Melt & Pour Soap Making: Mickey and Minnie Soaps

Over and over again, I am amazed at the many ways Mold Market's cupcake base and large bath bomb are being used to create fun designs. Our Sophie Soap Chick was on a soaping extravaganza the last couple of weeks. This is the first post of the many things I will be sharing from Sophie's soaping adventures.

 

I always give Sophie a shout out of ideas I would like her to try. When I suggested something Disney themed, she wasted no time. This project is easy enough for even the novice soap maker.

 

 

 

Ingredients used:

• Clear soap base
• Black colorant
• Tomato Red colorant
• White soap base
• Mold Market's large bath bomb
• Mold Market's cup cake mold
• Flexible Jelly Roll pan
• Carving tool
• Alcohol spray

Here are Sophie's instructions on how to make and assemble the Mickey and Minnie soaps:

1. Melt clear soap base, add black colorant and poured it into the large bath bomb mold.
2. Melt clear soap base, add tomato red colorant and pour into the cupcake base.
3. While these set up, pour the extra red color into the flexible jelly roll pan. Don't pour too much because you want it thin enough to be able to carve and bend it to shape the bow. Hand-carve the bow with the carving tool making almost a figure eight without cutting the center (use the white soap base to make an extra circle for the center of the bow).
4. Pour black soap into the jelly roll pan. Once it is almost fully set, remove and hand carve the ears with the carving tool. It took a few tries to make them look like mouse ears. Once I got four to match I fixed up the edges and pushed in the center to curve to make it look more like a mouse ear.
5. Melt white soap base and pour into the jelly roll mold for the buttons. I used the bottom of a small Chapstick to outline the perfect circle and then cut it out with the carving tool. Once everything was cut I began assembling the mice. I attached the base and head first with clear soap.
6. The ears and buttons were next which completed Mickey. I secured the white circle to the bow with melted soap and attached it to Minnie. I off-centered the bow to give it some character. 

The rubbing alcohol spray helps with air bubbles than occur when pouring soap into the molds. These soaps will fit GoPlanet's clear cupcake boxes. Scenting the soap base is optional.

How to Clean Our Soap Injector Tool

If you want to make intricate, detailed soaps, there is one tool you can't be without. It's the Soap Injector. I recommend having several on hand when pouring multiple colors. I posted about this tool here, but wanted to post an update on how to clean the tool after use. This short video clip will show you how.

Here are a few examples of what you can create using the soap injector tool.

 

Mold Market Music Notes Mold

 

Mold Market Polka Dot Mold

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, the possibilities are endless once you master this soaping tool.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Sweet Treat Soaps

These sweet little cookie soaps look good enough to eat (and easy to make). You will need white melt and pour soap base for the cookie and drizzled area. The chocolate is clear soap colored with chocolate brown. Mold Market's cookie mold was used.

This short video clip shows how to use the soap injector tool to drizzle on the raspberry colored soap. If using multiple colors the injector tool will need to be cleaned before using the next color.

Keep a bowl filled with hot water at your workstation. Empty the syringe tube of any leftover soap. Then place the tip of the injector into the hot water and pull back on the syringe. Press down on the plunger to release the hot water. Continue this process until the the injector tool is free of soap.

It's handy to have several injector tools on hand when using several colors of soap. When you're done with one color, empty the injector of any soap and just drop in the bowl of hot water to soak and grab a clean injector. It's a time saver.

You can clean all the injectors once your project is complete.






Soap Injector Tool

You can purchase the soap injector from GoPlanetEarth. It is sold as a single unit or in packs of 10 or 50 count.

Melt & Pour Soap: 3-D Floral Tutorial

I recently had a new desktop installed in my office which required the services of our tech people. One of my favored programs could not be transferred to my new computer. I purchased an upgraded version and, holy sugar, it was a pain to learn.

I conquered the software, but it took time. Here is one of my newest tutorials using that software. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to Gabby for taking my idea and running with it.

Gabby

The colors used in the above design are:

Neon Bright Blue (perched bird)
Neon Yellow, Flower Child Rock Me Raspberry, Lavender (flowers)
Neon Green (leaves and border)
Flower Child Tye Dye Orange (winged bird)
Brown Oxide in clear soap (branches)

The are so many design options for this soap. Use a plain oval, square or rectangle shapes to create an entirely new floral look.

I was a bit concerned how this soap would wrap, but there were no issues. I cut the stretch wrap to size, gently pulled it around the soap, taped the back side and used a low setting on my heat gun for a snug fit.




Purchase the new silicone border mold we used here. Everything needed for this project is available online at www.GoPlanetEarth.com.

