New Passion - New Blog

This blog is now officially closed.

Instead, I have started a new blog, which will be focussed on my journey along the paths of soap making.

Do come and join me at: http://ultimateorganicsoaps.blogspot.com/

I will be looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Ultimate Deal for Friends, Family and EuropeanStreetTeam Members

Okay - Here's the Deal:

I have had a lot of family, friends and my best buddies on the EuropeanStreetTeam as me, "When are you going to start selling your soap? I want to buy some!"

The thing is that I just don't have time to set up a store before Christmas. I'm studying for a big exam at the beginning of December which will get me a degree, and ultimately increase my paycheck at work.

In addition to this, I have made other commitments with my Canadian friends, as well as my children that will fill up my weekends before Christmas.

But..............

I am have decided to sell about half of my soaps to all of the aforementioned people privately.

Contact me through my email address at: plaskdesign@broadpark.no

Let me know what soaps you are interested in purchasing, and I will contact you and let you know if the products you want are available.

All soaps will be sold for 6.00 USD or 35 NOK, no matter what types are chosen.

All soaps are at least 5 oz (140 gr)- most of them are at least 7-8 oz (210 - 250 gr).

Shipping and postage are in addition to this, but will be kept at a minimum. All recycled packaging will be used to keep prices low.

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT!

All of it has been great appreciated.

Kindest Greetings,

Nicole.

Cranberry Lemon Zest Soap

This has to be the best soap I've made yet. And I actually thought it was a dud, needing to be thrown out, or at the very least only good enough for my family to use.


But I was wrong -


I rebatched soap and added both lemon zest, as well as tittebær (which is the Norwegian cousin of the North American [and possibly British for all I know] Cranberry).


I was so excited as to how this soap would turn out that I did not sleep so well the night after I made it.... and it was a long day before I could unwrap my goodies the next evening.


Here is how the soap looked before I took it out of its mold.




And here is a nice side angle:

It is difficult to see from the above picture, but the soap directly around the cranberries became very gummy in consistence. It was melted-cheese-like in consistence and stretched out into the air when I pulled the plastic away from it. This was a bit disappointing for me and it was here that I thought I had had my first major failure. Failures and me do not go well together. I tend not to be so easy on myself.

But I thought I would at least give the soap a few weeks to dry. Even now one and a half weeks later, all ares of the soap is really hard in texture. Now that was very cool.

Here are some more shots of the soap at different angles.....

It reminds me of a white Christmas cake I saw pictures of one time in a cook book.... long ago in my childhood. I never knew what that cake was made of, and I've never seen anything like it since. But it looked as good as this.

Mmmmmmm........

It just makes you want to eat it right up, doesn't it?

Chocolate Soap that Makes You Say Hmmmmm....

Okay, I admit it - I have the North American gene that leads to a great amount of self confidence. I have this nasty habit of believing I can do most things... and if I can't do it, I can learn how to do it. This includes anything from baking bread, learning a second language, and changing the tires on and the oil in my car.


It also includes being a mother, which I knew nothing about before having kids. The irony here being that instead of all the criticism I thought I would receive, I have since found out that most parents are winging it by the seat of their pants anyway.


But every now and then I accomplish something that even impresses myself. It happened again the other day.


I made chocoalte and mint soap. A big leap forward and an even bigger leap of faith from the other soaps I've been making.


The result is this:


As always, the pictures are not perfect. I am using my camera here, but it's on the fritz. However Photoshop helps somewhat.


I made a basic soap batch and split it in two. I then added pure dark cocoa to the one half and lots of natural mint leaves (ground up) to the other.


And then I swirled them together......


The result is a dark heavy cake of soap that looks good enough to eat. Wow - if I didn't know that I was going to get the stomach ache to end all stomach aches....

My husband, who had gotten used to my creative whim quite some time ago, has not once complained that the main floor of our house stinks like a European Confectory Shop.

On the bright side (as if there would be any down side.....), my cravings for chocolate have diminished completely.

Instead I'm walking around on a total high. And while I've always been a home-type person, I must admit I really enjoy being home these days.

Who wouldn't want to change places with me?

All Set And Ready To Go

Well, almost all of my soap is now made and is almost ready to be packaged for the Christmas Market in November.


Just a little bit more drying necessary.


Here they are, all lined up like good English school children.



And here are the latest coffee and chocolate soap. I love the swirls of chocolate in the coffee.

Mmmmmmmm.......