tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45113031883367590272024-03-14T03:09:09.415-05:00Missouri River SoapHollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-52077199832354867232015-01-03T12:13:00.001-06:002015-01-03T12:19:43.985-06:00A Refreshing Start<br>I just love the new year. It brings so much hope for change. It is just a new day and a turn of numbers but it always feels so much more than that. It is refreshing!<br>
<br>2014 was a great year for MO River Soap. The sales and numbers still make my head spin. (It is tax time you know.) The holidays were a rush which was mostly fun but also exhausting. I packed my last order about a week prior to Christmas day and I abandoned my soap room for almost two weeks. Many fellow soapers rushed back to work and I have enjoyed seeing their progress. For me, I felt like I was on vacation and truly SEEING my kids and husband for the first time in months. The rat race completely took over my life. I am blessed beyond words that the business was so successful and that my husband and kids were right there supporting me. There were a lot of late dinners made by my husband and several nights of just cereal for dinner. Once things calmed down, I got back in the kitchen and my kids seemed amazed that I still remembered how to cook. Seeing the excitement in their eyes, that they had their mom back, was pretty darned humbling. As best as I tried to balance the business and my home life, the business won out every time. Again, I am blessed to have such wonderful customers and blessed to have so much interest in my YouTube videos, Facebook page, etc.. However, it's time to shift the load into a different direction.<br>
<br>I am very excited to move forward in this year. Thanks to a wonderful holiday season, this hobby business of mine now supports itself. I will have to be very cautious in my spending to keep it that way. I have a whole wall of fragrance oils but it is never enough is it? My husband often suggests I just use up what I have. It just doesn't work that way does it? :-)<br>
<br>My goal this year is to take it all at a little slower pace. My home responsibilities will have to be first. I can pour my heart and soul into this when my kids have left home and I am suffering from empty nest syndrome. I am still very happy to create and offer my creations to you all. I am a soaper through and through and will experience some seriously ugly withdrawals if I don't make it. So you're in luck there! I will still be designing and creating wax melts for you as well. <br>
<br>This year's theme will be "ME...only simpler". We'll have less crazy color (some soap got a little wild last year) and more solid color. We'll have more basic designed soap that I adore and less swirly swirls. I will still be doing some fun designs and swirls as one can't totally leave that behind. I'm not going all natural here! I'm just simplifying a little bit. <br>
<br>You'll see some packaging changes. I get bored easily so I enjoy changing it up. I do think I'm totally over shrink wrap and glycerin soap embeds though.<br>
<br>You'll see better lighting in my videos, a drive for better quality videos, and fewer so-so videos. I have so many videos on my channel and it's just all the same stuff. I know many of you love it no matter what but I'd love to switch it up a bit if I can. <br>
<br>Big Cartel is so 2014 and I have closed down my storefront there. The issues I had with Big Cartel during the holiday season certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. I think they are user friendly and for the most part are an awesome platform for selling. I just don't think it can handle the fast and furious hits that I put it through when I opened for a new listing. Most of my selections sell out within the first 20 minutes. It is not because I didn't have the stock behind it, as I most certainly did. I will temporarily return to Etsy (link above) until we are ready to move forward with my actual website.<br>
<br>I thank all my wonderful customers and fellow soapers for a fabulous 2014 and LORD willing, 2015 will be even better. Quality over quantity! WOO!<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-85401176120308240512014-05-20T11:35:00.001-05:002014-05-20T11:35:41.024-05:00Leaning Towards the Natural SideHi everyone! I had a wonderful customer request that I get some natural soaps made. I tend to want to make soaps with bright colors and fragrances that can't be achieved with natural colorants and essential oils. Every now and again though, it feels so good to go back to the basics. That is how I started after all!
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This customer suggested some blends that she'd be interested in but also gave me the liberty to make whatever I wanted and she'd still purchase it. So that was fun! I did end up choosing two of her suggestions and they were pretty darned good!
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The first I made was Anise Mint Soap. It is a blend of anise and peppermint essential oils. I've soaped anise several times but I've never mixed it with peppermint. Wow, what a wonderful combo. They compliment each other so well! I used Egyptian Licorice Mint Tea for the liquid portion of my soap and then opened a tea bag and use the tea to sprinkle down the middle of the top when I was finished.
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The other blend was a citrus essential oil blend. This one wasn't really a new blend so I know that it will stick for me. I mixed Pink Grapefruit, 10 Fold Orange, Litsea Cubeba, and Lemongrass essential oils. With both soaps I used kaolin clay to help anchor the scents. I called it Beautiful Day because it reminds me of a sunny, bright, cheery, day full of sunshine and blue skies. I topped the soap with dried cornflower and sunflower petals.
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I am quite certain that I will be remaking both of these soaps. They are just so creamy and GOOD.
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A quick reminder that I will have new items listing this Sunday, May 25th, sometime between 2-4pm, central time. I will updating the site later this week so you can browse before the store opens. <a href="http://missouririversoap.bigcartel.com/">Missouri River Soap Store</a>
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Thanks for stopping by!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-41911827472269002882014-05-14T11:14:00.000-05:002014-05-14T11:21:46.498-05:00What's New in the Soap ZoneHi all! I've decided that I'm just pathetic at this blogging thing. I spend a lot of my social media time on Facebook and in my new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MissouriRiverSoap/">Facebook group</a>. Facebook has made it difficult for businesses to continue to have the visibility that we are used to. They don't always share the posts in your feed. Even if you like and share the posts, you aren't always going to get a 'liked' page's post in your feed when it is posted. I know they say to check 'Get Notifications' and/or 'Add to Interest List' to help out but it still doesn't work that great. I have started my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MissouriRiverSoap/">Facebook group</a> for my business so the members have a better chance to see pictures, updates on listings, etc.. It has also been a fun place to chat and I've had much more interaction with the members. I do hope you'll come join us. It's fun!
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I've been quite busy in the soap zone recently but not all of it is video worthy. The soap batches have been fewer and farther between as I begin prepping for my next listing, which will be May 25th, over at my <a href="http://missouririversoap.bigcartel.com/">Big Cartel</a> store. In the coming days, I will be announcing the time frame that I will be listing. I try for a time on Sunday afternoon that is post-church and pre-dinner for most time zones in the US. I know it isn't always going to work for everyone but it seems to be one of the better time frames. I have quite a bit of stock with this listing. There will be some listed that don't have as much inventory because they were tests, limited editions, etc.. I expect those to go very fast but hopefully the rest of the soaps will hold on for a few hours at least. I won't have much for wax melts with this listing. What I do have will be the scent I designed for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GourdingAround">Gourding Around</a>. If you've ordered from them and were fortunate to receive a wax melt in their scent, now you can come get some directly from my store...with Jodi's blessing of course!
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Here is a peek at what is going on this morning...
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Most recent soap gear all cleaned up and ready to be made dirty again!
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A little over half of the Rainbow batch needing beveled before going on the curing shelf. There is a lot of this one but I still doubt it will be enough. More will have to be made soon!
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Curing shelves are getting very full!
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A custom/wholesale order for a friend ready to be packed up on the left. ButterCream Babies soap on the right still needing split, cut, and beveled. That one is made with three luxurious butters and a wonderful milk combo of goats milk, cows cream, whole cows milk, and goat milk yogurt. It is an unscented soap. I know unscented soaps aren't that popular but I love them so I will continue to make them. Every time I work downstairs, I melt down some of those old candles and pour out the wax so that I can wash up the containers.
