Click here to learn how to make your own Crescent Moon, Starry Nights soap.
These examples were made by brand new melt and pour soapers. If they can do it, so can you!
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About.com Ghoulish Round Up
Trying to find a “no sugar added” activity for the kids this Halloween? Our Halloween Bath Fizzy Kit is the answer, or at least according to About.com (thanks for the recognition!)It’s good clean fun (and it’s not just for kids).
Check it out here on about.com
They said:
“Have some good clean fun when the tricks and treats are over. Create-your-own-kit includes ingredients and molds. $22.50. Call 877-627-7883 to order.”
Crescent Moon Tutorial – Day Two
Click here for Day One
Step Seven: By this point the white soap you injected into in the mold is likely to be ready (touch with your finger to make sure it’s hard). Then hold the entire mold up to the light and you should be able to some faint impression of the mold design. Knowing that the moon is on the left, begin to scrape (with your white scraping tool) very thin layers of soap from right to left, hold up to the light, scrape more, hold up to the light, scrape more.
Step Seven, still: By the 3rd scraping or so you can actually start to feel the bottom of the mold and that’s ok. What you want to achieve is to scrape most of the soap from the bottom, while leaving the stars and moon intact.At some point you can only guess what the finished product will look like (but generally speaking — if you leave too much soap at the bottom you may end up with really heavy clouds, if you scrape off too much you may actually scrape your stars off and end up with just a moon so aim for something between the extremes).
Step Eight: Now it’s time to revisit the navy blue Lily scented soap. Uncover and stir if it has begun to cool down to the point where there are thick spots just zap it for 20 seconds and stir. The Navy soap is ready to pour over the white soap in the mold when it is completely blended yet still warm enough to hold your pinkie finger tip in without any pain at all. The idea being, you want it liquid, but cool enough so it won’t melt your thinnest star detail in your mold.
Spritz the white layer!
Step Eight: When the navy soap is at the right temperature cover it back up with the plastic wrap, spray a single cavity with alcohol 5 sprays (to cover the entire bottom of the mold) peel back the plastic wrap and fill the cavity in one fast pour and spray the filled cavity with one spray of alcohol to remove any bubbles. Spray the 2nd cavity, and fill with one fast pour, continue ‘til you’re done. Spritz the white layer!
Spritz the back of the soap to remove any excess bubbles from pouring.
Let the mold set overnight if possible (or at least 4 hours). FYI, The clear shaving soap takes much longer to harden than the white shea butter soap. After the soaps have cooled (for at least 4 hours), for best results, cover the cooled soaps still in the mold with plastic wrap and turn detail side up in your freezer under the blower for 3 minutes then pull out and give one quick firm push to each cavity.
Look for the final reveal of this fun and easy (really, it is easy! Just try it, you’ll see) soap tomorrow.
Saponfier Mag Best Supplier Survey is Up
The Saponifier Magazine has opened up voting for their Best Supplier survey. We were thrilled to be named in the Best Supplier and Best Fragrance Supplier categories last year as a 2nd place finisher. (eyes modestly cast downwards) We’d love to win this year. If you agree, help us out.
Click here to be taken to the survey.
Crescent Moon Tutorial – Day One
PJ generously shared her technique for making realistic Starry Night soaps at the Soap Intensive Weekend held at Otion this summer. Now, she’s sharing the love with all of you. Thanks PJ!
The following recipe makes 4 Bars of Crescent Moon Soap (pssst – don’t want to make your own? Buy one for $7 here):
You will need:
Pre-heat 4 quart pan of water on simmer (for rinsing your tools)
1 dropper full of Gardenia Fragrance Oil
6 droppers full of Lily, Lilac or Stargazer Lily Fragrance Oil
4 oz white shea butter soap
20 oz clear shaving soap
Ultramarine Blue Oxide
Black Oxide
2 microwavable containers one large 20 oz and one smaller 8 oz
1 four cavity Crescent Moon Mold
1 PJScraper tool
1 PJInjector tool
1 Misting sprayer filled with rubbing alcohol
Paper Towels (white)
Plastic wrap
1 small sized foil ball (loosely crumpled sheet)
Or just buy the entire kit here.
Step One: Heat your water to a low simmer. Place the ball of foil under the right side of the crescent moon mold (so soap will slightly pool into the moon on the left). We used a paper plate since we didn’t have the foil close at hand.
Step Two: Cut your shea butter soap into Ice cube sized chunks and place in the small microwavable container, cover with plastic wrap and zap for 30 seconds, stir; if it’s not quite melted give it another 12 seconds or ‘til just melted (do not overheat).Add one dropper of gardenia and blend in. Spray the mold.
