Welcome to another Q&A session about everything soapy and soap related. Check out our previous information product posts all about Nail Polish, Lip Balm, All Things Lotion, Preservatives, Melt and Pour Soap or Colorants. This week’s post comes to us from a few questions we’ve received from customers about maintaining clarity in Clear Melt and Pour Soap. Read on to learn more about these awesome scents that you can use in your bath and body products.
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Facebook Photo of the Week (March 15 ~ March 22)
It’s finally spring and we are seeing a teensy bit of sunshine here in the Pacific Northwest. We spent the day outside in sunny but chilly 45 degree weather, throwing rocks and visiting koi ponds (Jamisen totally tried to ruin a fish’s life by throwing a rock in the pond; we were horrified). In honor of the spring, I created a fun and bright lip balm tutorial that will definitely give your lips a tropical punch with Pineapple and Papaya Flavor Oils. Craving more tutorials for your kisser? Check this link out. I’m working on a new body butter whip next week and perfecting deodorant recipes this weekend (sooooo close!). Read on to find out this week’s Facebook Photo of the Week…
P.S. We got a genius tip from one of our Facebook fans this week. She used our silicone liner and found a great way to keep them steady and open before you pour. Use paperclips to hold the liner against the mold and they won’t leave any marks or lines on your soap. Thanks, for the tip Margo!
Goat Milk Soap Tutorial on Soap Queen TV
This episode of Soap Queen TV is pretty long at almost 13 minutes. But I promise, it’s worth it! In this video I show one of my favorite techniques for working with milk – the freeze method. It’s one of the techniques I teach in my Making Milk Soap from Scratch book. In this video, I create a 4 color in-the-pot swirl and use our silicone cube mold to show that you can get beautiful colors and designs with milk based soaps. [Read more…]
Claire Dann 2012 BBAC Update
It’s time for another Bramble Berry Athletic Club charity shout out! If you’re a daily Soap Queen reader you’re probably familiar with BBAC and know that Bramble Berry donates a portion of our profits to local non-profit organizations. Starting BBAC was a way to connect with some of our customers equally as passionate about giving back and a way for Bramble Berry to donate to a wider variety of charitable causes that touch the lives of our customers.
Claire Dann Graduated from UW in 2012 and is now on her way to Oxford for grad school. She was one of the top fundraisers for the UW Relay For Life event and loves making lip balm from Bramble Berry in her spare time (when she’s not studying). Thanks for representing BBAC, Claire, we’re so proud to have you representing Bramble Berry!
Tell us about your charity!
Relay For Life supports the American Cancer Society. Because cancer never sleeps, the event is 24 hours long. The event honors cancer survivors and remembers loved ones that lost the battle with a candle light ceremony at dusk (always very emotional). My team, Paul’s Pals, camped out overnight and took turns walking and running around the track. Thanks to Bramble Berry’s charitable contribution, my team was able to raise over $5000 for the cause!
Domino Lip Balm
These fun and fruity lip balms are great for those who love the classic game of Dominoes. We are personally big fans of Trains (sometimes referred to as ‘Mexican Trains’) in this household. By manipulating hardened lip balm base, I was able to create a fun polka-dotty look with a tropical twist. Read on to learn how to create these adorable and yummy-tasting lip balms.
Recipe:
Drinking Straw
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! [Read more…]
Sneak Peek: Soap Crafting Advance Reader Copy
Want a sneak peak at what I’ve been poring over for the last week? My nose has been constantly buried in the advance reader copy of Soap Crafting, my book that is set to publish this August. Even better news, the book is now available for presale right here! Remember, pre-sale purchases get two free Advanced Technique videos with projects from the book when the book is released. We’ve got it set up to ship via Media Mail when it comes out so you can pre-order and be among the first to get it and the videos when the book is released. To pre-order your copy of Soap Crafting, click here and add the book to your shopping cart, then proceed with checkout.
New Zealand; not just sheep
Recently my parents were traveling in New Zealand (a favorite destination of theirs) when my Dad happened upon a little soap shop in Rotorua. His interest was peaked so he ducked in to take a look around while my Mom continued shopping. Impressed by displays and product, my dad asked the owner if he could take some pictures to show his daughter, who sells soap in the states. As it happened, my dad discovered Soap Queen fans (eeeek!) in I Love Soap! When Dad told me this, I was totally flattered. He also said that it was a great store and suggested I contact the owner, James, for an interview (and hands me all the contact info). No convincing necessary, Dad! One look at the pictures he took and I became a fan of James; it’s a mutual admiration society!