Business Shout Out

I was delighted to find a tutorial posted on SisterStuff.blogspot on how to use GoPlanet's popsicle mold. Carrie from greenbeans craftterole was a special guest on the SisterStuff blog. A big thank you to sisters Alish and Whitney for sharing the how-to. And an even bigger thanks to Carrie for the great tutorial filled with wonderful pictures that are easy to follow.

Here is a list of ingredients needed for this project:

• Clear melt and pour soap base
• Crinkle cutter
• Small soap bags
• Popsicle mold with sticks
• Soap fragrance (Carrie used Fruit Punch, Mango, Lemonade, Apple and Grape). We sell them all.
• Soap colorant (make sure it's non-fading colors). I suggest our Neon Bright Liquid gel colors. These are extremely concentrated. Start with a drop and add additional until desired color is achieved.

Back in 2008, I posted a video tutorial on making these soaps. It demonstrates   fudgesicle and raspberry drizzle soaps. The raspberry drizzle soap is poured in layers which is helpful if you want to learn how to pour in varying colors.

The link for the tutorial video is found here. I sure hope you take a moment to visit the two blog sites mentioned above. They have some really awesome craft ideas that are inspiring and unique.

Rock Candy Soap Tutorial... YES!!!

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Finally! The tutorial for the Rock Candy soap is online. It's been a labor of love to say the least. So many distractions and issues in getting it all together. There were audio, computer, and weather issues that caused delays. But, ALAS... the tutorial is done!

Not only is the tutorial online, but our FREE templates for packaging the Rock Candy soaps are posted on our web site.

So far, feedback is positive. These soaps may not be the the most practical, but they do grab attention and shout BUY ME! Hey, high heels have never been practical either, but we still  buy and wear them.

You will need to purchase our 4 x 2 x 9 inch clear cello bags to use with the template. I hope you have fun with this soaping project and would love for you to email your results!

Loaf Soap Fun: Melt & Pour Soap Making

OK... this is so fun, and so cool. Black and White (with some red). Soap frosting on top with some cut up soaps tossed into the mix. I love it.

A sprinkle of red glitter on top... it's good to go. We'll give you the low down on how to make this awesome loaf in the next couple of days.

Soap Dishes: The Project Part III

Here we are into Part III of our soap dish project. In Part II, I posted the recipe for mixing the concrete and sand. This post shows a big leaf bowl that my friend, Peg designed. She's really gotten the hang of how to make these dishes and I wouldn't be surprised if some of her work is displayed at one of our local Art Fairs. I can't wait to see how she paints the bowl. I'll be sure to upload pics of her finished bowl.

As you can see in the first pic, Peg placed a leaf inside the molded bowl. She did this by placing a large leaf on top of the sand hill (that is covered in plastic) and then slowly began adding the concrete mixture until she had built up her bowl to the desired size and thickness (see below). The leaf still inside the bowl will be removed by hand. Sometimes the leaves remove easily, others require a bit more work. Peg was working on removing the leaf from the inside of bowl when I snapped the photo.

Large leaves were then pressed into the bottom of the bowl (vein side down). The deeper the veins, the better the results. Hosta, rhubarb, hollyhock, comfrey are all great leaves to use for this project.

Here is the bottom of the bowl once the concrete dried. As you can see, the leaf impressions are very defined. Peg will now use a Dremel bit to smooth around the edges of the dish before painting. Be sure to wear protective eyewear when working with a Dremel. Dremel kits can be purchased at stores such as Home Depot or Lowes.

For those unfamiliar with a Dremel, it is pictured below.

Finally, the tutorial on how to use Mold Market's new 3-D soap molds. This tutorial shows you how to use the Popsicle and Oval Leaf molds. I'm in love with the Oval Leaf mold. It produces a classic soap that has a hand-milled look. PLUS... you can insert a soap rope in the pouring channel to make "soap on the rope".

Once the molds are prepped, they are good for many soap pours. All you need to do is align them, secure the two halves and pour. Each sheet mold produces one 3-D soap. You can purchase the molds at GoPlanetEarth.com. You'll find the Oval Leaf listed here and the Popsicle here. We're offering a limited 15% off introductory special on them right now; so, this would be a good time to make your purchase.
One tip when using these molds: Keep your pouring temp to around 135 to 139 degrees (Fahrenheit). A lower pouring temp will keep the soap from seeping out between the joined halves. I had no noticeable issues with soap seepage when pouring at a lower temp.

Basic SoapMaking Instructional DVD

This instructional DVD gets a "10" on my scale. If you are a melt and pour soaper wanting to cross-over into cold-process soapmaking, you will want to have this informative tutorial in your soaping library.

