When it was really cold in September I ran out of firewood. Bad planning on my part – especially since all the local firewood suppliers were flat out of stock at the end of winter. Finally I got hold of … Continued
Eighteen years ago we emigrated to South Africa. Then, like now, it was early October and the open fields around Cape Town were covered in thick carpets of purple flowers. I remember asking our driver what the purple flowers were? … Continued
Once upon a time I swapped soap with Hajni Kele, the very talented soapmaster and owner at Mianra Soap in Cork, Ireland. The soap arrived, as international soap deliveries do, in a mail parcel. All the excitement of meeting soaps … Continued
The response to the un-coloured Ghost Swirl Soap that I posted about a month ago (you can read about it here) has been rather overwhelming. I’m humbled by all the positive comments and I’m very excited to see how other … Continued
“I had decided to do what I shall call a Ghost Swirl; a technique where a deliberate design is ’conjured’ into the soap without the use of any added colourant. It’s not essential whether the design is swirled with … Continued
Sensitive viewers be warned. This post is about soap overheating in various ways and features ugly soaps galore. For pretty pics I would suggest a meander through Auntie Clara’s photo gallery, a run through our Facebook photo stream, or a … Continued
My fascination with oval soap began when I was nine and my parents took us on a trip to Zanzibar. From that trip I remember seeing cinnamon trees and smelling fresh lemongrass for the first time and I remember walking … Continued
Yesterday morning I was all excited about blowing things. I was making soap for a soap challenge and that can get my pulse racing. Soap challenges are popular among soapmakers. The idea is simple: somebody comes up with a theme … Continued