So my soap base finally arrived and I gathered all of my existing supplies:

I have a few scents, some molds, food coloring, the alcohol spray used to remove the bubbles and clarify the soap after molding, as well as a bit of clay and lemongrass and a few other organic additions for adding to the texture of my creations.

My last soap making experience was quite a few years ago and didn't turn out too bad. This time however I was far too excited and didn't plan well resulting in this; my first new attempt at soaping:

As you can see, I made a mess. I attempted a Pumpkin Bar that didn't quite knock my socks off. See the link for the recipe and review. This is where I'm glad the cleanup is easy.

I've made a few lame first attempts out of excitement and now see how crucial planning is. Until I master the techniques again, I need to slow down, make some plans and invest in a few more ingredients. Funny how I remember the good results but managed to forget how long it took to start getting respectable finished products. I'll post my recipes and how they turn out, maybe you can avoid wasting materials from my mistakes but also, maybe we can learn and grow to the point where all of our soap making is a success!

Most of the time, living on a tropical island in the Pacific Ocean is pretty wonderful. We have beautiful beaches, wonderful weather and 12 hours of sunshine every single day. There is plenty of time for recreation as we spend almost no time commuting and cooking revolves heavily around the barbecue and your catch from the weekend before.

One of the biggest negatives is our lack of commodities and the amount of time it takes to get anything shipped here. Then there is the problem of certain items just can't be shipped here and the ridiculous number of companies that refuse to ship via the Postal Service. It can be very frustrating.

I'm currently waiting for some new soap bases to arrive, I probably have yet another week to wait but I'll start checking the mail tomorrow with my fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I'm thinking of ideas. Some thoughts floating around are tea and citrus and clay type soaps. Some with grated lemon and lime and grapefruit. Possibly some mango and pineapple variations as well. I have a few scented oils but I'll have to smuggle more in my luggage next time I leave the island because that's one of the items that can't come in the mail and I'll probably have to start ordering very large quantities of base to keep me from having to wait when I run out.

Right now I'm trying to decide how to create sailboat soap. Anyone have any ideas?

One of the great things about melt and pour soap making is that it doesn't really take up a lot of space. I suppose it could get out of control if you have thousands of molds and scents to store but for casual soap making purposes, all you really need are some drawers for storage and a table to work on.

The main factor on where you actually mix, melt, and pour your ingredients into a finished product is how you melt the base. If you prefer to use the stove, you need for these items to be close to the kitchen or at least easily transportable. If you decide to use a microwave, which is a perfectly acceptable option, you can use just about any space available. Your choice may be focused on ease of cleanup, or ease of use; whatever is most comfortable and convenient for you.

While you may have dyes that can cause a bigger mess, an advantage to soap crafting is the ease of cleanup. Literally, you can apply some water and elbow grease and that's the extent of it. No muss, no fuss.

For my situation, my spare/craft room is upstairs away from the kitchen. I'm hoping to graduate to having my own dedicated microwave for making soap but for now I will be hauling my equipment back and forth to the kitchen. That's ok. It's not heavy and I have a set of plastic drawers
I use for storage so I can just pull out the drawers, make a batch and then put the whole drawer back when I'm done.

One day, I dream of a dedicated crafting space but like most, this is more of a dream than a reality so I'll make due with what I have!