www.stagdesigns.co.uk
Friday 11 December 2009
Amazing Silk Tie & Cufflinks website
Whilst trying to find a suitable place to buy a Christmas prezzie for the other half and a fancy pair of cufflinks for my Dad...I stumbled upon this site and wow...now my chappie is a bit of a designer buff and has a penchant for silk ties...check it out and have a look it definately has Lady Mucks seal of approval.
www.stagdesigns.co.uk
www.stagdesigns.co.uk
Monday 2 November 2009
Winter Wonderland ??
Whoosh what a hectic month. After toiling long and hard and with the big C word fastly approaching I thought I had better extend my Christmas selection.
So armed with a new fragrance ~ Winter Wonderland ~ I headed to the kitchen to see what I could come up with.
After a few mins smelling the fragrance and throwing red/green/white colour combos around I decided I would go for an opaque base with transparent squiggles that have glittery flecks running through it. It didn't quite turn out how I expected ( I wanted it way more sparkly ) but am still very pleased with the results. Then the FO demon came and nagged at me...." I would be much nicer if I were scented with " Ghost " ...arghhhh why why why ? but I held firm and shooed the little voice right out the back door.
Ah the trials and tribulations. With all these fabby fragrances just waiting to be turned into soapy creations I must find more time for play.
So armed with a new fragrance ~ Winter Wonderland ~ I headed to the kitchen to see what I could come up with.
After a few mins smelling the fragrance and throwing red/green/white colour combos around I decided I would go for an opaque base with transparent squiggles that have glittery flecks running through it. It didn't quite turn out how I expected ( I wanted it way more sparkly ) but am still very pleased with the results. Then the FO demon came and nagged at me...." I would be much nicer if I were scented with " Ghost " ...arghhhh why why why ? but I held firm and shooed the little voice right out the back door.
Ah the trials and tribulations. With all these fabby fragrances just waiting to be turned into soapy creations I must find more time for play.
Sunday 27 September 2009
Oven Hot Cold Process Soap Gelling Stage
As this is supposed to be an insight to all things soapy...it might help if I made a start on explaining certain segments of the actual soap making.
Its all going to be hap-hazard as I truely don't believe in being totally organized and straight forward.
This is Gelling ( see below )
The opaque looking edges are where the soap has started to cool down already and starts looking like soap.
Gelling is when the lye & oils/butters mix gets really hot and starts to evolve..it starts off turning into a transparent clear gel ( due to the heat from the chemical reaction between butters & oils & lye) and then it starts to cool down, it will turn back to an opaque colour. Once cool you can demould and cut into your bar shapes.
I normally make mine around dinner time and once made leave until the next morning. A night in a turned off oven or in an airing cupboard will have it ready for the chop.
This is it after a night in the mould
Its all going to be hap-hazard as I truely don't believe in being totally organized and straight forward.
This is Gelling ( see below )
The opaque looking edges are where the soap has started to cool down already and starts looking like soap.
Gelling is when the lye & oils/butters mix gets really hot and starts to evolve..it starts off turning into a transparent clear gel ( due to the heat from the chemical reaction between butters & oils & lye) and then it starts to cool down, it will turn back to an opaque colour. Once cool you can demould and cut into your bar shapes.
I normally make mine around dinner time and once made leave until the next morning. A night in a turned off oven or in an airing cupboard will have it ready for the chop.
This is it after a night in the mould
Monday 21 September 2009
Traditional Cold Process Soap
Well with the big C word fastly approaching I thought I had best get my festive backside into gear and start creating a new range of goodies.
With Cold Process soap making being my most favourite fad at the moment what better way to start.
I have been experimenting with layers and swirls...after seeing some of the most fantastic soap creations I felt more than compelled to have a go. I have to admit that I can just about do layers and maybe a fancy swirl at the top of the loaf which blurs when it goes through the combined Oven Hot Cold Process method. Bear with me as I am sure I will get there in the end.
Scented with Christmas Spice ( Orange , Cinnamon & Nutmeg ) and imprinted with a super cute Reindeer impression, which I have to add I am really chuffed with, here is my first tribute to the festive holiday.
I always find that choosing a name is one of the hardest parts of soaping....it's got to be catchy and memorable. Christmas Reindeer sounds a tad pants but other than Horny Holidays ( Which is a definate no no ) a name is yet to be found....
With Cold Process soap making being my most favourite fad at the moment what better way to start.
I have been experimenting with layers and swirls...after seeing some of the most fantastic soap creations I felt more than compelled to have a go. I have to admit that I can just about do layers and maybe a fancy swirl at the top of the loaf which blurs when it goes through the combined Oven Hot Cold Process method. Bear with me as I am sure I will get there in the end.
