It was a tasty week here on the blog with recipes like the Berry Rhubarb Crumble Soap. It’s scented with the new Red Berry Rhubarb Fragrance Oil, which is a perfect blend of sweet and tart. It complements the base, which is colored with Magenta Mica and Brick Red Oxide Pigment. Walnut shells and rolled oats create a realistic crumble top. The soap is finished with a dollop of soapy whipped cream.
Search Results for: Hanger swirl
#SoaptheRainbow Series Roundup
Over the past six weeks, we celebrated color with the #SoaptheRainbow series. Each week focused on a different color of the rainbow. Thanks to everybody who shared photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And congrats to the 21 soapers who won a $10 Bramble Berry gift certificate! Check out all the winning photos below, along with our tutorials, and tutorials made by some of my favorite bloggers. It’s a little sad to see #SoaptheRainbow come to an end, but that just means we need to come up with a new challenge. =)
While #SoaptheRainbow is over, there is still time to enter to win the Grand Prize! The prize is the Soapmaker Super Sampler Business Kit, which includes over $250 worth of soaping supplies and will be available on Bramble Berry soon. To enter, scroll down to the bottom of the post and sign up for the Bramble Berry Newsletter via the widget. The winner will be chosen at noon PST tomorrow!
*UPDATE: Congrats to Sandy Y., the winner of our GRAND PRIZE! Thanks to everybody who entered!
The #SoaptheRainbow series started with red. Amy Warden of Great Cake Soapworks created a beautiful Apple Berry Faux Tall & Skinny Soap. Why is it a “faux” tall and skinny soap? Amy used the 5 Pound Mold with Sliding Bottom along with the Multi-Pour Sectioning Tool to create tall, skinny bars; so clever! We celebrated red week with the Red Hanger Swirl Cold Process Tutorial and the Kauai Red Sea Salt Scrub Tutorial.
Top, clockwise: Amy Warden’s Apple Berry Faux Tall & Skinny Soap, Kauai Red Sea Salt Scrub, Red Hanger Swirl Cold Process Tutorial
Next up was orange week. Sarah of Spicy Pinecone created a stunning Solar Flare Cold Process Soap with several orange colorants. such as Nuclear Orange Pigment and Racing Stripe Orange Mica. She scented her soap with Energy Fragrance Oil. I created the Orange Peel Swirled Cold Process Soap using the Swirl Tool Kit for a complex swirl. If you’re looking for an easier orange project, the Summer Sunburst Lip Tint will be right up your alley.
Top, clockwise: Spicy Pinecone’s Solar Flare Cold Process Soap, Summer Sunburst Lip Tint, Orange Peel Swirled Cold Process Soap
Amanda of Lovin’ Soap created two projects for yellow week. First, she made Lemon Verbena Yellow Plop Cold Process Soap, then she whipped up Natural Calendula and Yellow Brazilian Clay Soap. I was also inspired by Lemon Verbena Fragrance Oil and created Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes. The scent combination of Southern Peach Fragrance Oil and Sunflower Fragrance Oil give the Sunshine Lotion a warm, sunshine-y scent.
Top left, clockwise: Lovin’ Soap’s Natural Calendula and Yellow Brazilian Clay Soap & Lemon Verbena Yellow Plop Cold Process Soap, Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes, Sunshine Lotion Tutorial
For green week, Erica of Bath Alchemy Lab created beautiful Green Sawblade Swirl Cold Process Soap using Wasabi Fragrance Oil. Erica also made an adorable Green Turtle Melt & Pour Soap with Clover and Aloe Fragrance Oil. I was also inspired by “green” smelling fragrance oils. The Green Smoothie Whipped Body Butter is made with the new Green Smoothie Fragrance Oil. In the Refreshing Lemongrass Soap Tutorial, lemongrass essential oil is used to make a refreshing bar.
Top left, clockwise: Bath Alchemy Lab’s Green Sawblade Swirl Cold Process Soap & Green Turtle MP Soap, Refreshing Lemongrass Cold Process Soap, Green Smoothie Whipped Body Butter
Next up was blue week! Emily of Shieh Design Studio shared a video tutorial for the gorgeous Tale of a Mermaid Cold Process Soap. Emily piped soap mermaid tales and embedded them into bars filled with texture and blue hues. I was also inspired by water, and created the classic Fish-in-a-Bag Melt and Pour Soap project. If you’re looking for a challenge, the Blue Rimmed Cold Process Soap involves making a thin layer of soap and carefully molding it into the Heavy Duty Column Mold. The bars are fragranced with Island Escape Fragrance Oil for a tropical scent.