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(Left to right)
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Top shelf: Summer Love Soap, Camocado Soap
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Top middle shelf: Crema y Cacao Soap, Sweet Pink Camo Soap
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Bottom middle shelf: Princess Kisses Soap, Crema y Cacao Soap off cuts, White Apricot Tea Soap
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Bottom shelf: Odds and ends soaps to the left, more Crema y Cacao Soap off cuts, Apple Mint Goat Milk Soap, Watermelon Peach Goat Milk Soap, Blueberry Fig Goat Milk Soap
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Top shelf: Figgy Cream Soap
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Top middle shelf: Wild Island Breeze Soap
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Bottom middle shelf: Half of the Rainbow soap batch
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Bottom shelf: Sparkle Fruit Salad Soap
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I'm hoping to make some more soap today. I'm not quite sure I'll have a spot to put it but I'm determined anyway!
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On another note, we have a new, little kitten. Meet Lily!
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Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-24302877793397626362014-04-07T11:16:00.002-05:002014-04-07T11:16:39.909-05:00His and Her Camo SoapsCamo soaps are just so fun to make. This was my first time making them in a large batch but it went along quite nicely. It seems Springtime is when I tend to make them.
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Up first was the girls camo soap with a mix of three pinks and white. I did forget that the heating pad was on under this batch so it did overheat. It is one of the first times that I have gotten the pronounced titanium dioxide crackling. I think it works in this case! I mixed another custom fragrance for this batch and oh...my...word...it is fabulous! This scent is a blend of sweet pea, apples, berries, and peaches. It may be my favorite scent ever! I adore it!
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I've varied the colors of my guys camo soap through the years but I am super pleased with how the colors turned out this time. The inspiration for the camo color selection comes from the fatigues I remember my dad wearing when he was in the reserves. It wasn't digital camo, desert camo, or hunting camo but military, Vietnam-era type camo. I wanted to scent this batch in my custom blended Sierra scent which is a dupe for Sierra by Stetson. However, I went to mix my fragrances and found I only had half of two components of the blend that I needed. Since the entire batch was prepped otherwise, I chose to go through my collection and blend a new fragrance. I will admit, it is a bit odd, but I like it! The base of the blend is an earthy, cologne-type scent to which I added patchouli essential oil, cedarwood essential oil, fir needle essential oil, a touch of peppermint essential oil...and root beer fragrance! It's masculine, earthy, minty, and a touch sweet. It's really nice! This soap is again named Camocado. Normally, I use avocado puree in the batch but this time I decided I just didn't want to bother with it. Instead, I incorporated avocado oil into the batch. So Camocado will remain its name!
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Both soaps will be available with my late May listings.
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Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-73687779302926609432014-03-29T18:43:00.000-05:002014-03-29T18:43:28.966-05:00Blueberry Fig Goat Milk SoapThe scent and design of this soap just popped into my head one day. Most of my inspiration comes this way and it's just a quick flash in which I see the soap and can imagine the scent. Usually it happens as I'm trying to fall asleep at night. Sometimes it is when I'm washing my hands with some other soap of mine. I am thankful to have these images! With this one, I even saw the font I was supposed to use. Odd or awesome? :-) I will go with both!
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This scent is so classy and lovely. It immediately made me think of something like you would find at Crabtree & Evelyn. It is a delightful blend of fresh picked blueberries, Mediterranean fig, sandalwood, amber, and fresh lemon. Classy I tell you!
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I knew I wanted to use full goat milk with this one so I began the search to find goat milk locally. The proved to be harder than I anticipated. Back in the olden days (somewhere around 2008), I could find lovely, creamy, goat milk from locally raised goats at our hometown grocery store. It was packaged in the most glorious glass bottle that has made a fine substitution for a vase over the years. However, I had no such luck in these futuristic, goat-milk-less times. In the end, I had to buy a carton of goat milk at Whole Foods, about 25 minutes away. Eh...how unromantic. This would be the main reason why I don't use goat milk more often. Anywhoszits, that was quite the story of sourcing goat milk. Snoozeville.
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Next step was to freeze the milks. I prefer large, chunky shapes (mine happened to be fun bug shapes) so that it takes longer for the milks to melt. I found that if I work with slushy milks that it melts too quickly and causes more burning. I did not have any troubles with that again this time and the milks were a nice pale yellow. Quite lovely indeed.
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I will admit I became overly eager when just 7 hrs later my soap was pulling away from the dividers, and I unmolded the soap without doing a video. DOH! I realized this about the time that I had all the bars lined up just right for a picture. Geez. I was testing a new butter blend and it was just a minor change, but it made the soap a bit harder than usual. The soap was still soft enough that I wouldn't have wanted to cut it, but releasing from the mold was perfect. Anyway, I did make a video showing the unmolded soaps and how I plane and bevel them.
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This soap turned out so creamy and lovely. It will be a limited edition and available with my late May listings.
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Click on the pic to enlarge it. :-)
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Thank you to all of those that commented on my last blog post. There are many that read blogs and I know now that it is worth the effort. So thanks!
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Next up...Camo Soap!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-6413682418150107252014-03-26T09:48:00.000-05:002014-03-26T18:57:03.544-05:00Tap, Tap, Tap...Is This Thing On?Hello! Hello! It has been so long! I did not intend to abandon the blog again. Most of my social media activities take place on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Missouri-River-Soap/264348723577234">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Sparklebrook">YouTube</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/MORiverSoap">Twitter</a>. Do people still read blogs even? If you're reading this, please leave a comment because I'm not sure if I should drop the blog or spend more time focusing on regular posts. I am not much of a blog reader nowadays, but that doesn't mean I'm the norm. Quite the opposite in most cases! HA!
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I have been busily making soaps, wrapping soaps, listing soaps, and packing orders over the last few months. It's a steady and enjoyable job! I listed my most recent soaps over at my <a href="http://missouririversoap.bigcartel.com/">Big Cartel</a> store on Sunday afternoon and sold out of all but one within several hours. I have been making bigger batches and yet, they still sell just as quickly! So now I am pondering (daydreaming?) about how to make even bigger batches and/or increase production in general. I am due to make Rainbow soap again, but I know that my 25 lb batch won't last more than a few hours once listed, so I need to figure out the most efficient way to produce it in even bigger quantities. I have several ideas and it is a problem that I am happy and blessed to have. I am very appreciative of my wonderful customers that allow me to do what I love on a regular basis!
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This month, the super lovely Katie from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Royalty-Soaps/257324110969566">Royalty Soaps</a> did a royal review of Missouri River Soap. She is just so fun and I'm honored to be a part of her year of reviews. She is so cheerful and her videos are always at the top of my viewing list. Click <a href="http://youtu.be/W2sg27ZhtCk">HERE</a> to see her review video and <a href="http://www.royaltysoaps.com/2014/03/royal-review-missouri-river-soaps.html">HERE</a> for the review blog post.
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Now for a sprinkling of photos from the last few months!
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There are always soap dishes to get cleaned up!
