#1) Soap

When I was a wee lass, or perhaps I should just say young because anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I have always been quite blessed in the height department. Wee doesn't really describe me. Except that time in 2nd grade when I wet my pants. Brianna Q thought my apple juice had leaked from my lunch like the day before. Oh the embarrassment. Mrs. Hamilton said I could go after Kara got back. Kara must have had a dump to rival all dumps or snuck out to the kindergartner's playground because she took 30 minutes and I just didn't know what to do. So I went. Right then and there.

I've had a thing against girls named Kara ever since.

But I digress. Since before I was ashamed to wet my pants, before I could read even, I loved making things. This is random thing #1 from a tag of my sister. I'm breaking the 7 things into posts to acknowledge the tag and still write about whatever I like. And to relive the joy of those survey forwards we all did when we first discovered email. Back in the day my mom would take us to the library and I'd go to the Spot books first, then high tail it to the craft book section. My pursuits have varied over the years. There have been the fiber art phases: knitting, crochet, cross stitch, the ill-advised latch hook, quilting, sewing, macrame, friendship bracelets, and upholstery. And the paper arts: origami, scrapbooking, card making, 3d paper sculpture, paper making, and paper mache. The visual arts: ceramics, jewelry making, metal work, beading, watercolor, graphite, acrylic, photography,oil pastels, and charcoal, but since it is still in the package I don't know if it counts.

Maybe I shouldn't admit to having the tools and supplies for all of these hobbies.  It is somewhat embarrassing to cycle through all of these pursuits. I blame my father. He had Janson's History of Art and various art books on the coffee table my entire life. I can still remember the purple canopy bed in what was probably Versaille that my 5 year old self dreamed about.

Well now I've moved on to a new genre of sorts. Let's call it the "home arts." I'm trying my hand at soap making. Not really "legit" making of soap. I figure boiling hot, corrosive lye is not baby friendly. But me and madre dos have plans for an ash boiling experiment to create some soap medieval style. You know, making ourselves more marketable for the commune of the living after the zombie apocalypse.

Anyways, add my essential oil obsession to a 40% off coupon for soap base at Michael's and voila! I also got a soap mold and embossing stamps to make it look pretty. I experimented with added mint tea leaves to one, but the green leaves bled a brown color so it looks like the soap is slowly dying from some sort of disease. Smells lovely though.

 

Then I started seeing other things as potential molds, like the wrapper to J's puzzle.

 

So I made some monster soaps for my nieces and nephews.

I need a pacman. Now if they didn't look suspiciously like candy...