Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

vanilla confetti cupcake soap
Originally uploaded by Surrender Dorothy

This is one of the most awesome ways to recycle my soap "waste." You know, trimming the bumps, leftover sample slices, and chunkles from handmilled soap that just WOULD NOT DRY!! I had to cut them into 1cm squares to get them to really dry out! But what to do with that stuff? Here it is, a plain vanilla soap, 2# of oils, three cups of chunks, lots of vanilla. I like these better than soap balls, even if all the ladies love my balls. Now my soaps, let me show you them...

Shampoo Bars

lemon rosemary shampoo bar
Originally uploaded by Surrender Dorothy

This is Lemon Rosemary Shampoo, also works as a great soap. Made with a crock pot hot process method, cooked for about 2.5 hours, a little longer than a standard soap. Just sharing...

Holiday Themed Soaps

christmas tree soap
Originally uploaded by Surrender Dorothy

Handmade soap makes a great gift for any holiday. However, it's good to consider that you give that gift on the holiday - so the soap gets used AFTER the holiday is over.
I'm super jealous of the melt & pour crafters, you guys can make the most amazing soaps! Little trees with different colored decorations, little Santas and snowmen that look almost lifelike! In the prelude to the holidays, those are my favorite guest soaps and decoration.
For gifting though, I'm trying to design soaps that have a shelf life that extends past December 26th. I made this soap with green mica and chromium green pigment, gold mica pigment, and a blend of scents based with fir. I also used a plain meat basting brush to dust the top with gold mica, for a nice shimmer.

I have also found that plastic inventory bins, available at www.grainger.com, item #5W853 or 5W842 make a great mold, even for CPOP soaps! They have a big variety of sizes available, those are just the two that I use. Just line with freezer paper, or spray with Pam, and they are fine in an oven for one hour, up to 200 degrees. After the cook, just turn the oven off and leave closed (with soap inside) overnight.

Now my soaps, let me show you them...

Holiday Peppermint Soap

holiday peppermint soap
Originally uploaded by Surrender Dorothy

This is my first Christmas soap for this season. I know it's a little early, but all the other big time retailers are breaking out the festivities, so why should I be left out?

Secret Sale!!

tea soaps
Originally uploaded by Surrender Dorothy

I'm having a "Secret Sale" through October 24th. I guess it's not that secret, anyone who wants to find out can, I've posted it here, and on my shop announcements. Any purchase (except flat rate packs) will come with a free full sized bar from the clearance list (see the announcements). I have a lot of soap that seems to be unloved, even though it is FULL OF AWESOME, and it has to go so I can continue making soap. I'm not trying to stock up for the apocalypse here, and I'm out of storage room.

And now my soaps, let me show you them...

Adventures With Goat's Milk Soap

goat's milk soap
Originally uploaded by Surrender Dorothy

My daughter's best friend's mother, who I LOVE, gets fresh raw organic goat's milk from her sister for her little boy. This unpasturized milk is only good to drink for a couple of days before it starts to sour. But it's fine for soap for a week. But now I have a freezer full of the most awesome milk ever! She hasn't sent me any that's soured yet (it's wonderful!), cause mama goat is really producing, and her babies from the spring are off the milk. I only make hot process soap, so it's been a challenge to do it with milk without making it hideous. This is my first real success! I started with frozen milk first (pretty standard), mixed the lye solution, no problem, proceeded as with a CP soap. Poured the raw soap into the mold, then put it in the freezer, to cool it quickly. One hour in the freezer, then moved it to the fridge for a couple more. Then I put it into the oven at 150 degrees for one hour. Back into the fridge one hour! Back into the oven for an hour, back into the fridge for the night. Cut the next morning, cured for a week, and while there's a little discoloration, I believe it's mostly from the fragrance oil that I used, which was an amber color before the gelling. Also, I oven processed the soap in a plastic dishwasher safe mold, no problems.

Now my soaps, let me show you them...

Neon Halloween Soap

neon halloween soap
Originally uploaded by Surrender Dorothy

I think this is awesome. That is all.