Pure Honey Fragrance Oil is also used in the Honey Bee Funnel Pour Cold Process Soap. The soap gets its unique black, white and yellow stripes from the funnel pour technique. It is then topped with cold process frosting, a bee embed and a golden Honey Melt and Pour Base honey drizzle. This project is a great opportunity to try some advanced soaping techniques.

If you want to teach some new techniques to your friends, you can host a DIY craft party. Making nail polish is one of the projects you can make. Because it is ready to use once the color is mixed in, your friends can take it home with them. Get tips for your next get together in the Nail Polish Party + Nail Polish Colors and Free Templates post.

Providing snacks is another option for the DIY party. These Honey Roasted Peaches would be a sweet and healthy thing to snack on during crafting. The peaches are easy to make – all you have to do is mix them with butter and honey and roast for 15-20 minutes. The result is sweet, soft peaches that go on everything from ice cream to granola.

Soap inspiration can come from anywhere, whether it’s butterflies or pottery. Tammi with Lux & Lather Handmade Artisan Soaps & Candles was inspired by ancient Greek pottery to create her stunning soap. This week’s Facebook Photo of the Week was colored with Brick Red Oxide and Black Oxide.

The warm base color of the soap is complemented by the deep red and black. The pattern on the bottom is beautiful, and the interesting swirl reminds me of a running horse. If you love the red and black color palette in Tammi’s soap, check out the Dragon’s Breath Cold Process Soap. The Movember Mustache Melt and Pour Tutorial has more red and black inspiration.

Above (clockwise, top left) are Tammi’s Rosemary and Peppermint Soap, Great Outdoors Soap, Warm Winter Fig Soap and 7 Soap. If you’d like a soap scented with Peppermint Essential Oil, 1st Distill and Rosemary Essential Oil, click through the Minty Clay Melt and Pour Tutorial. Rosemary also smells great in the Indigo Spoon Plop Soap Cold Process Tutorial.

Find Lux & Lather Handmade Artisan Soaps & Candles
On Facebook

For more beautiful soapy inspiration, check out this week’s Instagram Photo of the Week by Melanie. Her Coconut Mango Violet soap is made with yogurt and coconut milk for an extra creamy feel. The hanger swirl technique is used to swirl the vibrant purple, orange and green soap. See more of her gorgeous work on her Instagram page.

Post pictures of your crafty 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. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to be featured on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (May 23rd ~ 29th) appeared first on Soap Queen.

Butterflies are also the inspiration for the Monarch Butterfly Swirl Cold Process Soap. The butterfly swirl technique involves inserting a hanger into the soap and moving it in a circular motion. That creates a swirl that looks like butterfly wings when the bars are put side by side. It also makes every bar unique. The combination of Pure Honey Fragrance Oil and orange, yellow, white and black colors complete the look.

You can also get yellow hues from oil infusions. Common herbs to infuse in oils include lavender, chamomile, marigold. They can add a subtle smell, color and luxurious properties to your soap. You can infuse oils at room temperature for 4-6 weeks, or heat them for 20 minutes to 4 hours. Learn more about heat infusions in the How to Infuse Oils with a Crock-Pot post.

Infused oils feel great on the skin, and would work in a variety of projects like bath bombs. Kids love bath bombs because of the fun fizzing action. Crafting with kids is a lot of fun, and helps promote creativity and problem solving. For instance, the Melt & Pour Bath Crayons allow your child to create works of art in the tub that are easy to wash off. Find more tutorials in the Kid-Friendly Project Roundup.

The jojoba beads on top of the Doughnut Melt and Pour add cute detail and exfoliation. Salts are another way to add exfoliation to your projects. Bramble Berry carries several types of salt, including Epsom salt. Salt can be used in scrubs, soap, bath bombs and bath salts. They can also be used for decoration on top of soap. Learn more in the Sunday Night Spotlight: Salts post.

Finally, the Handmade Beauty Boxes are out for the month and, did you know that you can also make blush and eye shadow with May’s Handmade Beauty Box project? Tune into the HBB Ustream channel next Tuesday (5/26) at 2pm PST. I will be sharing FIVE new recipes with our live viewers. 

