Between Friends Handmade Soap

Lace

2012-01-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

It took me more than a month to finish making these soaps. I made my first two layers and then I ran out of lye. Just when you need it the most!

This look is inspired by my last coffee soap. Now instead of just simple coffee soaps, I came up with this "espresso with foamed milk and caramel drizzle" version.

My household has been battling sickness for the last two months. Somehow we all take turns getting sick, and now it's my turn. I hate being sick!! I want to get back to soapmaking!

A Jolt of Java

2011-12-12T15:30:00.000-08:00

I still remember the firs time I used coffee in my soap.

As naive (and ignorant) as a newbie can be, I was completely unprepared for the stink that was about to assault my nose as I poured my lye into my freshly brewed coffee. The fragrant coffee aroma quickly turned into what I'd like to describe as the smell of deep-fried shrimps. Not that I know what deep-fried shrimps (with shells!) smell like, but interestingly enough, some of my fellow soap friends all come up with the same description. Deep fried shrimps. With shells.

I stop adding coffee into my soaps after that horrible first attempt, but I never stop dreaming of soaps with natural coffee aroma (without using any fragrance oil). With this recent attempt, I think I've got it!

I call these my Triple Shots - the oils are infused with fresh coffee grinds for 4 months, the water is replaced with super concentrated frozen coffee, and before the soap is pored into the mold, more coffee grinds!

The end result is this chocolate-like soap with a mild coffee scent - not the popular coffee fragrance, but the subtle smell of coffee grinds. I love it! Now I only hope that the scent stays and that I don't get brown suds with all these fine coffee grinds in the soap. ;)

Been Having Fun with Cans

2011-11-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

I've been having so much fun using food cans as my soap molds lately. Haven't felt this way for a very long time, my soap addiction is back!

(I'm actually running low on lye now because of my recent craves for soap making. Hubby calls me an addict when I keep saying "I'm running low.... I'm running low.....").

I haven't found my favourite way to play with colours yet, but the process of discovery is full of surprises.

Now if only I have enough lye for my next batch.... (pacing... pacing... )

The Ugly Truth

2011-10-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the Ugly Soap.

I finally convinced myself that Ugly had been sitting on the counter for way too long and it was about time to do something about it.

The top of Ugly is a flaky combination of dry soap and dry oil. Yuk! I removed the flakes and rinsed off the oil before cutting it.

As you can see clearly on this picture that I attempted to create layers. I made two separate batches of the same recipe and same oil weight, but for some reason the lower layer came to trace in a matter of minutes while the top layer somehow went through oil/water separation before it came to trace.

After the top layer eventually thickened, I gave up on the original plan of funnel swirl and went for a regular swirl with TD. I left Ugly in my oven (at the lowest temperature setting) for about two hours and somehow my semi-solid top layer turned into liquid entirely and all the TD sank and settled at the bottom.

There was also a thick layer of oil floating on the top when I took Ugly out of the oven. My fear was that the soap might end up being lye-heavy. After unmolding and cutting it today, I'm sure that Ugly is definitely NOT lye-heavy. It is extremely soft and not crumbly at all. If you look carefully, you might be able to spot my glove prints on the soap.

Since there's no safety concerns anymore, I'll just leave them on the curing rack for a very long time before giving them out or using them as laundry soap.

So there you have it, my Ugly (but usable!) Soap. :)

That itch you get every once a while

2011-09-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

Cocoa Swirl

The itch. The itch that you have to make some soaps or you'd go crazy because this idea in your head just refuses to go away. The itch that you know this next batch you're making is going to be your next masterpiece. It'll come out perfect.

Well, I felt that itch yesterday, and it was the first time in months since I felt the urge to make soap. Maybe it's a sign of me coming out of my soaping slump!

Cocoa Swirl

I took out all my tools, measured my oils, and lined my mold. It was so therapeutic, so serene, and so enjoyable. With beautiful sun outside the window, and some light jazz in the background, it couldn't be more perfect than this - except, it'd be nice if the soap turned out ok.

To be honest, I had no idea what happened. I'm still scratching my head a day later, wondering what could be the culprit to my disaster.

So, everything went well. The soap thickened and traced. Poured it into the mold. Put the mold in the oven (I always to CPOP my soap) at the lowest temperature. To my horror, when I went to check on it two hours later, I saw the "soap" spilled all over the bottom of my oven, and the mixture in my mold was just some dirty-looking liquid!

I quickly took out the mold and let the whole thing cool overnight. It has hardened up, but there's this layer of bright red oil floating on top. I used red palm for the first time yesterday, and it's the only ingredient that I haven't worked with before. I think it's red palm, I want to blame it on red palm!

Now I have this ugly soap sitting on my kitchen counter and I'm not sure if it's safe to use (since some of the red palm did not saponify). It could be slightly lye heavy. I don't want to rebatch it and use it for laundry because I've heard red palm stains your clothes.

I stare at the soap, and the soap stares back at me. I really have no idea what happened and what to do with it....

ps. The soaps in the photos are not my Horribly Ugly. I actually made these last weekend with a few friends. We talked, we laughed, and made soaps together. :)

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More soaps that kiss your skin

2011-08-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

**********************************

These are the same soaps as my Piano, minus the keys.

They came to trace so fast that I didn't get a chance to put in all the keys. I was a little disappointed at first, but after unmolding and cutting them, I slowly came to appreciate the simplicity of the soap.

If you look carefully, you'll see two layers of soap, with the lighter layer at the bottom and a slightly darker layer on top. The funny thing is, these two layers are made with the same recipe - same oil, same water discount, and same temperature. They're made a week apart, but I'm not sure if it makes any difference.

The weather here in Toronto has been wicked all summer. It was cool and dry at first, making you wonder if summer would ever come at all. Then all of a sudden, the temperature shot up practically overnight and put the entire city into the oven for a looooong roast. I can deal with heat, but I can't handle heat with humidity. My soaps have been sweating for weeks, and I'm so tired of wiping them every other day!