Top, clockwise: Shieh Design Studio’s Tale of a Mermaid Cold Process Soap, Fish-in-a-Bag Melt and Pour Soap, Blue Rimmed Cold Process Soap
Last but not least, Zahida of Handmade in Florida created Lovely Lavender Cold Process Soap for purple week. Scented with Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil, Zahida’s stunning soap features a gold mica line and lavender buds. I also created projects with a floral theme. First up was the DIY Violet Sugar Scrub Cubes, which are scented with Violet Fragrance Oil and colored with Liquid Violet. Violet Fragrance Oil also gives a soft floral scent to the Violet Confetti Cold Process Soap.
Top, clockwise: Handmade in Florida’s Lovely Lavender Soap, DIY Violet Sugar Scrub Cubes, Violet Confetti Cold Process Soap Tutorial
Now, let’s take a look at the #SoaptheRainbow winners! The team and I had so much fun scrolling through the #SoaptheRainbow photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to choose the winners. All of these soaps stood out in terms of color, technique and execution. You can also find all the winners on the Bramble Berry Instagram.
Left to right: realisticexpectationsbeauty, tussah1, littlepeasoaps
Left to right: sabunkmkt, thesoapingowl, latherandcompany
Top left, clockwise: fierce_and_fancy_soap, batheingrace, honusharp, begreatfulhandmade
Left to right: sophie_nicole_soaps, iriysoapworks, mamabasshandmadesoap
Top left, clockwise: damselsandroses, sweetncharmingsoaps, renaissancesoaps, naturesaponified
Top left, clockwise: hopalongkat, haus_of_hayden, soapfixations, moxiesoapco
The #SoaptheRainbow series might be over, but there is still time to enter to win the Grand Prize of a Soapmaker Super Sampler Business Kit! The kit will be available on Bramble Berry soon, and includes:
- Ten 4 oz. Bramble Berry Fragrance Oils.
- Nine Bramble Berry Colorants.
- Three Mini Column Silicone Molds: Round, Heart & Moon.
- A collection of soaping tools including Hanger Swirl Tool, Shrink Wrap Bands, Easy Pour Containers, Squeeze Bottles and Large Silicone Whisk.
- A printed “Soapmaker’s Guide to Business” booklet with over 40 pages of information about starting your own business.
- An exclusive DVD containing:
– Four episodes of Anne-Marie’s “Tips for Soap Business Success.” Topics cover how to market your products, set goals, navigate legal regulations and more.
– Four episodes of Soap Queen TV covering cold process soap basics.
– Four exclusive cold process soap technique videos, demonstrating recipes from Anne-Marie’s Soap Crafting Book.
Want to win? The contest ends tomorrow at noon, PST, so don’t wait to enter! All you have to do is join the Bramble Berry Newsletter via the Rafflecopter widget below. After you sign up, you can earn extra bonus entries by completing tasks within the widget. These are completely optional, but the more you complete the better chances you have to win! Click here for more details.
Thanks again to everybody who participated in the #SoaptheRainbow challenge. What kind of challenge or series would you like to participate in next?
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (June 25th ~ July 1st)
#SoaptheRainbow kicked off this week with red projects. If you’d like to take part in the series, share your project photos on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #SoaptheRainbow. Click here to learn more about the series and how to enter to win several prizes. For more red project ideas, check out the #SoaptheRainbow Red Week post. Next up is the color orange!
In addition, several of my favorite soapy bloggers will be sharing their colorful projects. See the blogger schedule here, and check out the Apple Berry Faux Tall and Skinny Soap Tutorial by Amy with Great Cakes Soapworks.
Soapy Social Media Roundup
Happy weekend! The past few weeks have been incredibly full. Last week, I attended the Entrepreneur of the Year Gala in Seattle. I had the honor of being nominated alongside many incredible entrepreneurs in the Northwest. While I did not win the award, it was an honor to be nominated. I know that’s a little cliche, but it truly was amazing to be recognized. Below, Chris and I enjoy the night. It was wonderful to have him by my side and enjoy a date night!
Today, I’m enjoying the sun with the kiddos. The weather has been hit or miss lately, but today is turning out to be a lovely. If you’re looking for a little crafting inspiration, below are some of my favorite pins, tweets and ‘grams from the past week.
