Tall Skinny Shimmy – Lemon & Ice

November 13, 2015 by Infusions

If you wonder what Tall Skinny Shimmy is, it is the wall pour technique which became the theme of this month’s Soap Challenge Club. Amy Warden and Tatsiana Serko introduced the technique to the club members and thanks to them, there will be another series of unique and beautiful soaps created by the members of the Challenge Club.

Though the wall pour is an amazingly simple technique, there are countless designs which you can create by using it. Depending on the color scheme, the angle and number of individual color pourings, the level of trace, etc. one can create patterns reminiscent of waves, dunes, gently rolling hills, flower petals, snow-covered meadows, fancy Christmas trees, and this is to name just a few. With so many options to choose from, it took me over ten days to decide on the design of my soap. And guess what? I could not stop at just one soap. I made four different soaps but two of them are still two soft to cut. This technique has made me a happy “Tall-Skinny-Shimmy pour” addict.

My entry for this month’s Challenge.

Tall Skinny Shimmy

My fascination with contour/pencil lines in soap started soon after I began making soap and for almost ten years now I have been looking for ways to incorporate lines in most of the soaps I make. This month again, I debated whether to go for a gradual change in color from the bottom to the top of the soap or to incorporate lines for some more interest. I solved the problem by finding inspiration in cake decoration. I enjoy looking at cakes better than eating them and have assembled a photo collection on Pinterest on the sole purpose of enjoying the beautiful visual appearance of those pieces of art 🙂

Tall Skinny Shimmy soap

I am happy to say that this is indeed an upgrade in my wall-pouring skills. Three years ago, I made a wall-pour soap in white, green and red but the color contrast was not strong enough to bring out the pattern. Since then, and thanks to a large part to Amy’s Challenges, I have become more confident of using strong solid colors. For this challenge, I used Rustic Essentuals’ Buttercup Yellow mica, Blackstar Red mica and Icicle mica. The soap is scented with Lemon Slices FO, which I found at Rustic Essentuals and which never accelerated trace or discolored the soap.

I used mica-in-oil swirl for the top but forgot to take pictures of it. Taking the pics at 6 in the morning sure helps you forget a thing or two (sigh & smile).

Thank you both Tatsiana and Amy for the wonderful theme!

Maya

29 Responses

on November 13, 2015 at 2:18 pm | Reply Diane Silvestri-Clifford

Beautiful, good job!
- on November 14, 2015 at 2:52 pm | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you Diane.
on November 13, 2015 at 2:41 pm | Reply soapsbysly

Beautiful soap! I love the fine lines and variations of thickness in the pour.
Great job!!
Sly
- on November 14, 2015 at 2:52 pm | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you so much Sly.
on November 13, 2015 at 3:13 pm | Reply Natalia

So perfectly worked and such a delicate soap! Love it!
I still have to make mine this evening, i hope the kids let me do it 😉
- on November 14, 2015 at 2:54 pm | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you Natalia. I am very much looking to seeing your creation for this challenge!
on November 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm | Reply Amy Warden

Really pretty, Maya! The lines are definitely fascinating – accentuating the shimmy of the soap. I bet this one smells amazing too! Love your theme! Thank you for your kind words about the challenges. Makes all the work definitely worth it!
- on November 14, 2015 at 2:55 pm | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you back Amy!
on November 13, 2015 at 7:01 pm | Reply Debbie

Your lines are amazing, Maya! Very, very lovely soap.
- on November 14, 2015 at 2:55 pm | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you Debbie. I am quite happy with how the lines turned out 🙂
on November 14, 2015 at 9:05 am | Reply Madame Propre

So pretty indeed! I have to make pictures and publish a new post. But this is not the day really… So sad.
on November 14, 2015 at 2:50 pm | Reply Thoma White (@soaptasticsoap)

Your soap really stands out and is very pretty! Good luck!
- on November 14, 2015 at 3:30 pm | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you Thoma!
on November 14, 2015 at 2:58 pm | Reply Infusions

Valerie, I very much hope that you, your family and friends are safe! My thoughts are with all the people affected by this terrible accident. Stay safe!
on November 14, 2015 at 4:18 pm | Reply RA Soapworks

I see many experiments in my future…I love the lines. They change an interesting technique into a spectacular looking bar!
- on November 15, 2015 at 1:46 am | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you RA Soapworks. I am happy to know that you are willing to experiment with lines! I will be very much looking forward to seeing your beautiful creations!
on November 14, 2015 at 5:46 pm | Reply Teressa Mahoney

Maya, I love this design! The colors contrast so beautifully, and I love the thinner stripes.
- on November 15, 2015 at 1:47 am | Reply Infusions
  
  Thanks Teressa!!
on November 14, 2015 at 6:42 pm | Reply ecovioletsoap

Maya, So beautiful- I love the thin lines between the layers. This is a brilliant design!
- on November 15, 2015 at 1:49 am | Reply Infusions
  
  Thanks J! I am happy the soap turned this way and the lines accentuate the s-line!
on November 15, 2015 at 2:52 am | Reply Beverly

Beautiful design, Maya- I love the strong lines!
- on November 15, 2015 at 4:42 am | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you so much Beverly!
on November 15, 2015 at 4:59 pm | Reply unlimabun

Absolutely fantastic job, Maya! Please, oh please will you possibly share how you achieved such thin lines in between each segment? Your technique is similar to what I had pictured in my head but all I got is big, fat, ugly blobs!
- on November 15, 2015 at 11:55 pm | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you so much unlimabun. I am glad other soapers like contour lines too! You need to start pouring even before your batter reaches trace. If you stick-blend your soap, you need to have it emulsified but not traced. Starting pouring before your soap reaches trace (or at a very light trace, if you have somewhat blended it a bit too much) is the first step. The second one, with your contour color, you need to “go” just once along the wall and use a small amount of soap while pouring. Even a little soap poured along the wall will “stretch” (given your batter has not reached trace yet or is still at a very light trace) when you pour the next color on top. I hope this is helpful but if you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask.
  Happy soaping!
  - on November 17, 2015 at 2:14 pm unlimabun
    
    Thank you so much for sharing that information! I’m going to have to keep making batches until I get that result!
on November 16, 2015 at 3:26 am | Reply eva edmonds

I love the lines! I will have to try this. Beautiful soaps Maya. Thanks for sharing the technique with us too.!
- on November 16, 2015 at 9:10 am | Reply Infusions
  
  Thank you Eva. I am happy to share some information. After all, these challenges are all about sharing experiences 🙂
on November 16, 2015 at 10:06 pm | Reply Lisa Melli Gillespie (aka: Shaman Lisa)

Great job! I love how you layered your pencil lines. I’ve been experimenting a lot with this as well in my soaps these past few months – getting better and better about reaching the right trace, though sometimes it’s …elusive. 😉
on November 17, 2015 at 1:23 pm | Reply Krasi

I love your ‘Lemon & Ice’ soap, it looks just like a piece of lemon cake! Thank you for sharing your experience!