Guest Chinese CoinsCan you tell we’ve gone a bit mold crazy here? It was virtually impossible with so many great designs hitting the market this month. I hope you like what we added.
Cuteness Alert: New Soap Molds!
Search Results for: www.brambleberry.com
iPhone Soapmaking App Update
I can’t believe I forgot to tell you that we updated the iPhone Soapmaking App last month – we added a NOTES section to the iPhone App. The App allows you to formulate soapmaking recipes on the go, wherever you are. There are over 60 oils with superfatting ranges up to 20%. The App also figures out the amount of liquids for your recipe. You can email recipes, save recipes and make it larger or smaller without reworking everything. And, for our soaping friends across the pond? It works in grams as well as ounces. If you already own the App, the download will happen for you automatically. If you don’t have it yet and want to have this handy tool, click HERE for more information or to buy it from iTunes. With over 500 downloads and over 4 stars, you’ll be in good company. Here are some reviews directly from iTunes:
Notes section is great
Thank you for adding the notes section to the new version. It was well needed. I use this app frequently and appreciate that I can easily resize the recipes. I’ve been able to get around the lack of %s by starting a recipe at 100 ounces and then changing the final amount once the %s are right. When the app gets the %s option without this workaround, my soap app life will be complete.
SUPER SOAP APP!!!
This app is a dream come true for soapers. We’ve tried several different notecard, file & recipe apps for our soap recipes but have been frustrated by the inability to really customize our recipes & their specific oil combinations. This app has tons of oil choices for formula building and even allows us to choose our superfat %. Would love to have room for additional notekeeping but awesome as is. Buy it!
You can buy the App HERE.
Apps at AppStoreHQ
5 Ways to Strengthen Your Willpower
Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself. ~ Abraham Joshua Heschel
Earlier this week, I commented on this cupcake thread that ‘Nothing tastes as good as making a promise to yourself and keeping it.‘ As I went through my ‘Healthy Living Week‘ with an accountability partner, that phrase rang with me as I turned down everything from my favorite cheeses to skipping the grand opening for a new cupcake shop in town (holding back sobs). The entire experience made me curious about how willpower and self-control are formed. If we didn’t have it to start with, can we learn it?
Thinking back over my childhood, I tried to identify areas where my willpower muscle had been strengthened growing up. My parents were excellent at helping me and my brother set goals and meet them. They were quick to show us how accountability in our own actions brought about positive results and they modeled good behavior for us. My brother and I got lucky. We had parents that understood that greater self-control is a predictor for success (article). What if you didn’t have that type of upbringing? Is it too late for you? No. It is never to late to learn a new skill or strengthen a dormant muscle. Here are some proactive ways you can work to strengthen your self-control and willpower:
1. Practice Internal Locus of Control – At Bramble Berry, we call this ‘ILC!’ It means that you believe you can change things. It means that you accept responsibility rather than blaming others. If you have ILC, you will say “I am going to have an apple instead of that delicious chocolate chip cookie because I have the choice and I choose to be healthy.” If you have a more External Locus of Control, you will say “It’s not my fault that I’m hungry for the cookie! It’s because my husband ate all the oatmeal this morning and I didn’t get a good breakfast and now I’m starving! I deserve to be happy!” Take a stand. Make a choice. Take responsibility. Look at what you can do to change the situation and empower yourself. Don’t ever wait for anyone to do things for you.
2. Thing Globally, not Locally – Think about the big picture, not just the now. Last night, my husband had a delicious bag of Smart Pop White Cheddar Popcorn. He snacked on it in bed while I drank my … water. My water was delicious (not!) and I could smell his popcorn. Thinking locally would have been “I have been so good all day; one handful of popcorn won’t hurt me! Plus, it’s only like 30 calories. 30 Calories is nothing and I’m hungry NOW!” Thinking globally is more like this “I’ve been good all day; why spoil it now? Plus, summer is almost here and I know I’m going to wear a bikini. I need to think long term and make the right decision.” This means that you think about the ‘why’ behind your goals, not just the method you are using to achieve them. Remember the greater picture. Remember the ‘why.’
3. Replace – Pinpoint the areas in your life where you are lacking self-control. For me, it’s cheese (even more than cupcakes) and organizing. Design a few concrete phrases you can easily say to yourself when you are being tempted: “I love having a clean and organized house.” “I am proud of myself for making positive choices around eating.” Use tools available to you like this app, “The Habit Factor” and get an accountability partner to help you on your path.
4. Declare – There is little in life more powerful than public shaming or public cheering. If you are going to practice your self-control and quit a habit (such as smoking) tell as many people as you can. Get them to support you. Think about them when you’re wavering in your strong decision and every time you see them and they say “How’s it going to today?” answer them as if your goal had already happened “Well, I am really loving being a non-smoker.” “I’m noticing that I can take a deep breath now that I’ve quit smoking.”
5. Celebrate – Celebrate your wins! The more wins and notches you have on your belt for your self-control battles, the more confident you will be in yourself and your ability to do anything. Savor the moment. Take a mental snapshot so you can think back about your success the next time you need a boost of will power.
I had one particularly difficult night last week when my entire family insisted on going to Olive Garden and ate all my hot button yummy foods (fettuccine alfredo, Olive Garden salad, lemon chiffon dessert). As I sat there eating my chicken breast with absolutely nothing on it (no salt, no pepper, no oil) and smelling the wafting bread sticks, it was a challenge but my Dad told me afterwards he was proud of me for setting a goal and sticking to it. That made the last 90 minutes all worthwhile (but, of course, he still thinks the liver cleanses are silly). I have a mental snapshot of my Dad saying how proud he was of me – I can hear him say it right now as I type this. Anytime I have a weak moment in the future, you know what I’m going to be replaying in my head – his positive reinforcement.
Test yourself on small tasks and strengthen your willpower to conquer bigger challenges. Before you know it, you’ll have built up your willpower and self-control muscles and be able to climb any mountain, succeed at any workout program and eat healthy for the rest of your life.
Nothing makes it easier to resist temptation than a proper bringing-up, a sound set of values – and witnesses. ~Franklin P. Jones
Don’t Miss Out on SWI 2010
Spots are still available for Soap Weekend Intensive: Sign Up HERE
We’ve already introduced Erin Pikor, from Naiad Soap Arts, and are so excited about her melt and pour projects: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Ambrosia Salad.
Jude from Aussie Soap Supplies just emailed me some fabulous pictures of some of her recent cold process projects. These are beautiful soaps and big reminder that you’ll be learning from a pro!
Click here for more information on Soap Weekend Intensive August 2010 HERE.
Graduation Party Favors Tutorial
Graduation is just around the corner which means your graduation party is just around the corner too! Make these easy melt and pour graduation scrolls in your favorite school colors. Your guests will give you an A+ and they’ll never know how easy it was!
Ingredients
4 oz clear soap
4 oz white soap
2 ml fragrance oil
Rubbing Alcohol
Ribbon
Yields 2 scrolls
ONE: Melt 4 ounces of clear soap base in the microwave (about 30 seconds). Once the soap is fully melted, mix in .3 ounces of liquid glycerin, 1 ml of fragrance oil and your non-bleeding (school) colors. I chose Liquid Green to represent one of our local schools, Sehome High. Mix well and pour the soap into the brownie pan mold. Spritz with rubbing alcohol to get rid of those pesky bubbles. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
TWO: In the meantime, melt 4 ounces of white soap base in the microwave (about 30 seconds). Then mix in .3 ounces of liquin glycerin and 1 ml of fragrance oil. I left this layer white but feel free to add a colorant at this time. Mix well.
THREE: Once your first layer of soap has cool and your melted soap is around 120-125 degrees, spritz the first layer with rubbing alcohol and pour the second layer of soap. Spritz again with rubbing alcohol to get rid of any bubbles. Let the layers cool for about 10 minutes.
Tip: Don’t let the soap cool for too long. As soon as it’s hard enough to unmold it’s ready to “roll”. If you wait too long the soap will be harder to work with and you could end up with unsightly cracks (which may drop your grade on the project).
FOUR: Once the soap has cooled, carefully pull the soap out of the mold and place it on a flat surface. Cut the soap in half with a soap cutter or flat edged knife. Then trim up the sides so all of the edges look the same (getting rid of those rounded corners).
FIVE: Start at the skinny end of the soap and roll it all the way up. Then (aggressively) squeeze the middle of the soap to slightly dent it. This will give the soap its “paper like” effect.
SIX: Tie a coordinating ribbon around the soap in a simple bow and you’re done. They’re ready for the party favor bowl!
