Monday, August 30, 2010

Sneak Peek of The Art of Soap! Flip through SV Soap's Beautiful Feature.

As many of you know, I have been working on a new book called The Art of Soap.  It is going to be a real printed book (not an eZine), and 24 incredible soapmakers will be featured.  I have 3 out of 4 chapters done and I want to share an actual feature with you!  This one comes from the Technique chapter, showcasing the beautiful work of Silvia Victory, owner of SV Soaps. 


Make sure to sign up for The Art of Soap newsletter so you will know when the book is published.  With approximately 100 pages of stunning soap photography and inspiring stores, it will be a must for ever soap maker's (and crafter's!) library!

Friday, August 20, 2010

New Soapylove Studio Workshops!

Would you like to learn how to make Soapylove soaps with me, in person?  You're in luck!  I have just added 2 new classes that will be held at my home in San Diego.  Space is limited to only 4 people per class, so it will be like having a personal Soapylove lesson!  There are 2 workshops scheduled so far:


September Workshop: Using Molds Creatively
Learn how to create very unique effects with fun detailed molds. We'll cover a range of techniques using multiple colors in each project, from double molding to intricate details. All materials are included and you'll go home with all of your beautiful creations!

When: September 18, from 1:00-5:00
Where: my home in San Diego, California (details provided upon registration)
Cost: $100, all materials included.
To register: Email me to sign up. Limited to 4 students!

October Workshop: Artistic Techniques
Channel your inner artist for this inspiring class. Learn how to make one-of-a-kind texture sheets, paint soaps within the bars, engrave, and more. You will be amazed by what you can do! All materials are included and you'll go home with all of your beautiful creations!

When: October 9, from 1:00-5:00
Where: my home in San Diego, California (details provided upon registration)
Cost: $100, all materials included.
To register: Email me to sign up. Limited to 4 students!

And don't miss out on this class at The Nova Studio, which always sells out!

Soapy Holidays Gift Workshop
When: Sunday, December 5
Where: The Nova Studio in Point Richmond, CA (East SF Bay Area)

Get ready for the holidays with this great hands-on workshop where you will make 5 original Soapylove projects, perfect for holiday gift giving. Or make them for your family - can you imagine how impressed your guests will be to see these soaps in your bathroom at the holiday party? No experience is necessary to create these adorable gift-worthy soaps.

We will supply everything you need - just show up ready to have fun & learn at the same time. You'll receive handouts that include written instructions for all soaps made in class. Arrive empty handed and leave with a bag brimming with soapy goodies (all wrapped up cute & ready to use or gift). Children above the age of 8 are welcome to attend with a registered adult (2 paid registrations total).

For details, go to The Nova Studio site.

Keep up on all Soapylove classes and events on my main site.  You never know what might pop up!  :)

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Rainbow Bright Project Inspiration

If there is one thing Soapylove is known for, it's rainbow bright colors!  So when Anne-Marie (founder of Bramble Berry) and I started to work on the Soapylove line, the first one was the Jewelry Box Colorant Kit.  From just one kit you can make every shade of the rainbow!  I had so much fun testing it out that I made this little froggy diagram to show how to mix them all.
Then I had a blast coming up with loads of projects, too!  It even comes with a special superfine glitter that suspends beautifully. To pick up this must-have kit, head over to Bramble Berry's Soapylove shop (click here).

Here are the projects featured above.  Have fun!

1) Parfait Soaps: these gelatin inspired soaps include little soapy fruits, too.  Click here for tutorial.

2) Ombre Heart Soaps: You will love how easy it is to get a perfect color fade with this neat little technique.  Check it out here.

3) Lucky Star Soaps: Sweet little embeds are layered into this candy-bright star.  It's a perfect match with the Candy Jar Fragrance Set!  Click here for the project.

4) There is even more you can do with the colorants besides soap!  These beautiful carnations were dyed every shade of the rainbow.  Pick colors to match a party theme or your own favorites!  Click here to see how.

To find ALL of the Soapylove tutorials at The Soap Queen, check out this great "mash up" that Anne-Marie put together recently (click here).  Have fun!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Thank you, Doolittle Mag!