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Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-17592698790476415722013-12-12T10:59:00.000-06:002013-12-12T10:59:28.080-06:00Back To It!Hi everyone! I know my blog has taken a back seat recently and I hope to update it more. November was just a crazy month for me. Fun, but crazy! I decided to take a break from selling in December but I will be back in January. It will most likely be mid-January as several of my soaps won't be ready until then. I am enjoying this time away from selling to get back into making product. In the last week I have made 2 huge batches, Rainbow and Crema y Cacao. Moving into the new year, I would like to make bigger batches so I don't have to remake soaps quite so often.
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First up was my Rainbow soap. It is scented in a positively delightful pear scent. I just love the color and it makes my eyes happy.
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The other large batch I made was Crema y Cacao. This is another favorite! It is an unscented soap with double the cocoa butter and extra cream. It is a very hard bar of soap and super luxurious. It is my preferred soap for the winter and anytime I just need a no-nonsense bar of soap. The cocoa butter scent does come through to the finished soap. It is fabulous! I will admit I had a different plan for the top, but I love it in all it's rustic beauty. It is such a classic bar of soap.
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I have so many remakes to do and I'm excited about it! :-)
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Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-78452737291623161212013-11-17T17:16:00.000-06:002013-11-17T17:16:06.646-06:00Holiday Soaps and Scented Wax MeltsIt is just about time for the big Holiday release! I am so very excited to share these products with you. The <a href="http://missouririversoap.bigcartel.com/products">store</a> will open at 6pm central time on today, November 17th! The first 25 orders of $40 and up (not including shipping) will receive a fun gift bag! Included will be deluxe sizes of soap and scented wax melts in scents that I have never offered before!
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The Holiday Soaps:
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The Scented Wax Melts with a few non-Holiday options:
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Thank you all for your support through this year. My focus for the last several months has been on the Fall and now Holiday release. I have enjoyed it greatly but I cannot wait to resume my normal schedule. Look for your favorites to return in early 2014!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-67806885780536338012013-10-28T14:32:00.000-05:002013-10-28T14:33:59.139-05:00Already???If you're a soaper or other craft maker like me, you know that holiday preparations begin way early for us. It's hard to believe that we begin working on our holiday soaps and other products before it even turns Fall in most cases! As soon as I finished my Fall soaps, I moved right into the holiday ones. I am not one to muddle up the holiday seasons but sometimes we just have no choice. I will soon be listing my holiday soaps and waxes and so I thought it time to give the good ol' blog a festive look.
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I am still working on my waxes so I don't have any pictures of those yet. Here are the holiday soaps I will be offering in the store this year:
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Winter Kaleidoscope Soap -Evergreen resins, amid an infusion of sparkling tart fruit and subtle woodsy clove, add to the hearty middle notes of pine and fir needle. An extremely smooth yet lively conifer fragrance with tart nuances of citrus and sparkling fruit, spiked with a base of musk and green moss.
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Holiday Candy - I've blended several different to come up with a mouth-watering scent blend of candied apple and candied sugar crystals, with rock candy and sweet vanilla cream. Oh boy, this one is a keeper!
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Cranberry Ice - Juicy, red cranberries and sparkling Asian Yuzu combine with icy peppermint for this frosty holiday scent.
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Merry & Bright - A bright and complex fragrance combination of base notes of bamboo and teakwood, with middle notes of tayberries, blackberries, mulberries, cloudberries, and peaches, with subtle hints of red clover and sweetgrass.
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Holly Jolly - This will be my last year with this particular scent. The fragrance has been discontinued. :-( A beautiful, festive scent blending notes
of clean, fresh winter air with earthy, leafy greens, ylang-ylang, and black tea, on a solid base of musk, sandalwood and fir.
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Montana Memories - I love, love, LOVE this one! If you like Christmas Wreath from Yankee then you'll love this scent too! This gorgeous scent with notes of fir, pine needles and orange, reminds me of winters in Montana; sledding in the mountains and the pine trees topped with the fluffiest, sparkliest, white snow.
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It doesn't seem like much is going on with me but I'm working steadily to prepare to list these soaps and the coming waxes sometime in November. Stay tuned for the date!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-10191227127867608742013-10-19T07:51:00.000-05:002013-10-19T07:51:37.034-05:00Came and Went!Ok, well, I could have blogged at some point during the fall selling season. I wasn't selling at this time last year and so this has been a new experience for me. It was crazy hectic but I liked it too. It is so fun that so many people like my soap! Thank you to everyone that bought from my Fall line-up. There is just a smidgen left if you're wondering. ;-)
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I made this collage of the products I was listing and I think it would be easiest to just post that instead of twenty-some photos. The soaps in this year's line-up were Maples Leaves, Autumn Berry, Toffee Apple, Berry Brew, Warm Apple Pie, Twigs & Berries, Sweet Pumpkin, Oak Barrel Apple Cider, and Country Cabin. I made some various scented waxes in Autumn Berry, Toffee Apple Pie, Candy Corn, etc..
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While the chaos of packing so many orders was great, I am so happy to have my desk and room all cleaned up and ready to make my final holiday soaps. I'm a bit behind and I need to get the last two made. Stay tuned for a holiday soap post!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-91421417190268036822013-09-01T08:15:00.000-05:002013-09-01T08:15:04.517-05:00Shout OutHi everyone! I just wanted to say WELL DONE to all the soapmakers that accomplished the Holly Swirl in the recent Soap Challenge Club. There are so many blogs and so little time. :-) I would love to read and comment on them all but there are a lot! Anyway...good job! :-)
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This is the one that started it all!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-23434586728816342212013-08-29T10:16:00.000-05:002013-08-29T10:16:32.826-05:00Moving Along With Fall ScentsHi everyone! Fall production has started! I have made several so far and I'm about half done. I'm hoping to get the rest made within the next week or two. Here are the ones I have made so far! :-)
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Montana Huckleberry - Huckleberries are very similar to a blueberries and this fragrance also has notes of grapes, raspberries, and peaches. It is a comforting scent for me as I grew up in Montana and huckleberries are big business in Montana. Comfort = Fall for me. I know not everyone will think of huckleberry as a fall scent but I definitely do. This is actually my second batch as the first batch I used full water and the fragrance actually reversed trace and so it's quite soft. It might be ready by Fall 2014. ;-)
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Country Cabin - reminiscent of a cozy evening by the fire, crackling evergreen and pine, essence of cinnamon, clove, and patchouli, and the faint sweetness of dripping beeswax candles.
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Toffee Apple - a decadent scent of tart granny smith apples, drenched in creamy caramel, and rolled in toffee bits. This soap has darkened up a bit since I took the picture but not a lot.
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Maple Leaves - an earthy but gorgeous scent of dried leaves, maple wood, new dawn blossoms, laurel, sweet clove, balsam, patchouli, and sandalwood.
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These three are new as of last night!
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I made a couple non-Fall soaps as well.
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Sweet Pea
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The other is Old Spice Type but I don't have a picture of it yet. It is just a plain cream-colored bar. Nothing too fancy for the men. :-)
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I'm hoping to make a couple more batches today if I get the chance. As always, you can find the making and cutting of most of these soaps on my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Sparklebrook">YouTube Channel</a>. Thank you for stopping by!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-84380313965572865832013-08-06T09:56:00.001-05:002013-08-06T09:56:20.364-05:00Scented Wax MeltsI am having so much fun making scented wax melts. I get asked so many times what they are exactly. They are for home fragrance and like a tart that you melt in a wax melter/wax warmer. I do not call mine tarts as I'm pretty sure Yankee Candle has that term copyrighted. Anyhoo...here are some that I have made and recently listed in my <a href="http://missouririversoap.bigcartel.com/">store</a>.
