Four Leaf Clover Soaps

Mold Market just released this four-leaf clover soap. It's perfect for duo-color pours. Here is a brief tutorial on how to make them. Supplies for this project can be purchased at GoPlanetEarth.com.


You will need:

• Mold Market clover mold
• White and clear soap base
• Kelly green liquid gel soap color
• Soap fragrance (we used French Tarragon Oswego)
• Microwave/ glass measuring cup
• Pipette for dispensing fragrance
• Rubbing alcohol

View Instructional:

Melt and Pour Embedded Flower Soaps

If you are new to embedding soap within soap, then this beginner melt and pour project is for you. The full instructional will be on the GoPlanetEarth web site within the next few days. The soap shapes were cut out from sheets of colored soap that was poured into our Jelly Roll pan. We used ultramarine blue color in both clear and white soap base and kelly green in clear base for the leaf/stem.



A thin layer of clear soap is poured into each molded cavity. Once the soap is firm, the shapes are arranged inside the mold. Mold Market's basic rectangle mold was a perfect for our flower.

Watch a Tutorial Video:

 

How to Make Honey Colored Soap Base

A recent customer inquiry prompted us to run a few color tests with our liquid gel colors. Here is the customer question and our suggestion:

I am making melt and pour soap to go along with my honey and candle endeavors ( I am a beekeeper). I would like to make a rich honey colored soap, both opaque low sweat bars and clear guest soaps. I have used orange oxide colorant and it is not the right color and makes the clear soap opaque. I am looking for a beautiful rich honey to amber color to compliment my honey colored natural beeswax candles and golden to amber colored honey. Do I need a liquid gel to keep the clear soap clear or what? And what colors or combinations of colors should I use? I would certainly appreciate your suggestions.

Here is what we suggest to achieve the desired color.

Use just a smidgen of Oriental Mustard liquid gel color in clear soap base to get the nice, soft honey color. You will get a clear, amber type soap if you keep the color to a minimum. If you add too much color, the clear soap will become opaque. In the photos shown, we used more than a smidgen of Oriental Mustard in 8 ounces of soap base. As you can see, the additional color immediately caused the soap base to turn opaque.

Add a MINIMUM amount of color additive if you want a clear honey color.

Printable Templates for Use with GPE Soap Paper

We've made it easier than ever to print on our GPE Soap Paper. We've uploaded a printable template for use with many of the Mold Market basic mold shapes. Print your artwork onto a sheet of GPE Soap Paper. Cut out the template shapes and trace shapes to fit the face of the mold.

Template is for use with the following Mold Market molds:

#001 Basic Rectangle mold, #003 Beveled Border Rectangle mold, #005 Basic Oval mold, #006 Beveled Oval mold, #007 Beveled Border Oval, #009 Basic Circle, #011 Beveled Border Circle, #013 Basic Square, #015 Beveled Border Square

Melt and Pour Summer Soaps: Flower Flip Flops

Thanks to my friend, Irene, for sending this photo of the Mold Market flip flop (which, by the way, is a nice 4 ounce size bar). Word has it, that Mold Market will be producing a matching (Right) flip flop late August.

Here are suggested top selling GoPlanetEarth fragrances that make perfect summer scents:

French Tarragon Oswego (great uni-sex scent!)

Alyssum

Watermelon Taffy

Ocean Breeze

Kinetic Breeze

Hawaiian Tropics

Watermelon Taffy

Pina Colada

Coconut

Island Retreat

Plumeria

Papaya

Pineapple

GoPlanetEarth Observes Memorial Day

GoPlanetEarth will be closed Friday, May 22 - Monday, May 25 in observance of the Memorial Weekend. May you reflect upon the many freedoms enjoyed as an American citizen and take time to honor and pay tribute to all those who have shed blood and sacrificed life for our liberties.

We are accepting online orders during this closure, but they will not be processed until our return. Expect a 1-2 day delay in normal processing time due to this closure.

Melt & Pour: Peanut Butter & Jelly Soap Sandwich

We've added another new instructional... crust-free PB & J soaps. This is such an easy project and perfect for beginning MP soapers wanting to learn how to pour soap in layers. GoPlanet's video (see below) tutorial guides you through the steps. An ideal "do-with-the-kids" craft.

