered. Before you add the powder to your soap base, you need to dilute it. This is my favorite way:

1. First, take a little cup and spray a few squirts of rubbing alcohol inside.
2. Then take a little scoop of pigment (a little goes a long way) and stir until all lumps are dissolved.
3. You can then add it to your soap base.

Many crafters will create their own liquid in squeeze bottles by combining 30% pigment and 70% liquid glycerin. I’ve heard this is a good, lump free method.

So once you have diluted pigment, you can use it many ways! With just a few drops you can create sheer colors like the purple soap above. Brown oxide looks great in white soap base for pastry shades and in clear soap base for rich chocolate shades.

Bramble Berry’s non-bleeding red colorant is a staple in my toolbox. I use it every time I need red or pink.

Check out all of the great options you have. It’s like a painter’s pallette!

Tune in on August 25 for a great new tutorial featuring oxides in gorgeous saturated tones paired with glassy bright Labcolors!

Nothing says “Happy Birthday” like rainbow sprinkles, and these colorful jojoba beads are a perfect stand-in. For a soap design this sweet, Bramble Berry’s new “Hello Sweet Thang” or Cream Cheese Frosting fragrance oil makes every day a party!

What you’ll need:

3 lbs. White Melt & Pour Soap Base
Hydrated Chrome Green Oxide
Pink Oxide
Hello Sweet Thang fragrance oil
Jojoba Beads in Red, Purple, and Blue
Loaf Mold
Small mixing cup
Metal 1/2 t. measuring spoon or small melon baller
Optional: Vanilla Color Stabilizer

In a small cup, combine 1/4 teaspoon of each color Jojoba Beads. Set aside.

In a 2 cup Pyrex, melt 12 ounces of white soap base. Using a small cup, spray a few squirts of rubbing alcohol and stir in 1/8 teaspoon pink oxide. Stir until all lumps are gone and add to the soap base. Add 1/2 teaspoon of fragrance oil and pour into soap mold. If you are using Vanilla Color Stabilizer to decrease the natural browning effect of the Vanilla in the fragrance, combine it with the fragrance every time fragrance is called for at a 1:1 ratio. Allow to set until surface is solid but still warm and you can push a dent into the soap with your finger.

Take your teaspoon and scoop 3 long grooves out of the soap, like you’re scooping ice cream. Make them about 1/4″ deep, then use your finger to round off any hard edges (you want smooth curves when you slice into the soap).

Melt 8 ounces of white soap. Let cool to 120 degrees. Spray surface of pink soap with rubbing alcohol and pour soap into mold. When soap is set but scoopable, make 3 more grooves like you did in the last step.

Melt 12 ounces of white soap. Dilute 1/8 teaspoon of hydrated green oxide in a few sprays of rubbing alcohol and add to soap. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of fragrance oil. Let cool to 120 degrees, spray white soap layer with alcohol, and pour green soap into mold. Let cool until solid.

Melt 10 ounces of white soap. Let cool to 120 degrees and stir in 1/8 teaspoon of Jojoba Beads. Stir until soap is thick and beads stop floating. Spray green soap with alcohol and pour soap into mold.

To create a frosting effect, use a spoon to push melted soap back and forth. Keep pushing as it starts solidifying, creating a frosting texture. Push and push until you like the texture or it’s too thick to move anymore. Sprinkle more Jojoba Beads on top.

Let soap completely solidify. You can let it sit overnight or put in the freezer for 20 minutes. Unmold and slice with an unserrated knife.

These soaps would make excellent favors for your next birthday party!

For more information and tips on how to use oxide colorants, come back on Thursday for a full post about these great skin safe and colorfast pigments!

There are many types of exfoliants you can add to Melt & Pour soap that add textural and visual interest to your designs. Bramble Berry carries lots of great options like bamboo powder, seeds, pumice, and now almond meal, which you can find on their exfoliants page. You can also try salt, sugar, even sand. Don’t overdo it, though. Once I added coffee grounds which resulted in a bar so scratchy “it could take barnacles off a ship,” my husband observed. Oops.

My favorite exfoliant is jojoba beads. Jojoba beads are awesome because they’re gentle and come in gorgeous colors. They can be a beautiful part of your soap design. In the soap picture above I used yellow beads in a clear bar as part of a set of citrus soaps.

There are 2 challenges to using jojoba beads, though – they can melt or float if you’re not careful. In my Citrus Set, the two other bars also had jojoba beads but they totally melted, making my bars look like solid colors. That was a mistake. I should have waited until my melted soap was between 120-130 degrees before stirring them in.

To avoid floating, you should be very conservative with how much you use. The more you use, the harder it is to get them all incorporated. So start with a pinch and add more until you’re happy, but then wait until the soap starts to thicken, like a thin pudding, before you pour into your molds. Or you can get soap base with a suspension additive which takes all the guesswork out of it. This is a must if you’re adding botanicals like tea leaves which LOVE to float!

You can also use jojoba beads as a garnish for your soaps, instead of stirring them in. Here’s a picture of some Soap Tarts where I sprinkled a mixture of beads onto a pink sheet of soap while it was still hot, which I later cut into frosting shapes (see my Cameo Soap Kit for how to make your own embeds like this). You can also sprinkle them on top of a loaf soap for some cute color.

Next Monday I’ll have a new tutorial featuring Jojoba Beads, so make sure to come back and check it out! Thanks and have fun!