Easy DIY Get Well Greeting Card

I wanted to send a couple of Get Well cards to friends this week and decided to make my own. This was the result and it was easy-peasy to do. I've even included a printable template for you to use. Sorry, you'll have to provide your own band-aids and gauze (said with a big grin).

You can print a special greeting on the flip side of the card, or just opt to sign your name and call it good.

I used two sheets of creme color card stock paper. The card is sized to fit inside a 6 x 9" catalog envelope. It may require additional postage so you may want to weigh before mailing.

Snag the template here.

DIY Birthday Popcorn Cones & Stand

My granddaughter wanted popcorn at her birthday party. In keeping with the Rainbow Art Party theme I created popcorn cones and stand. It was inexpensive and made eating popcorn way more fun. The cones can also be filled with assorted candies for each party guest.

Another great way to decorate the cone box is with your child's hand prints dipped in finger paint. How cute (and fun) to have colorful hand prints covering the white paper.

You will need:

• White craft paper
• Color printer
• White card stock
• Clear tape
• 6-inch wide netting, cut into 12-15" lengths
• Postal box that is sized for shoes
• Double-sided tape
• Box cutter
• Masking or painters tape
• Cone template (found here)

How To:

1. Assemble box, tape ends
2. Use box cutter to cut 6 holes. Make holes large enough to hold the cones.
3. Tape around edges of the cuts with masking or painters tape.
4. Wrap box with white Kraft paper( like you would a gift).
5. Use box cutter to make "X" cuts in each circle cut-out. Fold back the white paper in each hole and secure to inside of box with clear tape.
6. Decorate box as desired. I used grosgrain ribbon and cutout the circle shapes that appeared on the cones. See attached PDF file.
7. Print cone design on card stock paper and use the cone template to trace cone design.
8. Cut out cone shape, roll and secure with clear tape.

Rainbow Art Party for Kids

This past week I've been assembling everything I need for my granddaughter's birthday party. She decided on a rainbow theme to celebrate my newly published children's book titled Remember the Rainbow. Olivia loves to draw and paint so I suggested a Rainbow Art Party.

Each guest will receive a canvas with a pencil drawn design of the rainbow (shown left). Once painted, they can outline with a black Sharpie, add cotton clouds and colorful buttons.

A chalkboard greeting outside the front door  welcomes party guests.

Pizza, rainbow Slurpee, a rainbow candy bar and pink lemonade are all on the menu.

The backdrop for the photo shoot are plastic table clothes hung from a wooden dowel. I'll post pictures later of all the girls. Each girl will receive a frame to hold their photo shoot picture.

The party includes:

• Lemonade stand
• Jumbo rainbow slurpee
• A colorful synergy maze
• Gift bags that contain Crayola window markers, a copy of my new book, flavored lip gloss and a six pack of rainbow colored nail polish.
• Popcorn cones

What is a colorful synergy maze?

Synergy is created when things work in concert together to create an outcome that done through the joint effort and cooperative action of two or more individuals.


My synergy maze uses yarn. Each child is given a color and must find their way to the end of their color to receive their gift bag. What makes it fun is that all the different colors are interwoven around obstacles and will require the joint effort of each participant to untangle their way to the prize.

This will be done outdoors which is great for helping the kids expend excess energy. They wind their yarn around a cover toilet paper roll.

I will post follow-up pics once the party gets into full gear and the final details are executed... like the giant rainbow slurpee, lemonade stand and synergy maze.

The set-up has been fun, it's the take-down that I'm dreading. But, if it creates memories for my granddaughter, it is all worth it.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Bunny Rabbit Soap

 

I meant to have this soap posted before Easter but it didn't happen due to my crazy travel schedule. In March, I asked Sophie Soap Chick to come up with an Easter bunny soap using Mold Market's cupcake base and bath bomb mold. Sure enough, she came through with this adorable design. I love it!

Items Used:

White Soap Base

Fragrance

Black Oxide Colorant

Clear Soap Base

Neon Pink Colorant

Mold Market's Cupcake Mold

Mold Market's Small Bath Bomb

Recessed Smoother Tool

8-inch Silicone Roll Tray

Here are Sophie Soap Chick's instructions:

 

1. You can start with either the head or the cupcake body. I used white soaps base for. For the head, all I used was white soap base and fragrance (Make sure to make extra and pour into the 8-inch Silicone Roll Tray for the ears that you will later carve out). For the body, I used white soap base mixed with Neon Pink Colorant (Only a drop or so) and filled the base of the cupcake mold. Make sure to also melt down extra so you can pour the remainder in the 8-inch Silicone Roll Tray for the inside of ears and nose. You will also need to melt down some clear soap base mixed with Black Oxide Colorant for the eyes and mouth and will also be put in the tray mold.
   
