Any time that I get intrigued and eventually very excited about a new medium to express myself artistically, I spend a lot of time online doing research and cruising around looking for the artists who have said medium down. Folks whose work inspires me pushes me to perfect the craft myself. Sometimes I discover it isn’t my thing but I still have great appreciation for the work, quite often even more appreciation since I have tried what looks easy and turns out is not. Well in theory it is. But to do it and to create real artistic beauty are not always one and the same thing. For children this is so, but rarely for us adults. The only thing that changes that, in my opinion, is intent.

So I can make Sacred Crap and have it be beautiful simply because I made it with magickal or spiritual intent. This turned out to be the case when I got all dreamy and googley over polymer clay. There are some folks out there making the most amazing stuff out of p.c. You would never even know some of it was clay. Continue reading →

Took lots of pictures last night as well as made more dangles. Here are a few to maybe tempt you. And yes, the stones and charms I’m using have magickal intention behind them. Pearls, moonstones, amethyst, garnet, labradorite, shell, pentagrams, moons, stars, totem animals. Maybe not any specific magick but perhaps something that just reminds me of who I am and what matters. Which is strong magick in and of itself.

Continue reading →

I’m getting the very strong vibe that this is happening for a lot of folks. A lot of blogs I read are dropping out to either move on completely or take a rest. Projects don’t seem to be flowing. And I’m there too. I’ve been reading a lot and going to bed early. Healing. How very winter of me.

Last night I finished a book that I enjoyed so very much. In the Land of Winter by Richard Grant. Boy, was this a fantastic read. Written in 1997 it deals with a single witch mother who loses her child to bigotry and how she finds her way up and out. Very inspiring, full of witchy yummy details. I can’t believe it took me so long to find it. I’ve been reading Silver Ravenwolf’s mysteries to see what is in them. I get where she’s going and while I can certainly find some things I consider an error, for me, I can see how these are really good teaching tools too. So, reading, burrowing, watching CSI: Miami reruns because I’m in love with David Caruso aka Horatio Caine. He makes me remember how much I love a blue eyed red head.

“You, my friend, went from selling cars to making license plates.”

Because of this hibernation trend, lately I’ve not been working on much. Well at least not with textiles. I have several unfinished projects in that area, especially the black wool embroidered vest and the Wheel of the Year project. I did get all excited recently when a friend showed me the charm bracelet she made. It was so very fae. Made with silver beads mixed in with pearls and other stones and glass in a pale misty green with irridescence it just made my crow go oooooooh. And I suddenly knew what some of my next projects are going to be.

I’ve been keeping my eye out for outlets for my pagany artistry since leaving that witchy group recently. The one where I made many pouches and other goods for them to sell for their fundraiser. What can replace that spiritual giving? While I’m sure that at some point another similar opportunity will arise, for the moment I’m focusing on what I can make to bring more financial prosperity into my own life. And how to create that for myself in other ways too.

I’ve been collecting beads for years. For a long time, pre-sobriety, I made a lot of beaded necklaces and did pretty well selling them around Yule. And I have kept on acquiring beads and trinkets as my crow nature just can’t help collecting sparkley things. Lost an earring? Keep the mate for a later cuz I loves it. I have a whole bag of this stuff. This past week I started making what are called bead dangles. These are homemade dangles or charms that one can use in place of a charm on a chain bracelet or necklace. And their only limit is your bead availability and your imagination. Tomorrow I plan on showing you a slew of the dangles I’ve made so far. For now, here is a little image from the internet of a simple bead dangle that links to the instructions on how they are made.

How to Make a Bead Dangle

I’ve got three bead dangle projects rolling around in my brain. One is a dark fae bracelet. Similiar to my friend’s but using dark beads; black, purples, blues with silver wire and accents. Those are the bead dangles I have been working on. I have been saving lots of things with a very autumnal theme to them. Golds, leaves, acorns, stags and such. Those will most likely turn into a necklace because I have so many to play with. And of course a summery fae one. But that will take awhile as I don’t have the supplies and not many dollars for the variety of color that I might need. Yet. The Seattle International Gem and Jewelry Show is coming to town on March 8-9.

When I saw these in the bead store I was very excited. When I was 13 my family visited Hawaii where among other wonders, we visited Mauna Loa and stood at the very brim of her melting pot. Three days after our visit the observation platform was engulfed with flaming lava when she erupted again. I can’t begin to tell you how thrilling that experience was, to stand and look into the heart of The Mama. To see the epitome of creation and destruction and recreation. Life, death, and rebirth. My blood and adrenalin sang with the power of it. The smell of it.

So, when I found beads made from hardened lava I couldn’t wait to make them into a necklace and earring set. I think of these beads as Earth and Fire in one. Mix them with leather and bone and horn and silver and I think I have myself a nice powerful protection bit of hardware going on.

I had to drill the lava beads out to accomodate the leather string, which is more fragile than I like. I might at some time, convert the leather to metal chain. But for now, the leather seems right.