Bleeding soap colors - what to do?

So pretty, but why won't those colors last?

Do you love those bright, clear colors in glycerin soap? I sure do, but they have their limits! A Soapyfan just learned about one of them and wrote to me:

I was wondering if you might help with suggestions to keep layers from bleeding. I tried the layered pops but after a few weeks it looked horrible. I would love to get those beautiful clear layers without it turning out to be an awful mess.

Sadly, I know exactly what she means. When I made this rainbow soap, I had just ordered an assortment of Labcolors and wanted to use every shade in every soap I made! The colors were so gorgeous and the clear colors were beyond lovely. I even took a picture right away (the one above), posted it on Etsy, and sold a whole bunch right away. I was so excited!

But lo and behold, a couple of days later, I noticed my crisp layers were getting blurry. The colors were bleeding together! So here’s what I told her:

“Yes, the clear layers are beautiful but fleeting! I learned that the hard way, too, AFTER I had shipped a bunch out! Oops!! 

The trick to making the colors stick is using non-bleeding colors. There are two types of colorants - dyes and pigments. Dyes bleed (even some micas are dyed and the colors will bleed) or pigments which are colored powders that don't bleed. If you go to Soapqueen.com and search "non-bleeding colors" you will find several articles about them. Brambleberry is great about indicating on their colorant listings whether the color bleeds or not. https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/bramble-berrys-non-bleeding-colors/

I was determined to get clear colors even with nonbleeding colorants (which are typically opaque colors) so I tested many methods and wrote an article about how to do it here: https://thenovastudio.com/product/soapylove-ezine-issue-9/

One more thing - dyes fade in the sun! So if you put out soaps using dyes at a craft fair (even in the shade!) they will fade right before your eyes!

I hope that helps!
Happy soap crafting!”

I hope that is helpful to you, too. I love helping soap crafters so email me at dchialtas@gmail.com or message me anytime! Thanks and have a great week!

-Debbie

Find the Soapylove book only via Amazon!

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!  

8 ounces of Soapylove!

Hi Soapylove fans - I have some great news!  Bramble Berry is now offering 8 oz sizes of the Soapylove fragrance oils.  So now you can get more of the Tutti Fruity you blew through from the Candy Jar Fragrance Set, or the mouthwatering Strawberry Jam from the Delectable Desserts Set!  8 oz is a nice size which will last you quite a while.  Don't forget to check out the great Soapylove molds, too.  (Dare I say that Valentine's Day will be here before we know it?  I can feel the tomatoes being hucked at me already!). 

Click here to go to the Soapylove supply line, and click here to go straight to the refill sizes.  Happy shopping!

P.S. Would you like to make those soaps in the picture?  Click here for the full tutorial!

Rainbow Bright Project Inspiration

If there is one thing Soapylove is known for, it's rainbow bright colors!  So when Anne-Marie (founder of Bramble Berry) and I started to work on the Soapylove line, the first one was the Jewelry Box Colorant Kit.  From just one kit you can make every shade of the rainbow!  I had so much fun testing it out that I made this little froggy diagram to show how to mix them all.

Then I had a blast coming up with loads of projects, too!  It even comes with a special superfine glitter that suspends beautifully. To pick up this must-have kit, head over to Bramble Berry's Soapylove shop (click here).

Here are the projects featured above.  Have fun!

1) Parfait Soaps: these gelatin inspired soaps include little soapy fruits, too.  Click here for tutorial.

2) Ombre Heart Soaps: You will love how easy it is to get a perfect color fade with this neat little technique.  Check it out here.

3) Lucky Star Soaps: Sweet little embeds are layered into this candy-bright star.  It's a perfect match with the Candy Jar Fragrance Set!  Click here for the project.

4) There is even more you can do with the colorants besides soap!  These beautiful carnations were dyed every shade of the rainbow.  Pick colors to match a party theme or your own favorites!  Click here to see how.

To find ALL of the Soapylove tutorials at The Soap Queen, check out this great "mash up" that Anne-Marie put together recently (click here).  Have fun!

Sweet Treats Inspiration!

I don't know about you, but I have been eating a lot of ice cream lately!  There seems to be a never ending rotation of yummy creaminess in my freezer: mint chip, strawberry, triple chocolate, french vanilla...  Of course these all make excellent soap project inspirations, so today I'm featuring Soapylove projects using the Sweet Treats Colorant Kit, available from Bramble Berry.  The colors are deelish, and the jumbo Rainbow Sprinkle jojoba beads are icing on the cake - I mean, ice cream!  (To check out all of the supplies featured in this post, click here to be taken to Bramble Berry's Soapylove shop!)

This is one of my favorite Soapylove molds - the Double Scoop Ice Cream Cone.  It has so many creative possibilities!  Switch out colors and "mix ins" like poppy seeds or soap shavings for realistic ice cream flavors.  Of course, the Chocolate Fudge fragrance from the Delectable Desserts Fragrance Kit is a must! Click here for project tutorial.

Who can resist ice cream sandwiches?  The scalloped rectangle mold is great for both ice cream sandwich and layered cookie looks.  These two styles can be made with just the Sweet Treats Colorant Kit!  Click here to go to the tutorial.

