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Sunday Night Spotlight: Brazilian Clay

October 27, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Shorter days and longer nights don’t have to be a bad thing — hopefully that means more time to spend with family and maybe even more time to soap! If you’re looking for some stunning natural colorants that can be used in both cold process and melt & pour recipes, you will be interested in these new colorants that have been added to the Bramble Berry line: Brazilian Clays. Our Brazilian Clays are versatile, natural, beautiful and non-bleeding.

These clays are naturally colored and do not contain any artificial dyes or pigments. The various shades are actually achieved by variations in the minerals found in the soil in the different regions of Brazil. Bramble Berry carries five different natural clays — Natural Brazilian, Purple, Yellow, Pink and Dark Red.You can buy each color individually, or buy all five at once in our Brazilian Clay Sampler.

The clays are stable in cold process soaps and make a great addition to any clay mask or cream. Clays can be a bit tricky if you haven’t used them before, and you’ll need some additional preparation before using them in your cold-process soaps. Clays are incredibly absorbent and tend to accelerate trace when added dry. They can also cause cracking if they aren’t dispersed first. To prevent this, disperse your clays in distilled water using a mini-mixer. You can use a ratio of 1 teaspoon of clay to 1 tablespoon of water per color. Make sure that the clay is completely saturated with water before mixing or you might end up with a messy cloud of clay.

If you are making melt & pour and want to add any of Bramble Berry’s clays without clumping or settling, we suggest dispersing the clay in a small amount of rubbing alcohol before adding it to your batch. We recommend a dispersion ratio of 2 teaspoons of clay to 1 tablespoon of alcohol. To learn more about natural colorants in melt & pour, check out this blog post.

Below are some fun tutorials that include our Brazilian Clays. If you get a chance to try out the different colors (Natural, Purple, Yellow, Pink, & Dark Red), we’d love for you to leave us a review on the product’s page or share a picture with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page. Happy soaping!

Top Left – Clockwise: Cute as a Button, Under Your Spell – Melt and Pour Clay Tutorial, Tiger Stripe “Hanger” Swirl Tutorial, In-The-Pot Swirl & Hot Process Series: Oven Process Layers

Enjoying Soapy Cupcakes with Lucia Soaps

October 26, 2013 Filed Under: Business Musings

I just can’t seem to get enough of soapy cupcakes lately! Earlier this week we featured a soaper who specializes in dessert-themed treats (including plenty of cupcakes!) and I’ve made many batches of cupcakes myself (check out these cuties we made earlier this summer for the Soap Crafting release party.) Soapy cupcakes have always been one of my favorite things to make, and I’m always excited to see my fellow soapers’ take on them. Lucia Felty, owner of Lucia Soaps Etc, LLC., shares my enthusiasm for soapy cupcakes and other soaps with a foodie flair, and I couldn’t wait to chat with her about how creates her sweet treats.

Soap Queen: How long have you been soaping? Why did you start?

I began soaping about 10 years ago when I was almost 50. My friend Becky, who had been reading a book on soapmaking, asked me to join her making soap because the lye made her nervous. I still remember us watching with awe as the soap reached trace. In no time I was hopelessly addicted — searching the internet and reading everything I could find. Ten years later, I’m still doing that!

Soap Queen: What prompted you to start your business?

I couldn’t (and still can’t) get enough of making soap! I loved using my soap, and I gave my friends and family soaps as Christmas gifts. Still I made more soap so I started doing some craft shows. I got a business license, registered my business as an LLC and got my logo trademarked. I continued to learn all I could about making soap and other skin care products.

From very early on it was my dream to have a shop and be able to make product there. Anne-Marie’s newsletter about writing out your plan for “Ten Years From Now” prompted me to take action. I rented a very small space for my shop just 2 years ago. Then, six months ago, I was able to add a large room for production and classes.

Soap Queen: What kind of lessons have you learned from owning your own “brick and mortar” store versus an online store?

I have had to work on my sales skills because I am definitely an introvert and not particularly outgoing. My husband “doesn’t meet a stranger” and has worked in sales so he has been coaching me. He is my #1 supporter and helps me tremendously. In a “brick and mortar” store, I think it is important to offer “local” products. I offer Kentucky Rain, Mint Julep and Kentucky Bourbon Ball soaps. I’m thinking of adding Bluegrass Sunrise. People who are visiting and want a Kentucky souvenir are attracted by these as well as people who want to send a Kentucky memento to someone who has moved away.

Soap Queen: What business advice can you give soapers who are just starting?

Learn all you can and strive to do things right. Learn all you can about the products you make. Learn the laws and comply with them. Learn to keep good records, production records and financial records. Do right by your customers. Conduct business with honesty and integrity.

Soap Queen: What are your dreams and goals for your business?

I love my nursing job but I want to retire from it sometime. When my husband retires, we will work in the shop together. My plan (he doesn’t know this yet) is to delegate some of the drudgery (record keeping) chores to him. Then I can make more soap!

Soap Queen: What is your favorite type of bath and body product to make?

Cold process soap! The scents, color combinations, artistic possibilities are endless.

Soap Queen: What is your favorite Bramble Berry product?

I love Bramble Berry’s fragrance oils, especially Lemon Verbena! I use it in bar soap, liquid soap and lotion. I use a blend of Bramble Berry fragrance oils to create my Kentucky Rain scent. Plumeria is another favorite. I’ll try more when I clear some room on my fragrance oil shelves!

You can find more about Lucia Soaps at their website or on their Facebook page.

Soapy Social Media Roundup

October 25, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Halloween is just around the corner, and we’ve been taking full advantage of the season. We took a fantastic trip to the apple orchard last weekend, and picked a ton of apples — if you’ve got any good festive apple recipes, I’d love to hear them! And of course, no Halloween is complete without pumpkin carving.

Between all the holiday festivities, I attended a super fun charity event for Blue Skies for Children (Bramble Berry sponsored the event) with my besties and then it was off to Las Vegas for an awesome business conference. I even got to meet one of my idols, Ram Charam, author of “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done” and “Global Tilt: Leading Your Business Through the Great Economic Power Shift.” I highly recommend any of his books to small business owners, and I am still in awe that I got to meet him face to face.

As usual, there’s all sorts of exciting things going on in social media too. Take a look!

Pins

First column, top: Love the idea of using fruit baskets as a way to display soaps and other bath & body products at craft fairs. This reminds me of our visit to the orchard.
Bottom: This is one of my favorite motivational quotes as of late. Hopefully you’ll be rewarded ten-fold for the time you put into working toward your dreams.

Second column, top: For quick and easy Halloween decor, these little modge podge blocks are adorable. This would be a great craft project for a blustery night in.
Bottom: I have a weakness for scones, and these Sweet Potato Scones look absolutely delicious. I am loving the sweet potato trend lately too — from french fries to these scones, they seem to be everywhere!

Third column, top: These are so totally not part of my healthy eating plan, but they looked too good not to post: homemade twix bars! How much would the neighborhood kids love me if I passed these out instead of regular old Halloween candy?
Bottom: This Fall Soap from Chrissy B Soap is absolutely gorgeous. I love the color palette, and Arabian Spice, the fragrance oil she used, has such a warm, sensuous scent.

Instagrams

We went on a soapmaking marathon a few weeks ago, and here we are cutting two soaps from that session. The left one is our Shades of Grey inspired soap scented with Indian Sandalwood and the right one is the Dandelion Zebra Swirl we submitted for the Great Cakes Soapworks Soap Challenge.

Jamisen cutting his first soaping project! He was so elated, and he is budding into an excellent little soaper. =)

This was our first attempt at the Bird Wing, a technique we borrowed from the world of paper marbling. This didn’t turn out quite like we’d hoped, so we soaped it up again today and while we didn’t get it perfect, it got closer. Hopefully the third time will be a charm on that one.

Tweets

I’ve been searching for a recipe for this forever, and I’ve finally found one that sounds absolutely delicious: paleo dark chocolate! Might have to head to farmer’s market and pick up some local honey for this.
Around this time of year, some of the most common questions my team and I hear pertain to how to price soapy products for craft fairs and markets. If you’ve ever wondered how to set your prices, take a look at these four questions to consider.
This quote rings particularly true when we’re up in the soap lab experimenting with new designs and recipes!
Interested in learning a new thing or two? Take a look at these 15 awesome (and free!) online courses on everything from statistics to artificial intelligence.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Vine, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

Facebook Photo of the Week (October 18th ~ October 25th)

October 25, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

After a quick trip to Las Vegas for a business conference, I couldn’t wait to get back into the office to see all the fabulous photos that were submitted to Bramble Berry’s Facebook page. Many of you have even shared your soapy creations with us for our #BrambleChai Make It Month contest. Remember, you only have until October 30th (Wednesday) to get your photos submitted. For more information on the contest, click here. If you need some extra creative inspiration, check out the Chai Tea Latte Candle Tutorial.

This week we had a great time catching up with Silvia from S.V. Soaps with a second interview finding out what has changed in her soapy business from a few years ago until now.

The end of the year is coming up soon and we know how important it is to keep your business running throughout the holidays, be sure to check out the The Ultimate End-of-the-Year Business Inspiration guide for interviews, blogs posts, how-to guides and more for your business needs. Are you ready to find out who we are featuring this week? Check it out below!

This weeks feature is a burst of color from a familiar face. Katie of Royalty Soaps shared her Crisp Anjou Pear and Champagne cold process soap. Her design was stunning and we all thought that she has an eye for color. She told us that, “Bramble Berry’s Fragrance Oils are really just top of the line quality. They make creating gorgeous things easy!” You may recognize Katie from our Spring 2013 S.O.A.P. Team. She was part of the team that picked our Tart Apple, Shave and a Haircut and Spring Meadow Fragrance Oils. We enjoyed Katie’s responses to the scents, and you can check out her videos (!!) here and here. Thank you to Katie and all the soapers and crafters that make our community a wonderful place to share and learn from — I am always so excited to see what you have to share with us.

