Dear Sweetlings

Handmade : Artisan Perfume Oils 'Night in the Dark Forest' and 'Warm Earth'

2013-05-10T17:14:00.001+01:00

Good Evening my sweetlings,

First of all I want to say a huge thank you to everybody who commented on my last post. Your kind hearts and loving words truly touched me and I felt all of the warmth and love that you were sending to me. I am truly blessed by every single person who joins me here, truly, truly blessed.

Today I'd like to announce my latest line of Artisan Perfumes, I am so, so excited to share them with you all after waiting for everything to be just right before I unveiled them! I have enjoyed creating these blends so much, and packaging them in their own little boxes with faux moss nestled around them has given me real joy and pleasure. I included the fake moss so that they could be shipped worldwide, it actually smells really nice despite not being real!

When I found these glass bottles I just had to get them for my latest venture, I love the simple elegance and vintage vibe with the golden lid, and they have the sweetest tiniest roll on heads.

Please read on to find out about the first two scents, or if you'd like to walk ahead of course you're very welcome to!

Night in the Dark Forest Artisan Roll On Perfume.12 ml. Vegan. Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils. Oakmoss, Pine Needle, Cedarwood, Cypress

An incredibly rich, full bodied perfume perfect for Forest Nymphs, Unseelie Fae, Forest Lords and Otherworldly Revellers. With the almost coffee-like richness of Oakmoss at it's heart, this perfume combines the trees of the ancient and towering forests, the dark Pine, the mysterious Cypress and the lofty Cedar together to draw you deep into the woods.

Created in a base of nourishing Jojoba Oil, using my intuitive technique I have blended pure Essential Oils, finished off with a piece of gorgeous magical moss that grows around my home. This perfume oil is hand blended and one of a kind with 100% natural, vegan friendly ingredients. Using absolutely no fixatives or synthetics, I aim to make biologically and ecologically friendly products which make my customers feel sensual and special.

The ingredients in this perfume are: Jojoba Oil, Moss. EOs: Oakmoss, Cedarwood, Cypress, Pine Needle.

Packaged lovingly in a secure black box which is filled with a bottom layer of cotton wool for protection and topped with fake Moss.

Warm Earth Artisan Roll On Perfume.12 ml. Vegan. Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils, Herbs. Ginger, Black Pepper, Neroli, Rose Maroc, Bergamot

A full bodied, luxurious perfume oil combining rich nutty aromas of Ginger and Neroli, warming spices Black Pepper and Cinnamon and notes of lush Rose and sweet Bergamot.
Inspired by the Sun hot on the Earth, walking barefoot in the grass and adventuring in deep forests before cycling home to spend the night star gazing and laughing with kindred spirits.

Created in a base of nourishing Jojoba Oil, using my intuitive technique I have blended pure Essential Oils, finished off with pink peppercorns and cinnamon. This perfume oil is hand blended and one of a kind with 100% natural, vegan friendly ingredients. Using absolutely no fixatives or synthetics, I aim to make biologically and ecologically friendly products which make my customers feel sensual and special.

The ingredients in this perfume are: Jojoba Oil, dried Cinnamon, Pink Peppercorns. EOs: Ginger, Black Pepper, Neroli, Rose Maroc, Bergamot

Packaged lovingly in a secure black box which is filled with a bottom layer of cotton wool for protection and topped with fake Moss.

Light in the Darkness : My Journey with Depression & Self Harm

2013-05-09T10:50:00.005+01:00

Good Morning my dears,

Recently I've been thinking a lot about the different ways in which I can help people. In my daily life I always do my best to walk the path of a healer, offering my help to others in lots of different ways. I offer healing with my hands by treating clients with reflexology, acupuncture or cupping, I create products for my shop that I infuse with healing, and I also talk. Over the years many people have told me that they find me easy to talk to, easy to approach and easy to trust, all of these things make me feel so touched and blessed. Knowing that others feel they can come to me when they need help, even if it is something as simple as having a cup of tea and a chat, makes me feel as though I am living my purpose.

I also consider my blog to be a place where I can offer help and healing, afterall it is a place that I come to when I want to talk. Despite the fact that blogging can seem like a very solitary experience, despite the fact that you and I are not sitting across from one another, I honestly feel as though I'm having a conversation with a good friend when I write. I feel as though I am constantly building a bigger and bigger family of kindred souls and heart friends here, people I can truly and deeply connect with. I thank you all so much for making this the perfect place for me, it is my haven, and it is yours too whenever you need it.

Lately I feel I've also been going in a new direction of rawness and honesty. This blog started as a place for pure positivity, and I still maintain that as my core value of everything I share here, but now I feel that part of encouraging positivity is by being honest and open about the things that can be perceived as negatives. Once upon a time I had a very definite line of the person I was on my blog, and the person I was in every day life. I went through a lot that I didn't share here, not because I wanted to lie, but because this was my escape. This place was my chance to get away from all of the things going on around me, and I controlled everything that I wanted my readers to see here.

I still believe in the idea of being able to have a seperate, private life outside of my blog. It's healthy to have things simply for yourself, not to share everything on the internet. All the same, there are aspects of my life and myself that I now feel I can begin to share, when I think it will be for the greatest good.

A good friend of mine recently made a post about her history with depression and how she is on a new journey of spiritual and physical growth. I so admire her for writing that post, reading it bought tears to my eyes because I just felt such a strong connection, such an understanding flowing from her. She has inspired me to write about my own battle with depression, as well as my ongoing fight with self harm. I feel that being open about these things allows us to talk about them, to bring them into the light, not to be ashamed of them.

I will be talking about my depression and self harm here, talk of my history in an abusive relationship may also come up which includes rape, so please be aware that this post could be very triggering. If you feel that you don't want to read it then I totally understand that, and please feel free not to. I have put all of the writing after a jump.

(Gorgeous painting by Brent Hollowell)

I don't remember exactly when I started suffering from depression, or the precise time that I started self harming, but I was rather young. I remember times in my early teens of 13 or 14 when I was already walking the dark road, though almost nobody knew about it. Whether for better or worse, I have always been very good at hiding things that I don't want others to see. One of my best friends has said that even he cannot tell how I'm feeling, I'm very good at controlling what I show on my face, in my body language, in my speech. I'm sure some of that immense self control comes from the years of my life that I suffered in silence and then covered it with a bright smile.

A big part of my struggles with depression started at the same time as I started having boyfriends. I had my first real boyfriend at 13, he was 3 years older than me and he came with all sorts of confusions and desires that I'm sure many, many 16 year old boys have. For quite a while we were very good friends, he was a confidant for me, but when we started really dating things got too intense far too fast for me, and I didn't know how to make it stop. I felt that I owed myself, my body, and so I gave it. For many years I felt so ashamed of myself for this, I would lie about it when people asked me, conceal it however I could. Slowly I started to open up a little more about it, just a bit at a time, telling people what really happened to me. I have always been met with incredible support and for that I am so thankful, I needed that love so badly.

My first relationship ended rather badly, and I jumped headlong into a relationship that would prove to be a thousand times worse. The phrase 'out of the frying pan and into the fire' was surely coined for times like those.

I was with my last ex for nearly 5 years, and in that time I suffered emotional and sexual abuse almost every single day. I was raped at least once a week for almost all of those 5 years, excluding perhaps the first 6 months of the relationship. For a very long time I couldn't come to terms with what was happening to me, and it took me a long time after I escaped to realise that what was happening to me was abuse, and rape. Even if you are in a relationship with somebody, if they want to have sex with you and you do not, and they force you, that is rape. If you are being violated, you feel it inside, you know it, and yet there is so much stigma and we can feel so ashamed that we lie to ourselves, tell ourselves we're overreacting, that it isn't true. I told myself all of those things, I said it was alright, but it wasn't.

At around the age of 14 my ex and I went through a rough period in which I felt ignored and neglected. I responded by forming a close relationship with a male friend, and over time it grew into a crush and I planned to cheat on my ex. I'm telling you this because I want to be completely open, and this was what I did. My ex found out and went completely crazy with anger and he forced me to cut myself. His aim was for me to cut the word 'Bitch' into my arm so that I would always remember how awful I was. He gave me a pair of scissors and forced me to sit in front of him and cut myself, which I did. I got the 'B' and the 'I' and couldn't do anymore, the cuts were bad, and it was only after sobbing my heart out for an hour that he would let me stop. Now I have a scar on my arm, thankfully quite unnoticeable unless you really look for it, but every time I see it I remember why it is there. It is there because somebody wanted to ruin my life for what I had done, he wanted to mark me forever. I think now on how that would have affected my every day life, if I had the word 'Bitch' scarred into my arm, and I cannot fathom that somebody would try to force somebody else to do that. Somebody who claimed he loved me.

After this happened it was a slippery, downwards slope that I couldn't escape. I began self harming more regularly, I think in a way I saw myself as already ruined, so why not continue? If I was already going to have a scar then what would it matter if I had some more?

One day my auntie saw a cut on my lower arm and asked me where I had gotten it from, and I told her 'I fell against the garage and caught myself', it was my first lie about what I was doing. Then I forgot to cover my arms one day and my mum saw what I had done, she shouted at me and told me 'never do that again'. I know now that she was very upset and concerned, but at the time I felt as though I was being punished for being in pain. My parents are absolutely amazing and I love them with all of my heart, but they didn't know or fully understand what was happening to me. How could they when I wasn't telling them, telling anybody, and I was lying about it if anyone ever got a glimpse? I was too afraid to tell somebody what was happening to me for fear of what would happen to me.

It took me just short of 5 years, but I eventually managed to get out of the relationship with my ex. The last straw came when he got very drunk one night and took all of my methods of communication away from me, backed me into my room and threatened me with a knife. It was the only time that I have genuinely thought 'I'm going to die', and it was what finally made me leave him. He threw me out of the house we shared and I'm eternally thankful that Steven offered to let me stay with him. I never left.

I've now been out of that relationship for almost 4 years and I am still dealing with all of the fallout from it. In my early teens I had been to see a psychologist for help with panic attacks, and I started visiting another CBT therapist to help me deal with my depression and the events of my past. I never told her about my self harming and I eventually stopped going because I felt it wasn't really helping me as much as I wanted, but there were some things that she said to me that really struck a chord for me. One of the things she said to me is that I may never completely get over my sexual abuse, and whilst that sounds harsh I appreciated her honesty. She wasn't trivializing what had happened or telling me she promised it would go away one day, she told me that I might have to deal with it throughout my life, somehow that made it easier to begin forgiving myself. I finally realised just how bad the things I had experienced were, it pulled me out of any of the shreds of denial that I still clung to.

I still suffer from depression and anxiety and although it is generally mild, there have been times when it has been much, much worse. There have been times, in all honesty, that I have thought about suicide because I wanted to escape so badly. There have been nights when I have wanted to call a helpline, to tell somebody how I feel, to ask for help, and although I've never actually called them, I keep them in mind. I have had times of being unable to feel anything, of being totally incapable of getting out of bed, days when all I have done is cry for every moment I have been awake. Depression doesn't care about how 'good' things are, things may be going perfectly and you can still suffer terribly from it, it is a cruel and unforgiving disease that grips you tight. I feel it is very important for people to know that, because there is a lot of misunderstanding about depression, especially from those who have never experienced it. Some feel that if you have nothing to be down about then you should just be fine, or that saying 'cheer up' or 'get over it' will instantly make it go away. It will not, and it is not a helpful way to approach the situation. It makes sufferers feel as though they have to hide, as though they should be ashamed of how they feel, and it makes getting better so much harder.

I also still struggle with self harming, though I am very proud of the fact that it has now been around 6 months since I last hurt myself. This is another area that can be very looked down upon and misunderstood, but it needs to be met with love, compassion and understanding. I understand that when you see a loved one hurting themselves, all you want with all of your heart is for them to stop. The thing is, yelling at them or chastising them will not make them stop any faster, and it will more likely cause them to hurt themselves more and close off. The best thing you can do, on a day to day basis, is be there, be open and be willing to listen. Just listen, no judgement, not even suggestions at first, just listen to what is going on. In my own experience, when I have had a friend to talk to about how I am feeling I have ended up hurting myself less severely or managed not to do it at all, talking about it when I am feeling at my worst makes me feel safe, loved and secure, and that somebody does understand. It can feel so lonely, as though you have nobody, so prove them wrong. Often I feel the need to hurt myself the most when I am in pain and I feel as though I can't express it, when there is something inside that I just have to 'get out'. Talking allows you to pour something out, and it really does help more than you may think possible.

I do feel it is important to keep an eye on what is happening, if you know somebody who self harms or if you do yourself. Things can happen and it can get serious, and they / you may need medical help. If you know somebody is self harming, use discretion and judgement and if you think that there is an instance when medical help is needed, then do step in.

I want to say here something that may seem controversial, but I feel it needs saying. You need to use your judgement on this because some self harming does not need medical intervention at a hospital whereas other things definitely do. If a cut or injury is very deep then it will likely need somebody to treat it, but shallower injury likely can be attended to and treated in private. If you can handle the injury without the hospital then, in my own experience and from some of my friends experiences, it is sometimes better to do so. Some doctors or nurses are not understanding about self harm, and they can make the situation a lot worse even if they are trying to help. Instead I would recommend seeing to it in private, then talking and seeking more targeted help. I cannot stress enough that you should use your own judgement and feelings about this, I am only expressing my own feelings and you in no way are obligated to agree with me.

Being open about subjects like this have gotten easier for me as time has gone on, but things can still be very difficult at times. I hope that this post can help even one person to feel that you are not alone. If you ever need to talk then I am always here, you can email me and I will always reply.

There are also helplines you can call if you want to talk, the line for the UK and Ireland is called The Samaritans and they are so supportive. Their site says that 'you don't have to be suicidal to call' which I think is such an important distinction to make, if you need to talk about anything you can call them and I'm sure the same is true for many other such hotlines.

The site and number for The Samaritans is:

Phone (UK) : 08457 90 90 90

Website: http://www.samaritans.org/

USA

Phone: 1-800-784-2433

I'm also happy to try and help you if you need help with finding a number for another country, or even for finding a counselor.

The Rat Named Bear : Sympathising With Your 'Difficult' Pet

2013-05-07T13:52:00.001+01:00

Good Afternoon my dears,

Today I wanted to make a post dedicated to my shyest rat boy, who tends not to be seen quite as often as my two total hams! Where Kingsley and Sev are boisterous, pushy and incredibly nosy Bear is quiet, gentle and tends to hang back to survey everything before he jumps into the fray. He is also rather skittish in nature, the slightest movement can make him jump and scurry away.

Lately Bear has been getting much better at allowing us to touch him and fuss him. Now I can reach into the cage and touch his back or stroke his face and head and he will let me do it, and he is starting to let Steven and I pick him up out of the cage and hold him for a minute without getting too frightened. He loves to come and play on the bed and often comes up to me and gently sniffs me, and he has the sweetest habit of licking my fingers and gently rubbing his nose against my hand whenever I reach in for him.

He is also very funny and makes me laugh every day with his antics and the way he does things, he takes after Ganny in so many ways. Bear is the biggest rat in the cage, truly a huge beast, and he has a face that reminds me of a warthog just like Ganny did. He's also working on the supremely smug look Ganny used to get whenever he was pleased with something, and he also loves to sit at the food bowl and graze for hours. You'll often find Bear sitting in the tunnel that leads from the second level of the cage to the top, and at night he and Sev drive each other up the wall with their obstinate refusal to get out of each others way. In the mornings he curls up with the others and sleeps, and he also loves to lay in his wicker tube and chill out.

When you call his name he pounces around the cage with excitement, popping his head up to the bars and watching you intently. He responds when I sing to him and when I have something he wants he will sit and stare at me without moving.

I wanted to make this post because Bear is what a lot of people would think of as a 'difficult' pet. When I see people talking about the kind of rat they'd like, Bear is the one they want to avoid. It seems people tend to want a pet who will instantly trust you, want to snuggle you, be playful and friendly. It makes me feel very sad that animals like Bear, who can take a very long time to coax, get left behind in favor of those who are easier to befriend.

We've had Bear for nearly a year now and it has taken us this long to get him to feel at all comfortable with being touched or picked up. Even now he isn't like Sev or Kingsley, he won't climb out onto our hands and he doesn't like to sit with you for a long time. Ganny and Dumbles were the same, they didn't like to be handled and it took us quite some time to build trust with them.

Yet the thing is, these 'difficult' animals are just as loving as those who will fall into your arms the moment you meet them, and they want to be loved just as much too. They get just as excited by being with you, though they may show it differently. They deserve to be loved and cared for, because their souls are just as sweet, as precious, as wonderful as any other and sometimes they might never receive that same love and care. I have always felt a deep fondness for Bear, even when he ran away from me, even when he hid. I have always loved him, and over time he has learnt that we love him and he has learned to trust us. He may not be the total cuddle monster that Kingsley and Sev are, but in his own ways he shows how much he loves us.

I also feel that, when you encounter a 'difficult' pet it is really important to try to see things from their perspective, try to understand why they may be acting the way they do. Some animals may be naturally more standoffish, that could be their personality. Others have reasons for acting that way, and that can sometimes be easy to forget. For example Bear is almost totally blind, which is something that can occur with albino animals. He has always been very poor sighted, which we first realised when we saw him swaying his head backwards and forwards constantly. I found out that when a rat does this it means they are trying to see something, and those with poor eyesight do it more often. Bear does this constantly, we've taken to calling it 'Scanning' and seeing him waving his little head at you is so heart warming because you know he is paying you his absolute attention.

When I think of the world from his perspective I can totally understand why he would be skittish and shy. If I imagine a strange hand coming towards me I know I would be frightened too, it would take me a while to learn to trust it. Bear had to learn everything about us mostly through smell and our voices, I think it is fair that it took him a little longer to get comfortable.

Another thing to consider is that some animals may have been abused in their past. This could especially be the case if you adopt them from a shelter, but you never know when it could have happened. Animals that have been abused in their past may take a very long time to learn to trust you, and they may always have behavior that reflects what happened to them. I know it can be frustrating when you just want to snuggle your pet and they don't want to comply, but it doesn't mean that they're not a 'good' pet. Animals have such a capacity for love, they will love you with all of their heart and being, but just like we don't instantly love somebody they may take time to get closer to you.

So I raise a toast to my gorgeous, beautiful, sweet Bear, and to all pets no matter their personality. Shy or boisterous, quiet or loud, friendly or aloof, they can all teach us so many amazing things, and we can teach them too. Prove to them that they are safe with you, and endlessly loved, and you may be surprised at what you get in return.

[CLOSED] Moss & Magic Anti-Depression Balm Giveaway ♥

2013-05-02T10:51:00.004+01:00

Good Morning my dears,

A week or so ago I announced on facebook that once I reached 100 admirers in my Etsy shop I wanted to celebrate by hosting a Giveaway of one of my very popular Anti-Depression Balms. Well today I had a little look and I've reached 101 admirers, I'm SO excited and so very grateful.

Creating for my shop and being able to share my creations with people all over the world means so much to me, every single order makes my heart flutter with joy, for I know that I am truly blessed by every single person who walks through my door. It doesn't matter if you're in Australia, Pakistan, Germany, America, the UK or anywhere else, when you visit my shop you walk through my door, and when the orders come to your door a little piece of my space has traveled the world to come through your door.

So, onto the Giveaway!

You will receive one 15g tin of my handmade, vegan friendly Anti-Depression Balm which I have formulated with my intuitive essential oil blending technique to help in the fight against Depression, Stress and Anxiety. I formulated the blend for use with my boyfriend and myself first and then once I knew it had an effect I decided to offer it for others too.

The compact size of this tin means that you can slip it into your pocket or bag and take it with you wherever and whenever you need it.

It's super easy to use, simply rub your finger in the balm until it warms up and then apply to your neck and wrists.

~~Who can Enter?~~

~~This Giveaway is open worldwide, anybody can enter!~~

~~How to Enter~~

~~Leave a comment on this post.~~

~~Please make sure you leave me your email address in your comment so that I can contact you if you win!~~

~~Extra Entries~~

~~Please leave a new comment for each extra entry and remember to include your email address.~~

~~01. Follow my blog on GFC.~~

~~02. Follow on Bloglovin'~~

~~03. Like Moss & Magic on Facebook.~~

~~04. Follow me on Twitter.~~

The Giveaway will close on the 16th of May at 7 P.M GMT.

Anti-Depression Balm 15g. Vegan. Essential Oils. For soothing Depression, Anxiety and Stress.

I have created this Balm for anybody who, like myself and my partner, suffers from Depression, Anxiety or Stress as a reliever, soother and spirit lifter when we need it so much.
The oils in this blend have all been chosen for their gently uplifting properties as well as their abilities to smooth Liver Qi and ease the Heart, both of which often become imbalanced during Depression, Anxiety and when we are stressed. The combination of oils promotes brighter moods, whilst easing dark moods and irritibility. They lift the heart and refresh the spirit and are calming and energising.

I have tested the formula and blend for this balm vigorously on both myself and my boyfriend, my boyfriend in particular suffers from sometimes debilitating depression. He has told me that wearing this balm is like wearing the scent of Lemondrops and Licorice Allsorts sweets, he finds it soothing and energizing and uses it every day. My own depression is mild and I find that when I wear this balm it feels like a 'reset button' for my brain, like shining a light into a dark room so that I can find my way out.

I handblend and pour every balm and perfume that I create, using only pure essential oils. sweet almond oil and soy wax. I choose my oils based on their therapeutic properties as well as their pleasing scent to create a product that feels great to wear whilst also being healing. It is very important to me to make natural, biologically and ecologically friendly products.

This balm is super easy to use, with added almond oil to make it glide on smoothly and easily. Simply rub with your fingers and apply to the neck, chest and wrists. It can be reapplied whenever you feel it necessary.

The Essential Oils in this balm are: Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Sweet Orange, Sandalwood Amyris, Ylang Ylang, Grapefruit, Frankincense, Clary Sage and Lemon.

Beltane Blessings : 3 Little Witches

2013-05-01T21:50:00.002+01:00

Good Evening my sweetlings,

I wish you all a very Blessed Beltane today, may your hearts be filled with passion and joy and fire burn brightly to guide you on your path.

Today has been a truly magical day, I was so blessed to be able to spend it with one of my best friends and fellow witch Lisa, celebrating the holiday with talking, joy and a lot of laughter. We ate in the garden in the beautiful sunshine and for our ceremony we burnt incenses (Gaia & Forest Lord), herbs and drank blessed water from Lisa's cauldron after she performed an amazing Great Rite.

Lisa has the most amazing little girl named Ava-Rose who joined in with us, a tiny little 2 and a half year old witch! She would hold the incense and herbs and say 'magic!' and 'lets do magic!' and she was the perfect little helper, breaking up herbs with me and popping them into my little fire. I told her all about the turning of the wheel of the year, how today we celebrate turning the wheel into Summer, and she sat and turned my mortar around and around. Watching her just made me melt, she is so funny and so sweet and full of excitement and mischief.

She also loved that we were drinking water from the cauldron and drank about two cauldrons worth herself! Lisa told me she'd never been able to get her to drink pure water before that, so for anybody with stubborn little ones, try a cauldron! Usually you would use wine for the cauldron, but Lisa is expecting another little one (I'm SO excited, she is one of the sweetest, best people I know!) and water is definitely more friendly when you have a very interested toddler 'doing magic' with you!

Our little helper Ava-Rose, here she was waiting for me to hand over that delicious water! Isn't she just the cutest?

I absolutely love these pictures, and I think this one is my favourite. Watching her drink from the cauldron was just so sweet, and it felt so perfect that there were three of us together.

Handing me the cauldron very, very carefully! She would hand it to me, let me have a drink and then exclaim "not too much!" before taking it back and having a big gulp.

Thank you so much Lisa for making this Beltane so special and wonderful, I had such a fantastic day ♥

Video Blog : My Pagan Jewellery Collection

2013-04-30T18:21:00.004+01:00

Good Evening my dears,

Today I was browsing Tumblr (you can find me here if you'd like to, I don't think I've ever shared my Tumblr here before!) when I came across a video from the lovely agoodpaganwife in which she shared her pagan jewellery and why each piece was special to her. I really enjoyed the video so I thought I would make one of my own. I thought it was the perfect time since tomorrow is Beltane!

I'm trying to get more into the habit of making vlogs and recording myself and I'm getting more confident. I hope you'll enjoy my collection and, if you make your own version, I'd love to see your collections too.

Handmade : Sleeping Earth Bath Salts

2013-04-28T22:36:00.003+01:00

Good Evening my dears,
I've been a little bit quiet on the new products front in the past few weeks, partly due to the amount of homework I've had to do, the assessments I've been preparing for and the fact that I'm gearing up for a month of making lots and lots of new goodies for my stall in June. In the past few days I've been back in the work room, blending and brewing and creating, and it feels so good!
I'm excited to share one of my latest creations with you, something I've been wanting to dabble in for some time now. Bath Salts, because I absolutely love having a bath. I made a recipe especially for Steven, which is actually how a lot of my recipes start out, and we loved it so much that I decided to make another batch for the shop!

Sleeping Earth Bath Salts 1.5oz. Dead Sea Salt, Essential Oils & Dried Herbs.

Bare feet on rich soil, deep breaths taking the cool night air into your lungs, the kiss of a soft breeze over bare skin. The whispering and swaying of leaves and grasses against your skin, speaking the language of the earth, roots holding you gently, securing you into the ground.

*********************************************************************************

Sleeping Earth is a luxurious Bath Salt created with a base of Dead Sea Salt which is rich in minerals which have seeped through the rocks and soil or travelled with the Springs flowing to the Dead Sea. This salt has a high concentration of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron which are known for their ability to calm aching muscles and joints, stimulate natural circulation, smooth and soften the skin and help relieve stress and tension.
I have then added a blend of pure Essential Oils known for their calming, relaxing and gently sleep inducing properties including oils such as Rose, Roman Chamomile and Bergamot, rounded with deep earthy aromas of Patchouli, Neroli and just a hint of fresh Basil. This is followed with a sprinkling of gorgeous ethically harvested dried herbs. I create each blend from scratch using my intuition to guide me, each blend is created in limited quantities for individual, fresh products.