Step Three: Stick the tip of the dropper into the melted/scented white shea butter soap and draw the plunger back ‘til the injector is full.
Step Four: Mist one moon cavity with alcohol (3 sprays) and immediately inject the white soap from the right/higher side of the mold so soap fills in the stars and completely fills in the moon on the left.
Repeat 3 more times.
Step Five: If the soap in the injector cools off before you’ve finished you can always squirt it back in its container [immediately clear the injector by drawing up hot water and squirting it back into your pan] and zap for another 6-12 seconds or whatever time is needed to reheat – then re-mist and inject any empty cavity that is still in need of the first white layer.
Let the white soap totally harden 10 min or so.
Step Six: While the first layer is hardening , cut up your clear soap into ice cube sized bits, cover with plastic wrap and microwave in the larger microwavable container for 55 seconds. Stir, cover and zap for another 30 seconds or until the clear soap is completely melted making sure to stir each time you check to avoid creating hot spots (again, you do not want to overheat your soap).
When your clear soap is melted you are going to add 3 squirts of Ultramarine blue and stir in completely. Then add 1-3 drops of black oxide to your liking. The resulting color should be a deep navy blue soap. At this point stick your pinkie finger into the soap and if it’s not hot enough to burn your finger go ahead and add your Lily Fragrance Oil and stir in completely. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Check back tomorrow for the rest of the instructions for making Starry Night, Crescent Moon Soaps.
Happy Cupcake Calender
The Ability to Self-Soothe
Creating a Comforting Scent from Childhood
The ability to self-sooth is necessary for anyone going into the field of psychology. Partnering with an individual on the journey of emotional healing and spiritual reconciliation is taxing for both the patient and the therapist. After a day of giving proper focus to a client, a therapist can feel drained and psychically exhausted. It is important for any therapist to find healthy and fulfilling ways to center and re-energize. For those entering the field of art therapy, creativity is central in this process.
A group of Masters and Doctorate students in the Art Therapy program at Antioch University Seattle gathered for an experiential which focused on the concept of self-soothing. The directives were to create a comforting perfume that was reminiscent of childhood then compose a poem or piece of short prose about the experience. Using perfume-making supplies donated by Bramble Berry, Inc., seventeen students joyfully set out to self-sooth.
We were thrilled to be asked to participate in such a fun creative course. Since we work primarily with fragrances and soap supplies, none of us had ever heard of this type of art therapy and were intrigued by it all.
The following are some examples of the perfumes created and their accompanying poems.
Perfume Name:Sierra Madre Courtship
Scents used:Moonlight Pomegranate, Cold Water, Kentish Rain
O deep brown eyes
Makes my heart go pitter pat
He’s such a privilege
Perfume Name:Willow Fields
Scents used:Nag Champa, Patchouli
Romping through the weeping willows,
Waving to me in the wind,
I am at home with the Earth,
Romping through the weeping willows.
Perfume Name:Compilation/Moth Balls
Scents used:Patchouli, Honeysuckle, Spearmint
Old Scarves
Hyperaware
Birds drink/suckle
Eating flowers
Dirt
Garlic, sweat
Car oil
Perfume Name:Default Setting
Scents used:Moonlight Pomegranate, Orange Peel Cybilla
I kind of like lilies
But it didn’t smell like lilies
I kind of like lavender
But it didn’t smell like lavender
So I made a smell like Christmas
Perfume Name:Honey Bunch
Scents used:Oatmeal Milk and Honey, vanilla Select, Almond Cybilla, Kentish Rain
Sugary Sweet
Honey suckle
Fresh garden
Candy fun
Perfume Name:Treefort
Scents used:Peppermint,ChristmasForest
I played in a tree fort at a family cottage with my sister & cousins.
Lots of cedar, spruce, & white pine around.
I made a zip line & then flipped off it
& landed on my head when I was 11
Perfume Name:Baby Ava
Scents used:Vanilla Baby Powder Surplus, Oatmeal, Milk & Honey, Moonlight Pomegranate, Vanilla Select
You came so unexpected,
A true gift for the world.
So sweet and pure and innocent.
My brand new baby girl.
I wish that I could wrap you up to protect you from all harm.
I know you will live & learn,
And grow up to be strong.
But for now you are my little girl,
And I will keep you close and warm.