Katie’s Facebook Page: Royalty Soaps

Katie’s Blog: Royalty Soaps

Katie’s YouTube Channel: Royalty Soaps

Post pictures of your soap creations on the Facebook page each week for a chance to be featured on the Soap Queen blog and receive a sweet soapy package from Bramble Berry.

Indigo Spoon Plop Soap Cold Process Tutorial

October 24, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

For this recipe, we went all natural: earth colorants and a soothing blend of rosemary, lavender and eucalyptus essential oils make this soap a raw beauty. We were very excited to incorporate our brand new natural Indigo Powder colorant into this soap and it turned a beautiful blue-grey in the finished product. Handmade soap with indigo provides a great contrast to the Paprika, which turned a lovely orange, and the Safflower Powder, which turned a soft yellow. The spoon plop is also an easy technique that yields intriguing results every time.

What You’ll Need:

11 oz. Coconut Oil

2.2 oz. Mango Butter

13.2 oz. Olive Oil

11 oz. Palm Oil

6.6 oz. Sweet Almond Oil

6.1 oz. Sodium Hydroxide

14.5 oz. distilled water

ELF 4 lb. Wood Loaf Mold

Paprika

Safflower Powder

Natural Indigo Powder

Titanium Dioxide

1.1 oz. Rosemary Essential Oil

1.1 oz. Eucalyptus Essential Oil

.6 oz. 40/42 Lavender Essential Oil

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Soap Crafting. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon all colorants into 1 tablespoon of liquid oil (we like Sweet Almond or Sunflower). Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap. Use the mini mixer to get all those clumps worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass container, combine the Rosemary, Eucalyptus and 40/42 Lavender Essential Oils. Set aside.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water, and stir until clear. Set aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap, you can add Sodium Lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of Sodium Lactate per pound of oils in the recipe.

TWO: Then, melt and combine the Coconut Oil, Mango Butter, Olive Oil, Palm Oil and Sweet Almond Oil in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Equally split the batter into three containers.

FOUR: Add one colorant per container in the following measurements:

3 teaspoons dispersed Indigo Powder
3 teaspoons dispersed Paprika
3 teaspoons dispersed Safflower Powder + 1 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide

Mix in the colorants using a wire whisk or spoon.

FIVE: Split the essential oil blend equally between the three containers and stir in with a wire whisk or spoon.

SIX: Use a large spoon (we like our Round Silicone Spoon) to plop spoonfuls of color into the mold. Repeat this process with each color, keeping the same color order, until you have about 1/5 of the soap remaining in the cups.

SEVEN: Using the remaining soap in the cups, pour lines of soap horizontally into the mold.

EIGHT: Insert a chopstick or dowel about 1/4″ into the soap and make a vertical zig-zag pattern down the length of the mold for that finishing touch swirl.

NINE: Using your chopstick or dowel again, make a series of small loops down the length of the soap. Once you’ve gone from one end of the soap to the other, make small loops back down the length of the mold. When you reach the end of the mold, create one big loop that carries you into the next row, and do a reverse loop back across the mold again. You may recognize this swirling technique from the Elemental Swirl.

Spray the entire top with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to reduce soda ash. It is particularly important to insulate this soap for 24 hours because gel phase will help bring out a nice, vibrant color in the Indigo. Unmold after 3-4 days and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

LabColor Makeover

October 24, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Vibrant, reliable and fun to use, LabColors are super concentrated dyes that are fantastic soapy colorants. LabColors are an excellent choice for coloring your melt & pour and cold process soaps.

We’re making some minor changes to our LabColor line, but have no fear — we’ve reformulated them to make them easier to use than ever. To get everything packaged and ready to ship out, we’re temporarily taking all LabColors out of stock today, Thursday, October 24th. You will not be able to purchase LabColors at this time. However, when LabColors come back in stock on Monday, October 28, you’ll simply log in to your Bramble Berry account and place an order for LabColor like normal.

Check the Soap Queen blog on Monday, October 28 to learn more about how to use the new and improved LabColors!

Chai Tea Latte Candle Tutorial

October 23, 2013 Filed Under: Home Crafts

For a quick and easy fall project that will fill a room with the scent of warm spicey Chai Tea, nothing beats this whipped candle tutorial using our Chai Tea Cybilla Fragrance Oil. As a bonus, all this month you’ll receive a free half ounce sample of Chai Tea with every Bramble Berry order. For this candle, we added straight Chai Tea fragrance oil, but we’ve got a number of fantastic blends to try here. Chai Tea Cybilla Fragrance Oil is a wonderfully warm and comforting scent that is sure to be a hit this season.

If you take photos of your project, be sure to share them with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook Page with the hashtag “#BrambleChai” before October 30 for our Make It Month contest — check out the blog post for more details. You can also check out the Facebook album of submitted projects to get some inspiration. Happy candle-making!

What You’ll Need:

10.5 oz EcoSoya Advanced Wax
1 CK-16 Candle Wicks (or whatever size is appropriate for your cup)
1 Clear Glass Mug
1 Red Wax Dye Block
1 Orange Wax Dye Block
1 Black Wax Dye Block
7 mL Chai Tea Cybilla Fragrance Oil
2 mL Vanilla, Non-discoloring Fragrance Oil
Droppers

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: Melt 8 oz. of EcoSoya Advanced Wax on 30 second bursts in the microwave. Color the wax with equal portions of Red, Orange, and Black Wax Dye Block (a cleanup tool works well for shaving bits off the block) and stir until the dye pieces are completely melted.

