Tuesday, June 21, 2022

I am trying to get my fabric scraps under control.  LOL 

 (Really, I just like to play with cutting and making pinwheels)

The "Ice" box has log cabin strips in it.  The log cabin quilt was my first "formal" quilt.  I followed a book by Eleanor Burn and I ripped all of the fabric.  Once I discovered the rotary cutter and mat, I was in heaven.

The Spellbound soap was cured last week and I wrapped and labeled it.

I scored some sheets from Tammy at Antiques and Uniques.  I completed this one . . . 

and started a new one. 

Once again, the rotary cutter was a game changer.

             Last night I made Lemongrass goat milk soap. This is one of my favorite scents. Back when I used to run 5 miles a day, it felt so good to head for the shower with a bar of this. 

 

Friday, January 21, 2022

 I have continued experimenting with the beeswax.  

I am testing the burn times and awaiting more molds.  Then I need to stop ordering and start selling.  I am also experimenting with adding Thieves oil to them.  That way they are still all natural, but have some scent.  

I received 2 molds today that I immediately had to try out!  

I have some others coming that are faith based;  Jesus and the Lamb, Holy Family, Blessed Mother.  It was really hard to find molds that are not made in China.  These are made in Poland and South America.  

 Saturday, January 29, 2022

I have a a recurrent headache for the last couple of days which is why I never got on here yesterday.  I am seriously wondering if I could have a variant.  It wouldn't surprise me since everyone I know has had some kind of issue lately.  

I have played so many funerals this winter.  It is truly sad to see the suffering families.  Our little village of Shepherd has had 22 funerals this month alone. 

The news lately is very concerning.  Thousands and thousands of illegal young men are being flown all over the country in the dead of night.  This administration barely tries to hide it any more.  If we aren't right with God now, we had better be soon.

The beeswax addiction continues.   I haven't met up with the Rhynard's yet to try out their wax.  I would really like to source the wax locally if at all possible.

Friday, January 14, 2022

Update on my printer!  Matt found the problem and saved me a ton of money since I don't have to buy a new printer!!!

I am still testing my beeswax.  It is definitely a learning curve.  The jar candles are giving me some grief so I need to work a bit more on those. 

Harold just walked in the door with a package of molds that I am very excited to try!!  The candle below weighs about 6 1/2 ounces and I am testing the burn time on that. 

In the mean time, I am impatiently waiting for the wax to melt so I can try the new molds.  They have a diamond pattern on them which I love!!!

****************

So I poured the candles.  I put a wick pin in the mold.  The wax leaked out of the bottom.  Lesson learned.  I will put a wick tab on the bottom.  I probably need to buy a roll of wicking which is what they use on the videos.  We shall see.   I just unmolded them and they were incredibly easy to remove from the mold!

Thursday, January 13, 2022

 This is one of those days when I look around and wonder if I will ever get caught up.  I love what I do and I have so many addictions - oops - crafts, that I can't seem to stay current on all of them.  I am gradually paring down what I do, but it will take a while.  I am also trying to get a way from buying containers.  When I have used up all of the clamshell containers for wax melts, I will be using only molds.  I don't like having to throw away the plastic containers.  I am in the process of pouring some molded wax melts with each batch of clamshells that I make.

 

 

Yesterday my printer decided to start giving me grief.  The color was all distorted.  I took it up to our trusty repair guy, Matt Peacock from MyTown Computers.  I cannot function without my printer so I will be glad to get it back.  Thankfully it was just a leaky cartridge, but it also probably needed a good cleaning. 

I started using the new batch of wax today and poured two cake candles and a couple of votives.  Beeswax is a bit of a pain because it sets up fast and leaves a coating on the pour pot and the utensils.  When I am done pouring I have to scrape off the residue and re-melt it.  I have a couple of wax melters so I may consider just devoting one to beewax. 

Here is one of the cake candles I made today.  I had to molds, but the one is damaged so it is going bye bye, 

Here is an example of the difference between the white wax and the yellow.  I love the white, but I am thinking I will go with the yellow since I am transitioning to sourcing locally.

 

The end of a Pandemic and the beginning of a new addiction.

 Wednesday, January 12, 2022

2022!  Can you believe it?  That last time I posted in here we were making masks due to the pandemic.  Now it seems to be ruling the world.  I say "seems" because we know who really rules the world.  

