Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Curing Shelf News

Over the weekend I did my usual curing shelves check for the soaps that are reaching their due dates. There are three bars that were set to reach their curing dates this week. Spearmint Grapefruit, Carrot Complexion, and Sweet Neem.

It's normally a safe bet to estimate curing, but the percentage of olive oil used in the Spearmint Grapefruit and the Sweet Neem means that these two soaps are needing every day of their four to six week curing time. I'm never in a rush to push soap out of the door until it is ready. I like a harder bar, and so these two faves will not be back in stock until the end of the month. My apologies if you've been waiting on them.

It's not all bad news though. The Carrot Complexion bar will be back in stock as planned on Friday the 15th. And some new soaps will be hitting the website later this week. Yay!

9 comments:

Donna Maria @ Indie Business said...

Beautiful! And I bet it smells terrific!

Anne-Marie said...

I'm sure these are worth the wait! Great job =)

Betsy ~ GAhandygirl said...

They are Fabulous! I want to buy some!! I am wanting to make some soap, but a little scared. Just found your blog and facebook page. What do you dry/cure your soap on?

Susan Mann said...

@Donna Maria - Good to see you again! They do smell rather awesome.

@Anne-Marie - Thanks for stopping by! Yes... they are worth the wait.

@Betsy~GAhandygirl - Hello... thanks for following. I cure on open shelves, and also use clean cardboard crates from CostCo which I line with wax paper. The crates are the type bagged fruit has been in, found with all the other cardboard boxes they throw away. They have slots, which mean they stack on top of each other. This saves space, because you can cure a stack of soaps and it only takes up a small footprint.

Hope this helps. Be warned though... soaping is addictive. It only takes one batch and you're hooked! :)

Anonymous said...

Thats a cool cutter...Where do you find something like that?

Dragon's Castle said...

Your soaps look great. I am a new soaper myself, but soapmaking falls in with the other crafts i make and sell...pottery, stained glass, candles and quilting. I am a very tactile and scent oriented person. I have been playing with melt and pour, and will be making my first batch of cold process sometime in the next couple of weeks. Just waiting for my supplies to arrive.

Any words of wisdom for a newbie?

Susan Mann said...

Hello, Anon. It's the Tank from http://www.forcraftssake.com They have a few different cutters from hobby through to professional. I've had mine since 2006, and it's a real workhorse. Well worth the investment!

Susan Mann said...

Hiya, Dragon's Castle! Words of wisdom for a newbie, hey? Oooh... careful there... making soap from scratch is so addictive.

*Supermarket shelves will take on a whole new meaning for you from the cooking oils section right on through the baking aisles!!! Tea, coffee, carrot juice, OMG... it's a soapmakers gold mine! Did I mention you can even puree fressh fruit and vegetables and add that too?

*Safety is big. Respect the goggles, face mask, and gloves. Just when you think you've got it all down pat, you're sure to get a spill. In fact, whenever you think you don't need them, is usually the time when you definitely do!

Thanks for stopping by. Have fun. Soap making is an absolutely wonderful craft!

Dragon's Castle said...

LOL...I have already found it addicting, and already find myself scanning supermarket shelves for new stuff. I am a very tactile and scent oriented person and thank goodness my hubby is so supportive, cause I talk his ears off. But he is also alsays suggesting stuff as well.