This week’s Facebook Photo of the Week by Lynetta with Good Scents Soapworks has beautiful decoration on top and inside the soap. It is scented with the fresh and fruity Energy Fragrance Oil.

The embedded cupcake in Lynetta’s soap is beautiful! The pink, purple white and green color palette is pretty and bright and wow, the details to get that soap just take my breath away. If you’d like to make soapy cupcakes, check out the Luscious Lemon Cupcakes Tutorial. If you like your cupcakes with a little fizz, watch the How to Make Bath Bomb Cupcakes video on Soap Queen TV.

Above (clockwise, left) are Lynetta’s Southern Sunshine Peach with a Hint of Citrus Soap, Pear Glace Type Vegan Soap and Sparkling Snow Soap. If you’d like a little sparkle on your soap, click through the Once Upon a Dream Cold Process Soap. For even more glittery goodness, check out the Mermaid Tail Cold Process Tutorial.

Find Good Scents Soapworks
On Etsy

This week’s Instagram Photo of the Week is absolutely gorgeous as well. The soap, made by Melinda with Melinda’s Naturals, has such a unique design. The bright colors are really lovely as well. Check out more of Melinda’s beautiful work on her Instagram page.

Post pictures of your crafty 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. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to be featured on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (May 16th ~ 22nd) appeared first on Soap Queen.

Bath fizzies are another craft kids love. Holly, owner of Lotion Bar Café and author of Make it Fizz: A Guide to Making Bathtub Treats makes many beautiful bath bombs, including Sherbet Surprise Bath Fizzies. They have a smaller bath bomb inside, meaning they release two different colors in the bath tub. Learn how to make them, and get Holly’s bath bomb tips, in the Sherbet Surprise Bath Fizzies post.

Melt and pour soap is fun to customize with your favorite colors. If melt and pour burns, it can be difficult to incorporate color and fragrance. That’s because it can become gloppy or discolored. To prevent burning, make sure to melt your soap in the microwave on short bursts and stir frequently. Learn more in the How to Avoid Burnt Melt and Pour post.

Products also look great when left uncolored. The Walnut Facial Scrub has no added color, making it a perfect product for men. Made with walnut shells, kaolin clay and sodium bicarbonate, the scrub is easy to make and helps exfoliate skin. The Bramble Berry Made to Measure Type Fragrance Oil gives the scrub notes of juniper, lavender and leather.

As you can probably imagine, Bramble Berry is a pretty fragrant place to work. Sometimes it smells like Bramble Berry Made to Measure Type Fragrance Oil, and sometimes it smells like bacon. Every week, Bramble Berry provides lunch for its employees. Recently, we had a salad bar and Ryan in manufacturing made a delicious Balsamic and Bacon Vinaigrette. With plenty of garlic and bacon drippings, I hear it tasted great and filled the building with a delicious aroma. It was a big hit with everyone.

Another office favorite is this stunning soap by Carolyn with Siennalily Soaps. She used a tall mold and the hanger swirl technique to get the beautiful design in this week’s Facebook Photo of the Week.

The colors in Carolyn’s soap are absolutely gorgeous. The blue base perfectly complements the pink, white, orange and black colors in the middle. If you want to learn how to do the hanger technique used in Carolyn’s soap, click through the Once Upon a Dream Cold Process Tutorial. The technique also looks great in the Tiger Stripe Hanger Swirl Tutorial.
Above (clockwise, top) are Carolyn’s Rio de Janeiro Soap, Norway Soap, Recycled Soap and Paris Soap. Soap scraps add a unique look to your soap, as seen in the Cherry Blossom Glitter Cold Process Tutorial. Find more ideas for your extra soap in the How to Use Leftover Soap Scraps post.

Find Siennalily Soaps
On Facebook
On Etsy

For more beautiful detail on soap, check out the Instagram Photo of the Week by The Soaping Soprano. The detail on the flowers look amazing on the creamy base soap. The soft colors are really beautiful. See more gorgeous soaps on their Instagram page.

Post pictures of your crafty 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. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to be featured on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (May 9th ~ 15th) appeared first on Soap Queen.

