Holiday Stuff That Caught My Eye

c a n d y!

Paper Lanterns
(found these on "How to decorate paper lanterns cheap and easy" on Associated Content)

Independence Day themed wedding cake made by
Philadephia's Whipped Bakeshop

Red, white and blue parfaits... mmm

looks just like a photo taken from the Martha Stewart Magazine. You are RIGHT!
You can find these on www.marthastewart.com

4th of July Soapsicles by anniepoo

Patriotic cupcake soap by machinegunlullaby

Enjoy your goodies on this 4th of July!

*

Summer Ads

I've lowered the rates through the Summer here on this blog so you can advertise your art, business, supplies, whatever you do or sell.

The economy sucks.

Get your name out there.

Get noticed.

jo(at)productbody.com

:O)

A Piece Of Advice

When you are working in a lab, try to refrain from tasting things that have not been labeled. I suppose it could have been poison, but I was lucky. That full body shiver I had almost threw my back out. Ew..

It has been confirmed. It was citric acid. Know how I know? Because I had to confirm that the labeled citric acid tasted the same. Don't try it at home because I can tell you it really does not taste good and you are better off licking the bottom of your shoe.

What was I thinking? That is was sugar?

Cameo - My Brain Is Just Playing Games With Me!

Do you remember that awful song in the 80's (if you weren't BORN in the 80's), called "Word Up" sung by Cameo (fun fact: originally the New York City Players)? Oh, yeah, that song has been stuck in my head for some weird reason. I never ever liked that song AND I don't think I've even heard it in the supermarket or from a passing car, or anything. So where did it come from? My big, old, bad brain. Yeah, the MRI is scheduled for Thursday, so we'll see if Cameo shows up in the imaging.

So naturally cameo soaps came to mind (aren't I so smart?), and I found some really pretty ones. I never think of cameo soaps, but I'm glad that song brought me to them.

Sunny Day Creations made this cute dolphin reef scene



Skinsations makes a number of cameo style soaps

These three soaps (above) are intricately designed and made by Soapy Chica in the UK


I like Daisy Cake Soap's interpretation of a cameo soap. Definitely. :)



These gorgeous cameo soaps are made by Debbie, of Soapy Love, but aren't actually on sale in her Etsy shop. This photo is representing a tutorial she is offering for sale on how to make these. These are stunning and needed to be included in this listing of cameos.


Dug Shop
Dugshop is a collective of artists. Love their stuff.

Fun Soap
Let's just say Barbie made a cameo appearance.

I'm curious, what song has been stuck in your head and what decade is it from?

It's Not Campbell's

I don't know why I had Andy Warhol on the brain or why the Campbell soup painting came to mind, but I thought it would be the perfect time to feature tomato SOAP today because of the weather. Last night Brad and I went driving out where there is nothing but orange groves. We were listening to music and the cicadas were singing SO LOUDLY, they almost drowned out the blasting music. More descriptions of the drive: large bugs slapped the windshield, the smell of moist dirt was in the air, the cool air was thick with humidity, and the sky seems larger than usual.....so it was the smell of the night air got me thinking of Warhol. Connection? Your guess is as good as mine.

So it's Summer and tomatoes are red and juicy and are perfect with a touch of salt. Always have loved big fat, red tomatoes. I can eat them like an apple if I wear a bib or sit in a chair hunched over on a lawn. I am a Brooklyn girl but I visited my grandparents in the North Carolina mountains for the month of August every year. My grandmother had a tomato garden. :O) I digress. Here -

Tomato Soap made with real tomato

creamy tomato basil soap by Southern VT Soap

what I love about this one is that the soap has organic tomato puree from their garden

tomato garden made by Amber's Ambry

lycopene complexion bar made by Wenbee

(ok, it doesn't have actual tomatoes in it, but it does have the natural phytochemical + antioxidant, lycopene which tomatoes have an abundance of)

salty tomato soap made by SubEarthan Cottage (etsy)



confetti soap made with real tomato juice by SubEarthan Cottage (artfire)

I think they are all beautiful!

Mar Bar

I present a new recipe. I liiikey, folks. I may have to work with it time after time, but I jammed a whole lot of yummies in there and I feel darn good about that. No filler oils. Goodens. Sadly, I spaced and left out the scent. Not such a bad thing. It looks virgin like anyway in the natural light of my shop window.

I introduce the Mar Bar, except I haven't cut them into bars yet. Still, I am coining it. My Mar. See the chair they rest on while I photograph it? You could be sitting there and chatting with me in my shop. It can be THAT peaceful in here when I am not running around formulating.

Your Opinion, Business and Tact...

