Last minute Halloween inspiration!

Hi everyone!  Anne-Marie's post today using soap eyeballs brought to mind some Soapylove projects - and it's not too late to make them!  Here are some of my faves:

SOAP SLIME - this is a super fun project using stuff you probably already have!  It would be a great way to make something slimy for a haunted house, too.

SOAP EYEBALLS - these creepy soap eyes use realistic eye colors and are complete spheres, so they look super real! 

GOTHIC PUMPKIN SOAPS - this sophisticated project uses chocolate transfer sheets, but you could make a similar effect with soap embed paper, too (featured on Design*Sponge!).

ALIEN SOAPS: these 3D soaps have glowing eyes! 

I have 2 kids - a 5 yr old and a 3 yr old, so we will be celebrating Halloween every day this weekend, starting today!  I hope you have a great weekend, too.  Happy Halloween!

Check out Soapylove's newest book, The Art of Soap, available in the new Soapylove Book Shop!

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!

Gothic Pumpkin Soaps

Halloween is coming and I love the fall holidays! I picked up a fun Halloween magazine yesterday and was inspired to make a new soap. If you're looking to add a touch of black to your designs, you will really like this single pour project!

Supplies for 2 bars of soap: (you can get everything from Bramble Berry except for transfer sheet which is from Fancy Flours)

8 oz of clear soap base
Silver mica
Black oxide (optional)
Pepperberry fragrance oil (or any you like, but this has a really nice spicey scent)
Heavy duty octagon mold (or any flat faced mold you have)
"Floral Scroll Black" chocolate transfer sheet from Fancy Flours
Knife, cutting board, scissors, rubbing alcohol in spray bottle, yadda yadda

(Click on photo to enlarge)

1) Choose a design that has very little detail. Sketch it on paper first and make sure it will fit in your mold.

2) Cut your shape out of your transfer sheet. Be very careful to avoid touching the rough side, since it's very sensitive and can smudge easily.

3) Touch your finger into a drop of vegetable oil or liquid glycerin and apply a thin coat to the mold where you will put your design. Place your design, SMOOTH SIDE DOWN, into the mold and use a pencil to touch the transfer gently and make sure it's completely stuck down. You don't want any air pockets where the soap can sneak under.

4) Melt 6-8 ounces of clear soap base (depending on the capacity of your soap molds) by cutting soap base into small chunks (dice sized), and heat at full power in a microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until all remaining chunks are melted. Dissolve a pea sized amount of silver mica in a 1/4 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol and stir into melted soap. You can add a touch of black (dissolved in alcohol again) if you would like a deeper shade like I have. Stir in 3 mL of fragrance oil (completely a personal choice. Use more or less!)

5) LET SOAP COOL A LOT! You need to pour this super super cool. If a skin is forming on the surface, that's good! It should be between 110-115 degrees. Now pour into your mold, but pour at the edge of the mold so the soap runs over your design. Do not pour directly onto the transfer.

6) Allow soaps to harden completely overnight. Unmold by inverting mold and pushing on the back with your thumbs until soaps pop out. Gently pry an edge of the plastic up and peel off. Voila!

You can wrap these soaps in Saran Wrap and close the ends at the back with tape or a sticker, or put in a treat bag and tie tightly with a ribbon.

If you like this technique please check out more projects in my book, or if you're in the Halloween spirit please check out my latest issue of Let's Get Soapy which is chock full of soapy tricks and treats! Thanks!

Fall Issue of Let's Get Soapy Now Available - be an Early Bird!

The new issue of Let's Get Soapy is now available and it's full of new Halloween projects! Learn how to make Day of the Dead Skull soaps, Glowing Nuclear Soaps, and Candy Stick Soaps. Also read about how real sugar skulls are made, using soap paints, compare different brands of glow powder, and get inspired by an awesome sugar skull mood board!

Every issue is packed with clear photos, tips, and a full supply directory. You'll have plenty of time to make these soaps and be ready for the first Harvest Festivals! (Did you know that it's completely okay - and encouraged - for you to make and sell the finished projects? Yes!)

As usual, I'm offering a special discount for early birds. Get your copy by Friday, August 21, and you'll get $3.00 off the regular price. Don't miss it!

Click here for even more photos of what's inside this 21 page issue and the shopping cart. You'll get a link via email to download the PDF right to your computer. Then you can read it on your screen or print out the pages you like! It's instant gratification!

Thanks so much and enjoy!

Hard at Work - For You! :)

Were you wondering why I can't just post that eyeball soap tutorial (and tell you where I got that mold?!)? Because I'm working very hard on the August issue of Let's Get Soapy. The eZine - my labor of love - needs to be packed with tutorials, tips, tricks, techniques, and great pictures so it will give you what you have come to expect! And I promise I won't let you down.

For example, here is one of the projects you'll find - Candy Stick Soaps! The crazy stripes are so fun to make and you can really get creative with color combinations. I went with a Candy Corn theme for Halloween (which this issue is dedicated to!).

You will find soap painting, neon colors, glowing colors, embedding tricks, and more! I am planning on having it up and ready next week. Make sure to sign up with the Soapyclub so you'll get the heads up when it's available (and I always offer an early bird discount!).

Thanks for your patience!

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!

They Forgot To Move The Bodies!!

Do you remember that line from Poltergeist? Where they're in the pool and all the coffins start bobbing up, spilling out their grizzly contents? Awesome!

Well, if you like that you'll like this creepy soap, too. It has a white soap skeleton hidden inside a muddy brown soap bar, just waiting to emerge as you wash, wash, wash. This is my newest soap tutorial just posted on The Soap Queen Blog. There's even a funny way to display this soap until you're ready to start using it. Definitely check it out!

New Alien Soap Tutorial!

Check out this cool new alien soap, perfect for fright night! It has real glow-in-the-dark eyes and a greenish opalescent head. The mold is 3-D, too!

Go to The Soap Queen Blog and learn how to make it (and see a daylight picture), or keep checking my Etsy shop to see when I'll be listing some. I had so much fun making this soap that I'm going to try several variations. I might even do a Spider Man, but I'm not sure how to make the black web design on his face.

I digress... get your supplies now so you can make these for Halloween!

Fall is Here at the Soapylove Pop Shop!

For many of you, school has already started. The bathing suits are going back into the dresser, and the new sweatshirts are getting put into backpacks. My son, Sequoia, is starting preschool for the first time on Tuesday. I have to admit, I'm excited! :)

There are new things going on at Soapylove, too! First, there's our brand new Ghastly Ghosts Soap Pop. It has sneeky ghosts floating inside that glow an eerie blue in the dark! They are even scented with Black Licorice fragrance, which is perfect for the season.

Also, we have our popular Candy Corn Soap Pop. A classic for the fall, even after Halloween. It's already selling out in several of the shops that are carrying it, so the Candy Corn is a sure thing!

Finally, the Ice Cream Truck Soap Dish has been officially added to the shop. Make sure to get yours for holiday gifts. There are only 25 in stock, and when they're gone.. they're gone!

In the meantime, continue to check out The Soap Queen Blog for new Soapylove tutorials, and stay tuned for a brand new book called "Soapylove's Bubbly Holidays!" It will be a special publication of 10 original Soapylove tutorials made just for winter holidays. I'll let you know as soon as it's ready.

Have a great day!