So, to those wise soapmakers out there, what do you do to deal with the summer humidity?

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Piano

2011-08-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends from high school is expecting her first baby. What do you, a confessed soap-addict, do when you hear good news like that?

Whip up a ton of soap of course!

These piano soaps are my tribute to my girlfriend's love for music. She is aspired to be a music therapist because she believes in the power of music. I know her baby will be the luckiest kid on earth!

The final product isn't exactly what I had in mind. The "black keys" are kind of crooked, and the "white keys" aren't exactly white. The yellowish tint comes from chamomile-infused olive oil, and I kind of like it this way because the color serves almost like a telling sign to my not-so-secret ingredient.

The infused olive oil sped up the thickening time and I only had very little time to put in the black keys. I end up with only five of these piano soaps, but since I love them so much, I'll be sure to make more (so I can keep some to myself too!).

Versatile Blogger Award

2011-07-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you, my dear friend Anita, for giving me the award! Now I can't stay quiet anymore, can I? (smile)

So, the rules of the award are --

1 – Make a post and link it back to the person who gave you the award

(and include their website address)
2 – Share 7 random things about yourself
3 – Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award,

and contact them to let them know they have won.

Here we go... 7 Random things about me -

1. In addition to soap making, I also enjoy sewing and baking.

2. I love going to the beach and just do nothing. So relaxing......

3. I'm a dog lover but don't like small toy dogs.
   Especially the hysterical, loud, and aggressive ones.

4. I find Captain Picard sexy and yes, my husband knows that. Ha!

5. I'm still learning to wear heels.
   The last time I wore them (yesterday), I got blisters on 5 toes! Ouch!

6. I love baseball and listen to the game on the radio every day.
   Go Jays Go!

7. I don't like eating olives because they're usually too salty to my liking and...
   and they look like little rubber rings/balls. :P

Now, it's time to forward this award to other interesting soapmakers in the blogosphere. Ready?

bbee's soapsite

Jabones Ramy

My Daily Soap

Natural Aroma Beauty

Sparklebrook

The Fat Bottom Farm

Summerbaby - Seifen

These talented bloggers make some of the most stunning and creative soaps. Go check them out and you'll know what I mean!

Stay cool everyone!

Between Friends Handmade Soap

2011-06-12T11:10:00.001-07:00

To see my latest soaps, please find me at Between Friend's photo album on Flickr.

(Last updated: 2011-07-20)

Funnel Swirl

I know it's been quiet here.
It took me a long time to write a new post, but I didn't expect it to be even harder to reply to all your warm comments. A big heart-felt thank you to all of you who sent me your warm regards.
I'll continue to make soaps, but only quietly and slowly.

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Lavender, what else?

2011-05-05T05:14:00.000-07:00

Has it really been almost three months?

I've been so disconnected from my own blog that I don't know how to start writing again. How about I start by saying, "how did I manage to blog on a regular basis before?"

The last three months have been both exciting and sad.

I travelled to visit my family and friends on the other side of the world, ate a lot of amazing food, and had tons of fun-filled conversations. I made this soap for a dear friend who has been one of my most loyal customers from the very beginning. She recently moved from Toronto to my hometown and would like me to make her soaps enough to last her a year.

On the sad note, my grandmother passed away during my visit. She had been bedridden for years, and my family had known that this day would come eventually, but it was still extremely hard to let her go. I was grateful that I was able to see her during her last days with us, I just couldn't imagine not being there.

Now that I'm back in T.O. again, life has slowly returned to normal. However, I know I'll never be the same because grandma, who managed to give me one last lesson in life, taught me to live everyday to its fullest and to always show those I care about how much I love them.

So, to all my dear friends, I love you and thank you for being my friends.

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Charcoal Swirl with Hemp Seed Oil

2011-02-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

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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Goat's Milk Soap

2011-01-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

I think I'm a picky soap maker.

There are ingredients I'll never use, there are soap shapes that will never be appealing to me, and I'm more than stubborn when it comes to minimum curing time.

There's also something else that I'm picky about - the season. I only make milk soaps in the winter - weird, isn't it?

Well, since I have this obsession to make milk soaps as white as I possibly can without using any TD, I figure that I should avoid gel-ing the soap if I can help it. So in addition to freezing the milk and slowly dissolving lye one teaspoon as a time, I also "refrigerate" my milk soap once it's set in the mold.

Technically I can to this anytime of the year, but I prefer leaving my soap outdoors and let the Canadian winter do its trick.

I can't really explain why I like to leave them outside during winter.

Is it because I don't like to crowd my fridge with something uneatable? Is it because I'm afraid the lye being so close to something I plan on digesting? Or maybe it's just because I need to put it out of sight so I won't have to fight the temptation to take it out prematurely?

Leaving the soap in the cold doesn't really ruin it, as some might believe. These soap bars are nice and hard, and I know in a few months time, they'll charm me again in the shower!

Rustic Sea Salt Bars

2011-01-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

Salt bars have always been on my "to-make" list, not because I love the way they make my skin feel since I've never tried them, but because they way people talk about them. Salt bar fans talk about these with a passion! Where does the passion come from? I need to know!

I did some reading before diving into the actual making process, and I increased the water ratio because of the high coconut content and sea salt (!). Those who've made salt bars all stress on the importance of cutting soaps early. Very early, like 4 hours after pouring early.

So that's what I did. I checked on it every hour and cut as soon as I found it hard and solid. The soaps were still kind of soft and easy to cut, but somehow they always crumbled before I finished the cut. Why is that? I understand that soaps crumble when they're too hard to cut, but these were not hard at all...

And have I mentioned they sweated like crazy? Luckily it only happened during the first few hours and I didn't have to wipe them every 30 minutes for days. Now I know why some people only make salt bars in the winter!

I think I'll give it a few months before I try my first salt bar. Should've made an HP salt bar instead!

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Funnel Swirl - Hot Pepper!

