Soap Queen

Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more

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Aloha Mold Promotional Code

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Happy summer! It’s time for another Aloha Soap Mold promotional coupon code. Did someone say coupon code? Do we have your attention now? This summer’s code will get you 30% off any of our Aloha Molds (See them all here). Please go to our Facebook page to get the promotional coupon code. If you’re not an official fan yet, you’ll have to “like” our page in order to view the coupon code. Hey…it’s totally worth it for 30% off some super cute molds!

The soaps pictured above were made with Clear Melt and Pour, Tangerine Wow Colorant, Electric Bubble Gum Colorant, Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, Luster black Mica and Super Pearly White Mica. Scented with Pikake Flower Fragrance Oil. If you have ever been to Hawaii and love the tropical floral smell when you first step off the plane, then you will LOVE this fragrance oil. [Read more…]

Easy Cold Process Soap Rocks – Palm Free!

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

This post was written by the always talented and creative Amanda from Lovin’ Soap. If you can’t get enough of her creative outlook on soap projects, click here to pick up a couple of her soap E’Zines. They’re practically instant gratification since you’ll be able to download them within a day of purchasing.  ~Anne-Marie

The magic of this realistic soap rock tutorial is all in the layering and the mica/oxide lines.  You can play around with different shades for the rock using gray, brown or even black and different shades of mica/oxides for the lines.  For the mica/oxides lines you can use bright colors such as pink, blue and green to get amazing looks.  So let’s get to it!  If you are new to cold process soapmaking START HERE  (and pay extra attention to the lye safety video). This is probably one of my all time favorite palm free recipes. This recipe is high in olive oil. Olive oil makes for a softer soap upon unmolding but cures into a bar that is as hard as a rock! (pun intended!)  The “softer soap upon unmolding” characteristic of this recipe is what gives us the perfect base for squishing, forming and creating our rock shapes.

Ingredients
 Olive Oil – 12 oz
Coconut Oil – 8 oz
Rice Bran Oil – 6 oz
Cocoa Butter – 4 oz
Castor Oil – 2 oz
Water – 9 oz
Sodium Hydroxide – 4.4 oz

You’ll also need
2 teaspoons Vintage Gray Mica (since we are out-of-stock of this, you can just use a pinch of the Luster Black Mica)
1 tablespoon Brick Red Oxide
1.5 oz Plum Tea Fragrance Oil
Small Tea Strainer (or jar covered with pantyhose to dust mica)
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold

Buy everything you need in the click of a button! Buy it now button [Read more…]

Modern Cherry Blossom

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Spring has officially sprung here in Bellingham! Birds are chirping, the sun is shining (for whole hours at a time!) and the plants around the office are perking up. What better way to celebrate the start of spring with this uniquely abstract floral soap? Scented with our super popular Cherry Blossom fragrance oil (on sale this month!), they are made using the faux funnel technique, but with a twist: a vertical mold!

[Read more…]

Honeycomb Melt and Pour

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Kat from Bramble  Berry’s retail store, Otion, was inspired to make this honeycomb soap technique using bubble wrap. Using bubble wrap has long been a staple in the cold process soapmaking world but in melt and pour, it’s just catching on. This soap is earthy, eye-catching, easy and a great way to reuse your packaging! This project can be made by the most novice of soap makers and all you have to do is line your mold with bubble wrap to get this cool effect. Be sure to check out Otion’s blog for more creative, soaping inspiration! 

Neapolitan CP for Valentine’s Day

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

We know it’s winter but we’re screaming, we’re screaming for ice cream – Neapolitan ice cream that is! Remember the yummy taste of vanilla, berry and chocolate melting together in your mouth? Yeah, we can too so we decided to get our icy on by designing a special Valentine’s Day Soap to whet your appetite for summer days gone by. For the top of our bars, we were inspired by Kristy Rose from Kristy’s Lovely Lathers. Check out Kristy’s guest appearance on Soap Queen TV to see her demonstrate the swirly heart technique live.

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Soap Queen TV: Making Vintage Inspired Soap

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Inspired by some cool antique keys and escutcheons (key hole covers) I found, I made soap molds so I could have vintage themed soap. Learn how easy it is in this episode of Soap Queen TV!

Get everything you need to make this project with the click of a button!

What You’ll Need:

Flexy Fast Molding Putty (available in single or multiple serving sizes)

8 oz Clear Melt & Pour

8 oz White Melt & Pour

Liquid Black Colorant

Liquid Brown Colorant

Vanilla Bean Fragrance

Heavy Metal Gold Mica

Cappuccino Mica

 Want to see this soap in real life? Well you can! Get your very own bar in our Etsy shop, includes full-color printed instructions.

