Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more
Mica colorants can be used in everything from scrubs to soap. This week through Oct. 16th, the blog will have tutorials made with plenty of shimmery micas, like the Sparkly Garnet Soap Gems. The soap, inspired by the January birthstone, gets its sparkly red color from Merlot Sparkle Mica and Fine Iridescent Glitter. Once the soap is scented with Pomegranate and Black Currant Fragrance Oil and cooled, it is cut into fun gem shapes.
Happy weekend everybody! Here in Bellingham we are soaking up the last of the summer sun. Today is 68 degrees with a light breeze…it’s perfect. =) This weekend my folks are up to help out with the kids while Chris is away on business. We’re doing the Sustainable Connections Farm Tour today and the kids are super excited to see cows, chickens and, how mushrooms grow (yay manure!). Then tonight, we have Baby Alise (my brother’s baby girl) for the night so it will be a sleepover! Once Chris gets back, it’s my turn to take a little work trip. I’m heading up to Vancouver for a few days for a marketing conference. If you’d like to see peeks into my trip, follow me on Snapchat! My username is Bramble-Berry. You can also see what the team is up to back at the office on Snapchat while I’m gone.
Speaking of upcoming projects, be on the lookout for a series of projects featuring metallic micas. This series features everything from candles to cold process, so there is something for everybody. =) What is your favorite way to use micas in bath and body products? Click here to learn more about these sparkly colorants.
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Next week, we will be sharing a series of projects featuring metallic micas. Below is a cold process soap made with a King’s Gold, Gold Sparkle Mica and Copper Sparkle mica painting. Can’t wait to share these projects!
This past week was full of pumpkin inspired projects, including these Pumpkin Pie Melt and Pour Soap bars (left). On the right is a beautiful sunset over Bellingham Bay…I feel so lucky to live here. =)
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I hope you all have an amazing weekend! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube and Snapchat. To watch my ‘stories’, which include sneak peeks into future projects, add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.
Before we get into the recap of the week, I wanted to take a moment to remember all those who were affected by the tragic events that took place on September 11th, 2001. I’d also like to thank all the heroes who helped rebuild New York City afterward, and the heroes that continue to keep us safe. I think Rudy Giuliani put it best when he said, “The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified.”
This week continued the “all things fall” theme with the Pumpkin Pie Melt and Pour Soap. Inspired by the release of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte, the bars are scented with spicy and sweet Pumpkin Pie Candle & Soap Fragrance Oil. To match the smell, the Perfect Orange Color Block is used to give the Goat Milk Melt and Pour Soap Base a creamy orange hue. It even has a bit of cinnamon added for a realistic look.
I hope you’re all having a great start to the long Labor Day weekend. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the past week has been full of rain and wind. Not that I’m complaining; Washington was in desperate need of rain with all the wildfires throughout the state. The dreary weather has me in the mood for fall. This means darker color palettes, rich scents and everything pumpkin! Get ready for some pumpkin inspired tutorials next week. =) In the meantime, check out my favorite pins, tweets and ‘grams from the week below!
P.S. Grandpa Faiola is reading the kiddo’s favorite ‘magazine’, babybug! We love it because it’s made of paper that can’t be easily torn and has a serial character (“Kim and Carrots”) that has continuing adventures that our kids really look forward to reading. I highly recommend it for all little readers ages 1 through 5.
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I adore swirled soap, and this 12 Color Linear Swirl Cold Process from the Soap Crafting Book might be my all time favorite! I just love how every bar looks completely unique.
On the left is a sparkly melt and pour project that will be on the blog later this week. It is made in the new Tray Floral Wallpaper Mold. On the right, Lily got into my lipstick and proceeded to apply it to her lips and face. Such a mischievous one!
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I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube and Snapchat. To watch my ‘stories’, which include sneak peeks into future projects, add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.
