Here is the video of me cutting the lemonade soap:
Smells just like fresh-squeezed lemonade! My favorite part is how the ice cubes turned out – they actually look like real ice cubes!
As I mentioned earlier, I will be sending two bars to Ayuko, but the remaining 10 will be for sale. One of those is already spoken for. Anyone else who wishes to pre-order may send me an email or comment below. Otherwise, you can take your chances and order from Greatcakessoapworks.com starting Monday, March 5th.
After doing the last gradient soap, I was inspired to try something a little more advanced. Since I had this “sunrise” fragrance, I figured why not do the gradients of a sunrise? I found my inspiration here:
Gradient inspiration
Orange and purple have a common color – red, so utilizing a bit of color theory, I was able to slowly turn the orange to pink and then the pink to purple. Fortunately, the fragrance was cooperative during this process, as I mixed all the colors and poured them in the mold! Sorry, no video this time, or even photos in process. I didn’t have anyone to help me with that.
Hawaiian Sunrise Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks
The fragrance is quite bold. It is described as a blend of scintillating notes of citrus, raspberry, and pineapple with the tropical fragrances of hibiscus and pikake for an intoxicating scent. Ironically it seems to be the same fragrance I used several years ago from a different supplier who called it by a different name when I made the Celebration soap, if anyone remembers that one! Here’s a photo to help jog your memory:
Celebration Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks circa 2008
I am looking at a ready-to-sell date of March 1st for the Hawaiian Sunrise soap. Now what shall I plan to make next???
As I was looking through my stash of fragrances the other day, I re-discovered a one-ounce sample of Strawberries & Champagne fragrance. It’s only enough for a six-bar batch, but after thinking about the Sweet Pea & Rhubarb soap I made last year for Valentines Day I came up with a plan.
Sweet Pea & Rhubarb Soap
Using a similar method, I decided to make strawberries instead of sweet peas on top:
With only six of these available, I might have to jack the price up or sell them to the highest bidder! It’s such a refreshing – and yes, sparkling fragrance! They’ll be ready at the end of February.
After making soap with Kendra, I was inspired to try a gradient-colored soap. I picked a fragrance that I knew would cooperate as well as being requested by one of my customers. It’s a very fresh, clean laundry scent that reminds you of clothes that have been hung outside to dry. Previous versions of the Country Clothesline soap had been blue with white swirls:
Country Clothesline Soap from 2009
Also, blue with white and lighter blue swirls:
Country Clothesline Soap from last year
This time, I used blue again, but with each layer I kept adding more white. The soap wasn’t setting up as fast as I thought, so as I was adding the second and third layers, they were penetrating the layer beneath. This made a couple of the soaps look more like the ocean surf, which I suppose if you could imagine yourself doing laundry on the beach might not be a bad thing.
Country Clothesline gradient soap - with waves
A few of them were a little better behaved, so I took this photo as well:
Country Clothesline soap the way it's supposed to be!
This was my first time attempting the CPOP method of putting the soap in a warm oven after it was poured, which should speed up the curing time by a week or so. I will estimate that this soap will be available at Greatcakessoapworks.com around February 20 – if it doesn’t sell out at the market I’m doing on the 18th.
Cinnamon Bun Coffee Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks
Coffee soap is another staple in the Great Cakes Soapworks line. Even though the fragrance changes from batch to batch, and I’ve added a few details like swirls and textured tops, the recipe remains pretty much the same. The coffee grounds work to eliminate odors and exfoliate the skin. It’s amazing what my customers have told me about this soap! Most soapmakers have heard the usual information about coffee soaps – that they work great in the kitchen when you are cutting up onions, garlic, fish and things like that. This is all true.
However, I have some customers who are using this soap for more unusual purposes. One is a high school photography teacher. She reports that coffee soap is the only soap that will remove photo processing chemical smells from her and her students’ hands. I have another couple who have a small farm with chickens and pigs. They love to use the coffee soap after doing chores. They say it’s the only soap that takes the animal smell off their hands.
Fortunately, you don’t have to use this soap on a farm, or in a dark room. You don’t even have to use it in the kitchen if you don’t want to. If you love the smell of cinnamon and vanilla, this soap will knock your socks off. It’s been sitting on my dining room table for the past few days, and it’s the first thing I smell when I walk in the house. I’m not sure I’m ready to put it on the curing rack in the basement storage room just yet!
Be on the look-out for the Cinnamon Bun Coffee Soap to be available the first part of February. Don’t worry, I made a double batch!
