A Soap A Day Project: Day 20 and 21

I have been making so much CP soap lately and I am really liking these soap cupcakes from the leftovers. I am not wasting any soap! I am struggling with a few designs on the more labor intensive glycerin soaps that I have been doing, but these have been a fun change up! I have skipped some days and am ashamed of it. At least I can honestly say I wasn't being lazy, just busy!

Day 20:

 I have been working my butt off on the new soap bar packaging and am almost done with the 15 artwork changes that I have to get off to the printer! I have gone through many revisions and plan to show you guys so you can get an idea of the process I go through when I design!

 Day 21:

Some soaps I have put on hold and will add back in later and I am adding some new ones too! Also, I am bringing back the tea tree facial soap! It was always a favorite but I was disappointed with my presentation of the soap and scraped it on that alone. Boo on me!

A Soap A Day Project: Day 19

I am so loving making soap cupcakes with left over CP soap! I am currently changing the size of my soap bars and re-doing the packaging, so I am making batches of every soap that I sell to cut and cure at the new size, and have been getting lots of leftover CP! For those that don't know what CP means, it stands for Cold Process, which is just a method of making soap! ;)

A Soap A Day Project: Day 16

Leftover soap CP cupcakes. I am taking the recycling to the extreme!

So Tired! Going to bed!

Annoyed that dew is forming on my soap INSIDE of the shrink wrap! Bleh!

HSMG Soapers Showcase 2011

The Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild Conference in Miami was a blast, tiring (in a good way), and jam packed with amazing speakers. I was so happy to hang out with friends and meet new people -  I will tell you all about it later but I thought for now I would get up some pretty pictures of soap for you all to drool over! I didn't write down the names of all of the winning soap makers so if you see this and are one of the winners that I didn't have a link for please leave me a comment and I will add you!

 Best In Show, Best Packaging Melt & Pour

 Best Packaging Cold Process/Hot Process

By the Sea Soap

Best Appearance Melt & Pour

 

Best Appearance Cold Process/Hot Process

 Best Scent Cold Process/Hot Process

Pepo Park 

Best Scent Melt & Pour

Best in Something Different

Some More shots of the entries:

New Market Specials 5.3.11

The Market Special is a limited edition soap sold by the slice without a box similar to how you may buy your soap in the market! These soaps are still 4.25 - 4.5 oz in weight but only $5.50 per bar!

This week Bromeliad and Wild Orchid and Lemon!

 Shop all Market Specials

Bromeliad: a light floral with hints of ginger and cotton candy sugar. The bright colors through the middle reminded me of vibrant Bromeliad flowers!

 Wild Orchid and Lemon: A bright sharp floral with lemon zest and coconut milk. If you like the English Apothecary Lemon Gardenia you will love this scent!

More from Otion's SWI 2010

I was just going through some pics from the Soap Weekend Intensive (SWI) a couple of weekends ago and I wanted to share! I met the wonderful Jude Birch who runs Aussie Soap Supplies in Australia while I was there. I can't believe she came all the way from Australia! She taught swirling and layering Cold Process techniques this year.  I had a blast hanging out with her when we weren't teaching. She is an amazing soaper and you can read an little interview with her, here at the Soap King Blog!

FYI- even if you missed the SWI this year you can still take classes at Otion. Here is the class schedule! http://www.otionsoap.com/soapclasses.html

I thought the project she taught were lovely and we had a fun little photo shoot in the building where Otion is located:

Here's me and Jude!

Some of the students

The mess I made prepping for my class

Me drinking a beer making a sour puss face :)

New soap available and on sale!

Just a quick note - the new Bathtub Brew and lavender Lime Soda are now available and on sale until July 10th for $5.50 per bar! Click here to buy!

