2013 Soap Challenge! -- Peacock Swirl

Hello! It has been a while since my last blog post in February. I am back!

I decided to join a Soap Challenge Club organised by Amy Warden of Great Cakes Soapworks. This month's soap challenge is the PEACOCK SWIRL technique. I have daydreamed about this peacock swirl soap since I first saw it made by Amanda Griffin of Lovin' Soap back in October 2011! See her post here.

I normally work with Melt & Pour and have only experimented with several batches of CP; so I was pretty excited and even robed in MeiMei to assist me. We googled for inspiration and decided on 5 colours - Black (charcoal), Blue (ultramarine blue), Teal (hydrated green chrome), Copper (copper + gold sparkle mica) and White (titanium dioxide). All the colourants used in this soap are from Bramble Berry.

Both Amy and Amanda had generously shared their 'slow-moving' recipes. I finally decided on 70% Olive Oil, 20% Coconut Oil, 5% Avocado Oil and 5% Rice Bran Oil. I also used Bramble Berry 's Kumquat and Energy in equal proportions. GOSH! I am so in love with this combination! YUMMY!!

Here's our lil peacock adventure (my 1st Soap Challenge ever!) :

Preparation - Bramble Berry's 18-bar slab mold, comb/rake, colourants (I ended up using plastic cups as I was unable to find my squeeze bottles! Things always go "missing" when I need them! BOO!)

Mold, Comb and Colourants

I think I got an emulsion??

Attempting an emulsion

Bottom layer scented with Kumquat & Energy Fragrance Oils, coloured soap is left unscented.

Base layer with titanium dioxide, waiting to pour the colours

I wish I had my squeeze bottles! ... and MeiMei asked, "Why are your hands shaking, Mummy??" erm ... "coz I am S-U-P-E-R NERVOUS?!?!!"

Shaky hands = Wriggly lines

MeiMei & I inserted the comb and started to pull it through the soap (together) ... very slowly and carefully... then IT HAPPENED. The colours started to turn muddy and the soap refused to pass through the comb and was pulled to the lower end of the mold. The skewers must have been positioned too close to one another! Not wanting to give up, we wriggle the comb ... we kindof  did a jiggly dance at 3/4 of the way ... by the time we pulled the comb out, we went "yyyeeeeeeee". It looked pretty messed up!

Our muddy struggle with THE comb

Grabbed my chopstick and started swirling. I enjoyed this part and was relieved that it had some resemblance to all the pretty peacock swirls that I have seen. The blue and green colours had disappeared. We were disappointed that our lil peacock adventure did not quite produce the effect that we had hope to achieve. Nonetheless, it was exciting. It made my hands shake!! I popped on the lid of the mold and brought the kids out for dinner.

After swirling

15 hours later, I jumped out of bed the moment I opened my eyes, grabbed my GooGooMonster glasses and ran downstairs to take a peep at my soap. A-W-E-S-O-M-E !! It had a wee-little bit more blue and green and NO ASH!!

15 hours later ... My 1st Peacock Swirl Soap !

I will have to wait till tomorrow before I can unmold the soap and cut into bars. There will be a separate blog post to share with everyone the peacock swirl soap bars.

I must admit that I have gotten over the initial disappointment and am pretty pleased with the end result. I am truely in love with this soaping technique and it has been such wonderful experience taking part in this soap challenge which has brought together 122 international soapers. Thank you Amy for setting up the Soap Challenge Club! Looking forward to more soapy challenges!

The Rose

Rose Soap

Some say love, it is a river,

that drowns the tender reed

Some say love, it is a razor,

that leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love, it is a hunger

an endless aching need

I say love, it is a flower,

and you, its only seed

Its the heart afraid of breaking,

that never learns to dance

Its the dream afraid of waking,

that never takes the chance

Its the one who won't be taken,

the one who can't seem to give

And the soul afraid of dying,

that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely

and the road has been too long

And you think that love is only

for the lucky and the strong

Just remember that in the winter,

far beneath the bitter snow

Lies the seed, that with the sun's love

in the spring becomes the rose.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

I fell in love with this song when I first heard Bette Midler sing, many many years ago. 

Happy Valentine's Day ! xoxo ...

Holyrose by Nature's Little Treasures

12 years. I have come full circle.

