Soapmakers of the World: Holly Shelton's Sipmle Elegance (USA)

Lemon Mint Teardorp

All photos are from Holly Shelton's personal archive

This time, my soapmaking friends, my guest is from USA. She won Soap Challenge Club three times, ones placed second and several times was very close to the top positions. Her soaps are very recognizable as they are not only both very simple and very elegant, but also are all natural. Queen of Natural Colors*, Amazingly Talented Soapmaker, very kind and grateful person and simply beautiful woman – Holly Shelton from Kápia Méra Soap Company.

Pipe Divider Swirl - Soap Challenge Club (July 2016 entry)

Hi, everyone,

This is my seventh time in Amy Warden’s Soap Challenge Club (Other entries – Impression Mat, Circling Taiwan Swirl, Rimmed Soap, Location Theme, Tear Drop Swirl, Sculpted Lyers Soap). This is my first time doing Pipe Divider Swirl technique.

Sculpted Layers - Soap Challenge Club (June 2016 entry)

 

Hi, everyone,

This is my sixth soap challenge. It was the hardest one so far.

I had a difficult month again full of tooth ache (my daughter), other health problems (my dog) and no sleeping))) I did only one try making soap fulfilling the guidelines and one experimental soap.

First I saw Sculpted Layers technique at Auntie Clara’s blog in her Lace Soap tutorial and liked it very much and wanted to make it someday. 

I don’t like soap made all with this technique (though they are wonderful) because they seem to me too unnatural. Unfortunately I also hate landscape soaps as much as embedded soaps)))) So it was hard for me to got some idea on geometric shapes for the soap..

Teardrop Soap - Soap Challenge Club (May 2016 entry)

Hi, everyone,

I’m glad I’m in Soap Challenge Club again this month, this is my fifth challenge and first time doing Teardrop technique. This is my first time I showed myself to myself as a real Capricornus))) as I was making this technique with completely inappropriate recipe. I tested one for being my first soap I would like to sell, so I saw it everywhere)) After some 4 attempts with this hard and really fast recipe I gave up)) and here are all my soaps:

Location Theme Soap Challenge Club (April 2016 entry)

Hi, everyone,

This month challenge was very hard for me because my baby-girl was having a toothache all this time, so I had some 20 minutes break during the day and no evening soaping as she went asleep at midnight.

I made one soap and I’m proud of myself)))))))

So this is my 4 Soap Challenge Club (First - Impression Mat, Second - Circling Taiwan Swirl, Third - Rimmed Soap) and my first time:

-          Doing embeds (I HATE embeds)))

-          Painting on soap

-          Doing inside rim

-          Soapcarving 

-          Trying to do black soap for three times and not succeeding))) really, I managed to do grey soaps only…

Rimmed Soap - Soap Challenge Club March 2016

 

Hello, friends,

This is my third Soap Challenge Club and my first time

-        Doing rimmed round and square soap, spin swirl, helix swirl, spider web swirl, modified Taiwan swirl and rebatching

-          Using shredded loofah and pearl powder

-          Struggling with ricing))))

I suppose for most of us it was a real challenge this month as rimmed soap is indeed an advanced technique. And I suppose most of us were very happy to be taught by brilliant teacher and soapmaker Tatsiana Serko (my interview with Tatsiana is here) from Creative Soap by Steso.. But I suppose that we were more happy that Tatsiana was not participating this month and we all normal mortals got a chance to win))))) Tanja, it’s a joke))) You know me)))

Circling Taiwan Swirl - Soap Challenge Club (January 2016 entry)

Hello everyone,

This is my second Soap Challenge Club (first one December entry with Impression Mat technique is here and its continuation for how I made my 3D model for silicone mat is here). As I’m at my beginnings, this month technique is new for me as well as many others))) So, for Circling Taiwan Swirl it is my first time:

•       Doing this technique 
•       Working with dividers

As for soapmaking in common I decided to try:

• mica-dividers technique (as Teresa Mahoney is doing)
•   Anne L. Watson’s way to tell that batter is ready to pour which is hers temperature method (I found it in her book Smart Soapmaking)
• Elaine Wright’s method of cleaning up soap (may be found on her YouTube channel)
• Ghost swirl first done by my “soapmaking God” Mrs. Clara Lindberg
• Big superfatting (10%) – I made my soaps normally 6-7%
• Using clay or salt to “lock” the scent inside the soap. Preparing to do my next one salt bar I found information that some folks “lock” the scent by putting EOs in salt for the salt bars or in clay or similar things. I decided to try it.

Taiwan Swirl

Přátelé,

Tímto postem bych ráda začala sérií článku o různých mydlářských designových technikách, jelikož každý mydlář dříve či později chce aby jeho/její mýdlo bylo nejen kvalitní, přírodní, ekologické, čisté apod. ale také hezké, pěkné, zajímavé neboli jednoduše nejkrásnější na světě )))

První technika je relativně jednoduchá a je vhodná pro začátečníky jako já a výsledek je opravdu moc pěkný. Nazývá se Taiwan Swirl a první video s ukázkou této techniky se objevilo v roce 2010 a je tady.

Technika spočívá v tom, že proužky minimálně dvou různých barev se promíchávají, a to tak že nejdříve se „projede“ nástrojem napříč proužkami a pak podél (třeba tak jak jsem nakreslila na obrázku s 4 barvami) .

Jako nástroj lze použit například opačný konec vařečky, sushi hůlky či opačný konec obyčejné lžičky. Mějte na paměti, že nelakované dřevo se postupně vlivem zásady (NaOH) rozleptá.

Soap Challenge Club (December 2015 entry)

Hello friends,

This is my first time at Soap Challenge Club and (I counted) my first time:
As for month technique:

• using soap impression mats
• doing my own silicon soap impression mats
• doing my own 3D model for soap silicon mat
• working with pourable silicon
• working with dry mica as well as “lace soap” technique

As for soap making in common:

• using  frangipani and litsea cubeba essential oils in CP soap
• using layers soap technique (I absolutely didn’t know how to do it and has no time to read and watch… BIG mistake)))))
• using slab mold and cutting slabmolded soap
• doing the soap with the smallest amount of oils (100 g)
• doing one soap for two days
• experimenting with discount water technique trying to avoid soda ash

Well, kind of a soap virgin)))))))))


Inspiration

I was inspired by my own bath Moroccan tiles and when I first read Mrs. Clara Lindberg’s post at her blog I was thinking about my tiles which I adore.. as many Moroccan things.. it was in November and I thought that may be.... someday... I would do it. Then I found out about Soap Challenge Club and as a beginner I decided to take part in next one whatever it would be and have kind of a soap school. The task was… Impression Mats, so I smiled and just take it and started to think how to do it.

My Moroccan tiles: