Featured Favorites Friday: Exploring Samhain on Storenvy

I've re-opened my shop on Storenvy and am excited about selling again!  For this Featured Favorites Friday I decided to take a look around the Storenvy marketplace and see what Samhain goodies I could find!

"Curiosity"
Hand Crafted by Kimberly Abbott

Check out this amazing Pendulum Board titled "Curiosity" by Kimberly Abbot of The Alluring Path.  I love the six color choices she has and I love the owl, especially her face.  The whole shop is full of lovely things, especially the Celtic Knot Pendulum Board and some beautiful scrying pendants.  Be sure to check her out!

Handmade Samhain Pillar Candle
From Artemis Secret Place

 



This candle from Artiemis Secret Place looks so witchy!  I love that it's scented with Witches Brew and that the maker uses eco-friendly soy wax.  This or the two candle set would add flare to any Samhain gathering.

Cemetery Seer Necklace
From The Bone Slums

How stunning is this piece from The Bone Slums?!!!  It's called the Cemetery Seer and the oracular witch in me is drawn very strongly to the stunning opening in this piece which is perfectly accented with dark brown cord and carnelian.  Every piece in the store is cruelty-free and sunning with organic beauty!

Remember The Ancestors Spell Kit

Last but not least, here's my Samhain offering for this year, a Candle Spell Kit to Remember the Ancestors.  Blessings to all of you this witches new year!

Wordless Wednesday: Getting in the spirit

Our Pumpkins from a few years ago

Giveaway! Featured Favorites Friday: Pillow Runes

Deity Diva Imbolg Goddess

I know I don't typically talk much about my daughter, mostly because I don't want her to hate me when she grows up and reads my blog, but I do have one.  She's amazingly cute, a tad precocious and claims Thor and the Goddess as hers.  Don't ask her to name her Goddess, though, because she'll tell you a different one every time.   Quite a while ago I was searching for something to be just as loved by her as the Thor Super Hero Squad figurine but that represented the Goddess.  Of course I searched around etsy and I found a lovely woman willing to trade for a beautiful purple stuffed Goddess doll, and it was a HUGE hit!

Elder Futhark Pillow Rune Set - Samhain

Today I'd like to introduce you all to this lovely crafter, Dana of By Land Sky and Sea.  Read a bit more about her below and then enter to win your very own set of Elder Futhark Pillow Runes by using the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also find her on facebook and her blog.

Q: What got you into your work here on etsy?

A: After the birth of my daughter in 2010 I was a stay at home mother until she turned 18 months. I was looking for a way to earn some extra income and came across Etsy through a mutual friend of my husband and I from high school. I haven't sold a whole lot since opening up last year, but the sales I have made mean a lot. It really is an incredible feeling to make something by hand that someone else feels is worth enough to buy.

Custom Handfasting Cord

Q: Which piece in your shop has the most meaning for you and/or is your favorite to make?

A: The answer to both of these is the same. It would definitely have to be any handfasting cord that I make, whether premade or custom. My husband and I were married in handfasting ceremony in 2010 and it's a tradition I fell in love with while researching ideas for ours. I love the meaning and symbolism behind it and whenever someone requests a custom order each one is always unique in their own way, from the color combination to beads and/or charms they wish to add.

Trick or Treat Halloween Bag

Q: Which is your favorite holiday and why?

A: This one is hard because it's a tie between Halloween and Christmas. I love the buildup to each, the decorations, the lights... Deciding on a costume every year for Halloween was fun and then running around the neighborhood collecting candy from everyone. With Christmas there is just this feeling of warmth and happiness that I wish we could all feel every day of the rest of the year. Because of this I am definitely one of those people who gets depressed after the holidays are over - though the sales on all the decorations for the next year help. lol

Deity Diva Yule/Christmas Goddess

Q: Where does your inspiration come from?

A: My mom was a huge crafter growing up so I got the crafty streak from her. I'm also inspired by other people and things I see around me. I'm always looking for things to make, but in my own way, with my own mark on it. And from paganism - finding useful, inexpensive ways to make things people need or want to celebrate their faith with.

Q: What inspired you to make the leap into children's items?

A: I was making some ornaments one afternoon and my daughter who is almost two kept picking them up to play with them and I realized, I have made nothing for her to play with. I can sew and crochet and craft but I have nothing for her yet. That's when I decided to not only make stuff for her but stuff to sell as well for children. Especially for those who are pagan and have children that they are raising pagan and want to include them more in rituals, etc. or just want them to have a symbol of their own.

