Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Soap, Trailer, & Clear Margins!



While cleaning out one of my closets, I came across 4 pounds of suspension soap, goat’s soap (from Hobby Lobby) by Life of the Party; made from all-natural ingredients, in my linen closet.  I decided to go ahead and personalize this soap.  





Using old pots as a double boiler, while continuously stirring, I melted the suspension soap.  Then I added essential oils (ginger and lime) to create a unique scent, along with a few drops of teal to create the color.   Once ready, I poured the mixture into the mold, and let the mixture sit for 24 hours.
Scent and Color Getting Mixed In

My mold is a postal box (extra tape around the box for support), lined with a commercial can liner (lay flat using my fingers inside of the box), cut open with the ends taped down on the outside of the box.   You need to make sure your mold is ready before melting your soap, because the mixture solidifies relatively fast. 



After 24 hours, your soap will be solid. Remove the soap from the mold (discard the plastic liner, don’t reuse it).  Cut the soap to the desired size using a knife or a special cutting tool, I used a wavy soap cutter (purchased at Hobby Lobby).  



The final step is to let your soap cure for 8 weeks.  I use an old cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and a couple of cooling racks.

After 8 weeks, you can place a decorative paper wrap around the soap. 



*****

While shopping at Home Depot for silicon, Bulldog Man and I came across a trailer; built by Agri-Fab, a hauling cart to use with your lawn tractor, made out of steel.  We’ve been looking for a trailer capable of holding 200 to 350 pounds to help with tasks around the property, like hauling dirt, rocks, and wood.   This trailer/cart even has a release lever, making it easy to dump whatever’s in the trailer.  The cost was $99.00, and we walked out, spending only $89.00 with a military discount. 





*****

We also have two things to celebrate. Our son Tank turned 24 years of age and Bulldog Man was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago with basal cell carcinoma next to his left eye.  This morning we drove into Oklahoma City for a surgical procedure to remove the cancer.  The surgeon, a military veteran himself, cut into my husband’s face in an attempt to remove all of the cancer and get clear margins on the first try.  We waited in the surgery suite for the lab results to come back.  If clear margins weren’t found in the initial biopsy, additional cutting would be required.  The lab results came back with clear margins, the doctor stitched up my husband’s face (10 stitches), and we returned home. 

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22 comments

  1. Thank the Lord for BDMs lab results--That is such awesome news. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANK! we hope its a good one!!

    Girl, thank you for the soap post, been thinking of getting out of scrapbooking into hobbies that are more useful and soap making looks like its just that plus fun in the process... I am ready to go to hobby lobby now and get started.. Thanks for sharing it...

    Much love to you guys


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    Replies
    1. JUGM,

      Yes, were very thankful because he's prone to skin cancer. His father has it bad, to the point major surgery was needed along with radiation. Tank wanted me to Thank you for the Birthday Wishes.

      Doing soap this way is much easier than pouring, measuring, and mixing chemicals. I think you'll enjoy making your own soap. It's so much fun to mix colors, scents, and make designs.

      Sending love to you and your family.
      Sandy

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  2. What JUGM said - I'm glad the surgery went well.

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    Replies
    1. Rev. Paul,

      We're very happy everything was cut out, and it didn't travel to organs.

      Delete
  3. Hubby and I in FL go thru this all the time. Look like a monster until healed but basal cell heals nicely. Our Dr. says use lots of petroleum jelly. Wonder if mine might be due to reflection off glasses. Margins clear you are good to go. They put my stitches in crows feet so no scar. Try not to worry.

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    Replies
    1. Ane,

      As long as your continuously checked by your dermatologist things should be okay. Some people just aren't cured by burning, or cutting on their first trip(s) to the doctor. At times it will take surgery and or radiation. One can only pray it's caught before it takes over other areas/organs. Glad to hear you and your husband are good after having your basal cell taken care of.

