Magical Musings

Quilts and more

Last week I started working on a nine-patch quilt I guess it is called. I made a doll quilt for Melody last year from this tutorial and it was so easy I thought I would do an actual kid sized quilt next. Working my way up in size right? I laid out this fabric I got a year ago at Value Village in Portland to make a quilt as well. It's got the pre-quilted look to it so I am just going to use it as is.

I made yogurt on Friday and it turned out well. The last time I made it I just tried to remember the directions and it didn't work. I have a yogur t maker I got a couple years ago and it's great! The yogurt is so yummy and better than the store bought kind (cheaper too but not as cheap as it used to be). Melody even ate it with granola and that's saying something because she is a strawberry cheesecake Yoplait -kind -of -girl.

I switched back to the smaller size for my journal again. I didn't like the 8 1/2 by 11 size it wasn't working for me I guess. Some nights on the couch I have drawn some things as well but then I am afraid to color them in or try to paint them so I left them as is for now.

The pacifier fairy came yesterday to our house/yard. Melody put her last pacifier outside and then when she finally fell asleep two hours after we started trying the fairy came and picked it up. She left presents in exchange and then dropped the paci off with a baby that needed it. Last night going to bed was awful but she didn't really cry I had to tell her stories and then she kept asking me to sing (something no one ever does) so from 8 - 10 p.m. I think we were in there awake and then she finally fell asleep close to 10:15 I think. I hope it gets a bit easier to get her to sleep now since I think she's pretty tired today. The timing on it was good in that 3 is a big girl age and I wanted her to be able to talk and understand what was going on rather than traumatically pulling the thing away and doing something with it. That didn't seem fair.

Altered Book Tutorial prt.1

After doing two pages and taking photos I realized I should start with the order of things. This tutorial is for the order of how to do a page as well as a couple of page examples. I like to think of the bird page as an example of a scene page. These are my favorite to do and I try to sort of lay it out like a scene whether real or imaginary rather than collage on top of each other.

So the first thing is selecting a page in your book to do and then deciding if you want to cover it with Gesso, white paint or colored acrylic or just water soluable pastels or oil pastels (I don't use oil pastels in my altered book but you can). I used white paint and covered over it with water soluable pastels. At this point also decide what you want to put on your page (which will affect the background color) as far as images or text (or just narrow it down).

Paint the background and then let it dry. I used a white acrylic paint to completely cover the text from showing through on one page and then on my other page (the bird one) I did a white acrylic lightly and then allowed it to dry. On the altered book page below I then used the walnut ink over the top and it turned out sort of weird and uneven but I left it. Then I laid out the text from the computer and used a gluestick under it. I used one cauldron stamp and then the star stamps (Martha  Stewart Halloween on sale) which didn't come out dark enough. I then colored them in with a Sharpie. I went over the text with the walnut ink. You can also add the walnut ink over the text before gluing it down in case you mess up really bad. This is a mostly text book with a few images so I did it pretty fast. Not to difficult. On the other opposing page I used an owl graphic on top and then wrote on lined paper that was from a dollar store notepad. I can't write straight so this helps and it's beige in color. Then I glued it to a scrapbook paper and glued that onto the page. All done.

So then I played with the layout on the bird page at first and then decided to do a blue background. I use Portfolio brand water soluable oil pastels and then I also used Melody's Elmer colorslick in a darker blue. Just draw or color loosely and then using a damp paintbrush go over it to create the nice color. Now you let it dry. The next step is to figure out your layout and elements you might like to use like rubber stamps. Put those on there and use acrylic gel medium or a gluestick to adhere your images. These images I started off with I doodled onto a text page and then colored in before cutting them out. I did this while watching Melody take a bath.

The page didn't seem done so I added some stickers and a couple rub-ons. Most of them I got in the scrapbook section of Joann's or some other craft store. The photo is crooked but you get the idea of the finished page.

The next page we will do will be a window/door page and a collage page! Let me know if you have questions. The train of thought on this was kind of random and I tried to do two books and pages at once.

New bag

I finished a new bag today and put it in my Etsy shop. It was a pain in my ass so I really want to sell it rather than look at it! It seems bizarre to list this as a Spring or Summer tote when it snowed here this morning.

I also made two pendants and worked on my quilt while Melody was at my parents' house.

The altered book tutorial part 1 will come tomorrow!

Altered Book Supply List 2

Since I have gotten a lot of questions about where to find images and what to use and how to use it in an altered book I thought I would practice on you all for my class in April!

This first post is just a supply list I did for the class plus tons of additions that I wasn't able to put on the list (since the supplies have to be available from the store where I am teaching). And this is just a suggested list and sources not something you need to have every item on! I haven't bought rubber stamps in a year and have used mostly free images while making these books and cheap supplies like acrylic paint and such. You can even find things at the dollar store if you don't have supplies. Though I don't like to shop at Wal-mart very much they have a lot of scrapbooking supplies, some clear rubber stamps and acrylic paints in their craft section for cheap. You can get by with very little really.

