Showing posts with label Crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crafts. Show all posts
Since this is our final Craftacular Saturday of the season, we're going to do something a little different.


Loren was interviewed earlier this year by the lovely author Karen Dahlman. Watch this enchanting video for some really clever tips on decorating your home, witchy-style.
Want to learn more about Karen? Visit Creative Visions Publications

 Loren's amazing works can be found at: https://www.primwitchery.com/
Like her shop on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/primitivewitchery/
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Creating An Ancestor Doll

This simple craft is perfect for Samhain, when we commune with our Ancestors and the veil is thinnest, but it’s something you can do any time of the year. I have my Ancestor altar up year round – in my kitchen, because that’s where my grandmother and I spent most of our time together – and I have several of these dolls that come and go, as the need arises (my grandmother stays always, of course). These can be used as vessels for visiting spirits, as blessed acknowledgements of loved ones, or as an ancestoral presence on an altar.

* Ancestor dolls are vessels – or physical points of contact, if you will – to aid our loved ones when they come across. This is an old tradition in many cultures to aid in calling the spirits. Not voodoo, not dark magic. I must stress, these are not toys. However, they are a fun and easy tool to create with your children, and a great conversation about loved ones can be had when working on these together. Enjoy!

Supplies Needed (enough for 2 dolls)
- 2- 9” x 12” pieces of felt, any color (most common is black or white, but it’s completely your choice). Another idea would be to use a piece of cloth from something that belonged to a particular loved one.
- a Person Stencil printed on to cardstock (mine are genderless, but feel free to adjust yours as you’d like. Some people like to use one for male energy and one for female energy).



- Cardstock to print your Person Stencil
- an Embroidery Needle with a wide eye and a sharp tip (round tips are hard to work through)

- Embroidery Floss – color(s) of your choosing. I love to use color magic here, especially if I’m going to apply some knot magic, too. Use one, use several (I’ve included a sample color chart for you).



- a piece of chalk, or something to trace your person stencil (on dark colors, flour works in a pinch) - Stuffing Items: again, this is a personal choice. Choose herbs and items that assist in communication, remembrance, and calling spirits. 

We all have our favorites. I generally use:
Rosemary (for good memories)
Wormwood (for calling the spirits)
Dandelion Root (communing with those who have passed)
Soil from a cemetery or from a garden you’ve tended (even just the tiny plant you’ve managed to keep alive for the past year will work) is a nice addition, and even a stone that speaks to you of your loved one. A pinch or two of every item is all you need, the dolls don’t have to be stuffed full! Place together in a small bowl.

- Small strips of paper (not necessary, but a nice idea). Write your loved ones’ names on the strips, memories you have, any thoughts you’d like to keep with the doll. Roll them individually in to tight coils and put them in a bowl with the rest of your stuffing. 

Have everything you need? Let’s begin!

You’ll want to create your dolls in a peaceful area, a ritual setting or sacred space. Light candles, put music on, etc. Focus on the task at hand, and the loved ones you are crafting for.

Cut your Person out of the cardstock – now you have a stencil! Woo! The hard part is done!

Fold one piece of felt in half and trace your Person on to the felt. Cut out your shape, through both pieces. And you have a doll! If you’re making two, repeat with your other piece of felt.



Thread your needle with one strand of each color you’d like to sew with. Embroidery floss has 6 strands twisted in to one, so if you’re using more than one color, you’ll want to separate it and put single strands together, or it will be difficult to thread your needle! Knot your thread at the end. Starting at the bottom outer edge of the left leg, start sewing a simple in and out pattern – nothing fancy is needed (but get fancy if you want). Follow your person outline with your stiches, Deosil, until you get to the bottom outer edge of the right leg. The inner legs should be open for ease of inserting herb mix.



Place your stuffing bowl in front of you, and focus clearly on your intention for the doll(s). Place both hands above the bowl and bless the contents for your highest good, and ask that your purpose be pleasing to the Goddess.

Now, fill your doll with the items you’ve energized, while still keeping your intent focused (photo is over-filled, so you can see it. Not necessary to have this much inside!).





Sew up the rest of your doll, and knot the end of your thread. Trim as desired. Now is the time to do knotwork additionally, but again, not required.




Bless your doll(s). Remember to thank the Goddess and God, speak with the Ancestors, whatever you feel called to do. Place your new doll(s), and enjoy.

That’s it! You’ve done it!
Many Blessings
Rowan
www.lapisdragon.com

Toni (Rowan) is a mom, a mimi, a friend, lover and free spirit. A native of San Francisco, she currently practices her Craft on the east coast and hits the beach whenever clarity and focus are needed. A Celtic hedgewitch, she is most at home in the kitchen, the garden, or in her workshop creating teas and remedies and assorted pretty things for the shop. When not working or creating, Rowan can be found with her houseful of minions (1 girl-child, 4 boys, 1 grandboy and 1 lovely man who adores her), looking for new and exciting adventures or reading a great book. She continues the search for the perfect spot of land in Oregon to call her own, and looks forward to the day when she can Witch for a living.

Stop in and say hello online at http://www.thelapisdragon.com orhttps://www.facebook.com/TheLapisDragon/


There's still time to get in on Friday's Giveaway!! Be sure you leave a comment on the Friday entry page!

 See you on Monday!






