Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Skulls Lurking Underground a la MirandaRanda!

I am always really excited to see soap makers use the tutorials that I post, and recently Miranda of Alt-Soap/Miranda Randa contacted me to make sure it was okay to sell the projects she made from the "Bubbles from the Crypt" tutorial on the Soap Queen blog. Of course it's okay - it's strongly encouraged!

When I went to check out her soaps, I was really impressed! She not only made the full skeleton like I did, but she also has this cool skull version (pictured above). I spotted the soapy eyeballs, too, but with added red veins - super creepy and awesome!

Thank you so much Miranda for contacting me, and thanks for doing such an amazing job with the projects!

I love hearing from all of you when you try out a project from my book, my blog, or the Soap Queen. Please keep me posted!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Soapylove Spotted on Martha Stewart - sort of :)

I just got a call from my friend, Alison, who DVR's the Martha Stewart Show. She said, "Debbie! I just saw your soaps on Martha Stewart!!" I was like, OH MY GOD (channeling my inner valley girl, in true Soapylove fashion)!

So it turns out that Robert Mahar of Mahar Drygoods was recently a guest on Martha, showing how to make awesome Sock Skeletons (episode is available to view online, where I got the above image).

Interestingly, Robert was my first ever wholesale customer. He found me on Etsy, and I had to come up with wholesale pricing FAST because I had never given it any thought before! He was a customer for a couple of years and has now sold out of most of my soaps. But luckily Martha got a screenshot of his site, with my soaps included, before that time! :)

If you'd like to read about his awesome experience as a guest on her show, click here. Either way, you should definitely know about his awesome store for your next truly special gift for the little person in your life!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Very Exciting! New Soap Frosting Recipe!

Honestly, I haven't been this excited about a soap tutorial since the texture sheets. I've always been attracted to soap cupcakes but didn't want to get all sorts of special ingredients I would only use for one project. So I decided to tackle soap frosting myself.

First I tried mixing melt and pour with coconut oil, loads of glycerin, and I don't even remember what else. What I got was a ball of soap so rubbery I could have bounced it on my kitchen floor. Soap rubber would be a really fun project but since I added so much oil it had no lather. Bummer.

So I started over and tried just glycerin soap base and liquid soap (which is also very handy for the Soap Slime project!). To my delight it was the perfect marriage! Not only is it a super fast and simple process (click here for the full tutorial on the Soap Queen), but it's very forgiving since you can remelt it if it's overwhipped or starting to harden before you're ready.

I really hope you'll give it a try and let me know what you think. This project just goes to show that the potential of melt and pour soap base is so vast and that there's still an endless supply of fun things that we can do with it! Let's keep pushing the soapy envelope! :)

Friday, October 23, 2009

Romantic Soaps Tutorial, a la The Soap Queen

Today I watched the latest video over at the Soap Queen, using rubber stamps to make cool debossed designs in glycerin soap. I love how she used 3 colors to create a lot of dimension and make the design really stand out! Check out that great video here. Here is a project using the same general technique, but with just one pour.

Click on photo to enlarge.

First, find some cool little nick nacks with a flat back. I had a field day shopping for mine over at Snap Crafty. Check out the plastic charms section for loads of tantalizing goodies!

Then, take a basic mold with a flat face. I used the new Soapylove scalloped m
olds in rectangle and heart shapes*. Use a dot of rubber cement or a glue stick to glue down your trinkets with the design side up (these types of glue either come off or wash off easily so your mold is unharmed). Try to get the edges well seated so soap won't seep under.

Now, simply melt some white or clear soap. Color and scent any way you like! I used the Soapylove Naturally Clear soap base and the pink and cream colorants from the Sweet Treats colorant set (find all supplies here).

Fill your mold, allow to harden, and unmold. If the trinket comes out of the mold into your soap, just pick it out carefully with a toothpick or other fine item. Smooth edges with your finger. Voila!

Make sure to check out the Soap Queen tomorrow, since I'll be guest blogging! A brand new project will be posted that I'm super excited about. If you like cupcakes or anything with frosting (hint hint), you're going to love it!

*I had a special tester mold that had one of each shape on it. This exact mold is not available, but each design is offered a la carte.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Winter "Let's Get Soapy" is Coming Together!

I am feverishly working on the new tutorials and articles for the Winter issue of Let's Get Soapy! I'm finding lots of inspiration from white Christmas trees and colorful ornaments this year. The focus is on holiday gift giving and using sparkle and shine in your designs!

This issue will launch on November 1, and you'll find these great projects and articles inside:
  • Polka Dot Party Soaps (on cover)
  • Shimmery Snowflake Bars
  • Candy Cane Loaf Soaps
  • Feature article about soap glitters
  • Easy ways to expand your soap design into a gift basket
  • and a product review of TKB's Pop Micas!
As usual I will be offering an early bird special for the first week, so make sure you are signed up for the Soapyclub to get an email notification when it's ready!

Happy soaping!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

More New Soapylove Molds from Bramble Berry!

There are 2 new additions to the Soapylove supply line from Bramble Berry! You'll find the Stacked Star (shown above) and the Striped Heart. These are both very 80's inspired but still have the great versatility of the scalloped molds also available.

When I was working on these designs, I wanted to have molds that helped make multi-colored soaps easy. So the star has 3 sizes of stars, stacked up, so you can fill each layer separately. The Striped Heart has diagonal grooves that you can fill with different colors (perhaps a rainbow, may I suggest?).


