Search Results for: colorants

Falling for Pumpkin Pear Soap

November 27, 2012 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

This fun, multi-step project was a hit when it went out with the Bramble Berry newsletter (not a subscriber? Sign up on the right hand side of the Bramble Berry Homepage). Just in case you aren’t a subscriber, I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the fun. This project definitely evokes a warm fall color palette with matching scents, but I can see this translated to any time of year by changing up the colors and fragrances.

Phase 1 Recipe:

6.0 oz. Palm Oil

20.0 oz. Pure Olive Oil

8.0 oz. Coconut Oil

1.2 oz. Castor Oil

4.8 oz. Rice Bran Oil

5.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide (lye)

13.2 oz. Distilled Water

3 teaspoons Titanium Dioxide

3 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil (or another liquid oil)

3 tablespoons Paprika

2.7 oz. Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil

Heavy Duty Column Mold

Click here to add everything you need for both phases of this project to your Bramble Berry cart! [Read more…]

Finding the Perfect Purple

November 26, 2012 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Recently my good friend, Cealleigh, married the love of her life in a beautiful ceremony that took place in a gazebo overlooking a pristine California beach. I was honored to act as her Matron of Honor, and possibly even more excited when she asked me to create the favors for her reception! Cealleigh loves orchids and took cues from their colors for every facet of her wedding decor. She had the idea for some purple soap embedded in opaque soap for the favors, and I embarked on the journey to find the perfect hue for her soaps!

As I experimented with the hue I loved the range I was able to achieve, from deep blue-purples to lighter red-violets using all from Bramble Berry’s oxides and micas. [Read more…]

Ombre Rebatch Layers

November 15, 2012 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

I’m revisiting rebatch this week with a fun take on the popular look of ombre. A delicious blend of earthy, herby and citrus essential oils come together to complete this warm-hued and fun-textured soap. Plus, read on about a new addition to the Bramble Berry product line and how you can get one of your own!

Recipe and Tools:

3 pounds Grated Luxury Rebatch

2-4 Tablespoons Distilled Water

Diluted Red LabColor

0.9 oz Orange Valencia Essential Oil

0.2 oz Star Anise Essential Oil

0.1 oz Patchouli Essential Oil

2 Pound Wood Log Mold

Droppers with Suction Bulb

Plastic Food Wrap

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! [Read more…]

Pin it To Win It Winners!

November 13, 2012 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Pin It To Win It! Isn’t that so much fun to say? This contest, to kick-off Givember, had so many great entries. If you search Pinterest for #soapmaking you will be able to see all the fun pins from the Soap Queen blog and Bramble Berry’s website that people chose for their Pin It to Win It contest entries!

And now for the winners! Drum roll please…

Toni Babcock said: “The three Bramble Berry products I chose were the Shea Butter, Litsea Essential Oil and the Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil. I chose the Shea Butter because I think it is an amazingly versatile product that works in so many applications. I love the Litsea EO and it is a best-seller in my facial bars — even the men like it! I also chose the Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil because I think it makes the perfect fall fragrance, especially when you add a bit of Cream Cheese Frosting FO.”

Michelle Stiller said: “I am so excited to try the Bath Bomb Surprise and can’t wait to try one of those bath fizzies out out and see how the ducky fares!”

Maria Stanley said: “I love color and decided that when I first started making soap that the neon colorants were my favorites!”

AJ McCabe said: “I love the basic how-to tutorials for cold process soap making on the Soap Queen blog. That is why I pinned the burping for the soap bubbles and lining the mold tutorials. I also pinned the Gingerbread Man Tutorial and Shea Butter Cupcake Soap because I like to make those to give away during the holidays!”

Remember it’s Givember all month long! Even though we are almost halfway through the month of November (eek!) there are still two more newsletters featuring exclusive projects, as well as two more new free sample kits to go with your Bramble Berry purchase of $125 or more (while supplies last). You can also join us in our newest Soap Queen feature, the Facebook Photo of the Week — a great way to share your most recent soapy bath and body creations with a chance to get featured on the Soap Queen blog!

Make it Monday: #Bath Bombs

November 5, 2012 Filed Under: Bath Fizzies

Happy Monday! I hope that those of you who got an extra hour’s sleep this weekend were able to enjoy it. Now that you’re all super refreshed, bright eyed and bushy tailed, it’s time for another Make it Monday challenge! We’ve had a blast seeing all the creative bath and body products that you guys have been making for these challenges (to see some of the awesome work from past challenges all in one handy location, check out our Facebook albums here). Are you ready for this week’s challenge? Let me give you a hint: it’s fizzy, it’s bubbly and it’s so much fun to use in the tub. Can you guess what it is?

