Part 2 of How to Make a Sushi Soap Log

Okee-dokee, the second part of the sushi soap log tutorial is complete. We are starting work on a Version 2 of this soap making tutorial using a different technique. It will be an interesting trial and error learning curve for our staff. If it's a flop, we'll let you know. And, yes, we do have project ideas that are a bust and tend to share the less desirable results. We wouldn't want you to think we are perfect!

It's Friday and I'm smiling. Enjoy the weekend.

Part One of Melt & Pour Sushi Soap Log

Part One of the Sushi Soap Log tutorial is now live. You can view it below. Hope to have Part Two online within the next few days. Enjoy! Email with any questions.

New Soap Making Tutorial...Coming Soon

It can't possibly be August. Summer is flying by and it's been busy, busy, busy around here. We're continuing work on a new web site that we hope to launch early Fall and there are a number of new mold designs in the works. With all this background activity, I've had little extra time to work on special projects. However, here is a sneak peek of a new tutorial on making sushi soap rolls. The tutorial will be released later this month and features two versions that demonstrate different techniques. I've pictured Version 1 in this post.

GoPlanet previously released a tutorial showing how to make a soap sushi roll using actual nori seaweed and included skin nuturing items such as adzuki beans, ground oats, and soy protein. These newest tutorials present a different take on the same themed soap.

The prep work for this project was a bit time consuming but yielded 13 soaps within approximately 2 hours. Sounds like alot of time, but consider this.

• I made one sushi soap roll, but had prepped for two more rolls. I could have easily made additional rolls with minimal prep work.
  
  
• This was a new project and some of the time involved the OOPS factor.

Depending on your level of Melt & Pour soaping experience, I believe it's possible to make 39-40 soaps in about 2 hours. Not bad! My soaps weighed in at around 1.75 to 2 ounces per slice. I'll share more of the details and working notes once the tutorial is released.

Why PDF is Best for Sharing Files

PDF stands for Portable Document Format, a file format that originated in print publishing as a tool for proofing print jobs before sending them to the printer. Today, it has become the standard for sharing print-ready documents via the Internet.

The format was developed by Adobe and was originally available only to owners of the company's Acrobat software. During the mid-90s, Adobe began distributing Acrobat Reader software, a free tool for viewing PDF files – making it a popular choice for authors, publishers, and designers who wanted to get around the formatting limitations of HTML. PDF is now accepted as an open standard, and is widely supported by other software vendors.

Several characteristics of PDF make it a great choice for sharing or publishing documents over the Internet.

• Ability to retain formatting. PDF allows the original presentation and formatting of any document to remain exactly as its original author intended it to look, including images, fonts, and layout. This is a distinct advantage over other formats such as Microsoft Office documents or HTML, which can change the document’s appearance according to the software and fonts installed on the computer used to view the document.
  Security. With PDF documents, you have full control over users' ability to open, print, copy, modify, or share documents. You can selectively enable or disable these actions for each document according to your preferences.
  


• Easy to create. Because PDF has become an open standard, many software vendors support the format. You don’t necessarily need Adobe's Acrobat software to create PDF documents. Many plug-ins for Microsoft Office, print drivers, or online conversion services are available free or for a fee and make it easy and convenient to publish or export to the format.
  


• Compressible. PDF file sizes can be shrunk to suit the needs of target users. PDF documents can be packaged and compressed while retaining the original quality, or can be down-sampled and compressed to dramatically reduce file size, making it quick to download over the web.
  


• Powerful and flexible. You can add interactive elements including form fields, hyperlinks, electronic signatures, and multimedia such as sounds and videos to your PDF documents. Although these features are also available with other formats, they are not as easy to package and share as PDF.
  

You may want to consider switching to PDF when you want to share or publish documents over the Internet. There are a number of free programs online that allow you to do this without the need of purchasing software. Loop PDF is one that I like and I have found it be one of the simplest PDF conversion tools out there. You have to create an account to use it, but after you do, the free tool lets you add PDFs from your computer or URLs, and combine them into a single document. You can also convert other file types into PDFs. Loop PDF easily converted files in just a few seconds for me.

Once you've converted your file, you can then download, save or publish. A quick, handy application for any growing business. Best of all, it's FREE.