In the above photo I made a batch of green soap colored with the Jewelry Box colorant kit, then put aside an ounce of soap which I added a heavy dose of the Sparkle Dust glitter to*. I used this as my top star layer. Once that layer cooled I topped off the mold with the plain green. This simple detail really makes the stars stand out and catch the light! I did something similar with the blue version but used Super Pearly Mica for my top stars instead.

If any of you have tried supplies from the Soapylove line, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to comment here or email me at: hello@soapylove.com. Thanks so much!

*Little fact about the glitter: the Sparkle Dust in the Jewelry Box set is a super fine grade that suspends very easily and has a beautiful sparkly shimmer that isn't chunky at all. It's a special type only offered in my kit. I know you'll love it!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Brand New Soapy Pop and More, Coming Soon!

Just like my tarot card reader said it would be, this year has been amazing for Soapylove! So many exciting developments! To celebrate, we've decided to step it up a little bit.

The Soapylove site is getting a huge renovation which will include an improved shopping cart, exclusive wholesale customer area, eZines that you can buy right from my site, new photos, and a very exciting new look!

As part of the unveiling, we will be offering a brand new Soapy Pop - the Mint Chip! It's sweet minty color, hand-cut dark chocolate soapy chunks, and mouth watering scent will bring you back to your childhood. We know you'll love it!

The new site, and the Mint Chip, will be ready around early November so keep Soapylove in mind for your holiday gifts. We'll have the popular Candy Cane and the Winter Wonderland, too! Until then, have a wonderful day!

(Psst... if you are interested in placing a wholesale order, the Mint Chip is actually available for you right now! Email us at hello@soapylove.com for a catalog!)

Monday, October 12, 2009

SoapyLove book review from Craft Gossip

Thank you so much Jessica for your glowing review of my new book over at Craft Gossip!

To check it out, click here: SoapyLove book review

Posted using ShareThis

I love to feel the love! Thanks to everyone who has written sharing their enthusiasm and questions about the book. Keep 'em coming!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Halloween Tutorial - Soap Slime!


Last night my nieces came over and I had the perfect project! Ever since I watched this great YouTube video by LactoseOverdose on how to make soap jelly (like Lush), I've been dying to try it. Plus I had a bunch of soap eyeballs that have been staring at me. They needed a home.

This creepy project is super easy and perfect for Halloween. Here's what you'll need:
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 packet powdered gelatin
  • 1/2 cup of liquid soap (I used a liquid soap base since it was unscented and uncolored)
  • liquid colorant
  • fragrance oil
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • cups, jar, or a glass pan
  • soap eyeballs or other creepy objects (optional)


(Click on above photo to enlarge)

Now:
1) Gather your favorite ghouls.

2) Place the gelatin powder in a bowl. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil. Stir water into gelatin until powder is dissolved. Stir in liquid soap.

3) Add colorant. For green I used 1 drop of turquoise and 4 drops of yellow. Now add a few drops of fragrance oil. The droppers on the kit bottles are so great for kids since they make it easy to control the drops, plus they're really fun!

4) Stir in the salt until dissolved. Put creepy objects into cups or jar and pour in soap (it is lukewarm at this point). Or you can pour soap into a glass pan.

5) Put soap into fridge for several hours or overnight. It's fun to cut it up into cubes and scoop out, which become single use soaps. Or you can use a fork and shred it into wormy noodles and pile up in a bowl. My eyeballs made the bottom of my slime a little white but it adds to it's grossness!

If you like this project or are looking for more soapy Halloween inspiration, check out the Fall issue of Let's Get Soapy! There is glow in the dark soap, soap painting, using juice cans for a mold, and a lot more.

Have fun!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Babycakes: Great Cookbook for the Allergy Challenged and Otherwise!


A little over a month ago we moved into a house from our little condo. We received many thoughtful house warming gifts including a French cookbook. It was pretty but I wasn't inspired, and since I'm extremely reluctant to cook, I decided to return it. Since it was also from Anthropologie that was another very compelling reason. Any excuse to go to my favorite store!

I thought for sure I'd get a scarf or some earrings, but when I laid my eyes on Babycakes, it was love at first sight! Not only did the cover seduce me with its gorgeous frosting coated cupcakes, but the vegan and mostly gluten free recipes were irresistable. Biscuits, cupcakes, banana bread, brownies, shakes - I couldn't believe all of the great recipes!

I'm not vegan but my husband recently found out that he is allergic to eggs, wheat, and milk. The thought of giving up baked goods has almost broken his heart. I haven't tried the recipes yet but I'm really looking forward to making one very soon. Plus my hubby's birthday is next week and he'll actually get to eat cake! Yay!

BabyCakes: Vegan, (Mostly) Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Watch Plaid Soaps Appear Before Your Eyes!

Earlier this summer I went up to beautiful Bellingham to teach at Otion's Soapmaking Weekend Intensive and also be a guest on Soap Queen TV. Anne-Marie (the Soap Queen) and I sweated it out in the studio together (it was during a very hot weekend!) and made Plaid Soaps and Soap Tarts for a new series of premium Soap Queen episodes.

Today the first one has been released - Plaid Soaps! Anne-Marie has put together an incredible package to make sure your project comes out perfect: a video, a pdf tutorial, and a place to ask any questions. It's called Soap Queen Royale, and you will definitely be getting the royal treatment! Check out the tutorial listing here and the new Soap Queen Royale site here, where you will be able to see many more premium tutorial videos on a wide range of subjects. And of course, no video is complete without her famous bloopers and outtakes (except now it's ME looking goofy, so enjoy! LOL!).

Ooh - extra tidbit - you can even get a kit to go along with the Plaid Soap project so you'll have everything you need. Easy peasy!