Cheeky Monkey Artisan Soaps

It's been a long time since I've had a chance to enter the Soap Challenge Club, but with school ending, I actually was able to put one together. This month's challenge was wood grain soaps. My main entry is the beautiful woodgrain in brown - inspired by our wood floors and scented with "cool clear water" from Nature's Garden (my wonderful husband's favorite - it smells like Aspen Cologne) I'm super pleased with how it came out. It's colored all with Mad Micas (a mad science concoction of Macy Gray, RedRum, Goldfinger, Sexy Stranger on a Train, Spicy Tomato, Satin Penny, Summer Bronze, and Here Comes the Bride.)

The bonus entry is a rainbow wood grain. WhooBoy - that was a trip. Colored again with Mad Micas (Lettuce Entertain You, Tangerine Dream with some Brazen H***y, Bright Yellow Raincoat, Grape Nehi, Key West Blue, and Macy Gray.) With Nurture's Trial By Fire for the red. I tried pouring essentially in phases: Purple and blue, blue and green, green and yellow, yellow and orange, orange and red. But the best laid plans, as they say, so things went a little crazy by the end. Then when I cut it the way to get the best wood grain effect I ended up only seeing two or three colors... so I cut it (still not the typical way) but the opposite direction and was able to see all the colors in each bar. This one I'll definitely be taking another stab at in the future.

Thanks, Amy Warden and the Soap Challenge Club for keeping pushing me! This was a technique that I've been meaning to try for a year and just hadn't gotten around to it! I'm in love!

We're at our first craft fair of the year at Jabish Brook Middle School in Belchertown and it's time for a SITE UPDATE! Check out all our new soaps, AVAILABLE NOW! :-D

NEW RELEASES | Cheeky Monkey Soap

We're working on getting our new soaps cleaned up and photographed and we CAN'T WAIT for you to see them all! Watch for an announcement about a HUGE website restock in early March. In the meantime... we're getting ready to offer a NEW service! Custom orders are now available! Do you have a big event coming up? Wedding, Bridal Shower, Baby Shower... we would love to help you provide the greatest favors your guests have ever seen! You can customize every aspect of the soap! Color, scent, design, even the finished bar weight! We can match our colors to your color scheme, or even do something special like a b**r soap. We love to be creative and love involving our clients in the process!

But you don't need to have a special event in order to make a custom order! Is there a scent that you just wish we offered? Are you looking for the perfect shade of purple to match your guest bathroom? We can do a custom batch for you with just a 4 bar minimum order!

https://www.cheekymonkeysoap.com/custom

We can't wait to work with you to create your perfect bar! Just reach out!

New Year, New Soap Challenge! This month's challenge was hanger swirls - one of my favorite techniques on the regular. I'm submitting two entries one in the experienced category (Eek! HOW am I "experienced" already???) and one in the bonus category.

My main entry is "Jade Feather" and is fragranced with a fragrance oil called "high tide". It smells beachy and fresh and just... clean (a good trait for soap, dontcha think?) The pattern comes from a variety of techniques. first I separated my batter into 3 roughly equal portions and colored one a dark teal/jade one a medium, and one a creamy white. Then I poured those three colors back into my main batter bowl in layers of alternating colors (soapers know this as the way to make a 'one pot wonder') but then I poured a bit into the mold in a more free-form way (as if I were going for an 'in-the-pot' swirl) I then poured some gold mica mixed with oil onto the top of my pouring pot and continued my pour. Finally, I ran my hanger tool through to create the beautiful delicate pattern. Once it was in the mold, I drizzled a little more gold mica down the top and used another technique I learned in the soap challenge club - the infinity swirl - to decorate the top. I am really thrilled with how this one came out!

The bonus entry is "Tropical Phoenix" and is scented with a lovely tropical scent that is both floral and fruity without being overwhelming. For this pour I was able to use some new pouring beakers I had gotten and was so excited by how well I was able to control the stream of batter I was able to pour tiny little streams of color into my white base. My favorite part of using a hanger tool is that you never know what you're going to get until you cut into the bar - this one I was AMAZED to find an image that reminded me of a phoenix emerging with each cut.

I had an awesome time again with the soap challenge club and can't wait to see who wins this month! I know people have done some truly stunning work!

One more Soap Challenge for 2021 and one more win!!! Thanks to Amy Warden and the Soap Challenge Club for recognizing my design for "Best Use of Color" in this month's challenge. Can you believe that a year ago I hadn't even THOUGHT about making soap? :-D

This year has been absolutely amazing and I can't thank you all enough for your support! Our stock is running low, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on giving your loved ones Cheeky Monkey for Christmas! Give an eGift Card and give the gift of choice this Christmas. We'll be restocking soon with all new soaps for mid-winter and looking ahead to spring. https://www.cheekymonkeysoap.com/gift-card

I never thought, when I began this journey almost a year ago that I would be where I am today. Thank you all so much for watching my videos, for trying my soaps, for visiting me at events, for leaving feedback... and a million other small ways that you've supported me in this crazy business. I can't wait to see what next year brings! See you in 2022!

It’s the last event of the season! Come visit us at JFK Middle School in Florence and help support their after school program! We’re here until 3:00! Get some Christmas soaps before they’re gone, we’re selling out FAST!

Come celebrate Small Business Saturday with us at the Belchertown Artisan’s Fair for the Winter Light Night tree lighting! We’ll be here at old town hall until 5:00!

Oh my gosh, friends! It’s ANOTHER win!! I am absolutely thrilled and humbled by the recognition! This time I won th “sponsor’s choice” prize which includes a prize of design services from a soap label design company. I can’t believe it will be a year soon that I’ve been on this amazing journey! Can’t wait to see what the future holds!

And… for those of you who’ve read this far… Christmas soaps are up on the website! Quantities are extremely limited so I’m not making a separate post about them until after the Belchertown Winter Light Night Artisan’s Fair next weekend. But if you want in, they’re there 🙂 look at Cheeky Monkey being all cheeky! 😉