Handmade products make great gifts and party favors. This week featured several gift ideas, like the Minty Mocha Mantra Marble Cold Process Soap by Erica Pence of Bath Alchemy Lab. Her technique creates a unique marbled look in soap. The soap is scented with Turkish Mocha Fragrance Oil and Peppermint Essential Oil, 1st Distill, making it the ideal gift for the coffee lovers in your life.
Happy Saturday! I hope you’re all having an amazing weekend so far. Today the family and I are going to watch the Bramble Berry team compete in the Muds to Suds event! We compete every year – check out these shots from 2013. It’s fun to watch everyone make it through the different mud pits annnnnd, this year the entire team is going as zombies so that’ll be extra awesome. It is raining, but that just makes the event more fun. Also, the rain is much needed here in Washington state. The wildfires are now the largest in the states history, threatening and destroying thousands of homes. So please, stay as long as you’d like rain clouds!
In soapy news, my new book, Pure Soap Making, is now available for pre-order! The book will hit stands February 2016, but you can be among the first to reserve your copy now. Each pre-order will also include a free Hanger Swirl Tool. This book has been such a labor of love, and I can’t wait for you all to get your hands on it! Click here to learn more.
In the meantime, checkout my favorite pins, tweets and ‘grams below for more soapy inspiration!
Crafters often plan projects months ahead of time. This week was all about getting ready for fall. The blog featured several fall projects, including the Pumpkin Spice Swirl Cold Process Soap. The recipe is made with real pumpkin puree and pumpkin seed oil. An orange and brown color palette and Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil make the soap feel and smell like a crisp autumn day.
Happy weekend everybody! Today the team and I are filming three full length Soap Queen TV videos. We decided to film them on a weekend morning, as the Soap Lab gets quite hot in the afternoon. I’ll be posting sneak peeks of behind the scenes on Periscope (@brambleberry), Snapchat (user name: Bramble-Berry) and Instagram (@brambleberry) so look for them early. These projects are super fun (!) and include cold process cupcakes and melt and pour soap gems. If you want the recipe to the cold process cupcakes early, sign up for the Bramble Berry Newsletter! It will be coming out in the newsletter next week =)
In the meantime, checkout my favorite tweets, pins and ‘grams from the past week – and, tweet, snap & ‘gram me often. I love the conversations we have all over the disparate social media platforms.
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I’m trying my best to soak up as much summer as possible. Below, Lily and I enjoy a beautiful day on Lake Samish. That little girl sure loves the water. =)
On the left are the amethyst soap gems that are being made into a Soap Queen TV episode today. I love how sparkly they are. On the right is a cold process soap scented with Summer Fling Fragrance Oil. It’s colored with burgundy pigment, ultramarine pink oxide and titanium dioxide. We set a goal to re-soap all of our fragrances this year and this is just one of the 50+ batches we’ve done in the last two weeks. It’s fun to soap up, and, to soap up often.
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I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube and Snapchat. To watch my ‘stories’, which include sneak peeks into future projects, add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.
The projects inspired by the Alps and The Sound of Music ended this week. The series includes the Lavender Goat Milk Melt and Pour Bars, which are made with Goat Milk Melt and Pour Base. To go with the earthy scent of Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil and Spring Meadow Fragrance Oil, the soap is colored with Ultramarine Violet Color Block. It’s easy to make and enjoy.
Happy weekend! I hope you’re all having a great Saturday and week. The past week has been beyond full and to tell you the truth, a little overwhelming. Work-wise, I’ve been busy finalizing recipes for Soap Queen TV and approving new products galore. The team and I are filming three new full length SoapQueen.TV videos on Saturday. The projects include cold process cupcakes, melt and pour gems and a sugar scrub. If you haven’t already, be sure to checkout the newest video that was released on Monday, the Silky Berry Cold Process Soap!