2011-01-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

After my very first funnel swirl, I've had several questions constantly spinning in my head - what can I do to make it better? What should I do differently to get that beautiful look I've been dreaming of?

I decided to take my next batch of laundry soap and "funnel it", and the results came out so different this time! Instead of parallel parentheses, I got concentric circles.

I cut these soaps extra thin so I could get a better look at the way patterns form in this type of swirl. I think I'm getting a better understanding of the funnel swirl secrets. Now you all know what that means - have to make another one just to see if these ideas really work!

So, where's the hot pepper?

See the pinkish orangey colour? That's from *real* hot peppers! I once ordered a spicy dish at a restaurant and ended up getting a mountain of hot peppers. I packed them up and rendered my pork lard with them. The lard turned out to be this bright orange colour, and to my surprise, the colour survived the soaping process and became a soft, dreamy pinkish orange.

The crazy scientist in my head has been dying to find out if the heat of hot peppers comes out in the shower. Will this be a good soap for the cold cold Canadian winter?

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Lavender Funnel Swirl

2010-12-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

I can't remember where or when I first saw a true funnel swirl done nicely, but the photo stays with me until this day. I had no idea that it was swirled the funnel style, I just remember scratching my head thinking, "How did she do it?"

After rehearsing the steps in my head for the hundredth time, I finally got down to business and made my first ever funnel swirl. Boy it was fun!

I learned about funnel swirl from this wonderful tutorial by Corrie. The tricky part, at least to me, is to keep the soap mixture from reaching a thick trace before you finish alternating the colors. As in all the swirling cases, revealing (or cutting) the soaps is always highly anticipated. I'm usually quite patient when it comes to cutting my soaps. I have no problems waiting for over a week before cutting to get that nice clean line that I love. But this time I just couldn't last for more than 4 days!

Almost all the cut bars have these "smiles" on them, but the look at the bottom half of this soap is more of the look I was after - more finer and denser lines. I've worked on my second funnel swirl, which I'll share with you as soon as I have the pictures ready, but I'll definitely need a third attempt to achieve that beautiful look I once saw by the unknown funnel master.

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Rubber Soap Stamps

2010-12-22T06:10:00.000-08:00

Remember these soaps I made earlier?

I mentioned using rubber soap stamps I found at Michaels. Here is what they look like..

They come in a pack of 8, with different designs in different packages.

All you have to do is place them at the bottom of your mold and pour! They're easy to come off and leave very clean and crisp designs on your soap.

The only thing I don't like about these is the way they curl up after I remove them from the soap. Why do they curl? They do return to their original shape though after I leave them under a heavy box to flatten them out.

Have fun soaping, everyone!

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Sweet Orange

2010-12-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

How about some warm sunshine already?

The weather has been gloomy and snowy. Not that I don't like snow - in fact, I LOVE snow! - but the lack of sunshine has been going on way too long. Not good, not good at all.

So I decided to whip up a batch of bright and sunny soaps, enhanced with my newly-acquired Sweet Orange 5 Fold essential oil. I remember reading somewhere that Sweet Orange 10 Fold gives you a lasting citrus scent, but 5 fold is the only close one I could get, I decided to give it a try anyway.

These soaps are my very first batch made with Hubby's soap mold! He was like a broken record for days, "Have you tried your new mold? Have you tried your new mold? Have you....?" And after I finally made a batch with the new mold, the track became, "Have you unmolded your soap? Have you unmolded your soap? Have you...?"

I guess now he knows the excitement I experience every time I make and cut soaps!

The impressions come from the rubber sheets I found at Michael's. It's kind of tricky working with the fine details because small air pockets get trapped in there if the trace gets too heavy. I like the look though, and I'll definitely go back to collect more designs for my soaps!

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Angel Award

2010-12-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

Thank you Claudia for giving me this award! Muchas gracias!

I'm both flattered and humbled, and now I'm going to pass the award on to the following wonderful bloggers whose blogs always make me feel warm fuzzy inside:

Jenora Soap

Cocobong Soaps

Aroma Beauty Natural Soaps

Happy Holidays everyone!

My Early Christmas Gift

2010-12-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

This isn't meant to be my Christmas gift, but I'm calling it a gift anyway because I love it so much!

My wonderful Hubby made this mold for me, from design to finish. I've been talking about how much I'd love to have a wooden mold for my soaps, but for years he never paid much attention to it. He never prides himself as a handyman or a craftsman. The only handy work he enjoys doing involves just drilling and hammering.

One day, out of the blue he turned to me and said, "I'm going to make you a soap mold."

Huh? Did I miss something?

He began drawing his designs, asking me to show him how big I'd like my soaps to be, and how I'd normally use the mold. He was really putting in time and thoughts on this!

The final product looks amazing. He's thought about everything I said and made me a all-in-1 soap mold. I can use the divider to adjust the size of the mold, or better, create two mold at the same time. Neat!

After making his first ever wooden mold, Hubby already began to talk about a possible second one. He couldn't wait for me to use his mold ("Have you tried your new mold?") and he's got all sorts of ideas to make the next one even better! How wonderful is that!

Lavender

2010-12-01T05:51:00.000-08:00

It turns out my first batch after getting my soap room back isn't another HP after all.

A very good friend of mine has asked me to make her some soaps scented with lavender essential oil. Lavender is her favorite and she'd love to give them out as Christmas gifts.

Anchoring natural scents has been every soap maker's ongoing quest. Some talk about adding the eo before mixing in the lye ("wrapping eo with regular oil to protect it from lye"), some insist that adding the eo after trace helps ("good trace = less lye"). I've tried so many different things but most of the time I can't really tell whether they help or not, but I do find that a well-balanced blend and keeping the soap at a low temperature help retaining the scent.

I love the blue color this time! It wasn't meant to be blue, was aiming for purple. I added some alkanet-infused oil, but then decided to sprinkle in some indigo powder "just in case alkanet doesn't produce enough purple". I ended up having this beautiful, elegant dark blue, what a lovely surprise! Doesn't it just add a little bit of mediterranean touch to the soap?

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Almost There!

2010-11-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

It's been.... let's see... three months since hubby and I started our flooring project. Our place has been in a state of extreme chaos - it's a miracle that we haven't tripped over something on the floor and cursed until we run out of vocabulary.

But I have good news! Our flooring contractor will be coming in early November and save us from our misery. Yippee!

My love for making soap has been forced to come to a complete halt because my materials are buried deep in an unknown corner and I don't really have space to cure the cut soaps. However, I dig out some of the materials and made a small batch two weeks ago for someone at my dentist's office. She needed some soaps but I didn't have anything for her, so I decided to make her some instead, or so was the excuse I gave myself to make soap again.

I decided to go for HP soap this time partly because I only had a week to make, cut, and wrap the soaps, and partly because I had been thinking about giving it a shot ever since I got Becky's almond soap.

I had so much fun making HP soaps that I know my first pot after getting my soap room back will be another HP too. Being able to use the soap right away (and clean the tools on the same day) is another incentive. However, I do notice that HP soaps still can't compare to soaps that have been cured for months, even though their pH level might be similar. I guess I've been spoiled by nicely cured soaps!

Ok now, what's my next pot going to be?

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Dirty Dozen

2010-10-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

from David Suzuki Foundation

David Suzuki Foundation has recently produced a Dirty Dozen list that names 12 most common but harmful chemicals you can easily find in regular beauty products, including lotions, cosmetics, shampoos, and body washes.

I'm blessed with a very open-minded and smart husband, and it is actually him who educated me about these chemicals years ago. We got on Cosmetics Database and looked up everything we had in our household. We were determined to throw out anything that got a hazardous rating of over 3. It turned out that we had nothing safe left to use.

Now, years later, I realize that I don't go down on the body care and cleaning isles in grocery stores, and I automatically skip flyer pages on these products too. I make my own soaps, I whip up my own lotions, and I just LOVE the way my skin and my hair feel! No nice fragrance or attractive packaging can ever convince me to go back, because I know my world is more beautiful.

Take the Dirty Dozen challenge and see how pretty your beauty products really are!

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Soap Stamps - continued

2010-10-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are curious to see the final product of an epoxy soap stamp, here are some photos of a stamp I made earlier.

From the top of the stamp

From the side

Impression on soap

I keep making the same mistake of not making the lines thick enough. I find that the stamps create the best result with thick and deep lines.

Have fun creating your own stamps and don't forget to share your work of art with me!

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Soap Stamps Anyone?

2010-10-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Before I get carried away, I just want to point out that there are many ways to make soap stamps, and mine is only one of them. Since there aren't many (or any) Canadian soap stamps sellers, I kind of have to use what I have on hand to make my own. So feel free to change a little to make it work for you!

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

You will need:

   1. MP soap (or any ugly soaps you've stored out of sight)
   2. Epoxy (can be found at craft stores)
   3. sharp carving tools, such as sewing needles or tooth picks
   4. paper, tape, scissors
   5. cotton swap
   6. a long skewer

I use Easy Cast because it's the only one
I can find here.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Now let's make some stamps!

1. Create small MP soap bars for carving.
I choose to use MP soap because it'll save so much time later when I remove
the stamp from soap.

2. Create your design on the soap or copy the design onto it

Just outline your design here, no need to
worry about perfection yet.

3. Carve out the lines

Carve and make the lines deeper and wider.
This is a great time to polish on your design.
Use a cotton swap to wipe away loose soap scraps.

4. Prepare the soap

Use clear tapes to tape a piece of paper (both

sides) and wrap the paper around your soap.

This is a critical step, so make sure you get it right.

Use clear, plastic tape.

Be sure to seal the bottom with tapes or else the epoxy will ooze out and make

a mess of your work space.

Also make sure that the paper is tall enough to give your stamp a handle.

6. Mix your Epoxy and pour

Follow the instructions that come in your box.
If you can make soap, you can mix epoxy.

   Since the mixture is quite thick, it's possible that some air gets trapped
   while you pour.
   Take a long skewer to remove any bubbles that are trapped in there.

7. Wait and reveal!

It usually takes about 24 hours to cure and set. (Again, your instructions will tell you!) After that, peal off the paper/tape. Put the whole thing in the microwave and heat it for 10 seconds or until all the MP melts away from the stamp.
If you're using regular CP soap, I only know one way to get the stamp out: clean the soap off!

You might need to do some trimming work to make your stamp even better, but these are the basic steps for you to try.

Have fun everyone!

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Herbal Shampoo Bar

2010-10-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

Have you tried Chinese acupuncture? Or Chinese herbs?

When I was little, I suffered from severe allergies, and it was Chinese herbs that helped me get my life back to normal. My very wise mother knows everything there is to know about herbs when it comes to taking care of a family. I often see medicinal herbs added to our daily meals, or take specific medicine on a specific day for various reasons. When my brother or I get sick, she'll always brew a huge pot of ginger tea to "chase away the cold", as she'd put it.

The herb I used here is called ~~polygonum multiflorum - sorry for this academic nonsense, I can't find a more commonly used term for it~~ flowery knotweed. In Chinese medicine, it's believed to be beneficial to scalps and hair.

Some claim that this herb can slow down the greying process, some believe that it can stop hair loss. Personally, I haven't reached the point where I have to worry about these two problems (knock on wood!), so I can't really vouch for the claims. The only reason I add them to my shampoo bars is very simple: it makes me feel good inside. ;) I don't know much herbs survive the soaping process, but after finishing using one bar, my hair feels softer and shinier! But then, it could be the fact that I modified the formula slightly this time..

In any case, I'll be using this herb again!

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I Can Be Lucky Too!

2010-09-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

That's right! I can be lucky too!

