Is it time for Pumpkin Soap already ??!!

You bet it is! :)

This recipe includes goat milk, and pumpkin. I scented it with Nature's Garden Pumpkin Raisin Royale fragrance oil. I was a tad bit short on the fragrance oil, so I added a little bit of Gingersnap, and a little bit of Fresh Pear. Hmmmmmmm, nice!

So here it is, just poured into the molds. Between the goat milk, the pumpkin, and the fragrances, it was a fairly fast moving soap. So I couldn't fool around too much once it went into trace or I would have had to glop it into the molds. I don't like glopping, I like a nice pour.

It was a wonderful pumpkin color at this point. But alas, it won't stay this color.

It wasn't even 5 minutes later that it was in a full hot gel. See ....

Didn't need to even cover it for it to gel like that.

The next day,  ready to be cut into bars.

Ingredients: olive oil, coconut oil, sodium hydroxide, distilled water, goat milk, sweet almond oil, rice bran oil, pumpkin, wheat germ oil, fragrance oils

This soap is in the soap room now, curing away! It will be ready at the end of the month.

And here's a pic for you. We've been in triple digit temperatures for over 30 days now.  It's been hot, and it's been dry. We have a bird bath outside the window that we keep full. It's very active, always full of birds, and used by a rabbit or two. Monday, it was 110 degrees. This coyote came around for a drink. She really really really wanted to lay in the water, but no way could she fit in the bird bath! This is as close as she could come ... one of her long front legs immersed (I keep saying "she" but I can't tell if it's a male or female).

Pearls For A Bride

This is a three strand pearl necklace I made last month. This one has pretty delicate 4mm freshwater pearls, side drilled. Here are the pearls as I bought them, the 4mm being the smaller ones on the left ..

And here is the finished product ..

Between each pearl I used antique French steel cut seed beads. These are indeed antique stock that was never used. Here's a close up to see them better.

For the clasp, I used a sterling silver Art Deco looking toggle in the shape of a mirror. Pretty!

It's a pretty good length for a wedding accessory, I think. The inside, shortest strand is 16 1/2 inches. The outside strand is 20 1/2 inches. For the beading wire, I used Soft Touch by Soft Flex. This is a very flexible beading wire, and gives this necklace a lovely drape.

This necklace can be found in my Etsy jewelry shop

3 Strand Wedding Pearls

Oatmeal & Honey Goat Milk Soap

From the pour, to the cure. :)

This is one of my favorite soaps. I like making it, I like using it.

Just poured ...

It looks so nice and creamy at this point. I love the honey color! But it doesn't stay this color, it browns up quite a bit. I let it go through a hot gel. Here it is gelling ...

That's some hot soap!!  :)

The next day, ready to cut. Out of the mold....

And all sliced up ...

This soap has no added fragrances. It gets a great scent just from the honey and oatmeal. It smells like a big cookie! And it lathers like a dream. It's mild and gentle. The oatmeal I use is baby food oatmeal, so it's so finely ground that it is not scrubby at all. Makes a nice soap for children to use (as long as they don't think it's a cookie and try to eat it!!).

All cured and ready to go!

Ingredients: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Distilled Water, Goat Milk, Grapeseed Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Finely Ground Oatmeal, Natural Desert Honey

Find this soap on my website:  Oatmeal & Honey Goat Milk Soap

and in my Etsy shop:  Oatmeal & Honey Goat Milk Soap

Apple Orchard Layered Soap

This is a soap I made last week.

The bottom layer is colored with Moroccan Red Clay and a touch of red oxide.

Right after I poured the bottom red layer, I evenly sprinkled red clay across it, to form a line between the red and the uncolored soap. I let the bottom layer set for about 20 minutes before carefully pouring the top layer. If you don't let it set up a little, when you pour the top layer it will go through to the middle of the bottom layer. I wanted a nice straight line.

Scented with Apple Orchard fragrance oil from Nature's Garden.

A Hummingbird Soapy Gift Set

I put together this little gift set last week. I thought it would be a nice summer looking set.

The set includes 2 bars of soap, wrapped with a big red ribbon, 2 lip balms in a white organza bag, and a matching note card.  The 2 soaps I used for this set are Palmarosa Lavender and Pomegranate Fig.

 

I tucked them neatly into a 4 x 4 x 2 inch Kraft box which has been decorated with a colorful hummingbird decal.

And there you go, a cute little gift set all ready to go! A nice hostess or thank you gift. Maybe a gift for a shower. 

These can be purchased either on my website: Hummingbird Gift Set

Or in my Etsy shop: Hummingbird Gift Set

A Summer Soap

Here's a pretty layered soap I made for summer. I've already posted pics of it after cutting it. These are the "cured and ready to go" pics.

Called Sandalwood Beach, the layering is representative of a beach, water, and sky. Scented with Sahara Sandalwood. The beach layer uses Rhassoul clay for a sandy look. I used ultramarine blue and green oxide for the water, and just ultramarine blue for the sky.

The label I used a blueberry blue for color, with just the name of the soap in a dark red. I think it looks good with the soap. :)

Link to this soap on my website:  Sandalwood Beach

Link to this soap in my Etsy shop:  Sandalwood Beach

Pearls

I did a little bit of jewelry making. A 3 strand pearl necklace.

I love making these simple multi strand pearl necklaces. They always come out so nice, looking so classic. The pearls are all 7mm, a nice creamy white.

The clasp is all sterling silver, a good sturdy J hook. I keep thinking how pretty this would look on a bride with her hair up to show off the sterling silver.

Lately on my necklaces I have been using sterling silver wire guards when I add the wire to the clasp, which help protect the beading wire and, I think, add a nice finished look. They are a little fussy to work with, but well worth it.

I spaced the strands 2 inches apart. Makes a very nice drape. The smallest strand is 17 inches including the clasp. The longest strand is 21 inches.

This necklace is listed in my Etsy jewelry shop.

3 Strand Pearl Necklace