Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more
Even (perceived) stodgy ol’ Sears is jumping on the cupcake trend bandwagon with this cute cupcake pendant. The white and rose gold (with real diamond accents) pendant certainly looks very bling-y.
For $119, it would make a pricey stocking stuffer but it’s a sure way to any cupcake-lover’s heart.
Thank you to the astute Soap Queen reader for telling me about this find.
Click here for Day One – set up & explanation of ingredients
Making body powder is surprisingly easy. For an item with high margins, one would think that there is more skill involved. It’s more a matter of patience than levels of knowledge or dexterity (see below for sifting and sifting and sifting).
Step One: Measure out your dry powders.
I tried many different combinations of Arrowroot, Tapioca Powder and Rice Flour. Ultimately, the mixture I ended up settling on was the easiest of the bunch. I measured with volume rather than weight (usually a no-no), justifying it by telling myself that many of the Soap Queen Blog readers might not have scales.
Most of the powders are lighter than air so they poof up when pouring. Be prepared for this and either (a) wear a mask or (b) don’t breathe. You will be dismayed to find Arrowroot Powder in crevices you never expected. The powder travels.
Step Two: Add color
You can use mica (body safe – no craft store glitters, please) and water based colorants such as Labcolors or True Tones. In my experience, most glitters are too large to fit through the teensy powder shaker holes and don’t stick well on skin. Also, pigments do not work well. While they provide adequate color, they tend to stick and turn into clay on sweaty skin. Ewwww …
Usage rate is to preference. Most micas tend to dust the skin with a glorious sprinkling of color when used at 6% quantities or greater. Labcolors and True Tones will dye the skin if used too freely (anything above .5% is too free with these concentrated colors). Test batches are advised.
Step Three: Add fragrance
As with color, please use body safe and skin safe products only. This means no candle fragrances, potpourri fragrances or random leftovers that have dubious origins. Usage rate varies based on what you want (subtle or perfumey) but I recommend .1 oz to .25 oz. of fragrance oil or essential oil (maximum) per 16 oz. of dry powders. If you use much more, you’ll end up with a perfume and not a lovely, subtle addition to your person.
One additional word of caution: Peppermint, Spearmint and Eucalyptus Essential Oils all have a natural component of menthol. Menthol gives a cooling sensation. Powders put in um, sensitive areas, will burn, sting and be uncomfortable with those essential oils.
Step Four: Sift, Sift, Sift
A large sifter is good for the first few strainings but when you’re down to the teensy knitty grit, a smaller sifter is better. Push, shove, and rub through the strainer until the last of your fragrance balls are evenly dispersed.
Check back tomorrow for more information on using Labcolors and True Tones to make your powders colorful and unique.
We just got a fax from the American Institute for Research. It seems that one of the recipes and accompanying instructions at TeachSoap.com is considered so well-written that the Ohio School System will be using the recipe and paragraph on their Grades 6 – 8 Reading Achievement Examination. The passage will be included for the next one to three years of testing.
The passage will potentially be in 140,000 copies of test.
Quoting from their letter, “… your text will be given a wide visibility as an example of excellence…”
I’m pretty stoked (stoked, as in “not a word that will please the Ohio School System Reading Comprehension Test”). Here’s to hoping that all of those 6 – 8th graders in Ohio become excited about making their own soaps at home after they read (and comprehend) the passage.
It’s not really cupcake wine and it doesn’t taste too sweet. It’s actually a wine from Cupcake Vineyards.
From the World Market site:
A big, rich Chardonnay from California’s desirable Central Coast, where the sun drenched grapes create full and elegantly-textured wines. Decadent layers of butter, cream, bright citrus and vanilla melt into a balance of oak and subtle spice. In other words: Sinful.
This isn’t just a powderpuff, hip-name, wine. It’s been getting rave reviews everywhere:
USA Today
Wine Lovers
San Francisco Chronicle
So, if you’re looking for a cheeky wine with flavor for the right price ($10) Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay is it!
It is 37 degrees in Bellingham with a nice light drizzle. Still, my bum needs a work out and my body needs the brisk wake-up. So in between setting soap layers for a 3-D soap Christmas project for a story, I took a run.
Debbie from Soapy Love is on the DIY Network for Craft Lab! Her show aired today at 2:30 and will also air again on December 3rd at 2:30 EST.
Click here to see details of the show. Debbie goes over how to make her fantabulous Soapsicles. It’s a show that you won’t want to miss!
Recently, one of our favorite Bramble Berry customers wrote us with some concerns about the talc powder that Bramble Berry sells. Intrigued, I looked into her concerns. After research, I decided that our cosmetic grade talc powder was a product that is safe under normal conditions of use. But, if she’s thinking it, maybe other customers are.
So, the Anti Talc Powder project was born.
Set up:
Arrowroot Powder
Tapioca Starch Powder
Labcolors or True Tones
Mica
Fragrance or Essential Oil
Powder Containers
Note: Rice Flour is pictured but doesn’t work very well
Mixing utensils
Bowls
Sifters
These plastic talc containers are affordable (just $1.38 per bottle) and easy to operate. They’re on sale for the month of December for just $.75 here. One side of the lid pops open with gentle pressure. Other options are wide mouthed jars with a powder puff or the sophisticated aluminum powder shakers.