TWO: Add 7 mL Chai Tea fragrance oil.

THREE: Dribble a little bit of the wax into the bottom of the candle jar. Stick the metal disk of the wick into the wax and allow the wax to cool enough to hold the wick in place.

FOUR: Once the colored wax has cooled to 120 -130°F, pour the wax into the jars. Use pencils or chopsticks on the top of the candle jars to hold the wicks in place. Allow the wax to fully cool and harden overnight.

FIVE: Melt the rest of the EcoSoya Advanced Wax on 30 second bursts in the microwave. Add 2 mL non-discoloring Vanilla fragrance oil.

SIX: Using a hand-held mixer, whip the melted wax until it is thick enough to form slight peaks when manipulated with a spoon.

SEVEN: Moving quickly, spoon the whipped wax on top of the cooled candle. Allow the whipped wax to fully harden

Wait 4 – 5 hours for the wax to fully harden and then your delicious Chai Candle is ready to burn!

Clean Up Tip: I always melt some old melt and pour down in the microwave and allow the hot soap to melt the wax in the containers and my utensils. That’s the easiest way I’ve found to clean up after making candles. Do you have any tips? I’d love to hear them!

Chatting with Silvia of S.V. Soaps

October 21, 2013 Filed Under: Business Musings

A few years ago on the Soap Queen blog, I introduced Silvia, an up-and-coming soaper. She owns S.V. Soaps, and specializes in selling vegan dessert-themed bath and body products. She was kind enough to give us an interview back in 2011 (you can see the two-part interview here and here). This weekend — between visiting a lovely apple orchard and baking my mom’s famous sour cream waffles — I was browsing Etsy shops and came across these adorable Pumpkin Spice Cold Process Cupcakes. Turns out, they were Silvia’s! I wanted to catch up with her and see what had changed with business since her last interview, and see what other goodies she had planned for the festive holiday season. Read on to learn more about how her business has changed in the last two years and what advice she has for new soapers.

Soap Queen: What aspects of your business have changed and what kind of advice would you give to those in the business about soaping over time?

My business has changed quite a bit since my first Bramble Berry interview. I have to make a lot more soaps than I used to and I had to learn to master batch and delegate my work day a lot better. I have learned a lot about my business in general, such as what works for my business and what does not. I’ve learned how to stay calm, professional and objective when dealing with a difficult customer or situation. I strive everyday to learn, grow, and make my business the best it can be. It is truly a learning process that is not always easy.

Soap Queen: What kind of business advice do you have for new soapers?

My advice to new soapers is to get out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Be willing to take the risk of rejection, because no matter how fabulous your products are, you will face rejection at some point or another. Do not let it bring you down. Learn from it, grow from it, and try, try again. Also, make your products look professional! You do not have to spend a lot to have a professional looking product. Work to make your product unique.

Soap Queen: What is your favorite type of soap to make?

My favorite soap to make is cold process soap. I love to make soaps with a lot of detail and my favorite thing to do when soaping is piping my soap tops. Sometimes I have to force myself to stop adding things to the soap and just walk away! Sometimes, I will think about it all night long — It can be hard for me to turn my brain off when it comes to soap. But I am usually happy with the turnout, and if I am not I will just change it up the next time around.

Soap Queen: Do you still make vegan products or has the scope of your business changed?

I do still make all vegan products and will continue to do so. The only thing I would love to make that is not vegan is cupcake bath fizzies. I have made them a few times before for family and I absolutely adore the way the turn out, but since they aren’t vegan I won’t include them in my shop. Maybe someday I will be able to come up with a recipe for the piped tops that is vegan!

Soap Queen: What is your favorite Bramble Berry product and has it changed?

Bramble Berry has so many fabulous products. My favorite used to be the Rise and Shine Fragrance Oil (still fabulous), but my current favorite is the Pumpkin Lager Fragrance Oil. It is a beautiful pumpkin scent with warm spices and a yummy vanilla undertone. It is the perfect holiday scent. It will definitely be a part of my holiday line this year. Thank you so much to Anne-Marie and Bramble Berry for providing us soapers with such fabulous services and amazing products. I’ve also really been enjoying the new Soap Crafting book, it gives people trying the craft a great start!

Be sure to check out Silvia on Twitter and Pinterest.

Facebook Photo of the Week (October 11th ~ October 18th)

October 18, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Halloween is creeping and crawling closer and closer, and this week we’re focused on creating all kinds of ghoulish crafts. If you need some extra-spooky soapy inspiration, check out our Spooky Eyebal l Soap and the SpiderWeb Cold Process Soap. If melt and pour is more your style, you might like our Jack-O-Lantern, Candy Corn or Fall Leaves Project.