For bright colors in cold process soap, pigments are a great choice. Pigments were used in the Electric Lemonade Column Pour Cold Process Soap to create a fun color palette. The design was created using the column pour technique, which involves pouring soap over a column to create layers of color. The colors are accented with sweet and tart Electric Lemonade Cocktail Fragrance Oil.

Sarah with Spicy Pinecone makes soaps with a variety of colors and techniques. She started making soap about three years ago after buying a melt and pour kit from a craft store. She now makes a variety of products with fun names, like Summer Lovin’. See her gorgeous work and read about her soapy tips in the Chatting with Sarah of Spicy Pinecone post.

Owning a soapy business can be time consuming. For days when you can’t fit in a shower, dry shampoo helps freshen your hair. The Dry Shampoo Tutorial has arrowroot powder, talc powder and tapioca powder to absorb excess oil. The shampoo has a sweet and musky scent from Relaxing Fragrance Oil.

In order to keep your handmade products fresh, it helps to store them in a cool, dry place. Melt and pour soap needs to be wrapped right away. That helps prevent glycerin dew from forming. However, cold process soap needs good airflow, as excess moisture can cause rancidity, or dreaded orange spots. Learn more in the How to Store Handmade Bath Products post.

 It’s so fun seeing all the soaps you’ve created in one place. This week’s Facebook Photo of the Week winner, Meg Jack Makes, snapped a photo of her gorgeous soaps when she was packing up after a show.

There are so many beautiful colors and designs in Meg’s stack of soaps, including the dark blue near the bottom and the red and white swirl on top. If you love the natural color of Meg’s soaps, you’ll love the Indigo Spoon Plop Tutorial. Natural colors look great in melt and pour soap as well, as seen in the Charcoal and Rose Clay Spa Bar video on Soap Queen TV.

Above (clockwise, top left) are Meg’s Fresh Lavender Soap, Handmade Natural Soap Favors, Lavender Basil Soap and Caramelized Honey Oatmeal Soap. In the mood for more soap featuring oatmeal? Click through the Goat Milk and Oatmeal Cold Process Soap Tutorial. Oatmeal also works great in masks, as seen in the Oatmeal Facial Scrub and Mask Tutorial.

Find Meg Jack Makes
On Facebook
On Etsy

For more beautiful color inspiration, you’ll love this week’s Instagram Photo of the Week by the Stonesfield Soap Company. The soap features a blue and white swirl topped with flowers. The detail work in this soap is so stunning. It is truly a work of art. See more beautiful soaps on Stonesfield’s Instagram page.

Previously, we were giving away signed copies of the Soap Crafting book. While there are no more sample books, one photo will still be featured each week. We just can’t get enough of your #SoapShare pictures. =)

Post pictures of your crafty 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. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to be featured on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (May 2nd ~ 8th) appeared first on Soap Queen.

Goat milk is another great milk option for soap. If you don’t have fresh milk on hand, you can use powdered goat milk. With goat milk powder, oat extract and colloidal oatmeal, the Goat Milk and Oatmeal Cold Process Tutorial feels gentle on your skin. The brown and white layers get a pop of color from a gold mica line. The colors go perfectly with sweet Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Fragrance Oil.

The crinkle cutter adds detail to the goat milk bars. If you want more detail in your soap, you can use plastic molds. The molds can be used for cold process soap, but do require a few tricks to get it out with all the details intact. Using hard oils in your recipe helps the soap release faster. Sodium lactate is another ingredient that helps the soap release easily. Read more in the Unmolding Cold Process Soap from Plastic Molds post.

Now you can find more soaping tips and tricks in the palm of your hand. The new Bramble Berry app is now ready to download and use. It allows you to shop the store on your phone. You can also browse Bramble Berry’s social media outlets, like the Bramble Berry Facebook page. While it is only available for iPhones and iPads (on iTunes) right now, that may change in the future. Read more in the New Bramble Berry App post.

The app also allows you to see blog posts, like the Interview with Sami of Poor & Pretty Apothecary from your phone (all our social media, in one handy place!). A crafty person her whole life, Sami started making soap when she was 13. Now, she makes a variety of products including sugar scrub and sea salt hair spray. Read more about Sami and what inspires her to create in her interview.

In the mood for more beautiful projects? You’ll love this week’s Facebook Photo of the Week by Elika with Laffy Daffy Soap Co. The soap is made with fruity Summer Fling Fragrance Oil.