All ingredients in this blend are totally natural and vegan friendly, no animal products were used whatsoever. I aim to provide ecologically and biologically friendly, natural products which are wonderful for the spirit, body and the world around us.
The packaging is a double walled plastic pot to keep your product dry and safe, even in the steamiest environments. Each pot holds 1.5 oz. of product and a little goes a very long way.

How do I use these salts?
They're extremely simple and easy to use. Simply take 3 generous pinches of product for each bath, sprinkling them over the bath as you run the water. Then lay back, close your eyes and relax as the oils and salts combine to relax and ease any tensions, washing them away.

What others have said about this product:
"It smells exactly like a cool summer night, like rain, fresh water and peat soil. It feels like being in a garden at night." - S. Dunn

Ingredients: Dead Sea Salt. Dried Herbs: Cinnamon, Lavender, Hibiscus, Red Rose Buds. Essential Oils: Patchouli, Petitgrain, Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Basil, Neroli, Rose Maroc.

Full Moon Dreamboard : Full Pink Moon

2013-04-26T20:56:00.003+01:00

Good Evening my sweetlings,

Right now I'm excitedly and nervously awaiting a live Stone Reading with TarotKristy, I can hardly sit still I'm so excited! I'm not quite sure why I'm feeling nervous, perhaps because we've never spoken before and because I've never experienced anything like a stone reading before. It is definitely a good kind of nervous though, like butterflies when you know you're about to experience something amazing!

I've also been really looking forward to making my Dreamboard this month, a really fun and inspiring monthly activity started by the wonderful Jamie Ridler. I made my first dreamboard last month for the Full Worm Moon which you can see here, this month we're dancing beneath the Full Pink Moon, isn't that a beautiful name? When I think of that name I imagine pink rose petals falling from the sky, dancing beneath the full moon, and the whole ground being covered with them in the morning.

In the Northern Hemisphere the Full Pink Moon asks: “What dreams is it time to tend?”

Recently Steven and I planted lots of new seeds in our garden, Marigolds and Sea Holly and Cornflowers and lots more besides. We scattered them wildly and with abandon, the way we love to garden, trusting that whatever was meant to grow would grow. Since then I've been watching the soil eagerly, watching the tiny shoots appear and then grow bigger and bigger. I've also watched our garden blossom so that now, whenever I look out of my front door, I am greeted by the cheerful faces of beautiful flowers and the joyful green glow of happy herbs. I feel as though that watching and waiting has been the same for both those seeds and flowers and for my own growing dreams and ideas, I have been watching them quietly, seeing what will poke it's head up above the soil.

I feel as though I am growing in patience, finding it a little easier to wait for things. In all honesty patience is now always one of my strong suits, I can be very patient with others but when it comes to myself all of that flies out of the window! The thought of waiting for something, of not just rushing off and getting waist deep into it, is very difficult for me. I'm definitely an 'act first think later' kind of girl when it comes to my passions.

Yet I have found myself slowing down just a little, taking it just a tiny bit easier, accepting more of the natural flow of things. I'm aware that I sometimes get in my own way when I start to worry and over-think, and that things always turn out the way they're supposed to in their own perfect time, no matter how much I meddle in the middle! I'm learning that when I let go, truly let go with both my mind and my body, I feel so much better.

So, here are some of my dreams, in their various states of growth. I'm happy to watch them emerge;

❤ Spend lots of time with Steven and my friends, just having fun. You might notice my goofy tree-swinging self up there as well as Steven perched in a tree, one of the dreams I'd like to tend is setting aside plenty of time to get outside in the fresh air and sunshine and have fun. It can be big adventures or miniature ones, a 5 minute walk or a weekend camping in a beautiful area. I want to nourish and tend quality time with the people I love.

❤ I also want to tend quality time for myself. As an Introvert I function best when I have time to myself to be quiet, to think, and to do restful activities like reading and sitting outside in the garden doing nothing in particular. I treasure the time when I can pick up a book for an hour or so, or sit down with my crochet hook and a big bag of yarn and slip into the still, sacred place in my mind. I want to continue to tend this 'me time' in my every day life and hold it as an important part of my every day life.

❤ I want to continue to tend the dream that I am living, of being a healer who can give healing to those both near to me and far away. I aim to do this through the creations I make for my shop, and I am feeling so very blessed and grateful that my shop has been doing so well of late. Steven said to me today "You should probably just live next to the post office right now!" and I smiled and laughed because of the truth in it. I feel so blessed to be able to share what I love with every single one of my customers, and every single one of my readers, and I want to continue that. I've been building up ideas of new products to make, as well as the ones that have proved favourites time and again, and I'm so excited to keep expanding and growing. It makes my heart warm to be able to do what I love.

❤ Lately I have been tending the idea of my 'dream house', our Dream House! That's what the pink house represents, because for me that is an amazing representation of the absolute perfect, ideal house. It represents to me having a home in which I love everything, everything is just right and exactly what we need. I've especially been dreaming of a room I can dedicate to my treatment room, which I'll make special with candles and my own personally blended essential oils, canopies made of my crochet above the reclining chair, beautiful soft chairs for my clients and doing consultations from my rocking chair. I'm already practicing how I want to, spending plenty of time on the consultation, getting to know my clients not only from a clinical point of view but from a personal one. One of my favourite things to do is to make my clients laugh, to share jokes, and you can always hear that when you walk past my treatment room... you will always hear laughter.

❤ Indulging in the Sacred and embracing what that means for me. To me Sacred time is when I sit in my garden and run my fingers over my plants, inhaling their earthy, sweet scent. Sacred Time is when I have my bottles of Essential Oils and mixing bottles out in my work space, navigating and formulating each blend from the heart, with Intuition. Sacred time is burning incense and letting the smoke wash over me and through me, whispering dreams and wishes. It is making herbal teas for myself, my love, my parents and my friends. Sacred time is snuggling up with Steven and my boys in our bed, watching television or just cuddling and laughing, telling stories, talking about everything big and small. Sharing our souls.

❤ I want to tend the wonderful friendships I have been blessed with, for I have been blessed with many, especially in these past 5 years. I want to make plans and follow through to visit my friends who live further away, as well as spending more time with those who live closer to me. I also want to tend traditions, the places I visit each year, the holidays I spend with friends. Next week I'll be spending Beltane with my dear friend Lisa, one of the newest kindred spirits to come into my life.

❤ I also want to tend my abilities as a teacher, and continue to teach people in an informal, friendly and approachable way. It seems almost unreal to me that nowadays I have people consistently coming to me with questions, asking me to teach them how to do things like make Essential Oil blends with my own technique, or to share my magical path with them, or my holistic medicine training. I feel amazed every time somebody asks for me to share what I know, and I'm filled with joy when people benefit from what I have to offer.

❤❤❤

I'd love to know what dreams you'll be tending this month, if you'd like to share them with me!

The World of Trees & Dryads : How to Work With Nature Spirits

2013-04-24T07:41:00.004+01:00

Good Morning my dears,

In my last post I mentioned that the tree outside my classroom has a beautiful Dryad living inside it and a few of my lovely commenters mentioned that they were really fascinated by Dryads and would love to read a post about them. I absolutely love Dryads and communicate with them a lot so I was really excited about the prospect of making a post on these wonderful spirits, how I work with them and how they have helped me. I really hope this post can also help those of you who are interested in working with tree spirits, and nature spirits, but might need some tips on how to start.

The beautiful Willow tree outside my school classroom who has a beautiful and very friendly spirit living inside.

So, what is a Dryad?

Dryad is a word derived from the Greek word Drys which means Oak, so originally the term Dryad referred to the female nymphs that lived inside the Oak tree. There are many different names for these tree nymphs which change depending on the tree they live in, so the spirits of Ash trees were named Meliai, the spirits of Apple trees were named Epimeliad and the spirits of Walnut trees were Caryatids. There were also Hamadyrads, considered to be a step beyond normal nymphs. These Hamadryads were considered to be tied to their trees and were intrinsic to the trees well-being. Likewise when the tree died the hamadryad would die too, because of this it was thought that the Greek gods would punish anybody who harmed a tree without first making peace with the spirits.

Nowadays the term Dryad is used in a much broader sense to mean any spirit that lives inside a tree. Whilst the original Dryads were all female now many consider there to be both male, female and androgynous tree spirits which are all called Dryads.

There are also many other names for Dryads and tree spirits, depending on where they live and what they do. For example there are the Lesidhe (pronounced Le-shee) who are woodland guardians and are said to lead people astray in the woods as well as wreaking havoc on forestry workers. Tree Sprites are fae who live in the trees, some may live in specific trees such as the Lunatishee which live specifically in the Blackthorn, the Oak-men and the Apple-tree-men, whilst others migrate between different trees.

One specific type of tree faerie that I feel very close to is sometimes known as the Elder Mother. I have always felt a strong pull towards Elder trees, for a few years we had a garden with a huge Elder at the bottom that I would often walk beneath as well as using her berries and flowers for medicine. Elders are probably one of the most dividing of trees, some people see them as total pests because they grow rampantly and smell terrible. If you cut them back the bark really does have an awful, pungent smell and anybody who has had cut elderflowers around for too long will tell you they smell exactly like cat wee! Others see them as protective and highly magical, it has long been considered very bad luck to burn Elder as it would enrage the faeries and bring bad luck. We had a wood burner in our garden and I was absolutely steadfast against ever burning Elder wood, though I have often used Elder flowers in my spell-work with fire.

Personally I have a very soft spot for the nature of the Elder Mother, and Elder spirits in general. I feel that their personality really shines through in all of the things people don't like about them, their smell, their incessant growth. That is who the Elder is, and she makes absolutely no apology for it! When I think of her being cut down I imagine her saying 'If you want to cut me down, why should I be kind to you? Why should I smell sweet for you?'

She owes us nothing, no spirit does, but she will give you so much if you treat her with respect. Her berries are wonderful for treating colds and her flowers are mild and soothing to the nerves. Her bark is poisonous, but her bounty is healing, she commands respect but will take care of you if you take care of her.

Snuggling one of the trees at Chalice Well in Glastonbury, all of the trees there were gorgeous.

Another form of tree spirit that you may be familiar with is the Deva, meaning 'Shining One'. Devas are considered to be a very gentle, peaceful and compassionate race who love to take care of nature. They are also thought to be very curious and interested in human beings, but also very shy.

They are not confined to trees, Devas exist in all things. Recently I read a wonderful article about a woman who had learnt to communicate with Devas that lived in technological equipment such as printers and computers, she told of the Deva that lived in her Printer who was upset because people never realised she was there. We often think that Devas and spiritual beings can only live in nature, but I remember this lady saying that the Deva has told her 'even technology comes from nature, it is a progression of what has evolved, of course technology has Devas!'

It is said that at dusk you can often see an aura of light around plants that a Deva is nurturing. There are considered to be many types of Deva, including the Golden, Green, White and Violet Deva. Golden Devas are said to be concerned with the transmission of solar energy, Green with the healing of plants, White with the movement of the air and Violet with the spiritual aspects of nature. Personally I have never seen the Devas I work with as any particular colour, to me they are simply spirits that live in the world around me who can teach me and work with me. One of my favourite things to do is to sit on the ground in my garden and put my face close to my plants, rubbing their leaves and breathing in their scent. I become very still and listen to the sounds around me and this is when I can feel the energy of my plants best, a vibrating joyful energy that expands outwards from each plant and envelopes me. In my experience Devas are very easy to communicate with and work with, if you want to work with them then that is all they need to start talking with you! You just need to sit and listen to them, don't be afraid of what you hear, or what you think you hear.

Often I see people saying they find it difficult to talk to spirits because they think they're just making it up and talking to themselves. The thing I would say to that would be 'well, don't be so afraid to talk to yourself!'. I really feel that 'talking to yourself' is a very natural thing that we all do, how many times do you walk around the house talking without even realising until you catch yourself? Sometimes I feel as though this talking to ourselves can be literally talking with our inner selves, or higher selves. Other times I think it is our way of communicating with the spirits around us, even when we might not realise that's what we're doing. As you learn to trust the inner voices you hear as truly coming from the spirits you'd like to work with, you will realise that they start to tell you things you didn't understand by yourself. You may also start to hear their voices as very specific and different from your own inner voice, or you may not actually hear them as a voice at all but more a feeling of energy that you just understand.

Another gorgeous tree in Chalice Well, this one had a wonderful female spirit who showed herself to me as a young maiden and to my friend as a wise old lady.

Another type of nature spirit, who may live in trees, flowers and plants is what we simply call faeries. These faeries are also sometimes known as Pillywiggins and they are thought to be the faeries that children encounter in the garden with the most resemblance to the typical Flower Faerie. They are also the faeries that are most considered to embody the unpredictable nature of the fey as a whole, despite the fact that they may appear as very sweet with flower like appearance these folk aren't necessarily sweet, or very fond of humans. This can link with the world of the Unseelie, the darker side of faerie. My wonderful friend Naomi von Monsta does absolutely gorgeous artwork depicting these Unseelie fae, her favourite flower is one commonly thought to be the abode of such fae, the Foxglove.