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Country Berry Pancakes
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Blackberry Pie
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Apple Mango Tango
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Old Fashioned Iced Tea
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Monkey Bread
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Pink Sugar
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I'm still testing out the packaging that I like and I'm really excited about what I'm doing this week. The really awesome part of making wax products is that now I can freely use the scents that I would normally avoid for soaping because they turn soap brown. It doesn't affect wax in the same way. It's so fun to design and create. The testing is super duper fun!
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Holly
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-64007515963980796252013-08-03T11:07:00.001-05:002013-08-03T18:29:19.426-05:00All Those Soaps - CUT!I finally found some time yesterday to take some quick pictures. I've turned my focus for just a short bit to making wax products and have certainly enjoyed the designing and testing. But more on that another day!
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Chocolate Oatmeal Cream Unscented Soap - made with a double dose of cocoa butter and cream, brown sugar, cocoa, and oatmeal.
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Licorice Soap - a new one for my nearly natural line, made with anise essential oil and charcoal for a black swirl.
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Apple Mango Tango Soap - (on left) - a delightful and fruity blend of apples, mango, and soft florals. Compare to Gain's Apple Mango Tango fabric softener scent.
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Summer Love Soap - (on right) - gorgeous scent combining notes of raspberries, peaches, magnolias, and lilies.
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Black Raspberry Vanilla Soap - a crazy popular scent of black raspberries, decadent cream, and soft vanilla.
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Sunshine & Rainbows - a tart and juicy blend of peaches, pears, acai berries, grapefruit, lemons, and strawberries, with a touch of lily and rose.
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(The coloring in this next picture does not do these two justice. I'm still trying to find the right camera, location, and timing. It's the one thing I can't quite figure out yet.)
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Lilac Soap - I absolutely love lilacs and this adaption is the most authentic I have found. I love it!
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Confetti Blossom - this floral scented soap is a combination of peonies, hydrangeas, hyacinths, tulips, violet, gardenia, jasmine, and a touch of lilac.It is amazingly soft and a customer favorite. I adore the look of the confetti in the white base.
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Sierra Soap - this soap is a blend of several cologne scents with an extra splash of fir needle. I still can't believe I came up with a blend that smells just like Sierra by Stetson! The men love it, the women love their men to use this soap, and some women just want it all to themselves! :-)
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Green Clover & Aloe Soap - a fresh spa-like scent combining notes of green clover and aloe. Nothing too complicated here, just super fresh and clean.
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Patchouli Rain Soap - Fresh rain and earthy patchouli combine with notes of lily of the valley, fresh ozone, earthen moss, and sweet citrus to form a truly unique and unisex scent. Everyone loves this one! Don't let the patchouli scare you off! I made tall bars this time and love the results!
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I somehow managed to forget to get a picture of the Banana Coconut Candy Soap. It is a solid yellow color topped with yellow glitter. :-)
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I have been asked many times to show how I make my wax brittle so I uploaded a video yesterday. You can view it and many (ok, A LOT!) soapmaking videos on my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Sparklebrook">YouTube channel</a>.
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Thank you for stopping by my blog and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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Holly
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Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-69324932681448873422013-07-28T10:46:00.000-05:002013-07-28T10:46:38.962-05:00Busy With RestocksHappy Sunday!
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This past week was quite fun with some major soapmaking. I know ten batches in a week isn't much for many soapmakers but I tend to only make 2-4 on any given week. I just haven't felt the need to push myself that hard at this point. However, I wanted to get several restocks done so that I could focus on making Fall and Holiday soaps. Normally I wouldn't feel quite so energetic, with daily responsibilities and all, but the kiddos were at Grandma and Grandpa's house all week. I had a lot of time at home by myself and also a break from fixing meals, cleaning up constantly, unplugging toilets (it's a reality you know), etc.. Don't get me wrong though, I think I worked harder this week than usual, but it was a different kind of work. The hubby and I were able to get some much needed projects done around the house.
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I only soaped on two days but I made it worthwhile. The very first soap I made was Sunshine & Rainbows. It is a yellow soap with soap balls from the Rainbow batch embedded inside the soap and on the top. Oh the drama that ensued! I had some overly OCD people be quite upset with me for improper soap ball placement. HUH? Anyway...it made for a quite a giggle. I also remade Summer Love, Banana Coconut Candy, and Confetti Blossom.
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The next day I was able to make soap was Friday. I made 6 batches! That may be a new record for me. I remade Patchouli Rain, Sierra, Green Clover & Aloe, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Lilac, and Licorice soaps. The Licorice one was a new one for me. It smells so good.
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I have been so busy that I haven't even had time for pictures yet. I actually haven't even cut the last 6 batches. That is on the agenda for today.
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First, I need to work on getting today's listings ready to go live. It looks like I won't be listing anything new until around 6-7pm central time.
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Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you have a most wonderful week!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-33455538225290794382013-07-20T12:40:00.001-05:002013-07-20T12:40:57.307-05:00Popping In From VacationHi all! I thought I would pop in from some vacation time to do a little blog update.
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I've been enjoying playing around making scented wax melts. They are for use in wax melters and wax warmers for home fragrance.
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I am in love with this one. It's Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie. I was getting so hungry when making this one. My husband said "If only it were real" with a sigh. :-)
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The next two are the same though different shapes. The colored chunks are scented in Fruit Loops with white Cotton Candy over pour. Goodness...it's nothing short of amazing! :-)
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This fun purple one has Cotton Candy chunks with a Black Raspberry Vanilla over pour and wax black raspberry embeds.
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Towards the end of last week I made two new soaps and a remake.
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This soap is Apple Mango Tango and is scented in a blend comparable Gain's fabric softener of the same name. Funny thing is, I picked the colors and made the soap before I ever saw the packaging for the fabric softener. I chose the same colors! HA! I did not realize how popular this scent is!
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You know it had to happen. I was going to make a Cotton Candy scented soap eventually! I scented the base in Cotton Candy and you can see from the edges that the base is going to darken. The pink and blue topping is unscented and I just love how the colors turned out.
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These tops make me happy!
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These are some of the soaps that I still need to bevel. I am so far behind on doing that job that some are listing this Sunday! I'll have plenty of work to do when I am back from vacation.
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Thank you for the orders while I am on vacation. I will work steadily to get them sent out beginning on Monday. I will be listing Champagne Summer and Smooches Sunday afternoon. I always try to open the store and post new listings between 12pm and 1pm central time in the good ol' USA.
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Have a happy weekend!
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Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-17659561612683013502013-07-04T19:52:00.000-05:002013-07-05T19:57:47.700-05:00Happy 4th of July!Happy 4th of July to all my American friends and followers! I thought I would take advantage of some down time to update the good ol' blog!
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Ok, let's see. The last post showed Champagne Summer and the latest batch of Smooches in the mold. Here are the cut pics. A little note, I'm struggling with my camera to take any decent pictures. I'm trying to remedy that situation but it is going to take a bit of time. :-)
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Champagne Summer - a blend of champagne, ginger ale, raspberries, peaches, magnolias, lilacs, and lilies. It's so pretty! It's fruity, floral, and fizzy!