Left to right, clockwise:
- This trick for cutting watermelon is genius. Why didn’t I think of this?
- These Red, White & Blue Pretzel Rods would be really fun for a 4th of July gathering.
- This DIY for Crazy Straws tutorial has a potential Pinterest-fail written all over it, but they are so stickin’ cute! Who knows, maybe it’s easier than it sounds?
- Soapinsuz_ made my Blueberry Embed Round Bars from my book, Pure Soapmaking, and they turned out perfectly. Awesome job!
Facebook:
I have been doing a lot of Facebook live videos recently. It’s such a fun way to connect with you all! Below, I made the Aloe Vera Hanger Swirl project from Pure Soapmaking.
Instagram:
Below is the Energizing Orange Soap, created with the new Natural Soap Kit for Beginners. The kit includes everything you need to make the soap, including printed instructions, labels and free shipping to the lower 48 United States. It’s a great kit for experienced soap makers too!
Did you hear about the #SoaptheRainbow series on the blog and Instagram? From now until August, each week represents a color, starting with red. Post a photo on Instagram with the tag#SoaptheRainbow for a chance to win Bramble Berry gift certificates! Click here to get all the details and learn about the grand prize. Believe me, you want to enter for the grand prize…it’s a good one! =)
- Happiness is a choice. Remind yourself of that everyday with a Best Day Ever Gold Foil Notebook.
- A big thank you to New England Handmade Artisan Soaps for this awesome roundup and review of my Pure Soapmaking book.
- This summer, what are you going to save money on?
- We have all felt disengaged at work. As a manager, here are 5 Things to Do When an Engaged Employee Disengages.
- You may be missing out on about 70% of your Instagram feed. Wait, what!?
I hope you’re having an awesome weekend so far. To keep up with soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, YouTube and Snapchat. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat. Don’t forget to tag your soapy projects on Instagram with the hashtag #SoapShare and #PureSoapmaking so I can see what you’re making! =)
#SoaptheRainbow Series & Contest!
Experimenting with color is one of my favorite aspects of making soap. The possibilities for color variations and combinations are endless. Starting this Monday, June 27th, I will be celebrating all things color with a “Soap the Rainbow” series on the blog and Instagram. The series also includes two awesome contests!
Each week (Monday through Sunday) will represent a color in the rainbow. “Red week” starts this coming Monday, June 27th, followed by orange, yellow, green, blue and purple week. Each Thursday, I will share a tutorial for the color of the week. Some of my favorite soapy bloggers will also be sharing a tutorial on their blog or YouTube channel each Wednesday. I can’t wait to see their amazing projects.
That’s where the contest comes in! Post a soapy photo that features the color of the week with the hashtag #SoaptheRainbow on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. You can post as many photos as you like each week. I will share several of my favorite photos that feature the color of the week on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. The featured soapers will win a $10 Bramble Berry Gift Certificate. That’s more than 20 gift certificates up for grabs, so it’s time to start snapping and sharing photos of your soap! I urge you to post photos that correspond with the color that week to increase your chance of winning. =)
Want to participate? Check out the #SoaptheRainbow schedule below!
Soap the Rainbow Schedule
Red Week: June 27th-July 3rd (post your red projects!)
Orange Week: July 4th-July 10th (post your orange projects!)
Yellow Week: July 11th-July 17th (post your yellow projects!)
Green Week: July 18th-July 24th (post your green projects!)
Blue Week: July 25th-July 31st (post your blue projects!)
Purple Week: August 1st-August 7th (post your purple projects!)
*UPDATE: Congrats to Sandy Y., the winner of our GRAND PRIZE! Thanks to everybody who entered!
In addition, I’m giving away a GRAND PRIZE here on the blog. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a Soapmaker Super Sampler Business Kit. This kit is not yet available on the Bramble Berry site, but be on the lookout for it soon! The retail value of the kit is more than $250 and includes:
- Ten 4 oz. Bramble Berry Fragrance Oils.
- Nine Bramble Berry Colorants.
- Three Mini Column Silicone Molds: Round, Heart & Moon.
- A collection of soaping tools including Hanger Swirl Tool, Shrink Wrap Bands, Easy Pour Containers, Squeeze Bottles and Large Silicone Whisk.
- A printed “Soapmaker’s Guide to Business” booklet with over 40 pages of information about starting your own business.
- An exclusive DVD containing:
– Four episodes of Anne-Marie’s “Tips for Soap Business Success.” Topics cover how to market your products, set goals, navigate legal regulations and more.