In related soapy news, we kicked off this week with a quick primer on how to use our fragrance calculator. You’ll never again have to guess how much to fragrance your holiday-scented goodies! On Thursday, we discussed something all cold process soapers dread: soda ash. Check out the post for tips on how to prevent the ash from forming or strategies to clean it off so your bars look shiny and clean.

Speaking of shiny and clean, this week’s photo is a beautiful milky-white bar of soap with a spooky twist. Read on to learn more about our winner!

This week’s feature is a delightfully spooky set of soaps from LeeAnn, owner of Rowan Tree Bath Works. LeeAnn showed of the new packaging for her line of Bathtime Oddities Soaps, which are a line of macabre-inspired soaps (perfect for the Halloween season!) We just loved the cute mini-bathtubs that were part of her presentation, and thought that the packaging was spot-on. For more inspiration on packaging, check out this #packaging album on our Facebook page. Thank you so much to LeeAnn and all the soapers and crafters who are a part of our amazing soapmaking community. You continue to impress me with your creativity, determination and dedication to the craft. =)

LeeAnn’s Facebook Page: Rowan Tree Bath Works

Post pictures of your soap creations on the Facebook page each week for a chance to be featured on the Soap Queen blog and receive a sweet soapy package from Bramble Berry.

Butterfly Swirl Soap Tutorial

October 17, 2013 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

This beautiful Butterfly Swirl is inspired by the nonpareil paper marbling of old (not sure what a nonpareil pattern looks like? Check out the beautiful handmade paper that inspired this tutorial for a good example!). Four different tones create dynamic complex and rich patterns both on top of the soap and within the bars themselves. It is the perfect recipe for giving these new swirl tools a whirl.

What You’ll Need:
24 oz. Canola Oil
16 oz. Coconut Oil
4 oz. Hemp Seed Oil (refined)
4 oz. Mango Butter
20 oz. Palm Oil
12 oz. Rice Bran Oil
10.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
26.4 oz. Distilled Water
3.8 oz. Lychee Red Tea
1.2 oz. Peppermint Essential Oil, 2nd Distill
Titanium Dioxide
Aqua Pearl Mica
Activated Charcoal Powder
Fired Up Fuchsia Pigment
Ultramarine Violet Oxide
18 Bar Birchwood Mold
Liner for 18 Bar Mold
Comb Swirl Tool

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl, Activated Charcoal, Fired Up Fuchsia and Ultramarine Violet into 1 tablespoon of liquid oil (we like Sweet Almond or Sunflower oils). Disperse two teaspoons of Titanium Dioxide in 2 tablespoons of liquid oil. Prepping your colors in the beginning will allow you to work quickly and give you more time to work with your soap. Use the mini mixer to get all those clumps worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE BLEND: In a glass container, combine the Lychee Red Tea Fragrance Oil and the Peppermint 2nd Distilled Essential Oil. Give the mixture a good stir and then set it aside.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water, and stir until clear. Set aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that lasts longer in the shower, you can add Sodium Lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of Sodium Lactate per pound of oils in the recipe.

TWO: Melt and combine the Canola, Coconut, Hempseed, Mango, Palm and Rice Bran oils in a large glass container. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.

THREE: Equally split the batter into 5 containers. Then use a wire whisk or spatula to stir in one colorant per container at the following rate:

• ½ teaspoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide and 1 teaspoon dispersed Aqua Pearl
• ½ teaspoon dispersed Activated Charcoal and 1 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide
• 1½ teaspoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide
• 1½ teaspoon dispersed Fired Up Fuschia and 1 teaspoon dispersed Titanium Dioxide
• 2 teaspoons dispersed Ultramarine Violet

FOUR: Once you’ve fully incorporated the colorant, split the fragrance blend between the five containers and mix with a whisk or spoon.

FIVE: Once the fragrance has been fully incorporated, pour each color into its own condiment bottle. Fill each bottle about halfway (6 oz.) full.

SIX: Beginning in the bottom left-hand corner of the mold, pour about half of the remaining color in your mixing containers in a diagonal zigzag motion. Repeat this pattern with each color, layering one color on top of another and keeping the same order.

SEVEN: When you have used about half the soap in all five containers, change your pour pattern. Begin at the far left hand corner and pour the soap in the same diagonal zigzag pattern across the mold to the near right hand corner. Repeat this process until all the soap in the containers is gone.

EIGHT: Insert a chopstick or dowel into the soap beginning in the near left hand corner. Drag the tool in a diagonal zigzag pattern to the far right hand corner.

NINE: Using the condiment bottles, squirt each color vertically across the mold. Repeat this pattern layering colors on top of each other in the same order until you have about 2 oz. of soap in the bottles.

TEN: When you have about 2 oz. left in your bottles, start making your lines more purposeful. Carefully lay down lines of thick color, working your way from one end of the mold to the other. Space your color lines about an inch apart.

TEN: Using a chopstick or dowel again, start in the far left-hand corner and make a diagonal zig-zag across the mold to the lower left-hand corner. And then, back again.

ELEVEN: Drag the Comb Swirl Tool in a slow and smooth motion from the top of the mold to the bottom. Lift it straight up out of the soap, and the design is done!