Perfume Name:Mom’s Christmas Cake
Scents used:Nag Champa, Almond Cybilla, Lilac, Lavender, Jasmine Dreams, Honeysuckle, Orange Peel Cybilla, Oatmeal Milk and Honey, Moondlight Pomegranate, Green Garden Cybilla
The early morning anticipation of the candied fruit & the almond oil. Using all my strength to mix the batter, round & round. Getting antsy, I just can’t wait for the time to come when we pour the batter into the pans & I am left with the best part: the spoon & bowl.
When Mold Strikes
Mold Growth 2 Months after Mold Discovery
Initial Mold Growth, 4 months after product was purchasedI get asked, a lot, about preservatives in lotions. The post about Organic & Natural standards prompted Shelly to ask about Bramble Berry’s official stance on preservatives in the “Comments” section of the post. The question about preservative is probably the number one asked question here at Bramble Berry. My standard answer always goes something like:
“I really wish there was a failsafe way for you to use only natural preservatives in your lotions. If there was, I’m betting the really big guys would be using them more. The truth is that right now, there are a lot of great antioxidants like ROE or Vitamin E on the market but the natural-natural preservatives just coming into vogue aren’t ideal for the home crafter.
Germaben II or Phenonip is used as less than 1% of the total ingredient in your lotion. I think that people probably do more damage to themselves by carrying around an extra few pounds or eating a Twinkie once a month than they do by having that 1% of preservative in their product.
Plus, if anything were to happen (shudder), you might end up growing a microbe in your lotion that actually harmed someone.”
Bramble Berry’s official position on preservatives is that for the home crafter, a full spectrum anti microbial such as Germaben II or Phenonip is the most safe and responsible way to preserve lotions.
Imagine my surprise and dismay when a chic-chic body cream I purchased at (throat clear) “A Big Name Salon in Seattle” started molding and growing hairs! Ewwww … I checked the ingredients list. Sure enough, there are awesome antioxidants (Honeysuckle Extract & Vitamin E) but no effective preservatives.
I called the manufacturer to let them know, figuring they’d want to know how I stored the lotion (on my desk), how old it was (three months since date of purchase) and if there was a batch number on it (there wasn’t). They graciously replaced the lotion.
Play it safe and use a preservative in your lotion products until natural preservatives become easy and efficient to use for home crafters.
Tutorial: Katie’s Wedding Soap Favors – Step 1, Getting Inspired
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
Crest Soaps by PJ
PJ, the talented soap artist who created the Realistic Clamshell Project from last week, made a piece of medieval artwork using just simple soap colors, the Milky Way Crest Mold and the PJ Tool Kit.
PJ did some research about her mold and had this to say about the historical realism of Milky Way’s work:
Did you know it’s a “real” crest of sorts? Whenever I get a mold that looks like it might be taken (even in part) from something that actually exists I like to do a little research and get some basics to at least make it look recognizable (or in this case to avoid insulting some family line) hehehe. Anyway, I just happened to find nearly the exact same crest called the “Rampant Lion Crest”:
http://www.medievalcollectibles.com/images/S112%20Large.jpg
http://www.medievalcollectibles.com/rampant-lion-crest-8478.html
A soap artist and a historian to boot … PJ is a soaper of many talents.
Competing Oraganic & Natural Certifications
The eco-chic trend is the all rage these days. It’s about decadence and pampering while being friendly and gentle to our environment and bodies. The trend is taking off and so are the prices of many organic products.
In the United States, the USDA has a certification program but it’s primarily there to address the needs of food and edible products, not beauty products. France has their Ecocert program and the UK has the Soil Association. The Soil Association will certify beauty products as organic and charge for this based on a sliding fee scale of revenue. Back in the U.S., the “big dogs” (like Whole Foods) are trying codify the standards for natural body and beauty products.Here are three new certification labels to watch for in the fight for dominance of this space in the beauty industry.
Whole Foods has a product line called Nude that launched in 2004 and is sealed with a Premium Body Care label. The label identifies over 250 ingredients that are unacceptable f
or products including parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates and polyethylene glycols (check out the entire list here). To meet this label’s standards the product must pass the test by using the mildest of preservatives, the safest surfactants and premium standard fragrances oils.
OASIS (Organic And Sustainable Industry Standards) is a standard represented by companies such as Estee Lauder and L’Oreal. To seal your products with the OASIS label, the product must be 85 % certified organic (and soon to be 95 %, wowza!). Keep an eye out for the OASIS seal, it’s said to be coming out sometime this year.
The IOS cosmetic standards one of North America’s first system certification standard for organic and natural cosmetics. To meet this label’s standard the product must be 95% of natural origin and include recyclable packaging. It also must be manufactured with out producing any toxins.
