Ebru Soap Challenge: Tatsiana's Crazy Owl

One of my favorite things about sponsoring Amy Warden’s Soap Challenge Club is to see all the amazing soaps that are made! Each soapmaker has their own unique perspective and ideas. Today, I would like you to “meet” one of the winners of the recent Ebru Soap Challenge!

Tatsiana made this fun and crazy owl soap and tied for third place. Her blog shows the not only the pictures of the steps she followed to make the owl, but the pictures that inspired her. I can’t decide if I love the eyes, the heart on the belly or the “ear” tufts! Ah, I love the whole design!

I wanted to ask Tatsiana a few questions and I hope you enjoy our “mini” interview!

Andee: When did you start making soap?
Tatsiana: I started to make soap in the end of 2011, and the process of soapmaking grabbed all my thoughts, soul and feelings. But at some point I took a break for 1.5 years, so it’s not that long that I’ve been making soap. For me the design of soap is very important, but the texture of soap and its aesthetics are even more important. I love to work with difficult designs and when I am told it’s impossible to do something, I find a way to do it, maybe not from the first attempt.

A: What is your favorite thing about Amy’s soap challenges?
T: There are several things I like about Amy’s soap challenges: its atmosphere and the interesting assignments which Amy gives us, they make us try something new. I also like the spirit of competition.

A: How much time did this batch of soap take to make?
T: I started to make this batch of soap 11 hours prior to the deadline, and from the beginning of making the batch and the time I cut the soap it took me exactly 4 hours, because I decided to take a recipe with 80% solid oils and butters to make the soap faster, to be able to finish before the deadline. I would not recommend anybody to do it. It took me 7 minutes to complete the design.

A: What advice would you give any soapmaker wanting to try the Ebru technique?
T: An advice in ebru technique… First of all, what is needed is a good recipe, tested fragrance oil, very thin trace and moving fast to implement the technique. But the most important is to know exactly what you will be drawing and to imaging several times in your head how it will look in your soap.

Tatsiana, thank you for taking time to talk to me! Congratulations on a beautiful soap and taking third place in the Ebru Soap Challenge. I think I will have to try the Ebru technique!