Grandma's Guide to Life Review & Giveaway 'The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting'

"I love all the handmade soap products I get for review and every time I try one I wonder how it's done. Lisa Maliga really breaks it down for you! And Lisa is upfront and honest, she let's you know right up front the difference between soap making and melt and pour soap. "Soap making is done from scratch using oils, liquids and lye. Melt and pour soap is already made and therefore it's crafted into another shape, color, scent, etc." It makes me want to go back and ask everyone which one their soap really is! (Not that it would change my opinion of the soap, I'm just curious.)

A lot of the things that you need to make melt and pour soap can be found in your house. This makes it an easy crafting project to get started on (at least for me -- I can't afford a lot of up front investment!). Plus you can do this in an hour or less!!!"


Read more at Carli's blog Grandma's Guide to Life and enter to win a free copy of The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting!

Bass Giraffe Review & Giveaway of The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting

This is a very special review and giveaway as I'd like to make sure that you visit Erika's blog, Bass Giraffe, so you can see her soaps! She has several pictures of the soap she crafted in her kitchen and let me tell you that it's awesome! 
Here's the link to the Bass Giraffe!

Seaweed Soap Tutorial

Seaweed Soap

Seaweed Soap is fun and easy to make. This recipe was created due to loving anything oceanic! Dried seaweed contains lots of minerals so it’s good for you. It can be found at any Asian market. Nourishing extra virgin olive oil is suitable for all skin types. Lavender and lemon essential oils add a touch of zest and make this soap smell clean and fresh!

Ingredients:

• 32 ounces clear soap base
• Dash of green mica
• 6-8 pieces dried seaweed
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 teaspoons lemon essential oil
• 1 teaspoon lavender essential oil

Equipment:

• Double boiler OR two cooking vats. The larger one will be on the bottom and contain the water and of course the smaller one will be used to melt the soap.
• You can also use a saucepan and a glass measuring cup.
• Kitchen scale
• Teaspoons
• Cutting board
• Large knife
• Paring knife
• Wax paper
• Cling wrap
• Wooden spoon OR chopstick
• Alcohol in a spray mister
• Wavy edge soap cutter
• Mold: 3 part Ziploc divided rectangle mold

Instructions:

1. Place broken up pieces of seaweed into mold.
2. Slice the soap base into small cubes.
3. Just before the soap is almost fully melted, add the green mica.
4. Add extra virgin olive oil.
5. Add essential oils. Make sure all the ingredients are well mixed.
6. Pour slowly into molds.
7. Spritz away bubbles with rubbing alcohol.
8. Allow soap to harden in fridge, freezer, or remain at room temperature.
9. Remove from molds and place on sheet of waxed paper.
10. Make sure soap is at room temperature before cutting and wrapping.
11. You may want to cut the largest chunk of finished soap into 2 to 4 slices. A wavy edge soap cutter is recommended.
12. Wrap in cling wrap and label. 

You can see more pictures at this wonderful website: Whipup.net

Terri's Little Haven Book Review & Giveaway for 'The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting'

How would you like to make your own soap in about an hour? Making soap is something I’ve ALWAYS wanted to learn how to do. We have some Mennonite’s in our area who make the most wonderful scented soap and I just can’t get enough of their homemade soap. Talk about soft skin after a nice long bath. I’m partial to floral and herbal scented soaps myself so when I do have the chance to start making my own soap I’m going to give one or the other a try first. I’m hoping I do fairly well at soap making because I would love to give out homemade soap at Christmas.

I’ve had the chance to review the eBook The “Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting” by Lisa Maliga to see how helpful it would be when I start making soap. I love this eBook. It is very informative providing many tips about things I didn’t know about. It tells me which type of molds work best, how to store essential oils, where to buy items and on and on. If you ever feel like you want to learn to make soap, don’t do it without this eBook! I’ve even learned what herbs and spices to use to make the different colors. This a comprehensive yet easy to understand eBook giving you all of the information you need to get started making your own soap.

