Warm, Earthy and Perfectly Lovely-Autumn Eve

  What an honor to be included in this lovely collection entitled Autumn Eve. Thank you!

 

'autumn eve...' by GTDesigns

100% Trendsetting Treasury Team gallery.indulge.

Afghan Tribal Torc (Torque) ... BoudreauCollec... $185.00	Timber and Clay Earthy Woman... TRaewyn $65.00	Crystal Crucifix Couture Nec... TaxilHoax $98.00
Vintage 60s Sunshine Yellow ... ChatteJolie $25.00	Warm Light on Sheets - 5x5 F... ValeriaH $15.00	Ruffle Bottom Briefs - Black WoodlandiaHand... $58.00
Cleanse Facial Soap, Facial ... TierraVerdeSoa... $5.50	Very Long Black Earrings. Be... Burvesrotas $22.00	Brides Two Row Headband -Ros... InChainsBodyJe... $130.00
Polka Dots Skirt Handmade 50... theeKissOfLife $15.00	Instant Collection of Antiqu... VivaEstelle $28.50	Dreaming of Home AMRSTUDIO $230.00
Vintage cups, coffee, tea, ... ancienesthetiq... $20.00	Mason Jar Strand with Lights sweetteaclothi... $69.00	SAMPLE SALE Full Circle Skir... dhela $110.00
Fine Art Photo Print 8 x 10 ... KingHappyCreat... $30.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Black-Part 2

Both soaps contain charcoal-the soap in the foreground clearly didn't have enough charcoal to get it close to black-the second attempt in the background was exactly what I was going for.

So, here are the results of my attempts at Cleanse facial soap. The soap in the foreground is the first attempt. Remember, that I hadn't worked with charcoal in some time and needed to get my bearings on how much to use to get at the saturation that I was going for. Clearly I wasn't anywhere near black, however it's still a lovely color and is very useable-whereas if I had gone over with too much color-I would have had a soap that bled black all over.The soap in the background was the next attempt, and I went up a half teaspoon-this seems to be just the right amount.

I always test saturated colors by using an end piece so that I can see to what extent the lather is tinted. This lather did have a very subtle tint of gray, so subtle that I really only noticed it in the run off in the sink. I lean towards being a bit of a minimalist when it comes to color-often because I don't like to have my colors bleed or lather that is off color.

I always check saturated colors for signs of bleeding.

Cleanse-facial soap with charcoal and a light splash of lavender. 3.75 ounces $5.00

The finished product; Cleanse-facial soap with charcoal and a light splash of lavender. Charcoal draws out dirt and absorbs oil while Lavender contributes anti-microbial/anti-inflammatory properties. Cleanse will be ready the first week in May.

Black

It's been a long time since I pulled out the ol bamboo charcoal, but now that I'm no longer in a discombobulated state(read about my recent re-organization here)-it's very handy to get to things like my colorants.Yahoo! So today, I was in the mood to re-visit bamboo charcoal. A few years back I bravely ventured into the realm of bamboo charcoal and really haven't bothered to mess with it since. I'm not really sure why-maybe it was the hassle of getting it out prior to my recent re-organization of soap supplies.

Fleur de lis was my very first attempt with bamboo charcoal + anything resembling the elusive swirl.

Fleur de lis (2010)-by Tierra Verde Handmade Soaps- scented with Anise and a bit of Clove.

This time I tried something "safe" I guess you could say since I hadn't worked with charcoal in such a long time. Today, I decided to make a mild cleansing facial soap with bamboo charcoal and a light splash of lavender. 

 I added 1/4 tsp. of charcoal(for an almost 2# batch) directly to my oils + a small amount of lavender. That white speck is from my Coconut oil-sometimes there seems to be a bit of coconut meat included in the oil.

I added the charcoal straight into the oils-it's very fine and will disperse easily once I introduce the stick blender. I also went ahead and added my lavender since I won't lose it to a low flashpoint.

Charcoal mixture after emulsification

You'll notice the color is now a charcoal and not the true black that I was hoping for. I will see what it does once it's gelled. I chose to start at perhaps a bit of a lesser amount of charcoal than I needed because if you add too much charcoal it will bleed and you will have gray suds + a stained wash cloth. It's always best to start out with a bit less than you think you'll need and adjust up-this way the soap might not quite be the black you want, but still very useable without the messy gray lather and possible staining. 

Cleanse- facial soap with charcoal and a light splash of lavender.

I like a round facial soap because they are just so easy to handle esp. for smaller hands. Cut pics will come in a couple of days..