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Smooches - scented in a dupe of Victoria's Secret Bombshell which has notes of grapes, passion fruit, peonies, orchids, and greenery.
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I also made a couple of new soaps at the end of last week.
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Ocean Wave - an ocean scent that is bordering on masculine. The fragrance has notes of sea moss, sea salt, and green vetiver. I don't pick up on any floral notes in this one.
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Summer Melon - I LOVE THIS ONE!!! I am just in love with the scent and with the design. It is scented in a blend of cantaloupe, watermelon, apple, and grapefruit. It is so fruity and beautiful! The neon colors are so fun!
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I've also been working on some new wax designs. This is my favorite because I'm nutty about Cotton Candy. I calling it I Heart Cotton Candy. ;-)
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Here are a couple of other things I've been playing around with. I made Cotton Candy Smileys and Cotton Candy Berry Birthday Cake.
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Coming up this Sunday I will be listing the returning favorites Rainbow Soap and Green Clover & Aloe. New soaps listing will be Rootbeer Float and Sideshow.
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Happy 4th of July everyone! Now let's go blow stuff up! :-)
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Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-51637117353501723082013-06-21T09:50:00.004-05:002013-06-21T09:56:28.863-05:00I'm Back!Hi all! I'm back! I took a bit of a forced break and now I'm back and just so refreshed and energized. Sometimes forced breaks are great things! It has been about 4 weeks now since I started getting some back pain. It took a while to figure out that my back pain was caused by kidney stones. Once we were able to figure that out, I started drinking massive amounts of water and began taking an all natural supplement to help get rid of them. This past Sunday was the first time that I have felt like my normal self. It's been a great week! I'm high on life again. :-)
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It took a while to catch up on orders, bevel waiting soaps, organize my soap room, get some scented wax brittles made for this Sunday's listings, and get all my soaping gear washed up and ready to go. I knew I was feeling better because I have been daydreaming about what my next batches would be. I knew pink and purple had to be involved. Here are the first two soaps made!
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Remake of Smooches on the left and a new fragrance blend called Champagne Summer on the right.
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Smooches is now pink and white (instead of various shades of pink) and is scented in a dupe of VS Bombshell. It is a soft and beautiful blend of grapes, passion fruit, peonies, orchids, and greenery. It is a customer favorite.
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Champagne Summer is a pink, purple, and blue soap embedded with soap balls and has a scent blend of three of my favorite fragrances. They blended together wonderfully. The scent blend combines notes of champagne, ginger ale, raspberries, peaches, magnolias, lilies, and lilacs. I just love it! I really enjoyed the champagne/ginger ale scent in my Love & Bubbles soap, but I LOVE it as a blend.
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I get asked quite often about how I make my soap balls look so smooth and round. I already have a couple of videos on YouTube showing my process but I've changed it up a bit so decided to do a new video on how I make them. You can watch that video <a href="http://youtu.be/ZhL7-SU9bi8">here</a> if you are interested. Also on my channel you will find the making videos for Smooches and Champagne Summer.
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Before I went on my little forced and uncomfortable vaca, :-), I had also made several batches of soaps that I never posted about here. I remade Green Clover & Aloe and I also made a Rootbeer Float scented soap. It's super dark but really delicious smelling! I don't have any pictures of those yet.
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Sideshow was a fun soap to make and I named it that because it's wild and wacky. Well, not really but it has a fun design combining a couple different techniques. The fragrance is supposed to be a fruit loops scent but I heard it smelled more of Skittles. I definitely got that scent OOB (out of bottle) but once soaped, it's basically a lime-based soap. It's still nice, but not quite what I was expecting. It also happened to accelerate and discolor when it wasn't supposed to to that either. So yeah...go figure. :-) The design reminds me of something out of a Dr. Suess book.
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I also made my biggest Rainbow batch yet! It is equal to 4 regular loaves. I nearly have it all beveled and resting on the soap shelf. That job takes a while! Oh! The comparison loaf in the picture is a batch of Old Fashioned Iced Tea soap. I forgot about that one!
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So there you have it! That is what has been going on in my world over the last month. I have some special holiday items being listed this Sunday in the celebration of Independence Day! I've kept them hush hush in hopes that it will be a bit of surprise! I'm so excited to share them with you on Sunday!
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Have a wonderful weekend!
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Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-9850405776468290142013-05-16T10:25:00.001-05:002013-05-16T10:27:46.980-05:00Kaleidosoap and MoreAt the end of the last post, I showed a picture of my newest batch of Kaleidosoap just out of the mold. It is such a fun soap! The colors turned out just as I'd hoped.
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOW500rN5H4/UZTy3P4UJXI/AAAAAAAAFCg/CA0DbrVQA7w/s1600/Kaleidosoap+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOW500rN5H4/UZTy3P4UJXI/AAAAAAAAFCg/CA0DbrVQA7w/s320/Kaleidosoap+copy.jpg" /></a>
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It is scented in a bright and fruity scent combining notes of dark plum, ripe pears, juicy berries, bright cantaloupe, apricot nectar, and tropical coconut, with accents of lilac, lily, amber, and vanilla. It is a custom blend and it varies just a bit every time I make it. Just like the design is a mish mosh of colors, the scent is a mish mosh of scents and I enjoy varying it up just a bit each time I make it. There was so much interest in this soap that I decided to get another batch made right away so that they can be listed together.
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fok0q_oPBtk/UZT0b6ZMRqI/AAAAAAAAFC0/OHbKOu9KHcs/s1600/Kaleidosoap.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fok0q_oPBtk/UZT0b6ZMRqI/AAAAAAAAFC0/OHbKOu9KHcs/s320/Kaleidosoap.jpg" /></a>
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Kaleidosoap is due to be listed on June 2nd.
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YM_g1ADJytQ/UZTzmQJT_uI/AAAAAAAAFCo/7kjxsEapjnk/s1600/NewKaleidosoapSharp.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YM_g1ADJytQ/UZTzmQJT_uI/AAAAAAAAFCo/7kjxsEapjnk/s320/NewKaleidosoapSharp.jpg" /></a>
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These next two sure were fun to make and cut! I just oogle and sniff them all the time! :-)
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Candied Watermelon Apricot - sweet watermelon candy combines with juicy, ripe apricot for soap that just screams summer!
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NDVc_ehd6Kc/UZT3wdKsBSI/AAAAAAAAFDE/JaW8VpEAhOo/s1600/CandiedWatermelonApricot.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NDVc_ehd6Kc/UZT3wdKsBSI/AAAAAAAAFDE/JaW8VpEAhOo/s320/CandiedWatermelonApricot.jpg" /></a>
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Sweet Pineapple Herb - another summery scent blend of sweet and juicy pineapple with fresh, green cilantro. It seems an odd combination but it works so well!
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ihu4C-Qx3kA/UZT6YtKHhdI/AAAAAAAAFDc/-M_21PxS_8Q/s1600/SweetPineappleHerb.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ihu4C-Qx3kA/UZT6YtKHhdI/AAAAAAAAFDc/-M_21PxS_8Q/s320/SweetPineappleHerb.jpg" /></a>
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I haven't had the time to make any soap in over a week but I am planning a soaping extravaganza on Friday! I can't wait!