– Four episodes of Soap Queen TV covering cold process soap basics.
– Four exclusive cold process soap technique videos, demonstrating recipes from Anne-Marie’s Soap Crafting Book.
To enter grand prize contest, all you have to do is join the Bramble Berry Newsletter via the Rafflecopter widget below. To sign up for the newsletter, you may sign in using your Facebook account, or you can manually enter the email address you’d like to use. If you’re already signed into your Facebook account, the widget may automatically use the email associated with your account. If the widget didn’t ask for your email, it’s because you’re already signed into Facebook. =)
After you sign up, you can earn extra bonus entries by completing tasks within the widget. These are completely optional, but the more you complete the better chances you have to win! The contest ends on August 9th at noon PST. The winner will be chosen randomly by the widget.
Rules and Fine Print:
- To enter, you must sign up for the Bramble Berry newsletter via the widget above.
- Because many of the fragrance oils can only ship by Ground, the grand prize winner must live in the lower 48 continental United States.
- Winners will be chosen at random by the Rafflecopter widget on August 9th at noon PST.
- The winner will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.
- Sharing a photo with the #SoaptheRainbow hashtag does not enter you to win the grand prize. You must enter via the Rafflecopter widget above.
- If you win a $10 gift certificate on Instagram for posting a #SoaptheRainbow photo, you are still eligible to win the grand prize via the Rafflecopter widget.
I can’t wait to see all your colorful projects week after week! Feel free to post older photos of what you’ve made in the past as well. And of course, don’t forget to enter for the grand prize above. The contest officially ends on August 9th, so you have time to earn all the extra entries as well.
Ready, set….#SoaptheRainbow!
Cold Process Soap Design Directory
There are so many designs that can be created with cold process soap. The ability to manipulate the texture from thick and pipeable to fluid and pourable allows a wide variety of possible techniques. For example, thin soap can be swirled in the mold to create a spin swirl. On the other hand, extremely thick soap can be piped and manipulated to create shapes and texture. If you can dream it, you can probably soap it!
Over the years, I have tried a lot of techniques and designs. With each tutorial here on the blog, I’m always thinking about what technique I have yet to feature. I love teaching and demonstrating the possibilities of all things soap, bath and beauty. Because of that, I thought it would be helpful to categorize just about every Soap Queen cold process tutorial by design type.
This Soap Design Directory is quite the list and includes everything from techniques created with thick soap (layers, textured tops, spoon plop) to thin trace techniques such as the spin swirl and linear swirl. Keep in mind this list focuses on the design elements and technique, rather than recipe type. In addition, some tutorials feature more than one technique so they may pop up in several categories. As I continue to publish tutorials, I will try my best to keep this list updated. But, if you don’t see it updated right away, just know I will get to it as soon as I can. =)
I hope you enjoy this design directory, and find it helpful and inspiring! It has helped me identify which techniques I need to showcase more. Stamped soap, confetti soap, feather swirl and petal techniques…I’m looking at you!
Layers
Moonstone Cold Process Soap
Sahara Sunset Cold Process Soap Tutorial
Exfoliating Green Tea Cold Process Bars
Goat Milk & Oatmeal Cold Process Soap
Watermelon Cold Process Soap Tutorial
Lard & Loofah Cold Process Soap Tutorial
Natural Colorant Rainbow Cold Process Soap Tutorial
Couture Confetti Cold Process Soap Tutorial
Layered Lavender Cold Process Tutorial
Luck of the Irish Hot Process Soap
Layered Lilac Loofah Cold Process
Queen of Hearts Cold Process Tutorial
Vibrant Mehndi Cold Process Soap
4th of July Fireworks Cold Process
Black, White and Gold All Over Cold Process
Striped Berry Champagne Cold Process
Holiday Cookie Bar Cold Process Tutorial
Bramble Beer Soap
Soap Challenge: Elemental Swirl
Smoky Bay Cold Process Tutorial
Waves of the Sea Cold Process Tutorial
Handmade Soap for Gardener
Sunset Ombre Soap Tutorial
Falling for Pumpkin Pear Soap
Ombre Rebatch Layers
Fall Sweater Stripes
Sunset Over the Water by Lovin’ Soap
Man Soap with Tamanu Oil
Neapolitan CP for Valentine’s Day
Almonds, Chocolate and Lavender CP Tutorial
Apple Jack Peel for Fall
Luck of the Green Beer Cold Process Tutorial
Let it Bleed: Cold Process Soap Color Gradation Tutorial
Cheery Holiday Cold Process Soap Tutorial
Valentine Cold Process Soap
Soapy Social Media Roundup
Happy Saturday! Earlier this week I taught a class on Creative Live. It was a great experience. I’m working on a blog post about my experience, so be on the lookout for that tomorrow. Below is a shot of the lavender cold process soap that I made during the class. Isn’t it pretty? Sometimes simple soap is the best. The recipe for this soap is available in my Creative Live class. =)
Next week on the blog we are celebrating Earth Day with several recipes and ideas on how to reuse and recycle. In the meantime, check out my favorite pins, tweets and grams from the week below.
