Eden's Natural Inspiration: Drop Swirl Challenge

Hopefully I won't be late to enter Amy's latest challenge.
Even though I've made this soap in time, need to hurry up to finalize this entry.
Today was my very first local market day and lately I spent all my time to be ready for this event.

So, instead of talking now it's time to get ready with my pictures to upload.

Chocolate-Mint Drop Swirl


My daughter's paintings

My daughter has painted two pictures for me years ago. Those are still my favorites as I love their color combination and gave me inspiration for my new soap challenge.

Chocolate-Mint Drop Swirl

Variations on a Theme

The tints of brown with white and green reminds me to the one day favorite biscuits 'Arnott's Mint slice'. I'm just teasing my mind :)

That's how my new soap has got it's name.

I've also tried the CP and M&P combination. It was a great experience as well. Tomorrow I'll upload those pictures but now have to hurry up to catch Amy's deadline.

CP and M&P combination

As I promised yesterday, I show my second attempt combining cold process soap with melt and pour soap.

The idea - to combine CP soap with something transparent - came into my mind first, when I've seen Catherine's (soaping101) video about making translucent soap months ago, as it can be remelted.
It seemed to be very time consuming.

For the base, I used a new recipe (at least for me) trying Crisco vegetable shortening as I run out of palm oil, and tried to employ sunflower oil in bigger quantity as I discovered a cheap supply.
I colored with charcoal and scented with Dragon's Blood.

I tried to recall the famous European volcano Mount Vesuvius as you can see this picture.

Vesuvius threatens Europe

I've found this picture on Google search and would like to give credit to the maker, but it was on a Bosnian website tulal!ve.ba and unfortunately couldn't figure out any reference.

The red color should represent the magma chamber, the yellow and white supposed to be the sparkling of eruption.
It is easy to imagine, but make it real is difficult. I thought, because of the very clear base, all M&P part of the soap gonna be transparent, but the soap had different opinion.

Anyway, for the Melt & Pour part I used extra clear M&P base.
I made the red part with deep red mica and liquid red tomato. The yellow part colored by saffron powder and a hint of red tomato. I like this saffron powder very much, because using very little gives a great, powerful effect. The white part of the M&P soap got white pearl mica.

Needed to work fast. Although it's autumn here in Sydney, the weather is still summery, about 30 degrees Celsius. The M&P soaps don't consider it.
To keep their liquid state, I put them into hot bath in the kitchen sink.

Having a hot bath

The hot bath wasn't enough and needed to put them to the microwave again one by one.
Finally I sprinkled red and rainbow glitter on top, imitating sparks.