One site I stumbled on, quite by accident, was Brambleberry.com. Now HERE was soapmaking I could get my feet wet with! No muss... no fuss... Just Melt and Pour... and of course add any interesting scents or colors you can imagine or scrounge. Hey! They even will ship the goodies to your house! Now what could be more convenient? I ordered several pounds of various soap bases, quite a few molds (it's hard to stop), some good smelling stuff, and I was ready!
It only took a couple of batches, melted in the microwave and poured into various molds before I was totally hooked and begging for more! My daughter, who has very sensitive skin, was overjoyed to be able to use these beautiful creations and not have her skin crawl or break out in a rash. Heck! I was on a roll! But Melt and Pour was just the beginning. I was certainly getting closer to being ready for the challenge of making soap "from scratch."
I have to give it to Brambleberry. Even though I have graduated to what could be described as a "hard core soap maker," I still spend a lot of time on their site, and keep melt and pour handy for any late night "need to make a batch of soap." They have a very good supply of basic oils and various other goodies for my "from scratch" stuff, and have been my only source for lye so far, mainly because I am so comfortable with them.
Just to give you a small idea of how much fun I am having with this little "learn from the Internet" experience, here is a photo of my latest creations. Trust me, this is just the tip of this little iceburg. In the last 6 weeks, I have shared probably around 30 pounds or so of various melt and pour handcrafted goodies with friends and family. This is just what I have left. Our daughter Kelly comes to visit and goes straight for a paper bag and the master bathroom to "see what's new, and maybe pick up a little something." I love it!
Stay tuned! The adventure is just beginning! I have discovered a very special software that makes this "good clean fun" even MORE fun! It's a great tool, and the next GEM in the Mrs. Wizard lineup of great software!