I Love Soap owner James [Read more…]
Honey Beeswax Cold Process Tutorial
Did you know that our Heavy Duty (HD) and ELF molds are great for cold process? They’re made of durable FDA approved food grade plastic, which means you can use them for food projects like this adorable holiday tutorial demonstrates (just remember to keep molds for food separate from molds for soap!). It also means that your cold process soap may typically need 1-2 weeks before it’s ready to unmold from these molds. The range of designs in this mold line is totally worth the wait, but a bit of Sodium Lactate (1 tsp per pound of oils) added to cooled lye water can help facilitate the hardening process and allow for a shorter wait time.
Recipe:
0.55 oz Cocoa Butter
3.3 oz Coconut Oil
2.75 oz Olive Oil (pure)
3.3 oz Palm Oil
1.1 oz Sunflower Seed Oil
1.6 oz Sodium Hydroxide (lye)
3.6 oz Distilled Water
1 teaspoon Sodium Lactate
0.8 oz Honey Beeswax fragrance
(Note: This mold has been discontinued.
It has been substituted with the 6 Cavity Honeycomb Silicone Mold.)
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! [Read more…]
Matte Finish Nail Polish Tutorial
Creating our own nail polish has become all the rage for Team Bramble Berry and we can’t get enough of playing around with our Suspending Nail Polish Base. We’ve done everything from basic colors to scented nail polish. Have any questions about making your own nail polish? Check out Talk it Out Tuesday all about customizing nail polishes. For this tutorial, I’m trying out a cool effect I came across while surfing Pinterest last week. Matte nail polishes are all the rage, and the addition of a special ingredient – cornstarch – can take your polish from glossy to glam.
Ingredients:
Cornstarch
4 oz Suspending Nail Polish Base
10-15 Nail Polish Mixing Balls
Click here to add everything you need for this project (except for the cornstarch) to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! [Read more…]
Behind the Scenes: Soap Queen TV + Soap Crafting!
I’m delighted to share a sneak peek behind the scenes of the latest episode of Soap Queen TV, featuring our brand new set design. In addition, I also have news about the book I’ve written, Soap Crafting…we will be offering two FREE, exclusive Cold Process episodes of Soap Queen TV, each demonstrating a recipe found in the book, to all customers who pre-order through Brambleberry.com. Pre-ordering for the book Soap Crafting will be available soon, so keep an eye out for the announcement!
Facebook Photo of the Week (March 1 ~ March 8)
Last week was super busy on the SoapQueen blog. Two new contests were introduced: a new Make It Month (all about the sample of the month, Oatmeal Milk and Honey Cybilla) and a call to arms by subscription service Fair Ivy. We also blogged three new tutorials: a super cute Red Apple Cold Process Soap Recipe, an anti-pinch nail polish tutorial for St. Patrick’s Day, a DIY tutorial on how to make a traveler bag for toddlers and my favorite, the shortbread recipe that I used to announce the gender of Bramble Girl to my family. Miss out on any of the daily happenings? Join us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page to keep up-to-date and learn about the newest products, tutorials and deals. Best of all the sun is finally shining in the Pacific Northwest (well, intermittently) and all of Team Bramble Berry is soaking up as much of it as they can. Are you ready for last weeks Facebook Photo of the Week? Let’s go!
Red Apple Cold Process Soap
Here’s a great way to dress up an otherwise unassuming bar of soap. It reminds me of the painted heart soap technique that we learned at Soap Weekend Intensive 2011 (fun memories!) but with a twist. Adorable little apples dot the surface of this soap made with our newest Quick Mix oil recipe. Red Apple fragrance oil pairs perfectly with the cute and kitschy apple design! Yum to the eleventh power.
Recipe:
33 oz Basic Quick Mix Oil
4.7 oz Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)
10.9 oz Distilled Water
2 Condiment Bottles
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
PS – This technique, of course, works for all cold process soap recipes – not just ones with the Quick Mix Oils =) [Read more…]
Pink and Blue(berry) Shortbread Cookies Recipe
I love any excuse for my family to get together! After finding out the gender of our Bramble Bump, I was delighted to host another gender reveal party for the extended family to share the news. I also ran with the theme in the baked goods and decor department – you can check out the super fun layered ombre cake recipe I made here. These yummy little shortbread cookies where a hit with the fam, and Jamisen was delighted to be surrounded by so. much. sugar. =)
Recipe 1: Blue(berry) Shortbread
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup fresh blueberries [Read more…]
Anti-Pinch Nail Polish
If you’re looking in your closet right now and scratching your head about the complete lack of green, fear not! I’ve got the perfect solution to save you from getting pinched this St. Patrick’s Day. This green nail polish will come in handy for saving you from pinchy fingers.
Recipe:
10-15 Nail Polish Mixing Beads
99% Isopropyl Alcohol
Click here to add everything you need (except the alcohol) to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! [Read more…]