Easy Eco-Wrap for Bars of Soap

I'm always scouting out new eco-friendly packaging for bars of soap. I love the simplistic packaging of this Argan offered by Capriflavors.com. To me, the packaging alone lends creditability to the eco-friendly soap beneath the wrapper.

GoPlanetearth.com sells corrugated wrap and natural raffia along with printable handmade papers. Use this packaging idea as inspiration to create your own earth-friendly soap wraps. Just remember, if working with melt and pour soaps, you will need to wrap your soaps first to ensure that they remain free from glycerin dew and to keep them from shrinking due to water evaporating from the soaps over time. Shrink wrap or stretch plastic wrap is best for wrapping melt and pour soap.

Not sure how to wrap your MP soaps. Watch a short tutorial at GoPlanetEarth.com.

Don’t Short-Sell Yourself on Success

I recently attended a golf outing with my husband’s 1973 high school friends (OK, I’m dating myself). While having breakfast in the club house, I listened as my husband engaged in conversation with a young woman servicing our table. Listening to the interaction, I was reminded how so many individuals are moving outside their career paths and finding new ways to market their skills.


Our 30ish aged waitress, Jamie, was very attentive to our needs, Her communicative skills were well beyond the average wait person. I remarked to my husband that she seemed out of place in her surroundings. This was not to indicate she wasn’t doing a great job or providing great service. The comment was prompted because she demonstrated a mindset that definitely added a sense of value to our dining experience. Her demeanor and verbal skills alone made us believe that the product and services being received were well worth the cost. In a nutshell, she sold herself and never once devalued her service.

My interest was piqued and I casually asked about her background. Jamie shared that she had recently relocated to Northern Michigan (there is not much in Northern Michigan except golfing and skiing) about a year ago from West Bloomfield Hills (sidebar: this is a very exclusive suburb of Metro-Detroit) with a law degree. She had been a State Mediator and decided it was not for her. She opted to forego a steady and secure income and translated her mediator skills into the hospitality world.

What I love about Jamie is that she never sold herself short. She never undervalued her abilities, capabilities, potential, and worth based on a change in her career strategy. She identified reasons why she could succeed; then started taking the necessary steps to reach her goal. She refused to short-sell herself even in the midst of a major career change.

What ways could you be short-selling yourself?

1) Are you short-selling yourself by reducing rates for customers that say they can’t afford the product or services your offer?

2) Do you volunteer time and expertise when you can’t really afford to?

3) Do you let the market rates limit you?

4) Are you moving in the directions of your dreams?

5) Are you selling yourself short by coming up with reasons why you can’t do what you want?

6) Are you short-selling your business because you want a steady income?

7) Do short-sell yourself by pricing yourself or products considerably lower than your competitors?

8) Are you promoting your product or service in such a way that customers are convinced what you provide is “worth” what they are paying for it?

When asking Jamie for a defining “ah-ha” moment between managing a restaurant and banquet facilities versus her law degree, she stated,

"As a State Mediator, I had to negotiate terms for some pretty difficult situations and deal with irate individuals. The restaurant business is no different. A meal or drink order, unruly guests, or event scheduling can go awry at any time and people get angry. It’s my job to negotiate a deal that works for all parties. "

You can sell yourself short and come up with reasons why you can’t do what you want. Or, you can identify reasons you can succeed. Then start today taking the necessary steps to reach your goal. Either way, you will meet your expectations. Don’t sell yourself short!

Don’t Try and Reinvent the Wheel, Reinvent Yourself

As an online soap making supplier, I meet all kinds of people, from all walks of life, from all parts of the world. With all the diversity, there is still one common thread that links everyone: Survival. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs comes to mind when I consider the worldwide economic woes that are threatening our security, resources and employment. The inability to pay bills, provide shelter, and put food on the table puts us in survival mode. Sadly, masses of hard working individuals are no longer able to provide these basic needs and have been forced into this survival mode.


In the US, we are faced with one of the highest unemployment rates in our history. These economic woes are making us much more pennywise as we look for ways to save and look for new ways to make money. For those in the soaping community, competition is becoming fierce and staying afloat and turning a profit is harder than it was a few years ago. This is especially true for smaller businesses just starting out who aren’t yet able to purchase supplies in volume to help reduce production costs. Shipping and packaging costs are up, raw materials continue to rise, and the average consumer is spending less. So what does this mean to you, the small business owner? And, how do you keep yourself afloat in these times of uncertainty?