The second post will be about removing pages and then choosing items and the background for your first page.

Altered Books 101 Class Supply List

A hardcover book to alter that you don’t mind destroying the pages of. Go for chapter books or something that has mostly text. Make sure the binding is secure and that the cover is in ok shape. You will either be painting entirely over, or partially over some of the pages so if there’s portions you don’t like don’t worry.

A Theme – come up with a theme ahead of time for your book such as “Spring”, “Family”, “English Poetry” or even “Flowers” so you have something to work around in your book and can pick out images and papers and quotes to bring in and use.

Images that you have cut out of magazines or books or clipart that you have printed out in high quality, photocopies of old photos, etc. (keeping your theme in mind). Check out books at thrift stores for photos as well. You might not want to read the book or use it to alter but you can cut out the images and use them.

I have purchased items from http://www.silvercrowcreations.com as well as http://www.mantofev.com and they offer a lot of cool ephemera and a low cost with fast shipping. There are tons of other sources for purchasing images online too including http://www.artchixstudio.com and http://www.tuscanrose.com.

Cabinet cards and old photos can be found at antique stores so dig through them and take a look. They aren’t your family so pick which ones you like and alter them or cut into them how you like!

Online there are a few free sources to get images from as well.

Dover Publications http://www.doverpublications.com sign up for their free weekly samples and they send you the link via e-mail to free clipart to use.

Karen’s Whimsy http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images 

Lisa Vollrath You can sign up and then log in to her site for holiday countowns where she posts graphics http://countdown.tentwostudios.com. The last one was St. Patrick's Day and they are still up.

Sexy Witch http://sexy-witch.blogspot.com She posts a lot of old images and ads all of witches if you are doing an altered book of shadows or Halloween theme.

Google – type in the name of what you want and then images, then click on the images which will take you into page after page of images which may or may not be what you want.

Acrylic Gel Medium – this helps to glue all the elements of your page down and seal them in a bit.

Quotes (optional) – I like to pick out famous quotes that go with my theme and then print a bunch of them out on the computer to cut into pieces and use on pages. You can also print out some and handwrite or alphabet stamp them onto your pages.

Rubber stamps if you like to use them. I like at least a small alphabet set to use because I hate my handwriting. I think mine was from Joann's on sale.

I have gotten most of my rubber stamps online and the majority of the pagan ones I have are from Cherry Pie Art Stamps  http://www.cherrypieartstamps.com/shopping.html 

Invoke Arts  http://invokearts.com  They have very cool stamps with saints, milagros, mermaids, fairies and more

100 Proof Press  http://100proofpress.com/store  Their selection and pricing is excellent. You can find anything here. I have purchased a few unmounted rubber stamps from them and then mounted them on foam or wood myself.

Addicted to Rubber Stamps http://www.addictedtorubberstamps.com  Sometimes has sales and they also sell a bit of scrapbooking things as well which can be used in altered books.

Pens (any variety but gel pens work nicely)

Cheap Paint (guache or acrylic), water soluable oil pastels, or creamy crayons etc.

Small pair of scissors

Embellishments (ribbons, trim, charms, pockets, fibers, etc.)

Papers such as scrapbook papers, giftwrap or wallpaper, colored or patterned tissue paper, origami or handmade papers. Try to avoid heavy cardstock.

Gluestick

BOS

I started working on an altered book of shadows several months ago and then quit. Last week I did another couple of pages in it and hope to get going again. For the non-witchy types a book of shadows is basically a magical diary of sorts where you keep recipes, rituals, prayers and spells. This one I am just doing poems and prayers and Goddesses since if I put everything in it...well it wouldn't all fit! I have a lot of witchy ephemera I have collected over the years and so I am using a lot of it as well as pagan rubber stamps and some scrapbooking stickers from Halloween. I think I have a set of Halloween stickers from every company that does them! Well the ones that have cauldrons and brooms and hats that is. You can use them year-round too. A lot of the pages I have used gesso or cream acrylic paint and then after it dries I use a walnut ink that sponges on. Several pages have been covered with lighter weight scrapbook type papers and then I print out things with a cool font on brown paper on my computer and glue it on before embellishing.

Good

I got the day off Saturday and was gone from 10 - 4 ! I tried to come up with a couple of ideas before I left Melody with my husband for the day and he found out about the egg hunt around the corner from our house. I thought I was going to have to send her with her plastic cauldron that she wanted to take because it took forever to find her bunny basket! She learned the word, "prize" really fast and got two prizes, one from inside an egg that said to come get your prize and the other from the carrot she found that equated to another bag with prizes. So she ate candy all day pretty much until I got home and there was no lunch to be had.

