Birthdays and such

  All great men have birthdays in January.  Capricorns are strong and loving.  I have a special fondness for one in particular and he shares his birthday with another man I have been fond of.  Elvis and my husband share January 8th for their birthday.  Funny thing, tho, my husband is extremely fond of all of Elvis' music.  I am not sure if it is because of their shared birthdays or not.
  What this has to do with Silver Palace Soaps is that without the support of my husband, I would not have this business.  The "poor" man hasn't had a commercially prepared bar of soap to wash with in over 10 years.  Hehehe!  And he doesn't complain.  Of course, he always says "Would it do any good?" 
  I want to give a special shout out to the Blogfire Guild of Artfire.  This is my first post to them, and this is their 2nd birthday this month. Thanks, Alicia, for keeping us bloggers posting.    

We Are Still Here.

It has been a very long time since I have written anything down in this blog. Life sure does seem to get in the way of the "best laid plans of mice and men"(women). While I was gone, I completed two cold process soap recipes, one at 2# and one at 5#. One is a clay infused shaving soap with lanolin and the other uses mostly beef and deer tallow, with some castor and palm kernel oils. The shaving soap has an lake type fragrance and the other is scented with Patchouli EO and an apple/pear blend. They are drying and curing as I speak. Good smells.

We have been having a warmer winter this year. In the house, that is. Last year we used not quite dry enough walnut to heat with in our wood stove. Barely got above 60 all day. This year, we have cured oak, maple, and box elder. The temp inside runs at 69-70 degrees. Very nice. Especially, when the temp over night is expected to be zero and below. Brrrrr!

I am anticipating the spring craft show business. Probably, because I know the weather will be warm. Although, I go outside daily and walk at least 500 ft, to get the mail, it is just not quite the same as being in warmer weather, outside. Too much is covered with snow. Sometimes, I can't even find what I am looking for, because, I don't recognize the lump.

Ah, well. More, at a later time.

What's happening at the palace

 Two new cold process soaps are curing, several melt and pour glycerin soaps are made and labeled and I have been selling vintage drapery materials on Artfire, but, not soap recently.  What's up with that? Well, one thing is certain. The craft show schedule is heating up and I know that I sell soap there.

  

  One of the soaps that I made has Bentonite clay and lanolin in it.  Adding clay to soaps is necessary for a good shaving soap.  The clay allows the razor blade to glide over the skin, making the process so much nicer.  Having lanolin in the soap helps in the process, also.  This soap is one of my daughter's favorites. The oils used in this soap are all vegetable, but, the added lanolin prevents me from labelling it as vegan.

  The other CP soap is definitely not vegan, as it contains both beef and deer tallows.  These make a wonderfully hard bar of soap that will last a long time in your shower or at your sink.  The very first time that I made soap with deer tallow, I was so impressed that I wanted more.  It had scented that batch with Peppermint, Lavender and Sandalwood essential oils.  This time I used Patchouli EO and mixed it with Apple-Pear fragrance oil.  Very nice fragrance.

  Be sure to visit Artfire to see my collection.  These will show up in about a month. The shaving soap is a mustard yellow and the tallow soap is neon blue.

 

New Year Intentions

  I thought about calling the title of this post, New Year Plans, but, decided to call it New Year Intentions.  My plans seem to often go astray, no matter how hard I try to stay focused on them.  It possibly could be that I am slightly ADD, or, it could also be that I have many different tentacles of this octopus that I call my life pulling me away.  Be that as it may, I need to put the plans on paper, er on computer, er, ummmm.  Just what do we call this?  Put the plans on Blog?!  I guess that will work.

  My soap making business will be growing.

  My soap making business will be acquiring a new sense of determination.

  It will become more professional.

  It will make use of the 10 Core Business Principles.

  I will totally invest myself into it.

  I will post more updates on this blog, on my Artfire blog, on Facebook and on Twitter.

  I will be serving those customers who desire a Vegan product.

  I will, also, be serving those customers who are not bothered by animal oils, as these make great soap.

  I will endeavor to use more natural products.

  

  As you can see, these are my plans.  Or intentions.  But, just remember this: "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Anonymous.   Stay tuned and see.

Merry Christmas, Happy Yule

  May your days be filled with Joy and Happiness, Newness and Wonder, Rejoicing and Frivolity, Peace and Calming this Holy-day season.

December musings

  Here it is December 9th and we have a snow storm coming.  This is just normal upper midwest weather, so why bother to worry about it.
  Had a really good  craft show on the 5th . It was a first time  show for this venue  and they had other quality  vendors, which seemed to appeal to the public.  I 'm  happy with my results.  This was the last show of the season for me, and now I have to focus on reorganizing  my stock, weed some of it out, and plan for the future.  But, I also have to deal with income taxes.  I have been doing our income tax by myself, but, may have to alter that plan.  We had some unexpected income this year and some unexpected outgo, too and I will have to do a lot of research to file properly.
   I want to give a shout out to all of my fans from Facebook.  Thanks guys, you are all great.  More as I have time.

Happy Thanksgiving

A Blessed and safe Thanksgiving to everyone.  Remember all that you have to be thankful for and remember all of those who may not have anything to be thankful for.  Peace.

My website

I am soooo glad that I was directed to become a part of the Artfire community. This craft based website offers to its sellers so many business perks and business help that just blows my mind. After you pay your monthly "rent", they are really under no obligation to you, except to give you a venue to post information and pictures of what you have to sell.  Artfire goes way beyond that.  They are actually training us to be internet sellers, by giving us the opportunity to learn how to run an online business.  I know that I am astounded by what I have learned in 10 short months.  Thank you, Artfire.

  We are offering deals galore on Artfire.  Some shops are including free gifts, some are offering free shipping, some are offering percentages off, and some are offering BOGO.  You really need to visit sometime.  My shop has a preview to the right of these words.  You can click on the pictures and they will take you directly to Artfire. Hopefully, you will buy something while you are there.  It is also possible to purchase products without leaving Blogger.

computer problems

I am sorry that I haven't posted anything lately.  I have been trying to cope with Verizon's blasted DSL.  I am not a happy camper. I do not like it when others try to tell my computer what to do.  It is my computer, I pay for the DSL, and all of the other programs running on it.  Stay away from it.   Sheesh!!!

   That being said, I will try to calm down and talk soap.  I was set  up at a craft show this past Saturday.  It was not a great show. I almost doubled my rent for the day, but, that does not even come close to the cost of product, etc. Michigan's economy, and the US economy in general, is in trouble.  We need different leadership.  Not the present tax and spend yo-yos that are there now.

Busy-ness

  There are times when my head swirls with all of the important steps one must follow when running a business.  There are so many more legalities that one must abide by. So many rules and regulations, which are meant to protect the consumer, and are a good thing.   But, they can be a headache for the business owner.
   My biggest  worry right now is finding lip gloss flavors that actually work.  Too many choices, many of which, are not good.  I need to order Bubble gum, a mild peppermint and licorice. One of my suppliers is undergoing building and storage issues, so I have held off ordering.  I also need to pay for a large shipment of glass bottles for storing my fragrances in.  Costly.
    Unscented soaps are selling well.  Many people suffer with multiple chemical sensitivities and are unable to tolerate fragrances of any kind.  I have two unscented versions on Artfire that are listed.  Aloe Vera Swirl and Unscented Jumble.  I will be making more, shortly.    More later.

This is the view just off of the land that I hang laundry up to dry. This was taken in the spring, so nothing much is growing.

This is the Friends Good Will.

Sunday, beautiful Sunday

Went to church this morning and then to South Haven to work on beautiful Friends Good Will.  She is an 1812 replica vessel that sailed the great lakes.  We have a good time crewing on her, but, haven't had much of a chance this year.  Way too busy.  She is being de-rigged for the winter. Many bits and pieces to take apart and stow away.  We had beautiful sunshine, but, cool weather all in all, so not so much of a pain to do. The MM museum owns her and many volunteers make light work.

Sales

  It's really great to get sales in a row.  LOL  I sold some soap on Friday at my Artfire site and today, I sold some to a friend's daughter who stopped by.  Yea!!!  Business is picking up.  I have a craft show a week from today and I still need to make lip gloss, bath fizzies and package my lotion.  Hope I get it all done.  Did I mention that I also have to label this stuff..LOL

A lesson in Soap making

Here is a little article I wrote up for a local newsletter.


 Let's explore all of the possibilities of making soap We know we need lye, water or other liquid, and fat of some kind.  But did you know that ANY naturally occurring oil from vegetable matter and ANY fat from animals, can end up as soap. One thing we don't use is any petroleum oil products.  They just don't saponify (turn into soap when combined with lye water). The most common oils used are olive oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, soy oil, coconut oil and rice bran oil. The other most important oil to use is castor oil, as it brings lovely creamy suds. Use at no more than 5 % of batch. The most common fats are lard, tallow and poultry fats. Lanolin from
sheep and many vegetable butters, such as shea , Brazil nut or mango are used regularly.
Additions to the soap can be fragrance oils, essential oils, botanicals, clays, and colorants.  The possibilities for creating are endless.  The ancients experimented with many different additions
during the Renaissance, using floral scents like rose, lavender, iris and marigold. Olive oils and animal fats were used most often.
  So, that being said, what do you want to make?  A great conditioning bar for your hands this winter, because we know that our hands are drier in the winter months? Or, a hard working
scrub bar for those dirty projects we all get into?  From a woman's point of view, what about a moisturizing beauty bar?     
  All right, we now have three possibilities for our soap making journey. But, knowing what you want to make is only the beginning. You must also consider the fats/oils that you want,
the kind of liquid to use, (water being the one used the most, but teas and milk are also used), what fragrance to use if any, and, the shape and size of your bar. There is an enormous choice of molds and other containers to choose from.  In my personal stash, I have cat face molds, dragon molds, Celtic scroll molds, guest soap molds, a log mold made from an old treadle sewing machine drawer, a flat wood mold, old freezer containers, yogurt cups, others.  Almost anything can be used, if, you can easily remove the soap from it after the proper cure time.
  One other important step to consider before beginning this journey, is whether or not you have the necessary solitary time needed to accomplish this task. Children under the age of 12
should never be around soap making.  Lye or Sodium Hydroxide is a very potent chemical that produces heat and breath-taking fumes when combined with an aqueous solution.  This is why
you must have latex gloves and protective eye-ware available. Combining the two must be accomplished under a strong exhaust hood or outside away from animals. And, remember: Never,
Never use aluminum to hold the mixture.  Having a safe and secure spot to allow it to set undisturbed until it cools down to the temperature necessary is also important.       
   For the beginner soap maker, (who is not averse to using animal fats), lard and beef tallow makes some of the whitest and hardest bars. A nice essential oil to use would be lavender or rose, as the animal fat scents will come through the soap making process and these help to mask the fragrance. There are so many available essential oils one can purchace, but a more cost effective alternative are fragrance oils, where you are then able to find certain florals that would be too expensive to get in pure essential oils, such as Lilac and Hyacinth.


    So, let's make soap.  Here are three easy recipes:

Lanolin Soap --very moisturizing


Ingredients:
  6 oz wt Hydrogenated Soybean Oil     Essential oil or fragrance
  5 oz wt Olive Oil                                    Oil of choice 
                                                                          .7 oz/# of oils
  4 oz wt Coconut Oil
  1 oz wt Lanolin
  2 oz wt sodium hydroxide
  6 fl oz water
      Instructions:
 Weigh all ingredients first. Stir sodium hydroxide into cool water. Stir until completely mixed. Set aside to cool.
 Combine all oils and heat gently to melt. When completely melted remove from heat.
      Since Lanolin is temperature sensitive, cool lye solution and oils to between 100°F and 110°F. Combine lye solution and oils. Stir until trace. Pour into shallow molds, cover lightly. When soap is firm, remove from mold, cut into bars and allow to cure in a warm area with good air circulation.
      Lightly Sandalwood is a good scent blend for this soap. Wrap in 4x6 Flat Bags and tie with jute. Makes about 20 to 22 oz of soap.


Salty Spa Bar # 2 --very good for cleaning your hands after working


40% Coconut  - 12.8 ounces            4.1 ounces of Lye
30% Castor     -   9.6 **                      9 ounces of liquid *see note
30% Crisco     -   9.6            approximately 14-16 ounces of med. Salt


 "Again half distilled water, half aloe for the liquid."  Scent of your choice.  Add your salts as desired. I like using a heavy hand with medium sea salt and a light hand with the coarse. You can add oats or not. Separately weigh lye and liquid. Add  lye to the water while under an exhaust hood and stir until liquid is clear. Set aside and allow to cool.  Weigh oils. Combine and heat to about 110 degrees F. When lye water reaches 110 degrees F, add to oils and stir to a trace. Add salts. Add scent.  Pour into molds. Let set for two days........   It's too simple, but it's a goodie! You have to let them cure. At least for two months.. They truly get better with age.                   **  This is one recipe where the amount of castor oil is increased due to the action of the salt.


