Feelings of Nostalgia In Pictures (Soap Porn)

Memorial Day always brings a mixed bag of feelings for me. Sadness, reflection, emptiness, peace, excitement, love, freedom and creative hunger. I found a few pictures I need to share that helped me move through this hungry, thirsty artistic mood I am having. It quieted my inner beast. For now, it brought me to nostalgia.

Salt Bars by Life Soap Simple

Tomato Basil Soap by Life Soap Simple

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Rainbow naranja y lavanda 2 by Sergio-Masala

(Rainbow orange and lavender 2) took Spanish in Junior High School you know. I know un poco! ;) Oh lookie! I went to his blog and sure enough, I was right. Go figure.

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Floresta Verde by Soapchick UK

Salgado Azule by Soapchick UK

reminds me of the countless times I spent on the beach looking for sea glass

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Soap by Hao Cheng

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Mea Culpa soap block (part of an art installation)

at The Soap Factory in Minneapolis, MN

artist: Maria Velasco | Source: Maria Velasco Studio

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Pudge by Curat Handcrafted Soaps

I love the name, the ingredients and the way I'm supposed to use it. Yeah, I bought a piece. ;)

Ingred: Saponified soy olive & coconut oils, bananas, pineapple, mango, currant oil, citrus EO

What fun this porn post was! Have a great day folkies!! Love ya!

Stunning Soap: Pasito A Pasito

These are some of the most beautiful soaps I've ever seen in my life. I can't believe the layers and embeds. The layers remind me of Jawbreakers, the candy that change colors as they get smaller and smaller from being sucked on and you can't bite it because you'll break your jaw if you do? Know what I mean?

Quote about the soap

"Oils: virgin olive, coconut, palm, Oleate Calendula, Castor, Avocado and Shea in the trace, and Vitamin E. Instead of water, goat's milk.

For color: Green oxide mineral pigment, Lemon Yellow, Pink Clay and part of the fund that has small specks, Vegetable Dye Powder Uva is crimson, but for the grace of soda, became brownish green with the resulting disappointment.
For flavors: Rosemary, Tea Tree and Lemon Tincture evenly and Incense as a fixative.
This is like coming back to life after a coma."

I am sad this soaper is disappointed with the color outcome of the brownish green because I think it is absolutely perfect! To me, the bar says: from the Earth rises this beautiful succulent, fertile blossom of colorful bliss.

That is my interpretation of the colors in the bar.

Below, are some pictures that I found on the same blog. I am in love because these are SO beautiful, original and UNIQUE!

Please, go visit the blog yourself. There are plenty more photographs that need to be looked at.

Upcoming Soap Reviews

Soap Reviews, you say?? It's been awhile, I know... But, don't forget, I started this blog in August 2007 ( I know, can you believe it?) and it started as a soap reviewing and featuring blog. The original intention of this blog was to create an awareness of handmade soap, its beauty and the amazing soapmakers who make them from all around the world. I felt as if handmade soap had been so under served and so underused. I still plan on converting the world, one person at a time, but Costco exists and even though my family accepts my soap for free, I bet secretly, they buy the sale soap when it's 10 for $3.00. It's ingrained in their head and they don't want to use my soap to quickly, really, because they are taking from me, or it's too pretty.... my mother likes using one in every room because it freshens the air and people comment on how good the bathrooms smell. "Hmm, why don't you USE it, mom? I'll give you more!" Mom says,"It's so pretty honey, I really enjoy looking at it and smelling it whenever I want."

{{rolling eyes inserted here}}

Anyway...

I have a few soaps that have arrived that will be making it to the screen. My camera hasn't yet photographed them because of technical difficulties that will be resolved later today, but here are the soaps that their makers took from their hometowns:

Cream Bee
by Celine Blacow of SOAPERSTAR
Update: Sorry to make you drool over a soap I don't have. :(

I made a mistake. I have Butter Bee Silk:

Butterbee Silk

and

Voluptus
by Meghan Runyon of DREAMING TREE SOAPWORKS

They both sound heavenly. I will leave you with some words from their websites....

Butterbee Silk: fresh whole Buttermilk, deep amber Turkish Honey and pure Tussah Silk....no scent.

Voluptus: Made with two amazing vanillas and coconut milk... {drool}

I'll be back after I eat the soap.

;)

Unplanned Faces

These are a stack of Apple Crisp soaps I made in December. Mmm, they smelled so good. The day I cut the loaf, I noticed swirly faces in my bars. An angelic face on one side and on the other side of the bar... well... it looked like a devilish face, almost maniacal in nature. I'd say, it was a physical Yin Yang bar. I had two of these bars. Actually I had two bars with the angelic faces. I just sold the one with the angelic face. I still have the one with both the angel and the maniac.

my maniac, see it?

do you see her?

Have you found images in your soap? If so, what were they?

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Going Bananas

With a name like Joanna it's hard not to get tagged with a nickname like Joanna Banana while you are growing up. I still get the occasional, "banana!" when my Dad calls or comes off a plane. Being that I just ate a yummy banana, I thought it would be a perfect time to feature banana soap. It is one of my favorite smelling baked goods and I love banana anything, really.