I went into Portland afterall to the place I wanted to get my money candle from. They had everything I have been looking for online and more so I was really happy. And the total was $15 instead of $32.00 like it would have been if I ordered online from somewhere (which one place didn't have everything anyways). I got my green money candle, incense for money drawing from their New Orleans' store (they have two), devil's shoestring, a lodestone, lodestone food, Southern John root and mandrake. I couldn't smell the oils because of my cold but I think the ones they make smelled good. They had essential oils, fragrance oils, candle dressing oils and magic oils.

I also went over to a "new" friends' house for a plant exchange where there weren't many plants exchanged. Not many people came but we had tea and she gave me a rasberry plant. The weather here isn't quite pleasant for gardening yet. This week isn't looking any better either. I have only planted pea seeds so far and need to plant lettuce and my potatoes. My potatoes are always in the ground around St. Patrick's Day but not this year. Who wants to go dick in the mud to plant them?

Weird things

In getting more into using herbs and odd roots and such, I thought I would do a post about them. I don't have tons of information on all of these oddities, but I really like researching them and not only finding out where to get them but how to use them. Most of these are hoodoo in origin and are used in spells and mojo bags. The best book if you are interested in learning more about these as well as using them in spells is, "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of African-American Conjure by Catherine Yronwode."

I used to think I should go using the Hoodoo herbs because that's not my heritage so it's not my place. In reading about them, however, they are a combination of African American and European plants and such that came together to be used. I went to school in the mountains of N.C. where there is still much folklore associated with herbs and folk healing. There are other books written on these topics under Appalachian folk magic and healing. There are still many superstitions that are similar to the southern African American beliefs and the herbs used in both areas are similar to those used in modern day Witchcraft as well. I have found in reading about these herbs that the properties are the same and they are used the same as well. So on with some unusual things...

We will start with the lucky hand root. The lucky hand root is just that a root that looks like a hand. They are generally an orchid root that resembles a deformed grasping hand, though some are more deformed than others. A lucky hand root is typically used in mojo bags that you would carry with you for good luck especially with money and gambling (since you use your hands). The root can be anointed with rose oil for extra power.

Bat pod/Devil’s Pod – these are great for Samhain décor but are also used for good luck. They look like a bat with wings or a devil with horns. I found some cheap at the Asian grocery store in the fall. I went back in February and they didn’t have any. I think they must be seasonal. I know you can buy them from www.luckymojo.com for $3 each. When I obtain a large quantity I will let you know because I think they were $2 a pound.

Devil's Shoestring is the common name for several plants that grow in North America. The roots of all three are used medically as anti-spasmodics, especially to ease menstrual cramps. Here's a popular recipe for a spell that uses Devil's Shoestrings for good luck (obtained from luckymojo.com):

Get nine Devil's Shoestrings roots and wrap them nine times around with white thread and each time you wrap the thread around, tie a knot, so you end up with nine knots. Put the bundle in a tall narrow medicine bottle and fill it with whiskey or Hoyt's Cologne. Leave the bottle to sit for nine days, and after that when you go to gamble, apply for a job, or do anything that requires luck, dip your fingers in the liquid and run them through your hair nine times. You can also use this liquid to dress a mojo hand or lodestones. Keep the Devil's Shoestrings in the bottle topped up with whiskey or Hoyt's cologne and use the liquid as a dressing any time you want more luck.

Lodestones are natural magnets and are used in all sorts of spells, primarily to attract certain conditions toward you.

Carry your lodestone as a good luck charm, use it in ritual spells or keep one in your home. Place a Lodestone in a charm bag with other stones to make them more powerful, drawing greater wealth, stronger love and better health.

Here are just some of the powers attributed to the Lodestone and how these `magical stones' have been used through out the ages.

Attract Love - Carry two Red Lodestones in a small red bag. Love attracting herbs such as rose, yarrow or lavender are often added to strengthen the vibrations.

Business Success - Place a Green or Gold Lodestone in the cash register or cash box. Burn green candles around a Lodestone to bring in customers.

Friendship - If you have just moved to a new place or started a new job, carry a Lodestone to meet new friends.

Protection - Carry a Lodestone for protection. It is believed that a Lodestone will absorb negativity but not return it.

Healing - It is believed that Lodestone owing to its magnetic powers, draws out disease and pain from the body. The stone can be passed over or placed directly on the afflicted part of the body.

Cool Tempers - The Lodestone is also worn to smooth over troubles, especially arguments in a relationship thus allowing true communication.

Fidelity - women wore a Lodestone to ensure that their wandering husbands returned home.

Impotency - Men suffering from sexual dysfunction would hold a Lodestone in their receptive hand, visualizing satisfactory, complete, joyous sexual relations. Once this was done he then carried the stone with him or placed it beneath the mattress to release its powers.

