Showing posts with label Bramble Berry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bramble Berry. Show all posts

Friday, September 11, 2015

Radiating Stripes Soap Tutorial Using Lego Bricks

Glycerin soap is an amazing medium for creating layers.  I always wanted to make a jaw-breaker soap but struggled with the process.  Then, a few years ago, Anne-Marie Faiola (the Soap Queen), was working on a layers theme post for the Bramble Berry blog and invited me to contribute a soap design.
At the time, my son was enjoying Legos (using my Legos that my mother lovingly kept), and I realized how amazing these plastic building bricks would be to build a soap mold!  Leak proof, heat resistant, and totally modular! Although this project requires a lot of time, it's not difficult.  Simply create a tiny square then embed it, building layer upon layer, rebuilding your mold as you go.  Although cutting into it is a tad nerve-racking, the thrill of seeing the layers is worth the effort!!  Here's the visual graphic, and the steps are beneath.  Come to my Facebook page to discuss or show off your version!


1. Set up first cavity, making walls enclosing 4 raised dots (or a "2x2"). Make walls 3 bricks high. You will only fill to 2 bricks high to make a cube.

2. Fill to top of 2nd brick with white soap. Allow to harden, then break walls to release white cube.

3. Trim bottom of soap to remove dot indentations.

4. Build next box enclosing 3x3 dots. Walls should be 4 bricks high. Fill with 2nd color to 1/2 brick high. Let harden. This will be the floor your white cube will sit on.

5. Put in white cube. Spray with alcohol and top off with 2nd color, to 3 bricks high.

6. Here's what it looks like with the white cube covered in red soap.

7. Break walls, pulling bricks off of soap.

8. Trim off these lego indentations.

9. Trimming...

10. Repeat and repeat, every time making your box 1 row wider and taller.

11. Here is my almost finished cube. It is 5 layers thick.

12. My last layer is white.

Main photo:  Here's the finished soap, all cut up into neat angles to show the layers.

Tip: Make sure to use non-bleeding colorants!! You don't want those gorgeous layers to go fuzzy on you.  Also, use a really sharp heavy knife to cut it up - a thin knife may bend and throw off your cut. 

Idea: wouldn't this be a fun way to make some Tetris inspired soaps?  No layers required!!  

Have fun everyone!
-Debbie

(Would you like more Soapylove projects?  Head to soapylove.com for the entire library!)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Two Scoops of Pink Sparkle, Please!

New step-by-step tutorial for these super happy Sparkle Strawberry Sorbet Soaps now posted over at The Soap Queen!  Click here to see!

Have a nice day!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

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!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

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!

Friday, August 13, 2010

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!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Fun Summer Party Idea - Make Soap!

Last year when I launched the Summer issue of Let's Get Soapy, I made this little video to show how much fun it is to host a soap making party.  It works for every age group.  A teacher did this with her kindergarten class, and it would make a great bridal shower project! 



Don't forget to grab your issue of Let's Get Soapy, which comes with the printable name tags and station signs.  With the new Soapylove Jewelry Box Colorant Set and Candy Jar Fragrance Set, it's easier than ever to get the supplies together for a great party (the colorant set was completely inspired by this eZine issue!). 

Have fun!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

New Tutorial over at The Soap Queen - Ombre Hearts!


Brand new Soapylove tutorial now up at The Soap Queen!  This neat fading effect is actually very simple.  You'll love how they turn out.  See you there!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

New Tutorial Tomorrow at the Soap Queen!

Get ready for a brand new Soapylove tutorial over at the Soap Queen! Tomorrow afternoon you will learn how to make these cute and easy Lucky Star Soaps. Check it out then! :)

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!

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.

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!

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!

Friday, September 18, 2009

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!