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Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-1219036295883464772013-05-05T10:07:00.001-05:002013-05-05T10:08:24.801-05:00Having Fun!I love this whole soap making thing! Anytime I get to make soap is a fun time!
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Unfortunately, we just rarely get any sun anymore so it has been a while since I've been able to do my picture set up and take product photos. Really ridonkulous! So these pics will just have to work for now.
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The peachy one on the left is Savannah Peach Bellini. It is a delightful blend of sweet Georgia peaches and sparkling white wine. Really yummy scent! The soap balls look sorta like maraschino cherries I think!
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jufZfeOsxXU/UYZwm_ObiuI/AAAAAAAAFBM/eYEq_t2SGys/s1600/Peach&Lemonade1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jufZfeOsxXU/UYZwm_ObiuI/AAAAAAAAFBM/eYEq_t2SGys/s320/Peach&Lemonade1.jpg" /></a>
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This other one is Pink Lemonade. I planned to do a 'Holly Swirl' with the pink and yellow but the soap was getting thick and I had to scrap that idea. I should have made it pink really, but I may just change the name instead. :-D The scent is as the name says, tart and juicy lemonade accented with strawberries and raspberries. The sugar note is very prominent and so it isn't just a lemon scented soap.
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CJs5lfX4hyo/UYZwswP5_5I/AAAAAAAAFBU/ekGFABdcjCk/s1600/Peach&Lemonade2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CJs5lfX4hyo/UYZwswP5_5I/AAAAAAAAFBU/ekGFABdcjCk/s320/Peach&Lemonade2.jpg" /></a>
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I made a new batch of Crema y Cacao on Thursday as well as the colors to embed onto Princess Kisses. I have yet to unmold Crema and I desperately hope it is not a problem. I'm going to need a bigger mold or just do the Crema in a different shape altogether. The 18 bar mold just isn't big enough at this point. I want to work smarter not harder!
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The three whitish loaves with the multi-color soap chunks on the top is the Princess Kisses batch that I made on Friday. I have made this soap so many times at this point and every time it makes me so happy. I love the scent and love the colors with the white on top.
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The big loaf of soap is a remake of Kaleidosoap. I am so giddy about this one as the colors turned out just as I had imagined! The last batch was more intense like my Rainbow soap and I wanted Kaleidosoap to be brighter and more of a medium intensity. The scent is a custom blend and is fresh and fruity, combining notes of dark plum, ripe pears, juicy berries, bright cantaloupe, apricot nectar, and tropical coconut, with accents of lilac, lily, amber, and vanilla. I love it!
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I'm very excited to go get some work done this afternoon! Thank you for stopping by and I do hope you have a wonderful Sunday!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-75460667403331582862013-04-26T14:04:00.001-05:002013-04-26T14:07:32.482-05:00That Is A Lot of Soap! I have made a lot of soap in the last week or so! I hadn't made soap in about three weeks so I really needed to get caught up and get lots made.
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The first I made was Spanish Garden soap. It's a lovely and unique blend of dark leafy greens, cherries, peaches, pineapples, coconuts, jasmine, violets, vanilla, and musk. I have made this several times before, some with a six color swirl, and I called it Fruitylicious. Here's the thing though, I've noticed that all batches after the very first has had a bit of a yellow hue to it. Odd that the first batch did not but all the rest did. So as any soap maker will do, I adjusted my thought on it and put a Spanish spin on it. I think the colors turned out quite nicely.
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6iCjh6wUAfA/UXrFcyHekXI/AAAAAAAAE_Y/19yQ0pwPBWk/s1600/SpanishGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6iCjh6wUAfA/UXrFcyHekXI/AAAAAAAAE_Y/19yQ0pwPBWk/s320/SpanishGarden.jpg" /></a>
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This one is Coconut Rose. It is a blend a mixed myself of ripe coconut and wild Denali mountain rose. I am so impressed with the scent once soaped. It almost has a touch of cinnamon to it oddly enough. I colored this with some rose clay and a bit of pink mica to help it along.
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K6J_6FxTxC4/UXrO3LBgktI/AAAAAAAAFA4/649dDp1iw5U/s1600/CoconutRose.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K6J_6FxTxC4/UXrO3LBgktI/AAAAAAAAFA4/649dDp1iw5U/s320/CoconutRose.jpg" /></a>
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Now this one didn't quite turn out as I planned. Can you tell? :-) It is called Wake Up! and has a very refreshing essential oil blend of orange, grapefruit, lime, may chang, peppermint, spearmint, fir needle, and anise. I'm really impressed with the scent. It's very uplifting! I thought to add a bit of espresso powder and it sorta back-fired on me. Those 'freckles' as I prefer to call them, are totally fine. It's just a halo from the coffee color bleeding around it. It retrospect, I think I have read that moistened and drained coffee grounds tend to work the best to avoid this effect. I doubt you can see it from the picture but I also attempted to use a bit of paprika to color a portion and that really didn't pay off either. So yeah...smells great...will do a different design next time.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XDFrMovin40/UXrFvj5lCII/AAAAAAAAE_g/GHHQjldqw3g/s1600/WakeUP.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XDFrMovin40/UXrFvj5lCII/AAAAAAAAE_g/GHHQjldqw3g/s320/WakeUP.jpg" /></a>
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This is my new Scrubby Soap. It's meant for gardeners and mechanics and all manner of general messes that need that extra scrub to take care of. I scented it in a wasabi-type scent and let me tell you...LOVE. Out of the bottle it smelled very much like that yummy ginger dipping sauce that you get at the Japanese steakhouse. But after I soaped it, it smells very much like tomato leaves. I may well have a new scent addiction with this one. I loved cleaning up these bars. There is something so satisfying to me about the gritty texture and sound when I run the bars across the planer and the veggie peeler along the sides to bevel. Yeah, I may be a bit odd, but I at least I love the process, ya know?
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtQj_uAJz20/UXrFxAPFbiI/AAAAAAAAE_o/Led1fGzmNn8/s1600/GreenScrubby.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtQj_uAJz20/UXrFxAPFbiI/AAAAAAAAE_o/Led1fGzmNn8/s320/GreenScrubby.jpg" /></a>
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Coconut Pear is also another scent creation of mine. The design turned out very dessert-like and I love it! The scent is very sweet. To me, this smells like the shampoo I use which is Nexxus Therappe Luxurious Moisture Shampoo. It has a delightful tropical fruity scent and this soap smells just like it. To me, that is. Your experience may vary. ;-)
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w-hdFtsevP4/UXrF-EA56qI/AAAAAAAAE_4/I4IleaAD0YQ/s1600/CoconutPear1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w-hdFtsevP4/UXrF-EA56qI/AAAAAAAAE_4/I4IleaAD0YQ/s320/CoconutPear1.jpg" /></a>
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I love the cute soap shreds/curls on top. Those came from shredded a bit of a Chocolate Oatmeal Cream soap bar. I think it looks like toasted coconut.
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This is a remake and I punched up the colors a bit from last time and I like it even more. This is a dupe of Victoria Secret's bombshell and I've had many requests to remake it.