“You reinvent yourself.”

1) “Reinvention leaves no stone unturned. You must be willing to be self-reflective and examine all those things that might hamper self-discovery. Self-discovery fosters creativity and new ideas.


2) Be willing to jump outside the fish bowl. You must have a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. When I started in this business, I came from a corporate finance background. It was definitely stepping outside my comfort zone to start a soap making business.


3) Set unrealistic goals to achieve and accomplish things beyond your wildest dreams.


4) Everything changes. When faced with change, embrace it as an opportunity. I am a perfectionist and this has probably been the hardest lesson learned. I don’t like change. I want to wake up each day with an agenda that is documented right down to the minute. Then the phone rings with a customer issue, or an email is received about a missing item, or a supply order is delayed, or production is rescheduled… the list goes on and on. You can’t control changes. What you can control, is how you manage and work through those changes.


5) Learn from your mistakes. Keep going until you find the right solution, strategy, or answer. If that first batch of soap didn’t turn out oh well… move on. Try again. Do it until you get it right.


6) Focus on activities you enjoy and what you are drawn to. You will never succeed if you don’t like what you are doing. In my early soaping years I took on some product activities that brought a sense of dread. Custom soap embeds was one such activity. When an order was received, I cringed and dreaded the time it would take to make these custom products. I dropped these items a number of years ago and have never looked back (even though many customers complained).


7) Reinvent yourself around your key strengths and unique talents; then, offer those services to others. Don’t believe that every soaping project is some big secret. If you post it online, you can be assured it is going to be duplicated and resold by others. Take advantage of whatever unique design you’ve created and market it. Do this via an instructional or some kind of kit.


8) Be ready to meet the changing needs and desires of your market. Don’t get locked into 1 or 2 soap designs. Branch out into new designs and unknown soaping territories.


9) Don’t allow messages from your past to control your future. So your mother said you weren’t creative. Doesn’t make it true. Growing up, my daughter never thought she was as creative as me. She shied away from decorating and doing crafty projects thinking it was never going to be as good as moms. WRONG! She has proven to be incredibly creative and I now take pointers from her.


10) Avoid measuring your inside thoughts and feelings against another person’s outer appearance or success. Don’t allow yourself to feel “less than”. There will always be those individuals that have a better success story. So be it. This doesn’t lessen or diminish your own business worth. Don’t allow your self-esteem to be based on someone else’s success.


11) If what you’ve been doing isn’t working… change it! YES, YES, YES! I can’t emphasize this enough. If you know you can’t draw blood from a turnip, then why would you continue to try? If a particular product, design or kit isn't selling... change it and focus on what is selling.


12) Live by this rule: You’re never going to please everyone NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO! You’ll never find success when trying to please the “unpleaseables”. If you’re running a business this is Rule #1. Don’t expend energy on those customers that are “hell-bent” on making your life miserable.


13) Create an emotional arena for success. A) Don’t measure yourself against others, B) focus on the things you do right, C) refuse to behave or perform to some ideal standard. Instead, reinvent your own standard.


14) Surround yourself with individuals that believe in you and that want to see you succeed. Join organizations, groups, and message boards that support what you do.


15) Remember, you can only fail forward. If you never try, you’ll live life with regrets.

How are you reinventing yourself? We would love to hear your story.
Email us at info@goplanetearth.com

Melt and Pour Part Two: Cut-out Retro Flower Soaps

This post is the part two of our tutorial on how to use circle/flower cut-out shapes to make retro flower embeds. We used the same basic Mold Market rectangle mold as in our last tutorial, but mixed up the shapes and colors.

In this tutorial, we cut a pipette in half and used it to punch-out the small circles around the pink flower center shown above. GoPlanetEarth sells all of the supplies you will need to complete this soap project.