About a month ago, Becky from The Soap Sister discovered the amazing world of HP soaps and this wonderful almond fragrance from Essential Oil University. She decided to share her new discoveries, and what better way to share than doing a fun giveaway!

Being someone who's never won anything in her life, I secretly lusted over her wonderful nutty goodies but never expected to win. When I saw my name on her blog where she announced the winner, I actually double-checked to make sure that it wasn't someone else with the same name! So thank you, Becky (and Becky's son) for this wonderful surprise!

Now, after weeks of waiting, the goodies have finally arrived (yes, it took that long to ship from the States to Canada..). I have to say, the almond essential oil blend is amazing! I was in love with it the moment I opened the box, and I couldn't believe how the scent actually stayed with the HP soap. Even after so many weeks, it still smells delicious.

This soap is definitely one of the best I've ever showed with. It lathers so well that it can silence anyone who claims that handmade soaps don't lather. The specs of oatmeal are just another nice touch. They gently exfoliate but never irritate my skin. Another thing I love about this bar is its hardness. The bar never turns soft and sticky after each shower. All in all, a wonderful soap!

This perfume solid is flavored with the same amazing almond essential oil blend, but it not only smells nutty, there's also a sweet note of honey from beeswax. I like how it's in a small bottle so I can bring it with me wherever I go. When I put it on, the scent always reminds me of almond biscotti! I guess the only "bad" thing about this perfume solid is that it makes me crave for coffee all the time.

Last but not least, Almond Delight bath salts!

Again, it smells heavenly, best almond fragrance you can ask for. I haven't had a chance to enjoy it yet, but I do plan to soak myself in a nice tub of hot water with these salts as soon as my exam is over. I tell myself that this is going to be my reward for studying so hard. I can just see myself relaxing in the tub with this delicious scent in the air while dumping out everything I've managed to cram into my head.

Thank you, Becky, for these great nutty goodies!!

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Biting More Than I Can Chew

2010-09-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

September has been a busy month for me.

I started a new job, and I decided to go for a big exam at the end of the month. Both the new job and the exam require lots and lots of studying, and I find myself wishing I was young again. Oh how much we could learn when we were teenagers!

Having been an "executive personal assistant" to my hubby for many years, getting back to work while studying for a test has proven to be more time-consuming than I originally thought. I miss taking my time to whip up a nice batch of soap, or testing out a new recipe from the latest magazine issue.

I made these soap discs a while back, when I still lived in my previous place and had a very small fridge to store all my tallow. In order to create my perfectly even layers, I opted to heat the soap in the oven (to speed up the hardening process) while I whipped up the next layer.

What I did not anticipate was how heat also expanded those tiny air pockets on the silicon surface. Those tiny air bubbles gave these discs a sponge-looking texture, and I was so disappointed! I had to take one and run it under the tab to rub off that sponge-looking layer. Now, that looks better.

I wonder if there's anyone out there who has also experienced the same "bubbling effect" when doing CPOP with silicon molds.. or is it just my mold?

Oh by the way... Courtney, I still remember my promise to you! I've postponed my stamp making date till sometime next month ( really need to catch up on all the reading I've managed to procrastinate). Hopefully when things slowly settle down, I'll be able to sit down and make more stamps!

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Not So Pretty

2010-09-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend is a sad reminder for me that our flooring project has stretched from one long weekend to another - has it really been more than a month?

Hubby and I were so positive that everything would go as planned and we could have our living space back in less than 2 weeks. Not quite so. The contractor postponed twice and was impossible to track down. We decided to go with someone else, and before we knew, we already wasted one month time waiting.

Now that the project has finally started to move ahead, albeit slow, we can at least dream of the day when everything is back to where it belongs. We moved things out of our bedrooms (my soap room included) in order to work on flooring, and our living and dinning areas are filled with clutter. I haven't been pleased with the sight, and I guess it shows in my soaps...

I tried swirling, but it didn't come out very pretty. I tried to create a nice purple color, didn't happen either. I wanted to give it a nice texture on top, but apparently I need a lot more practice. But one comforting thing I love about soap making is, no matter how ugly the soap turns out, I know at the end of the day it's still a nice bar of soap I can enjoy in the shower. Now all it takes is time to transform these babies into something wonderful!
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Stamping and Cutting

2010-09-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last made my own soap stamps.

I started a few projects but somehow never managed to finish them. Don't you think that sometimes you just need "the right mood" to complete something from start to finish?

I made four stamps this time, two shown here (the words, and the border beneath them) and one shown in the photo below (the rose). There are other designs I'd like to turn into stamps, but my neck got sore from looking down for hours, and I decided to leave them for next time. Hopefully it won't be another 2 years.

This rose stamp is a little tricky to use, and I'm still learning the technique to create the best result. I do find that timing is very important, as well as the soap formula. But to make my life easier, I think I'll stick to simple lines next time!

I also found some time to make my own soap cutter. Can you tell that the body / handle of the cutter is actually meant to go on a bag? A friend of mine generously shared this with me, and the idea of a soap cutter immediately came to my mind. I've been lusting for a wire soap cutter - really, the soap tool you don't have will always be the better one you have to get! ;)

To turn this beautiful bag handle into a soap cutter, I simply drilled two holes on each end and used two screws to secure a fish wire. Now, it might not the best soap cutter in the world, but it could as well be the best looking one!

I tried using it a few days ago, and it cut through the log nicely. Almost a little too nicely. I find it hard to stick to a straight line because it cuts so smoothly that it goes stray when you're not looking. Better come up with a way to keep my cuts straight....

A Little Shampoo Talk

2010-08-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

I still remember the first time I quit store-bought shampoo and switched to my own shampoo bars. I did a lot of reading beforehand (because I was unsure of the idea), I kept all my shampoo bottles (just in case!), and I was nervous yet excited to try.

The experience turned out to be an amazing eye opener. I had no idea that something so simple could made my hair feel so light and "free". Yes, I had this strange feeling that I just freed my hair from something I didn't even know was there in the first place. I liked it so much that I threw away all my shampoo bottles because I knew I'd never go back to them!

