Natural Handmade Soaps: Newest Varieties

As the last days of summer break slip too-quickly by, I've tried to fit some soapmaking-time in between our summer activities.  Here are the latest limited- edition all-natural soap varieties that I've come up with:

I hope to post these on my website soon, for pre-orders, as there are precious few of each variety ("limited edition" is real): 

"Banana Blossom", "Buttercream Mint", "Rosemary-Lime", "Lemon Drop", "Vanilla Mountain", "Mr. Romance", "Lavender Ripples", and Lavender-Oatmeal-Poppyseed "Taters"

Happy Soaping to All!  ~Becky

My Problem with "Pretty Soaps"....

Because I've been on a "pretty soap" kick again lately, I'll be packaging some of the prettier varieties with plain cigar-band style wrappers to show them off.  Waddya' think?  Yes, yes, I  know...."she's at it again", but I just can't bear to stick them in a bag and cover 'em up!

I wish they made bags out of the smell-through shrink wrap, as they will need to go into something clear so they don't get all "funky" from people handling them!  Any ideas on that one, my soaping friends? 

Frenzy, Setting Soap & Near Calamity...

Do you ever have one of "Those Batches"?  It usually starts, at least for me, with a really Good & Creative Idea.   The idea percolates in my head (like a ping pong ball in a mayonnaise jar) and finally becomes A Plan.

There are a few things Mom taught me about myself, the least of which is not "Honey, you really shouldn't start a project at this time of night...you should wait 'til morning when you're fresh"  -Mom, if you're reading this: You were right back then, and you still are! :)  But I digress...

My plan was a Christmas soap with little white hand-cut trees imbedded in a lovely green soap.  Simple.  Elegant. Understated.   Welllll...

I started last evening around 5:00.  I know that's early to many of you, but by that time of day I have banged my drum like the Energizer Bunny all day - "wide open" - "in high gear" (pace myself? what does that mean, exactly?) and I am a bit too spent to be starting soap.  I know this.  Mom taught me this.  I refuse to acctept this.

I thought things were going pretty well.  I had come hope from doing the "art thing" at my son's school, whipped up a rather creative casserole, my soap was mixing in the ol' KitchenAid in the soap room...(move over Helen Reddy,  "I am woman hear me roar...la la la la-la)  "I can bring home the bacon da-da-da-da,   fry it up in the pan da-da-da-da!  (Although my hubby really is the bacon bringer & I often burn what's in the pan...)  What's that old saying about "Pride comes before a Fall?" 

So I check on the soap.  Oh my!  It's getting pretty thick and pretty big.  I add the EO's and scurry back to line the mold.  That's right, I had become distracted & forgot to do my LEAST favorite thing -aaarggh.  So I'm snipping & folding and getting a bit tense.  Whew, that's done.   I scurry to the soap room and get the soap and hurry to pour it in.... "Can you grab those Christmas Tree cutouts for me?"  Uh oh...I can feel myself getting a bit "bark-ey"  it was a question, but not really -if you know what I mean....look out, she's gonna blow!  

But it's o.k.  the soap is just right for imbedding my little trees. I'm conversing with myself in my head, as usual:  " Tra-la-la, get 'em straight..oh this is gonna be so GOOD!"  Keep goin' just a couple more.   Oh yes, this is nice.  Now a  little round red candy dot at the top of each tree.  Lovely.  A few clear sugar crystals at the bottom of each tree for "snow".  Genius.  They're going to want these at the Smithsonian.  Now lets put it in the laundry room, mist the top with a bit of alcohol to prevent 'the ash'" (you can see where this is going, right?)

Do you ever have those fleeting thoughts that "flash" across your consciousness -you know the one's that you don't like?  The "I wonder if's"?   I got one of those, that I mistakenly ignored, as I was setting the red candy dots.  It went like this "I hope the alcohol doesn't make the red color run....nah!  It'll be fine" 

Why don't I listen?   I spray the alcohol...ha -it's fine.  I'm looking around to figure how to insulate without anything touching the top....I turn back to the soap....AAAAARRRRRGH!  Oh help!  The red is "run-ning" like Forest Gump -everywhere!  Oh no!  I frantically grab a spoon...I'm scooping the offensive red blobs....I'm trying to blot pink stained alcohol from the tops....what to do...I know, I'll use the white snowflakes -the ones I thought about using in the first place (but the red really did look nicer, before the alcohol debacle)  But the top isn't pretty and smooth anymore -my bottom lip protrudes...man, this isn't what I wanted.  But I have no time to pout about "The Soap that Almost Was" because "The Soap that Is" is starting to set up before my eyes.

Do something, Becky!!  So I did what any soaper would have done...I swirled the top! " No No, 'DingBat'  -Not ordinary swirls...try to make it look intentional  -like wind...that's it...little, tiny, delicate winds swirling around your Happy Trees!" ( Have I ever mentioned that my "self talk" is often rather harsh? ) 

Ever the Optomistic Realist, I think these may be o.k. after all.  Wish I had saved the first photo with the red candy dots, it was actually quite striking, but I didn't decide to share this ghastly goof-up until this a.m.   But here's what they look like now...let's hope the color stays....surely it will....right?

Still Steepin'

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Well, yesterday was exhausting, and to make a long story short, I didn't make the HP soap....yet.

I think this delay may actually help the final color, what with the additional steeping and all. I'm lovin' the color of the "water" part of my brew, and believe that it will be even more vibrant after blending the leaves into the liquid with my handy stick blender.

I'm hoping to make the soap later this afternoon. I will post pictures along the way if possible. :)