Back in the Saddle Again...doo-dee-dooo!

It feels great to be back to normal!  Here's yesterday's soap that I did my usual way. (I did NOT attempt to prevent gel in any way.)

Colors and scents are what I wanted, although I did go a bit overboard with the poppy seeds! 

Hey -nobody's perfect! ;)

A soap-making video? Yep, I finally did it!

I haven't done a soap making video before now because, quite frankly, The soap Sister is a bit dorky on film.....alright, maybe more than a bit! LOL!

But, video is all the rage these days....plus I think it's helpful for new soapmakers to see folks actually make soap.

Please excuse the poor resolution....haven't figured that out yet, watch for the part where my stick blender makes a noise and I jump (pretty funny) and pay no attention to the scary gloved hand that ends the recording! Hahaha.

This was fun, I feel like it was a great learning experience (never try to talk over a stick blender -you'll lose)and don't make that annoying "tsk" noise all the time! I do hope to get better at the video thing and be able to arrange my camera so as to show more details that may help new soapers.

So here it is, The Soap Sister's first official soap-making video:



Thanks for watching everyone! :D

Clean Up Your Act ! (a rant that's been a long time in coming)

WARNING! This post is a "rant" about what I consider "unethical soaping practices" if you would prefer not to read such opinions STOP HERE and go read a friendlier blog!

Still reading?  Well here comes my rant -brace yourself:


It seems the FDA may regulate the handmade soap industry more closely in the future....making it difficult for many small home-based business to comply because of the mountains of paperwork necessary & time required to fill out said paperwork.  Such a shame that all soap makers aren't HONEST enough ON THEIR OWN to properly represent what is really in their products -perhaps then this would be a non-issue!

For instance, check out this ingredient list from what many would consider a "successful" handmade soap company:  

INGREDIENTS: Goat’s Milk, Certified Organic Olive Oil, Certified Organic Coconut Oil, Certified Organic Palm Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Certified Organic Cocoa Butter.

Can anyone out there explain to me how a soap made of the above ingredients will do the following?

 "The sweet scent of warm, ripe cherries will linger on your skin hours after lathering up..."

(not to mention give this soap color)
 

You can't explain it?  I didn't think so.  I can't either!  But there it is.

Is it ignorance or deception?  Hard to tell, but I think anyone who would lie about ingredients would lie about other things as well!  

This particular soap company must be hoping that the consumer will assume (and in my opinion rightly so) that this is a complete ingredient listing because, after all, what's the use of an incomplete ingredient list?


How do these people sleep at night?  We honest soap-makers could tell our customers that our soaps smell like flowers or cherries without the use of anything but the above ingredients, too -selling them a sweet-smelling lie.....no wait, we really couldn't....you see a  little quality called "integrity" prevents it.


My point in case you missed it is this: To those of you who feel consumers won't buy your product without being deceived or misled into doing so,

 "Clean Up Your Act" or Congress will, most likely, clean it up for you!  It's your deceptive practices that cause regulations (that most of us don't need) to be considered in the first place!  

I don't care if you use fragrance oils or essential oils,  natural colors or not,  organic oils or not....just TELL THE TRUTH!  It's not that difficult, really!



Oh, and BTW, if you happen to promote a deceptive company on your blog....it could affect your reputation as well....you know, "the company you keep" and all that...I'm just sayin'...

Rant over.

A Sharing Game for Soapmakers:

Maybe I'm nosy...I prefer to think of it as "curious"; but I don't think I'm alone in wanting to know about who makes the handmade poducts (including soap) that I use, and where they are made.

I don't mean city & state -I want more personal than that, and I think customers love to know that too.

I'm hoping many of you fellow soapers will participate by posting pics on your blogs of where you make your soap.  That's right, where do those lovely bits of your bubbly goodness originate?

If you would like to play along (oh come on, be a sport) just leave a comment below with a link to your blog/pic. It's a fun way to drive traffic and share a peek behind the scenes.  After all: "Inquiring minds want to know!"

Here's where all Heirloom Soapworks soaps are created....and yes, it feels a bit "narrow" sometimes!  But it's sunny & bright & I love it because I can leave it a mess and shut the door when I have to! LOL!  


Happy Soaping Everyone, and thanks for sharing!


p.s. This room is not normally this neat and tidy, either :)
p.p.s. "Tag" you're it!

When is "enough" enough?

My big ol' shelf is almost full ...don't relax, Becky -keep soapin'!