I'v shared with my friends this new found secret to healthier hair and scalp, and those who are brave enough to take the plunge all love it. But I usually tell them a little bit about shampoo bars first so that they understand why it feels a certain way and know what to expect.

So this is what I share with my friends before they try my shampoo bars:

Instructions to using a shampoo bar:

1. Rinse your hair thoroughly with water.

2. Rub the soap bar on your hair until it lathers enough to your liking.

3. Rinse off the bubbles.

4. Condition your hair with acidic water of your choice (more about this later).

5. Rinse off acidic water.

6. Dry your hair.

   Store-bought shampoo contains SLS, a type of chemical suds booster, to create bubbles that are always thick and creamy.
   The conditioning "illusion" comes from silicon oils. The only thing they do is coat your hair so they look shiny and smooth. By coating your hair and scalp, they also trap all the bad chemicals and dirt in there.

  On the other hand, shampoo bars are soaps, and soaps are meant to clean, nothing more. All it guarantees is a clean scalp and hair.

  If you understand how pH level affects your hair, you'll know why your hair tangles up after you rinse off the bubbles. Since handmade soaps are measured on the alkali half of the scale, you have to bring the pH level down so your hair returns to its natural pH state.

The easiest way to do that is rinse your hair with acidic water.
   Apple cider vinegar has always been recommended as an all natural hair conditioner, and some people prefer lemon juice.
   Depending on the length of your hair and the hardness of your local water, you might need a different water-to-vinegar ratio, but start with 1 part vinegar and 10 parts water. I have shoulder length hair, and it takes about 150ml each time to thoroughly rinse my hair.

Some people experience itchy scalps after they switch to handmade shampoo bars. I call this the "detox stage". I have no scientific proof to it, but I think it's because the cleaning effects of shampoo bars allow accumulated chemicals a chance to come out. The itchiness will go away in a week or two.

Give it a try, I'm sure you'll never look at your hair the same way again!

The Evolution of Swiss Rolls

2010-08-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hubby's co-worker is expecting a baby girl in four months, and what gift is better than 100% olive oil handmade soap?

Since I've been planning on making swiss roll soaps, I figured that I could give it a try. It should be easy, right? After all, it's just rolling up CP soap.

Oh I couldn't be more wrong!

This is my first attempt. My original plan is simply to make 2 layers and roll them up - one with cocoa powder ("chocolate cake") and one with pink clay ("raspberry cream"). But they're both too thick for rolling, and the end result doesn't look like a swiss roll at all. Rather, it looks like ... I can't even describe what it looks like.

And then there's my second attempt.

I've learned my lesson: keep the layers thin and wait for the soap to set up properly before rolling.

They look a lot like swiss rolls this time, but rolling is still not easy. I have a hard time keeping the whole thing round, and the surface is not as smooth as I'd like to see. I'm happy with my second try though. At least I know what I can do next time to make it even better!

If You Love to Make Soap....

2010-08-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

.... then you'll LOVE this book : The Art of Soap by Debbie Chialtas.

Debbie is known to the soap world for her stunning and creative works, such as her award-winning Typography Soap and these unbelievably delicious PB&J Marshmallows. (I'm still scratching my head, "How did she do it?")

Debbie is in the process of putting together this book that features 24 soap artisans and their wonderful soap creations. I don't know about you, but for someone whose mind is always wondering what kind of soap to make next, I just can't wait to get my hands on it!

Ok, ok, there's another reason why I'm so excited about this book. Just check out this update from Debbie and you'll see why.

The Art of Soap will be available this fall. In the meantime, subscribe to her newsletter for occasional sneak peeks and updates!

Second Attempt

2010-08-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

I tried making cake-like soaps again. Instead of spending hours on creating different layers to imitate cakes, I cheated a little this time by using individual cake molds.

The soaps turned out better than I expected, but they look more like flavored white chocolate. Hmmm.... Maybe I should've swirled with cocoa powder instead. That'd really fool people!

I put in lots of lard (one of my favorite ingredients) in to the recipe this time. I rendered the lard a few months ago and have been keeping jars of them in the freezer. Rendering my own lard is time consuming but well worth it. In my opinion, the best way to render lard is the "oven method".

Basically you cut pork fat into tiny pieces and immerse them with water in an oven-safe pot. Leave the pot in the oven overnight at a relatively low temperature and the next morning you'll find a thick layer of pork fat floating on top of the water. This oven method gives you really clean and white lard, but it's relatively soft compared to the hydrogenated lard you can find at regular grocery stores.

Making cake-like soaps is kind of addicting! Up next, I'm going to create CP swiss rolls!

Chocolate Square

2010-08-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

I love baseball.

But I'm not what you call a baseball fanatic. I enjoy watching baseball games, but don't ask me about last Friday's game because I usually forget everything by the next morning. But today, I find myself still replaying yesterday's game in my head.

I went to the ball park with a girlfriend yesterday. The weather was perfect - sunny with occasional clouds, warm but not too hot. The pitchers from both teams had a hard time keeping the bats quiet, lots of hits and lots of runs. The final score? 17 - 11! The home team was hitting homers left and right, and the balls were like pop corns popping from the home plate. The long balls definitely entertained the crowd, and I had never been to a ball game with so much thrill! By the end of the game, my hands were red from clapping too much too hard.

The soap has nothing to do with the game or baseball. I just like to get the last bit of excitement out of me and turn it into words. ;)

The original plan for this batch was to create two smooth lines and embed squares (cut from my Chocolate Soap) between the lines. Everything went as planned, and I even started to giggle a little by the time I finished pouring the last drop of soap when I saw the bottle of castor oil sitting quietly at the corner. Yes, you guess it right, I forgot to put in castor oil and this beautifully molded soap was lye-heavy!! By this time the mixture was already at heavy trace, but I forced myself to suck it up and dig everything out. I weighted the oil, remixed everything, poured again, and I was so stubborn that I had to re-create the original look. Of course it didn't come out right, but somehow I'm happy with the look anyway.

