MAKING MOO M&P SOAP and editing in Live writer

I am well stoked about this blog editing application and I cant stop myself from checking what it can do.  I must add that I only found Live Writer through a very sweet and generous soul called Switcher who has an equally great site called SOSwitcher (click it!).  You can find a link to the download page of the programme in my last post or by going to the Windows live site. 

Moooving along , I have been wanting to post this “tutorial” for a while now anyway, so I guess it’s 2 for 1 deal, I play with live writer and post the TINCAN HANDMADE project of the day:

MOO SOAP!

Moo Soap is a relatively more complicated project than your average M&P effort.  It’s a whole lot easier than Cold Process Soap too (making soap from scratch).  These little moo babies are so cute that I cant stop showering with them.  This tutorial assumes that you have had some basic M&P experience before and doesn’t go into detail about exactly how to melt and pour soap.

Here’s what you will need:

• 3 separate melting jugs/vessels/pots
• stirring implement
• knife
• scoring/designing tool to etch design (I used a teaspoon)
• mould to pour you soap in
• M&P Soap/ 1 part clear + 2 parts opaque
• Fragrance Oil
• Witchazel in spray bottle
• patience

Here’s how you can do it.

• Fill your moulds to half way up the cavity with water and pour out into measuring jug.  This way you will be able to roughly calculate how much melted soap you are going to need for the black soap.
• Melt enough opaque soap to match that quantity and add in your black colourant (and a wee bit of fragrance) to the shade of black that you want (note it will be grey tinged).  Use whatever you are stirring with and stir well.
• Pour into your mould to half way up the cavity – leave to set.
• When set unmould and carve your moo bits pattern into the face of the soap,  I used a round teaspoon.

Carve up the soap with the knife.  Placing it on cutting board an cutting out the shape is the easiest way to do it.

• Smooth sharp edges by rubbing over with a damp cloth.  (A wet wipe is good for this purpose)
• When the the pieces are dry the fun begins
• Melt a small quantity of clear soap, add your chosen fragrance to the soap and pour a thin layer into your mould.  I used a blend of Milk and Vanilla cos I wanted a milkshake type of scent.  I’ve been thinking that a sweet almond or a wheat germ scent will also give it a nice milky, creamy scent.

 

• When it firms up to a firm but pliable,rubbery consistency, spritz your moo bits with witchazel and arrange your pattern – be sure to firmly but gently push the pieces into the the rubbery clear layer or you will get unsightly air bubbles between the two layers. Work from the middle of the bit out.(I hold the mould up to see if the moo bits aren't trapping air). Spritz with witchhazel.
• Melt your white soap – when it is 1 or 2 degrees (Celsius) hotter than your normal pouring temperature, add fragrance, and mix well .  Pour over your moo bits, pour slowly and if it gently starts melt the black soap, all the better the pieces will adhere better and the edges on the black moo bits wont be so sharp.  Let it sit undisturbed until it hardens up and slides easily out of the mould.
• Unmould the soap, and you have got moo soap – keep it all for yourself  or wrap a few up and give away as presents (warning – giving moo soap away is extremely traumatising, you will find a really strong attachment to it!)