My Stuff Mondays: How to personalize a spell

Samhain Remembrance and Celebration Spells and mini-Altar

 Well... it's Tuesday, but I'm close to on schedule :)

Oh yea, and don't forget the giveaway here!

I'm sure by now you all know I provide spell crafting services.  I always enjoy my custom work more than anything else because I have the chance to work with a client and really delve into the deeper intents of the spell work.  I enjoy adding the details and finishing touches that take a spell from being general to very directed for the individual an their intent.  There are some really easy ways to accomplish this for any candle spell you're crafting or casting, even if you just bought the candle off the shelf in the grocery store.


First things first, make sure you like the color of the candle.  Yes, the spell says green but make sure it's a green that represents something to you.  Make sure the scent is not distracting from your spell as well.  Pine might be really positive for a money spell but do you actually like the scent of key lime?

Psychic Power Knot and Sachet Spell

Second, make the candle yours.  Warm a butter-knife or other edged object under some hot water and carve your personal symbol, your name, your initials, the initials of someone else or something that only have meaning in your head into the wax.  This works for any size of candle, even tea-lights.  Altering the candle helps to imprint your energy and intention into the physical object which may increase the effectiveness of your spell.  You're adding energy and intention.

Third, be specific.  When you write an intention, for instance one your are going to burn, make it specific and personal to you.  Bad Example: Abundance.  Good Examples: More opportunities for work, A new job in my field, A positive review next week, To meet a new client.  Being specific and concise in your wording helps to focus your intention and your energy.

This is just the beginning of the list of tips for spell work.  I would love to hear your tips in the comments!

Home Protection Spell Bottle Kit

Giveaway! Featured Favorites Friday: Papercut Cards and Gifts

Wiccan Rede Vinyl Wall Decal

Welcome back to Giveaway Featured Favorites!  Today I bring you the chance to win a beautiful piece of Paper Cut art from Paula of Arwen Designs.   This artist's unique illustration style is created with hand cut paper silhouettes, collage, ink, and digital art. Silhouette art has a long history in many cultures. From silhouette portraits popular in the 1700’s to traditional cut paper art in China and Poland, it is a beautiful art form using the contrast of dark and light, shadows and illumination.  Having clicked through all her links I must tell you that her OOAK Altered Art My Little Ponies are my absolute favorite!

Paula is offering one of my readers, worldwide, the chance to win ANY item from her etsy shop up to $10 in value.  Read through to the end and then use the Raffle-Copter form to enter.

Halloween greeting card

What got you into your work here on etsy?:

I was looking for a way to share and sell my art when I discovered Etsy. Although I have my own website for my illustration work, it's hard to get noticed and bring web traffic there. Etsy already has the traffic, and they make it easy to set up a shop and join their community. There are so many talented artists and creators on Etsy, I knew it was someplace I wanted to join!

Three Horse Greeting Cards

Where does your inspiration come from?:

My inspiration comes from everything around me, a walk in the woods, a ride on the subway, a good movie or book, or a vivid dream I've had. Sometimes its an instant thought or image jotted down on scraps of paper, which then evolves through a process of sketching with both pencil and an x-acto knife. When I'm illustrating a story or poem, I let the images come to me as I read it, then go back and pick the best ones to work on.

Post Apocalypse Valentine

Which piece in your shop has the most meaning for you?:

My favorite piece in my shop right now is my Post Apocalypse Valentine Card. I'm fascinated with Apocalyptic themes, and it was fun to come up with the imagery. I wrote the poem inside for my husband, so it has special meaning for me.

What's your favorite mythical animal and why?:

A unicorn and pegasus combined was something I always wished was real. I've always loved horses for their beauty, strength, and character. Both the unicorn and the pegasus are beautiful but fierce, solitary and magical.

You can find out more about Paula and see all her amazing works at her website, etsy shop, Cafepress Shop and her Artist Rising Gallery.  Or you can find all these links by clicking through the links in the Rafflecopter form below!  Oh, and as an aside, the MD Promotions Team is holding a Fall Into Autumn Sale and GIVEAWAY too?  You can enter here or here.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends in two weeks at midnight on 31st August 2012 .  Open WorldWide!  All winning entries will be verified.  If a winning entry cannot be verified a different winner will be chosen.
The Winner will be notified by email and has three days to reply or another winner will be chosen.

 ***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. Please note that I  am not responsible for the delivery of this prize and can not be held accountable if, for any reason, is it not received. Furthermore, I am in no way liable for any injuries that may result from the use or misuse of this product. **