      Delete
  4. Happy to hear the surgery went well. I"m sure you're both VERY relieved!
    I've always wanted to make my own soap. Love the 'wavy' edges that cutter put on yours.

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    Replies
    1. Sue,

      Thank you! We are very relieved, now it's time for the scar to heal. Stitches will come out next week.
      I love wavy edges myself, and was happy to have found this cutter at hobby lobby.

      Delete
  5. Wow, Sandy, that's great news about Bulldog Man. I know it must have been worrisome until the lab results came back. So thankful it was all good.

    Love what you did with the soap! I really need to get back to soap making myself, and this was motivating.

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    Replies
    1. Leigh,

      We were extremely relieved, and thankful more cutting wasn't required.

      I'm glad to hear my post motivated you to getting back to making soap. I just love making soap....granted I took the easy was of doing it.

      Delete
  6. Nice trailer, lovely soap, and WONDERFUL news regarding Bulldog Man's surgery (for sure!) . . . and Happy Birthday to Tank!

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    Replies
    1. Mama Pea,

      We couldn't beat the price on this trailer. It's really going to help us out working out on the property. Thank you, were happy BD Man's okay, and Tank is one year older. I'll make sure he reads your comments.
      Hugs,
      Sandy

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  7. Sandy, the great thing about the soap you have is that there is no curing time needed for it. Melt and pour soap has already gone through the curing process.
    You only need to cure hot process and cold process.

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    Replies
    1. Garland Girl,

      I had no idea there's no curing time. Everything I read stated I still needed to cure the soap. Thank you for the information.

      Delete
  8. I love the color and wavy edges of that soap - that is MY kind of soap-making! I'm so glad that your hubby's surgery was good the first time - sending lots of healing thoughts to make sure he is healed up fast with no recurrence. That is going to be a very handy trailer, especially with the dump feature. And a very Happy Birthday to your son!

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    Replies
    1. Susan,

      A light and cheerful color :-) I like it as well, it matches my bathroom colors. We're happy the surgery went well the first time as well, thank you. My husband is prone to this type of cancer on his face, neck, and arms. It seems the sun loves light colored skin, and it runs in his family. I've already started to use the dump trailer and just love it. Thank you for the Birthday wishes for Tank, I will make sure he gets them :-)
      Hugs,
      Sandy

      Delete
  9. Glad things went well with BDM. Cancer is really frightening. I like the way you did your soap. I'm still buying big bags of bar soap and stashing it away, haven't tried to make my own although I could if I would just get started.

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    Replies
    1. Harry,

      Thank you so very much. Yes, cancer is a frightening thing. We've dealt with various types in our family. I even lost my Dad from cancer. Harry, you can make your own soap and not have to worry about all the chemicals and measuring. Just pickup some suspension soap, melt it, place your coloring, and whatever scent you like. Then let it set and you have soap!!! You can do it!!!!

      Delete
  10. Glad Bulldog Man's prognosis is good! I have never heard of suspension soap but of course I've never made soap. I do have what my husband calls a bad habit. I can NOT throw away those little (or medium sized) slivers of soap. He had the habit of changing to a new bar after about 2/3 is used. I can only use so many of them to shave my legs so I toss them into a plastic bag (just like my grandmother used to do). About every 2 or 3 years I'll melt them down into new bars but they don't last very long & the scent can be quite strange with the various types of slivers I have. Still, I feel as though I am not wasting so much.

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    Replies
    1. DFW,

      Thank you sweet friend! Great idea with using the sliver and melting them down. You can also shred them and make laundry soap. This is another way to prevent from wasting them.

      Delete
  11. We have one of those trailers, and use it a LOT! I think we found ours at Atwood's in Bartlesville (north of you), several years ago. It was the only one they had, and on sale, so maybe they decided not to carry that line anymore. That's great news about the cancer surgery!

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  12. Thoughts with Bulldog Man! Great news that it's all good. Love the soap idea, thanks, will have to remember that. And they look so pretty at the end, like professionally made.

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