What does this mean for the little guys? It means that potential customers will become more educated about the terms “natural” and “organic” and ask you more clarifying questions prior to purchasing. If you want to stay in the running for these categories, you’ll need to be extra careful about the ingredients that go into your products.One of my concerns around all of this codifying and competing “seals of approval” is the cost to keep up. I have a sneaking suspicion that these changes might push out the little guys (certification can be expensive), leaving total domination of the natural and organic body care industry to those that can afford it (i.e. well established, larger brands).
Tutorial: Fiery Energy Bar
When I got this 3-D mold, I was so excited to try it out! The calligraphy is beautiful and since it already said “Energy” then I could use one of my favorite Bramble Berry scents named Energy, too. The fragrance is so bright and refreshing that it inspired me to use fiery colors, and what better way to show off that gorgeous lettering than to play with the melt and pour tool kit again!
I think you will really enjoy making this project. It’s actually quite easy but will leave many people wondering, “How’d you do that?” It’ll be our little secret. 😉
Materials:
Kanji Energy 3-D Mold, with or without contoured back
1/2 lb clear melt and pour soap base
Ultramarine Blue Oxide
Yellow Mica
Red Mica
Energy Fragrance Oil
Melt and Pour Tool Kit
Skewer
1) Melt 1 ounce of clear soap and color darkly with a pinch of blue oxide dissolved in a little rubbing alcohol or fragrance oil. Using the injector tool from the tool kit, fill the lettering with blue soap. Allow to set. (Refer to Cupcake Soap Tutorial for more detail on using the injector tool)
2) Melt 3 ounces of clear soap. Color with a pinch of yellow mica dissolved in alcohol or fragrance oil. Allow to cool to 120 degrees.3) Spray lettering with rubbing alcohol and quickly assemble the mold, using the rubber bands, and stand upright on table. Fill mold 1/2 way with yellow soap.
4) Repeat step 2, but use red mica. The soap will turn orange, not red. Add 1/8 teaspoon of fragrance oil. Carefully fill mold with orange soap. Spray surface with alcohol to pop any bubbles.
5) Take your skewer and stick it down into the mold, blending the yellow and orange layers. Allow soap to set for a few hours.6) Unmold soap. Use a knife to trim any rough edges or overfill.
This is a fun way to use bleeding colors to your advantage. The blended area will look even prettier after a little while as the orange bleeds into the yellow.
These 3-D molds are really neat to use and come in many styles. You will love how professional your soaps will look!
-Debbie, Soapylove
Orca Soap by Nahia Creations
Shelly from Nahia Creations (see previous posts about Nahia Creations great products here and here) made some gorgeous melt and pour soap this weekend, using the Bramble Berry Orca mold.
Her soap turned out great. The detail work around the eye is appealing and adds to the realistic look of the soap.
Burning Wishes … or Tablecloths (video)
I had the honor to host my (soon to be) sister in law’s Bridal Shower last night. At a bit of a loss about what to do, I was relieved to find these on the Rare Bird Finds blog. They had the scoop about Flying Wish Paper. As for the folks at Flying Wish Paper, they were a joy to work with, answering emails quickly and expediting my order with nary a fuss.
What *is* Flying Wish Paper? It’s a special paper that “flies.” Just write your wish on the Flying Wish Paper, shape it into a tube, light the top and watch as your wish burns down then dramatically rises into the sky.
For Cheriss’s Bridal Shower, it was perfect. The flying wishes were a classy twist on the traditional toast. And, bonus, it even had some action associated with it. I practiced a few times at the Bramble Berry offices prior to the big night. My wishes flew perfectly at the office. Note: If you’re an email subscriber, the video below will not show up in your InBox. Click through to the blog to see it.
The actual lighting of the wishes at Du Jour Bistro went a bit awry because of the fans. The air current kept pushing our little Wish Towers over, with flames attempting to burn holes in the tablecloths in the lovely backroom at Du Jour. We had a few close calls with the tablecloths but all was well and I was reminded about the importance of following directions.
Despite some of Wish Towers falling over because of the fans, Flying Wish Papers helped facilitate a heartwarming and ultra sweet evening. I really liked the sentiments expressed by all the women at the shower. In fact, I enjoyed the poignant (yet slightly sappy) experience so much that I plan on doing the same thing at Thanksgiving with my own family.
As for the actual wedding itself, it takes place next Friday night. Our entire family is looking forward to the long-awaited event with joy and anticipation.