HP OHCP twists

I'm having such a great weekend playing around with soaps and bath bombs I thought I'd share my latest and spread the happiness here at Lady Mucks kitchen.

I saw a technique on the internet and thought I'd have a go so I tweaked my recipes because they are fast tracing and even faster setting and I need slower ones.

I bought some super sweet and creamy Sugar Frosting from one of my favourite supplies and decided it had to be a trademark pink & purple colouring.

Although I had tweaked and was sure of a slower setting mix it still went fairly quickly and had to frantically start the pouring process before it was too thick.

Before the spat in the oven:


after cooking and setting



and finally sliced



So whilst the creative juices were flowing I made this batch also , fragranced in Ocean Breeze

Seeing as a piping craze has hit the UK b & b shores I thought I may have to get in on the act....how pleasantly surprised was I

After a few bumbling attempts with a piping bag ( I am the most un-housewifey/domestic cook the world has ever seen ) I got there with a few lumps and bumps and then got totally carried away by dipping them in my mix.



I would really like to eat them...they are soooo tempting. So thanks Sandie for the fabby name of bath meringues consider it nabbed.

Still carrying on the the feel good vibes from the beginning of the week so I may have a go at a new CP soap tomorrow...

Spanky New Bath Bombs

A fabby morning in the kitchen having some fun kicking back and playing around with new designs and the results:
2 different designs of Passion Flower..I couldn't decide which colour combo worked the best..I wanted them to be a bit more defined rather than blobs but I can work on that.


And here's my other 2..a lemon & lime citrus blast ( will forgo the white central blob next time ) and a 2 colour swirl in Blackberry which I really fancy calling scramble to the bramble..it's a whacky day for me today :0)



Seeing as it's a positively charged start to the week with good vibes flowing I'm back off to the kitchen to have yet another go at a Blackberry ( now re-named scramble to the bramble ..what can I say I'm a sucker for weird and wonderful ) HP or CP loaf.

nightmare day

Ok so today's been a uber bad day with the soaping...well and yesterday too.
out of 4 batches of soap only 1 has turned out with good results.

What did I make ?
Castile
Spearmint scrub
Seville orange & Calendula
Blackberry Sorbet

what a mare it was..I tried to make Castile with the HP method and failed miserably..it took forever to trace and even longer to cook in the pan and even then it started looking weird with these funny oil pockets, so I stuck the blender back in an blitzed like heck. The end result is now a funny marbled white & cream loaf.

The Spearmint scrub was worse and ended up in the bin soon to be joined by my Blackberry Sorbet which has a layer of oil about 1cm thick on the top..the dam FO curdled it rotten.


and just to complete the disastrous day a 50g bag of red iron oxide decided to poof open in my face and all over the worktops and floor covering everything in a gastly red colour.


So the only success is now sitting proudly on the drying tray waiting to be used.


well I did say this blog was a "trial and tribulations of a soaper" and it's been one cock up after another. It can't all be good.
So my lesson from 2 days of disasters is:
HP ~ best for basic one colour or botanical soaps
CP ~ best for Castile and lots of colours and delicate patterns
OHCP ~ thick traced and layered soaps

Hot Process Cracked it

Ok so it's been a little while since I last Blogged but I have been busy in the kitchen trying to crack the Hot Process method and by jove I think I've got it.

I started off with small 500g batches and was so proud of my first successful batch which was fragranced with Bay Rum...plain and simple but heavenly.



Then I tried to be a bit too cocky and went for a 3 coloured layered one, fragranced in Aphrodite which is like a spicy cola. The colours were a nitemare and I ended up with white blobs of soap flecked throughout.



And today's creation is Red Grapefruit & Candy cane..I absolutely love the fragrance and the colours were much easier this time to blend in.


So all in all I am slowly getting there, but will ever aspire to create some of my own versions inspired by the wonderful soaps that are out there.