When people ask me to teach them a little bit about faeries these are the folk I teach them about because I feel it is important to approach working with the fae seriously and with respect and caution. You have to follow your gut when walking in this world and trust your instincts, some faeries are very happy to work with humans, some will work with you after building a relationship, some are tricksters but will not harm you whilst others have darker intentions. If you are asking to work with the faeries and you get a 'bad feeling', my advice is to leave quickly, in my experience even when I have encountered these particular fae, they have never harmed me or frightened me because I respected that they did not want to work with me.

Having said that I really haven't encountered very many faeries who flat out didn't want to work with me and overall I have a wonderful relationship with these types of faeries. My house and garden is full of them! Many people who have visited my house have told me that they have felt them around my house or caught glimpses of them from the corner of their eye. One thing I can tell you about these folks is that some of them absolutely love to play tricks on people! Things are forever going missing in my house and sometimes I'll be looking for something with no luck, only to turn around and find it right there. I've also often had experiences of really needing something and having no idea where it might be only to find it placed right beside me, and I really feel that this is thanks to the faeries that surround me. If you have a trickster faerie in your midst the thing I advise most is this : don't get mad! The madder you get the worse it will get because it is often thought that faeries delight in winding humans up, if they're moving things around to play tricks on you then I'd guess they're probably going to find it funny when you get annoyed and start stamping around! Stay calm and play the game, I always find that if I'm really getting fed up and I ask for the item back they will give it back to me pretty quickly, and most often they will give it back after a short period of 'hide and seek'.

The best advice I can give for working with them is simply to be respectful to them and to share with them, I like to leave gifts in the garden for them and have often found little gifts in return such as shining pebbles, charms and even a candle that appeared from nowhere! On my part I leave them things such as ribbons, feathers and charms, but some people report that they also love milk and honey.

I would also say to enter the relationship with the fae carrying an open mind. Some can be very blunt in their interactions with you and might come across as rude, and I think this is where missteps can happen because humans tend to get very up in arms very quickly if they perceive that they have been slighted. In my experience the blunter folks are generally not trying to be particularly offensive to you, if they didn't want to talk to you then they really wouldn't. At the same time I think that they often don't care about whether or not we like to be told certain things and they will tell it like it is, no beating about the bush! In that sense they don't care if they offend you or not, they say what they think and that's that, most of the time they expect exactly the same from you. From my own work with them I feel that faeries can often help you to face up to things you might not have wanted to, they are very honest and help you to be honest with yourself, and sometimes you might not want to face that on the surface.

I also find that being placatory towards them will get you nowhere because they value honest communication, both with yourself and others. There is no use putting on airs or masks around faeries because they will see straight through it, and could view this as a deception. In my view I feel that they are less likely to work with you if you are trying to 'cozy up' and get on their good side than if you simply do what feels right. They want you to show a bit of back bone, stand up for yourself, not grovel or simper at them. Give them gifts when you feel that you want to, talk to them with your own voice and emotions and speak your mind. I really believe that they value honesty and the honest desire to work with them over getting everything 'right' and 'perfect'.

A beautiful Dryad that I walk past almost every day who bestows me with great blessings.

The tree above and the tree below have two of the Dryads that I communicate with most often, largely due to the fact that I see them almost, if not every, day. The Dryad living in the tree above is sweet, kind and extremely gentle in nature and I get an alternating female and male energy from it. For a long time I didn't communicate with this Dryad because I worked with the Dryad in the tree that stood next to it, but that tree was cut down and I was very upset. After that this tree slowly started talking to me, and I to it. I always say hello when I walk past and it always greets me, and as I walk away I often hear it say 'blessings on you child'. This spirit encourages me to be my true self, to be open to the wonderful things all around me, and all of the wonderful things I have the potential to encounter each day. It tells me to take a deep breath to calm myself and to root myself into the ground, to stand tall and proud, to share my true self with the world and to accept others.

The tree below is my beautiful Clementine tree who I found at the market around 3 years ago now, I fell in love with her at first sight. She is a wonderfully healing spirit with the most calming energy, whenever I have a problem or feel sad I talk to her or lay my hands on her trunk and feel her energy washing through me and chasing all of the darkness away. She gives wonderful advice and is so loving, whenever I focus on her I feel waves of the most immense joy radiating from her and she has also shared this with one of my close friends who totally fell in love with her too!

At the same time she is very feisty, she definitely has fire inside her! I feel her strongly as one of my guardians and she is a fierce protector, I get a sense when I'm around her that if anybody was to try and hurt me or endanger my home she would be a force to be reckoned with.

She usually comes out with beautiful, fragrant white flowers two or three times a year and on occasion she will also start to grow tiny fruits. This is when I get very protective of her, I become like a watchdog when she has even the tiniest fruit growing. One year she managed to grow quite a large fruit and I would check on it every day, one day it had fallen off and I never found out if somebody had knocked her (we lived in a shared house at the time) or if it had just fallen off naturally. If somebody did knock it off they were lucky I never found out because I was seeing red that day!

I hope you've enjoyed this post as much as I've enjoyed writing it, it was so much fun to do a bit of research and tell you all about my work with these wonderful spirits. If you have any experiences with nature spirits that you'd like to share with me in the comments I would absolutely love to hear them!

We Belong to the Earth

2013-04-20T20:43:00.001+01:00

Good evening my dears,

Today has been such a wonderfully gorgeous day, filled with the perfume of Spring on the breeze and a sky so clear and blue I could gaze at the moon on my way home from school. I was in school all day, gazing out of the window at the dancing golden willow tree outside. When I walked past the Willow on my way to class I saw the clearest Dryad I've ever seen in my life, so clear I almost thought I had seen a person standing beside the tree. She was wonderfully sweet, filled with joy and dance.

I was able to give my dear friend Lisa the birthday present I had made for her, a scarf in bright yellows, oranges and reds that she absolutely loved. I also gave another of my classmates a Snood I custom made for her, one of the things I absolutely love the most is when I see people's reactions to my work. They both just held their pieces close to their face and buried themselves in it, smiling and looking so happy and contented. It warmed my heart so much, when I get to hear that breathy whisper of 'oh I just want to cuddle it forever!'

I have another full day of class tomorrow including an assessment, I feel strangely nervous and calm all at the same time thinking about it. I had the realisation today that no matter how nervous or worried I am about it, it will still come just the same, and tommorow I will still be doing it. So I have decided to embrace it, do my very best, and cast worries to the earth.

I think in a way my mind is also a little scattered because my Dad is very poorly at the moment. He has been fighting with a terrible chest infection that resulted in him having to have a chest x-ray yesterday and quite a few trips to the doctors because he hasn't been able to sleep, eat or breath very well at all. I can't bear the thought of him being sick, it makes me worry. I love my Dad very much. Luckily my Mum is very insistent on looking after him and making sure he takes all of his medication and goes back to the doctors if he needs to, so I know he is in good hands.

So for tonight I am going to rest and be quiet, and trust in the universe to take care of everything as it always does. I thought I would pop in and share some photos from the past week, a little quietness from me to you.

My current dreamboard, very rudimentary as you can see! I have it taped to the side of my book case in the bedroom so that I can always look at it. Lots of bikes, vegetables, dried and fresh herbs and pigeons!

And, since I haven't shared photos of them in what feels like forever, here are some photos of two of my best beloveds! Bear is always hiding somewhere, that little secret fiend, but Kingsley and Sev love the camera so they'll always come out when they hear it.

One of my favourite outfits recently, a fuzzy grey cardigan I got in Glastonbury, my 'plant print' dress and two of my favourite necklaces.

A New Video Blog In the Works : I'd Love to Answer Your Questions!

2013-04-16T14:28:00.001+01:00

Emma Deer's 27th Birthday Bash Giveaway!

2013-04-15T16:28:00.001+01:00

Good Afternoon my sweetlings,

Today I'm totally psyched to announce that I'm one of the 27 ladies taking part in the HUGE birthday giveaway that the lovely Emma Deer is currently running for her 27th birthday. There are 27 prizes on offer and they will ALL go to one winner. Plus exactly 27 of us offered our goodies as part of the giveaway prizes, totally serendipitous!

For this give away I will be sending the winner one of my large Herbal Charm Bottles which you can also find in my shop. The winner will be able to choose from the following 4 charms as their prize!

Purification & Cleansing

Protection

Healing

Self Love & Self Acceptance

C/O Emma Deer // Grits and Moxie // Gypsybeee // Emphatically Elle // Ramsay Grace

C/O My Dearest Friend // East 80 // Young Mommy Memoirs

C/O Hopeless Notebook // Three Inch Stitch // Live Well and Breathe

C/O The Wandering Deer // Dear Sweetlings // Acute Designs

C/O Okay, Allison! // Ilaria Ruggeri // The Pepper and her Pups

C/O The Laughing Medusa // Bamboo Blossom // The Cottage Diaries

C/O Arrow in the Eye // Oh So Pretty // Pony Chops

C/O Lulu's Wonderland // Pretty Confused // Chane

C/O Zakka // Anchors & Honey

a Rafflecopter giveaway

... and remember, you can tweet once a day for more entries! :]

Paintings : Tree Spirits

2013-04-13T18:00:00.000+01:00

Good Evening my dears,

These paintings have been sitting quietly in my sketchbook for some time now, the product of many nights of inky fingers and feathering tendrils, a complete clearing of the mind, a total lack of thought.

As the winter months have slowly but surely given way to Spring these Tree Spirits appeared in my mind, coming forward as though through fog and memories and thoughts. They whispered to me of deep roots and lofty heights, branches drawn up to the heavens and roots secured safely below.

They connect us with everything, they know things that we have forgotten and things that we are yet to know. They are wisdom keepers, protectors, guardians and guides.

Three sisters dancing in a field as the sun sets, the young and the old together. The maiden, the mother and the crone, all melding, all blending, all one.

Or a lone stranger in the fog, impossibly old, unknowably wise. He tells tales in all tongues.

The Birch Sisters of a whispering wood, with their eyes turned towards you as you wander among them. Their bark is covered with secrets and, if you are lucky, you too may write upon them the desires of your heart and soul.

Desert sunset and star filled skies. Joyous, filled with song and dance and pure happiness.

And misty mornings, or evenings, all sense of time lost, everything melded and formed together. Beckoning.

Rooted in the waters of the world and touching the spirit, the almost intangible, the faintest shimmer of souls.

All of these paintings are for sale, however I will not be putting them in my shop. Please contact me if interested.

Musings : On Doing Craft 'Well'

2013-04-12T09:43:00.000+01:00

Good Morning my dears,

Today I wanted to write a post about something I've been thinking about on and off for around a year now, in relation to something that keeps popping up in some of the articles that I read. I absolutely love to read articles pertaining to crafts, particularly crochet, knitting and now weaving.

However there is an attitude that I have noticed peeking it's head up in the crafting world that I have to say, I really dislike. It isn't only that I dislike the attitude itself, it also seems to me that nobody seems to take a stand against it.

What I'm talking about is the notion that one should craft 'well'. According to this idea, everything should be made well, with the sometimes subtle and sometimes blatant conclusion that if it isn't 'well made' then it may as well never have been created. That, unless you can make it well, you might as well not bother at all.

(I'm going to include some of my own craft photos in this post just to make it easier to read. This lady is my mum, the woman who instilled in me a love of crafting from a very early age.)

Now, I understand the basic premise of this attitude. If we make things poorly they fall apart, or disintegrate quickly. From a purely efficient point of view, making something poorly is going to mean that it won't last and therefore is kind of a waste of time.

Yet, in my opinion, this seems to form very little of the reason that the idea crops up in craft communities. When I read that it seems more to me like an attempt to create a distance between the 'bad' crafters and the 'good' crafters, the people 'worthy' of the craft and the people who should just put down their instruments already.

When I think about what craft means to me, I cannot understand how this theory of 'good' and 'bad' craft has taken root. For me craft is all about learning, gathering knowledge, improving your skills and expressing yourself. It is also about sharing skills, from one generation to another, one friend to another, even one stranger to another. Craft is for creating, for taking something of the mind, the dreams, and translating it into reality.

A big part of craft for me is also the fact that we are all going at our own pace. We are all at our own step and that is totally fine. One person is just beginning whilst another knows every move in the book. One makes practice pieces whilst the other makes finished products. Some make just for themselves, some for others. Some keep their work private, others show to thousands. And all of us, every single one, started with their chosen tool and nothing more.

Nobody is born with a hook in their hand, picks up the needles and immediately knows what to do with them, sits down at the sewing machine and simply turns out a miraculous thing of pure beauty. Nobody.

