Punkins' world....SUNSHINE, seeds and no more drought!

[Farmfresh]

I use Gladware baking dishes for soap molds. You know the kind that are supposed to be oven safe and made of black plastic.

I also use a 3 inch section of PVC pipe that is about a foot or so long with a screw on cap on one end. This one is my favorite. You just grease it with a little petroleum jelly and pour in the soap.

When it is time to un-mold you freeze the mold for about an hour. Then, when the mold hits room temp it causes the soap to sweat some making it slip easily out when you un cap the bottom and push. As it comes out of the pipe you can easily cut it with a thin wire into perfect rounds.

 

[punkin]

Yesterday, I used a container like the one that lunch meat (I forgot the brand) comes in. It worked like a charm for melt & pour glycerine soap. After it hardened, it popped right out and I cut it into 6 bars.

I have a 3" PVC pipe, but I'm thinking that 2 1/2" might be better for me.

I even used the bottom of a plastic container that my DH bought chocolate covered raisins in. It's a square shape that graduates out. Plus, the inside is the exact opposite so it will be great for embedded soaps.

Now that I'm onto this soaping thing, I'm looking differently at how things can be used as molds. People look at me strange when I pick up a carton or container of something, turning it over and over looking for ridges or indentations.

Tomorrow, I'm headed to Lowe's looking for lye.

 

[punkin]

Here is a pic of some of the soaps I made for my order. The one with the white flower on top has small white "ice cube" soaps embedded within. You may be able to see some of the white squares beside the flower. The clear soap is the one with the "suspended" flower inside. The left rear soap is embossed with his initial. The tulle wrapped is a handmilled soap.

 

[Farmfresh]

Beautiful job!

 

[keljonma]

I think those soaps are just beautiful, punkin! I love your creativity.

Once in Texas, I bought some homemade soap that was formed in a small bread pan shape. It was a green citrus-scented soap with little imbedded blocks of different colors. When it was out on the soap dish, my ds said it looked like her inspiration was a jello recipe.

My dd gets a lot of her "soap molds" at the thrift and Goodwill stores.

 

[punkin]

Yesterday, I spent a good deal of the morning trying to find lye. My DH even had a couple of his employees looking for it. We checked Lowe's, The Farmer's Co-op and a few smaller hardware stores with no luck. Finally, I called a local chemical co. and they sell it. But, I had to buy a 55lb. bag. That will make enough soap to fill my house. The price was just over $1 per lb. which is much better than any online prices, plus I didn't have to pay the high shipping fees.

So, now I have all my ingred., supplies, equipment, etc. I was looking forward to making my first batch today.

But, DS went to a friend's house last night. That friend has a skateboard and a half-pipe. And my son, being a normal 18 yr. old, couldn't stand the fact that he had 2 perfectly good ankles. He came home around 10pm limping. He took his sock off and Wowza! His ankle was 3 times the normal size. Since he could still put weight on it and wasn't terribly painful, we didn't take him to the ER. This morning the swelling has gone down to about twice the normal size and not much pain. DH & I still want to err on the side of caution, so he has a Dr's appt. at 3:45 today.

I probably have plenty of time to make it, but being a newbie, I want my whole day open.

 

[keljonma]

Yesterday, I spent a good deal of the morning trying to find lye. My DH even had a couple of his employees looking for it. We checked Lowe's, The Farmer's Co-op and a few smaller hardware stores with no luck. Finally, I called a local chemical co. and they sell it. But, I had to buy a 55lb. bag. That will make enough soap to fill my house. The price was just over $1 per lb. which is much better than any online prices, plus I didn't have to pay the high shipping fees.

Wow! That was good price on the 55lb of lye, punkin.

But, DS went to a friend's house last night. That friend has a skateboard and a half-pipe. And my son, being a normal 18 yr. old, couldn't stand the fact that he had 2 perfectly good ankles. He came home around 10pm limping. He took his sock off and Wowza! His ankle was 3 times the normal size. Since he could still put weight on it and wasn't terribly painful, we didn't take him to the ER. This morning the swelling has gone down to about twice the normal size and not much pain. DH & I still want to err on the side of caution, so he has a Dr's appt. at 3:45 today.

Hope your ds is doing well. What is it about teenage boys?!

 

[lorihadams]

Don't you just LOVE boys!!!

I hope he feels better.

 

[punkin]

Good news! DS' ankle isn't broken (I didn't think it was), but just a bad sprain. The swelling has gone down more, just a little tender, but it is starting to bruise. And as we all know, any kind of bruise or scar is a mark of achievement for a teenage boy.

At least he won't be racing for a couple of weeks. The track, which is in N. Georgia, is under about 6 feet of water due to all the flooding. Right beside the track is Shipps RV. Last night on the news, they showed an arial photo of it and all you can see is the top half of most of their camper inventory. That area of Georgia got about 10" of rain in 48 hours. Chattanooga was also hit pretty hard. Here in our part of TN, we got about 6"-7" with some minor flooding.

Last night, we went to eat with some very good friends of ours for her 80th birthday celebration. She's the one that I made the lavender gift basket for and she loved it. She has beaten lukemia twice and just got another good report Monday on her blood levels.

Well, I'm off to get my soaping supplies straightened out & organized better. And, maybe, make some soap!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Boys! Just gotta love them!

The soaps you made are just beautiful!