At home, the kids and I are busy making the most out of the warm summer weather. Below, Lily is enjoying her cousin Alise’s outdoor play house. That girl can spend hours on anything that involves climbing, jumping and sliding …it was definitely a good investment because she keeps asking to “Go see Baby Alise.” I’m pretty sure she’s asking to “Go see Baby Alise’s Play house.” =). Jamisen has been attending several summer camps and has been having a blast. I love listening to his stories about all the various activities (gnome hunts!) and projects when I get home.
Below, check out my favorite pins, tweets and ‘grams from the past week!
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If you haven’t already, be sure to checkout the latest full length video on Soap Queen TV! This Silky Berry Cold Process Project is made with real silk and a delicious smelling berry fragrance combination.
Last weekend, the Bramble Berry team and I enjoyed watching a Bellingham Bells game, a local baseball team. On the left, Lily is enjoying all the action. On the right is the amazing bounty from the garden. This summer has been quite warm and my garden is loving it. The kale is taller than Lily is at this point!
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I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube and Snapchat. To watch my ‘stories’, which include sneak peeks into future projects, add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.
This week is the start of a series of tutorials inspired by the Alps and The Sound of Music. The series includes the Sparkling Snow Sugar Scrub, which is made with Foaming Bath Butter. It also has sugar to exfoliate, and Fresh Snow and Spring Meadow fragrance oil for a clean scent. Snowflake Sparkle Mica and Super Pearly White Mica are added to make the scrub look like sunshine on snow.
It’s hard to believe that the first week of August is already gone. This summer has flown by. The family and I have been taking advantage of the sunshine with plenty of boat rides, day trips to the beach and outdoor activities. Below, you can see that Lily has become a big fan of control! She loves to help her dad “drive” the boat around the lake, and, sit in the driver’s seat of my car. Her fierce drive to lead is apparent already.
Next week on the blog, get ready for a collection of tutorials inspired by the classic film, The Sound of Music. These projects will include lots of florals, Snowflake Sparkle Mica and fresh scents. I can’t wait to share them with you! The film is meaningful to me because it’s one of the only films my folks would let me watch as a kid so I have almost all the songs memorized. I love social media and connecting with you all on there; if you missed anything, check out my favorite pins, ‘grams and tweets from the past two weeks.
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I have been experimenting with the “Circling Taiwan Swirl,” and absolutely love the results! The soap below was made with Energy Fragrance Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Black Oxide, Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, Electric Bubble Gum Colorant and Super Pearly White Mica. I almost don’t want to cut it! =)
We have been busy planning new projects for several episodes of Soap Queen TV. On the left are shimmery champagne cold process cupcakes, made with Champagne Fragrance Oil. On the right are melt and pour gemstones inspired by rose quartz. Some comments on Instagram said these melt and pour gems reminded them of meat, so I may need to tweak the colors slightly, haha =)
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Find me on Snaphat via “bramble-berry” for behind the scenes peeks into soaping sessions, upcoming tutorials and random insights into my schedule. The video below is my Snapchat story from Wednesday, which includes a live demo of the beautiful 12 Color Linear Swirl Cold Process Soap. Be on the lookout next week for a full length episode of Soap Queen TV!
Twitter:
I hope you all have an fantastic weekend! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube and Snapchat. To watch my ‘stories’, which include sneak peeks into future projects, add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.
Experimenting with new techniques and products is fun. This week featured a tutorial using a new Bramble Berry product, Stephenson Jelly Melt and Pour Base. The base has a jiggly texture and washes like normal soap. The Shimmery Summer Soap Jellies are colored with LabColors and scented with sweet Summer Fling Fragrance Oil. It also has Fine Iridescent Glitter for a touch of sparkle. The jelly is a crowd pleaser, and not just for kids. It caused quite a stir in the break room with the team.
The Back to Basics series ended this week. It was nice to revisit important soapy concepts, like how to choose a mold. There are several different types of molds, including silicone and wood molds. Each type of mold has pros and cons. For instance, recyclable molds are cost effective, but you may only be able to use them once. Learn more in the How to Choose a Soap Mold post.
