Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Multi-colored Gradient Challenge

I think we should call this the multiplied times three multi-colored gradient challenge. I must have been goofing off in kindergarten we went over color basics, because my first attempt was a bit flawed. My super-soaper assistant/daughter/color theorist abandoned me when I was set to do the challenge.
I was ready, but she was more ready for a Friday night hanging out with her friends at the football game, so I went full-steam ahead into the challenge.
The first two colors I chose were next to one another on the color wheel, purple and blue, and the third, an orange-ish hue was half way on the other side, so not sure what was going through my head.

I overcompensated on the need for a slow tracing soap and used a recipe that I could play with for a day, so even non-choppy layers went out the window. I used a fabulous fragrance oil by Wholesale Supplies Plus, Beneath the Stars. Upon the slicing reveal the next morning, my daughter shook her head and said, "You just couldn't wait for me, could you?" You see...she spent her whole middle school years attending a visual arts school. She knew I'd be multiply challenged by this. I said, "Well, I can't use it for the challenge, but it's still pretty. What should I call it? My husband said, "Well, how about 'Color-blind?'" Smarty pants.

Round II

Livy was available to help and I chose three colors next to each other on the color wheel. That's a start!  I used a different recipe and set up for action. My colors were green, yellow, orange. Look...there's the color wheel for frequent consultation. I wanted to use a lighter green, but she thought the jolly green giant green, aka, matte forest green would be good to start with. For the yellow, all I had was Brazilian yellow clay from Brambleberry. The orange was the yellow clay mixed with a tad of Americana Matte Red oxide. The blending seemed to be going great, the layers nice and smooth and the measuring to the last drop precise. Here's a picture of the first few green layers. My, we are very messy soapers.  We followed the instructions exactly! I didn't even have left-over soap, or layers that were soap short.

Any ideas on what happened? My green stayed jolly green giant green through 4 layers! It looks like a solid block of un-blended green pasture. The remaining layers look nice...nice gradation from yellow to orange. I used Brambleberry's Energy Fragrance. I'm calling it Heartland Sunrise because it reminds me of vistas off I-77 during summer drives through Ohio heartland to visit the Florida kin.

This challenge was great for me. I can't wait to see everyone's posts. I kind of feel like I did when I entered my first big race with a bunch of fast runners. I knew I'd be trailing at the end, like a lost golden retriever, running with a pack of sleek foxes, but hey.....just happy to be running. What a learning experience! Here's my soap:

10 comments:

  1. Hmm, not sure why the green layers didn't turn out with a gradient, but the soap looks lovely! I love the gradation with the yellow-to-orange. It does look like a sunrise and the Energy FO is perfect for it! I used Energy to make an M&P sunrise-themed soap a few years ago. Good luck with the challenge!

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  2. Thanks, Jenny, I think it has to do with the yellow clay myself, but who knows.

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  3. I love it! It's very pretty and the colors are beautiful. Heartland Sunrise is a fitting name, too. Great job!

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  4. I think it looks great...well done :)

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  5. It's lovely!! You did a great job with the fade, and definitely looks like a sunrise!

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  6. Beautiful soap!To me, it is a sunrise soap!
    Lovely done!

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  7. It does look lovely!! I think you are right about the yellow clay...it probably didn't have as much saturation as the green, so it was having an uphill battle trying to lighten the green toward itself. Still a spectacular soap! (We're all lost golden retrievers most of the time - always room to grow.) :)

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  8. Thanks Natalia...I do love it! Amy...yes, thanks for confirming my suspicions regarding the clay. It makes total sense!

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  9. I love it Cindy! I love the colors you chose and the name is perfect for this beautiful soap. That's so interesting about the clay, I had no idea it could affect the colors in such a way...good to know!

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  10. Beautiful soap!

    Victoria
    http://maitribathbody.com

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