As most of you know, I own a bath and body company, Product Body. I feel that The Soap Bar is a place for people to come for tutorials, soap photos, innovative soap happenings, information and just soap stuff that must get. Soooo, it's hard to bring this up because I am not one to push myself on others. However, this is an offering more than a pushing.

I ask you: Would you want me to pass along a sale here on this blog that we put out in the Product Body newsletter? It occurred to us that we have a double sale going on for our customers and others aren't getting those benefits.

You can see that online version of the newsletter sale here.

The problem is that I don't want to "plug" my stuff and turn people off. I thought maybe I could do a monthly mention of a big sale. The economy sucks and we could use the business and if you like our products, you could use the discount. I see it as a win win situation, unless it would just piss you off and make you go away forever.

So I ask. Please leave a comment in the comment section about your feelings about this. Or email me at jo(at)productbody.com. I can take what you dish out.... Just don't be horribly mean to me. Thanks. :)

Fruit For The Summer.... Ahhhhhh

I am a citrus girl, but all fruit makes me happy, and so does the Summer. I thought I'd take a moment to find some fruity finds made by some fabulous artisans so we can all get into the mood (except for those of you saying good-bye to the Summer, in which case....um... dare to dream!).


I found these on Etsy:

soaps by funktional - (I love the packaging on these soaps!)

Porn Star In Pink Panties. Best name ever... by Grumpy Girl

Tropical Papaya Mango soap by Spa Therapy



Loofah Soap - Pineapple Coconut (yummmmmmm) by Soap Scentsations

My mouth is actually watering. Time for breakfast.

Sadly, It Looks Like Cheese

Ah, yes, my Peach Apricot soap sort came out looking like a loaf of American cheese. In fact this young, completely tattooed from head to toe teenager came in to check out the shop the other day and took one look at the soap in the case and said, "Hey, looks like cheese! I'm from Wisconsin, and I know cheese!" Big cute smile with a cute Wisconsin twang. She really was cute as a button.

Sharing a building with a fish and tackle shop and a tattoo shop has its ups and downs. The tattoo folks that come in here are definitely some of the sweetest people who walk in here. Especially that cheese girl.

Here's the peachy cheese.:)

Soap Rocks

I found a company online called t.s. pink and they are the manufacturer of GORGEOUS soap rocks. These are all molded soaps that all look like polished gems you'd find in a gift shop or fancy coffee table book of Gems Of The World. No kidding....see for yourself. They are all quite beautiful. Todd Pink created the soap rock concept in his shower after glancing down at his soap and having an epiphany about its form.

Here is a direct quote from their site about what they are made of and how they will effect you: "They are a hybrid dense glycerine soap that lifts very little oil off of the skin as they gently cleanse. Discover the ever-changing contours of SoapRocks® bath soaps and let their beauty become you." Wow. I think I'm speechless on that one.

I'd love to share some of my favorite rocks.

soapal, Fragrance: Geranium Moss

fire geode (no scent listed)




amethyst, Fragrance: Cucumber Ylang Garden

The rocks, soap it baby!

I like that...

***

Mint Chocolate by Lavande

Susanne Schlador of Lavande de bois in Boise Idaho

I've had a few of Susanne Schlador's soaps in my bathroom for a few months, and it wasn't until Monday that I whipped out the Mint Chocolate Chip soap bar when my husband was in the shower hollering, "Jo, for someone who makes soap and reviews soap, why isn't there any soap in the shower!? I am soapless over here!" I grabbed a bar I knew he wouldn't complain about and I instantly heard, "oooooooh....did you make this?" Nope, not me. "OOoooooh. Jo, you know when you get a soap and you rub it on your skin at first at there's an intitial drag? Well, this one doesn't have any! It's like slippery, right off the bat! Look!" And he opens the curtain and shows me how slippery it is on his hairy chest. Funny how men are like boys sometimes.

Later that morning, I take a shower and I am looking forward to experiencing the lack of drag and super slippy action. First, though, I am taken by the beauty of the bar. Sadly, I didn't photograph this one beforehand. What a supermodel! Sadly the photo on their website just doesn't express it's handsomeness. I may have to come back to you with the sliver just so you can get a close up.

The scent is mint chocolate, but not an ordinary peppermint like you'd expect. It's a soft and unassuming spearmint. The chocolate is mellow, too. It almost like I expected overkill with the name because I've tried overpowering mint chocolates before, but this one was mild and whispering in scent.

Its performance was excellent. Slippery, full of lather, moisturizing and it maintained its hardness. A real joy to use. Susanne, thank you for sending me your soap. It was definitely worth the wait.