[Read more…]

Making Scented Nail Polish

November 1, 2012 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

One of the things I love about making Nail Polish from scratch is the instant gratification factor. It’s ready as soon as it’s made! If I decide I’d like a quick custom color for date night tonight, boom. Done. And so much fun to experiment with different colors and color blends. The addition of a favorite scent makes for an unexpected twist on a classic cosmetic.

Scented Nail Polish [Read more…]

Talk It Out Tuesday : Nail Polish

October 23, 2012 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Happy Tuesday! It’s time again for another installment of our ever popular Talk it Out Tuesday series (check out our previous posts on li p balm, p reservatives, bath bombs, melt and pour, lotion and colorants). I am super excited about this week’s topic because it is all about my latest crafty obsession…nail polish! Read on to find out more about how to customize your own nail polish and all the fun nail polish-themed products that Bramble Berry carries.

How do I customize my own nail polish?

All you need is a suspending nail polish base, a nail polish bottle, nail polish mixing balls and your favorite colorants. Here’s a quick breakdown in three easy steps:

1. Make sure you are working in a well ventilated area and away from any open flames. Nail polish is extremely flammable (extremely!). Carefully pour the nail polish base into the bottles. Fill it to the shoulder of the bottle (where it bends), or just below the shoulder if adding fragrance. Then, use Bramble Berry’s tiny funnels to add your choice of micas or glitters. NOTE: the funnels do not work to fill the actual polish; it’s too thick. This is a WYSIWYG process – what you see is what you get. Remember, you can always paint a little bit on a piece of paper to make sure you’re happy with the color – or add more later.

2. Once your mica or glitter has been added, place a couple of the nail polish mixing beads into the bottle, then slip in the brush and firmly twist the cap on. You should hear the brush click right into place.

3. Shake well and apply! It really is that easy and there are so many color mixing options. [Read more…]

Make It Monday: #Halloween

October 22, 2012 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

If you’re struggling for a reason to love Mondays, we’ve got just the ticket: the latest Make it Monday challenge! Here’s the spooky twist…we’re looking for all things Halloween. Literal representations, interpreted color schemes, themed packaging. Anything with a spooktacular vibe goes!

Mission (if you choose to accept it)

Create a unique soap that follows the theme for the challenge of the week. This week is all about Halloween themed projects — for all types of soaps and body products!
Post your pictures of your cute and creative packaging to Bramble Berry’s Facebook page during the entry period (October 22nd -October 31st).
Your entry must have the hashtag of the week in order to be entered into the contest. This week, your picture must have the hashtag #Halloween
At the end of the entry period, Team Bramble Berry will pick our favorite entries. The winners of the challenge will be featured on the Soap Queen Blog. You have until Wednesday, October 31st to post your #Halloween photos. Please submit your photos by 12 pm (pacific standard time).
You can submit up to three different pictures [Read more…]

#Packaging Winners!

October 22, 2012 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

If you’re stopping by Bramble Berry’s Facebook page regularly, you may have noticed our Make it Monday Challenges. They’re the pictures that are posted by our Facebook fans with hash tags like #rebatch, #naturalcolorants, or #uniquetops. This time around, it was all about #Packaging! We’ve seen all sorts of incredible ideas and innovative designs packaging anything from scrubs to laundry soap, lip balms to soaps, and even perfume. And, now for the winners:

Top Row:

Michelle from Mossy Creek Soap Studio – ‘Verbena Handmade Soap’

Christina from Bohemian Soapery – ‘Faerie Lights’

Jana from Heather Glen Apothecary – ‘Sacred Woods Soap’

Middle Row:

Patrice from Melange Jolie LLC – ‘Candy Corn Bath Salts’

Elizabeth from Imaginary Bee – Roll-on Perfume

Christina from Medieval Soap – Solid Perfume

Bottom Row:

Marianne from T he North Street Bubble – Party Favors

Nahil from Four Seasons Natural Soaps -Handcrafted Organic Soap

Kasey from KcSoapsnMore – ‘Chocolate Mint BonBon Soaps’

Thanks to everyone who entered this contest and keep your eyes peeled for later today when we announce our next spooky contest! Check out our Facebook album here to get some more creative inspiration. And if you’re hankering for some additional eye candy, check out the past contests’ winners:

#Rebatch Winners

#Unique Tops Winners

#Natural Colorants Winners

#Soap Sculpting Winners

#Swirling Winners

#Embedding Winners

#Layers Winners

Make It Monday: #Packaging Challenge!

October 8, 2012 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

This week, it’s all about your fabulous and fantastic packaging. From plastic buttons to paper origami to upcycled vintage sheet wrappers, we want to see your unique way of using materials in the presentation of your soaps and body products! What brilliant new idea have you come with to enclose your melt and pour soaps? Do you have an exciting way of packaging your cold process soaps? How about overcoming the challenging shape of a round bath bomb?