Spray the entire top with 91 or 99% Isopropyl Alcohol to reduce soda ash. Cover and insulate for 24 hours and unmold after 3-4 days, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.

Fall Leaves Melt & Pour Soap Tutorial

October 15, 2013 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Autumn is upon us and to celebrate we’ve created this gorgeous soap project full of colorful leaves. This project takes advantage of the clarity of Bramble Berry’s House Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base to highlight the depth created by layering the soap leaves. You can even customize this project to mimic the new spring leaves come springtime.

What You’ll Need:

27 oz Clear Melt and Pour Base

27 oz White Melt and Pour Base

Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block

Non-Bleeding Perfect Orange Color Block

Shimmer Light Gold Color Block

Non-bleeding Perfect Red Color Block

Shimmer Cappuccino Color Block

Non-Bleeding Chrome Green Color Block

1 teaspoon Iridescent Glitter

8 ml Red Apple Fragrance Oil

0.5 oz Arabian Spice Fragrance Oil

3 mL diluted Aqua LabColor

Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold

Clean-up Tool

Fall Leaves Template (PDF)

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: Cut and melt 12 oz of Clear Melt and Pour base into small, 1 inch cubes. Melt in the microwave on 30 second bursts, add 1 teaspoon of glitter, 5 mL of Red Apple Fragrance Oil and then divide into six different containers. Each container should hold about 2 oz of melt and pour base. Then, color each container with shavings from a single color block. Remember, the color blocks are WYSIWYG, so add more or less color according to your preference.

TWO: For this step, pick two colors that are complimentary and simultaneously pour the two colors into the Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold. Move your hands as you pour to create interesting patterns, and you can even drag a chopstick or dowel through the soap to give it an extra swirl. TIP: I used three separate Glossy Silicone Square Tray Molds so we could pour all three color pairs at once, but if you are working with just one mold, you can wait 15 minutes and let the soap dry, unmold it and then pour your next set of colors.

THREE: After about 15 minutes, unmold the flat, colored layer of soap. Cut out the leaves on the free Bramble Berry Fall Leaves Template, then use a Clean Up Tool to trace the outlines onto the soapy leaves. This part takes some patience and precision, but it’s totally worth it! After you’ve traced light outlines on the soapy leaves, they are easy (but time consuming!) to cut out with a craft knife.

FOUR: Cut out about two dozen leaves and then set them aside. Then, cut and melt about 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base. Add 3 mL of Red Apple fragrance and stir, and then pour the layer into the Brownie Tray Mold. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the layer to form a thick skin, spray the soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol, and then arrange the soapy leaves in a “pile” on the clear soap.

FIVE: Repeat the process of cutting and melting 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base, adding fragrance, letting it dry, spraying isopropyl alcohol and arranging a new layer of leaves until you’ve filled about half the mold. I repeated this process three times, but it may be different for you depending on how many leaves you originally cut out. Be careful to pour when your clear soap is at 130 degrees or less. If you pour any hotter, you risk melting your pretty leaves!

SIX: Cut and melt 27 oz. of White Melt and Pour base. Once the soap has been fully melted, mix in 0.5 oz. of Arabian Spice FO and 3 mL of diluted Aqua Blue Lab Color. Once the soap has cooled to 130°F or below, and the soap in the Brownie Tray Mold has formed a thick skin, spray the molded soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol and pour the blue soap over it. Spray again with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubble and surface tension. Let the soap dry overnight and then unmold and cut!

Give the soap 1 – 2 hours to dry before unmolding and then cut, wrap and enjoy. Want wrapping tips? This is a great video to watch for help with your soap wrapping.

Want tips on wrapping your beautiful melt and pour soaps to prevent them from sweating? Check out this Soap Queen TV video on quick and easy packaging techniques!

Fall Leaves Melt & Pour Soap Tutorial

These bars contain soapy leaves on the inside for a multi-layered look!

Author: Soap Queen

Recipe type: Melt and Pour

Ingredients

27 oz Clear Melt and Pour Base
27 oz White Melt and Pour Base
Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block
Non-Bleeding Perfect Orange Color Block
Shimmer Light Gold Color Block
Non-bleeding Perfect Red Color Block
Shimmer Cappuccino Color Block
Non-Bleeding Chrome Green Color Block
1 teaspoon Iridescent Glitter
8 ml Red Apple Fragrance Oil
0.5 oz Arabian Spice Fragrance Oil
3 mL diluted Aqua LabColor
Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold
Clean-up Tool
Fall Leaves Template (PDF)