2012 was an eventful year. I was involved in several projects - Singapore Garden Festival, Seletar Mercedes-Benz Charity Golf, Christmas Bazaar at Takashimaya and a rebranding exercise. I am indeed blessed to have met so many kind and generous individuals who saw the potential in my products and believed in me. I am most grateful for all the opportunities.  Thank you ... thank you ... thank you!

I faced many challenges in the past years. Times when I was most lonely ... I have also learnt the true meaning of Friendship. Thank you my dear friends - B, K, E, M&M, J ah jie ... thank you for your love and support! A BIG thank you to beautiful Miin for your amazing designs!

I am Holyrose. This is my passion. Thank you everyone ... YOU made this possible!

Happy Lunar New Year 2013 !

Soapalicious Goodies for Chinese New Year!

新年快乐，万事如意 !

Wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!

Singapore Garden Festival 2012

It was exactly 2 years ago that I wrote my very first blog post - Nature's Little Treasures @ Singapore Garden Festival 2010. Time seems to have passed so quickly. As I look back and reflect, I must admit that it has been a pretty amazing journey for me; for Gege and Meimei as well.

I have learnt to count my blessings. To be thankful and grateful for all I have. I've learnt (albeit the hard way) to let go of past relationships in all areas of my life. Most importantly, I have learnt to love myself. To live. To be - just me.

So Singapore Garden Festival 2012, in a little way, marked a new beginning for me.

Singapore Garden Festival, 7 - 15 July 2012

This year, vendors were required to be physically present throughout the entire period of the event. Perhaps it was a different mindset that I had embraced. Perhaps it was the Law of Attraction. I have never experienced such teamwork and camaradarie amongst a group of total strangers! There was a total lack of pretense and everyone was happy and just being themselves. It really felt so good :)

Nature's Little Treasures was allocated a wonderful display space. My Macaron Cookie, Vanilla Sandwich Cookie and Marshmallow Soaps were a hit! Adults and kids alike, had a really good time sniffing the soap samples and squeeshing the Marshmallow Soaps (to bits at times!!).

Nature's Little Treasures @ Singapore Garden Festival 2012

Kuddos to J and her team for a job well done on the Festival Shoppe!

It was a priviledge to be able to meet all my customers in person. Thank you for your love and support! I'm looking forward to Singapore Garden Festival 2014. See you there!


Edited on 21 Aug 2012 :-
** Vanilla Sandwich Cookie Soap is not available with effect from 21 Aug 2012 **

年 年 有 鱼 ! (Prosperity Koi)

I remember having huge custom made fibre-glass tanks in the house when I was little. One particular tank was so huge that GongGong would occasionally enjoy a swim in it on a super hot day ... well, everyday is super hot here in Singapore, so you get the idea. The truth was GongGong simply loved bonding with his beloved Koi fish -- more than 60 of them !

Those ugly blue tanks are gone for good now, but nuggets of memories - watching my dad swimming with his fish, handing him a towel after that, mum throwing a fit whenever the house got flooded with fish poopoo ... are gold and have a very special place in my heart.

So the very first person I showed these to was good old dad or GongGong to the kiddos. " hmm ... Kohaku ! just so that you remember, there will never be two fish with the same markings ... "

Koi Fish Soap -- Kohaku

Yes Daddy ... I still remember those fishy lessons *chuckle**

Wishing everyone  年 年 有 鱼 !  Huat ah !!

Lady Jenn-Jenn is 6 !

My favourite lil dancing princess celebrated her birthday on the last day of 2011. Kiddos and I had an awesome time at the "Lady Gaga" themed party and we had a soapy alien invasion with BeepBeep Robots, Aliens in Spaceships & Rockets, Lil Monsters Bubble Wash and Bling!Bling! Lip Gloss (specially for our Lady Jenn-Jenn) in the party goodie-bags.

Yummiest lemon cake!

I have a weakness for birthday cakes ... this has got to be one of the best-tasting ones! I swear I could have eaten at least half the cake if not for my new year resolution to regain my "figure" ;P

Meimei hugged her GaGa Goodie Bag all the way home !

Meimei was happily zipping through the maze, and always obliging good old mummy with a pose. Gege met J who shares his craze for Pokemon and Beyblades. It is indeed very heart-warming to see new friendships blossoming in the new year.

A big thank you to my bestie for always being there for me and the kids; for being a part of our lives ... Happy Birthday Jenn-Jenn ! God-Mama ♥ you !

Here's wishing everyone a very happy New Year ! I know 2012 is S-U-P-E-R !!