December's challenge was to create a top for our soap from an Impression Mat. We could buy one or we could make one. I opted to buy one as I didn't really have any thing on hand that I thought would work well for the type of design I wanted. I also wanted to make sure that I actually DID this challenge as I had signed up for November's and then ran out of time. I figured if I bought a mat that would sort of force me to continue! For those who don't know what an impression mat is, here is a picture of mine. It was much longer but I cut it down to fit my 2 pound...
September 2015 was the Great Cakes Soapworks Clyde Slide Challenge. The point of this challenge was to get a signature "feathered" look using one of three techniques devised by Clyde Yoshida of Vibrant Soaps. This was the second challenge I participated in having just started cold process soaping in May. I made three tries for the challenge. I would love to write and say that after each batch, each try, I got better and better. That my persistence and dedication to excellence paid off. But alas, that was not the case. If I had to name this challenge for myself, I think I would call it the Case of Working Backwards…… Recently, I have been working on learning to add...
I am obsessed with soap. I think other soapers on the forums say they are addicts. It does seem like that's what I am. I think about it, read about it, talk about it, and now I'm writing about it. I do want to make sure that this "good thing" doesn't take the place of Jesus. I'm afraid that at the moment it may be. I'm hoping that documenting a little of my journey will get some of it out of my system. I'm also hoping that it will encourage those of you who are afraid to start, who think they will make too many mistakes, to get soaping. I will be honest about my mistakes so you can see...
Showers and baths were always sort of dull routines as far as I was concerned. Wash hair, wash body, shave--all it meant was that once I got out I would possibly be cold (if it was winter) and I would still have to go through the process of drying and fixing my hair, putting on makeup, continuing a routine that was boring. Bubble baths didn't help much. I'm a reader and that would have been nice in the tub if I could have kept my book from getting soapy or wet but I wasn't very successful at that. So, sitting in the water while it got lukewarm and trying to look like the relaxed women in all the movies just...