Maybe it's the sweetness of saving a bad batch that makes me love these soaps so much.

Ingredients:
Olive oil, Tallow, Coconut oil, Almond oil, Corn oil, Castor oil

John's Soap

2010-07-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

The weather in Toronto lately has been hot and sometimes humid. Me being a spoiled Torontonian, I find myself missing the pre-summer days when it's dry and cool. (But we ALL complain about the cold for the rest of the year!)

When it's hot and sticky, I go to my summer soaps, and this one is By Far my favorite!

I call it John's Soap because Hubby's co-worker John asks for the same one every once a while. I don't blame him for not interested in trying my other soaps, because I'm in love with these soaps too!

I just love the way they lather on my skin, so rich and so bubbly! When I first started making soaps, I thought I would have to put up with the notirously poor lathering power of handmade soaps, and the first time I used these bars, I said to myself, "I'll have to make them again!"

Now that these bars are almost 8 months old, they are even more amazing to use in the shower. But I'll be a little skeptic in terms of using them in the winter. The winter here is pretty dry, and I'll have to wait and see how moisturizing they can be. Meanwhile, I'll just enjoy the bubbles!

Lavender Facial Soap

2010-07-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Jennifer, a very creative soap maker, has recently made a bunch of alkanet experiments to see how alkanet affects soap colors. Her experiments are not only interesting to follow, they're also extremely informative. I admire her scientific spirit and her patience!

Meanwhile, I'm still a victim of alkanet's unpredictable nature. This herbal root offers such a bright and luscious red color, but after you add lye to the oil, the color turns either gray, purple, blue, or sometimes black. Tricky!

I'm not as patient as Jennifer, so I just take whatever I get, and this time, I got dark purple. While I love this color, I know it'll fade in time, and there's no guarantee that I can reproduce the same shade again. Maybe this is why alkanet is so fascinating to play with. You never know what you'll get next time!

Hubby and I just spent about a week on Prince Edward Island. They call themselves the Gentle Island for a reason! We enjoyed our trip by visiting various beautiful beaches, sampling fresh and succulent oysters, devouring the world-famous Cows ice cream, and taking in the picturesque scenery.

Everything looks beautiful there, even the wild flowers there look so much better than the ones we have here in the city!

If you know Anne of Green Gables, you'll know PEI is known to be the land of Anne. But Hubby had made it clear that there'd be no "Anne stuff" for our trip, we managed to stay away from the main tourist attractions.

It was a very relaxing and enjoyable trip, and I'm already dreaming of going back to PEI again!

Chocolate Soap

2010-07-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Can you say chooooooocolate?

I made this one with my hubby in mind. He loves food, especially sweet food. I went out and bought a 90% chocolate for this soap, and I put in lots of it. The soaps are not scented, but I can smell that distinct chocolate fragrance! Yummy!

The chocolate gives these bars such a shiny texture and they look (and smell) just like the real ones. But I got scared a little the first time I used it. The chocolate actually translated into brown suds! I thought I got a big cut somewhere and the brown color actually came from my blood. It took me a few seconds to realize that I got tricked by my own soap.

These soaps leave my skin nice and soft, I'd definitely make them again. As for hubby, he's intrigued by them, but he said he'd much prefer eating the chocolate rather than showering with it.

I n g r e d i e n t s :

Coconut oil, Castor oil, Corn oil, Lard

My First In-the-pot Swirl

2010-07-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

I found this great video about swirling, and the video had been replaying non-stop in my head ever since. I had to try the swirl to get it out of my system! Unfortunately, the result isn't quite I expected.

I was hoping for more fine lines and more curves, but this is what I got.
Sometimes I wonder if "good" swirling requires a large mold, either a long and narrow log mold, or a wide and flat slab mold. All my molds are small, the largest one can only take up to 800g of oil. I've been wishing for a nice wooden mold, but it's so hard to find an affordable mold here in Toronto!

I n g r e d i e n t s :
Olive oil, Lard, Coconut oil

Made on 2010-06-09

Is it the way they smell?

2010-07-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

First of all - Happy Birthday, Canada! How old are you now, 143? It's amazing to think that you're still so young that I bet some of the trees in the park nearby are older than you.

These soaps are know to my dentist as the Peppermint Soap, and so are some other ones I've made before. Whenever I visit her, she'll ask for peppermint soaps. I've used different formulas, but the scent has always been Peppermint EO, and she seems to be happy each time she gets them.

Hubby has a colleague who always asks for Orange Soap. I have a friend who only likes Lavender Soap, and my mother doesn't even care what the scents are, she just calls them "the soap that smells nice". The scent has become my soap's identity, like a flavour, a tag.

Sometimes I wonder whether they love the soaps for the way they smell or the way they pamper the skin. To me, I've stopped scenting most of my soaps because I know I'll be curing them for at least 4, 5 months before I use them. But sometimes I do enjoy that extra luxury the wonderful smell can bring to the shower. In fact, I just made Lavender Soap not too long ago, and I'm going to save them for one of those "Me Days"!

Olive oil, Coconut oil, Castor oil, Sweet Almond, Cocoa Butter

and Peppermint Essential Oil!

Made on 2010-06-02

The one that got away

2010-06-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last year, a friend shared a great book with me on how to be happy, genuinely happy. One of the great way to stay happy, according to the book, is to write letters of appreciation.

I then started to write a few letters to those I'm truly thankful to, and I also made these soaps as a token of my gratitude.

Now I wish I had made more because I just gave away the last one from this batch and I haven't had a chance to try them yet!

This doesn't happen very often. Usually I try my soaps before I give them out, it's my kind of way of saying "I know this is good for you!".