So for me, seeing 'we should only indulge good crafters' and 'honoring the roots of our crafts' in the same sentence feels hypocritical. The roots of so many crafts are entrenched in the skills being handed down, taught by one to another. If you wanted to weed out the 'poor crafters' from the equation you would be left with nothing, you would put a stop to the cycle. How do you teach somebody a craft if you go into it saying 'I will only teach this, share this, if you follow my instructions well'? How would any of us ever have learned to do what we love so much?

I also dislike this idea because I know there are so many people out there who would dearly love to learn a craft, but they're too afraid to begin because they think 'I won't be any good'. The first steps into any new craft are often taken gingerly, ears pricked for even the slightest breeze of negativity, nervous but also filled with anticipation and excitement. I dislike the idea of an argument around that basically says 'yeah, you know what? You probably won't know what to do, so you won't be very good'. New crafters do not need to hear that or see that, in fact I don't believe anybody needs to hear or see that. How is it productive? How is it helpful? If you want to see an 'improvement' to somebodies craft I say you sit down with them and show them how to improve, further their knowledge. Sitting about lording 'well made' crafts over anything else is not helpful.

The last reason I dislike this idea so much is because, in my opinion, it encourages us to be very judgemental not only about others creations but about our own. It seems to follow an idea that once you are 'good' at a craft you will always produce well made creations, but I really believe this is not the case. Everybody makes mistakes at every stage in the game, we are always learning something new and improving as long as we just keep going. To look at somebodies work and say 'this wasn't worth the time it took to create' is cruel, and to look on your own work and think 'this isn't the best it could be, I should stop' is just destructive. Neither of those things harness the spirit of crafting that I love so much, that harnessing of the passion to create, to share our thoughts and ideas, to transform something raw.
I also question this judgemental attitude on crafting I suppose because I have always disliked the idea of putting your own feelings and thoughts aside in favor or fear of what others might think or say. Frankly I didn't start crafting because of anything I wanted from others, or anything I wanted to give to others. I started crafting for myself, to create things that pleased me first and foremost. I love sharing my creations with others, and I love when others get enjoyment and happiness from them, but that isn't my driving force. Whether somebody else considers my work 'well made' or not also isn't a factor for me, and I've experienced reactions from both sides of the scale. I share because I want to, and I hope that my work can reach people who will enjoy my pieces as much as I do, but the notion that there are people out there who won't enjoy my work (for it's craftsmanship or otherwise) is not a factor that will ever stop me from sharing or continuing my craft. To worry about whether somebody else is going to come along and deem your work 'well made enough' or not puts such a block in the natural flow of creativity for me. If I worried about what anybody else thought I'm quite sure I'd hardly do anything I love, and I feel that is likely the same for many of us. In the world of whether something is 'well made' or not, I think our own honest opinion is what should really count pertaining to our own work, but we don't have the authority to make that choice about somebody else's craft and whether or not they should be 'allowed' to be part of the crafting community. Furthermore the notion that anyone holds the keys to the door of the crafting community feels very arrogant to me, nobody owns craft.

For me crafting, in it's myriad forms, is a way to allow yourself to make mistakes, to be 'bad' at something, and to gradually become 'good' at it. It is a way to hone your skills, and I firmly believe you should be proud of every accomplishment and step along the way. When I first picked up my hook I created what I'm sure many would consider 'ill made' pieces. They couldn't be used in the slightest, they were wonky and one stitch didn't match the other. Nothing about starting out was 'well made', and that to me is so much more in the spirit of the craft community than this 'well made or nothing' ideology.

I didn't start out good, at craft or at anything, I simply improved and kept going. Now I feel confident that the pieces I choose to share with the world are 'well made', but there are still many that I unpick or do away with because they didn't turn out how I wanted them to. Those pieces, even when they are not completed or the best possible thing I could ever make, teach me just as much as the pieces I feel I have made to the absolute best of my ability. They teach me that I am always learning, that in 6 months I will be better than I am now, just as I am better now than I was 6 months ago. They teach me to keep following the path, because without each step I would not move along the path at all.

So I refuse this idea of separating out the 'well crafted' from the 'poorly crafted' and only celebrating the prior whilst shunning the latter. I say we should celebrate both, from the skilled artisan crafter down to the person picking up their tools for the very first time. Without one we could never have the other. Without the beginner we could not have the master. The craft community is a place for every one of us, no matter our skill level, to find like minded souls and to share ourselves.

Handmade : Anti-Depression Balm & 2 New Solid Perfumes

2013-04-10T20:59:00.000+01:00

Good Evening my dears,

I am feeling so full of life and zestful energy right now, I'm enjoying it so much! Tommorow is the New Moon in Aries and as my own Moon sign is Aries I feel as though I'm getting the full fiery light and warmth of Aries coursing through my veins. I'm one happy little fire sprite right now!

The other day I was finally able to set aside some time from writing up my case studies to get into the kitchen and brew up some new concoctions. I'm so excited about them! I made 2 new solid perfumes, one inspired by the gorgeous Rose Maroc essential oil I got in Glastonbury at the end of March and the other a zesty, citrus scent to tempt in the summer sun.

I also made an Anti-Depression Balm, the idea and formula for which I've been testing for about a month. When I announced the idea on my Facebook it was met with overwhelming positivity, so I made up an oil that Steven and I used to see if the blend was right. I'm really happy to announce that it worked a treat, and as a bonus it smells exactly like Lemondrops and Licorice Allsorts. I now have 5 available in the shop with plans to make a larger balm in the near future.

So onwards we go and onwards ho! Or if you'd like to run ahead, please feel free.

Also just a little extra! I've now added a Pinterest button to my blog so that when you hover over any image you can pin it ♥

Anti-Depression Balm 15g. Vegan. Essential Oils. For soothing Depression, Anxiety and Stress.

Kiss of the Sun Solid Perfume 15g. Vegan. Soy Wax. Sweet Orange, Neroli, Lemon, Lime, Lemongrass, Bergamot

This solid perfume is inspired by the bright sunshine and blue skies of late Spring and Summer, a little something to beckon to sun to come and kiss your skin. I have combined a variety of Citrus oils to create this sweet perfume that makes me think of picking oranges and drinking ice cold lemonade on a hot day.

Rose Red Solid Perfume 15g. Vegan. Soy Wax. Rose, Neroli, Ho Wood, Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Myrrh

This solid perfume is a blend that I created especially for myself, it's focal point the gorgeous heady scent of Rose created using a gorgeous Rose Maroc Absolute. Complimented by the citrus scents of Neroli, Bergamot and Sweet Orange and rounded by the earthy scents of Ho Wood and Myrrh, this blend feels like walking barefoot through the sunshine with the scent of roses and oranges on the wind.

52 Lists : My Childhood and Current Dream Jobs

2013-04-09T20:20:00.004+01:00

Good Evening my sweetlings,

I wanted to start off by saying a huge thank you to everybody who has left me comments lately, you are all so, so sweet and kind and I am just so grateful and thrilled to share my little nest with you all. I hope you all know just how much it means to me to have such amazing people surrounding me, whether online or off I consider you true kindred spirits.

Today I'm joining in with the lovely Moorea Seal's 52 lists again, I've been meaning to keep up to date with them but it seems this little Pixie got her head a little spun around of late! Oh well, I'm back now, and I am totally ready to tell you about my Childhood and Current dream jobs. Such a fun list prompt!

So, of course, I had to start my childhood dream jobs list off with a terrible spelling mistake. I'd love to say I did that on purpose, but unfortunately I just cannot spell Veterinarian! There is far too much narinarianarina going on in that word for my liking!

As a child I absolutely loved taking care of things, especially animals and helping my mum in the garden. That seemed to progress quite naturally to an interest in becoming a Vet (lets just stick with that shall we?), but I think I really just liked the idea of getting to snuggle lots of different animals and make them feel better. I also was very curious about seeing new animals, and I think this probably played a part in wanting to be a Vet, I was just being nosy!

My favourite class in school was always English Literature, from the very beginning. I found English easy and really fun as I loved to write stories, poetry and got to discuss interpretations of books with others. It was perfect! I also really liked reading in class, which I got to do a lot because nobody else in my classes really enjoyed it. I still remember one of my very favourite teachers in high-school was my English Teacher, Mr Rowan Feltham. He smoked cigars like a chimney and always looked faintly disheveled in a really endearing way, and he was so passionate about books. I also really liked his voice, though not in a 'teacher crush' sort of way, I just remember thinking it was quite perfect for an eccentric English teacher! Very deep and gravelly. He loved poetry and the book Lolita was his favourite and he used to go on the most massive tangents. When I was 13 I gave him a book of my poetry and he kept it for many years, showing it to me again when he taught me again at the age of 17. I was amazed that he kept it and it really touched me. I also remember telling him that I could recite a William Blake poem from heart and he challenged me to do it in front of the class. When I did it he was really shocked!

When I look at my current dream jobs they feel like a natural progression from my childhood dreams in a lot of way, simply expanded. I always loved to take care of things and was raised with energetic healing as a common and normal part of my childhood, so for me becoming a holistic healer was a very natural path to take.

I also spent a lot of time in hospital, being poked and prodded and tested for everything, as a child and teenager. Becoming a healer who would make their patients and clients feel safe, secure and really cared for became very important to me, especially during my teens. I wanted to be able to stop even one person from experiencing what I went through, and I felt that I could connect with people because of my experiences, I could sympathise and empathise.

A lot of my current dream jobs are very spiritually based, for example being a Cunning Woman (an old name for community healers who were often witches), Wise Woman and Medicine Woman. Being a Soul Soother, Spark Awakener and Kindred Spirit is what I aim to do here, it is my passion and calling which I can share through my blog and I hope I can offer all of these things to my readers. I've been told many times over the years that my writing has a special quality and that I have an inspiring way of seeing things and I am so thankful that people think that, and that I find it easy to express myself through language and captured images. I want to continue to do that for a long time, always gathering more kindred spirits and like souls along my journey. My dream of being an adventurer, explorer and learner links in with this quite nicely too!

The last big dream on my list is that of being a Mama Goblin. I call my own mum Mama Goblin, a name she has embraced and really made her own, and I'd love to be a Mama just like mine to my own little ones. I really want to get married and have a family of my own and I'm really lucky to have a partner who feels exactly the same, I know he is going to be such a good daddy. A lot of people think Steven and I are already married, or at least engaged, when they find out we're not they seem very surprised!

Plant Spirit Teachings

2013-04-07T13:02:00.001+01:00

Good Afternoon my dears,

This morning I went outside into our newly tended garden and did yoga with the plants, closing my eyes and feeling the kiss of the sun on my skin, the bright Orange Yellow whisper of the stars shining through the blood in my veins. I breathed in the fresh scent of the morning, the promise of the day, and I felt as though everything inside me was washed with light, with joy.

Recently I've been thinking about my path on this Earth, why am I here? What am I here to share? What are my gifts? When I think back over the years I've been here, which when I really think about it are very short years, I realise that I've been blessed with a deep knowing of my path from the day I arrived here. I have never known a time when I didn't feel as though I had a calling, a clarity allowing me to follow the winds and whispers.

I've been asked a few times recently about my connections with spirit, especially Spirit Guides. I've also been asked if I think that I'm an elemental, or else people have just seen me and said they felt I was an elemental, a plant or earth spirit walking this earth inside a human body. Whilst I was in Glastonbury I noticed people referring to me as 'Green Hair' or 'Green Lady' when I walked by, I can't quite find the words to describe how I felt when I heard those words but it was something like a feeling of looking in the mirror at your true self. It seems such a simple little thing, Green Hair and Green Lady for a girl with green hair, but there was something deeper to it too.

When people have asked me about my connection with spirits and whether I work with my spirit guides I've often felt at a loss of what to say, especially in recent years. It feels like such a long complicated story, one I cannot just answer with a simple 'yes' or 'no', and yet trying to explain it in entirety feels tiring and confusing. I feel confident in saying that I do work with spirit guides, I always have and I was raised that way, it is and always has been a part of who I am. Yet nowadays, as I tried to find a way to explain, I realised I rarely if ever think of spirit guides.

I feel as though the realm I feel most comfortable with, that I can instantly say 'yes, I work with them' is the realm of plant spirits and faeries. I also find it easy to work with Gods and Goddesses, and I can keenly feel the presence of them and other protective spirits around me. When I look with my minds eye I see many beings in this world, feel them as keenly as I feel any flesh and blood human. Yet there is something impossible to describe about them, it calls to mind Charles de Lint's description of them as 'mysteries' and 'little mysteries'.

In answer to the questions of whether I am an elemental or not, all I can say is 'perhaps, perhaps not'. I personally don't feel as though I am an elemental but I do feel strongly that both of my parents are, especially my mum. When I first read a description of reincarnated elementals I instantly recognised all of the traits in my mum, the shining mischevious eyes, the build of the body, the love of taking care of the earth and the fierce protectiveness and love that they emenate. My mum is the boisterous earth spirit, never shy of getting her hands dirty, always laughing and full of mirth. My dad is a quieter soul, though sometimes that seems as though it couldn't possibly be true when he tears around the house like a happy whirlwind! He too has the boisterous, playful nature, he is silly, and yet there is a true quietness and stillness to him, at his core. He shares an intense feeling of wisdom and knowing that I recongised in his brother as a child, and which quite frightened me until late into my teens, but my dad has never frightened me. As a child I was a real Daddy's Girl, and now I can only describe myself as a Family Girl because I share a strong connection with both of my parents. The two of them are a wonderful combination, they balance one another, and I believe it is no coincidence that they came to be my parents.

Yesterday we went out into the garden and dug our hands into the dirt. It was our first day of gardening not only this year but the first real gardening we have done since moving in here over a year ago. We have had our plants with us always but this past year has been one of letting the wildness in, letting things take their natural course. We have barely stepped in and now I realise that was an important time for both us and our plants. Yesterday was finally the perfect time, for everything happens at the perfect time. It was time for us to sit down and put our fingers to roots again, to meld again.

We worked over each plant, removing dead heads and wilted leaves, repotting, planting new seeds, cutting back unruly herbs and pulling out rampant houseguests. I marvelled at the new buds and tiny shoots that appeared as if by magic when we removed the dead blooms.

We even found three new friends in the form of caterpillars. One of our goals this year was to raise caterpillars together, protecting them as cocoons and then releasing them back into the wild as butterflies. I firmly believe that these three caterpillars appeared yesterday for a reason, and I carefully scooped them up along with plenty of leaves for food and put them in a big jar. I found one who was very cold, lying on the ground, and at first I thought he might die. Still, when I touched his body he moved ever so slightly, so I gathered him too and slipped him into the jar, I told him I would take care of them all. I was happy to see that he had vanished somewhere into the leaves this morning, warm and safe and loved.

This morning I took my camera and wandered around the house and the garden, marvelling at the morning sunlight filtering through leaves and bark. Everything around me felt alive with brilliant green light, the colour of healing, a colour of joy and total love. As I wandered slowly I felt as though the plants were telling me that I am on the right path, following my heart. That I can share their spirits, share their teachings with others. My plants have infinite patience and endless love and they are amazing teachers, today I realised my ability to communicate with them so clearly can be a wonderful gift in my writings here too. I can share their teachings with others and this in itself is a teaching for me, and will bring new lessons and gifts to me.

Beautiful Bay Laurel, who has always been small and vibrant and happy. He teaches me to have patience and faith and to never give up. There have been times when he has been but a tiny shoot with one leaf, when I thought he would die. Other times he has been full and abundant, like now. He teaches me to trust my intuition, the 'true way of things', which is not always reflected in the immediate way we see things.

I love these vintage garden tags that my lovely friend Chelsea sent to me last year. This one says Turnip, but there are no turnips in this pot. The way the sunlight flows like waves over the moss here makes me shiver.

Brilliant, vibrant greens. Aloe Vera is another of the great teachers in our house, one who was gifted to us as just one plant by Steven's dad years ago and has since multiplied into 3 plants. Aloe teaches me to slow down, to take a deep breath, to allow for the unknown. We call her Love and she is filled with the spirit of it, the overflowing abundance, the endless supply of love. Very occasionally I take a piece of her, rub the soothing gel onto my skin, feel it against my lips. She teaches me to give what I am naturally abundant in, but also to take and recieve the gifts of the Universe. She is a cycle, the flow, give and take always in equal measure and feel no guilt for doing either.

Our newly refreshed garden. Clementine and Umbrella are now outside for the first time this year and when you walk out of the door it feels as though everything greets you with singing and dancing.

Beautiful Melissa Officinalis, Lemon Balm. Wonderfully soothing and sweet, gentle but full of zest and life and joy. She is wonderful to have around for sensitive souls, as a balm for the spirit and the body alike. She is healing and caring, a mother, a friend, a gift that you didn't realise you even needed until she turns up in your life and something just seems to fall into place.

Ah sweet Fennel, probably my absolute favourite herb in the entire world. Fennel connects me with the past, the present and the future simultaneously, with everything I have been, I am and ever will be. It teaches me to trust and has such a wonderful innocence in it's core. It emenates pure blissful happiness in every moment, soaking everything in, accepting everything exactly as it is.

Parsley, full of bountiful and mischevious energy. Mine has always had a very masculine energy and when I close my eyes I see a young boy, racing around and picking up everything, so excited by everything there is to see and feel and do. Simultaneously I feel an old spirit, calmer, yet springing undoubtedly from the same source. An old man sitting beneath the canopy of trees, bare feet open to the breeze and muddy from walking the earth every day.

Black Peppermint is one of the newest additions that were bought a few days ago at the market. This one remains a mystery to me at this moment, and I feel that is the lesson of it.

Wonderful Holly who is growing strong and bountiful after many years in our company. This one teaches me to embrace myself exactly as I am, and embrace others just the same. It teaches me not to doubt myself, not to shy away from sharing exactly what I know I can share, not to feel ashamed or embarrassed about anything I think, feel, do. It teaches me not to apologise, just as the Holly does not apologise for it's spikes or it's fruits. It is a nourisher and a protector, a leader, a guardian, quiet and loud all at once. It is contradictions and change, the flow of the seasons, permanence and change.

Guest Post by Manda Rave of Unlaced Heart : We Are All Connected

2013-04-04T19:28:00.000+01:00

Hello dear souls, my name is Manda Rave and I blog over at Unlaced Heart. I am so thrilled that Lottie has invited me to post on her beautiful blog today and am so excited that I get to share my words with her readers.

I want to talk about love, the Universe, and the connection of everything that ever was and will be. I know that sounds like a big topic that will take forever to cover and is too enormous to be adequately addresses in a blog post. But I assure you it's not. It's quite simple actually.

We're all connected to each other and everything around us. That's the shortest version of what I have to say and I would consider it an intuitive truth. Because when I get up in the morning I can feel my spirit lightened by the sound of birds outside or the sun streaming through my windows. Hearing kids outside laughing puts a smile on my face. I am filled to the brim with love for my family, my friends, my cat, and even people on the internet that I have never met before. That is connection.

And we're connected through the bad stuff as well. Someone else's anger creates a reaction, an emotional response within me. Their anger can make me upset. Their anger can spread to other people. That is also connection.

The list goes on and on, but I think the best way to stay positive and keep good energy around you is to make sure that you are putting out good energy. It's easy for negative thinking to creep into our minds and take root. And if you let it grow, it will inevitably bring you down. And as a result, it will bring the people around you down.

The last thing I want is for my bad moods to bring down the people I love. I want them to smile and laugh, especially when I'm with them. I want to be able to brighten their life and make them happy. I am connected to them, I have the opportunity to do all that. I don't want to waste it.

How do you feel connected to those around you? Can you feel the Universe swelling up inside you?

Manda Rave

Medicine Woman Handmade : Flower Medicine Water Spray for Nourishing, Transforming, Balancing, Enhancing & Protecting.

2013-04-03T16:14:00.000+01:00

Good Afternoon my sweetlings,

I'm super excited to announce the release of my first Flower Medicine Water, the first of my newest line of Aura Sprays. I've been unable to really get into my little den and create with my oils and herbs for the past two months but now I finally have time and I'm so happy to be back creating and blending again!

I wrote an explanation of what inspired me to start creating these sprays in the description, so if you'd like to know more please read on. If you'd like to have a wander in the shop instead of course you're always welcome.

Healers Heart Flower Medicine Water. 1.7 fl. oz. Nourishing, Transforming, Balancing, Enhancing, Protective.

On a recent trip to Glastonbury I visited the Chalice Well and, as I sat beneath the gorgeous ancient trees, I was inspired to create a line of hydrosols to harness the healing properties of plants, flowers and the natural elements of the earth. Sitting in the gardens was one of the most peaceful, serene experiences I have ever been blessed with and I knew I wanted to share that with others. I have named these waters 'Flower Medicine Waters' and they are imbued with the properties of the gorgeous flora and nourishing water that surround us.

I create these Flower Medicine Waters using my own home grown plants as well as ethically sourced dried plants and flowers. I adore my plants and their energies are so healing and loving. I also add 100% Pure Essential Oils, distilled from plants, trees and flowers. A sprinkling of Sea Salt is added for it's cleansing and purifying properties before adding fresh Spring Water and the wonderful Healing Waters I have personally collected from the Chalice Well Spring.

This Flower Medicine Water is named 'Healers Heart', I created it firstly for myself as a holistic healer coming into contact with lots of different energies throughout my day. I loved the effect so much that I decided I had to share it with others too.

The following ingredients are included and their properties are;

Aloe Vera: Restores inner balance as well as replenishing and nourishing internal energy and renewing vibrancy. It is recommended for those workaholics among us as well as for those who burn the candle at both ends and have a tendency to neglect their physical and emotional needs. It is perfect for when you are experiencing exhaustion and burn out.

Hibiscus: This flower enhances our intimate relationships by evoking warmth and responsiveness and helping the heart to open.

Rose: In a world full of obstacles Rose encourages us to remain steadfast and true to our own convictions. It helps us to reconnect with nature and develop a new zest for life. It also restores our inner stability and power.

Orchid: This beautiful flower strengthens and harmonises the Heart and Solar Plexus chakras by transmuting negative emotions into positive energy. It helps us to dissolve self centered negativity and change it into positive energy. This flower also enhances communication with our guardian spirits and acts as a protective shield for sensitive people exposed to hostile environments and energies.

How to use:
Simply shake the bottle before each use before holding it out in front of yourself and spraying around the body slowly. It can also be used as a room spray, this one is especially great for use in treatment rooms.

P.S: If you love looking at other people's creative magic as much as I do you can pop over to Natural Suburbia for her Creative Fridays!

Glastonbury Travels : The Whispered Tales of Trees

2013-04-01T22:34:00.002+01:00

Good Evening my dears,

I've returned to my secret little hobbit hole from a wonderful long weekend in Glastonbury and after a day of travelling I'm relaxing with lots of cups of tea. I'm so thankful and grateful that I got to spend time with my teacup, it is always such a surprise when I get to see her! We had so much fun and such a relaxing, magical time with lots of walking, wandering in the sun, surprise carboot sales with amazing treasures and lots of delicious food. We slept in the most gloriously comfortable beds I have ever had the pleasure of staying in and did Yoga in the sunshine pouring through our windows in the morning. We even got to see wild badgers being fed at our B&B, I've never seen one in real life before now!

Here are just a few little peeks at our stay. I'll be sharing the treasures I found in more depth later in the week.

The view from our window. We were surrounded by the most gorgeous trees all weekend which makes me so happy since I love any and all trees!

One of my favourite finds of the whole weekend, a book about the 16th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper. For anybody who doesn't know, and I think everybody does by now, I have a little bit of a thing for Mr Culpeper! He is SO amazing! I can't wait to read this book and learn more about him.

The gorgeous pond at the front of our B&B that was filled with beautiful Koi fish. Look at that moss! Isn't it amazing?

A goblin door-knocker, because if you're going to find a goblin door-knocker it's probably going to be in Glastonbury!

I saw so many gorgeous Ganesh statues this weekend.

A serene statue at the Chalice Well, this was my first time visiting the well and it is definitely one of my favourite places that I have ever had the fortune to visit. I felt so peaceful and filled with love when I visited and afterwards I walked around with a glow and full of joy for the entire day. I think it was really important for me to go this time, I even had a dream the night before I went of standing and looking right down into the well. It was so real I felt as though it had actually happened and it was only when I got to the well and looked at it that I realised I obviously had never done it in my waking time.

Sitting beside the waterfall, you can walk in the healing water in a little pool in this area. You can also take some water from the healing spring, I very gratefully took a bottle to bring home for Steven, my boys and to include the water in my creations for the shop.

I was absolutely, completely in love with this tree. I'm not even sure what she was, I believe an apple but I could be wrong. She just had the most loving, sweet, kind energy. I spent a long time just sitting underneath her.

Treasures! I got so many amazing books during this trip, most of them for cheap at a carboot sale we happened upon on Sunday. I also bought two new Badger Balms, the Tangerine & Rosemary Tension Soother Balm and the Cheerful Mind Balm. I'm excited to do a review!

Cuddling a gorgeous faerie tree at the Well. I really love cuddling trees!

And apparently they love cuddling me! The perfect combination!

I finally bought a Faith Crystal! We stopped by the Avebury Stones today on our way home to go and sit with our favourite magical trees and I finally found the right Faith crystal for me. These are made by an amazing artist in Glastonbury and I've wanted to buy one every time I've gone but could never find the one meant just for me. This one finally called to me, it looks pink here but it is actually a very pale Amethyst.

I also wanted to say a quick thank you to all of my new followers, I'm so happy to have to with me on my journey! I'm also really psyched because I've hit 333 Google Followers and I love the number 333. Whee!

I wanted to quickly mention the different ways you can follow my blog since I'm sure everybody and their mother knows by now that Google Reader will be closing in July. If you use Blogger like I do then your blog feed won't be affected, but just in case you're on other platforms I've added some super easy ways to keep up to date with me. You can find me on Bloglovin' (there is also a button on my left sidebar) or on Feedly. I've been using Feedly for a few weeks now and I highly recommend it, it is so easy to use with a clean layout and customisation options. I never did understand Bloglovin' personally, it confuses me!