How do you know when you've made enough soap?  Personally, I'm very un-scientific about the inventory-thing (what a shock, eh?)

I'm just curious to hear how some of my fellow soapmakers handle the issue.  My M.O. seems to be: soap like crazy....burn out.....rest/regroup/reorganize......run low on soap....repeat.  

My most recent goal is to keep my big ol' soap curing shelf full to the brim at all times.  I tend to relax and feel like I have "enough" and then realize that when you replenish 12+ retailers -suddenly "enough" isn't enough!

Am I alone in this struggle? 

Natural Soap, Sanity, Alton IL, and "I hate my camera today -grrrr!"

Hello Soap Fans!

Please pardon my lack of posts lately -I've been busy as a cat (as I know many of you have been) ramping up production....er, no, really that sounds way too gradual ...and calm....and, well, I've been soaping like a woman possessed!



Why I hate my camera today -I just couldn't capture the beauty of "Molten"


Does anyone else out there in blogland feel the pressure?  You know, the 
"Six-week-cure-pressure".  (I keep telling myself to relax...there's always Hot Process to save the day, but so far it's not working!)

Yes, I've been swept into the pre-fall-craft-show frenzy.  I've mailed out applications & fees.  I've made commitments.  I must soap! (It's o.k., I love it & perform best under a deadline...always have.)

I have set some healthy (I believe) new soap boundaries as well, in the interest of preserving my sanity:

1. I only work (on my soap business) from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. M-F

2. I've expanded & organized my production space & I can now do everything except heat my oils in my soap room. Production is up as a result...a staggering (for me) 11 batches in the last week.

3. Finally, I'm trying to curtail some of my "soap talk"  ...gulp  ....nggggh....mmmph!  That, so far, has proven to be a challenge.  I'm trying to remember that not everyone shares my passion for all things bubbly and skin-loving. (What's wrong with people, anyway??? -LOL)

Oh, and Heirloom Soapworks natural soaps are now at The Gift Box in Alton, IL  (300 E. Broadway) -yay!

Heirloom Soap display at The Gift Box, Alton, IL

 

So what have you been up to? ;)

INSPIRATION! Or...think OUTSIDE the box, Becky!

I spoke with a dear soapin' "Sister" of mine today -one whose opinions I respect greatly, and I was positively inspired....

I was whining complaining speaking of my disillusionment with trying to keep up with a static "line" of soaps and constantly tweaking my website for SEO -activities that had been stealing ridiculous amounts of my time and taking the fun out of my soap making.

Stifling my creativity.
 
Making me hesitate. 

Rather than going with the flow of what wanted to be made I had been focused instead on what I should make. My wise friend advised me (very kindly and gently because that's how she is) to knock it off, already! (my words, not hers....but you get the idea) 

Sooooo ...I have decided to make some changes here at Heirloom Soapworks  ....specifically, I will be making only Limited Edition Natural Soaps.  I may do more of a particular soap, but then again maybe not -perhaps in a few months or maybe not for a year. 

Much of what I love about soaping is the ability to invent and create.  Making the same exact varieties day in and day out makes Becky a crabby dull girl!

The great news: There will always be fresh, new varieties to try! (But if you love something -please stock up while you can.)

After this wonderful convo with my friend, I was surfing the web, reading blogs, and I was again inspired.  This time by a soapmaker I don't know, Lori at A LIfe Deliberate Soap Co.  She spoke of "breaking the mold" so to speak & doing a funnel technique using natural colorants. Now why had I never thought of that?  For some reason, I had pigeonholed that technique as one that was only for bright, synthetic colors -crazy, huh?

Please click on the link above to see her incredibly lovely soap, and her informative video (she's added some pretty funny comments to the video -Oh how I love a soaper with a sense of humor!) 

Stay tuned -(I had hubby hold the funnel for me as I tried the technique earlier this evening) I'll post pics tomorrow of my our first attempt at the funnel technique.

Plus we'll be drawing a winner tomorrow for our 3-Soap Giveaway around noon tomorrow!

Happy Soaping All! :D

By Request: Fickle Alkanet in Natural Soap

Well, as a follow-up to my last post, and at my friend Cocobong's request....

a photo of two very different results using Alkanet Root Powder in natural handmade soap:

[caption id="attachment_1348" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Lavender Natural Soaps with Alkanet Root "][/caption]

 

Now, before I get down on Alkant Root, I must remind myself that I wasn't quite satisfied with the lovely mauve color of the natural soap on the right.....it just wasn't lavender enough.  So I added maybe an extra half-teaspoon to the next batch (otherwise identical) and WHOA -"That ain't lavender, Sally!"   Of course the soap is perfectly fine & smells divine....but I think I liked the mauve color better!  (Perhaps I should sometimes leave well-enough alone???)

