Soap Making - my next adventure ??

The day started with some relaxing tidying and piecing of bonus HSTs.  Pinterest was searched high and low for inspirational ideas for all of these guys, but, in the end, I simply pieced them in Flying Geese fashion to be used as border units for my Talkin' Turkey blocks.

Then, at 8:14AM, a lil' "ping" of an incoming mssg grabbed my attention...

"Hi. Any chance you are free today...late afternoon?  .. We could make a batch of soap."

Doin' the happy dance in my seat.  YOU BET'CHA Jeni!  I'm free!!!!!!

I received a bar of her Goat Milk soap as an end-of-year present from one of my students;  I LOVE it!  We are actually fighting nicely over who gets to use it around here.

On and off, I've spent time researching soap making, and just the other day (yesterday????), I mentioned on Jeni's FB page about researching soap making.  

Bless her heart for offering out an invitation!!  :D

Meet Jeni!  and her Goat Milk Soap 

Isn't this just the CUTEST lil' display!??!?  Her husband is just as crafty as the best of us; carpentry being one of his trades.  He crafted this adorable display for Jeni and her soaps for her various locations of sales she has established.

She has turned what used to be "the boys' area" into her own lil' crafty world, where she cures her soaps, makes some quilts and creates cards via her time in the Stampin' Up world.  She has two boys, BOTH of whom I taught during my first few years as a teacher.  One has returned to his roots, living in town and now teaching at our school -- the band director :D

She graciously gave up a few hours of her time this evening showing me some great sites that she's used during her years of her soap-making evolution... ALL of which I can't wait to play with over the next couple of days.

soapcalc.net -- helps to calculate fats, liquid, lye ... 

brambleberry.com -- essential oils and fragrances recommended here

thelyeguy.com (self explanatory)?? ;)

She was certain to educate me on the caustic concerns of lye, ensuring I had long sleeves available (and eye protection, as you saw in the earlier pic!)

She shared stories of early attempts of different recipes, urging me to play and try and play some more.   She (solely?) uses goat milk for her soaps now, altering the recipe with different fragrances and additives (ie: crushed/ground oatmeal flakes).

The process in and of itself it quite straight forward.  

Combine the liquid and lye.  

Add it to the oils/fats.  

Mix.  Add fragrance.  

Pour.

And the SMELLLS!!!!!!  Oh.  She used some lovely lavender fragrance, and.... ummm.... oh darn!  I knew I'd forget the other one.  Bamboo-something.... Hm.  Drat.  Regardless -- her house smelled divine!

She loaned two books to me for some soap-making reading.  Both are written by author Anne L. Watson: Smart Soapmaking and Milk Soapmaking.  They both have the lovely lingering smell of her house.  LOL.  

And here, her husband is worried that all that people would smell when entering their house is DOG.  

Oh.  What a funny man.

NOT that I need another hobby.  I don't think it'll go that far.  Just enough to play and create for the family.  Maybe the extended family.  Nothing more.