Friday, August 16, 2013

August 2013 Great Cakes Soap Challenge Club - The Holly Swirl

Great Cakes Soapworks "Holly Swirl" Challenge


August 16, 2013

Don't you love a challenge? Soap making challenges always inspire me to be a bit more more creative and to give color and fragrance selection more thought than usual.  Or , as in lately, they actually get me to make a batch of soap!  I've been on hiatus since last December and am just now returning to soapmaking.  Although I've kept up with fellow soapmakers in the forums online, I realize that I've missed the process of actually planning and making a soap that I'm pleased with an look forward to sharing. 

The batch I made for Amy's "Holly Swirl" challenge isn't exactly what I was aiming for in design, but it smells fabulous and I'm pretty pleased with it overall.  A big thank you, as always, to Amy Warden for pulling these challenges together.  I look forward to them and hope they'll continue!

Confession:  I actually made two batches, but the second was a fail.  I think my trace was too thin and I ended up with very subtle swirls, but a beautiful peach color overall and it will make nice gifts this Christmas!

I did an "in the pot two color swirl" of green and yellow, mixed with an "in the pot swirl" of turquoise and yellow and poured them into a base color of cream/white made by adding 1 tsp. of titanium dioxide.
I'd use more base and less swirled colors next time and I'd also make sure that the colors I chose wouldn't muddy or blend together.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained !!

In honor of my all time favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz, and it's one week IMAX 3D release in October, I created City of Emeralds.   

Thank you for visiting and I hope you'll leave a comment or critique.  

~ Suzy @ Spoonbridge Soaps

Colorants: 
The Conservatory - Shamrock Green mica, Gold Luster Green
Bramble Berry  - Fizzy Lemonade, titanium dioxide

Fragrance:  Ancient Incense by Moonworks Collection


Forgive the poor photo quality. I'm saving my pennies for a good camera, but in the meantime this is the best it gets.