So -there you have it!  The Soap Sister has definitely not mastered Alkanet Root  (or much else, for that matter!)  Natural coloring in handmade soap is not, it would appear, an exact science....but it certainly isn't boring, either.  Plus it keeps me humble, and that is always a good thing!

Have a lovely day, soap fans!

Natural Soap "Pyramid"

What have I been up to?   Stocking up!   Trying to get a good supply of my regular varieties of natural soap on the curing rack to stay ahead of demand.   Of course, I never seem to be able to limit myself to that....gotta get creative and make a few newbies now and then....

[caption id="attachment_1294" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Natural Soap Logs by Heirloom Soapworks"][/caption]

I made these last week.  Yesterday I added 4 additional batches....today I'm waiting for lye/water to cool, but planning a batch of Old Fashioned Lye Soap and a batch of Goats Milk-Honey Soap. 

Only 2 "Newbies" among 9 recent batches -pretty good for me:  Orange-Poppyseed  and an Orange-Rose blend that smells lovely, if I do say so myself!   I enjoy, as you all know, combining essential oils to add excitement to my natural handmade soaps....I did a soap with such a blend a couple of weeks ago that I'm very excited about  - I'll blog about it very soon (how's that for a teaser) ....so stay tuned!

New Natural Soap for 2011

The last two days have been productive -at least for this oft-sidetracked soaper (now that my EOs, clays and butters have arrived -FINALLY!)

Today's four batches of homemade soaps are pictured at right:

• Lemon-Mint Chiffon new new new!


• Goats Milk-Honey,  my bestselling face soap


• Eucalyptus Mint, my classic "lye soap"scent, now in a moisturizing bath bar.


• "Flynn" a complex sea-faring blend that includes sweet orange, bay, cinnamon, sweet fennel & amyris esential oils (inspired by an original swashbuckler at his handsome best!)

Yesterdays batches included

• "Lava Lamp 2011"  -imagine clean lavender soap,  swirled with a soap of sweet orange, sweet fennel & ylang ylang.  Sophisticated, unisex scent is captivatingly complex.


• "Pink Lavender" w/Oatmeal & Lavender Blossoms   -photos coming soon...      

Just a harmless CP "fix"...

[caption id="attachment_909" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Almond & Amyris CP Soap -with Oatmeal and Honey"][/caption]

With all the inventory-boosting CPOP (Cold-Process-Oven-Process) and HP (Hot Process) homemade soaps I've done in the last month, I was craving a session of plain ol' CP (Cold Process) soap-making.  Since this is officially still Christmas Vacation, and really only the Third Day of Christmas -we're taking it way easy here....

However, the soap room called....little dude was wii-ing....surely I could sneak a little time for a harmless CP "fix"....

What a lovely and relaxing 45 minutes!  Got to release a bit of creative energy, minus the crazed "gotta get this done" attitude of the last 8 weeks and (of course, because it didn't really matter) the soap turned out just as I envisioned.  I was in The Soap Zone....relaxed and enjoying the process instead of treating it as a task that must be done.   Amazing how much attitude affects the soap making, isn't it?  Do you all find this to be true, or is it my imagination? 

Hope you're enjoying any "down time" you have as much as we are! :D  ~Becky

Rebatched Stars & More Alkanet

O.K., I've never claimed to be the sharpest crayon in the box, but I think I finally figured out why the Star of Bethlehem soap wasn't quite as dark purple as I wanted.  Well, the amount I was using (same as Lava Lamp soap) was for a HALF BATCH!  Can we have a collective "Duuuhhh" in my honor? 

 The realization floated into my consciousness the other day like a bluebird -a welcome surprise!  Sure enough, I doubled the alkanet and have a lovely deep purple curing as I type.  Chalk one up for the Sister!  See the final color below.

I also rebatched soap in the microwave this a.m. for the first time! Lots of fun.  Here are my photos of the process I used to make the stars. (I actually like their marbley look better than the plain ones!)

....                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              .........................................................................................

 

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!  THE dark sky I was wanting! --If at first you don't succeed.....

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?

Heirloom Labels, Revisited

Jen at Jenora soaps suggested this post topic.   A peek at "tweaked" and re-tweaked Heirloom Soapworks labels.