2. Make sure to melt down the ear part first so you can work on that while the black is setting. To cut the ears I used the Recessed Smoother Tool and it took a little while to make them look perfect. Make sure to also smooth the edges to give it a rounder look. The same goes for the inside pink part.
   
3. Once you have all these made and set, you can then melt some clear soap base and start attaching everything. I started attaching the head and the body first. I then moved on to putting the pink inner ear on the white ear. After that dried, I attached the ears on the body. I found it easier to attach them first and then the eyes and mouth.

 

This soap took about an hour or so, but was SUPER EASY to make. He is so cute you can make anytime, not just for Easter! 

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Meet Mini Man

Mold Market's new Mini Man soap mold is sure to be a hit with kids. Make them in blue, green, yellow, orange...any color you want.

Each mold has three cavities and makes approximately a 3.5 ounce bar that is 3-inches in diameter x 1 3/16" deep.

The use of a soap injector is necessary to fill in the accent areas of the eyes, hair, glasses and mouth. 

NOW IN STOCK and will be online this week.

How to Make Flower Pot Soaps

FINALLY! The flowers are beginning to bloom in Michigan. To celebrate, Sophie Soap Chick, planted a few soap flowers in Mold Market's flower pot mold. Sophie shares the 'how-to' information below.

Items Used:

Brown Oxide Colorant

Orange Oxide Colorant

Black Colorant

Neon Yellow Colorant

Neon Pink Colorant

Neon Green Colorant

Mold Market Mini Flower Pot Mold

Recessed Smoother Soap Tool

Flower Cutter Set (The Smallest One)

Clear Soap Base (Only a few cubes to stick together the pot and flowers)

White Soap Base

Fragrance of your choice

8-inch Silicone Roll Tray

First, I started mixing together ingredients to make the flower pots. I used white soap base and then added two drops of brown oxide and 1 small drop of orange oxide (Don’t forget to add fragrance). This made the creamy looking brown color that works perfect as a pot. I then poured this in the Mini Flower Pot Mold and let set.

Flower Pot Halves

While the Mini Flower Pot was setting, I moved on to making the flowers. For this I used the 8-inch Silicone Roll Tray. For the yellow flowers, I melted down white soap base and then added two drops of Neon Yellow. Make sure to spray down the tray with alcohol spray so there will be no sticking. I only poured the yellow until it covered the bottom. Do not make it too thick or your flowers wont stand correctly on the pot. After the yellow set, I then continued this process to make the pink flowers, the flower stems & leaves, and the dirt (one black and one brown, later will cut little pieces and mix them together).

During those setting, I took out the Mini Flower Pots and began cutting the tops with the Recessed Smoother Soap Tool. Make sure to keep a lip to hold in the dirt and to give the effect of a real flower pot. Once they were both even and fit properly, I used clear soap base to attach the two parts. Some of mine didn't stand up straight, so to fix this you can use the tool again and shave the bottom a little bit until it sits properly.

Join the two flower pot halves
with clear soap base.

To make the flowers, I used the smallest of the Flower Cutter Set and used it with the pink and yellow. For the stems I used the Recessed Smoother Soap Tool and then rolled with my fingers. For the leaves, I used the same tool and carved them out by hand. To attach all these I used the clear soap base.

For the dirt, I used the black and brown that I made out of the tray and used the same Recessed Smoother Tool. I used the curved end and with a flicking motion, popped out little pieces of black and then brown. This did take a little while, but after getting the hang out it becomes quicker. Make sure to attach the flowers in the pot prior to putting the dirt in. Once the flowers were in place of where I wanted them, I then sprinkled the dirt all over.

These turned out SUPER CUTE and I hope you all have a great time making these! Although, these take a few hours to make, the end result is so worth it!!!

New Soap Mold Designs

Mold Market has introduced eight new soap mold designs for spring 2014. GoPlanetEarth will carry them all. We expect to have them in stock by the end of April. An ADD TO CART button will appear next to the mold once we have them in stock.



 

From t-shirts to cupcakes, moustache products are the new rage. This moustache mold is fun and can be embellished in a variety of ways. Each mold sheet produces 4 soaps that measure 4-inches in width x 3/4 inches deep x 1.72" in length.

What big or little boy doesn't have an affection for tractors? I live in a small farming community where tractor races are a form of entertainment. I can't wait to see what Sophie Soap Chick does with this mold design. The multi-layer depths are ideal for using assorted colors when using our soap injector tool. Each mold sheet produces three soaps.

Melt & Pour Soap: Make a Minion Soap

We are back with soaping ideas.

