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!

How to Throw a DIY Glycerin Soap Making Party with Free Printables!

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One thing I love about making glycerin soap is how easy and fun it is, for all ages!  I gathered up my friends and family for this video to show you how to host a soap crafting party.  As a bonus, I have included the printable signs and name tags to this post!  All you need is a crock pot and a freezer, plus supplies (which you can find in the soap section of most craft stores).

One thing that really tickles me when people make soap is how magical it seems!  From stirring in the color and watching it swirl into the soap, to choosing fragrance (which is a very personal decision!), and then the fun of popping a soap out and admiring their work.  The whole process is exciting and entertaining (as you'll see with my friend Alison)!

Get everyone outside and make something useful and creative.  For the full instructions, check out Let's Get Soapy which includes your supply list and ideas for party themes.  From birthdays to bridal showers, this party idea will make you the hostess with the mostess!

Find all of Soapylove's eZines and tutorials at www.soapylove.com!

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!

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!)

Buy in Bulk! Get the whole library of Let's Get Soapy for a special price!

Lori and Cassie at The Nova Studio are always thinkin'. Since we all noticed that the interest in melt and pour soap is on the rise and people are discovering how awesome soap crafting is, they decided to put the entire Let's Get Soapy eZine Collection into one bundle, and save you a bundle!  

Each issue has 3 full step-by-step tutorials (many with great holiday and gift ideas), supply articles, technique ideas, design inspiration, and often some extra goodies like printables, you will get a lot of great information in these eZines.  Designed to be read on your monitor, you'll be able to dive in the moment these digital magazines hit your inbox.  

Check it out!  I think you'll love it!

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!  

Tutorial video: Fun and Simple Soap Balls

Hi there!  Before I was bitten by the glycerin soap crafting bug, I fell in love with rebatch soap making.  Rebatch is a method of using cured CP soap (CP means "cold process" which is the most common way soap is made from scratch). Rebatch is great because you don't need to handle lye.

I can tell I'm already rambling, so let me get to the point.  I made soap balls!  It's easy and fast!  Here's a quick video showing how to do it.



So now I can ramble. Rebatch is typically recooked soap (since I didn't cook my grated soap, maybe it's more like recycled soap.  I don't know.  Don't call the soap police on me).  If you don't have any CP soap scraps laying around you can buy grated, unscented soap online that's made just for this purpose.  Since it's unscented you can add your own additional ingredients like essential oil, exfoliants such as ground luffa or oatmeal, moisturizers like aloe vera, and even colorants.  If this interests you, head over to The Soap Queen for this great video about rebatch soapmaking and links to lots of supplies.  Have fun!

New Soapylove online tutorial collection!

After creating a full list of the tutorials I wrote for The Soap Queen, I realized that there wasn't one single place where folks could find all Soapylove tutorials. A list of links isn't very inspiring so I created a Flickr collection organized into four categories - Cute and Funky, Desserts and Soap Pops, Sophisticated, and Holiday. It's simple - each photo has a link to the tutorial! There are more than 100 projects to choose from. Click here to go to the collection. You can add any category to your RSS reader and get updates automatically. Enjoy!

Here's a slideshow of the Cute and Funky category. Click on any photo for the link!

 

Easy and Pretty Stenciled Soap Tutorial

Do you know about Fancy Flours?  They sell the most amazing baking supplies including beautiful cake and cookie stencils (and tons of other awesome stuff.  Check it out!).  From cute seasonal shapes like pumpkins and snowflakes to modern and fashionable designs like brocades and birdcages.  Just search on their site for "stencil" and you'll find all of their styles. 

I just so happen to have their Crystal Snowflake Cookie Stencils so here's a quick little tutorial about how you can use them for your next soap project.

First start with freshly made glycerin soaps.  If you put your soaps in the freezer before unmolding, let them dry completely before using the stencil.  Now get out some mica powder and a little cosmetic brush (like a blush brush) or soft paint brush.  Choose a mica color that will contrast with your soap bar or else it won't be noticeable.

 

If you are using a jar of mica powder, you can just use the lid to get mica on your brush.  Swirl brush in mica lid or dip brush lightly into mica and swirl on a little plate to evenly distribute powder on brush.  I think it's best to build up color slowly so you can control the intensity of your design.   

Now carefully place the stencil on the surface of your soap.  Hold it still and gently apply mica powder to stencil, doing multiple applications to build up color.  You can use multiple colors to create shading effects and dimension, too.  Once you're done, your soaps are ready to wrap! 

For another great stenciling tutorial using a different technique with glitter, check out The Soap Queen's version, too!

(Do you like my soap shape?  I used the Soapylove Scalloped Round Mold from Bramble Berry.  Check out the whole line here!)

Soapylove Article and Tutorial Directory from The Soap Queen

You may already know about my Soapylove books and eZines, but I have also been a guest blogger for The Soap Queen for over three years.  I have written many articles and tutorials but unless you know what to search for, they can be hard to find.  So here's a link directory to all of them.  I hope you find it helpful!
Articles:
Color Blending Frogs
Using Jojoba Beads in M & P
Tips & Tricks for Using Oxide Colorants in M&P
Labcolors and You: A Little Chat
Tips on Soap Photography
Dusting with Mica
Embed Problems
Less Can Be More – Using Sheer Colors
The Making of the Bicycle Soap
Using Silicone Molds with M&P, Part 1
Part 2: Using Silicone Molds with M&P – Tips and Projects
3 Color Fade
Do you want to sell wholesale? Be prepared!