Full Moon Dreamboard : Full Worm Moon

2013-03-27T11:56:00.000Z

Good morning my sugar dumplings,

I'm super excited to announce that I'm going to be setting off for Glastonbury tomorrow to spend a long weekend with my beautiful Teacup. Isn't the serendipity of the universe wonderful? When I made my post yesterday I didn't even know I would be seeing her very, very soon. I am so, SO excited to be able to spend 4 days playing with my best friend and just soaking and revelling in her amazing energy.

I am also really, really excited about the flow of abundance surrounding me. In this past week I have recieved 3 comissions for my crochet work, one for a Pixie hat in gorgeous super soft Black kid mohair and two for my crocheted snoods. Yesterday I went and did my crochet in a beautiful little shop that has opened recently in town which I can only describe as being like Etsy in a real life shop. I was served with gorgeous sponge cake and a huge pot of Earl Grey tea and I also met somebody who will become one of my next case studies!

Today the lovely Jamie Ridler posted her latest Full Moon Dreamboard and I am so psyched to be joining in for the very first time. I highly recommend checking out her site, she has a free newsletter which includes lots of amazing goodies.

So, without further ado, here is my dreamboard for this month, the Full Worm Moon.

In the Northern Hemisphere the Full Worm Moon asks: “What dreams are emerging? What’s stirring?”

The dreams emerging for me right now are simple, sweet and quiet. I dream of spending quiet days with my beautiful rat boys, cuddling and snuggling and playing with them. I'm dreaming of beautiful sunshine days with my love spent cuddled up in bed together laughing, cooking together in the evenings, exploring and playing outside, planting new seeds, creating, connecting.

My soul is stirring with the adventures I know I will be experiencing this year, my heart warm with the love and joy that has already crossed my path. I dream of lots of time to see and play with my friends, heartfelt conversations, giving and receiving love and inspiration. I manifest infinite abundance, joy and inspiration for myself and for everyone.

I feel the stirring of creativity in my bones, drenched in colour and nourished with water. I am enjoying the quiet, ambling pace of my creativity, how restful it feels to hold the pen, the brush, the hook in my hand. The feel of the wool on my fingers and the accidental ink smudges on my hands and face. I am going with the flow of where my art wants to take me.

I am dreaming of more days where I calmly balance my work and relaxation time, manifesting a smooth and easy path for me as I work and peace for the times when I know to stop. I will work at the right pace and take care of myself. I dream of more early mornings and evenings spent reading curled up by the fire, incense burning, candle flickering, and picking up my sketchbook and yarn bag.

Therefore my goals are:

❤ Pace myself with my schoolwork so that I am able to easily see what I need to do each day.

❤ Allow myself time to simply relax and follow my heart.

❤ Plant the seeds I have been gathering and, if necessary, let them grow on the windowsills around the house until the weather is warm enough for them to be safe outside. I will also repot my Clementine and Umbrella Plant.

❤ Go outside and welcome the day each morning. Spend a few moments simply breathing and enjoying the beauty around me.

❤ Spend time with my love each day with no other distractions, cuddling, talking, playing.

❤ Always maintain my values and stay true to what I know is best for me.

❤ Allow bliss and abundance to flow around me and accept it into my life for myself.

❤ Spend time with my kindred spirits, have meet ups for coffee, a meal or for a sleep over. Embrace the way we used to have sleepovers as kids, the pure joy of being around your friends and having a great time.

❤ Continue to work at whatever pace feels natural for me, going with the flow is paramount.

Love Letter // To My Dearest Teacup

2013-03-26T17:53:00.001Z

Good Evening my sweetlings,

Today is a day for writing letters to your best friends, simply because you want to, purely because you love them and you want them to know. This is a love letter to one of mine, my dearest Teacup.

Dearest Teacup,

Today I have to decided to write to you and tell you that I love you. To tell you that I will love you until we are old crones together, wise and full of the memories of our paths across this Earth both together and apart. I am writing to tell you that I will love you beyond that, beyond everything, when we are dust and wind and flowers the whole Earth will be full of my love for you.

The day I met you was one of the most magical of my life, just thinking about it even now makes shivers of magic run through me.When I look up into the stars I imagine that our meeting is written there, somewhere perhaps very far away. Still, I feel as though I could reach out and touch those stars, as though their constellation has been written on my palm since the day I was born. Meeting you was like suddenly stumbling upon a signpost to somewhere magical, somewhere that was home.

You are my kindred spirit, my soul sister, our minds and hearts connected across oceans and miles upon miles. When you cry my heart feels it, when your heart is full of joy I have a skip in my step, and I know it is the same vice versa. When you call for me I must answer it, it is like a whisper that cuts through all and any noise, and it will always reach me.

You have taught me so much in the time we have known each other, because of you my roots are stronger, my trust and love and belief in myself is more fierce. My trust in the world, my trust in others, all of it stronger because of you. You have taught me the power of confidence, the power of asking for what I want from this life. You have shared my triumphs and successes with the most wonderful passion and excitement, no matter how small or big you always shower me with your love and pride and belief in who I am and what I do. When I hear about your latest successes it makes my heart dance and sing, I am so glad of it. I am proud of you each and every day and you are a super nova inspiration to me in all that you do, and all that you are. You are pure magic, pure light.

When I feel as though the world has trampled me down as far as I can fall you are there to pick me up and renew my faith that I can keep going. You have soothed some of the worst pains I have known simply with the warmth of your words and the kindness and love of your soul, sometimes pain I didn't even realise was so deep or so strong. Through being beside you, no matter how far apart we are in body, I am healed by your presence and your being.

From the very first time we spoke you made me laugh so hard that my ribs hurt and tears rolled down my face, and years on you still make me laugh like almost no other can. With you I am free, totally and completely, and with each other we have found somebody with whom we can be totally open. We slip between topics and conversations with the utmost of ease, laughing and falling about one moment transitions naturally into more serious topics and back again.

I think back on all of my favourite memories with you, too many to recount, and it seems like a dream. Laying in the dark, side by side, and whispering secrets and animal wisdom to one another. Sitting in the grass beneath a huge wise tree and reading runes. Tiny bed and breakfast rooms with windows thrown open to let in sea air, dancing with the kind ghosts from our pasts. Laying in the back of the camper van and staring out at the rainbow covering the road behind us. Walking up hills in the dark doubled over with laughter and telling stories of faeries and goblins and trolls. Making wishes and promises with the sea as our witness. Laughing and laughing with a pile of scones and huge pots of cream and jam, the oddness that always seems to overtake us on this most British of occasions. Shared looks between us that speak more than a thousand words.

To you I say, you never have to apologise to me for being who you are, a free spirit who rides the winds that will carry her anywhere she needs to go. You never have to apologise to anybody for that. I wish for you always to know how much I love you and for you to love yourself just as much. You deserve to be loved always, and the brightest blessings to shower you, the most wonderful things to light your path.

Love always

Crumpet

Spring House Tour, Come On In!

2013-03-25T12:44:00.000Z

Good Afternoon my dears,

Yesterday was spent having a big Spring Clean of our house, now the energy feels fresh and clear. I thought it would be the perfect time to take you around the house with me, would you like to come? Help yourself to the tea in the pot before we start.

Oils, blends and brews on the shelf for energising, easing cold symptoms (I'm fending off a real meanie at the moment!) and uplifting. Crystals, fairy dust, LUSH perfumes, a bunny shaped hole punch and my business cards also sit up here.

The abalone shell I keep crystals and special stones in, I also sometimes use the shell for offerings and spellwork.

Inside my 'Travelling Emporium' basket you can find everything currently for sale in my shop.

The outside of the Travelling Emporium Basket, Steven bought me this from his work and it is perfect for transporting all of my goodies wherever I go.

Recent offerings with Ylang Ylang incense and the beautiful Ganesh and Kali incenses from StarChild.

Some of my favourite and most referenced books, from the top:

Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft by Ann Moura: This is probably my favourite book on practicing witchcraft that I've read to date. It is full of information and written in a friendly and down to earth way which I really appreciate.

Crystal Woman: The Sisters of Dream Time by Lynn V. Andrews: Part of the Medicine Woman series of books which I cannot recommend highly enough if you're at all interested in Shamanism.

The Kitchen Witch: A Year-round Witch's Brew of Seasonal Recipes, Lotions and Potions for Every Pagan Festival by Soraya: The link takes you to a slightly different book as I couldn't find this exact one, but I assume they're quite simillar. I love this book because it includes fancy and simple recipes that are very easy to follow and, for somebody who has completely lost all knack of cooking, that is a good thing!

The Crystals Handbook by Denise Whichello Brown and Judith Millidge: I couldn't find a link to this but there are plenty of crystal handbooks on Amazon! This one is very simple with lots of pictures, I use it to identify when I'm not sure what I'm looking at.

Memory & Dream by Charles de Lint: I'm currently working my way through a number of Charles' work, this is the one I've most recently finished. I highly recommend his work to anyone interested in stories with lots of magic, mystery and folklore.

The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl: is full of information on hundreds and hundreds of herbs and includes their magical and mundane properties as well as plenty on using them in different incenses and blends. I wouldn't recommend this book to a beginner as it is quite heavy and doesn't have the friendliest tone (it doesn't have an unfriendly tone persé, it's just quite cold).

Culpeper's Complete Herbal and English Physician by Nicholas Culpeper: Again I couldn't find this exact copy on Amazon but I'm going to assume that most of the current available editions of his works are very similar. Culpeper was an English herbalist alive in the 1600's and is considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of modern Herbalism. I love this book for a lot of reasons, firstly because it is so comprehensive and has so many herbs and plants included as well as their uses, their ruling planets and information about height, appearence and where they live. The other main reason I love this book is because Culpeper is about the most curmudgeonly person that has ever existed and he goes on some truly epic tirades at the slightest provocation, I can sit and just read this book because it is unintentionally so funny.

The Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless: I would highly recommend this book for anybody interested in creating their own essential oil blends, or using any essential oil. It is very clearly laid out and has lots and lots of information on the various uses of a lot of different oils.

My altar currently, I shuffle it around every few months so it will be shuffled soon and I wanted to capture the layout before I move it all around.

A beautiful mushroom made of Yew wood that Steven's brother gave us for Christmas last year, sitting atop the gorgeous Medicine Woman Tarot Deck which unfortunately doesn't have all of it's cards.

The painting you can see here is an original piece by the amazing Naomi Nowak. I'm very lucky to have three original pieces by her that take pride of place in our bedroom.

The famous Tea Table, everybody who comes to my house spends about half an hour standing here and smelling everything! This is only about half of what I have on offer in my house. I love to try new teas and a tea is always my first stop in treating any complaint from stomach pain to insomnia.

A Stitch In Time : My Journey with Crochet

2013-03-23T19:32:00.001Z

Good Afternoon my sweetlings,

I've been mulling the idea of this post over in my mind every day for what feels like months, like rolling a favourite word around in the mouth before speaking it. I've always loved sharing my crochet and fiber art projects here and I want to go a little more in depth on why my hook has become a thing of such affection and support for me. Up until a few days ago I wasn't sure what has been keeping me from writing this post before, but I trust the little secret seeds that live in the dark in my mind, those little seeds never sprout until they're perfectly ready, and like seeds they require a catalyst to get them started.

That catalyst came the other night as I sat in bed and began work on a snood (scarf-hood) for myself, to fend off the bitter cold winds, a shield as thin as a spiders web, as a second skin, but incredibly warm. I was working with mohair and mohair is, by all accounts, basically impossible to unpick. I realised quite quickly that I had made a mistake which would lead to a twist in the shape but I also knew I had to find a way to fix it without having to unpick too much of my work. The thing that came next made me stop in my tracks and smile to myself because, you see, I fixed it. My fingers seemed to move of their own accord, picking up the stitches deftly, slipping and sliding over the hook again and again until it was perfectly straight.

When Steven came into the room I held my hands up and said "look, I did it! I finally figured it out!"

Realising how to stop that twist from happening has taken me nearly 5 years to figure out, almost half a decade just to be able to correct a mistake I've been making for just as long. That's when it hit me, that's when the sunshine suddenly poured down onto the seed of my idea. I realised in that moment just how long I have been doing my crochet and just how far I have come with it. Now it was finally time to write this post.

Ocean Soul Afghan Blanket with recycled and first hand yarn and wool, 2010

I began working with crochet in the Autumn of 2009, not long after moving in with Steven. We shared a small bedroom and a single bed and it was there, sitting on that bed, that I spent hours upon hours with a bundle of yarn and a crochet hook trying to wrap my head around creating those deceptively simple looking little stitches. I don't quite know what even possessed me to suddenly pick up a hobby I'd never even had a passing interest in before and yet one night I found myself on Ebay buying a set of bamboo crochet hooks and excitedly waiting for them to arrive.

Those early days were full of crochet hook induced blisters and headaches bought on from squinting with utter confusion, looking down at my hands and marvelling at the confusing mess I was making. The mistakes I made in those early days were baffling, not just little mistakes but strange, misshapen forms I couldn't even begin to replicate now. I dubbed them 'mutant stitches' and I'm sure every person in the early stages of holding hook or needles knows what those are like. I sat myself down at the computer and looked up the simplest tutorial I could find on crochet, and then I followed it. That was how I learned to crochet, and aside from the near telepathic bond I have with my best friend it is the only tutorial I have ever been able to understand. Short of beaming the understanding into my head I have always been at a total loss when it comes to following crochet tutorials!

In those early days I made endless little sort-of-squares and bags and then threw them away and started again. At first everything I made turned into a round bag and I had no idea how to crochet anything straight, and then I figured out how to make a square and I could no longer crochet anything round. I don't even remember how long that went on for, but it was at least a month. Armed with only the basic stitches, slip stitch, single crochet and double crochet, I sat with my hook and practised all day and well into each night.

In 2010 I decided to embark on a strangely gigantic mission to make a blanket. I picked up an assortment of balls of yarn and began what would be a 3 month journey into the land of gigantic freeform afghans. I wasn't making a small blanket, something manageable, oh no. For whatever reason I was making something the size of a Queensize bed as my very first real project.

Looking back on the months that it took me to progress from tiny scraps of crochet to working on that first blanket I realise that crochet became a sort of cocoon for me. It was apt that I was making something of a literal cocoon for myself because the act of sitting there quietly day after day, mind wandering and dreaming as I pulled the growing blanket over my lap again and again, was my way of transforming myself.

Crochet is one of the most meditative things I've ever experienced, aside from painting, something to get totally lost in. You stop paying attention to anything but the one stitch on your hook and the yarn around your fingers and your mind and thoughts wander to quiet places inside you. Other times you think of nothing, absolutely nothing, and you are totally at peace with the universe. After everything that had led me up to the day I took up my first hook, I needed those months of silence and quiet thinking. I didn't realise it then but I was building a nest around myself, somewhere for me to begin healing myself. It would take a long time, I'm still in the process now, but I started the journey with that first stitch.

It was after meeting that previously mentioned telepathic best friend that I first learned about Freeform Crochet, also known sweetly as Scrumbling. In fact she was the first one to turn me onto it with the words "I know you'll love this." and she was, as she always is, perfectly right. I remember looking at every page and image of freeform crochet, in fact freeform anything, that I could find and sending her endless links. We'd spent our days talking to each other on Skype and quietly working on our projects, then after a few hours we would show each other. I created that first blanket largely whilst talking on Skype, and it is filled with the memories of our early friendship. I still have it and it is so precious to me.

After that first blanket I was, pun totally intended here, hooked. I hunted Ebay for stashes of yarn and bought bags and bags full, always thrilled with how cheap it was. Soon there were balls of yarn everywhere you looked, tucked into every nook and cranny and falling out of everything. I loved running my fingers over the different textures and piling all of the colours up together. On a travel down to Cornwall, where I finally learnt the difference between wool and yarn and a hook and a needle, I was introduced to the wool lovers holy grail, Rowan's Kidsilk Haze. I bought two balls and kept hold of them for months on end before I started another blanket, this time inspired by the sea and using only blue yarns and wools. This one was even bigger, the biggest I've ever made, and looked like foamy soft waves crashing over my legs as I worked on it. My love of freeform was cemented with that blanket, seeing the colours and textures mingling together ensured that I would forever be buying those destash lots of yarn. The blanket, when I eventually stood back and said "I think that's quite enough!", became the Ocean Soul Afghan which is actually for sale in my shop.

I realised what I think a lot of crafters and creators realise. The urge to create, to keep growing and keep learning, was stronger than my urge to have the things I was making. I loved creating them but I didn't need them, I really didn't need them as my overflowing house assured me, but suddenly not working on something was a difficult and painful idea. The thought of stopping, of being practical, was quite lost on my fingers that itched to feel the weight of yarn and the wood and plastic of my hooks.

It was also around this time that I discovered The Giant Hook. Anybody who has seen me doing my crochet knows this hook now and it is in my hand so often that it feels like an extension of myself. It never fails to elicit a shocked gasp when people lay eyes on it for the first time, looking from it to me and back again as if I've somehow taken a smaller hook and made it comically large. Most people, when they think of a crochet hook, think of the tiny ones used for making lace or the ones their Grandma's used for making doilies. This hook is nothing short of a monster next to those tiny, delicate hooks. It is a beast with a handle thicker than any pen or pencil and it has been my very favourite hook to work with from the day I first got my hands on it. The 15mm, the crochet hook that stole my heart. I have only ever lost it once and, months after replacing it with another, it turned up as if by magic in the bottom of my bag one day. It sits on my bedside table as we speak, always ready to be picked up for an evening of work by the fire.

The 'Granny Craft' image of crochet was another thing that made me want to stick with it and share it with others and it makes me so happy to see that the rise of similar Granny Crafts is ever on the rise with more and more people taking up crochet, knitting and embroidery than I've ever seen before. Steven still gently refers to me as an old lady whenever I'm busy with my hook and I've had many people over time tell me that they never imagine somebody young doing crochet. I feel that this is starting to change as more people become interested in making things by hand and as the various fiber arts become more well known. People are starting to realise that there is more to crochet than just making doilies and chair covers, even more to it than tea cosies and baby jumpers.

Crochet is a wonderfully malleable skill with endless possibilities and combinations. There are some truly awe inspiring and jaw dropping pieces of crochet work out there, pieces of wearable, touchable art. I think the tactile nature of crochet, and all fiber arts, is one of the things I love most about it. As a highly sensual person there is a feeling so unique about running my fingers over a piece and knowing that each stitch was created by somebody, it creates a sort of sensory connection with a creator you might not ever meet. Likewise, when I'm working on a piece, or after I finish and hold it up in front of me, I marvel at how I was able to create it. From the raw materials at the beginning, whether it be unspun raw wool or a ready spun ball and a hook I can create huge landscapes of shifting colours, textures and shapes where once there was nothing. I think about how many individual stitches make up each piece, thousands and thousands, and how each one is part of a whole. How each one held my utmost attention for a second before I moved onto the next and the next and the next. It is like looking at time stood still, captured in each stitch, each row.

Somewhere along the line memories get caught up in it too, I can look at a piece I've made and remember the days and nights I spent making it, the important events that were happening for me at the time and also the every day happenings, the things barely noticed at the time as anything out of the ordinary but which stick in your mind forever.

Another element of crochet that I really love is the ability to recycle what others no longer want or need into something useful and joyful. This is one of the main reasons that most of the yarn and wool I buy is second hand, coming from the stash of somebody who decided they didn't need it anymore. Instead of going out and always buying new I can use up something that has already been purchased, and that way stop quite so much going to waste.

I also love that I can support ethical sources of wool, I get to decide who I give my money to. I especially love buying yarns and wools from people who raise and care for their own sheep, hearing and reading about the passion and love they have for their animals and what they do is so heart warming. There are so many people out there who are dedicated to creating ecologically friendly yarns and fibers, without dangerous and harmful chemicals. It gets easier every day to find environmentally friendly materials to work with so that you can create pieces that are respectful and caring instead of destructive to nature.

There is also the element of being able to create your own materials right from start to finish without needing the intervention of outside companies or expensive machinery. It is perfectly possible to take wool from start to finish yourself, even creating the colour along the way with your own dyes. The natural dyeing scene is another that is ever on the up and up at the moment as more people become aware of the versatility of what the earth provides for us.

The Rainbow Wrap with recycled and first hand yarn and wool and handspun wool, 2013

My crochet work has also enabled me to meet wonderful new people and to trade and sell my work. When I first picked up that hook I never imagined I would be able to sell the things I used it to create, but I have been proven wrong time and again. Just the other day one of my lovely followers asked to commission a pixie hat after seeing my latest mohair hat on instagram, I've traded with amazing artists for original work and created pieces for my best friends and loved ones. I had no inkling of what I could accomplish with just a few balls of wool and a hook when I set out on the adventure what seems like forever ago, if somebody had showed me one of my own blankets and told me I would make that I would have never believed them.

I think setting out on that adventure, that new hobby, with no expectations was the best possible way I could have done it. Doing it purely for the enjoyment, purely for the chance to grow, made me unselfconscious about making mistakes, it meant I didn't worry about whether others thought my work was good or not. It didn't matter, and it didn't matter for so long that when I finally started to show my work to others it still didn't matter. It still doesn't. I crochet because I love it and it is a way for me to spread love and happiness to others, but if somebody comes along and doesn't like my work it doesn't affect me in the slightest. I think I would have had more trouble with that if I had set out with the notion of trying to create anything specific, anything perfect.

Moss & Earth cowl with handspun merino wool, ribbon, recycled acrylic yarn and felted red wool. 2012

So for anybody with even the faintest yearning to pick up a hook and learn crochet, I can't recommend it highly or enthusiastically enough. It has, without a doubt, changed my life for the better and given me incredible opportunities and I know it will continue to do so for a long, long time.

I also want to say that age old saying, if I can do it you can do it. I made a million mistakes when I first started and I kept going. I still make mistakes now and I learn from every single one of them. Sometimes I can unpick them, sometimes I have to start over completely. I have never been able to follow a pattern and I still can't. I don't know any fancier stitch than a double crochet. Everything I have ever made I have figured out completely on my own, and I know you can do it too. It is a long journey, one on which you never stop learning, and it is so incredibly rewarding and fun.

Delirium Freeform Afghan Blanket, recycled wool and yarn. 2013.
Available in my shop

The hands know,

the materials too,

quite apart from your imaginings,

less or more than your intentions -

following the pattern that emerges,

the story as it tells.

-- Jane Whitely

Pixie Pass-Times

2013-03-21T20:06:00.001Z

Good Evening my sweetlings,

March has been such a busy month, I can hardly believe it! I've been knuckling down with my schoolwork every day, writing case studies until I feel like I could write them in my sleep. Or at least I wish I could!

I've been doing other little bits and pieces each day to give my mind a rest, my classmates always ask me how I manage to fit in all of the other things I do along with all of the school work we have and I tell them that I do it because I couldn't not do it. This morning I was talking to my Mama Goblin, who has just finished her own coursework just this morning, and I told her that the reason I keep doing the things I want to do is in no small part because I refuse to let my life be taken over by schoolwork. She said she feels exactly the same and that she refused to spend months on her coursework, she could have taken until April to do it which is the same for me, but we've both been diligent in chipping away at it each day.

I always try to encourage everybody to give themselves time to do something purely for their own enjoyment, simply for fun and pleasure. I feel as though there are so many drains on our energy every day, things that tell us urgently 'I can't wait! You HAVE to pay attention to me!', and we tell ourselves that all the time too. I've noticed a lot of people saying they feel too guilty if they just sit down and rest, just do something for fun when there is so much else they need to get done.

I really passionately believe that you need to have time purely for yourself just as much as you might need to do any number of other things. I also think that is 100% totally and perfectly fine to sit down for an hour or so every day and turn off everything else and just focus on something for yourself. A lot of the things that we think desperately require our attention right this moment can actually wait, if only for an hour. The way I see it, if you don't put your foot down and set time aside for yourself then nobody else is going to do it either, it is only you who can make that distinction and stick to it.

So, aside from working my butt off with my case studies I've been working on a few crochet projects with beautiful yarns (I'm really into laceweights at the moment! Such a change for me!), watching The Big Bang Theory with my love in the evenings, reading Charles de Lint novels (I just finished Memory & Dream and now I've started on Yarrow), chatting with my friends and playing with my amazingly funny hamster Bun. Right now I'm eating yoghurt and listening to this 90s pop playlist, because I love 90s playlists!

I crocheted myself a new hat using one of the mohair yarns that came in the destash lot I bought the other day. I started this yesterday evening and finished yesterday night so it was a very quick and simple project which I did for myself because I wanted a new hat. It is really big and incredibly soft and I feel like a little mushroom in it, which makes me very happy!

I also like to dress as a bee. I took this photo mainly to show my phone case which I don't think I've ever shared before. I love it so much, Totoro is my one of my favourite characters ever!

A sneaky glimpse at one of my latest pieces. I've been experimenting with watercolours and ink and I'm really loving the results and getting to work on something new. I've also got my eyes on a gorgeous portable loom to finally start learning how to weave.

A good post day from a few weeks ago that I forgot to share. These are all ingredients for goodies I'm planning for my shop. The faerie festival I'm going to be a stallholder at is drawing ever nearer too.

The most illustrious and fantastic Mr Bun! He is without a doubt one of the strangest creatures and he provides Steven and I with endless amusement, just watching him is amazing! He loves to cuddle too, cuddly hamsters are amazing! Here he is playing with a walnut that was part of a very shortlived toy that he was obsessed with.

Roar, roar! This walnut has nothing on me!

Crocheting with gorgeous Kidsilk Haze and watching really cheerful makeup vloggers on youtube is one of my favourite pass-times that I stumble back into every few months. Even though I don't wear a lot of makeup I love watching other people put it on and talk about it!

To finish, here is a poem that my Papa Goblin posted to my wall this afternoon. He knows me so well! Isn't it beautiful? Those last lines give me shivers of happiness.