Such a Fun Prize!!

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a blog hop of Halloween artists. If was so much fun to visit the blogs and see what the amazing artists who participated create. Then I ended up in the hospital - dang it - however, the Goddess was definitely smiling on me because I won a couple of prizes for visiting the blogs - it was so cool and a really nice thing to find out when I arrived home from the hospital!

This weekend I received this totally cool piece of art:

This beautiful piece was created by Dana over at BluBeagle Designs. She has some pretty fun things on her blog. If you have a chance you should check it out!! 

I am still deciding where to hang it. It will definitely be going in a place of honor!

So thank you Dana for sending me such a fantastic piece, I love it!!

Thanks for stopping by :0)

Grow Your Blog Party - Welcome!

Welcome to Beneath the Witch’s Moon, my little part of the internet/cyberspace. I am so glad you stopped by. I have been organizing, cleaning and making all sorts of fun plans for the upcoming year.

This is my second year taking part in the Grow Your Blog Party. I am so thankful to Vicki over at 2 Bags Full for hosting this awesome event. Last year I found so many wonderful blogs to follow and even made a couple of friends during the party! After your visit here be sure to click on the picture above to be taken to the blog party page where you will find links to lots of cool blogs to explore.

I started Beneath the Witch’s Moon several years ago to connect with other like minded folks and to blog about my witchy experiences. Blogging has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve met amazing people from all walks of life, many different faiths and from all over the world! I have slowly become active with my local Pagan community, which was one of my very first goals, and I have been able to dispel some of the myths that are associated with my witchy faith.

I’m Autumnwind or Debbie, I do answer to both. I am mom to 4 amazing children, an artist, photographer, and a traveler when I am able to be. I have two Jack Russell/Mini American Eskimo Mix pups names Sophie and Alice who are feisty and full of fun. My home is in Nevada close to Lake Tahoe and Northern California. I love the natural beauty of this area and try to spend as much time as possible outdoors.

My blog’s original focus was on my witchy experiences. Over the years it has changed a bit. Last year I tried to do too much and failed so this year I will be getting back to my roots and focusing on my adventures, my art and magical living.

On Witchy Wednesdays I’ll be posting about all things witchy. Currently I am re-posting my witchy Green Cleaning Series. You can check out the first two posts here and here. I plan on posting two Wednesdays a month on Witchy things. These posts will be varied and can include information on the Tarot, Pagan Holidays, Spells, Myths and much more. My intent is that my Wednesdays are full of witchy fun.

On Artsy Monday’s I’ll be showcasing some of the artsy/crafty projects that I am working on. I enjoy figurative sculpture and have take part in many a doll swap. These swaps challenge me artistically and are just plain fun! I also sew, do embroidery work, scrapbook, and basically just love to create. So you’ll see things from those aspects of my life as well. If I find a useful tool or product I’ll share my experiences with it and I have several tutorials in the works including one on making a clay pumpkin head figure. I hope to post at least once a month on these topics as well.

Here is one of the Zombie Doll’s I created for a swap. 

She is based on The Old Woman who Lived in the Shoe nursery rhyme.

You’ll see posts on my adventures including my travels, hiking and also some of my kayaking excursions. I love to try new things, below is me gold panning. I loved the experience though the specks of gold I found are so tiny I have to keep them in a jar so I don't lose them!

Me Gold Panning in Northern California

You'll also see blog parties because I love them! I have participated in Mad Tea’s, Haunted Party’s, Oz parties and more. These parties inspire me to create and then inspire me again as I see what others have created!!

One of the Mad Tea Parties

I hope you enjoyed your visit and will stick around for a while. As you can see, my blog is an eclectic little space. I have enjoyed meeting so many new people and hope to get to know you too!

Leave a comment to be entered into my giveaway. I’ll be giving away this embroidered mug rug and a mug of goodies to one randomly drawn person. You do not need to be a follower to win. Winner will be announced on February  15^th. 

I just joined the Grow Your Blog Party for 2015

Vicki at 2 Bags Full is once again hosting her amazing Grow Your Blog party and I am so excited to be participating this year. Last year I had an amazing time and met so many talented bloggers.

I am re-evaluating what I want to do here since I got sidetracked and lost my focus a bit. I am already working on fun this for the blog, things which get back to magical living, back to my fun and magical life, back to the artsy craftsy (and magical) things that I love and just back to the original intent of this blog.

I look forward to sharing with you in the months ahead! I hope you'll stop by on January 25th to see what fun things I have planned as well as what magical present I'll be giving away.

Thanks for being here

The Hues of Oz

A big thank you to Oma Linda over at Olde Baggs and Stuffed Shirts for hosting this awesome blog party.

With so many amazing colors to choose from it was almost hard to pick just one but there is one color from the Land of OZ that is truly dear to my heart and that is Ruby Red, especially when it is on slippers. 

When my daughter was a little girl she desperately wanted to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz but at that time (she just turned 26) there were no readymade ruby slippers or Dorothy costumes so I was on my own.

