Talk about a challenge…the rimmed soap technique was definitely one of the more challenging techniques that the Soap Challenge Club has ever done! Huge thanks to Tatsiana Serko for teaching us this advanced technique so that everyone had a chance at success. All of the soaps had to be made in a round mold, and there are some really stunning results! Shout out to our sponsors this month also: Rustic Escentuals sponsored the U.S. category and Voyageur Soap and Candle Co. (in Canada) sponsored the International category with some amazing prizes!

Even though we only had 16 entries in the International category, there were some very serious contenders!! The top three were all within four votes of one another. I know you are anxious to see the results, so here are the winners in the International category:

Congratulations goes to our grand prize winner: Anastasia Krasilnikova in Czech Republic with her beautiful Damask Rimmed soap, made with an impression mat:

You will definitely want to click on her photo to see her blog post about the many different rimmed soaps she made before she fell in love with this one for the challenge. Anastasia has been making soap for just seven months now, although you would never know it! She wins a $100 gift certificate from Voyageur!

In a close second place is Carolyn Newton of Siennalily Soaps in Spain. This is her third time winning a prize in the Challenge Club. Congratulations, Carolyn, on your gorgeous rimmed soap, inspired by an Egyptian design:

Click the photo to see Carolyn’s inspiration and how she made her soap – also with an impression mat! Carolyn wins a $75 gift certificate from Voyageur!

Just one vote behind Carolyn is Lisa Norris of Kangaroo Apple Studio in Australia in third place! Lisa has managed to place in the top 3 NINE times now – usually with her signature rainbow design! Her Star Rainbow rimmed soap is just stunning:

Check out her post on Facebook by clicking the photo above to see Lisa’s process in making her soap with star rainbow embeds! Lisa wins a $50 gift certificate from Voyageur!

Finally, the Sponsor’s Choice prize goes to Melanie Maddock of Sweet Escape in New Zealand for her gorgeous May Chang Rimmed Soap made with neon swirls and raspberry seeds. This is Melanie’s first prize since she has been participating in the Club – congratulations!! Tammy Evans from Voyageur said this: “We awarded the Sponsor’s Choice prize to May Chang Swirl because we loved the duality of the speckled middle with the brightly coloured retro style swirled rim. The vibrant colour choice combined with the precision of the rim around the inner circle made the bar look not only fresh and fun but also very polished and professional.”

Melanie wins a $25 gift certificate from Voyageur!

In the U.S. category, the competition was also pretty stiff, although Holly Shelton of Kapia Mera Soap Co. came away as the clear grand prize winner! Congratulations!! Holly has placed second twice, but she wins the grand prize this month for her simply elegant black and white rimmed soap:

On her blog post, Holly shares her recipe as well as a video of her process, so be sure to click through! She wins a $100 gift certificate, plus 6 1-oz. fragrances & 6 mica samples from Rustic Escentuals!

Second place goes to a brand new Challenge Club member: Ann Kruschke in Ohio who is celebrating her one-year soapiversary!! She made her rimmed soap look like a watercolor version of a watermelon:

Isn’t it amazing? Click on the photo to see her blog post that includes her recipe and process. Ann wins a $75 gift certificate, plus 6 1-oz. fragrances & 6 mica samples from Rustic Escentuals!

In third place – by only one vote! – is Brittany Warwick in Wisconsin for her fabulous Japanese Cherry Blossom rimmed soap:

Brittany won the Sponsor’s Choice prize for the Embracing Opposites challenge last July, but this is her first voted win, and it’s well deserved!! Click on the photo to see her blog post with all the details about her soap. Brittany wins a $50 gift certificate, plus 6 1-oz. fragrances & 6 mica samples from Rustic Escentuals!

We have a Sponsor’s Choice winner from Rustic Escentuals as well: Congrats to Bonnie Howard of The Village Soapsmith in North Carolina for her Black Raspberry Vanilla Rimmed Soap! Amy Coker says, “This soap is not only beautifully done by the challenge set forth, but it’s beautifully done in the attention to detail. This soap maker has taken a common scent and crafted the soap to be completely unique by their color choices and swirls as applied to the challenge. The colors chosen perfectly complement the scent’s notes. The rim swirls look like they were carefully and artfully done. Lastly, the swirling in the center with more complementary colors tie the soap together. Attention to detail = very well done.”

Click on Bonnie’s soap photo to read more about her soap on her blog! Bonnie wins a $25 gift certificate, plus 6 1-oz. fragrances & 6 mica samples from Rustic Escentuals!

To see the rest of the entries for the Rimmed Soap Challenge, be sure to click HERE.

And now it’s time to announce the next three months of challenges….no divided categories for these – they are all one big challenge each month!

For April, we are doing a location theme challenge! I happen to be a Kansas girl, so what does everyone seem to reference when they hear Kansas? The Wizard of Oz! Here’s the soap I made for the tutorial:

What’s special about where you live? Our sponsor for the Location Theme Challenge is TKB Trading.

In May, we will tackle the tear drop technique, like this one by Sergio Masala:

Our sponsors are Mad Oils and Lovin Soap Studio.

In June, Claudia Carpenter of Om Nom Soap will be our guest teacher to show us how to create Sculpted Layers like she did for her Winter Wonderland soap:

Our sponsor is Custom Soap Stamps.

You will have the option to register for all three months or April only starting this Monday, March 28. Sign up to be notified when registration opens AND the tutorial for the Rimmed Soaps becomes available if you haven’t already: