Merry Christmas!

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To all my friends and followers, have a safe and happy holiday! It’s been a great 2011, and I know 2012 will be even better. And yes, we will all live to tell after 12/21/12!

 

I’ll be M-I-A for a few weeks, so I’ll talk to ya’ll next year. Peace be with you-always!

Fun With Melt and Pour Soap

About six months ago, I made the decision to stop making melt and pour soaps. Why? Because the bases are so expensive (IMO), and I wanted to focus my efforts on making my soaps from scratch. This is NOT a knock on melt and pour soapmakers. They do some of the most original, incredible work I've seen in soapmaking.

Now with all that being said, I was contacted a few weeks ago with an opportunity to preview a new e-book on melt and pour soapmaking, and of course I jumped on it! After all, it was melt and pour that got me hooked on this drug called soapmaking in the first place. Melt and pour soaps, by the way, (I keep forgetting that I have readers who are not in the "business") are pre-made, glycerin soap bases that are cut and melted then colored and/or scented then poured into a mold of some type. You can also add goodies like herbs and glitter to jazz it up. The book is called The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting by Lisa Maliga, and here's what's in it!

~ WHY you should make your own soap
~ How to make handcrafted soap in less than 1 hour!
~ Secrets of melt & pour soap crafting
~ Complete step-by-step instructions
~ Fragrance & essential oils information
~ List of reputable soap suppliers
~ Creative labeling & packaging ideas and photos
~ Easy-to-make craft projects for kids of all ages
~ Bestselling soap recipes
~ Color photos of the recipes!
~ NO experience necessary!

In honor of this book, I decided to post some pics of some of the soaps I made in the past using melt and pour soaps. I actually have Creme Brulee back in the shop cuz I love them so much! Thanks Lisa for re-inspiring me...

What I like about this book is it's just not a book full of projects. Lisa gives you some background on what melt and pour soapmaking is along with tips and tricks as well as facts and safety tips. This book is perfetto for newbs and presents some fun, indoor activity for the kiddos. Throw a soap party and invite your best buds over for a little pinot and soapmaking. I've actually scheduled mine for the first weekend in January. Thanks again Lisa!

Sugar Lips!

I've re-formulated my lip buff so that it's now creamier than ever! Version 1 was basically my lip balm formula with sugar mixed in. I packaged it in 1 oz pots, and I loved them. They were pretty cool...but they were too hard, and when you dug your finger in the pot, you'd end up with product and sugar clumped under your nails...

Then I got the genius idea to package them in lip balm tubes. Again, same formula, but you got significantly less product, and pouring the thick, sugary liquid was a messy p.i.a.

So, back to the lab I went. I loved the pots, but I didn't like the formula. I decided to whip the butter-shea butter to be exact-this time to get a creamy, yet, thick consistency, and VOILA...Perfection! It's not goopy or runny, but like cake frosting with a heap of sugar added. DEE-LISH! I haven't listed these yet cuz the labels are giving me a major migrane.Comes in two flavors: Buttercream Cupcake and Mint Truffle. We'll start with these, and add on:)