Instructions

Cut and melt 12 oz of Clear Melt and Pour base into small, 1 inch cubes. Melt in the microwave on 30 second bursts, add 1 teaspoon of Glitter, 5 mL of Red Apple Fragrance Oil and then divide into six different containers. Each container should hold about 2 oz of melt and pour base. Then, color each container with shavings from a single color block. Remember, the color blocks are WYSIWYG, so add more or less color according to your preference.
or this step, pick two colors that are complimentary and simultaneously pour the two colors into the Glossy Silicone Square Tray Mold. Move your hands as you pour to create interesting patterns, and you can even drag a chopstick or dowel through the soap to give it an extra swirl. TIP: I used three separate Glossy Silicone Square Tray Molds so we could pour all three color pairs at once, but if you are working with just one mold, you can wait 15 minutes and let the soap dry, unmold it and then pour your next set of colors.
After about 15 minutes, unmold the flat, colored layer of soap. Cut out the leaves on the free Bramble Berry Fall Leaves Template, then use a Clean Up Tool to trace the outlines onto the soapy leaves. This part takes some patience and precision, but it’s totally worth it! After you’ve traced light outlines on the soapy leaves, they are easy (but time consuming!) to cut out with a craft knife.
Cut out about two dozen leaves and then set them aside. Then, cut and melt about 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base. Add 3 mL of Red Apple fragrance and stir, and then pour the layer into the Brownie Tray Mold. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the layer to form a thick skin, spray the soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol, and then arrange the soapy leaves in a “pile” on the clear soap.
Repeat the process of cutting and melting 5 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour base, adding fragrance, letting it dry, spraying isopropyl alcohol and arranging a new layer of leaves until you’ve filled about half the mold. I repeated this process three times, but it may be different for you depending on how many leaves you originally cut out. Be careful to pour when your clear soap is at 130 degrees or less. If you pour any hotter, you risk melting your pretty leaves!
Cut and melt 27 oz. of White Melt and Pour base. Once the soap has been fully melted, mix in 0.5 oz. of Arabian Spice FO and 3 mL of diluted Aqua Blue Lab Color. Once the soap has cooled to 130°F or below, and the soap in the Brownie Tray Mold has formed a thick skin, spray the molded soap liberally with isopropyl alcohol and pour the blue soap over it. Spray again with isopropyl alcohol to disperse bubble and surface tension. Let the soap dry overnight and then unmold and cut!
Give the soap 1 – 2 hours to dry before unmolding and then cut, wrap and enjoy. Want wrapping tips? This is a great video to watch for help with your soap wrapping.

Sunday Night Spotlight: Hemp Seed Oil

October 13, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Every month we make dozens of batches of cold process soap with various fixed oils, colorants and fragrances. With such array of ingredients to choose from, some tend to get lost in the crowd. Tonight we’d like to showcase an oil that is perhaps the best kept secret in soapmaking — Hemp Seed Oil. This oil can be used in everything from cold process soap to lotions & cremes. It has fabulous skin-loving properties and creates an excellent lather, and it’s a great addition to any soapy creation. This is one oil that will set your products apart from the crowd!

Our Unrefined Hemp Seed Oil (front) is much darker than it’s refined (back) counterpart. Take this into account when formulating your CP recipes!

Bramble Berry carries two different kinds of Hemp Seed Oil: natural (or unrefined) and refined. Both oils work fabulously in cold process recipes. The main difference between the two is the color and the smell. The natural Hemp Seed Oil is more viscous and has a much darker color as well as a distinct, nutty smell. The refined Hemp Oil, on the other hand, is an excellent vehicle for providing essential fatty acids to your skin. Since it’s such a light colored oil, it’s also a good choice if you want to preserve your colors and avoid any unexpected discoloration.

In addition to creating ample suds, Hemp Oil contains high levels of unsaturated fats, which give it great moisturizing properties. We suggest using both types of Hemp Oil in cold process recipes at 20% or less. If you are adding it to a body butter or lotion, you can go as high as 50%. Hemp Oil has a shelf life of about 9 months (longer if frozen), so it’s best to use it soon after purchasing.

Check out the following tutorials to see how we’ve used Hemp Seed Oil:

Whipped Belly Butter (left), Hot Process Oven Process Layers (top) & Cucumber Oak Mantra Swirl (bottom)

As an added bonus, Refined Hemp Seed Oil is 20% off this month! What will you make with your Hemp Seed Oil?

Belly Dancing and Soapmaking … and Swords

October 12, 2013 Filed Under: Business Musings

We’re always excited about meeting fellow soapers, and after one of our social media team (Hi, Becky!) ran into this soaper at a summer fair (and kept raving about her soap), I was intrigued. You may recognize today’s interviewee from the Gorgeous Geode Soap Tutorial, which originally appeared on the Otion blog. Read on to learn more about Marlona, one of our local soapers and owner of the Little Things Store.

Soap Queen: How did you first start soaping?

Marlona: I saw some small guest soaps in the shape of Easter figures about ten years ago and fell in love with them, and in fact, the lady who gave them to me actually cited Bramble Berry as her source! Years went by and my life changed dramatically with the birth of my daughter. My husband and I sold our home to move to Washington state to be closer to my family — it was time to reinvent our lives and start over. I had waited so long, and was so in love with my little girl that I just couldn’t bare to leave her and return to work. We had to find another way. I thought to myself, ‘what have I always wanted to try?’ Then it came to me…soapmaking! As soon as I made up my mind that’s what I wanted to try, I was determined to find Bramble Berry!

