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As promised, here are the first two attempts at the shimmy. I am going to elaborate a little more here on the technique. First, I made some Tall & Skinny molds out of foam board. Along with the Shimmy Soap Technique, Amy Warden, of Great Cakes Soapworks, also gave us a link on how to make these soap molds - both the technique and the mold are taught by a guest instructor Tatiana Serva - click here to see her blog showcasing her amazing soaps!. These molds hold a little over 1 lb of soap, which is great for playing around and not using a large amount of ingredients - in case it doesn't come out as expected. 
Craft Foam Soap Molds
So, after making the molds, I modified my soap recipe to fit. I set up my area with seven cups, and added a bit of color to each. For the Harvest Shimmy I used charcoal, rose clay, oil infused with annatto seed, oil infused with alkanet root, red Moroccan clay, sea clay, and cocoa. For these first two batches, I prepared two separate pots of soap - one was left uncolored, the other was made with oils infused with alkanet. These were then mixed into a gradient of hues from dark purple to a natural "white". Once the soap was at a very light trace, I divided the batch into seven equal amounts (by weight) into the prepared cups. For the second batch, I just used up what was left over, which was really just "natural white", a darker purple and a medium purple. I did not take photos of the process as I went. I will have to remember to do that next time, easier said than done when you are busy with so many processes, and learning a new technique to boot. I'm sure that is why many people video tape the process for these challenges :) The way you make these soaps is by propping one side up on a pencil and pouring down the other side in a back and forth motion until it is all in. You then prop the other side up and pour the next color down the other side. Repeat this process, alternating sides, until it is all poured. I poured the entire 1/7 th of the batch for each color, although others have done a varying amount to create a different effect. If you google Tall & Skinny Shimmy and look at the videos, you will get a better feel for how this technique is accomplished. Here is the soap after pouring into the molds. 
Shimmy 1 & 2 After Pour
And now for the unmolding of the soaps and cutting them into bars. The soap did not want to release from the mold right away, so I decided to place them in the freezer for a few minutes. This worked wonderfully for removal from the mold, however the freezing process seems to create small fractals in the soap, which are visible in the the photos below, taken the following day.
Pretty neat technique, all in all. I really enjoyed doing this, and I have to say that my results were fairly decent as well. I look forward to participating in future soap challenges, and hope you come back to see the attempts I make.
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Back in September, I was invited to participate in an ArtWalk show here in Longmont, CO. The coordinator encouraged me to create some interesting new products for the event, and since all of my soaps are very natural in nature, color was not a high priority for me. So, off I was in search of some color, found in ingredients such as charcoal, sea clay, rose clay, alkanet root and annato seed. During my quest, I stumbled upon Amy Warden's Soap Challenge - and now I have a new obsession with using those colors to create amazing soaps with new techniques. This month's challenge, the first that I am officially trying to participate in, is the Tall & Skinny Shimmy Challenge. I had a load of fun playing with soap this week, and this is my favorite, the Harvest Shimmy.  Harvest Shimmy This was my third attempt, and I liked it the best. My first and second attempts were fine, but this one had more colors, and it is perfect for this time of year :) Check back later to view these other batches.
Welcome to the New ASC Soapworks Blog! Hopefully you have had a chance to explore our new web design. This improvement has been a focus of ASC Soapworks for several months, with our desire to have a site that is easy to navigate and offers enhanced interactive features for our customers. What you will find that is new:
So, here we are, finally launching our blog! This will provide an avenue for learning about the process of soap making and the ingredients we use. As life is a continual learning experience, we will also be able to pass along expertise gained throughout our journey. In my experience, this is a community of kindred people passionate about their knowledge and willing to communicate their abilities to others who are just coming through the ranks. There are so many wonderful people out there dedicated to the continuation and expansion of this art form!
ASC Soapworks is a small, family run business, with everyone contributing in their own way to the daily operations. In addition to me, Taralyn (Creativity Specialist), you may have the opportunity to share in the adventures of Emily (Scent Extraordinaire), Holli (CEO in training), or Ed (Natural Materials Artist/Engineer and Chemist - in general, a handy guy to have around!). We hope you enjoy our blog and we encourage comments from our readers. You can do this by using this contact form, or just leave your words below. |
TaralynColorado Artisan, making beautiful hand-crafted soaps with all natural ingredients. Archives
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