Supplies Needed:

• Clear and white melt & pour soap base
  
  
• Oriental mustard & neon bright purple colorants



• Peanut butter fragrance



• Grape slush fragrance



• 8 x 8 flexible jelly roll pan



• Microwave for melting soap



• Sharp knife for trimming the finished soap



• Microwaveable dishes or measuring cups

Sizzling Designs...Melt & Pour Designer Soaps

Ooh-la-la! Now these are soaps that scream "Hey, look at me!!" These have been on my instructional "to-do" list for quite some time. I was like a kid in the candy store when I was finally able to make a few and was delighted with my first-time results.

The soaps are made with melt and pour soap base and our new GPE Printable Soap Paper. We currently sell the GPE Soap Paper for color laser printers only, but ink-jet GPE Soap Paper is arriving next week.

This soap project is easy, easy, easy, and my tutorial video (shown below) walks you through the process. Simply find your artwork and print it onto the GPE Soap Paper. The Laser GPE Paper runs $1.49 a sheet, but you can fit a good number of designs on each printable sheet. For this project I printed 8 different designs on one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet and made 8 soaps. There is a price break when purchasing 10 sheets. The printable ink-jet GPE paper is slightly higher than the laser.

The artwork stays on the soap after repeated use when using a color laser printer. If using an ink-jet printer, you will need to follow the instructions provided with the ink-jet GPE Soap Paper to ensure the artwork stays intact.

All of the supplies for this project can be purchased at GoPlanetEarth.com. Here's what you'll need:

• GPE Printable Soap Paper
• Melt & Pour Soap Base
• Soap Colors (I used our liquid gel colors)
• Soap Fragrance (I used Floral Bamboo Musk, Island Retreat... (very yummy!!), and French Tarragon Oswego (great uni-sex scent)
• Mold Market Soap Molds (basic shapes work best)

Other items you will need (that we don't sell) are a microwave, paper towels, microwaveable dishes, rubbing alcohol and a color printer. Look for templates to fit many of the basic Mold Market mold designs for use with the GPE Soap Paper. We should have those online within the next couple of weeks.

 

A Special Mother's Day Tree

For the past few years, the grandkids have given me a tree to plant on Mother's Day to commemorate their birth year. This year, I was gifted a tree from my youngest grandson, Fischer (who turns one in June). His big brother, Carson, was sooo excited to show me the special tree.


Carson made me close my eyes and led me by hand through the front door, down a number of deck steps, to behold this glorious flowering tree. As I stood in front of the tree, my grandson said, "OK, NeeNee, open your eyes... SURPRISE! Isn't it so beautiful?" My heart melted.

I had one heck of a wonderful Mother's Day. I celebrated with my Mom, daughter/son-in-law/grandkids, sister, and niece. My terrific honey-man prepared an incredible food feast and we all hung out and chatted fireside after stuffing our faces. Yes! It was chilly enough for a fire. It was a day to rejoice as I shared time with my family!

Make Realistic Melt & Pour Snail Soaps

This advanced melt and pour soap project produces realistic snail soaps using Mold Market's snail mold. The finished soaps are well worth the invested time. All of the materials needed to complete this soap project are available from GoPlanetEarth.com.

You will want to have our PJ Professional Soap Tool Kit on hand for this soaping project. It's an absolute necessity if you want to recreate the soaps shown.

Watch the tutorial below, or visit GoPlanetEarth.com for step-by-step printed instructions.

We're in the Soap Biz... but, Let's Talk Chocolate

I recently returned from a business trip in Washington state. While there, I stayed at the Green Gables bed & breakfast in Walla Walla. It was an incredible stay and I was delighted to see that they support local artisians and wineries. Businesses supporting their local community will always get my vote.

I was so impressed with the gourmet chocolates (from Petits Noir) left in my room each morning that I had to visit this local boutique and meet the owner. So glad I did! Lan Wong, the owner was nothing but gracious and helpful. Her specialty is crafting chocolate creations that are not only inspired by the fresh produce grown in the valley, but also derived from the various complex notes found in the beautiful wines produced in the area. With flavors such as oak chestnut, lavender, rosemary, clove, and violet. These chocolates are a natural accompaniment to wines found throughout the Walla Walla Valley region.

I snatched up a number of Lan's beautifully packaged chocolates as homecoming gifts. Lan apprenticed with one of New York’s finest chocolatiers, and along with her husband, an artisan baker, they have worked with some of New York’s superb artisan bakeries.

