Ebru Cold Process Soap

I will preface this post by saying, this isn't my contest soap for the month of June, but rather this was meant as a learning tool for those who were looking to see what ebru soap was all about. Stay tuned for my entry into the June Great Cakes Soapworks Ebru Challenge:-)

So, I decided to forgo the Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge of miniature soap desserts this month for several reasons. First off, I am currently involved in an alternative liquid swap on a soap making forum, and was busy creating 15 soaps for the swap. I also decided to make 15 special "extra" gift soaps for this swap. The gift soaps weren't quite what I intended, so I had to redo them. Being as they were round soaps, I only have a 6 round soap silicone mold, well let's just say I wound up with 54 soaps when all was completed (a soap on a stick fail accounted for 6 of those).

So by the time I was ready to focus on the dessert challenge, the link up to submit was already available and I was too late.

So I decided to set my eyes onto the challenge for the month of June, the Ebru Soap Challenge.

Ebru art is defined on http://www.turkishculture.org/traditional-arts/marbling-113.htm as
The Turkish Art of Marbling: Ebru

Marbling is the art of creating colorful patterns by sprinkling and brushing color pigments on a pan of oily water and then transforming this pattern to paper.

So googling the ebru art in soap making, I discovered these examples.
Soaping 101 Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzQJrztr2GY
and this video by Sergio Masala
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFuOjmqWgjQ

Having done the spin swirl the last challenge in April, I chose to spin and then ebru.

I split my batter into
Titanium Dioxide
Activated Charcoal
Nurture Soap Mica Mint Green
and Nurture Mica Red Raspberry
I kept a little uncolored naked batter as well

After pouring a layer of uncolored batter just thick enough to coat the base of my mold, I began poring circles slowly and fluidly into the uncolored batter. I poured one color at a time, on center and slow, then another and etc. In the picture you can see the alternating colors and where I put each circle.

I then spun until I felt it sufficed.

Finally, I again, in the top 4 corners, poured a red raspberry, then titanium dioxide, then mint green circle. Taking a skewer I pulled lines from the outside into the center to give a flower impression.

I topped off the flowers with a small dab of activated charcoal in the middle, and then strategically placed dabs of activated charcoal and titanium dioxide dots for interest around the soap.

The center circle did not spin, so I cleaned it up, and instead of pulling my skewer in, I went from the center out.

This is ebru soap. It is drawing onto liquid soap batter a top the soap.

I used 40% lye concentration. It takes a long time to trace, and it remains very fluid a long time. If you use TD or any other colorant in WATER, however, it (the portion with added water after you have reached trace) thickens fast and, well, very thick. Also, if your fragrance accelerates, it will move like lightning with this lye concentration. If your fragrance behaves, though, this concentration is like a secret soaping ninja weapon giving you an awesome edge on design and time to complete your designs.

I used an essential oil combination of 13 grams of frankincense, 6 grams of cedarwood, and 4 grams of rosemary for this. I also used a 100 grams lye to 100 grams water, 2% sodium citrate (18 oz of oils total), 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 50 grams coconut milk (added while mixing to trace...this took eons to trace and so I finally added the coconut milk to aid the trace of the batter).

Now cut pics!

All in all I am pleased with this, and I am eager to make my second attempt ever at Ebru Cold Process Soap.
A final apology for the white washed photos. I am needing to improve my photography skills, and its something I've struggled with a while now!!