Olive oil, Coconut oil, Palm oil

Castor oil, Sweet Almond oil, Cocoa Butter

Made on 2009-09-13

Olive Oil Soap

2010-06-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Taking out an old bar of soap to use is like unwrapping a long-awaited present.

The anticipation starts when I pick up the soap from my soap room and quickly builds up during my short walk to the shower.

The feeling then gets replaced by the excitement as soon as I turn on the water.

And, the grand unveil!

I made these soaps more than two years ago, and now I only have one left. I would've kept the last one a little longer if it's not for the tiny DOS on one side of the bar. I guess that DOS is my signal to start enjoying the soap.

This soap has everything an old soap has to offer, and taking a shower now is like getting a quick home spa. Unfortunately Hubby doesn't share the same passion with me. To him, it's a "good soap", and that's it.

The original gel marks have long gone. I hope this is of some comfort to soapers out there who wonder if these marks will ever disappear.

In fact, I think I love this bar so much that I think I'm going to make the same one and let them sit for another 2 years!

G20

2010-06-10T05:11:00.000-07:00

When the world (at least the city of Toronto) is getting ready for FIFA World Cup, my hubby is getting ready for G20.

In 2 weeks, world leaders will descend on Toronto, and security is on top of everyone's list. Special task force units are flying in from all major Canadian cities, there will be military presence, the marines, the mounted police, and some private security staff.

This might be the biggest event yet for Hubby's career, but those riot videos on YouTube really scare the hell out of me. I pray that all crazy fanatics are all glued to their TV to cheer for their own soccer team, too busy to come to protest!

Since I learned that corn oil can be used in place of olive oil, I've been using it and like the results.

Late last year, I took out an one-year-old, 100% olive oil soap to use, and I was pleasantly surprised by it! I wondered if corn oil could produce similar results, and hence this batch.

Now it's been more than 6 months, I take out one just to see how it's doing. (More like my curiosity is killing me.) It turns out to be pretty good! It lathers quite well (which is very important to Hubby), and leaves skin a very soft feel. The real test will come in another 6 months when it's dead cold here in Toronto and the weather is super dry. Can't wait to see how these soaps perform!

Made on 2009-11-08

Tiger Soap!

2010-06-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

The weather in Toronto has been on the chilly side for the last few days. It constantly reminds my husband and I an old commercial that goes, "winter, winter, winter, winter....... SUMMER! winter, winter, winter....... SUMMER!" Oh yes, how short the summer is in Canada!

I laid my hands on an all-natural red colorant. (A heart-felt thanks to a dear friend!) If you've tried coloring your soaps red with natural colorants, you'll know how hard it is to come up with the beautiful red hue. According to my friend, the color is extracted from red bell peppers and only fades a little as the soap cures. I could've put in a little more because now it looks more orangey than red...

With this soap, I also tried a new swirling technique. I LOVE the result! The soap turns out so unique and stunning, even an always-humble person like me can't stop talking about it without a big smile on my face. When Hubby saw them for the first time, his first response was, "Go take photos!"

100% Lard

Made on 2010-05-25

Lard Teeth Soap

2010-03-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

100% Lard

Made on 2010-03-24

Rosemary Shampoo Bar

2010-03-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

Coconut, Palm, Castor, Corn, Camellia, Jojoba, Cocoa Butter

Made on 2009-12-25

Potato Dish Soap

2010-02-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

Coconut Oil, Corn Oil, mashed potato, black charcoal

Made on 2010-01-28

Chicken Fat Soap

2010-01-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

Chicken fat, Coconut oil, Palm oil

Made on 2009-12-28

Black Swirl

2010-01-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

Corn oil, Coconut oil, Palm oil, Castor oil, Lard

Made on 2009-12-23

Ginger Shampoo Bar 2

2009-11-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Camellia Oil, Jojoba Oil

Made on 2009-10-18

Buttermilk Soap

2009-11-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Castor Oil

Made on 2009-10-06

Ginger Shampoo Bar

2009-10-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Olive Oil, Jojoba
Camellia, Cocoa Butter, Ginger Extract

Made on 2009-09-16

Charcoal Swirl

2009-10-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

can't remember, lost that mysterious piece of paper!

Made on 2009-09-27

Lavender Rosemary Soap

2009-09-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

Olive oil, Almond oil, Palm oil, Tallow
Jojoba oil, Castor
Lavender essential oil, Rosemary essential oil

Made on 2009-07-05

Sweet Orange Soap

2009-07-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Coconut oil, Palm oil, Castor oil, Vegetable shortening
Sweet orange essential oil

Made on 2009-06-20

Avocado Baby Soap

2009-07-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

Avocado butter, Coconut oil, Palm oil, Lard, Castor oil
Macadamia oil, Breast milk

Made on 2009-04

Breast Milk Soap

2009-06-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Avocado butter, Coconut oil, Palm oil
Lard, Castor oil, Macadamia oil
Breast milk, French pink clay

Made on 2009-04

Breast Milk Soap

2009-06-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Coconut oil, Palm oil, Castor oil, Camellia oil, Jojoba oil
Olive oil, Rice Bran oil

Made on 2009-04

Avocado Baby Soap

2009-06-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

Avocado butter, Coconut oil, Palm oil, Lard, Castor oil
Macadamia oil, Breast milk
Cocoa powder, French pink clay

Made on 2009-04

Cocoa Swirl

2009-06-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

Cocoa Butter, Palm oil, Corn oil, Coconut oil
Cocoa Powder

Made on 2009-05-28

Alkanent Facial Soap

2009-05-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Palm oil, Coconut oil, Hazelnut oil, Olive oil
Castor oil, Almond oil, Rice Bran oil, Macadamia oil

Made on 2009-04

Charcoal Swirl

2009-04-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

Coconut oil, Corn oil
Charcoal powder, tea tree essential oil
eucalyptus essential oil, peppermint essential oil

Made on 2009-04-20

Brown Sugar Soap

2009-01-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

Coconut oil, Palm oil, Corn oil, Castor oil

Made on 2009-01-15