Best. Challenge. Ever. Oh my gosh, I can’t tell you how much I loved Amy Warden’s (of Great Cakes Soapworks) latest challenge. For October, we were to make a wood grain soap using either natural or synthetic ingredients.
I chose synthetic. I have a lot of micas so I had a good amount of colors to choose from plus I had gotten a sample of Rustic Escential’s Cedarwood and Patchouli fragrance oil and I thought that would be perfect to try out.
This challenge could not have been timed more perfectly. I had been planning on making a Nutcracker* soap for Christmas and I wanted to make it wood grain. Even though I had never done that before I was going to make an attempt. I often run out of time for doing these challenges. For instance, the month before, even though I was signed up for the piping challenge, my time was taken up trying to finish my website in order to get it launched for an October deadline. But this time I could accomplish two birds with one stone. I could work on trials for my Christmas soap and do the challenge at the same time. Score!
I looked around our house at our various wood furniture as well as the piles of wood in our garage. (My husband does woodworking so there is plenty.) But I finally took inspiration from some tulipwood pictures (which varied considerably) I found on a wood website.
I followed Amy’s recipe which worked like a dream. Nice and slow moving, giving me plenty of time to lay down the colors. I used 5 colors from Steph's Micas and More: Shimmer

I am so in excited about this technique. I don’t know if I will get it done before this blog has to go up as I also have quite a few other Christmas soaps to do (yes I know, I’m behind) but I plan to try a weathered grey wood board look and probably scent it with Silver Birch and Vetiver and maybe a yellow oak soap with Oak Barrel Cider! I feel like the possibilities are endless!
Thanks again, Amy for all your hard work on these challenges and for putting together another great one!
*this soap has been renamed for Spring and is now being sold as Tulipwood.
27 comments
This turned out so beautiful!!!!
Hannah
Congratulations, Amazing job! It really does look like a block of wood! Color choices were perfect.
CIndy
Congratulations!! It is amazing
Marie
Beautiful job! Love this soap!
Lee
Wow, a HUGE thank you to EVERYONE for all your kind comments. You all are such an encouragement to me. Unfortunately my blog wont allow me to thank all of you individually so I hope you all will see my thanks here!
Nancy