DIY Image Transfer Candles!

I recently learned how to make personalized candles with some excellent tutorials. The first one is a Ouija board candle I just had to have! The second one celebrates the announcement that Nickelodeon will begin work on the 2nd Hey Arnold! TV Movie. The third one is just because I love Tarot and identify pretty well with the Hermit!

If you want to make one of your own (especially with Christmas less than 2 weeks away) you can find two good tutorials here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ug_v9dlQ5M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9IuTLIkH7w

It's waaaay easier than it sounds! FYI this is an adult craft (due to the blow dryer) so NOT something kids should be doing!

I've been making a ton of them for people ever since I discovered how to do the technique. They can be made in colour too, apparently, but I don't have a colour printer to try it out with at the moment. If I ever try it in colour, I'll post it here for you to see!

I'm Now On Pinterest

   Visit Amanda's profile on Pinterest.  

Just one question... How do I post my own pics to my Pinterest???

Not sure how to allow people to pin my pics! Still learning the ways of the internet. If anyone can tell me what to do, please leave a comment! :)

Crafting Journal How-To

Could you benefit from having a craft journal? Keeping crafts organized, stash busting, and completion of UFOs (unfinished objects) are all first world problems, but bear with me for a few moments...

The vicious cycle of crafter’s hell goes something like this: Interestà experimentationà boredomà abandonmentà guilt (byproducts: disgust, a pile of frogged yarn).

I started a craft journal about a year ago, and it has helped me overcome all of the problems previously stated, plus more!

READ ON FOR SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO USE A CRAFT JOURNAL...

A CRAFT JOURNAL CAN BE HELPFUL IF YOU:

ü     Design/write your own patterns

ü     Wake up at 1:00am with brilliant craft/pattern ideas

ü     Are fickle about patterns/themes/ideas and lose interest in them quickly

ü     Have a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) (aka incomplete crafts)

ü     Make craft notes on scrap/loose paper and then lose them

ü     Want to plan your work on paper to minimize experiment frogging (swatching doesn’t count! ALWAYS SWATCH!)

ü     Are shopping for yarn/supplies for a particular project

ü     Are visual and like to think with pictures/diagrams

Ways to use your Journal

1) Number your pages. If an older idea on page 5 of your journal rekindles your interest, and you happen to be on page 63, simply make a note on page 63 above the entry that says “ref. to pg 5 for original idea/draft 1” etc.

2) If you don’t have your journal with you, and make notes on scrap paper, just tape/paste them in later.

3) Stick envelopes on the inside front/back covers to store ball bands, yarn samples, receipts, LYS business cards, shopping lists, coupons, etc.

4) Use Post-it flags to mark pages with projects that you are currently working on.

5) If making a variation of/altering another designer’s pattern, write the name of pattern(s) and designer(s) next to entries in a different colour so you don’t forget what your notes refer to.

6) The math behind your pattern: Calculating yardage, stitch gauge, finished measurements, etc.

7) To delete information, don’t rip pages out that may have good stuff on the other side. I tape things over them, but more often I select an ‘editor’s colour’ and draw neat diagonal lines over the entire space occupied by the entry. (Red is a great colour for this).

Important! You don’t need to be an artist to keep a craft journal. You just need to be able to write and create diagrams that make sense to you.

It would be great if your journal can fit into your bag to take along when you go shopping.

Macabre Book Shelf

I'm a huge H.P. Lovecraft fan. In celebration of the great macabre tales that never disappoint, I have decorated a corner of my bookshelf accordingly. If you have not read H. P. Lovecraft before, pick up a collection of his short stories and discover the wonders of the horror genre!

Gemstone Cleaning Ritual

Spent a pleasant, sunny afternoon cleansing some gemstones for someone in need of their healing powers. Just like the last post, I used the four elements to cleanse them of any negativity, but the ritual itself was a little different in terms of the items I used (earth=stone and soil, air = incense, fire = candle, water = dish of water). 

You don't see the stones in the picture above because they are buried under the soil beneath the white tea light candle.

                                     

      

                                            

             

The stones I chose are rose quartz, red jasper, unakite, black onyx, and yellow aventurine. This pic is prior to cleansing, but they are now clear and powered up :)

Tarot and Rune Cleansing Altar

I decided to take on a more ambitious project by carving and building my own tarot and rune cleansing altar. Prior to that, I also carved my own glass rune set. Now that I have four tarot decks and a hand-made rune set, I wanted to get into the habit of cleansing them after intense readings and long periods where I have not used them.

Since this deck and rune set are new, I wanted to put them through a bit of an initiation to infuse them with power and get acquainted with them. If you would like to find out what the symbols on the altar mean, please refer to http://www.thewitchescollective.com/Correspondences/symbols.html

By the way, I do not consider myself a witch. On to the pictures...

The first cleansing ritual went well, though it was quite windy yesterday. Obviously the element of Wind had something to say.

I chose four coloured candles for each of the four directions North (Green), East (Yellow), South (Red), West (Blue), one White (purification, warding off negative energy, benevolent intention). Purple Incense (encourage psychic power and clairvoyance, reaching out into the energy field for knowledge).

The garden is the best place to perform the cleansing. I sit close to a tree that was planted the same year I was born, so we have basically grown up together. For this reason I was a tad disappointed that I had to sit near the house, as sitting out in the open was too windy to keep the candles alight.

Here is the rune set I made a few weeks ago. I made 25 in all, following the Elder Futhark Rune set. You can find out what each one means here: http://www.therunesite.com/elder-futhark-rune-meanings/

I spent most of the day in the garage with some of dad's tools, carving away at the glass stones until I had 24 (plus one blank one makes 25). They turned out beautifully, and I can't wait to start using them. Have to study the symbolism first though.