Pumpkin Lager Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks
Since I’m already sold out of Pumpkin Pie soap, I figured I might as well make another pumpkin soap! This is made with the infamous Pumpkin Lager fragrance from Brambleberry, which they so graciously gave me for my participation in the first SOAP Panel. It’s a beer soap, of course. I wasn’t sure how much the fragrance would discolor, so I used a light beer and added some pumpkin puree that I roasted myself! The swirl color is a sunset orange mica. Now that you know the particulars about how it was made, how about some particulars about how it smells!
In a word: TO-DIE-FOR. Yes, that’s one word! It’s pumpkin, but it’s also a bit of spice, and even a bit of bakery. Had I not known it was a beer fragrance, I would not have guessed that it was. Just plain mouth-watering. A new friend/customer came to my house today to shop, and I happened to have this soap sitting out. She could not stop smelling it!
Here’s the bad news: I only have 7 bars. SEVEN. They will be ready to sell on December 6th. No stampeding, please.
I’ve started making my second wave of Christmas soaps this week. I’ve already made Peppermint, Winter Wonderland, and Brown Sugar & Pecan which will be available this weekend. These next three soaps will have to cure for awhile longer:
Cherries & Chestnuts Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks
Cherries & Chestnuts is one of my absolute favorite fragrances! It’s very cherry – not almond – with just a hint of chestnut in the background. The sad news is that I used up the very last of it – and I bought it from a supplier who is no longer in business. So…there will be just seven bars available.
Figgy Pudding Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks
Next up is Figgy Pudding! I have yet to have anyone bring me a figgy pudding when I’m out Christmas caroling, but if it smelled anything like this soap, it would be devoured rather quickly! Yum! Yum! The fragrance is pure fig and cream, with just a hint of spice. I used patagonia purple mica in the bottom layer, which turned a nice brick red color when it hit the soap. The middle layer has a rustic crackled look from the titanium dioxide, plus some vanilla bean specks. And finally, the top layer is what the soap looks like when you don’t add anything but the fragrance to it!
Frankincense & Myrrh Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks
If ever there was a soap that reflected the true meaning of Christmas, it’s Frankincense & Myrrh. Even the gold is represented by a thin line of gold mica between the layers, and the gold “Merry Christmas” stamp. Purple swirls to represent the royalty of the King of Kings. Loaded with creamy goat’s milk. Yes, this soap has a special place in my heart.
All three of these soaps should be fully cured and ready by Saturday, December 10th. I will be at the Sunnyside Elementary Holiday Mart that day – and I understand Santa is going to show up on a fire truck! Won’t that be fun?
Here is one of the soaps I made on my marathon soapmaking day several weeks ago:
Brown Sugar & Pecan Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks
I’ve been waiting to take a photo of the Brown Sugar & Pecan soap because I knew the fragrance was going to discolor, and I wanted to see how dark it would get. I think this is it. It’s such a yummy fragrance!! Brown Sugar & Pecan is exactly what you think – a lot like pecan pie, without the buttery notes. Delectably nutty and sweet. The soap itself is made with my favorite fresh goat’s milk recipe, so it has lots of super creamy and moisturizing lather.
Brown Sugar & Pecan will be available at Greatcakessoapworks.com on Saturday, November 12th, along with the Peppermint soap, the Winter Wonderland soap, and a fresh batch of Cranberry Yuzu soap. (Click here to see photos of all these soaps. This is my “news” page. You can bookmark it if you’d like to keep track of the new soaps I have on the curing rack and when they will be available.)
I’ve also started experimenting with the solid bubble bars. You can keep track of my progress on my Facebook page. I’ll blog about it when I have something worth selling!
As promised, here are the photos of the Winter Wonderland soap:
Winter Wonderland Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks
Winter Wonderland Soap - a different angle
I couldn’t take photos of a Christmas soap outside since it is 70 degrees and sunny today! Feels nothing like winter, that’s for sure! As you can see, I completely forgot the spritz of alcohol over the top. My girls say it makes the soap look “frosty.” So there you go.
The fragrance is definitely not weak. I’ve had these soaps all cut and sitting on a tray in the dining room since last night, and this morning I could smell them all the way to the breakfast table. Very refreshing!
With a four-week cure time, I am estimating the Winter Wonderland soaps will be available around November 8th.
Winter Rose Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks
Let me tell you about the Winter Rose soap! It is scented with the most true-to-life rose fragrance, blended with just a hint of resinous Frankincense & Myrrh essential oils. Our rose bush just happens to be blooming right now, and as I cut some fresh blooms for the photo, I honestly could not tell the difference between the soap and the live flowers!
I used some beautiful pink and dark burgandy micas for the swirl colors. One of the pinks was actually a bright fuchsia until it was put in the soap, which is good because I like the toned down version better! The tiny little specks in the base color are actually bits of vanilla beans.
Close-up of my favorite swirls
Four weeks of cure time would make this soap ready on Halloween. I’ll check it then and let you know!