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Hi everyone! It's Loren from Primitive Witchery. Today we will be making a fun spell book! I know from looking at the finished pic that it looks like something that would be super hard, but I am going to take you through all of the steps to make your very own moon spell book. It's very simple and at the time of writing this I have only just started in clay myself.
Craft supply list:
Paper Mache Book Box
Cheesecloth
Mod Podge
Hot glue or craft glue
Variety of acrylic paints (in your choice of colors)
Original Sculpey Clay

This is what the paper mache book box starts out as:

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

First, take your book box and lay a piece of cheesecloth and cut a piece that is just a bit bigger than the book cover. You want to be able to make wrinkles in it. This will give the outside of the book a wrinkled leather look.  Apply a thin coat of mod podge on the front cover. 

   
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

Lay the cheesecloth on top and make wrinkles in it. Gather all the overhanging cheesecloth as wrinkles on your books. Try to line up the edges with the edges of the book as much as you can.
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
When you have finished wrinkling your cheesecloth, put another layer of mod podge on top.  This is what it will look like when you have added your wrinkles. Now let this dry. While it is drying, you will make your moon for the front.
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

First roll out your piece of clay. I just went with what size of circle would fit within the sides of the front cover. My Shakespeare Insults coffee mug was the perfect size circle, so I used it to make the circle indention for the base. 

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

 After I cut out the circle, I make a cross-hair on the circle to line up where to put the nose and the eyes. It isn't exact, but faces usually aren't either.

To make the nose and brows I throw a glob of clay and begin shaping the nose and the bridge of the nose, using the end of a pencil to jab into the ends to make the nostrils. I then roll out a 1/2 inch diameter worm for the brow. I position it above the bridge and begin shaping it to the horizontal line ends. It looks like this in the end. As you can see, my nose isn't perfect and that's okay. I never go for extreme perfection.
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Next step will be the eyes. I made flattened balls around 1 inch in size. Position on each side of the nose on the horizontal line.
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
For the lids of the eyes (upper and lower) make 4 half moons. Big enough to cover a bit of the top and bottom of each eye. Blend the clay edges into the existing clay. 
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

Next you want to shape out your cheeks. We are going for a comical puffed round cheek look, since this is the moon. Roll out a large ball and just blend it down to the existing clay like so.  I have blended the one on the left. The ball size is golf ball size. The second pic has both cheeks blended. The chin is made next. I roll out a 1/2 inch diameter worm and place it at the bottom of the circle, just blending it in around the edges. You want it to stick up in the air like the puffed cheeks.


Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Roll out some large worms for the upper and lower lips. The bottom lip worm will be slightly smaller. They are quite comical at first (pic on first), but you want to have enough clay to blend under the nose and up into the cheeks and down into the chin (middle pic). When you are finished blending your lips, take a knife point or clay tool and gently run it between the two lips, making a distinctive separation of the lips. Also, if you want the vertical groove (the philtrum) below the nose, on the top lip to be bigger, you can add a bit of clay and shape it (second pic)

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

 It's okay if you don't get everything perfectly smooth it's okay, this is the moon after all. For character add some craters by taking different size paintbrushes and pushing the non-bristle end into the clay.

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

When you are all finished shaping your moon put it in the oven and bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes.

 While Mr. Moon is baking add some more detail to the covers of the book. You now want to add the cheesecloth to the back and to the outer edge. Let dry while the moon is baking.
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
When the book has fully dried, attach your moon to the front of the book. I hot glued mine.
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

Next we will paint the moon. You can do this in whichever colors you like. I almost went with a blue moon. However, I went with the yellow/gold moon with blue eyes.

I began with a white center blending into daisy yellow and finally blending that into king's gold.

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Now we want the book to look as if the moon face is coming out of the leather. So we will be using the cheesecloth and the mod podge once again.

 Apply the mod podge around the moon and up onto the outer edge of the moon. Like so:
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

Begin wrapping the cheesecloth around the outer edge of the moon. Apply the mod podge over it as you go. Cutting off excess cheesecloth as you go.

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Cover with a layer of modpodge and let dry for about an hour.


When the moon is dry start painting with your choice of color. I'm going to go with a brown leather look. You want to make sure that you put the paint on thick to hide the cheesecloth. Cover all the cheesecloth. Let the front dry, then paint the back.

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
To give your book an old look, you are going to wash black over the edges and wrinkles. Water down some black paint and go around the edges of the book, lightly brushing the paint on. 
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Continue with the back and side. Let dry.
Now your moon looks as if it is encased in a leather book.

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
 To give your book gilded pages, just brush a light coat of black over the "pages". When that dries, lightly brush the gold, leaving some black showing. If you need to you can lightly brush black back over that.
If you would like to highlight the binding, give them a coat of gold also.
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
If you would like to title your spell-book, you can stencil some lettering or freehand. I also gave my book an author, with a nod to the wolf name Moon Moon.
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage
For finishing touches, you want to paint the inside of your box.
Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage

And there it is, your very own magical spell-book. Mine is now happily sitting on a bookshelf.

Photo Credit - Saga's Cottage


Brightest Blessings,
Loren

Loren Morris is one of the Siren Administrators. She is a mom of 3, and grandmother to 5.

She is the owner/artist of Primitive Witchery. Primitive Witchery offers primitive witch décor clay and painted artwork, and resin Ice Runes.  Loren’s Black Phillip Statue was featured by the film company, A24 Films, the film company of “The Witch.” Black Phillip is an Etsy King
Being an avid spirit board user for over 15 years, Loren avidly fights the negative stigma, left on Ouija and other talking boards, by Hollywood. She admins a large Ouija community on Facebook and regularly gives advice. You can watch an interview with fellow Ouija enthusiast, Karen A. Dahlman, here.
Her interests are wide and varied; being a true Gemini.  When she isn’t creating artwork, she is reading, running, or hanging out with her family or her many furbabies, which includes a pitbull, a poodle, and 5 cats.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PrimWitchery
https://primwitchery.patternbyetsy.com/
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