 Vintage photos of my family members originally gave my labels an "Heirloom-ey" nostalgic feel.  Back then I put the soaps in cello bags with the label and folded/sealed them.

                                                                                                      Next came the colored labels...and more natural papers.                            

                                                                                                                                                 

  I'm a bit too lazy tonight to seek out any more oldies, but these will give you an idea of the changes I've made over the years.

  I wish I could say that I'll stay "satisfied" with the current versions of my labels...but alas: "Once a tweaker, always a tweaker." 

"Gee, Your House Smells Terrific!"

One of the great perks of soapmaking, in my opinion, is the way your house smells..."clean" (even when it isn't particularly so), "fresh" (when the windows haven't been open in days) cozy, warm, inviting...you name it.

I'm sure my fellow home-soapers receive these compliments often when guests arrive:

"Wow, your house always smells so good!"

"Mmmmm, I smell soap!"

"Mmmmm, it smells so good in here!"

It's nice that people enjoy the way our homes smell, isn't it? A lovely-smelling home is so inviting.

Unfortunately, I typically don't notice the lovely aroma unless I've been away for a few days. (The same way you can't smell your favorite perfume when you wear it every day.) I just happily take my guest's word for it.

Today I was able to catch a whiff of the "wonderful". I had whipped up a batch of Oatmeal-Honey-Almond w/Goats Milk, and the laundry room was an almond paradise that even I could appreciate! Mmmmmm.
"Wow, it smells really good in here!" ;)

Summer Beauties (not soap)

I snapped a few pics of the lovely flowers that are in full bloom here in the midst of the sweltering heat and humidity.

Today, even as I type, I'm making a batch of lye soap.  That's a no-brainer, but later I hope to make a batch of  "Beach Blanket Bingo"...using my new suntan lotion-smelling fragrance oil.  I feel a bit decadant, making a custom soap for myself.  I do that for other friends and family members all the time, but I tend to use bars that are cut wrong, or have other "defects"....that's a bit silly, isn't it? 

I'm thinking of adding honey to half of the batch to get two different hues to swirl...maybe a line of cocoa in the middle -I've never tried that.  Adding the colors has certainly re-kindled the soaping excitement for me!

I'll post the results tomorrow, but for now, enjoy the flowers!

Happy skin,     ~Becky

Well, that which was a lovely mauve in the pot has deteriorated into what I would call a rather un-remarkable "dusty rose" at best. : (
I really didn't expect it to stay as pretty as it looked last evening, but I was hoping it would stay a bit better than it has so far. Still, it is more interesting to look at than my un-colored ylang ylang soap, so I do see it as an improvement. I'm just hoping that the most drastic change has already happened!

I did get to work on my soap flailing technique! (It just doesn't make it into the "swirling" category yet.) ; ) That was fun, and felt artsy, which I love.

Has anyone had any experience with Yellow Dock? Ellen's Essentials sent me a sample along with my madder root powder. The note on the package says that it turns pink, but it looks the color of baby food peas to me. Any hints would be appreciated!

What's cooking today.

Welcome to The Soap Sister blog! I have several sisters in my family, and I happen to be the "soap" sister, so I thought the name was a good fit. (The other sisters are the official "guinea pig sisters", but I digress...)

This blog is for those who are interested in homemade soap and want to know more, as well as for those who enjoy handmade soap and love to talk and read about it.

Lately I've been busy getting my website back up and running, which has taken up quite a bit of my time. Being a hopeless do-it-yourselfer means everything takes longer due to lots of trial-and-errror. It's coming along, though.

Todays newest batch of natural soap, fresh out of the mold, is a yummy-smelling Oatmeal Honey. I just love cutting that big ol'chuncky block of soap into bars! It's really hard to wait the 4-6 weeks before using it! I'm wondering if any other soapers out there have this problem? I'll admit that I have used "raw" handmade soap in the summertime to wash my feet after going barefoot all day...wow! Were they ever clean!

Tomorrow will hopefully yeild a batch of "Citrus Grove" - fragranced with essential oils: White Grapefruit, Lemon, and Sweet Orange. We'll see how the day goes. I have a pickup truckload of mulch to put down, so one batch will probably be all that happens tomorrow.

I'm wanting to do an experimental batch using fresh avocado, and I'm wondering if anyone out there has ever done this? I was trying to think it through as to the preparation of the avocado itself. Mashing? Maybe blending it in with a stick blender? Hmmmm...