So much has changed in the last 2 years.  2021 brought me to a battle with breast cancer which, by the grace of God and many wonderful people, I beat. 

This time two years ago, I was manning the Vintage Village shop in downtown Shepherd on Thursdays.  It closed last year and we have moved our location to the east side of town in the Antiques and Uniques Marketplace.  

Things got really crazy in March of 2020 with the pandemic.  Then followed the death of my cousin David, my Aunt Betty, my cancer diagnosis, the death of my brother Bob, and the death of my Aunt Molly.  I can't think of a single person who has not suffered the death of someone close to them since the start of the pandemic. 

But there have been blessings, as hard as that is to believe.  Family is what got me through the last couple of years.  Thankfully they are all fairly close by.  I know many people who are not as blessed. 

********

Currently I have been experimenting with beeswax candles for a variety of reasons.  Initially, I was interested in the spiritual reasons behind the use of beeswax because it is used in our church candles, but in my research I am learning that:

• Beeswax candles burn clean.
• Beeswax candles emit negative ions. (that's a good thing)
• Beeswax candles pull toxins from the air and purify it. 
• Beeswax candles burn 2-5 time longer than candles made from other waxes which offsets the higher cost of the finished candle.
• Beeswax candles are dripless
• Beeswax candles burn brighter than candles made from other waxes. 
• Beeswax blooms with age so that older candles burn even more brightly. 
• Beeswax candles have benefits for those with asthma and allergies which can be aggravated by candles made with paraffin.

Beeswax comes in either white or yellow.  The candles pictured here are made with the white form.  I ordered a small amount to experiment with, but from what I have read, the yellow is more desirable and a bit more aromatic.  I just got in a shipment of yellow and I can't wait to try it.  I am also planning to transition to getting beeswax locally since I am all about supporting local family businesses.  To that end, I spoke to Ron Rhynard from Rhynard's Blueberry Farm about getting beeswax from him.  I will be testing a small amount next week.  

I am currently testing burn times on several sizes and I am very excited about what I am learning.  The votive candle in the holder burned for 16 hours.  The candles aren't scented but this batch of wax gives off a subtle honey aroma.

Monday, July 6, 2020

The heat wave continues. This is my least favorite time of the year weather - wise.  

We celebrated the Twins' birthday yesterday. 
It's Monday so it is soapmaking day.  Today I am going to make Lavender and Lemongrass - my very favorite.

Friday, July 3, 2020

It has been such a long time since I've written in here.  The world has been dropped completely on its head.  We are in the fifth month of craziness due to a pandemic.  One day everything was normal and the next, we were on lockdown.  The kids did not finish out their school year.  The Maple Syrup Festival was cancelled along with the shutting down of businesses. Now racism is the topic and people are infiltrating peaceful protests and rioting and looting.  It is a very scary time and I don't believe most of what I am hearing on the news.

Claire and I began making masks in April.  We donated about 2000 and sold another 200 for the cost of materials.  We are making a quilt from the scraps.

We are starting to get orders for Christmas Stockings.  I got way behind again this year and I am frantically trying to get caught up.  It keeps my mind off the craziness in the world.   

For the very first time I am going to participate in a mystery quilt along.  It is for a Winter Quilt called Snowflake Jelly Roll 

https://blog.patsloan.com/2020/07/jelly-snowflake-part-one.html?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Jelly+snowflake+part+one&utm_campaign=20200702_m159069369_New+article+from+Pat+Sloan&utm_term=Read+More

The twins turned 5 today.  It's hard to believe how fast the years have gone.  

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

I got a late start on soap making this week.  My usual Monday night routine was disrupted by my birthday.  I never got around to it last night either.  So, today I made another one for the guys - Cabin in the Woods.   I love this scent. When I was a kid, the high point of every summer was our annual trip over the Mackinac Bridge to the upper peninsula of Michigan.  We always stayed in a cabin in the woods.  As a city kid, I fell in love with the woodsy smells combined with the fragrant pine of the cabin.  Goat milk soap made with this scent never fails to take me back to those carefree days.  Cabin in the Woods is an outdoorsy blend of cinnamon, bayberry, hints of cranberry and orange.  Both men and women love this scent.   This is how it looked just after I cut it.  I haven't made it in a while, but I suspect the color will change a bit when it is cured - March 14. 

Yesterday I wrapped the Apple Jack 'n Peel soap that I made a month ago.  It will head for the shop next week.  This is my absolute favorite scent for autumn, but I have a lot of customers that love it year round.