If you're looking for great chocolate gifts, this is the place to visit online. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Showcasing the Spring Fling Butterfly Soap

It's always a delight to find online companies using the many instructionals offered by GoPlanetEarth. I stumble upon this photo of the Spring Fling butterfly . I listed this tutorial in our Resource section a number of years ago. The above photo is an example of this soap and was made by Magic Senses (and beautifully done I might add). The butterfly mold is from the Mold Market line and available for purchase at GoPlanetEarth.

Our site gives you detailed instructions on how to make the soap curl embeds that you see inside the butterfly. What a perfect Mother's Day soap and you can't go wrong when adding one of these lovely, aromatic spa-quality scents.

Olive Asian Tapenade Spa Quality Fragrance. A luxury Mediterranean spa fragrance that is pure harmony. A blend of Asian fruit, sweet olives, and Japenses florals with hints of Eastern spices.

Paradisus A floral spa quality scent that is soft, subtle, sexy! Transport your mind and body to a tropical paradise.

Japanese Cherry Blossom A blend of pink Japanese cherry blossoms and fragrant mimosa flower petals, with warm base notes of vanilla, tonka bean, and oriental woods. Well rounded and very romantic.

Melt & Pour Soap: What is Color Bleeding or Color Migration?

If you are new to soap making, you undoubtedly have many soaping questions. One question or concern that jumps to my mind (because I receive calls or emails weekly) is about "color bleeding". First, let's clarify that color bleeding doesn't mean the soap color stains your body while bathing. Color bleeding, AKA "color migration", occurs when the color is not appropriate for the material/application being used (Melt and Pour soaps, in this case) .


The colorant type used in melt and pour soap base determines whether a color bleeds. You need to select color types that are labeled as non-bleeding. I've pictured two examples of noticable color bleeding. See how the colored embeds have bled (migrated) into the surrounding white or clear soap base? Over time, the color penetrates and bleeds (migrates) into all of the edges of the embedded material. It's not a pretty site, but is easily fixed by using the right pigments. I'm guessing food dye was used to color the embeds pictured. These are NOT a good choice for soap but often used by beginner soapers.

To avoid the problems presented in these photos, purchase non-bleeding pigments. GoPlanetEarth offers a large selection of non-bleeding pigments/dyes that are colorfast and give outstanding color intensity. When you see the term "non-bleeding" next to a color on our web site, you can be assured the color is non-migrating and you won't experince the problems shown in these pics.

Classic & Timeless: Melt & Pour Cameo Soap from Bunny Bubbles

What a classic look and timeless design. This finished melt and pour soap was beautifully done by Terry at Bunny Bubbles and is part of the Mold Market Mold collection available from GoPlanetEarth. What a great display, Terry... good job. Learn how to create this duo-pour soap using PJ's Professional Mini Tool Kit.

Business Shout-Out to Fizzy Bubbles

This top selling mold is available at GoPlantEarth.com. Glad to see our FREE custom template label is being used. The clear crayon box is also sold by GoPlanet. These finished soaps are from Fizzy Bubbles, an Estsy shop, and are a nice example of the finished product.

Melt and Pour SoapMaking: Adzuki Olive Tapenade Spa Soap

Learn how to make adzuki goat's milk melt & pour soap. Also referred to as Aduki or Azuki Bean, has been used in Japanese skin care regimens for centuries. Ground adzuki beans exfoliate skin leaving a soft, radiant glow. They are probably the closest thing to a face lift without the need to undergo surgery. Grind the bean to a powder and use in soaps.

You'll need both Goat's Milk and Suspension soap base, Adzuki beans, and GoPlanetEarth's Specialty fragrance oil... Olive Asian Tapenade. Trust me, it's an awesome uni-sex scent! You won't be disappointed.

Here's a tutorial on how to make this spa-quality soap.

Hello Washington State

I'm out of the office next week (Wednesday - Sunday). I'm flying to Washington State (with my honey-man) on business and staying at a way cool B & B. I selected this B & B because they employ a local chef that prepares some pretty outstanding organic dishes using ingredients from local vendors. (Not to mention a great wine cellar!)

I just finalized dinner reservations at a couple of notable restaurants in the area. There are a number of obsure, but renowned, wineries to visit in our down time. There's nothing better than being able to mix business with pleasure, especially when my honey's career is in the wine business.

I've posted a few pics of the B & B where we're staying. It's roomy, quaint and way more romantic than a traditional hotel room. We are in the heart of town and within walking distance to everything. The only down-side is the 3 hour time difference. It's not so bad arriving, but the return trip is a bear. Trust me, I'll be less than functional next Monday.