Last week I asked Sophie Soap Chick to come up with a Minion soap based on a project I did with my grandkids. She ran with the idea and all I can say is WOW!

My grandkids are on spring break this week but this will be a soaping project for us to do once they return. What's not to love about this soap?

Place this soap on the ledge of the bath tub  and I guarantee they be excited to clean up after a day of playing at the school playground or park.

I'm thinking we need to make a few girly minions in pinks and purples. How about braided hair?

There are so many variations you can do with this design. Supplies needed and how-to instructions are given below.




SUPPLIES FOR BODY

Start with the main body

• 2 inch Tube Mold

• White Soap Base

• 1 drop of Orange Oxide Colorant

• 2 drops of Yellow Oxide Colorant

• 1 drop of Neon Yellow Colorant

• Peach Fragrance

1. Melt down white soap base (see instructions here)
2. Mix together the Orange Oxide, Yellow Oxide, and Neon Yellow to create the perfect “Minion” yellow color 
3. Add fragrance and mix until ingredients are thoroughly blended.
4. Spray inside the 2-inch Tube Mold with rubbing alcohol to make sure the soap will come out easily when set. 
5. Place the black rubber cap on the base of the tube, then pour soap into tube mold. Do not pour all the way to the top.

While the body is setting up in the tube, move on to making the round heads. Use the Large Bath Bomb Mold from Mold Market and used the same yellow “Minion” color as above. Only fill the mold cavities half way to make sure the head is not too large for the 2-inch diameter tube.

While the body and heads contain to set up, begin to make colors for the goggles, eyes, hands, feet, hair, mouth, pupils, and overalls. To make these, use an 8-inch Silicone Jelly Roll Tray. Make sure to spray rubbing alcohol between each poured layer.

 

 



To create hands, feet, hair, mouth, and pupils:

1. Use Clear Soap Base (around 2.5 oz.)
2. Mix with Black Colorant (TINY drop, a little goes a long way)
3. Add Fragrance
4. Spray Alcohol spray in the tray
5. Pour a thin layer
6. Spray alcohol spray on the layer (Will make bubbles go away)
7. Allow to set until dry

To create goggles:

1. Use White Soap Base (Around 2.5 oz.)
2.  Mix with Black Colorant, again small drop
3. Add Fragrance
4. Spray Alcohol spray in the tray
5. Pour a thin layer
6. Spray Alcohol on the layer
7. Allow to set until dry
   

To create the overalls:

1. Use White Soap Base (Around 2.5 oz.)
2. Mix in Neon Blue (2 drops)
3. Add Fragrance
4. Spray alcohol spray in the tray
5. Pour a thin layer
6. Spray Alcohol on the layer
7. Allow to set until dry

All of these items were carved by hand with the Recessed Smoother Soap Tool. This item is CRUCIAL for the Minion. It helped me put a twist on how I wanted my “Perfect Minion” to turn out like I wanted.

I did a couple different mouths and there are so many options to make them show different feelings. Just make sure to ALWAYS smooth out the edges with the Recessed Smoother Soap Tool to make him look real and not so much like a box.

To attach all the parts in the end, I used the same tool to scoop some melted clear soap base and then stuck the pieces on. I found it easy to work from the bottom up starting with attaching the overalls and feet first, rather than the eyes and goggles.

Overall, to complete my perfect minion it took me a few hours due to drying time and carving all kinds of different faces and options to make my perfect one.

Hope you enjoy!

Sophie

 

 

 

I SPY BOTTLE

As the grandkids bound through the door last night, they could hardly contain their excitement. They were headed to Tennessee to spend a week with their ‘other’ grandparents, Nena and Poppa.

“Do you have are bags ready?”

“Sure do,” I said. “They are right there with your names on them.”

Whenever the grandkids take a road trip South, I prepare them bags filled with food snacks, games, and coloring sheets. Their mommy limits the amount of time they can spend on electronic devices; so the goodie bags come in handy and keep them occupied then they travel.

As I helped my daughter load up her Jeep, she picked up a 2-gallon container filled with cereal, rice, and uncooked pasta shapes.
“What the heck is this?”

“Oh, that’s an I Spy bottle; I showed the kids how to play it last night.”

“Mother, where do you come up with these ideas? Please tell me they don’t unscrew the cap.”

“No, the cap is glued on and can’t be removed.” My daughter breathed out a sigh of relief as she carefully surveyed the container.

I Spy in a Bottle uses picture cards that show various small objects hidden inside the container. The rice, dried pasta, cereal and assorted beans prevent the player from seeing them without shifting and moving the contents around to reveal the hidden items. The game starts over when all the pictured items have been revealed to the player.