Like what you see? Check out similar projects on the Soap Queen Blog like Fortune Cookie Soaps, Pinwheels, Soapy Candy Canes, Sushi Soap, Jelly Rolls Soaps
Sweet Potato vs Cupcake
Despite being on my Healthy Living Week, life still happens and in this case, life included baking Carrot Cake Cupcakes. It was Christina’s 3 year Bramble’versary and Carrot Cake is her favorite dessert. Lucky for me, Facebook Fan Lyn S. from New South Wales had a recipe to share with me.
The recipe is from a small Australian cookbook called Jam Packed by Lana and Delia Raizon, published by The Five Mile press.
Ingredients:
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs lightly beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted (If you like a more moist cupcake, I’d recommend 6, FYI)
2 carrots, peeled and grated (Add an extra carrot if you loooove carrots)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon boiling water
shredded coconut, toasted, to decorate
1 tablespoon butter (my addition)
Mix all the dry ingredients together, mix the wet ones in. Preheat oven to 350. Bake cupcakes for 17 to 22 minutes depending on strength of oven. Whip all frosting ingredients together.
Secret Anne-Marie’s-Mom-Trick: to check if the cupcakes are done, stick a sharp knife in it. If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are done. If it comes out ‘wet’, you know it needs to cook another few minutes.
When cupcakes are done, let fully cool before frosting.
As for me and my Healthy Living Week? Well, I had a delicious and oh-so-filling Baked Sweet Potato with nothing on it while making the cupcakes. It wasn’t quite a cupcake but there’s nothing more sweet than making a promise to yourself and sticking to it.
It’s Healthy Living Week!
Regular readers and Twitter followers (shout-out to my tweeple!) know I strive to live a healthy life with my eating, supplements and exercise habits (though, I do succumb to cupcake failures fairly routinely). Twice a year, I do an extra super duper effort to eat perfectly clean (last year, I did the full Fat Flush program. That was hard!) For this bi-yearly Healthy Living Week, my accountability partner is Jody Bergsma (who posted about our Healthy Week on her FB page here. There was some good discussion, including sharing of smoothie recipes).
We’re doing a modified Fat Flush + Isagenix program. It’s pretty simple: no caffeine, no alcohol, very very limited oil, no sugar, no salt, 2 protein shakes per day and one ‘regular’ lean protein/veggie meal, 5 servings of low-glycemic fruits and veggies, ground flaxseed and copious amounts of unfiltered, unsweetened cranberry juice. In addition to the food choices, we’re doing a bunch of liver support herbs (like Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root) and cleansing tea infusions.
This is my go-to protein shake for the next week. It uses Jay Robb Whey Protein. I like Jay Robb protein because it has no artificial sweeteners or sugar, uses hormone free whey, and has a full 25 grams of protein (almost 50% of my recommended protein for the day).
1 scoop Jay Robb Whey Protein
6 oz. Strawberries or Raspberries
2 Tbs of Almond Butter
12 oz. cold water
Blend it all up – drink up. There’s 353 calories in the shake, 32 grams of protein and 2 grams of sugars.The Almond Butter adds 190 calories to the 110 calories in the protein powder so if you are trying to keep the calories light, skip the Almond Butter. Either way, it’s insanely healthy and filling. That plus a mid-day fruit or almond snack will keep you going until lunch.
Have a great week! If you want to join me and Jody on our Healthy Week, we’d love company.
Behind the Scenes at SQTV
I hope your Memorial Day was fantastic – and that sometime today, you found a moment in silence to reflect on why Memorial Day matters to you or better yet, thanked a service person for their sacrifice on behalf of our Country.
The SoapQueen.TV crew and I took advantage of the week day off to shoot two new episodes of SoapQueen.TV. It was a luxury because normally we shoot on the weekend.
This is our Director Ron. He looks happy with me at this moment (phew!). We’re in dress rehearsal (thus no apron and the messy table). Besides our script writing sessions and script read through, we also go through all the steps before shooting the ‘aloud voice’ part of filming. It helps us find the best shots for the final cut.
We shot two episodes today: Tattoo Melt and Pour Soap Project and a Premium Episode – Liquid Soap from Scratch (can’t wait? We have a downloadable E-Book that will give you the basics). The Tattoo Melt and Pour Soap project is super duper cute and ultra teen-friendly.
Even though I’m the only one on camera, SoapQueen.TV has an incredible crew making sure everything goes smoothly. Notice my ‘stunt double’ in the back of the set, babying the liquid soap through gel phase? If I didn’t have the incredible support of a competent team, the shoots wouldn’t be nearly as much fun AND they would go three times as long.