Far left, clockwise:
- I love the look of these DIY Marble Coasters. They actually remind me of a swirled soap. =)
- Lemonade always reminds me of summer. I can’t wait to make this Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade on a hot summer day.
- The texture and colors in this Mokume Gane Soap by Soap Techniques are so unique!
- This Baked Orange Cauliflower looks like a great substitute for high-calorie friend orange chicken.
Instagram:
This Blueberry Jam Sugar Scrub is made with two different colors of jojoba beads to create the beautiful blue shade. It’s scented with the new Blueberry Jam Fragrance Oil, which is sweet and fruity.
What do you think of the yellow layer in this hanger swirled soap? I was unsure about it, but most people on Instagram seemed to like it! This project is scented with Crisp Cotton Fragrance Oil and may become a video on Soap Queen TV soon.
- How much vitamin D does your body need? This article breaks it down for both sunny and cloudy days.
- Speaking of, here are 7 Signs and Symptoms you are vitamin D deficient.
- There is an ideal time to go to bed. If you’re a night owl, this article may persuade you to hit the hay sooner.
- There are a lot of myths surrounding essential oils. The 10 Epic Essential Oil Myths and Dangerous Uses of 2014 are still true today.
- I agree with so many things in this article, How to Have the Best Day Ever. Every day I tell myself it’s the best day ever. This positive outlook has turned so many average (or even bad) days around.
To keep up with soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, Katch, YouTube and Snapchat. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat. Don’t forget to tag your soapy projects on Instagram with the hashtag #SoapShare and #PureSoapmaking so I can see what you’re making! =)
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (April 9th ~ 15th)
Projects inspired by the Spring Fever Fragrance Collection continued this week. If you’d like to try the kit, don’t wait! Today is the last day to buy it. After that, the fragrances will be sold individually. The collection includes Blueberry Jam Fragrance Oil, which has notes of orange zest, spice, almond and of course, blueberries. It is used in the Blueberry Jam Sugar Scrub. The scrub uses biodegradable Jasmine Jojoba Beads and Sierra Sky Jojoba Beads to create a berry color and exfoliate the skin. For a bit of moisture and fantastic ‘slip,’ fractionated coconut oil is in the recipe as well.
Spring Soap Swap Unboxing Video!
For the Spring 2016 Soap Swap, I decided to be a participant. This meant ten random soapers received one of my soaps, and I received ten different bars from soapers around the country. If you’d like more information regarding the Soap Swap, check out this blog post to read the details. Want to participate in a future swap? We will be hosting another one later this year! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter; the date of the next signup will be announced about a week in advance for newsletter subscribers only.
Here are all ten soaps I received in my box, they are so beautiful!
I was blown away by all ten bars in my box! They are so unique and really show off the talent of the soapmaking community. I love how each bar is so different given that all soapmakers have access to the same set of ingredients. Granted; it’s a pretty big set of ingredients but still, it’s awesome to see what everyone does with similar ingredients. Watch the videos below to see the live unboxing of my Soap Swap package. I included both the video on UStream below. I can’t wait to use each bar. They all look and smell amazing. Thank you to everybody who participated in the swap and took so much time and effort to create beautiful bars for their fellow soapmakers. I hope everybody who participated had lots of fun. =)
Soapy Social Media Roundup
Happy weekend! I recently finished up in Nashville for the 2×4 Live Workshop. It’s always so inspiring to meet other small business owners. I’m currently writing a blog post about the experience, so be on the lookout for that tomorrow. Back at the office, we launched the new Spring Fever Fragrance Collection this week and I can’t wait to hear what you think of the four fragrances: Clover and Aloe, Blooms and Berries, Sunflower and Blueberry Jam. They all smell amazing!