Tutorials:
Cupcakes with a Cherry on Top
Birthday Cake Loaf Soap
Vivid Soap Blocks
Fiery Energy Bar
Katie’s Wedding Soap Favors
Take Me To Your Leader Soap
Bubbles from the Crypt
Textured Headstone Soap
Delicious Layered Soap Cookies
Lucky Star Soaps
Checkered Cookie Soaps
Ombre Heart Soaps
Rainbow Carnations
2 Scoops, Please!
Sweet and Pretty Parfait Soaps
I Heart Soap
Fluffy Frosted Soapy Cupcakes
Oh The Things You Can Do! Soap Frosting 3 More Ways.
Loteria Soap Shrines
Cute as a Button Soaps
Sparkly Strawberry Sorbet Soaps
Soapylove Neon Bonanza
Soapy Spooky Eyeballs
Making a Mini Cooper

For even MORE Soapylove (yes, there's still more!), click here for all the tutorials on my blog, and click here for my videos on YouTube!

When you're obsessed, you're obsessed!  :)

So you want to try glycerin soap crafting?

I often receive emails from Soapyfans who would like to try their hand at glycerin soap crafting.  Here are some quick pointers about where you can start learning and how to get started!

The first thing I suggest is getting my book, Soapy Love - Squeaky Clean Projects Using Melt and Pour Soap.
or trying one of my fun eZines called Let's Get Soapy.

Once you try a project and see if you like the craft, then you will know if you want to do it more.

There are great videos you can watch on Soap Queen TV.  These will teach you a lot in a short amount of time.

If you would like to discuss your projects, check out The Teach Soap Forum where there is an excellent melt and pour message board.  It's an awesome place to get inspiration, research ingredients or crafting techniques, even get advice on tips and tricks!

Have fun!

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!

Tutorial: Springtime Rainbow Soaps

Rainbows and hearts... I can't seem to get enough!  One of my favorite looks lately is graduated color.  Several years ago I taught at Otion's Soap Weekend Intensive and was thrilled to attend a class by Paula of PJ Soaps (she'll be teaching again this summer!).  She showed how to make her beautiful moon soap (click here for tutorial), where she tilts the mold to get a lovely fade between the moon and midnight sky. 

I have used this several times with a single tilted color, but realized if you use one on each side and then fill the center, that you can get a 3 color fade!  Here's how to do it:

Prop your mold up on one side or corner.  I used the Soapylove Striped Heart Mold.  Next, melt and color a small amount of clear soap using non-bleeding red mica (I used TKB's Pop Micas).  Spray your mold with alcohol, then pour a small amount of soap into one side, allowing it to only cover 1/3 of your mold surface. 

It's okay if your color doesn't line up perfectly with the stripes.  Allow to harden.  Now turn around your mold so the opposite side is propped up.  Melt and pour some blue soap into the opposite side, again only covering 1/3 of the mold face.  Allow to harden.

Move your mold to be flat on the table.  Color your third batch of soap yellow, spray mold with alcohol, and pour in soap so it fills the center area and covers a bit of each side color.  Allow to harden.  Spray with alcohol and top off with fragranced white soap.  Voila!

Here's a tip: color your soap with a light hand - if your colors are too dark then the background color won't show through.  When I do this project again, I'll use a little less blue so the green tone will be more noticeable.

Enjoy!
-Debbie

(Check out the Soapylove Book Shop where you can find my Soapylove book and the new The Art of Soap!)

A Little Bit of Spring Greenery - Chia Tea Cups!

As part of the kids' Christmas haul, they got Chia heads.  One batch of seeds made so many more than we could put on the Shrek and Donkey heads that I decided to use them for a little kitchen decoration.  Chia Tea Cups!  If you would like to have a little spring greenery to brighten up a room, too, here's how to do it:

First, ball up a paper towel and stuff it into a tea cup, about 1/2" below the rim.  Add water so the towel is super wet.  Soak the Chia seeds per the packet, and put them evenly over the paper towel surface.

Put the cups in a warm area of your house, make sure to keep the paper towel wet, and watch the magic happen!  My cups went from seed to tall sprouts in only 5 days.  Very gratifying, and so much easier than gardening!  :)

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

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!

Curious about Let's Get Soapy? Come take a look!

If you like the looks of the projects featured in Let's Get Soapy, but weren't sure what an eZine is or what else would be included, I have now made the Summer 2009 issue (my best seller) available for you to see. I guarantee that you will enjoy the articles, photos, and tons of tips packed into every issue.  Check out all seven, including my brand new Summer 2010 issue, at www.letsgetsoapy.com. 

To view the video on the Issuu site where you can download, rate, and comment on it, click here.  Thanks!

Open publication - Free publishing - More bath

New Summer Issue is Looking Tasty!

I am madly working on the new issue of Let's Get Soapy for Summer.  It will be full of wonderful summery inspirations such as fruit, juice glasses, and s'mores!  The S'More Tutorial is packed with techniques - making your own graham cracker mold, realistic melted chocolate, and fluffy marshmallow filling!  

Also there will be a new question and answer section to help you with your most challenging melt and pour dilemmas.  Please post your best head scratchers here and it may be picked for the eZine! 

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks!

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!

Some Inspiration from Oh Joy!

Over at the Oh Joy! design blog today, Becca put together this beautiful pairing of a yellow wedge and a modern pendant lamp.  The box frame is a classic modern design, which is not too hard to recreate in soap.  Last year I was inspired by the Parsons Tables being sold by West Elm, and I made a tutorial video making a Parsons Soap Block.  Here it is! :) (Sorry it's so up close. I was just learning how to use my Flip.)



Have a nice weekend and Mother's Day!!