Scented with Christmas Spice ( Orange , Cinnamon & Nutmeg ) and imprinted with a super cute Reindeer impression, which I have to add I am really chuffed with, here is my first tribute to the festive holiday.
I always find that choosing a name is one of the hardest parts of soaping....it's got to be catchy and memorable. Christmas Reindeer sounds a tad pants but other than Horny Holidays ( Which is a definate no no ) a name is yet to be found....
Monday 17 August 2009
Chocolate Orange ~ yummy
Well after a stressfull 3 weeks I decided to kick back and have a play with OHCP ( Oven Hot Cold Process )layers. A tad daunting as I had to to it at a thick trace...I don't work too well with thick traces as they induce panick. Panicking and Making Cold Process isn't the best combination.
The brown is coloured with Cocoa powder and the Orange from one of my suppliers. There is no Chocolate fragrance just the scent from the Cocoa powder...also some Cocoa butter to add extra Chocolateyness. I can't wait for this to cure properly and have a good wash with it.
The brown is coloured with Cocoa powder and the Orange from one of my suppliers. There is no Chocolate fragrance just the scent from the Cocoa powder...also some Cocoa butter to add extra Chocolateyness. I can't wait for this to cure properly and have a good wash with it.
Thursday 6 August 2009
Cold Process
Here are some new plain coloured cold process soaps which I absolutely love....the purple one is fragranced with Lavender and the pink is Sweet Pea
not the best of pictures but I love the alternate pink purple layers
These are my latest additions..in truth batches gone wrong due to the total weight :0( a mad dash to sprinkle the tops with botanicals soon saved these soaps and transformed them into beauties.....these are the Palm free soaps that I have been trying to crack.
PH is fine and they are hardening into a really nice bar.
The creamy white is scented with Lily & Ginseng topped with Jasmine flowers and the pink is scented with Sweet Pea and topped with Lavender petals, Rose petals and Cornflowers.
not the best of pictures but I love the alternate pink purple layers
These are my latest additions..in truth batches gone wrong due to the total weight :0( a mad dash to sprinkle the tops with botanicals soon saved these soaps and transformed them into beauties.....these are the Palm free soaps that I have been trying to crack.
PH is fine and they are hardening into a really nice bar.
The creamy white is scented with Lily & Ginseng topped with Jasmine flowers and the pink is scented with Sweet Pea and topped with Lavender petals, Rose petals and Cornflowers.
Sunday 2 August 2009
Cold Process Soap
Cold Process seems to be the high point of my soap making life at the moment, it's all I can think about making.... have got a few new colours to try out and have a play with.
With some specially made cold process soap colourants a combo of black and pink seems to be the most appealing at the mo.
Mainly pink with maybe a black swirl or vice versa or maybe I should take the plunge and try to do a something a little more complex like layers ?
Hmmmmm maybe not yet .
Fragrance....really want to try the JM pom noir type or Black Raspberry & Vanilla ( current fave of the decade its delicious ) BRV it is then ! here's my m & p ( melt and pour ) version
With some specially made cold process soap colourants a combo of black and pink seems to be the most appealing at the mo.
Mainly pink with maybe a black swirl or vice versa or maybe I should take the plunge and try to do a something a little more complex like layers ?
Hmmmmm maybe not yet .
Fragrance....really want to try the JM pom noir type or Black Raspberry & Vanilla ( current fave of the decade its delicious ) BRV it is then ! here's my m & p ( melt and pour ) version
Friday 31 July 2009
Monday 27 July 2009
27 July 2009
Blogs hmmmm...never thought I would see the day that I have my own blog.
What to put ???? Maybe a little about me or the day I have had ????
Summer hols have started and my gorgeous girls are somewhat hindering any progress I am trying to gain, with constant shouts of "mum can we have" or "when's dinner time" I feel that maybe I should implore vigorously to the powers that be, a simple yet needy request of "can you please make more hours in the day? "
If only life was that simple.
Am a tad new to "simple" technology and doubt that i will even manage to link up my blog to my website..so I may have to give my Techie guru a call.
I have spent a large part of today getting to grips with a Palm free recipe on soapcalc...finally I think I am there....
Blogs hmmmm...never thought I would see the day that I have my own blog.
What to put ???? Maybe a little about me or the day I have had ????
Summer hols have started and my gorgeous girls are somewhat hindering any progress I am trying to gain, with constant shouts of "mum can we have" or "when's dinner time" I feel that maybe I should implore vigorously to the powers that be, a simple yet needy request of "can you please make more hours in the day? "
If only life was that simple.
Am a tad new to "simple" technology and doubt that i will even manage to link up my blog to my website..so I may have to give my Techie guru a call.
I have spent a large part of today getting to grips with a Palm free recipe on soapcalc...finally I think I am there....
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