Gather the items that you want to hide in the bottle. They should be small enough to fit through the opening of a plastic juice container. I added about 50 items to my I Spy bottle.

Group 5-7 items together and snap a photo. Print the photo and trim off excess edges. It's best to keep all the photos the same. I found 4 x 6" worked well.

I mixed all of the filling contents and the hidden items in a large bowl and then filled the container. It allowed the hidden objects to fully incorporate into the contents I used for the filling.

You can use any type of filling you want. It might be all rice, colored rice, all dried cereal; you decide. Or, mix a combination of ingredients as I did.

Use your imagination when collection the objects to hidden. The assortment should be colorful.

Half the fun for the kids is helping to collect the objects.

Melt and Pour Soapmaking: Minion Craft

My five year old grandson had a friend over this weekend for a play date. Both boys are obsessed with Minions, so I planned a special Minion craft using discarded toilet paper rolls.

As we folded, tucked, glued and cut, I soon realized this would make a great soap.

Ideas raced around in my head and when I mentioned it to my grandson and his friend, they shouted, "That would be cool!"

It's on the to-do list for Sophie soap chick and I'll let you know the final results.







Mold Market will release a Mini-Man soap mold in April 2014 along with seven other designs. Stay posted for updates.

Soap Making: Employee Training Session

It's been a while since I've been in the soaping room. It felt good to get my hands dirty, or is that clean, again. My assistant, Jenni, wanted to learn more about the process of melt and pour soap making. I love when workers show an interest in learning the techniques we promote on our web site.

This loaf soap was made with Mold Market's Square Loaf mold. Both white and clear soap was used in the training process of pouring in layers. Jenni choose a mango scent to complement the tropical colors of orange, red and yellow.

Here are a few key points Jenni learned about pouring a layered loaf soap:

• Let the first layer cool until a somewhat thick skin forms on the surface of the soap. This is especially true when pouring a white/colored layer of soap over a clear layer.
• If the soap is too hot when poured, it will penetrate the previous layer. You won't get defined color lines when that happens.
• Time and temperature are the key factors to successfully pouring layered soap.
• When using clear soap base, it is imperative to also use a clear fragrance oil. Some fragrance oils are tinged yellow, green or orange and will discolor your clear soap base.
• Spritzing each layer with rubbing alcohol removes any air bubble and helps the next poured layer to adhere to the previous layer.
• Add 1 teaspoon of fragrance per 8 ounces of soap base (if using GoPlanetEarth products).
• Pouring temperature of soap should be 140 degrees or less.

I must say Jenni's first attempt at a semi-advanced soap making project was a success. She is excited about moving on to more advanced projects.

 

 

The Pause Button

 

So much has been happening over the last few months. You have probably noted I haven't made any blog posts for several months. I thought it was time to share the reason.

Normally my efforts are focused on soap making, how-to tutorials and pictorial inspiration. As much as I love the soaping world, I needed to step away to focus on a lifelong dream; to write a children's book for my grandkids.

The manuscript is complete and the book is in the design assessment stage with the publisher. If all continues to move on track, the book will be published early April 2014 and available for purchase on Amazon.com. It is called 'Remember the Rainbow'.

My illustrator, who lives in Japan, did a fantastic job in bringing the story to life. She has agreed to work with me on my next children's book for preschoolers to be published in November 2014.

 

 

I was recently notified a story I had written about dealing and caring for someone with Alzheimer's is being included in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book scheduled for release November 2014. It is my second published story with the Chicken Soup series.

 

In fall 2013 another writing publication was released when my monthly Bunco group published a collection of favorite appetizers to raise money for our local community's Christmas Express and food bank. It was a great success but another time consuming project that once again pushed the pause button on my soaping adventures.

With a number of articles published in various trade magazines (about the business of soap making), I set my sights on writing about something entirely different. It's a blog called Devotionals for the Imperfect Person and offers hope to those trying to make sense of their imperfect life. The writings are in the process of being compiled into a book that will include devotionals written by my daddy and baby sister.

 

I assure you I haven't forsaken the world of soaping and will continue to post new projects and ideas in the near future. For now, however, I remain focused on writing and planning a July 2014 trip to Italy with my honey-man.

 

So continue to hang with GoPlanetEarth, we have plenty of new and exciting things going on in the background with our sister company MoldMarket.com.



UPC Codes for Mold Market Molds

Mold Market has notified us that they will be displaying UPC codes on their molds starting January 2014. This is great news for anyone selling their molds in a retail store setting. Mold Market offers over 250 plus quality plastic molds for soap making and chocolates.

If you own a retail store or online company and have an interest in Mold Market's reseller program, please complete the following application.

A complete catalog of molds available from Mold Market can be viewed here.