Thank you SoapQueen.TV crew. You guys rock!
Drool Worthy Cupcake Recipes from Around the ‘Net
My Recipe Finds is an awesome foody blog that stopped me in my tracks today. I stumbled upon a blog post called “Top 20 Unique Cupcake Recipes of 2010”. Check out the blog here and click on the cupcakes for the yummy recipes…if you dare!
Oreo Cupcakes, Margarita Cupcakes, Cider Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting, Strawberry Lime Stuffed Cupcakes, Caramel Pecan Cupcakes, Lemon Cupcakes, Guiness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting, Chocolate Cherry Coke Cupcakes and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes…and those are just the ones that you see pictures above! Be sure to check out My Recipe Finds to read more!
Do you want to try one of my favorite cupcake recipes? I made them in January for a 10 year Bramble’versary. See the blog post on my Salted Caramel Choco-Beer Cupcakes, they are worth it!
Give the Popcorn to the BonBon Lady
Last night, my sweet friend Jody Bergsma and I went to see Sex and the City II. We got somewhat dressed up, snuck exotic snacks into the theater and giggled about how much fun 2 hours of brainless entertainment would be. Despite having 88% cocao, organic, fair-trade chocolate secreted in our bags, there is some brain chemistry that shouts “I MUST HAVE JUNK FOOD!” when heading into a theater. Jody succumbed and purchased and entire carton of Dibs. If you haven’t had Dibs, I would recommend not ever starting. Like heroin, they are addicting at first bite. Jody, being a good friend (similar to Lucifer and Jesus in the Desert), tried to entice me into having just one. Having weaned myself off of those diabolical treats once in my past, I wasn’t about to start. Plus, despite the treadmill desk and bread being back in my life, I still have the metabolism of a 78 year old and gain weight just looking. So, I declined. Jody has stronger will-power than me though and only needed a few Dibs to satisfy her craving. When I didn’t take her offer to share, turned around to the entire theater and shouted “Hey! Anyone want to share these with me?” Before long, the carton of Dibs was making it back, row after row, with people in each row taking just one Dibs and passing the sweet goodness along.
Two things happened: 1. You could hear the delight and merriment as the Dibs made it to the next row, the burble of happy talking and 2. As we heard the merriment spread, Jody and I started grinning like fools. I excitedly exclaimed to her, “You’re spreading Happy Pixie-Dibs Dust all over the theater!” (Not my most intelligent comment ever but it described the situation perfectly.) We both were reminded that sharing feels good.
Then we settled in to watch the previews. But, a funny thing happened. We heard rustling many many rows back and the same phrase being repeated over and over again, drawing closer to our row, “Give the Popcorn to the BonBon Lady“. And, finally, a nice little ‘to go’ container of Popcorn arrived at our seat. We heard people in the rows behind us sharing their popcorn with multiple rows, “Here, want some popcorn?” An hour into the movie, the process repeated itself and we found ourselves with another offering of popcorn.
Jody’s simple gift of sharing with strangers transformed an entire side of the theater into giving, sharing people. And for just those three hours, our sense of community was deepened and broadened through her act of giving. And, as cheesy at is sounds, I’m going to look for opportunities to spread Happy Pixie-Dib Dust around more often.
Using Colorants in Cold Process Soap – Video
And your patience is rewarded! Here it is, the last in the basic Cold Process series. This episode is all about how to color your soap. I talk about (and demonstrate) how to use Micas, Oxides and LabColors. And I show how morphing isn’t always bad. Happy Soaping!
How to Make Cold Process Soap: Using Colorants, Episode 4 from Soap Queen on Vimeo.
Safety First! Watch the first video in this series “Lye Safety and Ingredients” Before attempting to make the soap demonstrated in this video. While you’re at it – maybe you should watch the second video “Basic Terms” so you are fully prepared to make a successful batch of CP soap.
Recipe:
7 oz Coconut Oil
7 oz Palm Oil
7 oz Olive Oil
1 oz Castor Oil
7.3 oz Distilled Water
3.1 oz Sodium Hydroxide
Heat Safe and Non-Reactive Containers and Utensils
Stick Blender
Colorants used:
Red Mica
Cellini Blue Mica
Ultramarine Violet
Fuchsia LabColor
The Making of the Bicycle Soap
Hi everybody! You may have recently seen Anne-Marie’s post about my Bicycle Soap which I made just for the Soaper’s Showcase at the HSMG Conference in Denver earlier this month. I wanted to use as many techniques as I could to wow the crowd, and I’m thrilled to say it did win for Best M&P Appearance (thank you, Conference attendees for your votes!!), and now I will show you how I did it.