I found these lovelies so you can see them too. :O)

Banana Brulee soap by Naiad


Banana soap by live laugh love



Banana Chips- mini guest soaps by soapopotamus



Beastie Bar by kzsox :: choc. banana soap :: (Kim of Stella Marie Soap)
oh I think this one is a favorite of mine this month



Ana's Banana Buddy Bar with collectible coin inside. Available at circle of friends.

If you've made banana soap, send me a picture! Maybe we'll share!

Yaaaaaa, Baby

I recently discussed bathing with dinner rolls and I have been so into it, I am punchy about the subject. I've made some soap bread or, really, some bread soap. I added loads of rhassoul clay and topped it with colloidal oatmeal powder and cranberry seeds. This is blowing my customers minds - - the fresh baked bread smell.

Brambleberry, you rock! Go get some Fresh Baked Bread here and make sure Anne-Marie does not get rid of it, or I will go nuts with the ten pound ordering. ACK. :)

Also, a big thank you to Amber of Amber's Ambry for the mention on your blog about the dinner muffin soap and Crush On You in Baked Bread I sent you ((blush)). I'm using your picture to share, Amber....very pretty pic:

I see the FO in the picture and I swear that Anne-Marie of Brambleberry is NOT paying me to promote her products. ;)

So should we call the Bread Baking Authority or Hot Grains Anonymous?

To Holidays!

Wine scented or are they made with real wine? Hmmm. Let me go get a glass and ponder how to make my next batch. Shiraz or Pinot... They do look lovely don't they?

Berry Wine Shea Butter Soap by Feto Soap (the lovely Lisa Chouinard soap guru)

Muscaberri Wine Soap (infused w/ Loofa Sponge) from Hyman Vinyards. Each Muscaberri soap comes with a wooden soap dish and natural packaging.



New Zealand White Wine Soap by Koru Naturals

Truffles + Bon Bon Soaps

Citrus Soap Truffle

Judi of Satin Petal Soap is one of the sweetest soap people I have come across. I found her on Etsy and instantly fell in love with her beautiful soap creations. How original and perfect are these balls of soap? The one above, the Citrus Soap Truffle, came in that cute retro patterned pouch which I love. The truffle may look deceivingly small, but it's the size of a baseball. I put a candy next to it in the second photo so you can see the real size. The scent was citrusy with a hint of champagne....perhaps...? It was completely rolled in sugar and looked like a confection delight. The size and shape of the truffle made it a challenge for me to use it in the shower. I think it would be more suited for the bathtub, and it would be quite beautiful in a ceramic dish awaiting a dirty bather to rub.

Pink Grapefruit Bon Bon

This next one was much smaller, more the size of a real bon bon and looked just as edible. This one smelled lovely and the size was the perfect size for the shape. In general, I think spheres are difficult to use for soap, but I used it effortlessly in the shower, then I travelled with it to my kitchen sink. It stayed there for a week, then it traveled to our powder room. Now it is back at our kitchen sink. What can I say? It's has been a big hit. It has barely shrunk in size, the pink "glaze" is still kind of there and I use it EVERY DAY.

Some more photos of her bon bons that I took from her Etsy Shop:

Thank you, Judi, for sending me the most beautiful soaps!

A Funneling Tutorial

If you haven't been following the talents of Corrie at Lomond Soap in Scotland, than you might not know about The Art Of Funneling. I have never seen this type of design work in soap making, so I asked Miss Corrie if she would come up with a detailed tutorial to share with the rest of the world. She so generously created this step by step process for you to follow. This is no layering, no whisking...this is OUT OF THIS WORLD funneling!

FUNNEL SWIRLS

How they’re done!

1. Set up your mould, fully lined. You will need to rig up a device to hold your funnel in place. Mine is 4 chopsticks tied together with bag ties! So long as it doesn’t fall over whilst pouring, anything will do. For this technique I find that soaping cool to cold gives you the time to separate, colour & fragrance your batch. You can always put it on the radiator once you’re done to kick start the gel.

2. Make up your soap base as normal. Stickblend enough to combine your oils & lye. You want thin trace not thick! (If it’s too thick it won’t flow through the funnel).

3. Split your soap batter into 2 halves, colour & fragrance each one. Again, only stir enough to combine the additives well. You do not want a thick batter. If you are adventurous you could try 3 or 4 colours.

In the pic below I’m adding Titanium Dioxide powder to this half.

In the next I’m adding a green colour to the other half.

4. Ok, so now you’ve got 2 pots of coloured batter. Pour those into 2 jugs ready for pouring. Don’t hang around whilst doing this. Have everything ready before you start.

5. Start pouring first one colour, into the funnel, then the other.
The amount you pour of each colour will affect the final look, it’s trial and error in this part.

The pic below shows the mould about half full, you can see how the swirls are building up.

6. Pour till all your batter is used up. And you’re finished!

7. The one I made above is called “Yo! Limey” and turned out like this.

It’s fun, no 2 bars look the same. For those like me who are swirly challenged, give it a try!

You can see more of my funnel swirl soaps on my blog at www.lomondsoap.blogspot.com or on my website at http://lomondsoap.com/

Thank you, Corrie!! I hope The Soap Bar readers try this and send loads of photos of their funnel soaping attempts so we can all share the fun and experience. Your soaps are gorgeous!

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you