Our soapmaking diva, Irene, shares detailed instructions, tips and secrets to create cold process soaps. Learn from one of the best soapmaker's in the industry. A featured speaker and demonstrator at the Annual Soap Guild conferences, Irene will help you breeze through the basics of making soap.

We're currently offering a limited introductory price of $19.95. That's $5.00 off the list price. If you visit our FaceBook page and "like" us, you'll find a coupon for an additional $1 off. TODAY ONLY.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Realistic Ice Cream Soap Tutorial

I was finally able to wrap up the 3-D ice cream soap tutorial. My staff and grandkids walked out the door with these soaps before I even had a chance to take photos of the cones with our new "Mixed Jimmie Sprinkles". The multi-colored sprinkles are a great addition to Mold Market's cupcake and ice cream molds. Hope you enjoy the tutorial!

 

 

 

Our new "Jimmie Sprinkles"...

Melt & Pour Taco Soap Tutorial. Oh what fun!

As promised, here is the taco soap tutorial. I've been testing the taco soap in the shower for the past week. It's full of lather, all the layers stayed in place, and having the added benefit of the sponge was especially convenient.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Finished Taco Soap

Yes!! It's really soap. My daughter stopped by on her way home from work as I was adding the finishes touches to this taco soap. She was in awe at how real it looked.

OMG! I didn't even add the guacamole and sour cream as planned, and I'm still impressed with the soap. The ground hamburger, the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions... very realistic. It's a way cool soap that weighed in at 3 ounces.

A tutorial is forthcoming, so be sure to check my blog and the GoPlanetEarth web site in the next week or so.

More Designer Soap Fun with GPE Paper

More printable soap fun using our GPE paper.

Watch our FREE tutorial and learn how to make these snazzy looking melt & pour soaps. These are some of the latest designs done by our staff using the GPE printable soap paper. It's sooo easy. All you need is colorful artwork and a printer (we offer the paper in both ink jet and laser). Think of all the neat Valentine soaps you can make!

You can purchase a printed tutorial that includes templates for several of the Mold Market basic shape molds. However, you can use many other Mold Market molds that are not included in the printed tutorial (such as the plain heart) by tracing the shape of the mold cavity onto plain paper. Cut out the traced shape and use as a template when printing your artwork onto the GPE paper.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Miss O Princess Heart Soaps

A few posts back I showed pics of the Miss O Princess Soapsicles. Here is a follow-up that shows the coordinating Miss O Heart soaps. Easy, easy, easy... AND, a great way to use up any leftover soap from the soapsicle project.



Our tutorial (shown below) will show you how to make these awesome soaps. Perfect for Valentine's Day.

Watch the FREE tutorial:

Melt & Pour Soapmaking: Miss O Princess Soapsicle Tutorial

The Princess O Soapsicle tutorial is complete. You can view it below and also on our web site. A great soap for Valentine's Day. Pair it with coordinating heart shaped soaps.

HO,HO,HO~ Skating Reindeer Melt & Pour Soap

A simple beginner's project that uses Mold Market’s duck pond mold and a bendable reindeer. Add a few sprigs of pine, a sprinkle or two of mica flakes and you’ve got a great soap for holiday gift-giving. Goplanet's FREE tutorial video will show you just how easy it is to make this whimsical soap.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Jeweled Loaf Soap Tutorial Now Online

Just as promised GoPlanetEarth's newest tutorial "How to Make a Jewel Tone Soap Loaf" is available for viewing. As with all of our video tutorials... it's FREE.

Hope you enjoy!

 

Melt and Pour Soap Making: Autumn Roll-Ups Tutorial

The Autumn Roll-Up soap tutorial is now online. You can purchase the full printed melt and pour tutorial at GoPlanetEarth.com or watch the FREE video tutorial below!

There are countless color and cutout options for this type of soap. Red and green for Christmas, red and pink for Valentines day, or green and white for St. Patrick's day. So get busy, get creative, and have fun while you're doing it.

A Cool Packaging Option for our Sushi Soap Rolls

Every Sunday my husband and I grocery shop at a local market. It's always been a tradition to purchase freshly made sushi from the deli counter for Sunday brunch. There's nothing better than fresh tuna sushi with a glass of Sake. This week the girls at the deli counter were kind enough to give me a couple of bento boxes so I could display our newest soap... Sushi Soap Log.

As you can see, once the sushi soap slices are wrapped and placed in the container (along with some bento grass), they look incredibly life-like. Almost good enough to eat. I'm not so sure GoPlanetEarth will be offering these Asian style bento boxes, but they are readily available from local markets and Asian restaurants. My guess is that local stores and restaurants would be willing to sell you a few of these trays along with the bento grass. If not, there are plenty of online stores that sell these types of boxes.

Be sure to check out our sushi soap log tutorial here.