#shellsandseaglass #beachsoap #shellsoap #seaglasssoap #soapchallengeclub
#sageandcitrus #amywardenssoapchallengeclub
Somehow the holidays are zooming towards us on a high speed train, chugging (do trains actually chug anymore?) along each day…. then as I beginning writing this blog I look across the room and there is a decorated Christmas tree staring at me! How can Christmas be here already?!
This year along with all the pre holiday mayhem, Alison and I decided to enter another Great Cakes Soapworks Challenges hosted by Amy Warden. Our reasoning was two-fold, first we love the challenges! We learn new techniques, we challenge ourselves, me meet other soapers and generally have a ball making whatever kind of design the challenge puts forth. And second, we can teach ourselves how to make our own molds!
The challenge this month is to create your own silicone mat/mold! Could we actually do this? Boy we hoped so. (because…) In our many online soap related shopping adventures we tend to surf in many categories, scents (we never get tired of this section), colorants, what is on sale, supplies we need, and then we slide over to drool over molds. Molds aren't just square or rectangular anymore, they have dogs, lego, very intricate flowers, babies, stars, cupcakes, shells, butterflies….and, well you get the drift, almost anything can be made into a mold. And now we are going to try this (formerly) intimidating feat.
And this is why we love the challenge club - we are trying something we never would have tried on our own!
We bought the mold making materials as soon as Amy announced the challenges, then started wracking our brains as to subject matter for the mat. We looked around and saw small river rocks (too big), pasta (um..no), cut grass (too delicate), assorted keys (not interesting), lace (nah), sea glass (hmmmm - maybe), cup cake sprinkles (we'd eat to many), shells (hmmmm I have a ton), dried lemon slices (would acid react to silicone?), well anyway you get the drift. After going round and round with various ideas since both of us LOVE everything beach related we decided to use a mixture of sea glass and shells.
So without further yapping we will now take you on our silicone mat making experience. This challenge was in two parts, the making of the silicone mat, which will be the following video.
The second video is the making of the soap, which I think we are going to call "shells and sea glass", I know, couldn't we think of anything catchier (sp?). Well, how about "sea glass and shells?"
Enjoy the video.
Final shots of the soap both before and after we cut it into bars.
Top layer = shells and sea glass; second layer = sand; third layer = white foam; bottom = in-the-pot-swirl of blues to signify the many colors found in the ocean.
Shells & Sea Glass will be cured by January 27, 2016
(that's the first time we've typed a date with 2016 in it!!)
