This post will be a little different than what I usually post. It really isn't about making soap but it does, in its own way, have something to do with soap.

This past year I have encountered several situations of dear friends struggling with cancer. We all know of friends or family that are struggling with cancer. Some of us have had to deal directly with it, others are learning or walking along side of others who are struggling.

Just over a year ago I lost my father to Lung Cancer. He had been struggling for many years prior with emphysema and chronic bronchitis, all due to his years of smoking. He tried to stop many times, sometimes for long periods. That addiction always got the best of him and in the end it took a toll on his lungs. He surprised us all, I think, in the way he dealt with it. He knew his life was to be shortened by the diagnosis and even though he was limited in what he could do he was still there for his kids and friends in other ways. He certainly was an anchor for me while I was going through a rough patch, the kind that only a dad can fill with the words of "I love you" and "I am proud of you".  I saw him holding "court", so to speak, even in the hospice house where he ended his days. My dad was a recovering alcoholic, one that worked many years with others struggling with that addiction. At his memorial service we were overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of people who came out to honor his memory.  Cancer may have taken my dad, but it did not take who my dad was.

There are others in my life who are fighting this battle. A friend with leukemia that had a bone marrow transplant is doing well now but it was a long and difficult road. Another friend has had multiple cancers attack her body. My aunt's friend (one that I have dear memories of as well) is fighting that battle with lung cancer. A new friend is fighting breast cancer. A young girl, the niece of a SAR member, is struggling with leukemia. You can follow her her journey on Facebook at: <https://www.facebook.com/WeBreeLieve>

And most recently a brave young man who is fighting testicular cancer. His mother writes a wonderful blog about the journey they are going through. She writes not only of the medical issues of her son but of the realistic day to day battles he is challenged with. Yet, in the midst of it she tells how important it is to remember to laugh and to fill up the bird feeders, and to accomplish the normal things in life like laundry and dinner. If you would like to follow my friends blog you can find it here: <http://ilovetogoagardening.wordpress.com/> 

So what does this have to do with soaping? I wanted to do something that would show I care about people in my life. I know that many chemo patients struggle with skin sensitivities. I sent a bar of castile soap to the young man, a gentle soap for someone dealing with sensitivities. What else could I do? I created two bars of soap, pink of course as is the color of the breast cancer ribbons, and named them after my two friends dealing with this type of cancer. I have more plans to continue this trend. They will be limited editions, with the person I am honoring receiving the first bar as a personal gift. Once they have recieved their gift I will photograph the remaining soaps and put them up on the webpage and Facebook. I will be taking a portion of the sales and setting it aside to be used to help someone who is struggling. Not necessarily via a cancer research project but more on a personal level and most likely sent privately and anonymously. 

Ready for Battle...

I loved the sweeping swirls of the Taiwan Swirl when I first saw this design. I was excited to see that this was to to be the next soap challenge from Amy Warden of Great Cakes Soapworks.[ http://www.greatcakessoapworks.com/handmade-soap-blog/ ]

Part of the challenge is the cut of the soap. I had two choices - I could use a slab mold which would spread the soap over a greater surface area or use a loaf mold. Instead of cutting the bars across the mold (using my nifty soap cutter) the loaf would be cut horizontally in half and then cut into bars. This would show the Taiwan Swirl on the top layer and on the bottom layer. I must be somewhat challenged in this area as it took me some time to figure it out. . 

The recipe used a higher percentage of olive oil than what I usually use along with some coconut, palm and rice bran oils. I also had some new micas to work with and was pleased with the resulting colors. 

My first batch ended up a little thicker than it should have (I probably stick blended a bit too much) so the colors didn't get quite deep enough in the mold. I really like the color choice of purple and orange and the essential oil blend of patchouli, orange and mint is really nice. I ended up cutting this soap into regular bars with the cutter for a different look.

As usual I am not satisfied with the results of just one try at a new challenge. For the 2nd batch I decided to try the slab mold, but without the dividers so that I could control where the cuts would be. This time I chose yellow, orange and green micas for the colorants with a blend of lime, lemongrass and orange essential oils.

Next try I used a loaf mold again as I was feeling a little more confident on the swirling technique (which was proving more difficult that I thought it should). This batch would be a rosemary and mint essential oils blended together with light green and blue micas. This time I didn't over blend the soap mixture and I could tell that the color was getting deeper into the mold. Oh, and the kitchen was smelling wonderful with this blend! The color on the bottom layer is lighter in color than the top, creating an interesting difference in the bars.

So now I am having some fun and decided to do one more Taiwan Swirl. I had about 1 oz of Ylang Ylang and blended it with some lavadin essential oil. Oh, so flowery and with a little pink and teal micas should be quite lovely. 

Definitely a challenge for me considering I had to figure out how to cut the loaves sideways and then into the right size bars. Although I chose a slow moving recipe it thickened a bit in all three batches than I expected and I got air bubbles in a couple batches. Ugh. I do love the design and will do this one again! 

So which of the above three would you have chosen for the Taiwan Swirl Challenge???

Thank you again Amy for challenging us!