;)

mint chocolate chip soap

How To Make Whipped Soap - - Oh yeah

You've wanted to make it, but were afraid... I know. It's okay, because I am here to tell you, that since the day I wrote about Nizzy on that day TWO YEARS ago...way back when and the day I stepped into the shower with Gudonya's "Floap"whipped soap bar (which they don't make anymore), I have been wanting to make whipped soap like you would not BELIEVE! But I haven't.

I am here to tell you that we are in the same boat together, yes, in the boat, with a blender and our oils and we are going to whip us up some whippy whipped soap, my friends, with the help of my new bloggy friend, Magdoline, of Addicted to Soap. She has so graciously given me permission to share her tutorial on my blog.

After you read the tutorial, please go take a look at her lovely blog and see what she has to say and the soaps she has made. A lovely woman. Thank you Magdoline, for sharing! You are yet another soap making person who has proven that generosity spreads knowledge and I hope it brings good things back to you!!



TUTORIAL OF WHIPPED SOAP, by Magdoline Hammad

I have always wanted to make whipped soap, so I went on a search for a great tutorial and I found one. Thanks to BitterCreek.com Blog I am now able to make whipped soap that floats.

I love creating soap more than just about anything else. A while back I made my first batch of whipped soap and before I even had it on my site my friends and family wiped me out! I've decided to stick to selling just CP wholesale but the whipped soaps are such fun that I have to retail them!

Here is a tutorial on how to make whipped soap that actually floats!

From Whipped Soap

The supplies are pretty standard to cold process soap making with the exception of one detail, you need to have a stand mixer like a Kitchen Aid or similar. I luckily inherited a lovely 1960's Sunbeam that can be put to use without risk of getting my good one messy!

Recipe for Flickers Whipped Soap:
Castor Oil 2 oz. (6.25%)
Coconut Oil 7 oz. (21.88%)
Olive Oil 7 oz. (21.88%)
Palm Oil 7 oz. (21.88%
Shea Butter 2 oz. (6.25%)
Crisco 7 oz. (21.88%)

The lye used in whipped soap is Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) I find an excess fat range of 6% to be ideal when making whipped soap, the amount of Sodium Hydroxide for this recipe is 4.42 oz. You will add the lye to ICE COLD distilled water. Always be sure to follow proper handling precautions when making any soap from scratch. Proper eye, and hand protection is important. Using a respirator is never a bad idea either. For this recipe I use 12 fluid ounces of water. You MUST chill the lye solution before adding it to the soap. I find a range of 65-70* ideal.

Once your lye solution has reached a good temp, go ahead and line your soap mold. I use a standard 3 lb wood log mold which works very well for this size recipe. Remember since the oils are whipped the volume increases too.

Second, weigh out all your solid oils (shea, coconut, crisco & palm) and place them inside the mixing bowl. You do not need to heat your oils which is the nice part to making whipped soap! Turn your mixer on at this point on low (if you try much higher right away it will splatter!) Increase your speed as the oils begin to smooth out.

From Whipped Soap

After your solid oils are somewhat smoothed out, weigh our your liquid oils (castor and olive).

From Whipped Soap

Now go ahead and slowly add in your liquid fats.

From Whipped Soap

Patience is key when making whipped soap. It does not happen fast. The mixing process can take up to an hour but hey, at least you can put your mixer on auto pilot, right? This is a photo of the oils all blended together but not quite at the smooth point it needs to be to add the lye.

From Whipped Soap

Once your oils are smooth and whipped you are ready to add your chilled lye solution. ADD THE LYE SLOWLY! I turn my mixer down to the lowest speed for this and add just a little at a time. After you are sure your lye solution is blended you can add your fragrance oil. I used two ounces of Dream Angels Heavenly Type (BNL) from Bitter Creek for this particular soap, it smells just dreamy! Here is a pic of your oils ready for lye!

From Whipped Soap

After you've got your fragrance and lye mixed in it's time for color! I needed my base to be colored in blue and white to be a smaller portion of the soap. I scooped out the white into a small stainless bowl and set it aside.

From Whipped Soap

Once I have separated my soap I can then color my base, for this soap I used the Blue Rainbow Mica from Bitter Creek North. I used about 3/4 tsp for this batch. Blend the dyes in by turning the mixer back on low until blended well.

From Whipped Soap

Once you are ready, go ahead and mold! I used blue on the bottom, white in the center and blue on the top for a cloud like appearance. You can swirl, layer and do just about anything you can imagine with whipped soap!

From Whipped Soap

Allow your finished soap to set in the mold for about 24 hours. Remove and cut with a wire. Standard soap cutters and knives tend to break pieces off as you cut. Cure this soap for about 4 weeks before selling.

Happy Soaping!

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Please let us know if you have made some whipped soap, and be sure to post photos on your blog and leave comments here directing us to them!! Me too ;)