Mission (if you choose to accept it)

Create a unique soap that follows the theme for the challenge of the week. This week is all about packaging — for all types of soaps and body products!
Post your pictures of your cute and creative packaging to Bramble Berry’s Facebook page during the entry period (October 8th -October 22nd).
Your entry must have the hashtag of the week in order to be entered into the contest. This week, your picture must have the hashtag #Packaging
At the end of the two weeks, Team Bramble Berry will pick our favorite entries. The winners of the challenge will be featured on the Soap Queen Blog. You have until Monday, October 22nd to post your #Packaging photos. Please submit your photos by 12 pm (pacific standard time).
You can submit up to three different pictures

Happy Packaging!

Missed any of our challenges? Check these albums for all of our challenges to get some extra-soapy inspiration for your next project:

Make it Monday: #Rebatch Challenge

Make it Monday: #Unique Tops Challenge

Make it Monday: #Natural Colorants

Make It Monday: #Soap Sculpting Challenge

Make It Monday: #Swirling Challenge

Make It Monday: #Embedding Challenge

Make It Monday: #Layering Challenge

Don’t forget to check back later today to see the winner’s of our Make it Monday: #Rebatch Challenge!

Fall Sweater Stripes Soap Tutorial

September 28, 2012 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

I’ve just added a new board to my Pinterest page: Color Inspiration! How did I go so long without this board? And have you seen the array of color palettes that are out there? Whoa. Inspiration overload. One of my favorite go-to sites for all things color is Design Seeds, and recently there was a color story posted that reminded me of a comfy and cozy fall sweater. Of course, my next train of thought was to turn it into soap, and what better way to use Bramble Berry’s newest fragrance, Cranberry Chutney?

[Read more…]

Make It Monday: #Rebatch

September 24, 2012 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Guess what day it is?! Its Make it Monday! So far on this round of cold process challenges, we’ve seen hundreds of naturally colored soaps (check out this eye candy) and some absolutely phenomenal unique tops! (Psst…Check back later today to see the winners of the most recent #uniquetops challenge!). So are you ready for this week’s challenge?

Mission (if you choose to accept it)

Create a unique soap that follows the theme for the challenge of the week. This week is all about rebatch.
Post your pictures of your rebatch soap to Bramble Berry’s Facebook page during the entry period (September 24th -October 8th).
Your entry must have the hashtag of the week in order to be entered into the contest. This week, your picture must have the hashtag “#Rebatch
At the end of the two weeks, Team Bramble Berry will pick our favorite soaps. The winners of the challenge will be featured on the Soap Queen Blog. You have until Monday, October 8th to post your #Rebatch photos. Please submit your photos by 12 pm (pacific standard time).
You can submit up to three different pictures. [Read more…]

Sunset Over the Water by Lovin’ Soap

September 20, 2012 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Check out this great cold process tutorial featuring Bramble Berry’s neon colorants layered to look like a gorgeous ocean sunset. Here’s Amanda with the how-to! -Anne-Marie

Sunset over the water
By Amanda Griffin

The recipe:
Sweet Almond Oil – 5 oz.
Avocado Oil – 5 oz.
Castor Oil – 4 oz.
Rice Bran Oil – 5 oz.
Olive Oil – 18 oz.
Shea Butter – 5 oz
Coconut Oil – 18 oz
Water – 12 oz (I did a discount since I have all of the soft oils)
Lye – 8.4 oz

Colorants: Fired up Fuchsia, Tangerine Wow!, Fizzy Lemonade, Blue Mix LabColor, Ultraviolet Blue, Cappuccino Mica, Super Pearly White Mica

Mold: Wood Mold with Silicone Liner

Fragrance: Energy and Moroccan Mint.

Buy everything you need for this project with the click of a button! [Read more…]

Behind the Scenes at the Bramble Berry Warehouse

September 19, 2012 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Bramble Berry Orders: Behind the Scenes!

We often hear that coming home to a Bramble Berry box has the excitement of Christmas morning! So we thought you might like a glimpse of what the merry ‘elves’ here at Bramble Berry do to get you your order. Here’s the play by play from placing your order to receiving your order for an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek into the Bramble Berry warehouse!

The first step starts with you, our valued customers (we wouldn’t be here with out you!). Orders can be placed online on Bramble Berry’s website using our easy to use online shopping cart. If you prefer to place your orders over the phone give us a call at 1.877.627.7883.

(Meet the Customer Service Team) The BB customer service team loves talking all things soap related and taking orders!

Once your order has been placed, you will receive an email confirmation. Did you know that you can make changes to your order within one hour of placing it? Just send us an email to orderchange(at)brambleberry(dot)com within one hour of placing your order or notify us by writing a note on your order. [Read more…]