The rainbow color palette and crisp layers in Elika’s soap are stunning. The star on top is a beautiful touch as well. For more rainbow inspiration, click through the Rainbow Spheres Tutorial. Rainbow colors look great in cold process soap too, as seen in the Over the Rainbow Cold Process Tutorial.

Above (clockwise, left) are Elika’s Rainbow Bliss soap, shark soap, My Sweet Pea Soap and sword soap. If you love the geometric look of the Rainbow Bliss soap, check out the Geometric Soap on Soap Queen TV. For a fun angled look in cold process soap, click through the Dragon’s Breath Cold Process Soap Tutorial.

 Find Laffy Daffy Soap Co.
On Facebook

The Instagram Photo of the Week also features a beautiful rainbow color palette. Soap With Hope’s bars feature amazing layers and bright colors. It looks so amazing! Check out more beautiful photos on her Instagram page.

Post pictures of your crafty 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. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to win a copy of the Soap Crafting book, and share on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (April 11th ~ April 17th) appeared first on Soap Queen.

In addition to a silky feeling, soap made with milk is also gentle on sensitive skin. The Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar video on Soap Queen TV is made with skin-loving olive oil and buttermilk. The soap recipe, shared by Amanda from Lovin Soap, gets its yellow color from carrot puree. It’s ideal for babies or young children.

Another way to add a silky feeling to your soap is with silk. Tussah silk fibers are dissolved in hot lye water and add a luxurious feeling to cold process soap. Bramble Berry’s Tussah silk fibers are cruelty free. Liquid silk can be added to melt and pour, lotion and emulsified scrubs. Click through the Saturday Night Spotlight: Liquid Silk and Tussah Silk Fibers to learn more.

The creamy color of milk soap goes well with a variety of colors. Spring is full of color and fragrance inspiration. Bright colors and floral scents look beautiful in projects like soap, bath bombs and lip gloss. The Rosy Red Lip Gloss is scented with springy Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil. See more seasonal projects in the Spring Project Inspiration post.

Cucumber Melon Fragrance Oil is another perfect spring scent. This week’s Facebook Photo of the Week winner, Molly with Ridgeway Soapworks, used it in her stunning swirled soap.

Molly’s soaping style is full of striking contrast from a green, white and black color palette. The design reminds me of a spring flower. To get a similar look, click through the Havana Classic: Neptune Column Pour Tutorial. You can also get a similar design with the Funnel Pour Soap Technique on Soap Queen TV.

Above (clockwise, top left) are Molly’s Blood Orange and Goji Berry Soap, Jasmine Vanilla Soap, Citrus Zest and Mango Butter Soap and Goat Milk and Honey Soap. If you’d like to make a soap with the sweet scent of honey, click through the Honey Bee Soap Tutorial. For a honey-scented melt and pour project, check out the Save the Honey Bee Melt and Pour Tutorial.

Find Ridgeway Soapworks
On Facebook
On Etsy
On the web

This week’s Instagram Photo of the Week by Sarah with Spicy Pinecone is full of beautiful color as well. Her cold process soap is made with coconut milk and several butters for a luxurious feeling. The soft purple color looks great against the white and black swirl and is oh-so-spring-season. Find more beautiful soaps on her Instagram page.

Post pictures of your crafty 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. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to win a copy of the Soap Crafting book, and share on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (April 4th ~ April 10th) appeared first on Soap Queen.

Crisp Apple Rose Fragrance Oil is a delightful blend of floral and fruity. Blending fragrances is a great way to reinvent some of your old favorites. Before blending, it helps to consider what type of scent the fragrance oil is, what notes it contains and how strong it is. Most importantly, have fun! There is no right or wrong way to blend scents. Get more tips in the Fragrance Oil Blending Tips post.

It can take a bit of trial and error to get your perfect blend. If you create one that’s not your favorite, don’t give up. Kevin with Devinely Designed has had some soapy mishaps. He makes sure to include them, along with his soaping successes on his YouTube channel, along with more than 100 other videos of his gorgeous soapy creations. Read more about Kevin and what inspires him in the Interview with Kevin of Devinely Designed post.