Thank you so much to Doolittle Mag in France for their very sweet blog post featuring my Soapy Pops ("bain gouramand")!  This illustration is just to die for.  I wonder if I can buy a print?  I would love that!!  Check it out at Doolittle Mag.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Ladies Only Summer Camp!


A few weeks ago it occurred to me that many of us spend our summer sending our kids off to fun camps, but where are the camps for moms?  So I threw a little party for all the ladies (moms or not) with crafts, lunch, drinks, and even home made ice cream.  Here are a few pics that my sister took (thanks, Cher!!).  Maybe you'll be inspired to throw a little summer camp day of your own - you deserve a break, too! :)

First we did a tie dye project (because what's more summer campy than tie dying?).  I got some white cotton gauze at a fabric store and made some really basic scarves.  Then I got dyes and supplies from Dharma Trading Company in Olive Green, Dusty Rose, and Black.  We all knotted up and rubber banded our scarves then went to town with lots of dye.

After the scarves sat in the sun for a while (the heat speeds up the color setting) I rinsed them out with the hose (like my new dark hairdo?). Then we laid our scarves out on the grass to let them dry, admiring each other's neat designs, and grabbed another Watermelon Margarita.


After that we made Erin Pikor's Solid Sugar Scrub Cubes.  They were fun and easy to do. I put out the basic ingredients (sweet almond oil, fragrance oils, sugar, additional exfoliants such as ground loofah and jojoba beads) plus a rice cooker of melted soap base.  So it was easy for people to mix up their scrub and pour it into clam shell boxes.  No freezing or unmolding to worry about.  Everyone's scrubs came out beautifully - it's such a great recipe! 

Finally, I made a batch of S'Mores Ice Cream.  You can't really go wrong with anything that has Marshmallow Fluff, right?  The Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker made it go really quickly, plus it was fun for people to watch.  

I know many kids will be heading back to school soon, so don't miss a chance to get your friends together and have some grown-up fun.  There are tons of great projects online that would be perfect for a craft party.  Here are some sites I used to get ideas:

Craft Zine
Soap Queen
Martha Stewart (great Summer Crafts section)
Dharma Trading Company

Have a great Monday!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Sweet Treats Inspiration!

I don't know about you, but I have been eating a lot of ice cream lately!  There seems to be a never ending rotation of yummy creaminess in my freezer: mint chip, strawberry, triple chocolate, french vanilla...  Of course these all make excellent soap project inspirations, so today I'm featuring Soapylove projects using the Sweet Treats Colorant Kit, available from Bramble Berry.  The colors are deelish, and the jumbo Rainbow Sprinkle jojoba beads are icing on the cake - I mean, ice cream!  (To check out all of the supplies featured in this post, click here to be taken to Bramble Berry's Soapylove shop!)

This is one of my favorite Soapylove molds - the Double Scoop Ice Cream Cone.  It has so many creative possibilities!  Switch out colors and "mix ins" like poppy seeds or soap shavings for realistic ice cream flavors.  Of course, the Chocolate Fudge fragrance from the Delectable Desserts Fragrance Kit is a must! Click here for project tutorial.

Who can resist ice cream sandwiches?  The scalloped rectangle mold is great for both ice cream sandwich and layered cookie looks.  These two styles can be made with just the Sweet Treats Colorant Kit!  Click here to go to the tutorial.

It's fun to be inspired by ice cream but not necessarily use it literally.  Neapolitan colors are classic and always look great together!  These Checkered Heart Soaps have raised squares which make it a cinch to create perfect checkers.  And since the Sweet Treats Colorants are all non-bleeding, you know that the checkers will be as sharp as the day you made them!  Click here for the step-by-step project.


And here are even more.  You can see how versatile the set is.  Cuteness is guaranteed!  Enjoy!

1) Hot Chocolate Loaf Soaps: found in the Winter 2009 issue of Let's Get Soapy.  Click here.
2) Romantic Embossed Soaps: found on my blog. Click here.
3) Fluffy Frosted Soapy Cupcakes: from the Soap Queen blog.  Click here.
4) S'More Soaps with whipped soap marshmallow filling: found in the Summer 2010 issue of Let's Get Soapy.  Click here.

Thanks and have a great weekend!