Vinyard Raids III  -  creamy bar


Corn oil  - 16 ounces               6 ounces of Lye                      
Coconut oil - 12                    15 ounces distilled water                      
Rice bran oil  - 10.4              Essential oil or fragrance oil of choice
Castor oil      - 1.6                  7oz/# of oils                                  Weigh lye and water separately.  Add lye to water carefully under an exhaust hood, stirring constantly until liquid clears. Allow to cool to 55 to 65 degrees F.  Mix all oils together after weighing. Bring to 80-85 degrees F. When at correct temperatures, add lye water to oils and stir until mixture thickens to a trace.  Add scent and stir.  Pour into appropriate molds.  Allow to cure for at least 18 - 24 hours before removing from molds.  Please allow four weeks for curing time, before use. Enjoy.

Soap and its challenges

  I had planned to make a simple recipe, that I have made before.  My husband was out of town, I had the place to myself and I was raring to go.  ......Not so fast, Charlie.   I had already made a gallon of my favorite hand cream in the morning and I knew that I would have enough time to complete my intended soap making project. I laid out my supplies, the oils, my scale, my pots, the lye, the distilled water, my crock pot.....Oh, did I mention I was going to do HP soap?  That is where you actually cook the soap.  This process allows you to be able to use the soap sooner than the normal 4-6 week waiting and curing time.  This was going to be a man's soap with Norwegian Woods fragrance and mild green colorant.
  So, I dumped the oils into the crock pot, added the lye water and turned it on.   Easy-peasy.
 After about two hours, something looked awfully wrong.
 I had cottage cheese, albeit green cottage cheese, but, cottage cheese, none the less.  Not good.  I also noticed an awful lot of liquid. Hmmmmm!  This is the first time I had ever had this happen, so I was not prepared with an idea of what to do next.  I stirred it and it appeared to go back together to a pudding like trace. After another hour of cooking, I decided to pour.  And wouldn't you know, this was going into my antique sewing machine drawer lined with mylar and plastic.   (Another NO-NO).  Way too hot for plastic........It melted and poured right out of the bottom of the drawer.  Luckily, this was in my laundry room where I have two sinks. The drain got cleaned out as this was lye water.  Hunh? you say.  Now let me tell you the reason.
  This big dummy left out a major oil from the recipe.  Close to forty percent.  How I managed to do that, I'll never know.  The weird part of it is that I didn't figure this out until the next day.
  Luckily, I have reformulation skills from my position as QC chemist and R&D chemist.
 I dumped the semi hardened cottage cheese log back into the crock pot, crumbling and breaking it. I then weighed out the missing ingredient, added a slight more distilled water and calculated lye to the mix, and cranked up the old crock pot, again.
   After thoroughly stirring the mixture and cooking on medium for two more hours, I had what looked like normal crock pot soap. I used a different mold to pour into. It looked great.  By the next morning, I cut it.
  Would you believe the Norwegian Woods fragrance survived?  Of course, it has a pretty high flash point.
  The soap is hard, good color, great fragrance and no lye zap.   Saved by the seat of my pants.

coupon

Please look for my special coupon to the right.  It will give you 15% off of certain items throughout the month of October.  Made some pumpkins to be placed on Artfire. Keep looking for them.

A new blog

Hi, all.  In order to keep this blog more business  oriented, I have started another blog.  It is called "Cheap is Us". On that page, I will be devoting more info to how we have managed our affairs. It will include gardening tips, recycling tips and saving tips.

handmade

       

            SilverPalaceSoaps

           
           

           
            Handmade Christmas        

   

Ok, it's time to get down to business

I have a lovely new soap with amber fragrance that I just can't seem to keep my nose away from.  I also completed a soap using Southern Soaper's Caramel Pecan Mousse.  Great color. I used rinsed out AAA lye bottles for the mold.  That gives the bottles one more use as I have to slice them to take the soap out.  My lowly contribution to the green movement.  I make ever so many more that this one is just an extra.  I haven't any pictures to show, yet, as I need to prepare a better setup for displaying my " beauties".
Because of my dairy allergies, I haven't prepared any goat's milk soap.  But, I did purchase some glycerin base that is SFIC Goat's milk. Perhaps that will satisfy those who  keep asking me for goat's milk. I will have to research what scents will be acceptable to this soap.