Lemniscate Tarot Pouch- Free Pattern!

Hello everyone, I am crafting away again and have a new pattern to share with you! I began learning to read Tarot cards (and now Runes) earlier this year, and decided to make an original pouch for my tarot deck. My new Pattern is called The Lemniscate Tarot Pouch, and is available for free.

Lately I have been obsessing over green-teal-blue-purple colorways, so this yarn was a perfect choice.

Scroll down to find the pattern in full, and make your own original Lemniscate Tarot bag.

Lemniscate Tarot Pouch

An Original Knitting Pattern by Amanda Ward (Delancy Figgin)

I chose the Lemniscate (symbol of infinity) for this tarot bag because I think it is important for all tarot readers to remember that every action- good or bad- has consequences. The quality of the energy we send out into the world through our work will be returned to us.

Notes: 

• If you hate sewing, my apologies! This bag is worked in one long, flat piece with the edges sewn up afterwards to  form a  pouch. There is no reason why you couldn’t work in the round, but I worked flat because I’m a fair-isle  newbie!

• The stitch count for this project is a multiple of 3, so you can add more stitches to make a wider bag. You can always knit  more rows for a longer bag as well.

• Provided you don’t knit too tightly, the bag should have a fair bit of stretch.

• This is my first written knitting pattern, so I apologize for any mistakes or confusion. And yes, I know acrylic yarn  sucks, but I am horribly allergic to wool!

Materials:

• Worsted weight acrylic yarn (2 contrasting colors) I used Red Heart Super Saver in Monet and Black.

• US 8 (5.00mm) straight knitting needles

• Blunt yarn needle for sewing edge seams and weaving in ends

• 24” ribbon or cord for drawstring

• 2 beads (optional)

• Charm (optional)

Gauge: 20 sts x 25 rows = 4”x 4” square

Finished size: Approx. 4. 25” wide x 7.5” long (after sewing seams, unstretched).

This bag holds my 3” x 5” tarot deck.

Abbreviations:

CO = cast on

sts= stitches

K= Knit

P=Purl

Knit 2tog= Knit 2 stitches together at once

Rep= Repeat

Special Stitches:

Bar increase: Using your right hand needle, lift the horizontal strand between two knit stitches onto the left hand needle, and then knit it the same as you would any other knit stitch. (I use this method for eyelets instead of yarn overs, because I find that the holes created by yarn overs are too big and sloppy for drawing the bag shut.)

Seed Stitch:

Row 1) K 1, P 1, across

Row 2) P 1, K 1, across

Rep these two rows for seed stitch

Instructions:

CO 21 sts, leaving a long tail at beginning of work (you will use this to sew up the edge of the bag later.

1) Work 4 rows of seed stitch

2) Eyelet round: K3, (Bar increase 1, K2tog, K1) to last 3 sts, K3. (5 eyelets made)

3) Purl across (21sts)

4) Knit across (21sts)

5) Continue to knit and purl each row until piece measures approx. 11” from CO edge. You should end on a purl side row so you can begin the chart on the knit side.

6) Knit following the chart for 5 rows.

7) Knit 11 more rows, ending on a purl row.

Important Note: At this point fold the piece in half so that it measures approximately 7.5” long, to make sure that the symbol is centered between the top and bottom of the bag.

Knitting results vary from person to person. Please make sure you have worked enough knit rows after the chart so that when the piece is folded in half, the next row (step 8, eyelet row) will line up properly with the first eyelet row made in step 2. If 11 rows make the bag too long, rip back a few rows, if 11 is not long enough, simply knit more. Just make sure you end on a purl row so that you are ready to begin your 2nd eyelet row on the knit side of the piece.

8) Repeat step 2 eyelet round. (5 eyelets made)

9) Work 4 rows of seed stitch

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing the other edge of the bag. Sew up the edges using mattress stitch (which will produce a lovely invisible seam if done properly). Thread the ribbon through the eyelets. Thread a charm (optional onto one end of the ribbon. Thread a bead onto each end of the ribbon, and tie a knot bellow each bead to secure them. Put your tarot cards inside, tie the ribbon in a bow, and let your cards soak up their Karma lesson! 

Chart:

Please contact me if you have any questions, need any help, or find any mistakes, Thanks! 

This pattern is intended for personal use only. (It would be pretty ironic if you did anything underhanded with my pattern, don’t you think?) :P

I hope this pattern helps you create something beautiful and original!

Purple Hair!

Hey all, just wanted to share some pics of my new hair. I'd been working on this a while because I had to turn dark hair blonde to do the purple, but I love how it turned out. I used Manic Panic Ultra Violet, which gives a fantastic semi-fluorescent glow. 

Since it's a new year, you might say that this is the beginning of the fool's journey. I am learning the Tarot this year as well, and was just given my first deck by my mother. Hopefully in a few years I will be experienced enough to give meaningful readings to others.

Hey Arnold! Cookies

I have loved the show Hey Arnold since I was twelve years old. I was sad because I never did get to see all of the episodes. Thankfully, the full series was recently released as a box set, so of course I ran out and bought it right away! To celebrate, I needed to do something really special, so i made a cookie cutter and whipped up some Hey Arnold football head shaped cookies!

I am so happy with how they turned out, I'm definitely going to be using this cookie cutter often.

The process of making the cookie cutter (which uses scissors, a utility knife, and a pop can to get the tin) is a very dangerous craft, so it's not something kids should be making!

Now for the cookies...

Just as there are never enough episodes of Hey Arnold! there are never enough Arnold cookies. These are cinnamon cookies, not super sweet, and so next time I think I'll add some coloured icing.