Saturday, July 28, 2012

Swirled Hearts

I tried a new technique today, using the Swirled Hearts tutorial from Soap Queen. I chose to use Brambleberry's Cherry Blossom fragrance, which smells heavenly but was probably not a wise choice for this type of swirling because it accelerates in CP. Otherwise, the process was really easy and the effect is definitely worth it! I also tried some sodium lactate in this batch at a 3% usage rate (same as I use for HP); however, while the soap popped nicely out of the mold after only about 4 hours, it was very crumbly when I cut it. Next time I will drop the SL down to 2%, and then adjust it even further if necessary. I used pink and burgundy micas for the hearts. My CP soaps also like to gather ash on the top, so I sprayed the tops every 1/2 hour for the first 2 hours in an attempt to keep the ash away :)


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4 comments:

  1. LauraJuly 28, 2012 at 3:38 PM

    Looks great! I've been wanting to try this technique for a while now, and I have signed up for a fall swap on a soaper facebook page, so I may try something for that! BB's Cherry Blossom really is a beautiful fragrance! I haven't used it in CP yet, so it's good to know about the acceleration.

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  2. CeeJuly 28, 2012 at 4:13 PM

    Thanks Laura! That's a great idea, you could do the hearts in fall colors - or I bet this technique could be used to create a leaf-type pattern with practice! It was actually quite easy to do, just make sure you start at a thin trace and use a non-accelerating f.o.! Please post pics if you do!

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  3. LatherBeSoapingJuly 29, 2012 at 1:50 PM

    Your hearts turned out beautifully! I plan to try this technique someday, too. I printed out Anne-Marie's tutorial and went out and bought squeeze bottles, but I just haven't done it yet! There are so many things I want to try!

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  4. CeeJuly 29, 2012 at 2:13 PM

    It's really a fun and easy technique Jenny! The squeeze bottles make it so much easier, they will be very useful tools for all kinds of swirls. I know what you mean about wanting to try so many things! I have oats soaking in the fridge right now for an oat milk soap I want to try...but that's what I love about soaping, you never stop learning!

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