Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more
We have had a fantastic weekend with family. I feel so lucky that my folks were able to come up for the entire weekend. We explored Stoney Ridge Farm today and wow, was it packed full of families! I haven’t seen that many families in one place ever! Of course, once we visit Disneyland, that statement will probably change.
Jamisen has never seen farm animals before. In fact, besides a few adorable niece and nephew dogs, he’s never seen ANY animals before. He seemed interested.
Team Bramble Berry and I were brainstorming Halloween soap ideas and this was the project that we got most excited about. It’s a very simple technique that adds that extra special (spooky) touch for Halloween. Give these away as a hostess gift or put them in your guest bathroom to impress your friends.
I loved what Soapylove did in her latest tutorial (check it out here), I thought I would revisit the technique with a ghoulish twist! I stuck with some basic molds and colors here but the potential to get insanely creative is up to you! I hope I get to see what some of you come up with. Hint. Wink. Nudge. Post pictures on our facebook page!
Check out what we did for Christmas in 2009 using this same technique with glitter. See the glittery tutorial here.
Oktoberfest is an annual beer festival that originated in Germany. They celebrate with beer, food, music and other festivities. The only thing missing from Oktoberfest is soap! That’s how we’re celebrating Oktoberfest this year. Enjoy our variation of the black and tan drink (traditionally, it’s Guinness and a Pale Ale beer layered in the glass) soap made with real beer, scented with the delicious Oatmeal Stout fragrance oil blended with a little Almond Biscotti. You’re going to love this Fall blend.
Fall is just around the corner (well, it’s practically here in our neck of the woods). What is everyone making for Halloween this year? Has anyone started their projects yet? I would love to hear about them. Also, be sure to keep your eyes peeled on the Soap Queen Blog…we have some fun Halloween projects coming up that you won’t want to miss. In the mean time, enjoy some projects of Halloween’s past!
Loteria Soap Shrines (by Soapylove)
Pumpkin Puree Cold Process Soap
Bubbles from the Crypt (by Soapylove)
Want to know how I made this carved pumpkin soap? Click here. And be sure to check out the Halloween themed page on the Bramble Berry website. Search for Halloween colorants, fragrances and molds all in one place!
If you are new to the Melt and Pour layering technique, learn the essential tips and tricks on the Basic Layers episode of Soap Queen TV (Episode 12). If you’re already a pro at layering you can get started on your Spooky Eyeballs.
Ingredients
Lidded molds and embed paper are my two latest supply obsessions. I just love how easy it is to put colorful images into soap bars, and the lidded molds make it a snap to make perfectly protected and showcased soaps! So now that it’s fall I get to pair up my favorite supplies with Mexican Folk Art, which is fabulous for colorful Halloween inspirations.
These soaps use Loteria card images (like Mexican bingo), and then we get to bust out the crafty goodness and decorate the mold like a little shrine. Traditionally for Dia de los Muertos families honor their deceased loved ones with favorite goodies and loads of flashy decorations. So pull out your glitter, puffy paint, rhinestones and glue gun, and have fun! These soaps will certainly be too pretty to use! 🙂
Supplies:
8 oz Soapylove Naturally Clear Soap Base
2 oz Soapylove Bright White Soap Base
Soapylove Jewelry Box Colorant Set
Soapylove Candy Jar Fragrance Set
Water Soluble Paper – download and print the Loteria Card images onto the paper using a laser printer
3 Lidded Molds
Click here to have these items added to your Bramble Berry cart.
Rubbing alcohol in spray bottle, knife and cutting board, microwave, measuring cups
Craft supplies such as glue gun, lace, ribbon, gems, glitter glue, decorative paper, feathers – you name it!
First melt all of the clear soap base in a measuring cup (high heat in microwave for 45 seconds or so). Add a generous sprinkle of the ultrafine glitter from the colorant set. Stir well and pour a thin layer into each mold. Allow to harden.
Meanwhile, cut the Loteria Card images (they are sized to fit the lidded molds). Reheat the soap base if it has formed a skin. Spray hardened soap in molds with alcohol and pour another thin layer of soap on top. Place paper, image side down, into the soap and pour another thin layer of soap on top. Use a chopstick or craft stick to press image down flat. Smooth all corners down. Allow to harden.
Melt the 2 oz of white soap base, allow to cool to 120 degrees. Spray hardened soap in molds with alcohol and pour a thin layer of white into each. Allow to harden.
