Saturday, July 07, 2007

The Skinny on Naked Soap & an Album Cover

I bought an archival scrapbook for my DIL, to give her for her birthday this year.. (I don't think she looks at my blog). Anyhow, I decopaged the cover with fabric scraps from the baby quilt & diaper bag, & embellished with some dry leaves that I bought 2 years ago, with the intention of sewing them into a lamp shade that I never got to. Also included are some bits of my painted cheesecloth, & a bluejay feather I collected at least 10 years ago.
The torn photo is a copy I made of a picture of me kissing my daddy when I was about 3yrs old.


I also added some crytals for sparkles. Click on the photos to see details.
Ok, here's the skinny on the naked vs. clothed soap. We like to use handmade soaps. I usually choose them for their scent. They are a bit softer than hard milled soaps, but have fewer additives too, & seem to be better on our skin. I started wrapping my soaps in wool, after buying a bar dressed like this from KC Lowe. KC is a Nuno felt artist here in Anchorage. She explained that the soap lasted longer when wrapped this way, & the wool gives you a soft loofa scrubber & built in wash cloth at the same time. After using that first bar, my DH & I agreed, that we liked the way the wooly soap worked & felt (oh that's a pun), when we used it.
So here's how it works. Wool, & soap.
Wet the soap a bit first.
Start warpping it in layers of wool. some one way, then some the other.
After I have a few layers on, & it's completely covered, I like to use my felting needle on it, to anchor the outer layers, & keep it from gnarling up when being used.

Here's how it looks when I'm finished & ready to start washing with it.
Now as an added bonus, when the soap is all used up, I throw the wool in the washing maching, & I end up with a ball of well felted wool.

I have made pin cusions, using pieces of the wool as the center base, & I have cut them up & used bits for embellishment on things like ATCs & Postquards, & a decorative egg.
So that's what the soap is all about!

14 comments:

allie aller said...

Very cool, Deb! Thanks for clueing us in...

mindy said...

Having seen the album cover in person last night...the picture really doesn't do it justice. wish you could all see it up close in person...its beautiful.

Thanks for the explanation on the soap. I bought some of those felted soaps and then put them in my fused glass soap dishes...had no idea how to actally make them myself! Leave it to Deb to show me!

Vicki W said...

I love that photo album! The felted soap cover is also very cool. I've never seen that before. I make my own soap but, unfortunately, am allergic to wool!

Jules said...

Thanks for the soap explanation. Now, do you share a bar? Or does everyone have their own? (Can you tell i am a germ/dirt/weird things phobe?) I am trying to get the needle felting teacher here to do another needle felting class so I can learn, now.

The scrapbook looks incredible.

Emmy said...

a wonderful I love the use of colors

Rian said...

Wow! Great concept for soap. Thanks. I like your new photo--and I envy your cheekbones.

Micki said...

The album cover is fantastic. Love the colors and the textures you created. And thanks for giving us the soap cover explanation.

The Calico Cat said...

NEAT. I use liquid soap by Neutrogena - can't felt that...

Debra Dixon said...

Double Cool--for the album and the soap!

Shirley Goodwin said...

I hadn't thought of putting wool over my soap - I also use fabulous scented hand made ones.

And the album cover is great.

Jo Raines said...

I love the album cover and couldn't use the soap--it's too pretty wrapped up. I want to do some altered art pieces but Shop Hop is on our door step so no time to just play.

laura west kong said...

gorgeous album cover! that's interesting about the wool soap too.

Granny Fran said...

That is some very pretty soap; too pretty to use? Lovely album cover.

Judy Rys said...

Fabulous album cover. Your DIL is very lucky to receive these beautiful gifts.