Supporting small businesses like Kevin’s is a priority of mine. Over the last several years, legislative proposals have been introduced in Congress that would create new regulations on the cosmetics industry. Some of these new proposed rules would impact small business negatively. The Coalition of Handcrafted Entrepreneurs is dedicated to ensuring that small businesses are allowed to operate. To learn how how you can help and sign up, click through to the Join the Coalition of Handcrafted Entrepreneurs post.

It’s amazing to see what small business owners create. This week’s Facebook Photo of the Week winner has several gorgeous creations. Aimee with Butterfly Party Soap Studio made her collection of soaps with the fruity and herby Pineapple Cilantro Fragrance Oil.

There are so many vibrant colors in Aimee’s collection. The texture on top adds interest to the bars. To learn how to get texture on your soap, click through the Sea Clay Swirl Cold Process Tutorial. The Lemon Poppy Seed Cold Process Soap has a fluffy white layer on top with some lots of texture.

Above (clockwise, top left) are Aimee’s Snow Fairy Dupe, purple and blue soap, soapy cupcake and blue and white soap. In the mood for more blue? Click through the Blue Rain Drop Swirl Cold Process. Blue hues look great in melt and pour too, as seen in the Inspired by the Sea: a Melt and Pour Project.

Find Butterfly Party Soap Studio
On Facebook
On the web

The pink color in this week’s Instagram Photo of the Week by Hande looks amazing. The combination of pink, black cumin seed and white has great contrast. See more beautiful photos on the Instagram page.

Post pictures of your crafty 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. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to win a copy of the Soap Crafting book, and share on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Feb. 28th ~ March 6th) appeared first on Soap Queen.

Spring 2015 S.O.A.P. Panel

Estrellita of The Mama Juju
Kevin of Devinely Designed Products
Jennifer of Skyline Soapworks
Candice of Candy Body Factory
Andrea of DJ’s Creek Farm
Maureen of Reeny’s Butterflies Blooms and Bees
Shelly of Lion and Rose Soap
Eren of Eren’s Creations

Congrats panelists! We are thrilled to have each of you on the S.O.A.P. panel, and can’t wait to hear what you think about the eight new mystery fragrances! Please e-mail us at sma2(at)brambleberry(dot)com with your shipping information so we can get you the mystery fragrances. We will package and ship the fragrances out no later than March 3rd. 

Panelists not only let us know what they think of the scents, but how they perform in bath and beauty products as well. Some fragrance oils can cause acceleration or separation. There are also many other factors to consider when soaping including temperature and time. The Soapy Mess-Up Quick Guide features several mistakes and how to fix them.

It’s great to have tricks to fix soapy mess-ups. Tips and tricks are also great when it comes to photographing your products. For instance, Zahida with Handmade in Florida recommends photographing your products next to a window, as natural light is an inexpensive way to make your soap stand out. Read more of her tips for amazing photos in the Soap Photography Tips from Handmade in Florida post.

Zahida’s tips also work for food. The pink frosting on the Soft Almond Sugar Cookies pops against the gray and white cutting board. In real life, these cookies are soft, buttery and sweet. They are flavored with almond extract and topped with slivered almonds for a nutty flavor and slight crunch. These cookies are a perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

If you’re in the mood for more pink, check out the Pikake Flower Bath Bombs post. The bath bombs feature pink and white layers for a fun tiger stripe look. Rose petals add detail to the project, and complement the Pikake Flower Fragrance Oil. With only a few ingredients, the project is easy to make and enjoy in your tub.

Adding layers in your soap provides gorgeous results as well. This week’s Facebook Photo of the Week by Hand Made Soap by Sarah features layers and swirls for a unique and beautiful look.

The simple color palette of purple and white highlights the swirl in the soap. The Tall 12″ Silicone Loaf Mold gives the soap a fun shape and the Lavender and Cedar Fragrance Oil gives it an earthy scent. The Lavender and Cedar Fragrance Oil also looks great with the minty color of the Sea Clay Swirl Cold Process Soap. For a classic lavender scent, you’ll love the Lavender and Clay Mondo Bath Fizzy.