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Here we go with a HUGE customer favorite called Patchouli Rain. It is a unisex scent blend of fresh rain, earthy patchouli, lily of the valley, cyclamen, fresh ozone, and sweet citrus. I've said it before and will continue to say it, even if you do not like patchouli, don't turn your nose up at this scent. It is AMAZING! It is in my top five scents ever and it bumped something off to get up there. It's wonderful! The first time I made it, I made it with some darker colors and loved it though the lather was a bit blue-grey. The second time I made it, I thought to lighten the colors a bit. Well, the fragrance riced and the colors and mica lines didn't quite work out. It still sold out in less than a few days. I re-evaluated my recipe and jumped in their big and made a double batch. It turned out great!
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GeLlVby4x8g/UXrGZclnH6I/AAAAAAAAFAI/KO7H9kQHZiE/s1600/PatchouliRain1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GeLlVby4x8g/UXrGZclnH6I/AAAAAAAAFAI/KO7H9kQHZiE/s320/PatchouliRain1.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HUQV1Ayh2HE/UXrGduwqdPI/AAAAAAAAFAQ/Ir7pFsLBSaA/s1600/PatchouliRain2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HUQV1Ayh2HE/UXrGduwqdPI/AAAAAAAAFAQ/Ir7pFsLBSaA/s320/PatchouliRain2.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uFn1YF61BE8/UXrGfJgrqKI/AAAAAAAAFAY/g6nk2axPtpA/s1600/PatchouliRain3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uFn1YF61BE8/UXrGfJgrqKI/AAAAAAAAFAY/g6nk2axPtpA/s320/PatchouliRain3.jpg" /></a>
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Finally, we have my newest batch of Black Raspberry Vanilla. I stuck with my most favorite design for this scent but punched it up with the pink color as well. I like to incorporate a bit of apricot kernel powder into the base. It is lightly exfoliating and definitely my go-to choice for exfoliants.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g63FOTh4fwY/UXrGpH8dg-I/AAAAAAAAFAg/G-hNmi3gSiI/s1600/BRV1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g63FOTh4fwY/UXrGpH8dg-I/AAAAAAAAFAg/G-hNmi3gSiI/s320/BRV1+copy.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYmKWhqMEIo/UXrGrLQ8RMI/AAAAAAAAFAo/Cdb31KPHLSE/s1600/BRV2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYmKWhqMEIo/UXrGrLQ8RMI/AAAAAAAAFAo/Cdb31KPHLSE/s320/BRV2.jpg" /></a>
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So there you have it! I would say I am caught up, but I am not. I made three more batches last night! Only one was a remake and it had a different design so it barely counts! Today is my beyond wonderful husband's birthday. My creation of the day is a New York-Style cheesecake. I'm pretty sure I'm going to make some fresh strawberry sauce to go with it!
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As always, you can find lots of videos at my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Sparklebrook">YouTube</a> channel. Don't forget to 'like' me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Missouri-River-Soap/264348723577234?ref=hl">Facebook</a> and follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/MORiverSoap">Twitter</a>. I will start listing these soaps in about four weeks. You can find a link to my stores over there to the right. :-)Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-28053857852737593842013-04-02T16:10:00.002-05:002013-04-02T16:10:19.569-05:00Two New OnesHappy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!
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I wanted to show you my two new soaps. The first is called Summer Vacation and it is a lovely blend that I mixed myself. I am trying to use up some of my samples and small amounts and so blended 5 different fragrances for this one. I mixed a Beach by Bobbie Brown type fragrance, with Aqua Type fragrance, a bit of Ocean Breeze, with some sweetgrass and another green ivy type scent. It smells so good! The Beach by Bobbie Brown is dominant which is great but there are those subtle sweet, fresh, green, scents backing it up. Love it!
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--xWElbrMe3o/UVtGpaiqpYI/AAAAAAAAE-o/YMpyOWifrFI/s1600/SummerVacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--xWElbrMe3o/UVtGpaiqpYI/AAAAAAAAE-o/YMpyOWifrFI/s320/SummerVacation.jpg" /></a>
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This one here is called Crisp & Clean and it is another fresh scent blend, but it is a clean cotton and fresh air type of scent. Once again, I love this mix! I like clean cotton/laundry scents but they usually give me a headache. Although this one is still strong, it doesn't give me a headache and that's a super duper bonus! :-) The top has tiny blue jojoba beads mixed in. I love the little pop of color that they give.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMqNSxLDDB4/UVtIgBpofbI/AAAAAAAAE-w/pougdVhFCsA/s1600/Crisp&Clean1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMqNSxLDDB4/UVtIgBpofbI/AAAAAAAAE-w/pougdVhFCsA/s320/Crisp&Clean1.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1mXWpG20h4/UVtIgH0_1KI/AAAAAAAAE-0/w4qX7c200SI/s1600/Crisp&Clean3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1mXWpG20h4/UVtIgH0_1KI/AAAAAAAAE-0/w4qX7c200SI/s320/Crisp&Clean3.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xb1tzwhFb9g/UVtIgDCMTPI/AAAAAAAAE-4/qQksJDs6zTI/s1600/Crisp&Clean2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xb1tzwhFb9g/UVtIgDCMTPI/AAAAAAAAE-4/qQksJDs6zTI/s320/Crisp&Clean2.jpg" /></a>
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I do not have a making of video for the Summer Vacation soap. That fragrance totally riced on me! What is up with the ricing fragrances? The soap gremlins are on the loose! I can't even tell you how many people are struggling right now with their batches ricing...I have been getting comment after comment and each person has had several different batches go awry. Anyway...I did whip it back into submission but I'd already turned off the camera in frustration. So no video on that one but I do have a making of video for Crisp & Clean. The cutting video for both is going up now. I've found it easier not to embed my videos here as it makes it difficult for my page to load. I will make a point of putting some sort of link over on the right somewhere...once I figure out how to do that. :-) In the meantime, click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Sparklebrook?feature=mhee">HERE</a> to go to my YouTube channel.
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-76726817160298176892013-03-30T12:13:00.000-05:002013-03-30T12:24:38.068-05:00My Tiger Stripe AttemptThis was not my best of batches. Let me just tell you that up front! I scented this batch in Black Raspberry Vanilla which is such an easy fragrance to work with. First off, I think I took advantage of an easy fragrance and compensated by over-blending my batter. It ended up being quite thick. From there, it felt a bit warm so I decided to put it on the heating pad and gel the loaf. Then I overheated it! HA! *sigh* It was just one of those batches. I'm still happy with the design, but the soap has a mottled texture that I am not used to having since I don't gel mostly and don't have to worry about overheating.
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I present to you my Tiger Swirl for Amy's Soap Challenge - Week 1!
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--bTy8bE9T14/UVcc2ZuhTbI/AAAAAAAAE-Y/vnyuHGSQbIc/s1600/TigerSwirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--bTy8bE9T14/UVcc2ZuhTbI/AAAAAAAAE-Y/vnyuHGSQbIc/s320/TigerSwirl.jpg" /></a>
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So as it turns out, I am very low on supplies, especially fun fragrances to work with, so I hope I'm still able to continue with the challenges.