I also sent out a newsletter with an exclusive sale for subscribers - be sure to sign up by July 10th to catch the sale!
( see sign up form on the right side bar)

The Art of Soap - a book by Debbie Chialtas of Soapylove

I am constantly amazed by how much people love soap! I get emails, chats and posts on my Facebook fan page from lovers of soap, users with new appreciation and budding soapmakers looking for advice, all praising the idea of soap and the process of making it. Since its invention soap has been here to stay. Soap, that utilitarian staple of human cleanliness (modern usage also for cats and dogs), that modest brick in standard scents like “Dove” and “Irish Spring”. After entering the world of soap making almost four years ago, I felt like I was stepping into the beginning of a soap revolution. I have watched soap making evolve into an exploration of custom fragrances, exotic and ancient ingredients, and wild to mild colors, with soap makers pushing the boundaries of artistic soap design, each with a unique visual perspective – an intimate expression of themselves. After all, as soap makers don’t we all dream of making what we ultimately would like to bathe with?

Soap is no longer modest but is screaming to be front and center.

A woman at the forefront of this soap revolution is Debbie Chialtas of Soapylove, a good friend and a master artisan of glycerin soap. She has conceived an idea in the process of fruition. A book dedicated to the varying aesthetics in soap and the stories behind the bars. Simply: The Art of Soap. When she asked me to photograph the book I didn’t hesitate.

Follow the progress of the book here: http://theartofsoapbook.blogspot.com/

You can see Debbie's amazing soaps here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/soapylove/

Debbie's blog: http://soapylove.blogspot.com/

Castile soaps are back!

Soap made with 100% Olive oil is a most gentle soap, is a hard long lasting bar and has a creamy soft silky lather! These soaps get praise from my clients so I am once again offering the Unscented Castile and the Lemon Geranium Facial soap in addition to my Tea Tree facial soap. All three are made with Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and are 100% natural.

find them in my shop!

For oily skin I recommend the Tea tree soap or the Lemon Geranium
For normal/combination skin I recommend the Lemon Geranium or Unscented castile
For dry skin I recommend the Unscented castile

 Traditional Castile Soap

The Geranium facial soap has been revamped to include ground oatmeal ground calendula for a gentle exfoliation and lemon essential oil to brighten the skin. I also added honey, a humectant, and pink clay to help draw toxins out of your skin.

 Lemon Geranium facial soap

For the face I recommend to lather the soap on and let it sit for a minute before rinsing so the ingredients have time to do their magic! Be sure to wash your face with cold water. Hot water will strip moisture from your skin. To finish apply two drops of extra virgin olive oil to a cotton pad and smooth over face. Use your fingers to rub it in!

Tea Tree Facial Soap

Olive oil has been used for thousands of years as a skin ointment and modern science tells us that indeed olive oil is beneficial for the skin whether applied or ingested. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants including Vitamin E, Vitamin A and Hydroxytyrosol, said to slow the aging process by stabilizing the cell plasma membrane with can break down as we age*.

Though I do promote these as facial soaps they are wonderful for the whole body! Enjoy!

*sources

New Limited Edition Soap: Sunset Cliffs - Giveaway!

Introducing a happy little experiment with checkers:  my new Limited Edition soap - Sunset Cliffs! Scented like fresh squeezed Kumquat and juicy Mango slices! Fresh, citrusy and fruity, reminiscent of summer time, picnics and the beautiful San Diego Coast!

I am giving a bar of this yummy stuff away to someone lucky! You will get a huge 5 oz bar - just leave a comment under this post and a winner will be chosen at random. The giveaway closes Saturday March 20th at 9 pm PST.

You guys are the best!

NEW - Masala Chai - as voted by you!

So a while back I posted a poll for the new addition to my permanent Luxury Shea Butter soap collection! Marsala Chai is here as voted by you! 

Packed with black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, coriander, nutmeg and warm buttery vanilla! Delightful indeed and great for men and women! The spice and tea mix acts as an exfoliant to gently scrub away dirt and dead skin. We used our classic shea butter recipe, including shea butter and vitamin rich oils for a luxurious feel!

Look for it in the Luxury CP Soap Section of my Etsy shop!