If you missed the launch, you can watch the live video here. In the video I go over each fragrance and offer some product suggestions. Then, head over to my Pinterest page to find an inspirational board for each fragrance (near the bottom). Check out some of my favorite pins from the Blooms and Berries board below.
Left, clockwise:
- This Blackberry Sage Cold Process Aloe Soap by Emily of Shieh Design Studio is stunning. I love the little berry embeds on top.
- I love this idea of incorporating berries into a bouquet of flowers. The berries give such a nice color contrast.
- There are so many great design resources available to download. One of my favorite sites is Creative Market. There you can download awesome graphics, templates and more, including this gorgeous watercolor brush stroke. It would look great on a soap label!
- The deep purple colors look amazing with the light green shades in this Sweet Fig Soap by Zahida of Handmade in Florida.
Instagram:
I’m so excited that the Spring Fever Fragrance Collection is now available. The four fragrances in the collection (Blueberry Jam, Clover and Aloe, Blooms and Berries, and Sunflower) are all amazing. If you want to try them all, the collection is only available for a short time. Don’t wait! =) After the collection sells out, the fragrances will still be available individually.
The quest for new and fun fragrance oils never ends. Below is a beautiful hanger swirl soap made with a possible new fragrance oil. The colors in this bar were created with Brown Oxide Pigment, Stormy Blue Mica and Nuclear Orange Pigment.
- I love see the creative process of artists. This post by Meg Biram is full of beautiful images of her paintings and includes a giveaway!
- Sometimes, a complete life change can sound really tempting. But, what if you simply rework what you have?
- Are you among the third of Americans who don’t get enough sleep? I know that some nights I certainly am.
- Sometimes the solution to a problem brings opportunity. These college kids began a granola bar company with leftover grains used to make beer.
- I love this new book by Jan Berry of the Nerdy Farm Wife. There are so many awesome recipes, I can’t wait to try some. You can now find it at Bramble Berry.
To keep up with soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, Katch, YouTube and Snapchat. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat. Don’t forget to tag your soapy projects on Instagram with the hashtag #SoapShare and #PureSoapmaking so I can see what you’re making! =)
Spring 2016 Soap Swap Round Up
Last week, all the bars for the Cold Process Soap Swap 2016 were swapped and sent. If you participated in the swap, keep your eyes out for your box of goodies soon! If you’re unfamiliar with the swap, the basic idea is that soapers send us 10 bars of soap. Then, we swap the bars and send 10 new bars back, each made by a different person.
So many amazing soaps were sent for the swap!
If you did not get the chance to sign up for this swap, we will have another one later this year. I wish we could have swaps all the time with an unlimited amount of soapers. But, it takes a lot of time to swap 100 boxes! =) If you’d like to be among the first to sign up for the next swap, sign up for the Bramble Berry newsletter. We will give advance notice to newsletter subscribers about when the swap will take place and how to sign up. Click here to sign up for the newsletter.
Chatting with Carmen of Earths Raw Beauty
Carmen of Earths Raw Beauty has been soaping for less than a year, but you would never know it by the number of techniques she has mastered. I first stumbled on her colorful soap on the #SoapShare tag on Instagram, and was in awe of her abilities. Each soapy design showcases a different technique, whether it be her precise layers, perfect rainbow hues or skillful swirls. If there is one consistent factor in Carmen’s soap of Earths Raw Beauty, it is that each each bar is completely distinct. Read on to find out more about Carmen, including how she got started soaping and her unique method of using goat milk. -A.M.
Carmen’s beautiful Spectrum Bits Cold Process Soap, scented with bergamot and white tea.
How long have you been soaping for and how did you get started?
I’ve been soaping for 7 months now. To be more precise it’s been 7 months and 2 weeks and I’m looking forward to many, many more. Every time I get asked this question I answer “Texas did it to me!” and it’s true! I was in Texas for a week at the end of July last year and I swear, there was something in the air. I actually started off by making skin care products in March of last year. Soap was never on my mind. While in Texas, during my very first day, I found myself watching soap making videos. Don’t ask me how I started watching them because I seriously have no idea. I just remember being fascinated by the action of a stick blender going through the melted oils and lye solution. Even now I could watch someone stick blend soap for 10-15 minutes.
Most soap makers started because they wanted a natural solution, or they wanted to give homemade gifts. I started because I was fascinated by a stick blender in action. Little did I know that the stick blender was only the beginning of the magic. I spent that entire week in the hotel room reading and watching videos about soap making. I watched all the Soaping101 and Soap Queen TV videos, and I read as much as I could. Then I ordered a silicone mold and lye from Amazon because I wanted to make sure I had them in my mail box when I got home. I got home on July 31st (yes, I remember because it’s the first day I ever made soap) at 7 p.m., and as soon as I got home I made my very first batch of soap. It was all it took for me to fall in love with soap, especially after I cut the first slice. I’ve been hooked since.
What sort of advice would you give to those soapers just starting their businesses?
When it comes to business I can’t really give any advice, I have a lot to learn in that department. It’s been less than 8 months since I made my first batch, therefore I didn’t start selling until 2 months ago. For now I sell on Etsy, and of course to my friend’s friends and their friends, the word of mouth spreads really fast.
Left to right: Rainbow Cold Process Soap, Balanced Energy Natural Soap
What is your favorite type of product to make?
Now this is a very easy question. I make all kinds of skin care products: salves, butters, balms, creams, lotions, scrubs, bath bombs (my worst enemy), etc. By far, cold process soap is my favorite product to make.
Pure Soapmaking Book Signing & Author Talk
Last week, I had the opportunity to talk about the process of writing Pure Soapmaking at Village Books, a local book store in Bellingham, WA. It was a huge high to talk about the journey with fellow soapmakers, as well as friends and family in the audience. If you weren’t able to attend the talk and signing, you can read about the writing, editing and photography process of the book here.
The best part of the book signing and author talk was being able to connect with people in the audience. Thank you so much to everybody who came. It means so much to me that you took the time to attend the event. To those of you who don’t live in the Bellingham area, it’s equally exciting to see the book in hands of crafters all over the world. Below, the book made it all the way to Moscow, and even made a trip to the Grand Canyon! Thanks again to everybody for all the support, and for sharing your #PureSoapmaking photos. If you have a copy, I’d love to see where the book is being read. Share your photo on social media with the tag #PureSoapmaking so I can find it. =)
Soapy Social Media Roundup
Happy weekend everybody! The past few days have been fairly rainy and wet here in Bellingham, to nobody’s surprise. But the days are getting longer and the nights are warmer so signs of spring are popping up. Last weekend we had a few days of sun, so the family took advantage of the weather with an afternoon trip to a Bellingham beach. Below, Jamisen and Lily soak up some sun. Between Jamisen’s inquisitive pose and Lily lounging on the rocks, this photo just cracks me up. =)
Next week be on the lookout for a St. Patrick’s Day melt and pour project, along with another natural cold process soap. In the meantime, check out the soapy inspiration below from Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
Left to right, clockwise:
- Can you believe Easter will be here in a little over a month? These DIY Marbled Indigo Eggs use a deep blue nail polish to create a beautiful marbled effect on the egg.
- Holly of Missouri River Soap created the Aloe Vera Hanger Swirl Recipe from the Pure Soapmaking Book, and it turned out wonderfully!
- I love these Cute Garden Carrot Cupcakes. Decorating strawberries as carrots is genius.
- Amy Warden of Great Cakes Soapworks created the Annatto and Yarrow Cold Process Soap from the Pure Soapmaking Book. I love her chunky embeds.
Instagram:
This week there was a lot of green projects. Below is a melt and pour project created with a Celtic Combination mold that will be available soon. The mold includes four cavities featuring different designs. I used an injector tool to fill the details with Evergreen Mica colored soap.
Evergreen Mica also works great in cold process soap. Below is a cold process spin swirl using Evergreen Mica, Kermit Green Mica, Titanium Dioxide and Black Oxide in the 9 Bar Birchwood Mold. We are planning on making this project into a Soap Queen TV video.
- In case you missed it, there was a short update regarding FDA legislation for 2016. Read about it here, then sign up for the COHE to stay updated.
- This visualization of how Americans spend their day is amazing. Does your day fit into the trends?
- Commencement speeches often sound the same. This one is particularly inspiring because it doesn’t sugarcoat the message.
- Is this product the biggest personal care innovation of 2015?
- These “Keep Calm and Make Soap” tote bags are now available! Grab one before they are gone.
I hope you’re having an awesome weekend.To keep up with soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube and Snapchat. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat. Don’t forget to tag your soapy projects on Instagram with the hashtag #SoapShare and #PureSoapMaking so I can see what you’re making! =)