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Make sure to check out <a href="http://www.greatcakessoapworks.com/handmade-soap-blog/index.php/soap-challenge-2013-tiger-stripe-link-up/">Amy's blog</a> to see more entries!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-34878168958726396482013-03-24T12:07:00.002-05:002013-03-24T12:09:07.989-05:00Green Apple & RoseOne never knows when inspiration will hit. I was just laying in bed the other night, wiggly because I couldn't get to sleep, and then just boom there it was. I pictured this exact soap...color, shape, size...everything. Usually, I ponder the different parts of a soap for a while (sometimes a LONG while) before I come up with what I want to do. I had to make this soap immediately! So into the soap kitchen I went...well, I did wait until the next afternoon. :-)
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This soap has a beautiful scent blend of tart and juicy granny smith apples, combined with delicate rose blossoms. I'm not much of a person for rose, but this fragrance totally works. There is something about the tartness of the apple that just makes it all come together.
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This soap also features my new 'swirl in a swirl' method. A soap maker and friend watched the video and suggested I call it the Holly Swirl. I like the sound of that! The method consists of swirling two (or more of course) colors together and then using that swirl to swirl with another color. I love it! So fun! You know my brain is just running in overdrive now with all the new ideas that I have.
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UhCaqq1QIEg/UU8x_gzTbOI/AAAAAAAAE-E/aSRxoQWi1jg/s1600/GreenAppleRose1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UhCaqq1QIEg/UU8x_gzTbOI/AAAAAAAAE-E/aSRxoQWi1jg/s320/GreenAppleRose1.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8dum64N2pYI/UU8x_k18RYI/AAAAAAAAE-A/8WqFE1IEO-k/s1600/GreenAppleRose2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8dum64N2pYI/UU8x_k18RYI/AAAAAAAAE-A/8WqFE1IEO-k/s320/GreenAppleRose2+copy.jpg" /></a>
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We received another heavy blanket of snow overnight and for some reason, the bright white beauty of it all always makes me want to make soap. I think it is because it makes my soaping area so nice and bright. I need to clean the house today but I may squeeze in some soap making first. :-D
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511303188336759027.post-19628971282493098012013-03-21T13:04:00.000-05:002013-03-21T13:06:46.559-05:00Shame, Shame, Shame! :-)Shame on me for neglecting my blog so much! I really do love my blog but it seems I've only had time for tidbits here and there, which makes Facebook and Twitter so much easier to post on. But I will try to be better I promise!
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My most recent soap is my new batch of Rainbow soap. It is scented in a fresh, juicy pear scent. This is about my 6th batch of rainbow soap now. It is really quite a lot of work and so it is best to do it in a really big batch. I was still just a bit off on my batch size this time (I knew what I needed to do for it to be just right but got distracted, ha!) and so the bars are super huge again!
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9NG3-Sk6Pqk/UUtC-WZDwqI/AAAAAAAAE8o/LPVlhP70r5Q/s1600/Rainbow2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9NG3-Sk6Pqk/UUtC-WZDwqI/AAAAAAAAE8o/LPVlhP70r5Q/s320/Rainbow2.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ui9kZattajk/UUtDGPTDhwI/AAAAAAAAE8w/KCWopQf8N9U/s1600/RainbowCut1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ui9kZattajk/UUtDGPTDhwI/AAAAAAAAE8w/KCWopQf8N9U/s320/RainbowCut1.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6qlrA0TKp9c/UUtDLe386HI/AAAAAAAAE84/FslcxjnAvxc/s1600/RainbowCut2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6qlrA0TKp9c/UUtDLe386HI/AAAAAAAAE84/FslcxjnAvxc/s320/RainbowCut2.jpg" /></a>
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I have made several more soaps since I last posted. I've made a Lemongrass Avocado soap, a new one to my Nearly Natural line of soaps. I also remade Patchouli Rain. It is such a well loved fragrance. I should rename it as Patchouli can be a turn-off to some and this scent is just way more than patchouli. I don't have pictures of either of those two yet but I do have videos of those two if you want to see what they look like. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Sparklebrook?feature=mhee">My YouTube Channel</a>
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Here are some of the others:
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A new batch of Princess Kisses - disks on the top instead of chunks - scented in a blend of fresh dew, exotic herbs, green grass, sparkling rain drops, and floral gardens - it's a very lovely tart scent and comparable to Herbal Essences shampoo
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mkzQ-yDPmx8/UUtF4RSsXnI/AAAAAAAAE9A/HDK5_5BYyls/s1600/IMG_7192.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mkzQ-yDPmx8/UUtF4RSsXnI/AAAAAAAAE9A/HDK5_5BYyls/s320/IMG_7192.JPG" /></a>
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Fallen Leaves - a classy and acceptable year round scent blend of maple wood, new dawn blossoms, laurel, sweet clove, balsam, patchouli, and sandalwood -
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CJhMbnnFU4c/UUtGJSc4e0I/AAAAAAAAE9I/MAKTLB77Lvw/s1600/IMG_7097.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CJhMbnnFU4c/UUtGJSc4e0I/AAAAAAAAE9I/MAKTLB77Lvw/s320/IMG_7097.JPG" /></a>
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Summer Love - a beautiful scent blend of raspberries, peaches, magnolias, lilies, cyclamen, and white musk -
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFBDofkrYHY/UUtGWnDt4yI/AAAAAAAAE9Q/OUhpEFBclZE/s1600/IMG_7079.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFBDofkrYHY/UUtGWnDt4yI/AAAAAAAAE9Q/OUhpEFBclZE/s320/IMG_7079.JPG" /></a>
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Chocolate Oatmeal Cream - an unscented bar for my Nearly Natural line, loaded with cocoa butter, cream, colloidal oatmeal, with a cocoa powder swirl - also a remake -
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yRx5C-7kHaU/UUtGlblzCPI/AAAAAAAAE9Y/TTkba7yKBnI/s1600/IMG_7031.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yRx5C-7kHaU/UUtGlblzCPI/AAAAAAAAE9Y/TTkba7yKBnI/s320/IMG_7031.JPG" /></a>
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J'Adore - compare to J'Adore by Dior - I've decided to keep this batch just for my daughter and I since we are big fans of this scent -
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bHGPgaeaRJk/UUtG9t91d1I/AAAAAAAAE9g/mutm_1qJ_Mk/s1600/DSC02078.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bHGPgaeaRJk/UUtG9t91d1I/AAAAAAAAE9g/mutm_1qJ_Mk/s320/DSC02078.JPG" /></a>
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Beach by Bobbie Brown Type - A blend of sand, sea spray, salt, jasmine, and mandarin -
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-45ILmlc7UsI/UUtHNTQmFNI/AAAAAAAAE9o/gBRrZc7LD4Y/s1600/IMG_7198.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-45ILmlc7UsI/UUtHNTQmFNI/AAAAAAAAE9o/gBRrZc7LD4Y/s320/IMG_7198.JPG" /></a>
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Finally, I made a few batches of Camo soap -
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WfEB1K9meZI/UUtHZPMJnqI/AAAAAAAAE9w/6BHnKPZzS1M/s1600/DSC02111.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WfEB1K9meZI/UUtHZPMJnqI/AAAAAAAAE9w/6BHnKPZzS1M/s320/DSC02111.JPG" /></a>
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So there you have it! Some of these are already for sale at my <a href="http://missouririversoap.bigcartel.com">Big Cartel</a> and <a href="http://moriversoap.etsy.com">Etsy</a> stores. Thank you so much for stopping by! I do hope you are having a wonderful day!
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<br>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360595290507188812noreply@blogger.com13