Why Tapioca Starch Powder? Tapioca Powder is a modified tapioca starch that has been designed to be free-flowing and non-clumping. It is unique because to is aluminum free and because it has been modified with a silicone. It is velvety smooth and imparts a soft after-feel to the skin. It is great in body powders and can also be used in lotions and body massage bars to help cut down on a greasy feel.
Arrowroot Powder is a natural starch typically from the West Indies. It’s commonly used to thicken food sauces and imparts a light silky feel for body powders. It is free flowing and non- clumping for easy use with body powder containers.
It’s important to only use skin safe fragrances and colorants. No candle or potpourri fragrances and colors for this project, please.
Click here for Day Two instructions on fragrance and color.
Get Smart. Use Bramble Berry Kits!
I just put our Soap Queen blog to the “Readability Test.” The results aren’t good. The average newspaper is written to an 8th grade level to appeal to a wide range of people. The Soap Queen blog is apparently not written for 8th graders. If it’s not easy reading, will people read it? And, if you are reading it faithfully, does it mean that you’re a genius? Or that I’m a genius?
I’m confused. But to read more about Readability Indexes, here‘s a great web site with a PDF download to discuss it.
The Goddess of all things Crafty and Domestic, Martha Stewart, has posted an easy to follow tutorial on making the perfect bow.
Click here for the downloadable instructions in making the perfect bow.
As I mentioned here, I’ve taken up yoga. While I don’t feel much of a sense of peace, I am more limber. The downside to all this calm is that I’m gaining weight. I’ve substituted my daily run with yoga, having only finite workout time – thus the extra poundage.
One place I am lighter is in the wallet from suiting up in all the latest yoga gear. I was dismayed when I read on Good Experience that my fave yogawear store, Lululemon, has been defrauding customers, at least with one of line of clothing. Their super duper VitaSea line purports to have 24% seaweed in it to help with reducing stress, detoxifying and and providing extra vitamins to the skin. And that’s on top of having a great cut that makes most figures look a few pounds lighter!
Unfortunately, the VitaSea line doesn’t have any seaweed in it. Whoops.
Click here to read the Time’s story, entitled “Seaweed Clothing Has None, Test Show.”
Quoting from the story:
When told about the findings, Lululemon’s founder said he could not dispute them.“If you actually put it on and wear it, it is different from cotton,” said Dennis Wilson, Lululemon’s founder, chief product designer and board chairman. “That’s my only test of it,” said Mr. Wilson, known as Chip.
I still love Lululemon’s clothing. But their company is just a little tarnished to me right now.
Duane and Nancy from Nature’s Best Soaps had the niftiest custom soap molds made. The molds are designed to mimic a potato. Why a potato? Duane and Nancy live in Idaho. Idaho is famous for its spuds! So, Duane and Nancy make a great soap that they sell all over Idaho. I know the soap is great because I bought a spudbar at the Boise, Idaho airport a few years ago.
These new potato molds are producing some puzzling looking soap though. If you think you can help diagnose their soap problem, head over to their blog Squeeky Clean!and offer your helpful suggestions.
Thanksgiving Place Settings, also known as “The Place Setting Project That Would Not End.”
This project started out looking easy and simple. Two hours later, I am the proud owner of 10 handmade gourd place settings for Thanksgiving. I suspect that my family will not appreciate the work these gourds took.
Making paper strips out of three fun Thanksgiving colors.
Three piles of soon-to-be baby gourds, just waiting to be formed.
I skipped documenting a step or two here involving stringing the strips of paper on a green wrapped cloth wire. It was hard to hold the camera and string paper on flimsy wire at the same time. My limited crafting skills only go so far.
Hand traced and cut leaves provide an ample space for names on place settings.
The final gourd pile, just waiting to direct happy eaters to their 5,000 calorie meal.
We don’t want to run into any trademark infringement issues so this soap is in honor of the Child Who Shall Remain Nameless.
Isn’t the scar a touch of genius?
Thanks to the reader that submitted the soap photo!
I’ve been meaning to post these pictures for a few months. You can tell they’re a few months old because the sun is shining and we’re in summer clothes. Even dated, the news is still exciting!
The Bramble Berry team met the mistakes goal and on-time shipping goal for the first three quarters of this year. That means that they shipped out 98% of orders placed within 1 business day and less than .5% of those orders had mistakes. The team was duly rewarded with a big reward.
Pictured above is the new Latte/Espresso/Do Everything machine. Look how big it is! The “Do Everything” machine even has its own milk refrigerator to keep the milk fresh. It is a behemoth of a machine that requires a special power outlet.
The staff are running amok, all hopped up on caffeine and twittering like a bunch of supercharged monkeys. It’s good that the machine showed up, right in time for our super-busy season! Andrew (lead packer) is up to 4 shots of espresso per day. We’re seriously considering limiting his intake for his own safety.
