Beltane Swap 2010

Beltane and come and gone, but it was very much enjoyed as well as this round of the WWP swap over on Craftster. And since my partner has received her items, it's time for me to share them with all of you.

Everything together.

In her questionnaire, my swap partner stated that she and her husband were trying to have a baby. Well being that is the same place my husband and I are currently at (we've been trying for baby #2 for 4 years now), I went off on the fertility theme like a bat out of hell! First up, the altar cloth. One of my previous trips to the fabric store (it's a wonder hubby ever allows me in there alone sometimes), I found some wonderful swirled batik fabric. Looking at both of the fabrics reminds me of the swirls fire makes and thought the colors were a perfect reminder of that. The cloth construction was also something different that I wanted to try, without having to cut tons of squares for a quilt type cloth.

Altar cloth

As with all my creative projects, I asked hubby what sort of items to create (he may be a computer geek, but he does have some really good artistic ideas from time to time). His idea was a fertility candle. Well once again I went with it. I found this website numerous times in the past and had never thought to bookmark it, but when I stumbled on it again, you can bet I added it to my long list of bookmarks. Twinkle Little Star is where I found the beautiful meditation that I included with the candle (a double score really. Years back I wrote the meditation down for my BOS and forgot to write down where it came from).

Fertility candle

The front of the candle has a dagger and chalice to represent the God and Goddess.

Fertility candle (back)

The back of the candle has some fertility symbols. A sea turtle which is a symbol of protection and fertility. A fertility rune and a fertility goddess. All of the symbols were painted on with a paint pen and left for a few days to dry before touched.

I love Beltane. I love head wreaths. I love making Beltane themed head wreaths. Especially if they have extra long ribbons :)

Head wreath

And last but not least, I think is my most favorite so far. Inspired by the Norse pantheon (which my swap partner and I both love), I painted Freya as the Fertility Goddess.

Freya as the Fertility Goddess

It's painted on a 5"x7" piece of canvas paper. The background was done in water color and the rest of the painting was done in acrylic paints.

There is a better picture of her over on my flickr.

Happy Crafting!

~K.Michele

Gypsy ** Loads of Pictures**

For the latest round of the WWP swap over on Craftster, I was inspired to make this little gypsy girl. Instead of making it out of fabric like I originally wanted to, I decided to do something different. I had been itching to make something out of paper mache again (it's been years).

The first thing I needed was to figure out what sort of base to use because I wanted to use up some of the paper pulp I had bought a while back. While doing a bit of research, I stumbled upon a website with instructions on how to make a paper mache doll.

While I used a few of the steps for the gypsy, I created a lot of things as I went along. 

There was quite a bit of  the instructions that I did change as I went along. First thing, I didn't have wallpaper paste laying around and since I didn't plan on doing any wallpapering any time soon, I wasn't going to go out and get some. So Elmer's Glue (Elmer's Glue-All) became my very good friend. And I used newspaper to cover the doll instead of handmade paper. Another change that I had made was that I used some 1/4 inch wooden dowel for the legs instead of wire or chop sticks. Also instead of wrapping the arms in paper mache, I chose to leave them bare, in this case I believe it worked. Another change that I made was using air dry clay for nose and ears and yarn for the hair.

The head of the doll was made the same way as it was suggested on the website. I pushed it onto the edge of my computer desk to give it the little ledge where the eyes would be. I liked doing this because it gave an indication where the nose and cheeks would be as well.

In progress

Earrings

In all honesty, the earrings were the first thing that I made. I definitely worked backwards on this piece. The earrings and her bangles were made and finished well before I even knew what kind of face or clothing she was going to have. 

The ears are a piece of air dry clay that I formed and glued to her head with E6000. They needed to be shaped just right so that her earrings could dangle a bit and move. This was not an easy task, I went through several ears until I had ones I was happy with.

Once everything was covered with a layer of paper and dried, I added another piece of paper and glue where it needed, making sure the entire styrofoam piece was covered. After the ears and nose were dried and attached with my trusty E6000 glue, everything got a coat of white paint and then 2 coats of a flesh color that I mixed up.

The hair was the fun part for me. I knew I wanted to use some of my Homespun yarn that I just love using for doll hair. But how to attach the hair without having a flat hard spot where the glue dried, that was the question.

And it was a question that was easily solved! I drew where the hair was going to be attached with my pencil. I then cut along the lines that I drew with my craft knife.

To attach the hair, I figured out how long I wanted the hair to be once it was attached to the head, then doubled the length so when I folded it over, it would give a really nice coverage.

