Soapy artist discovery - Kazumi Kinoshita of Aromatica Labo

All photos by Kazumi Kinoshita

Thanks to the wonders of Pinterest, today I was introduced to the incredible artistry of Kazumi Kinoshita in Japan.  From what I gather on her site, called Aromatica Labo, she is a soap teacher in both glycerin and cold process forms.  As you can see from the photos from her Pinterest page above, she has a huge range of styles and techniques.  It's just amazing!

Her site is in Japanese and the translations are not perfect, so I just want to share some of her photos with you.

I love how she uses the softest colors, and the addition of some texture.  Such a beautiful use of light in her soaps!

I am so in awe of her color combinations!  It's like a painting!

And then there's this, which I have no idea about!  All I know is that it makes me happy to look at!

The amazingness goes on and on.  You must see for yourself!  Start with her Pinterest page.  It's breathtaking!!

For all of Soapylove’s tutorials and class projects, go to www.soapylove.com or check out the book on Amazon!

Studio DIY Blog Crush, Ombre Inspiration, and Free Soap Tutorial!

Kelly, of Studio DIY

If you’ve been visiting the Soapylove Facebook page lately, you know that I’ve been seriously crushing on the DIY Studio blog!!  The tag line is “Make Life a Party.”  Say no more, right?!  Kelly, the adorable woman behind the blog, has incredible tutorials and stylish inspiration.  I could go on and on.  But you should check it out and get on her super fun mailing list.  Your inbox will thank you!

Yesterday she posted a tutorial for DIY ombre glassware.  So pretty! 

DIY Ombre Glassware Tutorial

Which reminds me – you can get this beautiful faded effect quite simply in glycerin soap!  A tilt of the mold is all it takes.  In conjunction with The Nova Studio, here is the Soapylove Ombre Soap Tutorial.  Enjoy!  (And if you have any questions or comments, please post them below!)

Free Ombre Melt and Pour Soap Tutorial

It’s so fun when a fashion trend translates perfectly into glycerin soap crafting! Like the “ombre” effect, which is a pretty color fade that is being used in everything from dip dyed shorts to hair color effects. Getting a perfect fade in soap might seem tricky, but with a simple technique you’ll get gorgeous results every time.

I see these soaps as a very elegant wedding or bridal shower favor, or a pretty way to add color to enhance your fragrance choice. This is also a handy technique to add to more complex designs!

Supplies: Makes 4 bars

·         4 oz of clear soap base, cut roughly into 1” cubes

·         12 oz of white soap base, cut up

·         Pastel mica colorant of your choice

·         Fragrance oil of your choice

·         4 cavity soap mold (I used Milky Way guest rectangle)

·         Spray bottle with rubbing alcohol

·         Stir sticks, mini paper cups, 2 cup heat-proof measuring cup, microwave

First we will color a small amount of clear soap with mica powder. The powder must be dissolved before adding to soap or else it will clump. To do this, spray some alcohol in a small paper cup (about ½ teaspoon). Stir in a pinch of mica powder and stir well. Melt 1 oz of clear soap base. Pour into the cup of mica solution and stir well. For this effect, I suggest using less color than you think you should. A blush of color is what we’re going for.

Now spray the inside of your mold with alcohol. Pour just enough colored soap to coat the surface.

Next quickly tilt your mold and prop it up on something like a book or magazine. Not more than 1/2” tall.

The colored layer is so thin that you must be super careful that your white soap is not too hot. Melt 12 oz of white soap base. Stir in 1 mL of fragrance oil per bar of soap you are making. Allow to cool in cup until thickened, spray hardened soap in mold with alcohol, and top off with white soap.

Allow soap to harden and unmold!

For all of Soapylove’s tutorials and class projects, go to www.soapylove.com!

Creative Pop Love by Adrian & Gidi

Paper Art by Adrian & Gidi

I came across this awesome little gif on Pinterest and just had to share!  My love of pops goes well beyond soaps (as you can see on my Pop Love Pinterest board), and this really tickled me!  Hope you enjoy it, too.

