Tuesday, March 27, 2012

I am just thrilled with the way last night's batch of soap turned out. I made Candy Apple, but I did something a little different. The last time I did this soap I was still making bars and hadn't yet switched to Cold Process. I used pink kaolin clay to swirl color. This time I decided to add pink kaolin clay to the entire batch and swirl with a burgundy mica. Because the fragrance oil has vanillin in it, the finish batch turns to a light beige. The color in the kaolin clay doesn't do much to color the soap, however, the clay is a wonderful addition!!

Last night I added the kaolin clay before adding the lye/goat milk solution. When the lye solution hit the oils they became thick and creamy. I was a little alarmed at first because I had never seen it do that before. I thought it was trying to seize on me (which doesn't usually happen until fragrance oil is added). But I kept blending. When I added the fragrance oil, it didn't want to blend in at first. I was very nervous, to say the least. But I kept blending and poured it into the molds. It stayed creamy and smooth. I was able to unmold the leaves last night. I waited until this morning to unmold the wooden mold because I was afraid that batch might decide to gel and leave me with a huge caustic mess to clean up in the morning. Normally, if it's going to heat up and gel, it does so in the first couple of hours, but I wasn't taking any chances.

This morning I got up and cut the batch first thing. Omigosh!!! The loaf is beautiful. The camera doesn't quite pick up on the creamy quality. I think I will be adding kaolin clay to all of my soaps from now on!  I tried an end cut (no it's not cured and I should wait a month, but I gotta be me.)  The lather was thick and creamy.  I cannot wait until this is cured.  Tonight I am going to do a Lavender batch.

I hadn't realized that this is the last week I can make soap and have it ready for the Maple Syrup festival.

In other news, we went down to visit our newest grandbaby. It was so nice to only have to drive an hour. It was 2 1/2 hours when we went to Grand Rapids. The longer drive wasn't bad, but it cut into visiting time. Sam, Kelli, and the girls were there when we arrived. Madison and Meghan were quite excited about baby Ben. We got to hold him for a long, long, time!!

It's been a very good week so far!


Word of the day:
Tuesday of the Fifth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : St John of Egypt (+ 394)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 8:21-30.

Jesus said to the Pharisees: "I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come."
So the Jews said, "He is not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, 'Where I am going you cannot come'?"
He said to them, "You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins."
So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation. But the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the world."
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said (to them), "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him."
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

Friday, July 29, 2011

I never did make it to the quilting room last night.  Well, I did walk in there but then I thought of all the things I didn't get done and felt guilty so I folded laundry instead.  LOL!

This morning I cut the new soap, I Remember Mama, and I am really happy with the way it turned out. I wasn't sure I would like the coral that I used with it, but looking at it now, I really like it!  The soap batter accelerated on me a bit.  That may be due to the other fragrance oil I blended with it.  Next time I think I may not blend it at all, but just use the one FO. 

Word of the day:
Saint Martha - Memorial
Saint(s) of the day : St. Martha - Memorial
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 11:19-27.

And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
(But) even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you."
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise."
Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day."
Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I made a small batch of Lemongrass today. I am out of bars but I hate to make a batch of those because I have to make such a big batch. I just did a small loaf today because I am down to my last few ounces of sodium hydroxide. I have some coming but really wanted to do some soap.  There's no "fanciness" in this bar as far as swirls.  I did do a textured top with glitter.  I put in some lemon balm that Clay and I collected from across the road.  It's been dried and stored for several years.  Clay doesn't remember picking it with me.

I got a facebook message from Diane Davis.  Her goats are giving milk again.  I really want to try some fresh goat's milk in the soap.  I have heard that the homogenized stuff from the store reacts differently than the fresh.  I am hoping to work out a soap or product trade with her.

We got a large soap order last night.  That's good because my coconut oil is almost gone.  We use 8 different oils in our soap formulation and I've often been tempted to scale down the number because of the cost, but I love the way this lathers and moisturizes and I really don't want to change the recipe.

I'm a little discouraged about my Etsy shop.  I haven't sold anything but stockings (which is good, I'm not complaining), but I'd love to sell some of my other things.  I think I put out a quality product, but at this rate no one's going to find that out.  :(  Oh well,  it's not that expensive to list, it's more of an ego thing. 


Wednesday of the Fourth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : Bl. Notker, Benedictine monk (c. 840-912)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5:17-30.

Jesus answered the Jews: «My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.»
For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also.
For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.
I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.