I held the hair with the middle of the strand over the cut where it was going to be attached to. I then took a clay tool with a flat edge (butter knife would work too), and shoved it and the yarn into the cut.

I kept doing this until I finished the area I was working on. I needed to be careful to not make it too thick haired. I added double layers where it mattered, base of the back of the head, the front above the face, top of the back of the head. In between, I used single strands of yarn, but attached them the same way. The end of the yarn was pushed into the cut, making sure that when the hair was flipped back, the little tail (if there was any) was under the hair. 

When I had all the hair where I wanted it, I took and glued it all into place by adding a thin line of glue where the head and hair met (on both the top and bottom of the hair).

To make sure the hair stayed in place, I then glued on a piece of trim that was left over from my sister's holiday dress. A bit of E6000 glue behind the ears, and that little headband wasn't going to go anywhere.

The blouse and skirt were both based on the circle skirt, just scaled down to the doll's measurements. The little corset was my own creation.

And here's a photo that my swap partner had taken of her new friend.

I am really pleased with how she turned out. I'm definitely sure that this little gypsy will not be the last one I make.

Samhain Swap 2009

Next up on the swap catch up train is the Samhain Swap of 2009. I really had fun with this one because I was able to pull out a pattern my mom had made a few dozen times and continue on with it.

The whole lot

This swap also had a few firsts in it as well. It was the first time I've ever made a wooden spoon wand. And the first time I did a paper craft of any sort, which happened to be a Day of the Dead Shrine.

Brigid box

I love to paint, draw and wood burn. I had this type of wooden boxes laying around for quite some time. This is the Brigid box I made for my swap partner. She loves all things Irish and loves Brigid as well. It was total inspiration that had struck on this one. I drew the image after looking at various images of Brigid. After tracing my design on the wooden box, I burned the outlines with my wood burning tool and then decided she needed a bit more. I then did a paint wash to give it a bit of color, followed by a light oak stain.

Front of Brigid box

Oak leaves that were on each end of the box

The oak leaves were perfect because not only were they symbols of Brigid, they were also fit well into the Samhain theme. Instead of doing a green paint wash on the leaves, I did a burnt orange wash instead. Another item that I made was 2 altar cloths. One side was a very pretty autumn leaf fabric and the other was a black velvety swirl pattern. One cloth was a large cloth and the second a smaller version, both reversible.

Reversible Altar Cloths

My swap partner had a set of wooden ogham runes on her wist list. Well that just sparked me into wanting to make her a set. This however was a more challenging project. Not so much on the construction and execution of the runes, but more of a challenge when it came to finding the right stick. I knew I wanted it to be fairly straight, and it had to have been knocked down naturally. I didn't want to cut it from a tree. I also knew that I didn't want it to be made out of box elder or maple which tends to be the majority of the trees around here. 

When I was just about ready to give up on this project because I had not found the perfect stick, someone from above must has been smiling down on me. One afternoon, while harvesting the last of my herbs to dry for the winter, I just happened to stumble on a small branch that was perfect for the runes in our side yard. It was most definitely a gift because of a few things. One it was an elder branch. Two it was on the side of the yard where we didn't have any trees nor did our neighbors. And three, it was the perfect length!  

 Elder Ogham Runes

I stripped the bark off the branch and sanded a little section flat for the symbol. I used my wood burning tool to burn in the symbols with a little dot at the base of each symbol to symbolize the bottom of the design and to identify which rune it actually was. To seal the runes after they were finished, I used some linseed oil and sewn a pouch for them to live in.

The Day of the Dead was also important for my swap partner. I wanted to give her a special place where she could honor her loved ones. This was made another project that originally was a cheap cigar like box (Some day I will use up the large stack that I have). I painted the outside black and to give it a bit of texture, I cut a piece of wrinkled scrapbook paper to the outside and embellished it with a bit more scrapbook paper, ribbon, gold paint.

 Outside of Day of the Dead Shrine

 Inside of the Day of the Dead Shrine

The inside of the Shrine was the most fun to create. When shopping for supplies, I picked up a package of plastic skeletons. And on a trip to the drug store to pick up a prescription, I found a skull bracelet which was also perfect to make little sugar skulls out of. 

I painted the inside of the shrine with more black paint and embellished it with some more scrap booking paper. I also used some fabric flowers I had in my craft supplies as well. For the skeleton, I cut his limps apart with a craft knife. I made the guitar with some scrap book paper and stiff cardboard. I then decided the best position for the skeleton so that he would fit in the box and then glued him and the guitar together with my trusty E6000 glue (love that stuff!). I used the same glue once he was dried to glue him onto the box. 

The skulls were the fun part, I wish I had remembered to take a picture of the skulls. I filled in the hole that the elastic was strung through with more E6000. Once the glue was dried, I gave each skull 3 coats of white paint. I used artist quality paint on the skulls because they were plastic and I wanted the paint to stick. I then pulled out my liner brushes and went to work making them look like sugar skulls. I used colors that were traditionally used, red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, pink. After they were dried, I glued them to the box at the base. The flags was a piece of lace I had that looked like it could be paper cut out flags that were traditionally used to decorate for the holiday. I used regular craft paint with a tiny amount of water to water it down a bit and used colors traditionally used. I left the back of the box blank so my partner could add pictures and mementos of loved ones who have passed away.

 Spoon Wand


Another thing my partner had on her wist was a spoon wand. I had never made one, but enjoyed it none the less. I used a jig saw to cut out the circle in the spoon and painted it her favorite color green after sanding the rough edges of the circle. I then added a bit of gold paint and an amethyst stone to the center of the circle. I added some hematite chips to the base of the circle on both sides of the wand. Lace and ribbons of various colors finished off the wand. The pouch finished it off and gave a nice place for the wand to rest when not in use.

  

My mom, while I was growing up, had a kitchen witch hanging in our kitchen window for as long as I can remember. I loved that little witch. When I found a bag of pieces that my mom had set aside for years, I just had to put them together and add my own little touch.

Black Kitchen Witch

 Black Kitchen Witch - Side View

Green Kitchen Witch

 Green Kitchen Witch - Side View

Originally, my mom would make these and they would be finished with a face, hat, cape, bow, and broom. But I felt they needed a bit more. So to give them a more finished look, I added a piece of ribbon around the base of the hat to hide the seams a bit. I also added a bit of varagited yarn for hair. The brooms needed a bit of work too. They originally had straight wooden sticks for handles, but I felt the handles needed to have a slight crookedness to them. So I pulled out the original handles from the broom bristles, made some new handles from air dry clay (love my Sculpt it clay), gave them a new paint job once the handles were dried, and then glued the bristles back on the brooms. After everything was dry, I went outside with a lighter and singed the ends of the brooms a bit. Viola! My own little kitchen witches. I am definitely going to be making one of my own (or a little kitchen witch army mwahaha!).

So that was my Samhain package to my swap partner. I also included some Halloween shaped foam stickers for her grandkids, a pair of leaf shaped offering dishes, irish themed stickers, and some tiny pumpkin decorations. Thanks for looking!

Happy Crafting!

~K.Michele

Yule Swap 2009

Yup another swap I forgot to post about. This package went to my very good friend Andreann. This was where we were partnered for the first time and it was the start of a very wonderful friendship.

 

The lot including presents for her daughter and boyfriend

This swap I played the Yule Faery and granted a lot of wishes. She made mention that she didn't have any pagan themed ornaments for her tree and that was where I started.

The ornaments I made for her were made out of polymer clay, painted with acrylic craft paint, and then sealed with a polymer clay gloss sealer.

 Red and copper spiral ornaments with goddess symbols

Tree of Life ornaments

Red star ornaments with pentacles and gold trim

While I was making ornaments for her, I swung over to her blog and saw that she made a post about her Yule Tree and made mention that she didn't have a tree skirt. Well that was something that just needed to be remedied. It just happened that making a tree skirt was something my hubby suggested making. It was made out of red cotton (her favorite color) with the Triple Goddess Symbol painted on with gold fabric paint. This was interesting since I've never made a tree skirt before, but it turned out well.

Tree skirt

I also made a Triple Goddess wall hanging for her to put above her altar. These are also made out of polymer clay, painted with acrylic craft paints, and sealed with a polymer clay gloss sealer.

Triple Goddess

I made a few items for her beautiful little girl who I just adore. The first item I made for her was a glove doll. The instructions for it where on Martha Stewart's website here. I didn't have a glove to use but being as resourceful as I am, I modified it a little bit. The directions were to use the fore and ring fingers as the legs. With my trusty pencil, I went ahead and traced my hand on a piece of card stock, and drew the sides of the body how I wanted them. I used an old t-shirt for the fabric, sewn the edges making sure I left the top open for turning and stuffing. I had to create a cutout pattern for the head. But the rest of the doll went together according to the instructions. And inspite of having to create a pattern for the body and head, the doll still went together pretty fast. Instead of stitching a face on, I used craft paint. And the clothes were pieced together with a velcro closure.

 Inspired by the Glove Doll

I also made an apron for her but I forgot to take a picture of it. But it was a simple half circle with a pocket and a wide piece of fabric folded over for the ribbon to tie it on (it's the light blue and floral fabric in the main picture). I also included some coffee, candy canes, and natural headache relief. I also included some of my favorite herbs that I use for just about everything.

Happy Crafting!

~K.Michele

Imbolc Swap 2010

Another swap that just finished was the Imbolc Swap on Craftster. I had the opportunity to craft again for my wonderful friend who was my partner for the Yule Swap (which will be posted about later). And just like with the Yule Swap, we crafted for each other and family members.

Imbolc is one of the eight sabbats of the pagan year, usually celebrated February 1st. It is the midway point between Yule (Winter Solstice) and the Spring Equinox. It is the season of the Maiden as she prepares for growth and renewal. 

This is a group shot of everything I made for her (only thing missing was the birthday gift for her bf). 

 

I made a red and copper wand for her with a symbol of the Goddess on the back (her favorite color is red). And because her little girl is so incredibly cute and I knew that if mommy had a wand, she'd want one too. So I made her daughter's wand pink with a little fairy painted on the back. Both wands had ribbons attached to the ends of the wands and matching draw string bags.

 

A close up o f the backs of the wands.

The other side of the wands.

In our numerous conversations, she mentioned that her altar didn't have an altar cloth of any kind. Well, I couldn't let that continue on much longer.

It was a simple white cotton cloth that I used to make the cloth. Some yellow thread and a decorative stitch on my sewing machine and behold!!

 

A very pretty border that just reminds me of spring. I like how the cloth came out because it can be used for other Sabbats as well. 

I originally had the idea to make her a Goddess offering dish. When it was mentioned that she would like something more elemental. I added an elemental offering dish to the mix.

These were painted using 1" terra cotta pot bases, acrylic craft paint, and sealed to give them a bit of shine. Of course I had to pick up some extra for myself so I can make offering dishes at a later time.

 

 This is a USB thumb drive pouch that I made for her bf. He's a computer guy just like my hubby and it was my hubby's idea to make it. Of course now hubby wants one too.

Happy Crafting!

~K.Michele

Dotees..a new obsession

I will be honest, I have slacked off on updating my blog. Ok, I've slacked off a lot. And I also haven't posted some of the items I've made in the past for the various swaps I've participated in. Just goes to show what happens when the normal mundane everyday gets in the way of the creative flow of things.

So to start catching things up, I'll start with one of the swaps I have just finished. Since all of my partners have received their items, I can freely post pictures of them. I had a lot of fun with this swap, not only was it something I've never made before, it also got me to start thinking outside of the box when it comes to creating something.

However, I don't have any progress photos of each. I should have taken some, but didn't. I'll know for next time.

These are the Dotees I've made for the dotee swap on Craftster (and yes I seem to be addicted to that website lol). For those that do not know, Dotees are mini art dolls. They range in size from 3" to 6" tall, have a face, a hanger to hang them, and a tail. They are traded much like ATCs and each are their own pieces of art work. They are super easy to make and can be made out of just about anything your imagination can come up with.

 This is a group shot of the ones that I made for my partners. Each one was inspired by what my partners liked. 

This is the sock monkey dotee. I was inspired by the various creatures my partner makes. The ears are made out of air dry clay, painted and glued onto the fabric body. The face is hand painted. The legs are made out of shrink plastic and colored with colored pencils, then sealed to protect the color. I used some japanese yarn I received in another swap wrapped around the monkey and a piece of paper glued on for its belly. It also has a braided tail made out of embrodery thread.

 

This one was inspired by vintage spool ornaments that she had posted on her blog. They had black and white designs on them. I made this one using an empty thread spool. I glued some scrap felt around the spool first and then covered it with some black and white fabric I had received a while back from my grandmother. I glued some scrapbook paper cut into circles to the top and bottom of the spool. I used some black ribbon to cover the seams and to give it a more finished look. I found some vintage buttons and beads in my stash of craft supplies to use as well. I also used a wooden bead that I painted the face on. Another button and pearl and she has a hat.

The dragon's body was my own design. I was worried at first because it looked a bit like a seahorse lol. But with some vintage and glass beads, some vintage eyes and a pair of wings, a seahorse became a dragon. The wings were made using some scrap vinyl and rainbow cellophane sandwiched together with some clue. They were cut into wing shapes and hand sewn onto the dragon's body.

Last but not least was the mermaid. She was one of my favorites and I found it very hard to part with her. Again her body was my own design. Her face is hand painted. The hair is a mixture of spun yarn, cotton yarn, and the japanese yarn. She's embellished with some seashells, netting, pearls and beads.

These were so much fun to make and I'm sure they won't be the last either. 

Happy Crafting!

~K.Michele