Saturday, March 30, 2013

Week 1 Soap Challenge 2013

I am very excited to again be participating in another one of Amy Worden of GreatCakes Soapworks  "Soap Challenge".  This is the second year she has offered people to sign up and "challenge" themselves to try new soaping techniques and post their results. This year I didn't even have to give it a second thought and committed right away. I am of course hoping it will be a yearly event, you know like this would be the "2nd annual Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge" (hint, hint Amy).

On last year's challenge I learned so much and expanded my soap making skills. All the other participants were so talented and some of the nicest people to take the journey with. The pictures of everyone's soaps were amazing and so fun to look at. I never get tired of looking at other peoples soaps....may seem strange to some, but not to us soapers. We call it "soap porn".


This week's soap challenge is to make a soap using a technique called "Tiger Stripes". I was very excited to be doing this one. Let me explain, you see I live in a very small town in Oregon called Yamhill, which is a farming community. The population is around 700, the town consists of a small strip of businesses which includes a small country store, one gas station, post office, bank, 3 small restaurants, and a few other businesses. Our bordering town is Carlton and the kids from both cities go to school together. The Elementary school is located in Carlton, the Junior High and High School are in Yamhill. You are probably wondering what all this has to do with me be so excited about making a "Tiger Stripe" soap, well the High School's mascot is none other than a TIGER!
Well here goes.........................................

 
Here you can see that I have pictures of tigers that I printed as my
 inspiration for my colors and I have my colors selected ready to mix.


 
Colors are mixed, gloves are on, I am ready to get started. Oh yes and
my fingers are crossed that this will come out just like I visioned it.


 

I have started pouring my colors. I poured a thin line of color 1,
then poured a thin line of color 2, then a thin line of color 3. I
continue pouring each color this way until the mold is full.


 

 


All the soap is now poured into the mold.
So far everything has gone well.....whew!

 
I textured the top and put on a bit of glitter.
I can't wait to unmold and cut it to see what
the inside looks like. Waiting is the hard part!
 
Here are a couple pictures of the Yamhill/Carlton
High School Gym showing a great painting of their
Tiger Mascott.
 
 
Here is my "Y/C Tiger Soap" Scented with the  
fragrance oil "Energy".