Just a wee quick hello, I've already posted a couple of times (very naughty without saying hi first).

I'm Kay, and am quite frankly a crafty nut.....a mild mannered bank manager by day, and running a craft business by night. 

I discovered handmade soap last Friday (well, not acutally discovered, I've used it before), but discovered the concept that I could probably make it.

So after a hard day surfing last Saturday, I found the forum, and some lovely soapy blogs, ordered some books, and am just thinking about getting the bits together to make a start.

Personal bits, 46'ish, with 3 kids (1 son+1 daughter+1 husband = 3), living in deepest, darkest and most definitely rural Kent.

Looking forward to getting to know you all, and making bathing in my own soapy creations.

Kay

And a very good morning to you! Bank manager, eh? Can i have a loan please, can i have a loan please, can i have a loan please? sorry, that was really lame, lol. Good to have you here. Prepare yourself to get utterly addicted to soapmaking.

Hello Kay,

Once you have soap sorted you'll be wanting to make other stuff to go with it.

What crafts are you interested in?

Hi Kay 

Thanks for the intro, it is nice to know a little bit of something about other members.  A bank manager by day and crafty by night - worlds apart but hey, at least you will be able to sort your own accounts  :mwaha:

There are members here that do other crafty things (apart from sneak other peoples piccies into their avatars) and there is a discussion board for other crafts.  So have you made anything yet with your ingredients?  Tell, tell, tell 

Anyway, a big warm welcome from me and do keep us posted on what you have been creating and of course, ask questions if you need to 

Hi girls,

Thank you for such a nice warm welcome.

No loans I'm afraid, they are rather scarse at the mo with the credit crunch!!  Actually, do have to do the big bad wolf bit all day, and manage high net worth commercial loans when they go bad - ohhhhhh what fun I have!

I do rubber stamping, and general papercraft as a rule, but include a bit of scrapbooking in that mix too.

This lunchtime 'cos I've been bored.........I tootled off and bought caustic soda - couldn't find lye for love or money.  Will this be OK?

Also safety goggles, glvoes, a plastic mixing jug that will be ok for very hot water for the mixing of the CS. 

Also some lav & lemon EO's.  Do I need special bowls for mixing EO's in the future?

Will be popping into the fresholi shop later to order my butters & oils.

Anxious to have a go, just collecting all my bits and waiting for my books to come of course.

Bit worried out the kind of thermometor (probably spelt that wrong) I need, and also what to cook it in/mix it in.   Was planning on a really useful box as a mould.

Getting there I think, just need to read, read, and read again anything I can get my hands on.

K

CS is precisely what you need for lye - I'm dubious about a plastic jug though, pyrex or stainless steel is recommended - better do a small test amount (higher CS ratio than the drain cleaning mix on the container, pour it down the drain afterwards followed by a bucket of water).

A medicine measure will hold your EOs (count them in by the drop, approx 20 drops to 1 ml); because I make HP I mix the EOs with up to 30g of the oil from the recipe in a little jug and add after the "cook".

A stainless steel pan (or a crockpot/slow cooker for Hot Process).

Whether you're making CP or HP you'll need a stick-blender, otherwise you'll be stirring for a long time.

A wax or sugar thermometer.

Really useful boxes are used as moulds by a few of the soapers here.

Hello and Welcome Kay!  I'm sure you'll learn lots and have lots of fun here!  x

Noooo, I don't believe it Helen, who would do such a wicked thing???

I use beer making thermometers. They are great, really long and thin, so even if you are making a big potful of soap, you won't have a prob. And good value, too. £3 from a beer/wine making shop.

Hi Kay
Bank manager, not sure I envy your job    won't go into one about banks 
I saw caustic soda in Boots the other day, very surprised but there it was, so you might try a larger branch.  I buy mine from a hardware shop.
I use a plastic jug (Tesco), I tested it first but its fine after umpteen batches of soap later    I don't use a thermometer after reading several forums, its not necessary but if you feel more comfortable using one then do.
If you have a Staples near you they do some very good boxes perfect for a 500g & kilo batch of soap.  Don't make too much for your first batch, 500g gives me about 8-9 half inch wide soaps.  In about a month you'll have a shedful of soap, ask us how we know  :mwaha:

Karen

Well on your way to becoming a soap addict Kay 

I use Really Useful boxes too and they're great.  I also use goat's milk cartons for a small loaf mould - until I find a "proper" one the size I want they work fine.  Soapmakers are an environmentally friendly lot if nothing else. 

Who says she's have a shedful of soap K?  Just because I can't count all mine on the drying racks 

whoooo hooo, my books arrived when I got home last night........force fed the kids Pringles (for the tubes) and read, and read and read (and neglected them).

A big ahhh hahhh moment, when I realised that caustic soda + water = lye - how dumb, I'd bee actually looking for lye!

Also got veg fat & various oils from Tesco's today, and been dreaming about making soap - is that normal?

yep, afraid so, once you have been bitten by the bug, there's no cure

Force fed your kids Pringles?  You mean you had to do it by force?  I would have gladly obliged 


Not dumb at all, as Chris Tarrant says, its only easy if you know the answer and now you do 


Yep!  :mwaha:

Dreaming of soap is perfectly normal.  Only worry if you wake OH up whilst dreaming of soap, either by strange noises or arms flying around.  Then and only then would i be slightly concerned...