It's fun to be inspired by ice cream but not necessarily use it literally.  Neapolitan colors are classic and always look great together!  These Checkered Heart Soaps have raised squares which make it a cinch to create perfect checkers.  And since the Sweet Treats Colorants are all non-bleeding, you know that the checkers will be as sharp as the day you made them!  Click here for the step-by-step project.

And here are even more.  You can see how versatile the set is.  Cuteness is guaranteed!  Enjoy!

1) Hot Chocolate Loaf Soaps: found in the Winter 2009 issue of Let's Get Soapy.  Click here.
2) Romantic Embossed Soaps: found on my blog. Click here.
3) Fluffy Frosted Soapy Cupcakes: from the Soap Queen blog.  Click here.
4) S'More Soaps with whipped soap marshmallow filling: found in the Summer 2010 issue of Let's Get Soapy.  Click here.

Thanks and have a great weekend!

New Soapylove Tutorial Over at the Soap Queen!

Check out this sweet, cookie-inspired version of the checkered hearts. The full tutorial is now posted at the Soap Queen blog!

I encourage you to add the checkered heart soap mold to your collection - the squares are nice and deep, making it very easy to make super clear checkers. The potential with different color combinations is awesome. Lots of room for creativity!

Have a great day!

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!

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!

Soapylove and Bramble Berry Launch New Product Line!

I am THRILLED to finally tell the biggest secret I have kept in a very long time! Bramble Berry and Soapylove have partnered up to launch a great new line of soap making supplies, and you will love them!

The line features:
1) Molds, which are in versatile basic shapes but with an adorable scalloped edge. These are perfect for featuring embedded designs as well as layered styles. Check out these cute little soaps I made with them, by placing plastic trinkets in the mold first.

2) Colorant kits, which come in coordinating sets. You'll find the Jewelry Box, which are beautiful crystal clear colors. You can use a drop of this and a drop of that to make any color in the rainbow! Check out this handy chart that shows just some of the many shades possible.



Also, there's the Sweet Treats Colorant Set shown in the above photo. These are all non-bleeding and the mixed jojoba beads are just like rainbow sprinkles!

3) Fragrance Oil sets offered in Candy Jar and Delectable Desserts, and the caps of the bottles have these really neat push button droppers. You'll love using them!

4) Natural soap bases in the colors you need! The white is a super clean bright white, and the clear is very clear! No yellow tint!

I am so excited about it. Please head over to Bramble Berry to check it out. If you would like to offer the supplies in your shop, please inquire with them about wholesale pricing, too!

Super Spooky Soaps from PJ Soaps!

Paula from PJ Soaps taught at Otion this summer, so I was so excited to meet her there in person. We hit it off instantly - she's just as crazy about soap as I am!!

Well, she was curious about my Glow in the Dark Soap Chips, so I sent her some, and this is what she made. They are Tree Spirit Soaps. I think they're so cool!! The glowing faces are so spooky - reminds me of Blair Witch Project! :)

You can get some for yourself at PJ Soaps. Don't miss these and all of the other super artistic, jaw dropping soaps she makes.

Oh - and you can also get her soap paints there, which I used on the Day of the Dead Soapsicles. I can't tell you how fun they are to use. Paula has oodles of great stuff on her site, including tips and tricks about soap making - even packaging! It's a must!

Fun with Soap Paints!

Day of the Dead Soapsicles, originally uploaded by soapylovedeb.

FYI - these are now available in my Etsy shop. Since each is one of a kind, I will list them singly until each color has been taken.

I tried soap painting quite a while ago, but wasn't happy at all with my results. I gave my set away and hadn't thought about it again since.

But last Friday I was so delighted to get a very special package from my friend Paula - the artist behind PJ Soaps. Inside the box, wrapped in the most beautiful iridescent cellophane, was a complete set of her custom formulated soap paints. She even included the Neon Set! Be still, my heart!! There were paint brushes, tools, and instructions, too. I was SO excited!!

I immediately started brainstorming ideas. Graffiti soaps? Tattoo soaps? Aquarium soaps? So hard to choose! After sleeping on it, I woke up knowing what I wanted to do - sugar skulls for Dia de los Muertos, in soapsicle form, of course!

I made the soapsicles first. Neon colors with a sprinkle of soap glitter, scented with "Hello Sweet Thang" fragrance from Bramble Berry, and handcut skull embeds. Yesterday I spent the day at my in-laws' house for a family gathering and brought my soaps to work on. I got these 3 done. The paints are wonderful to work with. The paint brushes are key. Paula's set includes a few widths, but they're all quite tiny, which is best for this type of paint. I added some soap glitter for a little extra "bling" and let them dry.

Now I have to "glaze" them - seal the surface with a clear coat of soap. I'm so nervous! I don't want the paint to smear! But Paula assured me it should be fine. If I chicken out, I can dust them with arrowroot powder and forget it.

I'll have these listed in my Etsy shop soon. There's also a lime green one I need to paint. So make sure to check in and see! :)

Glow Powder Soap Chips Now Available!

Intrigued by making glowing soaps? Have some ideas but don't want to invest in the powder? (Do you feel the sales pitch coming?) Well, I just listed glow powder soap chips in my Etsy shop! They are mini bars of clear soap loaded with glow powder - each chip will easily color a pound of clear soap base! You'll get 2 chips: one yellow/green and one white/purple. They're only $5 for the set. Get yours TODAY! ;)