In general Green Lodestone is used to attract money, wealth, employment and material gains. Red Lodestone is used to attract desires in all matters concerning love or lust. Gold Lodestone is used to attract success and prosperity. Natural Lodestone is an all purpose stone which can be used for all of the purposes of the colored stones, and many more as well. White Lodestone is used for protection and for eloquence.

Lodestones love magnetic sand, and iron filings. It's interesting to watch the patterns that appear when these are 'fed' to your lodestone by sprinkling on and around the lodestone. Many believe that it is necessary to 'feed' a lodestone to keep it working properly.

The following is a spell that uses a lodestone...

http://www.santeria-lucumi.com/moneyspell.html

John the Conqueror Roots are some of the most used, varied, and powerful amulets used in hoodoo. Roots are used for luck, controlling and mastery, and for male sexual energy and power.These are made into sachet powders and incenses that you can buy as well.

Happy Spring!

Happy Spring Equinox! It seems people have been waiting for this day forever in all parts of the world. I don't get much into Spring here because it seems so short it's rain, 2 weeks of Spring and rain and then summer it seems. I am very greatful for the return of the sun in between the rain though and the flowers poking their heads up all over.

This year with Easter being so close to the equinox it seems a bit weird to me. I would like to have combined them together I guess but ritual scheduling sometimes doesn't allow for that. It's like the Christmas-Yule thing where we do it here first and then go over to my parents' house for the second round. Since both holidays are pagan anyways it would be better to combine them a bit more in my mind maybe. I have always enjoyed being the first one to buy egg dye at the store every year though. And you always get a good pick for Eeostre/Ostara basket goodies.

Last week I made Melody a pair of pants which I then had to take in a bit. She was not into posing for a photo and this one makes the pants look bad but they are cute. I think cutting and sewing everything took 30 minutes. She jumped up and down on our bed for most of the time while I was making them.

I sold both moon oils yesterday, however I had enough for two more bottles (one 2-dram bottle of each) and so I relisted them in my shop. I never assume anyone will buy anything so if I sell something that I have more than one of I just relist instead of putting the extra qty and the whopping extra 20 cents.

New oils

I made two new oils yesterday. I combined a few recipes to make my own full moon and dark moon oils in 2-dram bottles. They turned out smelling divine! I used fragrance and essential oils. The somewhat negative thing according to some people about using the fragrance oils is that they aren't powerful with respect to health and healing like if you are using them for unplugging your nose or using them on a burn or something. Since the price and availability of some essential oils including sandalwood have gone up it's not feasible to purchase expensive essential oils and then charge $9.00 a bottle for the little oils! So I used a couple of essential oils and fragrance oils to make these. They are for annointing yourself, candles or stones/curios and then you can also burn some in an oil burner on the full or dark moon! I am going to make some money oil next (not the weird stuff you saw on the other post). The ingredients are percolating right now in my cauldron. No, not really, they are in a jar in the cabinet for now. Oh and the money spell I did as well as the chants and lighting of the candle with the money concoction I made last week worked! I didn't think it did at all as I was thinking in terms of etsy orders or random checks from the mortgage or government or something coming in. My husband's sister and brother each sent us a check last week two days apart. Very cool but amusing because it worked in a different way than I was thinking.

My shop idea is not going to work out right now but I am going to make my own things in kits and sell them on Etsy. I am also going to make more incense and different oils as well to put in there and they will be included in some of the kits such as a bath spell kit, spell kits, and mojo bags with the ingredients ready to go. I have also thought about making candles again if I can dig out the molds and then get some cheap beeswax (easier said than found) to color. I know the lady that has honey has beeswax but I don't know if she has any this time of year.

This photo is from more than a week ago (14.5 weeks) but as my mom said the other day, "you look pregnant."  Well I haven't been able to wear my regular pants for weeks now so it's about time I looked pregnant rather than fat in the stomach I guess. While resizing this photo I could make myself look thinner or bigger. I think this is accurate. :)

Green

Hope everyone had a little magic in their life yesterday. I think it's magical when adults wear green or weird things and go out in public. We went to Nana's and painted our nails green and then went to an Irish restaurant for an early dinner. My mom and her friend had Irish stew and Melody and I had fish n' chips. Upon entering the restaurant we realized that the Celtic duo was the same one that played at my wedding! It was really neat to sit in there and listen to them and have Melody enjoy them too. We thought about going somewhere else more like a bar, but we can't get Melody in even if we try to pass her off as a leprechaun. I was insistent that we go out this year pregnant and all and with a 3-year-old so it turned out fine. I used to go out and have a lot of fun when I was younger and I figured even if I can't drink I am going out anyways! There's still food and music to be enjoyed. I forgot to take photos when we were there but did take a green nail manicure photo.

May the blessing of light be upon you,

Light without and within…

And in all your comings and goings,

may you ever have a kindly greetin'

from them you meet along the road.