Almonds, Chocolate and Lavender (CP Soap Tutorial)

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Remember when Amber did a guest post on the homemade Almond Milk (which also inspired a Blueberry Almond Smoothie and Strawberry Almond Thumprint Cookies)? She inspired us to make Almond Meal Soap with the leftover almond meal from her almond milk making. The almond milk byproduct of almond meal is a gentle exfoliant and a lovely way to get a little more cleaning power from your bar. The fragrance oil blend of chocolate and lavender is a gourmet candy like combination (think sophisticated foodie chocolate). Enjoy this luxurious recipe!

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Linear Swirling (Cold Process)

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Advanced Swirling Part 5: Linear Swirling

Guest post by Kat from Otion (Bramble Berry’s retail store)

This is the grand finale of my advanced swirling tutorials.  Today is linear swirling! Make sure that you check out parts 1 (Understanding Color Theory Terminology) , 2 (Getting Brave with Color),  3 (Soap Design and Color Matching) and part 4(In-the-Pot swirling) if you haven’t already. Learn the secret to a fabulous linear swirl!

Before you get started, check out my must have materials for swirling!

Step 1: At a light trace, separate half of the batch into two smaller containers; one for each color, add scent by hand before pouring.

Step 2: Linear swirling is about building layers. Create a pattern using the two colors first so there is something on the bottom of the bars.

Step 3: Pour about ½ to ¾ of the white on top for the mid section which your lines will form into.

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In-the-Pot Swirling (Cold Process)

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Advanced Swirling Part 4: In The Pot Swirling

Guest post by Kat from Otion (Bramble Berry’s retail store)

Welcome back! This is part four of Kat’s advanced swirling tutorials. Please make sure to check out parts 1 (Understanding Color Theory Terminology) , 2 (Getting Brave with Color) and 3 (Soap Design and Color Matching) if you haven’t already. In this section, the secrets to successful swirling are revealed!

Must have materials:

Before beginning, make sure to have all safety equipment and supplies at hand. Have your colors picked and prepared and your fragrance oil weighed, line your wooden mold and have divider inserts set up on the side. Snug fitting rubber gloves are ideal for maximum dexterity (Tip! Pick up some hair-dying gloves from the local beauty supply store). A rubber spatula is your best friend for swirling! This tool manipulates the swirl pattern and pulls it through the entire bar.  Use a bamboo skewer for creating finer details and surface swirls. You will also need extra smaller heat resistant pitchers for dividing the soap into sections to color.

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Cold Process Spider Webs

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Team Bramble Berry and I were brainstorming Halloween soap ideas and this was the project that we got most excited about. It’s a very simple technique that adds that extra special (spooky)  touch for Halloween. Give these away as a hostess gift or put them in  your guest bathroom to impress your friends.

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Hats, Bats and Spiders

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

I loved what Soapylove did in her latest tutorial (check it out here), I thought I would revisit the technique with a ghoulish twist! I stuck with some basic molds and colors here but the potential to get insanely creative is up to you! I hope I get to see what some of you come up with. Hint. Wink. Nudge. Post pictures on our facebook page!

A collection of Halloween soap decorated with stenciled designs in sparkly micas. Check out what we did for Christmas in 2009 using this same technique with glitter. See the glittery tutorial here.

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Getting Brave with Color

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Advanced Swirling Part 2: Getting Brave with Color

Guest post by Kat from Otion (Bramble Berry’s retail store)

 

Welcome back to my four-part swirling tutorial! If you missed part one on Understanding Color Theory Terminology, make sure to check it out here.

I’d like to start out today’s topic by reiterating what my professors told me in painting classes that helped build my confidence with color and technique.

1. Don’t get too attached. This means a couple of things; don’t get too attached to a plan (expecting the swirls/colors to look a specific way) because it limits your spontaneity and creative flow. Allow things to happen. Also, don’t get too attached to the finished product or you will have a hard time trying new things, and you will most likely get stuck repeating yourself. Remember, what makes an interesting product line is variety.

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Soapfest 2011: Black and Tan Beer Soap

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Oktoberfest is an annual beer festival that originated in Germany. They celebrate with beer, food, music and other festivities. The only thing missing from Oktoberfest is soap! That’s how we’re celebrating Oktoberfest this year. Enjoy our variation of the black and tan drink (traditionally, it’s Guinness and a Pale Ale beer layered in the glass) soap made with real beer, scented with the delicious Oatmeal Stout fragrance oil blended with a little Almond Biscotti. You’re going to love this Fall blend.

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