Above (clockwise, top left) are Hand Made Soap by Sarah’s Lavender Chamomile Soap, Sugar Plum Soap Cupcakes, Sunny Erb Garden Soap and Black Cherry Bomb Soap. For more soapy cupcakes, click through the Luscious Lemon Cupcakes Tutorial. Get the look on your bath bombs with the How to Frost the Perfect Bath Fizzy Cupcake Video.

Find Hand Made Soaps by Sarah
On Facebook
On the web

The embellishments on the bath fizzy cupcakes look great. This week’s Instagram Photo of the Week by Veronica of Veronica Foale Essentials has a little bit of sparkle on top of her layered soap. The glitter and warm colors are a cheerful and beautiful combination. Check out more soapy pictures on her Instagram page.

Post pictures of your crafty 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. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to win a copy of the Soap Crafting book, and share on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Feb. 21st ~ Feb. 27th) + Spring 2015 S.O.A.P. Panelists appeared first on Soap Queen.

Green Chrome Oxide and Grass Stain Fragrance Oil add a bright color and fresh scent to the Green Meadow Melt and Pour Tutorial. The middle layer uses grated soap to create a confetti look, which adds interest to the solid green layers. A pink flower on top adds contrast and a feminine touch.

Flowers were the inspiration for the Rosy Red Lip Gloss. A combination of castor oil, jojoba oil and cera bellina wax make the gloss shiny, soft and spreadable. The rosy hue comes from Merlot Sparkle Mica and Rose Pearl Mica, and Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil adds the floral and sweet smell.

For even more flowery inspiration, click through to the Yellow Chamomile Cold Process Soap Tutorial. The soap has plenty of chamomile, including chamomile herbs, chamomile extract and Chamomile Bergamot Fragrance Oil. The yellow oxide adds a warm hue and the 4″ Silicone Loaf Mold is perfect for small batches of soap.

Sweet treats are another source of color inspiration. The Orange Creamsicle Bath Truffle was inspired by a classic ice cream treat. Shea oil and cocoa butter add moisturization properties to the truffles, and they get the citrusy smell from Creamsicle Cybilla Fragrance Oil. Pop one in your bathtub for a luxurious experience.

For all the colors in one project, click through the Rainbow Project Roundup. The post features projects like the Rainbow Squirty Swirl Cold Process and Over the Rainbow Cold Process. Rainbow hues also look great in melt and pour, as seen in the Rainbow Spheres and Rainbow Mold and Island Style Tutorials.

Color can also be used to determine if your soap has a balanced pH level. Dropping a mixture of cabbage juice and distilled water on your soap is a way to check if your soap is lye heavy. If the juice turns green or yellow, the soap is lye heavy and can irritate or burn your skin. Click through the How to Test pH with Red Cabbage post for more information.

Bright colors and skilled piping are the focus of this week’s Facebook Photo of the Week. The goat milk Spring Duckies cold process soap by Nelson Farms is so adorable.

The piping creates various textures on the soap, making each one creative and unique. The duckies also make the soap very kid friendly. If you’d like to learn more about piping, watch the Whipped Cold Process Frosting video on Soap Queen TV. The technique also looks great on candles, as seen in the Whipped Candle Frosting tutorial.

Above (clockwise, top left) are Nels0n Farms’ Black Raspberry Vanilla Soap, Watermelon Punch Soap, Goat’s Milk Soap Cupcakes and Jasmine Goat’s Milk Soap. If you’d like to make a soap with goat milk, watch the Goat Milk Soap Tutorial video on Soap Queen TV. Goat milk also feels great in the tub, as seen in the Goatsmilk Bath Tea Tutorial.

Find Nelson Farms
On Facebook
On the web

The talent in the soap making community is so impressive. This week’s Instagram photo of the week is by Jan with Sunlit Soap. Her Meryt soap features gorgeous cool colors, a mermaid tail embed and plenty of sparkle. Check out more soapy pictures on her Instagram page.

Picking one winner was so hard! This week’s honorable mention from #SoapShare is stunning as well. Michelle used Starry Night as inspiration for her detailed soap. Michelle’s soap is a true work of art.

Post pictures of your crafty 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. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to win a copy of the Soap Crafting book, and share on the Bramble Berry Instgram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Feb. 7th ~ Feb. 13th) appeared first on Soap Queen.