First I printed out a bicycle graphic on soap embed paper using a laser printer. I neatly cut it out, leaving about 1/16″ of white space all around. It doesn’t have to be perfect since the white paper becomes translucent in the soap.
I poured 1/8″ layer of clear soap base into a basic square mold. With a small, flat paintbrush, I mixed green chrome oxide with a drop of liquid glycerin. I painted wispy grass on the hardened layer of clear soap. I let it dry completely.
Next I poured about 1/8″ layer of clear soap onto the painted layer and placed my bicycle into the hot soap. I allowed that to harden then painted more grass. To embed my marbled clouds (I used pearly white mica and clear soap to make a marbled soap sheet then cut out clouds using some fondant cutters), I poured another thin layer of clear soap and put my clouds in. For more dimension I let that set, then set another layer of clouds in yet another layer of clear. (How many layers are we up to now? I lost count!)
At last, we’re ready to make the sky. I mixed blue non-bleeding colorant with pearl mica and stirred it into clear soap base. I poured 1/8″ layer into the mold, then propped one side onto a notepad to make the sky only cover 1/2 of the mold. Finally I topped it off with white scented soap on a level surface. Voila!
This is certainly an “art piece” and not one that I would make to sell. I made another to give to a celebrity designer that I might meet this week which will probably be my last one. But I’m thinking about some variations – this diorama idea has so many possibilities! Can you tell I’m addicted to glycerin soap? I love it!!
Treadmill Desk! Go Forth and Walk!
I have longed for a treadmill desk ever since Michael Hyatt tweeted a video about his. I don’t think I’ve eaten a piece of bread since 1979 in my constant search for caloric stasis yet it turns out, even working out daily and eating healthy isn’t enough to keep my metabolism on par with where it needs to be. The latest studies coming out show that your metabolism is damaged by sitting too much during the day and people who sit longer die earlier (eeek!). Though I am often up and down between my desk and the soap lab, when I’m in the office, it’s a sedentary existence. After seeing the metabolism study, I got serious about getting a treadmill desk.
After much planning and budgeting, I started watching Craiglist for used gym-quality treadmills. In my research, I was told several times that for walking slowly for hours a day would be taxing on any motor (which made no sense to me but to be fair, my degree is in psychology and I’ve never been great with mechanics). Since I needed a big motor, it took a while to find a treadmill that had a huge motor without costing a huge bundle. I finally found a refurbished Precor Treadmill, just like the ones at my gym. It’s a huge monster of a beast. It took 4 guys and a forklift to unload it.
The next step was to figure out how to put a desk on it. I wanted a desk that I could unhook in case I wanted to run on the treadmill (what a crazy idea to use it the way it’s supposed to be used). I found a custom woodworker locally, showed him the treadmill, told him about my crazy idea, braced for laughter and within a week, he had measured and built my treadmill desk. And, now, every day, I walk for at least 3 hours a day while answering emails. It’s super easy. I don’t even notice I’m walking and hallelujah, bread is back in my life.
Here’s a blog poston how to build your own $39 desk to put on your treadmill. Or the fantastic cabinet maker that built mine said he is happy to share the plans for a nominal fee. Either way, if you work in an office and you’d like to burn calories while you work and yes, even live longer, start saving your pennies to save your life.
Soap Queen Sunday and Fizzies Galore!,
I hope everyone had a great weekend! It was drizzly and cold here in Bellingham so it was a perfect day to be in the studio filming episodes of Soap Queen TV. I’m so excited for these episodes to air. We made the cutest bath bomb cupcakes, patriotic fizzies and 3D mondo bath bombs.
“Bath Bomb Cupcakes: Take One” (Look, we even got an official clapboard!)
“A Table Full of Cuteness”
“Mondo Bath Bombs in Progress”I can’t wait to share these episodes with you. If you’ve ever had trouble with bath fizzies, making the mondo stainless steel bath bomb molds stick together or couldn’t figure out how to frost your cupcake, these two episodes will solve those mysteries and more. This upcoming week, the last of the Basic Cold Process series airs and I’ll have the Advanced Premium Swirling SoapQueen.TV videos done soon thereafter.