Here's what you will need to complete this soap project:

• Clear and white melt & pour soap base
• Green, yellow, pink, lime soap colors
• Mold Market's Basic Rectangle mold (Item #001)
• Fragrance oil (optional)
• Circle (1 1/2" and 1/2" sizes) / flower cutters (1/2" flower)
• Pipette (cut in half)
• Glass measuring cup
• Microwave
• Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle

Watch instructional tutorial:

Melt & Pour Part One: Cut-out Retro Flower Soaps

Learn how to make melt & pour retro flower soaps by using punched circle shapes. In this two-part tutorial we used circle shapes to create some funky retro flowers that are embedded in clear soap. Supplies for this tutorial project can be purchased at http://www.goplanetearth.com/.

This is a great melt and pour project for beginners just learning to embed shapes into soap. Part two of this tutorial offers another design option and should be posted online within the next couple of days.

The cut-out color options are endless. Let this tutorial be a launching pad for your own design ideas.

Here's what you need for this project:

• Clear soap base
  
  
• Mold Market's basic rectangle mold
  
  
• 2-inch tube mold (use as a cutter)
  
  
• Orange, green, lime, turquoise, yellow soap colors
  
  
• Flexible jelly roll pan
  
  
• Microwave/glass measuring cup
  
  
• Rubbing alcohol in spray bottle
  
  

 

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Milk & Cookies Soap

Remember dipping your cookies in milk as a kid? I do, and my kids still do it as well. Here's a soap that is a take-off from those Kindergarten days when dipping cookies in milk seemed like a novel idea. We won't tell anyone that "big" people still do it! A great project for classrooms, moms and kids, and "big" people, too.


Here's what you'll need to make this soap:

• Mold Market's Cookie Sandwich mold
• Chocolate brown and black oxide soap colors
• 8 ounce disposable cup
• White and clear soap base
• Fragrance oil for soap
• Microwave
• Glass measuring cup

The soap colors, soap base, and fragrance oil can be purchased from GoPlanetEarth.com. Our tutorital (shown below) will get you started. This is a very easy soap for those just starting out in soap making.

Watch our tutorial and learn how easy it is to make this soap.

Some Green Packaging Ideas for Soap

One of GoPlanet's tutorials was recently featured on CraftGossip.com (how to line a wooden soap mold). I couldn't help but take a peek at the many great crafting ideas offered. This site covers a wide gambit of crafts from glass art to recycled crafts. During my visit a couple of clever green packaging ideas caught my attention and best yet, they can be done on a shoestring budget.

The above soap is wrapped with a strip of newspaper and finished off with natural raffia. How cool is this? I remember back in my college days doing a "how-to" demonstration on how-to wrap a gift from re-cycled products; newpaper was the wrap of choice. I used the help-wanted section to wrap a college graduation gift. Jobs pertaining to the graduate's career path were circled in red marker. Corrie of Lomond Soaps shows another creative use for newpaper.

GoPlanet did a tutorial a while back on how-to make soap logs or soap rolls. Here is a creative take on dressing up those finished soap rolls as shared on CraftGossip.com using handmade paper and natural dyed raffia. Presto, bingo... you've got yourself a very handsome looking soap log.

This green packaging option is from GoPlanet. A recycled corrugated shipping box was cut into pieces to fit each soap. The corrugated side faces up. The soap is set atop excelsior (natural aspen wood fibers). A couple of bay leafs were placed behind the soap, then shrink wrap was applied. The final touch included threading several strands of natural raffia through punched holes.

Do you have a green packaging idea to share? I'd love to hear from you. As part of GoPlanet's green commitment, we are always looking for ways to recycle and are continually brainstorming on ways to create more green packaging options from recyled materials.

Finished Soaps Using Mold Market Molds

You may or may not know that GoPlanetEarth carries the entire line of Mold Market brand molds. I get excited whenever I run across photos of soaps made with these molds. Here is a collection of photos that our staff found while surfing the Net. Whether the molds were purchased from GoPlanetEarth or from another supplier, across the board, Mold Market molds are superior in quality and design.

Enjoy the pics! I hope they lend inspiration in manufacturing soap using Mold Market designs. You will find credits for all the wonderful soaps showcased at the end of the slide show.

OOPS! Almost forgot to mention....

Place an online order TODAY of 4 or more regular priced Mold Market molds (sale molds excluded) from the GoPlanet web site and we'll inlcude a FREE Mold Market apron. YOU MUST enter the discount code BLOG (during online checkout) to be eligible for this offer.

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.