It's been a busy week.   We are getting ready for the Maple Syrup Festival, but next week Kelli and I are doing a show at the Masonic Home.  It's been a long time since we've done a show in a new venue.  It's exciting and a little daunting all at the same time.   

I worked on some mixes this week.  I may have mentioned that I am changing up the packaging a bit.  On Saturday Claire and I did pancake mix.  When our kids were young, I found a recipe in an old magazine for these pancakes.  Every Sunday after Mass we would come home and have a big pancake breakfast.  Somehow our neighbor on the next farm over always knew when the pancake griddle was on because he always joined us. He has been gone for many years, but every time I make pancakes, I think of Bernard.

These pancakes are the size of a dinner plate.  Now that we have grandkids, most of whom live nearby, this is their favorite breakfast when they spend the night.

We also packaged up the bean soup, and the Chai Tea mix.  The corn bread is running low so that is next on the list.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018 - Making Cold Process Soap

What is Cold Process soap?  It is soap that is made without any additional heat.  Our soap is made with room temperature oils and lye solution.  I used to make our soap with a heat process in the early days.  This meant that the soap mold was put in the oven at 170 degrees overnight.  The theory was that this eliminated the need for curing.  I found myself curing it anyway so I switched to Cold Process.  Now that we don't oven process I have gone to silicone molds which makes for easier and faster cutting and more accuracy in the size of the bars.

Before we begin, it is very important to clear the work area of all twins and other random people.  Focus is important when making soap.  I usually do it after 9 pm when I know I won't be distracted by cuteness. 

It's time to make soap!  The very first thing we do is collect all ingredients and utensils.  Gloves and goggles are a must since we use lye to make our soap.  Lye is a very caustic substance and must be treated with care to avoid injury.  

The next step is to blend the oils.  A stick blender is ideal for this purpose, but make sure you don't use that blender for anything else. 
 Each month I mix up a batch of oils and divide it into 4 buckets.  The batch is formulated with a soap calculator to make sure the the proper amount of lye is added to the mixture.  Too much lye and the soap will be very drying.  Too little lye and the soap will be too soft.  The mixing of lye with oils results in saponification - the making of soap.  The soap calculator also figures the percentages of the oils used in our recipe.  Each oil contributes a different benefit to the soap.  (I will cover this in a future blog post.)

Next we add the lye solution.  Lye must be mixed with a liquid, usually water.  We mix our lye with goat milk because goat milk is very good for the skin.  

Next we add the fragrance oil.  The proper amount of fragrance to add is figured into our soap calculation.  Some fragrance oils cause the soap batter to set up quickly so it is very important to know how the fragrance oil will affect the soap making process.  Floral scents tend to set up very quickly so that must be taken into account.

We pour our soap batter into silicone loaf molds.  We have tried many types of molds over the years including wooden molds, but silicone is by far the easiest to use when it is time to unmold the soap.  Our batch fills two soap molds with some overpour.  We pour the extra batter into smaller decorative molds which we use in our gift baskets.  ( I often keep a bar of the overpour for us - shhhh)

I love to make soap with colored swirls in it.  A wooden skewer works great for swirling the soap batter.

All soap utensils must be dedicated for soap making only.  Afterwards, they must be carefully cleaned - and you should still have your gloves on.  Raw soap batter is not good for the skin.  I do a quick clean-up and then leave everything in soapy water until morning. 

 I take the tray of soap molds downstairs to the refrigerator.  I put my soap in the fridge to keep it from gelling.  Gelling is when the batter overheats and sometimes it can leave dark patches in the finished soap.  This doesn't hurt the soap, but I don't like the way it looks. Putting the soap in the refrigerator will usually keep gelling at bay.  Occasionally the soap will gel anyway, but - oh well, that's life. 

In the morning I go down and unmold the soap.  I then put the soap loaf on a soap cutter.  The soap cutter has wires that slice the soap into fairly even bars.  Our soaps are a minimum of 4 oz each.  

 The soap tray with the cut soap is then taken to a curing rack where it cures for at least four weeks.  This allows the bar to harden and to become gentle on the skin.

 After the soap has cured for at least 4 weeks it is wrapped in a breathable paper and labeled for sale.  It is weighed to make sure it is at least 4 ounces.  If it is underweight it is put aside for gifts or donation baskets.

I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial.