And.. we caught a boatload of fish to boot!
Fishing Maineiacs
Definitely have their sea legs :+)
Doing the happy caught a boatload of fish dance!
Catch of the day! Maggie's first fish!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Lazy Days of Summer
Well.. not so lazy, but alotta fun!! To celebrate Shawna's birthday, we chartered a fishing boat to go out & catch some scrumptious fresh fish! The weather was gloriously accommodating.. sea's calm & but the poor skipper & first mate had no idea what they were taking on with the fishing Maineiacs arrived on board! LOL :+)
And.. we caught a boatload of fish to boot!
Fishing Maineiacs
Definitely have their sea legs :+)
Doing the happy caught a boatload of fish dance!
Catch of the day! Maggie's first fish!
And.. we caught a boatload of fish to boot!
Fishing Maineiacs
Definitely have their sea legs :+)
Doing the happy caught a boatload of fish dance!
Catch of the day! Maggie's first fish!
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Fernwood Cottage Gardens
Even busy soapmakers need a little R & R, so during the summer months we head north to Maine to our summer place for some fun, sun & relaxation.
One sunny morning I took my daughters to Fernwood Cottage Gardens, where they raise perennials & seasonal cutting flowers.. the gardens are always fun to visit and seldom will a week go by without me having fresh flowers in the house. It was a grand morning!
After checking out all the gardens & deciding which additions to add to their own perennial gardens, the girls were hard pressed deciding which flowers to buy! :+)
One sunny morning I took my daughters to Fernwood Cottage Gardens, where they raise perennials & seasonal cutting flowers.. the gardens are always fun to visit and seldom will a week go by without me having fresh flowers in the house. It was a grand morning!
After checking out all the gardens & deciding which additions to add to their own perennial gardens, the girls were hard pressed deciding which flowers to buy! :+)
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Herbal Goat milk soaps
With the 'kids' arrival & bottle feeding, of course comes much fresh goats' milk & I've been soaping up a storm! Compound this with much rain and rapid spring growing season.. many herbs are almost in flower here.. the comfreys have already been picked & infused along with patchiouli, burdock root, costmary, evening primrose, of course we mustn't forget dandelions and this week the calendula's have blossomed too!
If I haven't infused them in oils.. I dry the rest and into my soaps they will go. Powered up fine or included in my lye pot.. the variant hues are pretty remarkable and it's really a nice feeling knowing that I've grown most of what goes into my herbal bars. I honestly can't say just how much of the actual properties of the herbs remain through saponification, but in my mind it surely can't hurt adding them if for only colorant hues and textures. I just love using them up!
I've been on a 'round' kick these last weeks making an assortment of goat milk soaps for the upcoming summer shows and designed the cutest goat milk labels for all. Part fo the fun of being a soap maker is in the packaging.. a headache? Most definitely.. but once I decide just where I want to go with it, I thoroughly enjoy this part of the process.
Some new shots of my herbal soaps, goat milk soaps & lotion.
If I haven't infused them in oils.. I dry the rest and into my soaps they will go. Powered up fine or included in my lye pot.. the variant hues are pretty remarkable and it's really a nice feeling knowing that I've grown most of what goes into my herbal bars. I honestly can't say just how much of the actual properties of the herbs remain through saponification, but in my mind it surely can't hurt adding them if for only colorant hues and textures. I just love using them up!
I've been on a 'round' kick these last weeks making an assortment of goat milk soaps for the upcoming summer shows and designed the cutest goat milk labels for all. Part fo the fun of being a soap maker is in the packaging.. a headache? Most definitely.. but once I decide just where I want to go with it, I thoroughly enjoy this part of the process.
Some new shots of my herbal soaps, goat milk soaps & lotion.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Goat Milk Soaps
One of the things I like about soapmaking is the types of cold process soaps you can make. Goat milk is one that I really love.. it's so wonderful for your skin & makes a fine bar of soap. I tend to keep my GM soaps pretty simple.. only adding herbs, veggie powders or spices for colors & use only essential oils in them. I generally use fresh goats milk, but some other options are already prepared.. canned & pwdered to be reconstituted gm. To me.. the natural fats in fresh milk is extraordinary in a bar of soap & yet so gentle on your skin.
All soapmakers have their own tricks to making a nice gm soap.. I've tried many.. but for me, the easiest process is to add my fresh goats milk to my already warmed & cooled oils before adding the lye/water. I split my water portion 50 % add it to my lye.. set aside the balance of 50 % what would be water in most cases... for my gm portion. Once the lye water & warmed oils & butters has cooled down to around 90 degrees .. I then warm up my room temp goats milk to about 85-90 degrees.. add it to my oil pot & any essence I will be using and blend in well. Once blended, I then add my lye water mixture while stick blending all the while to get a nice creamy emulsion type mixture. I'd then add my additives if any .. hand stir well until I come to an early trace.. which at these lower temps should be quite soon. I have my molds all readied.. so pouring is efficient & rapid.. I only cover my mold with saran wrap.. no other insulation.. and set it out in garage on cool cement floor.. or place into refrigerator.. as I don't want my goat milk soaps to come to a gel. If they gel.. they will become much darker from overheating. Sometimes.. this IS the effect I want.. so I lightly insulate.. it all just comes down too what I am trying to achive.
Presently I buy my fresh goat milk from a nearby farm.. but we just started our own little flock here.. and soon I will have more than enough of my own fresh milk! :+)
All soapmakers have their own tricks to making a nice gm soap.. I've tried many.. but for me, the easiest process is to add my fresh goats milk to my already warmed & cooled oils before adding the lye/water. I split my water portion 50 % add it to my lye.. set aside the balance of 50 % what would be water in most cases... for my gm portion. Once the lye water & warmed oils & butters has cooled down to around 90 degrees .. I then warm up my room temp goats milk to about 85-90 degrees.. add it to my oil pot & any essence I will be using and blend in well. Once blended, I then add my lye water mixture while stick blending all the while to get a nice creamy emulsion type mixture. I'd then add my additives if any .. hand stir well until I come to an early trace.. which at these lower temps should be quite soon. I have my molds all readied.. so pouring is efficient & rapid.. I only cover my mold with saran wrap.. no other insulation.. and set it out in garage on cool cement floor.. or place into refrigerator.. as I don't want my goat milk soaps to come to a gel. If they gel.. they will become much darker from overheating. Sometimes.. this IS the effect I want.. so I lightly insulate.. it all just comes down too what I am trying to achive.
Presently I buy my fresh goat milk from a nearby farm.. but we just started our own little flock here.. and soon I will have more than enough of my own fresh milk! :+)
Monday, April 25, 2005
Natural additives
I make primarily herbal soaps.. I love the addition of powdered herbs, grains & spices both for their color appeal and hopefully skin care qualities.. though, I am still not 100% certain how much remains thru saponification.
Some of the herbs I've added are: Calendula, comfrey, peppermint, all mints for that matter, lavender, thymes, chamomile, alkanet, dandelion flower, sunflower petals, lemongrass, parlsey, dill, rosehips, rose petals, patchiouli, horsetail, delphinium petals, oakmoss, mallow, eucalyptus, sage, rosemary & algaes or kelps.
A few grain additions would be: oatmeal, wheatgerm, flaxseed, orange & lemon peel, carrot powder, poppyseed, raspberry seed & spices... paprika, cocoa, cinnamon to name a few.
Using any of the above will produce a plethora of colorful hues and tones as well as mild to moderate exfoliatives.
I thoroughly enjoy making heat expressed herbal infusions of oils to add to my formulas.
Some of the herbs I've added are: Calendula, comfrey, peppermint, all mints for that matter, lavender, thymes, chamomile, alkanet, dandelion flower, sunflower petals, lemongrass, parlsey, dill, rosehips, rose petals, patchiouli, horsetail, delphinium petals, oakmoss, mallow, eucalyptus, sage, rosemary & algaes or kelps.
A few grain additions would be: oatmeal, wheatgerm, flaxseed, orange & lemon peel, carrot powder, poppyseed, raspberry seed & spices... paprika, cocoa, cinnamon to name a few.
Using any of the above will produce a plethora of colorful hues and tones as well as mild to moderate exfoliatives.
I thoroughly enjoy making heat expressed herbal infusions of oils to add to my formulas.
Veggie Oils vs Animal oils
I suppose the choice is a very personal one.. though in researching, each has it's own merit. I prefer veggie oils in my soaps. After experimenting with both.. I find lard soaps didn't hold a fragrance for very long periods of time & the tallow soaps left unscented. had a distinct odor to them. But for a very white bar using no TD lard/tallow would be the way to go.. just not for me.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Friday, March 18, 2005
A Soapmakers Journal
I suppose I should begin my first blog by explaining its title: 'Marsigila'
Marsiglia in Italian means castile soap.
I'm hoping to keep a journal on soapmaking, with little snippets of my daily soaping routines, practices & philosophy... things I've picked up over the past 10 years of soapmaking and still learning daily. While this venture began as soley a hobby for me, has now grown to include over 7,000 bars made per year :+) That's alotta soap!! LOL
My primary interest in soapmaking is CP (cold process) & Marsigila.. olive oil castile herbal soaps. Though I've tried other soapmaking methods.. I always come back to CP. Having sensitive skin prompted me to learn this craft and I've never looked back, nor has anything improved my skin so much until I began making my own. Having the ability to choose what I want in a fine bar of soap has become quite a challenge & learning process and one that appeals to me greatly. I've learned through much trial and error, what 'I' prefer in a nice bar of soap. To me a good bar of soap is gentle, creamy, long lasting, fragranced beautifully and has opulent lathering ability. Meeting the needs of my customers now has become yet another challenge.
I've met so many online soapmakers that have taken the time to teach, trade and share their own soapmaking techniques... I just wanted to begin this journal for perhaps future use.
Marsiglia in Italian means castile soap.
I'm hoping to keep a journal on soapmaking, with little snippets of my daily soaping routines, practices & philosophy... things I've picked up over the past 10 years of soapmaking and still learning daily. While this venture began as soley a hobby for me, has now grown to include over 7,000 bars made per year :+) That's alotta soap!! LOL
My primary interest in soapmaking is CP (cold process) & Marsigila.. olive oil castile herbal soaps. Though I've tried other soapmaking methods.. I always come back to CP. Having sensitive skin prompted me to learn this craft and I've never looked back, nor has anything improved my skin so much until I began making my own. Having the ability to choose what I want in a fine bar of soap has become quite a challenge & learning process and one that appeals to me greatly. I've learned through much trial and error, what 'I' prefer in a nice bar of soap. To me a good bar of soap is gentle, creamy, long lasting, fragranced beautifully and has opulent lathering ability. Meeting the needs of my customers now has become yet another challenge.
I've met so many online soapmakers that have taken the time to teach, trade and share their own soapmaking techniques... I just wanted to begin this journal for perhaps future use.
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