Amber Waves of Soap: April 2015

So. The spin swirl. Sounds easy, looked easy enough. Well there was one big hiccup.

Two attempts in and the outside was spinning much faster than the center. To see these first attempts, scroll down to the end...

I was prepared for this having spun my soap during the DNA swirl challenge, but I was having a hard time working around this issue.

After trying to be fancy, think outside the box, and be unique (and it just didn't work out right), well I decided it was in my best interest to try and do a good job at a "more typical spin swirl".

Quantum Entanglement
Scented with Green Irish Tweed by Oregon Trail Soap Supplies
Micas by Nurture Soap Supply, and colorants by Bramble Berry

I chose a color palate this time for inspiration.

I then decided to focus on the most bold aspects of the palate.

White- uncolored soap batter
Black Tinted Purple-wisteria purple with activated charcoal
Bright Hot Pink- red raspberry
Plum Purple-red raspberry and purple vibrance
Light Soft Pink- hollywood pink

Please forgive the yellow tinged kitchen lighting.

My recipe was
30% sweet almond oil
6% castor oil
18% coconut oil
36% home rendered beef tallow
10% olive oil
With
40% lye concentration, a 1.5:1 ratio (my go to lye ratio for every soap)
2% ppo sodium citrate
1 TBS ppo sugar
a pinch of tussah silk
4% superfat

I began by pouring some uncolored batter. I then started 3 circles, like a triangle- one on top, two on the bottom corners. I then filled in the space around them with smaller circles and poured alternating colors on top of each circle.

The top of the mold is on the right...this is a side view

I poured at thin trace to accomplish a circle within a circle throughout the depth and allow for the spin when cut at double thick horizontally, but waited for a thicker trace before spinning to prevent over blurring the lines during spin.

I had spun forcefully on my first attempts and decided to spin short bursts and light handedly this time. I wanted just enough to start moving the batter without blurring it around the edges.

This is so neat! It's the bottom of the soap. It looks wrinkled because I had to lay down a square of freezer paper in my mold. Long story short do NOT mark in ink on your silicone molds where the soap will sit. The ink sets, stains, and will come off onto your soap...thus now I need freezer paper on the bottom of the mold.

Here is a pic to see how I cut my bars.

Here is a pic of the horizontal cuts that "filet" the soap open.

A little secret...I put it on a heat pad to gel and got busy. I felt that tingle that tells you "go check it now!", and yup. It was extremely hot and was attempting to alien brain around the edges. I was able to smooth it out with my finger and it was good to go!

Now, for cut closeups!

I had enough time leftover on my trace to take leftover batter, and pour some small ITP like bars.

Yes, this is after I did the spin swirl. Look at the consistency, still very fluid thanks to a higher lye concentration, I believe. Since changing, I've had plenty of time for swirling and such.

This swirl proved more difficult than originally anticipated. I love the challenges for the opportunity it gives in practicing swirls and new techniques.

**********************************************************************************
NOW MY FIRST TWO ATTEMPTS-
Soap attempt 1, I attempted a beautiful pinwheel effect with homemade inserts.

Let's just say it didn't work out. Slight panic and a skewer later...the soap was lovely but not what I truly envisioned.

You can see the tops were not nearly as detailed as the centers. They blurred and over blended.

Soap attempt #2, I tried a beautiful brightly colored faux funnel. I poured from one corner and hoped the outside edges would spread more evenly. Quite the contrary. The edges blurred into oblivion and the center remained almost perfectly still.