Being a creative soul I decided to make ruby slippers out of little girl ked sneakers. So, I painted them with sparkling red glitter paint, added a red satin bow with a big red jewel in the center and my daughter was thrilled. Easy Peasy! Unfortunately I have no idea where those original shoes are but today I am going to show you how to make your own Ruby Red Slippers – Adult Style

Materials:

Red shoes (Or any light colored shoe)

Red glitter paint

Red Glitter

Red Ribbon

Red Jewel

Sealant

Masking Tape

Newspaper or Plastic Grocery Bags

Sponge Brush

First find a pair of red colored heels in your size. You can use lighter colors of white and tan but you will need to do a base coat of red paint before you apply the glitter due to the slick nature of the shoes. If you are using canvas sneakers you can use white and then add several coats of the glitter paint. The canvas takes the paint much better than the leatherette/vinyl does.

Stuff newspaper or plastic grocery bags inside the shoe and mask off the areas you do not want painted.

Using a sponge brush cover the entire shoe with red glitter paint and let dry completely. If you need another coat or two to get the coverage you like be sure to let the paint dry completely between each coat. 

Red Glitter

 Now here is the secret to glittery ruby slippers, on your last coat, right after you apply the paint, sprinkle red glitter over the paint and then let it dry. BAM! Ruby Red slippers, just as glittery as Dorothy’s. Once the glitter dries there may be a spot or two that you need to touch up, just brush on some paint and add more glitter. (Another option is to use modpodge glue instead of paint.

Red Shoe is on Left, Vream Shoe is on Right

Once the glitter and paint are dry, seal the shoes with a sealant and let them dry completely. 

Take a length of ribbon and sew or hot glue the ends together so you have a loop of ribbon. Take a shorter piece of the same ribbon and do the same. Laying the shorter loop on top of the first, longer loop then lay the loops flat and tie a knot in the center using string. Take a small piece of the original ribbon and wrap around the center, covering the string. Lap the ends and secure with glue.

Glue the bow to the shoe and then add a matching jewel

Voila!

Comparison

Sealed and Ready to Wear - Once I make the second one!

Ruby Slippers 

Grow Your Blog Party 2014 - Welcome

Welcome to Beneath the Witch’s Moon! I am so glad you stopped in for a visit. I’ve been cleaning and organizing things all month in preparation for guests.

I am so excited to be taking part in the Grow Your Blog blog party being hosted by Vicki over at 2 Bags Full. 

I’m Autumnwind or Debbie – I answer to both though you’ll see Autumnwind here more often than not. I started this blog several years ago to blog about my witchy side and connect with other like minded people. As time has gone on I have met and became part of a larger Pagan community (both in cyberspace and at home) and I have met amazing people from all walks of life, many faiths and many different stages of life. It has been one of the best experiences of my life.  I am a wife, a mom to 4 amazing individuals and I have 2 hyper pups named Sophie and Alice ( they are a Jack Russel mix so I knew they would be a bit feisty!) and one old kitty named Rosie. My house is hectic and full of energy and love. 

As it has grown, my blog’s focus has changed a tiny bit. In preparation for today I was reviewing my posts and found that I tend to blog about 4 or 5 main things: Witchy Bits, Arts & Crafts, Health & Fitness, Travel and my adventures with my Family. Those are the things that are important to me and those are what you’ll find here.

New for this year I have 3 days that will be set aside for specific types of posts (mainly). They are:

Artsy Mondays – These posts will be DIY and Arts & Crafts related. I am an Artist, mainly a sculptor (currently anyway) though I also embroider, sew, paint, create jewelry and dabble in mixed media pieces. I also used to teach rubber stamping technique and paper crafting classes when I owned a scrapbook store so you’ll see some of those projects on Mondays along with all sorts of cool Artsy projects that I am working on. The first official Artsy Monday post was a project that is all the rage on Pinterest right now – re-purposing an old frame into a chalkboard – you can check it out here. It was a fun project and I’ll definitely be making more chalkboards soon! In my second Artsy Monday post I shared how to turn wine corks into a trivet shaped like a grape cluster. You can see that post here. I have lots of fun how-to posts planned for this series and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Witchy Green Wednesday

Witchy Green Wednesdays – These are currently focused on “Green” cleaning products. There are 5 posts in this series the first of which you can find here. Once I have wrapped up the Witchy Green Cleaning Series Wednesdays will be about health/fitness and “Green” alternatives to everything from pet treats to beauty products. Everything I write about I test in my own home first and I’ll share any blunders I make or tips I found. You’ll also see recipes, gardening ideas and more. Wednesdays are about Hearth and Home, Health and Fitness and how to make our living spaces more healthy and enjoyable.Some of these posts will be crafty as I show my adventures in soap making, wine making and creating my own lotions and body products. Anything I create will be presented with step by step directions and lots of pictures. For another sample you can check out this post on making homemade marshmallows.