Reheat remaining clear soap in your cup and add a few drops of Ruby Red colorant. Stir well. Spray white soap with alcohol and pour in red soap to 1/4″ of top of mold (this will make it easier to unmold soap when it’s ready to be used). Allow to harden and snap on lids.
Now you’re ready to give these soaps the royal treatment! Use a glue gun to stick on trims all around the edges (front only so you don’t glue the lid on), glue fun things like gems or buttons to the sides, decorate the front with glitter glue or puff paint, and you can even glue on paper to extend the background for more decorating surfaces! Think of it like decorating a frame. The sky is the limit!! Now you can hang these up like little works of art. These would be awesome for a fall craft fair. Very eye catching!
I hope you like this over-the-top soap treatment. If you try it, please comment here and link to your pictures. I would love to see what you do!
Have fun!
Debbie, Soapylove
P.S. Looking for even more Halloween project inspiration? Check out the Fall ’09 issue of Let’s Get Soapy!
Look what I made using that cute mini 3D pumpkin mold I made in this tutorial? I put a container inside as I poured the soap to make it hollow. And then I carved the face with a craft knife and dusted the entire pumpkin with Copper Sparkle mica. And voila! A super duper soapy Happy Halloween!
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Ingredients
ONE: The first step to this project is making a pumpkin mold out of the Flexy Fast Molding Putty. Never used Flexy Fast Before? Check out Soap Queen TV to see a full tutorial.
Mixing your Flexy Fast: Flexy Fast comes as 2 parts, Part A and Part B. The usage rate is 1:6 (B:A) by weight or 1:20 (B:A) by volume OR mix a golf ball size of the white stuff to a marble size of the pink stuff. With vinyl gloves on, knead the two components together until fully incorporated. You’re done when you have a nice bubblegum color with no pink streaks, which will take about 1 minute.
Molding your Pumpkin: Carefully form the putty around your pumpkin. Really press the putty into the pumpkin to ensure that you get all of the realistic details and to release any air bubbles. Make sure there are no holes in the putty that the soap could potentially leak through. More thick is better than thin on this project so don’t be shy about forming a thick mold.
TWO: The soap, color and fragrance quantities may slightly vary depending on the size of your pumpkin (my pumpkin was 5.7 ounces). For the stem, melt about ½ ounce of clear melt and pour and add a smidgen of Liquid Green (not even a whole drop). Mix well. Use a dropper to fill the stem part of your mold with green soap and spritz with rubbing alcohol to get rid of any bubbles.
THREE: Melt about 6 ounces of clear soap and add your favorite fall fragrance. I used ½ ml of Pumpkin Spice, ½ ml of Butter Cream and Snickerdoodle and 1 ml Vanilla Stabilizer to keep my orange color bright and vibrant. It smells like pumpkin pie!
Variation Fragrance: ½ ml Pumpkin Pie Cybilla, ½ ml Cream Cheese Frosting and 1 ml Vanilla Stabilizer. Delicious!
FOUR: Now that our soap has been scented, add 20 drops of the Sunshine Yellow and 1/2 drop of the Fiery Fuchsia from Soapylove’s Jewelry Box Color Set (it helps to put a drop of the fuchsia on your spoon and drip half of that amount in the soap). The Fuchsia is really strong so it just takes a teensy bit compared to the Yellow. Mix well until you have the perfect pumpkin orange. Then add a pinch or 2 of Sparkle Dust to give the pumpkin an extra festive touch.
FIVE: Check the temperature of the soap and make sure it’s no hotter than 130 degrees (we don’t want to melt our green soap that’s already in the mold). Spritz your green stem layer with rubbing alcohol to ensure the layers stick then pour the sparkly, orange soap into the mold and give it a final spritz with rubbing alcohol.
Tip: If the soap seems a little too big just cut it in half for smaller version. Even though it’s half the size it’s still equally as cute.
It’s a proud day at Bramble Berry today as our burgeoning mold manufacturing company ELF has put out their first new design of the season: the Pumpkin! Made out of white food-grade HDPE plastic, this mold has 4 cavities and holds 4.3 ounces.
(The note field is at the very end of the ordering process after you’ve made the payment)
And, really, truly, fill in the blank. I want to hear what you’d like to see us make so I can get my industrious elves to make the molds you want to use.
Sweet Pumpkin Spice Paradise Body Shop
Ghost Soap by Carvel County Soapworks
Spinning Spider Felted Soap Persnickety Pelican