I could have searched the internet for soap supplies, but instead I walked around my home determined to remember the company name. As soon as I remembered Bramble Berry’s name, everything started to happen so fast. I researched everything I could get my hands on and would dream about making the products I wanted step-by-step before I even started. I made my first batch of soap 2.5 years ago and haven’t stopped since!

SQ: What inspires your business and products?

M: My inspiration comes from the information I find on Soap Queen, looking at soaps on Etsy, and from the fragrances themselves.

SQ: What is your favorite bath and body product to make?

M: My favorite product to make is glycerin (melt & pour) soaps; I get to express my creative side when making them!

SQ: What is your favorite Soap Queen tutorial and why?

M: My favorite tutorial is the conditioner recipe. It is easy to make, and I love to use it! It’s not slimy like store bought ones, and it rinses away so silky soft!

SQ: When you aren’t soaping, what are you up to?

M: When I’m not soaping, my husband and I are usually preparing to sell our soap at medieval themed events, spending time with friends from the Society for Creative Anachronism (S.C.A) and the Empire of Medieval Pursuits (E.M.P), or preparing for holiday bazaars. We have been reenacting the medieval times for over 20 years, and we enjoy the heavy armored combat, belly dancing, and learning skills such as card weaving and brewing. I absolutely love making things, especially if they are useful.

SQ: We just fell in love with this project you shared with Otion. How did you come up with it?

M: The idea for the geode came from the Everything Soap Making Book, which I actually picked up locally at Otion. Once I read about it, I absolutely fell in love with it and knew that I had to start making these geode soaps.

You can make these fantastic geode soaps too! Check out the tutorial at the Otion blog or right here on Soap Queen.

SQ: Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to get into soaping?

M: My advice for anyone soaping is to never give up and never be intimidated by another person’s amazing work. Through admiration comes inspiration!

To find out more about Marlona and her soaps, visit her website or Facebook page.

P.S. Marlona gave birth to another baby this summer. Congrats again on your new little boy, he is such a cutie-pie! =) ~A-M

Soapy Social Media Roundup

October 11, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Wedding bells were ringing last month for Alesia, the manager of our retail store Otion. She married her fiancee, Jhustin, on Sept. 8 at Evergreen Gardens in Bellingham, Wash. We wish her all the best, and if you’re ever passing through Bellingham, drop by Otion and say “Hi!”

In baby news, Lily is growing so quickly! She is the happiest baby, and already loves to dress up (not kidding — she had the biggest grin on her face while wearing this fluffy tutu! The tutu was a gift from author Kayla Fioravanti. Thanks Kayla! ). Jamisen is having a great time in preschool, and this weekend we took a wonderful family outing to the beach (X 3; we went three days in a row!). I have been feeling thankful for family this week, that’s for sure.

We’ve been making lots of batches of soap lately, and we’re trying to experiment with new color and fragrance combinations. Not every batch works out, but at least they’re all learning experiences. Expect some exciting new tutorials on the way! If you want to see previews of those tutorials, make sure to follow me on Instagram. I post in-process videos frequently. For now, check out my favorite things from planet soapy social media.

Pins:

Left: I cannot get over how good this Spicy Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup tastes! I haven’t eaten meat in years, but I subbed organic chicken sausage and skipped the heavy cream (I’m off dairy currently) and I’m eating it today. It is such a cozy meal for a cold day! Bonus, I was able to use some of our potatoes from our garden.
Top right: This festive pumpkin dip sounds super intriguing. You mix canned pumpkin with taco seasoning mix, a bit of garlic powder, a bell pepper and cream cheese and you get a spicy dip. Might be a fun twist on the traditional chips & dip, and I love the idea of serving it in a hollowed out pumpkin.
Center: This is such a beautiful example of the mantra swirl technique from Challene, owner of the Meadow Creek Boutique. She used coffee grounds as a lovely exfoliant and scented it with patchouli, which is a personal favorite scent of mine!
Bottom: When it gets too cold to keep your garden outside, bring it inside! These mini gardens are super cute, and they’re a great way to reuse old mason jars.

Instagrams & Vines:

This week we tried a fresh green tea-inspired recipe. We used our Green Tea Fragrance Oil (which performed beautifully) and finished it off with a cute crosshatch pattern. I can’t wait to cut it!

I may be super excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we can’t forget about Halloween either! Yesterday we made a very spooky soap with shades of grey and an orange layer for a bit of color contrast. Check it out:

This month’s Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge is such a cool design. It’s called the Dandelion Zebra Swirl, and I’m anxiously awaiting the cut of this one because I can’t wait to see how the layers turned out.

Tweets:

There’s apps for tracking just about anything these days, and this Happiness Diary is one of the most interesting ones I’ve seen yet. This seems like an excellent way to find patterns in your thinking, and I might give it a try.
This is the ultimate riches to rags story: Eike Batista, a Brazilian entrepreneur, went from having a $34.5 billion fortune to nearly bankrupt in a matter of years. A good reminder to never be too attached to fortune because it can be gone in an instant.
We all know the importance of learning a second language (or even a third or fourth!), and this video illustrates the importance of learning a new kind of language: computer coding. It’s never a bad idea to start teaching kids early!

To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Vine, Instagram, Pinterest andYouTube.