Business Shout Out

Lookee here! Aren't these the cutest soaps ever? These are made with the way cool Mold Market cupcake mold. And guess what? GoPlanetEarth.com sells the Mold Market brand. The cupcake soaps pictured are sold by Kimberley at her Klean Kitty Etsy shop. Don't yah just love the packaging? Way to go, Kimberley!

Some similar cupcake boxes will be arriving soon at GoPlanetEarth.

Check out our instructional video on how to assemble these specialty cupcake soaps.

More On Creating Your Own Labels for Soap

Creating labels or packaging your soaps so they stand out from the rest can seem like a daunting task. You've created your soaps, now what? Here are a few pointers I've found helpful over the years. They have proven to work for me and I want to share.

First and foremost. KNOW YOUR MARKET. Are you selling to high-end spas or targeting the "tween" or college kids. This will determine how you label and package your soaps.

For this post, I'm showing an example of selling to young college students. They love bright colors, fun soaps, and are very much into labels that speak to them personally. Remember how you loved (and maybe still do) reading your horoscope in magazines? Those printed words seemed to jump off the page and speak to you on a very personal level. You would read it and say, "Yes, that's me exactly!" We've applied that horoscope type personality to our soap labels.

The labels were created with eye-catching colors and simple in design. The wording is easy to read and the term "Kick Butt" on the front panel is a familar term with this age group.

Selecting names for the scents used is very important. Apple is boring, Apple Autumn Affair has more appeal. Japanese Cherry Blossom is not so exciting, but Sexy Sukura, well, that might make this age group stop and smell the soap. I think you get the idea.

OK, you've lured your buyer into smelling the soap. So... how do you clinch the sale? Including a brief "trigger" descriptor on the label might be the ticket that seals the deal. When your buyer reads it, it's much like that horoscope that shouts out, "Yes, that's me!" Here are some of the descriptors we've used successfully:

For Apple Autumn Affair:

If you love Autumn, football, hay rides, and fresh apple cider... then you've found your magical scent. You can have an affair with this yummy, delicious smelling soap year-round.

Sexy Sukara:

A blend of Asian cherry blossoms and mimosa flowers with warm vanilla & orinetal woodsy ntoes make this a very romatic, sexy scent. If you want to kick things up a notch... this is the soap for you.

Paradisus Riveria:

Hikes along the beach, porch swings, candlelight dinner for two, spa get-away, curling up with a good love story... this is your signature soap. A soft, romantic floral scent with hints of tropical paradise.

Hometown Girl:

Warm creamy milk fresh from the farm & nutty almonds mingled with natural grain oats. If you're a hometown kind of gal... this scents for you!

Limon Mojito:

A soap cocktail of juicy lime, sugar, mint leaves and rum. Are you trendy, colofrul, energetic, adventurous, love sunsets & strolls on the beach? Then take off those big-girl panties and lather up. This is the soap for you!

I've offered some teasers to help get you started. Hope it stirs up new ideas for you!

Create EZ "Green" Upscale Labels for Soaps

I just love handmade paper. It lends such an organic, earthy feel to handmade soap. It's a perfect marriage: Handmade Paper... Handmade Soap. I've been preparing for a presentation at a local day spa. The company is looking to make and sell their own private label soaps. My job is to consult with them on the how-to, what-ifs and cost of making all this happen. This naked bar is made from Goat's milk soap base. Ground adzuki beans were added for texture and our house blend of Olive Asian Tapenade fragrance was used. If you haven't used this spa quality fragrance in your soap products... well, you don't know what you're missing. It's an awesome scent.


When consulting, your job is to throw out ideas. Your goal is to motivate and inspire so your client grows your "seed" ideas to fit their particular clientele or retail setting. One of my favorites, and a tried and true classic, is wrapping soap in handmade paper. The photos below are just mock-ups of what could be done in an upscale spa setting without spending big $$ on custom imprinted labels.


The above label was imprinted on handmade paper with a laser printer. If you have the extra cash to spend, include a 3/8 wide piece of grosgrain ribbon to secure the tucked ends of paper. Use an custom printed adhesive label to secure ribbon to soap bar. The pic below from Sweet Petula shows the simplistic beauty of this packaging.



For our soap, we used double-sided tape to secure the tucked ends of the Thai Birch paper. The back of the paper is imprinted with labeling information. GoPlanetEarth offers a nice selection of handmade papers that are perfect for soap bands or full wraps as shown here.