Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Charcoal Swirl with Hemp Seed Oil






Soap making is always full of unexpected surprises, and this time, the surprise is more than pleasant!


I've tried a few "in-the-pot swirls" before, but have never been one hundred percent satisfied with the look.  This time I'm actually pretty happy with the way it turns out, but when I made it, it looked so bad that I was even considering putting these in the "failed" box.






The reason why I thought it would turn out to be disastrous was because the soap came to trace literally in less than 3 minutes.  I turned around to grab my charcoal powder and that's when the soap caught me off guard.  I decided to move quickly and mix in the colour anyway because that was what I had promised to make.   By the time I had the colour ready, the soap was thicker than yogurt.  I scooped the soap into the mold and feared for the worst.  






I let out a small scream of joy after making the first cut.  Sooooo, THIS is how you make in-the-pot swirl!  No wonder I haven't been successfull.  I have to wait a little longer before I swirl!  Isn't it funny how we learn our lessons from the most unexpected "mistakes"?





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17 comments:

  1. Celine BlacowFebruary 9, 2011 at 1:22 AM

    That is fabulous - it looks rich and dramatic!

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  2. betweenfriendsFebruary 9, 2011 at 5:33 AM

    Hi Jen, thank you for your kind words, as always. :)
    You're right about Hemp oil, it is tricky to work with. I highly suspect that it's the cause to the unexpected seize. I think next time I'll definitely keep the temperature low to give myself some time with work on either colours or fragrance!

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  3. betweenfriendsFebruary 9, 2011 at 5:33 AM

    Thank you Celine! Next time I'll be aiming for a "natural stone" look. Fingers crossed!

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  4. cocobongFebruary 10, 2011 at 1:20 AM

    Now isn't that a stunner ..beautiful, Maggie! It looks like delicate cobwebs, marble and silk all in one :) Tell us about the scent

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  5. amywardenFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:24 AM

    Oh wow, my 100th comment in Disqus. Anyway - I was thinking maybe you had swirled at a lighter trace since the swirls are so feathery and light. They turned out great! It's always an adventure when you swirl, isn't it? Getting the texture just right isn't easy!

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  6. betweenfriendsFebruary 15, 2011 at 5:10 AM

    That's right Becky! I'll make another one of those in-the-pot swirls for sure! Now let's hope I'll be able to repeat this "mistake" again. ;)

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  7. betweenfriendsFebruary 15, 2011 at 5:28 AM

    You're right about that, Anne-Marie, swirling never promises the same result! Every time I swirl, I have to work extra hard to keep myself from unmolding too soon! ;)

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  8. Natalia - EnJabonArteFebruary 26, 2011 at 10:04 PM

    ...and i love charcoal soap :) jeje...

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  9. Michael HughesMarch 8, 2011 at 10:22 PM

    Hi Maggie,

    You never know when you will learn from a mistake--or a misadventure:) I really like the pot-swirl effect. Timing is everything. Congratulations on stumbling upon this creative endeavor. Have you experienced what we on occasion have, that you can't sometimes predict when what seems like a sure success will go awry and a challenge turns out to lead you in a whole different direction creatively? Thank you for sharing!

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  10. HeidiMarch 27, 2011 at 2:13 AM

    What a nice soap. - The texture looks very nice!!
    LG Heidi

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  11. cocobongMarch 30, 2011 at 11:10 PM

    Maggie, we miss you

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  12. betweenfriendsMay 3, 2011 at 1:36 PM

    Thank you Michelle!

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  13. betweenfriendsMay 3, 2011 at 1:36 PM

    Oh those "mistakes"!! Sometimes they are the funniest stories to tell, don't you think?

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  14. betweenfriendsMay 3, 2011 at 1:38 PM

    There's something special about charcoal soap that I like too, and it doesn't hurt to "dress it up" a bit. ;)

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  15. betweenfriendsMay 3, 2011 at 1:40 PM

    Hi Michael,

    I'm sure you have some stories of your own to tell as well! What fun is it when everything is so predictable? ;)

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  16. betweenfriendsMay 3, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Thanks Heidi, as always. xo

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  17. betweenfriendsMay 3, 2011 at 1:43 PM

    Cocobong,

    It has been a long while since I last made any noise here. I've been away... but now I'm back again. Can't wait to get back to soaping!

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