Have a great day!
P.S. Go to Adrian & Gidi for more amazing paper art!

For all of Soapylove's eZines and tutorials, check out soapylove.com!

Dissolving Embed Paper - So Much Room for Soapy Creativity!

When I started making glycerin soaps, I wanted to get lots of detail into my designs.  I used exacto knives and toothpicks to cut pieces of soap into fancy shapes like birds, silhouettes, tiny tiles... you name it.  I loved doing it but even then there were so many looks I couldn't achieve.

I used chocolate transfer paper, which was fun but colors will bleed since it's made of food coloring.

I saw soap designs with photographs in them and was pretty excited until I found out they were using sheets of acetate or plastic which didn't sound very skin friendly (hello, sharp edges and corners!). My quest continued.

Bicycle Soap - winner of Best Melt & Pour at HSMG Conference 2010

Then I heard about dissolving paper.  I was intrigued but read about people using hairspray to set the ink so it wouldn't bleed, and even then it was very problematic.  But it sounded like the best material, so I tried it.

Well, let's just say that once I figured out the nuances of embed paper, I was hooked!  I created an entire soap collection around this material because I loved it so much.  It's perfect for making logo soaps, wedding favors (photos of the happy couple!), and combined with other soap techniques it's a show stopper.

Are you interested yet?  If so, here are my Cliff's Notes about this amazing stuff:

1. This is my favorite brand. I've had NO problems with it.  My soaps that are years old still look new.
2. Use a laser printer!!  Ink jet printer ink will dissolve into a fuzzy blob!  Not pretty!
3. Only use graphics with the designer's permission.  Personal photos are great, but celebrity pics will get you in trouble. The world of digital clip art is vast and affordable. Just check the artist's rules about using them if you plan to sell your gorgeous creations.  

If you'd like to learn more - from printing tips to a step-by-step project - check out Issue 9 of Let's Get Soapy which also includes free printables.  I'm sure you're going to have so much fun!!  

Comment below if you have any questions or additional input!  

Illustrated Tutorial - Mondrian Soap Pop

Hello!  Today I want to show you how to make a soap pop like I did here, inspired by the artist Mondrian.  This is an advanced but very gratifying project! :)

If you need a pop mold, I use these (click image to view more info):

I hope you like it, and maybe even give it a try!  Feel free to comment with questions. I'm very happy to help!

For more Soapylove melt and pour / glycerin soap projects, check out www.soapylove.com!

Perfume Bottle Soap inspiration

Mother's Day is just a little over 2 weeks away, and you might be wondering what you should do for the Mom in your life this year.  Flowers?  Candy?  She deserves something unique, made by you, and useful!  I have just the thing: Perfume Bottle Soaps!

In my latest issue of Let's Get Soapy, I show you how to make your very own bottle mold.  There are so many wonderful inspirations for bottle shapes and colors, including this photo from Martha Stewart. The opaque pastels are so beautiful!

For a very feminine version, try making your mold from an ornate perfume bottle.  I did a quick search on Etsy for perfume bottles under "vintage", and found many gorgeous possibilities such as this old Avon Perfume Bottle from ForestDayDream.

When shopping for a bottle (a great excuse to hit up your local thrift store!), avoid bottles that get extremely wide since you will need to push your soap bottle out of the bottom opening of your mold.  Also avoid overly ornate tops like swans since little necks or pieces can break.

This adorable little owl jar from ricracandbuttons has a great shape and its feather texture would show up perfectly!  Another great thing about using perfume bottles is their size is usually just right for a soap - about the size of your hand.

For great places to shop for perfume bottles check antique stores, thrift stores, your local drug store, and of course online.  Etsy has a vast vintage section and there are many treasures to be found.  Plastic works just as well as glass, so you might even find some cute ones in your toddler's dress up box!