The more recipes in this eBook I looked at the more excited I became. I absolutely love pictures and having them on each recipe is a wonderful addition. When I see the pictures it gives me an idea of how the soap will look and if I want to try it or something else. They also give me an idea of how the soap will look with the different molds. This is just an all around must have eBook for the crafter who wants to learn something new. What’s so great about this eBook is it has easy projects for kids of all ages so not only will I be making soap but I’ll definitely let the kido’s give it a try this summer when they are driving me nuts out of school for summer break.

You can buy The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for $4.99. You can also enter to win one (PDF, Kindle or Nook) by using the rafflecopter form below. 4 of my readers will win a copy of this awesome book Hurrah! You must be 18 or older to enter. Good luck :). Visit Terri's Little Haven

'Verging On' Book Review & Giveaway

Have you ever wanted to learn a super cool craft like soap making? I think this is totally fun and inexpensive and WOW can you ever impress your friends!! I was recently contacted by Lisa Maliga, a wonderful writer and author of ELEVEN Kindle Books and owner/creator of the website "Everything Shea Creates". "The Joy of Melt & Pour Soap Crafting" is written by someone who learned how to work with crafting glycerin melt & pour soap the hard way -- with only a single page of instructions to follow! From 2004-2009 the author ran an online business, Everything Shea Aromatic Creations, selling 85+ varieties of soap. If you've always wanted to make your own soap, here's an opportunity to learn just how easy it really is!

The book is really well written and very detailed. I love the heartwarming dedication to the author's mother and the forward that gives a history of soap making and why you should make your own. The book has many sections and a particularly interesting one for me was the one on herbs and other additives. Did you know that the addition of certain oils, such as coconut, can increase lather and harden your soap for a few extra washings? Or that cocoa, mango and shea butters will make your soap more beneficial for dry skin? Adding tapioca pearls will not only give your soap a distinctive look and pearly touch, but it will also help massage the skin or scalp. Fragrant herbs such as rosemary and patchouli can even be used in place of fragrance or essential oils. Isn't that the coolest? I love this book and I can't wait to get started making soap for my family!

If you would like to enter to win this ebook, please leave me a comment below. Tell me what kind of soap you would like to make! The giveaway will run until 1/31 and I will choose a winner with Random.org. You'll have 24 hours to respond to my email and the book will be send directly to you via email. Visit VERGING ON!

Daily Mothering Giveaway - The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting

Melt and pour soap crafting is a fun project to do with the kids, and little soaps in different shapes and scents make such great gifts! Lisa Maliga is excited to announce the launch of her new e-book The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting, and is offering a FREE copy to FOUR Daily Mothering readers!


This nifty e-book features:

~ How to make hand crafted soap in less than 1 hour!
~ Secrets of melt and pour soap crafting
~ Step-by-step instructions
~ Easy projects for kids of all ages
~ List of reputable soap suppliers
~ Creative labeling & packaging ideas with photos
~ Color photos of each recipe
~ NO experience necessary!



The giveaway lasts until January 28, 2012. 


Here's the link: The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting E-book Giveaway/

Rachel's Reviews + Giveaways 'The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting'

Win a FREE copy of my e-book THE JOY OF MELT AND POUR SOAP CRAFTING! 


Rachel writes: "If you were lucky enough to receive a Kindle, Nook, or other e-reader this holiday season – or if you resolved to complete more do it yourself craft projects – here’s a quick and easy giveaway for you!

Lisa Maliga explains how to make your own glycerin soap in this free e-book, available for Kindle and Nook readers. I think there’s a certain satisfaction in making something like this yourself, and if you enjoy it, it can be a great hobby where you make gifts for others or even create artisan goods you can sell." 

Win It: One lucky winner will receive a copy of the Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting e-book! Open worldwide. Giveway lasts until 1/19/12.

How to enter: All entries must be submitted using the NEW Rafflecopter form below. Comments are welcomed but do not count as entries. There is no mandatory entry, you may do as many entries as you would like to increase your chances of winning. In order to view entry details, click the green Do This button.

Here's the link to enter: Rachel's Reviews + Giveaways