Oatmeal Hot Process Soap

I have decided to make a couple hot process batches. These batches are made the same way as cold process, except once you get your soap to a heavy trace you cook it. Cooking it gets rid of the lye and most water right away. This means the soap does not have to cure as long as the cold process soap does -which is what I am aiming for right now. I need to get my stock up :) 

Getting supplies out to make my batches :) 

Stir until reaching a thick trace

Into the crockpot

It starts to cook, and bubble around the edges

Starting to slice

I love how to color turned it. It was of course not planned ;)

These will be available within the next 2 weeks. Next I am going to do a berry HP soap, wrapped in wool :)

-Sarah

The Process of Making Soap

I (for the most part) make soap using the cold process method. Today as I was making my soap I decided it would be a good time to take pictures, and show how I make my soap!
First things first -Take proper precautions when using lye, run your recipe through a soap calc, and get everything set out and ready.

• Measure your water and lye. Over time I have found what works best for me is to put my water in a ice water bath, under the vent on my stove. 

• Next its time to measure all of your oils. I do this all at the same time in a bowl, and then pop it into the microwave for a couple minutes to melt it. 

                              

• While the oils are in the microwave, I measured out my fragrance oil. I am using 'butt-naked' for this batch. If you are going to color your batch you can get that ready now too. 

• Now its time to pour the lye slowly into the oils. I then immediately rinse out the lye pitcher. 

• Then, I slowly start to stir the lye and oils together with the stick blender(with it off). Then pulse the blender a few times, and it will soon get to trace.                                       I liked this motion shot! :)

• Once the soap reached trace, I took a small portion out to color without fragrance. The rest I added the FO to and no color. The fragrance oil will naturally turn the soap brown. 

•  I poured the soap into the cupcake molds.

                                     

The brown cupcake is one I made a couple weeks ago with the same fragrance, testing what color it turned. You can see the soap will be doing a lot of changing over the next couple weeks. I also think a brown bottom cupcake will look great with all different colors of frosting(cant wait)!

Here is what I did with the rest of the soap that I made blue. 

These are my testers. I am planning on using them as cupcake toppers. You can customize the soap cupcakes any way you'd like. For their birthday you could have what age they're turning. Initials would work for any kind of party favor! These could also be put on to any other kind of soap!

And I am most excited about these ribbons! I am using these as favors for my family. We are going on a prostate cancer walk for fathers day. I plan on making a white bar of soap with blue ribbons throughout :) 

These are also customizable -any color, on any kind of soap.

Later this week(if studying permits) I will be frosting the cupcakes, and will post pictures of them when they are complete!

-Sarah

It's been awhile..

Well I haven't been updating my blog (at all) so I thought now is a good time to do it! No more procrastinating. 


Things that are new:
I have boy and girl cupcakes made up that are fully cured! 

 

And these are just 2 of the options! Find them all on our Facebook  or  Zibbet page (which I just updated :)

And the newest soap I have been creating...

Bubble Gum Cake slices!

These are pretty nice sized soaps weighing in at 5-7 ounces. I tried a new process with the inside of the "cake" -hot process. Turns out the layers didn't stick together so well and when they were cut most came apart. BUT, no worries because this weekend I will be adding a laying of "frosting" in between the purple and pink to keep the cake together in one piece! (And I will add pictures of it asap)

These smell sooo good too. They smell just like bubble gum! The next cake I make will be blues and greens. I don't want to leave any little boys out that might want to bathe with some cake!

Those are the newest happenings for TPC. And there is more to come in the future:

Orange Cream popsicles

Banana Nut Bread

chocolate pieces

Chocolate cupcakes

Ohh and I will have to do something with the monkey farts fragrance oil, how fun!

During spring break I will be finally adding a sugar scrub line!

And I am currently looking for a Saturday market to become a part of! Which means LOTS of soap making in the next few weeks. 

Annndd, I am thinking about offering sets of birthday invitations/gift tags in the near future! Which I will be busy creating during spring break. 

I am definitely going to be keeping up on my blogging! My goal is at least once per week. 

Bye for now,

-Sarah

What's to Come

Here is a sneak preview of whats to come in the coming months:

Valentine's Day: Pink confetti bars, cupcakes -mini and large sized, combinations of purple, red, yellow, and pink

Soap Cake Slices

Pie Slices

Bath Fizzies

Bath Salts

Sugar Scrubs

Soy Candles <-Super excited about this! Should have some ready in time for Valentine's day

I'm always looking for new ideas if anyone has any ideas on soaps; colors, fragrances they want to see, never hesitate to ask!

Beginnings of The Purple Cupcake

My name is Sarah, and I just recently launched The Purple Cupcake, at the beginning of 2011. Just getting the business launched was amazing, and I cant wait to keep adding to it! The hard part is over; I now get to be creative and make soap! 

Where did "The Purple Cupcake" come from you ask? 

Well it wasn't my first name, actually it was the 3rd, but my favorite! It comes from my love of purple, and cupcakes! And with my soap making I make a lot of adorable cupcakes, so it just fit!

A little about me:

I am a full time student, pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. I am so excited to say, I have one more year until I will have my teaching license! 

We have 2 poochies; an adorable (non-yappy) chihuahua, and a beautiful black and white (almost) husky :)  Then there are the chinchillas, hedgehog, bunny, and goats. 

How/why did The Purple Cupcake start?

I decided to start my own business because having a "normal" job doesn't fit with my schedule. I have to commute to school, and every day/term my schedule is different. Nearing the end of my schooling means I'm at school longer, and soon will be in the classroom teaching/observing most of the days. Having my own business means(best of all) no commuting! (without counting the post office, haha(; ) I get to make my soaps when its convenient for me. 

I love making soap, you can be so creative with it. There are also so many things to use as inspiration; I make cupcake soaps, want to try making cakes, pies, cookies, bars that have multiple colors, layers, swirls, ones that look like watermelon, hot cocoa, etc, etc. This list could go on forever. I am inspired by so many things, and cannot wait to share my creations with everyone!

And here is to a (hopefully) great first year with The Purple Cupcake!