Pagan Fridays – I am taking part in the 2014 Pagan Blog Project. Every Friday participants post about something Pagan/Wiccan/Witch related which starts with a specific letter of the alphabet. We do 2 posts with each letter of the alphabet and it has been a very though provoking experience. This is my 3^rd year as part of the project though I have not completed a full years of posts yet. I hope to change that this year. Fridays will be Pagan Blog Project posts.  If you are not familiar with real witches you should check out a couple of these posts. Most people are quite surprised by how normal we witches really are! You can read my first post this year here.

There will be other posts about various things going on in my life. One of the things I found I liked reading about on other blogs was fun projects and the people who create them. It’s always nice to get to know someone online and reading about the day to day things in a person’s life gives you a snapshot of who they are.

One of the Tea Parties

I enjoy blog parties. I've taken part in many a Tea party here in cyberspace, some mad, others haunted and all of them a lot of fun!

A Hatter in Zombieland

I also enjoy swaps and have taken part in some really fun swaps that have challenged me as an artist... for instance the Zombie in Wonderland swap and Voodoo Doll Pincushion Swap. 

I love art, photography, kayaking, hiking, gardening and just living life to the fullest. I hope you’ll become a friend and follower and come along with me on this wonderful journey that is life.

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing to win a 4 ounce jar of my Witchy Green Scouring Powder in either Orange-Clovebud or Lavender (your choice) and a sweet little surprise! The drawing is for the scouring powder (and surprise) only, the essential oils and mortar and pestle are not included. For more information on this amazing scouring powder click here. You do not need to be a follower to win. Winner will be announced on February 15th.

Witchy Green Scouring Powder

Thanks for stopping by my blog, I hope you enjoyed your stay and will come back soon!

Autumnwind

Hues of Oz Blog Party

I am thrilled to announce that I just joined the Hues of Oz blog party being hosted by Olde Baggs n' Stuft Shirts which is celebrating the colors of Oz. You know what I mean, ruby red slippers, yellow brick roads and emerald cities. There are so many hues to choose from. Pick one that inspires you and create. For more information click on the picture above.

Grow Your Blog - A Meet and Greet Blog Party

I just signed up for the Grow Your Blog meet and greet scheduled for January 25th of 2014. This blog party is being hosted by Vicki at 2 Bags Full. It sounds like a great way to explore other blogs and introduce people to mine! I am looking forward to this event. Check back on the 25th for some information about me and the blog as well as a fun give-away!

Haunted Halloween Tea Party and a Give Away!

Thank you to Vanessa at aFancifulTwist.com for hosting this wonderful event. Be sure to click HERE to see all the blogs that are hosting tea today

Welcome to my home, I am so glad you were able to stop by, it is such a lovely day for a Haunted Halloween Tea Party!

The beautiful colors of the season are in abundance here so I had to share but before you come inside make sure you check behind you, we don't want anything to follow you in!

                                     

                                               

The table is set...

The tea has been brewed, and...

The snacks are ready, so please sit for a spell and join me for tea. 

 I made these lovely cookies myself using this fabulous recipe I found on eHow.com

Best Soft Sugar Cookies

4 Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg

2 Dashes of Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tarter

1 Cup Butter - Softened

1 1/2 Cups White Sugar

1 Egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

Frosting

Directions:

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cream of tater in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, vanilla and sour cream, mix until blended. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Wrap dough in plastic warp and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough to a 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the BOTTOM of the cookie starts to brown. Do not over bake or the cookies will crumble. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then move to wire rack and cool completely.

Ice with frosting of your choice. Click the eHow link above or HERE for a link to the recipe. For the recipe I used to frost my cookies click HERE.

These cookies are really yummy. They are soft yet held their shape well when baked. I hope y ou enjoy them while you are visiting today!

To celebrate this lovely Haunted Tea Party I am giving away a Brand New Set of these Awesome Cookies Cutters, a Haunted Recipe Card with the Above recipe and one for the Icing as well as an Altered Tea Tin complete with an assortment of 12 tea bags...

Here are the cookie cutters, the winners will be in the original package... these are mine :0)

To enter the Give Away all you have to do is follow my blog (if you don't already) and leave me a comment. Really, that is it!

Thanks for stopping by, I'll be visiting everyone tomorrow!

Here is the number of the comment that was picked as the winner...

And the winner is... Incipient Wings :0) Congratulations. Email me with you mailing address and I will mail you your goodies! 

** Note** I am not sure that the email link is working correctly so please email me at AutumnWindReno at Aol.com 

It's almost time for a Haunted Halloween Tea Party!

This is a quickie post since I am at work and only have a minute but I wanted to say that I am so excited to be a part of this year's Haunted Halloween Tea Party being hosted by A Fanciful Twist. Check back on Saturday to join in on the fun and to enter to win in another giveaway!

For more information on the party you can click the picture above or click here.

See you then!

Broomsticks on the Bayou Blog Party and a Giveaway!!

Welcome to my Broomsticks on the Bayou blog party. Thanks to Frosted Petunias and Incipient Wings for hosting such a fun party!

Recently I did a swap over at Yarnigras Swapper Spot for a Voodoo Doll Pincushion. Whenever I create something new I have to do a wee bit of research. Research for me is one of the easiest ways to get my creative fires lit. During my research I found Voodoo Dolls on Etsy and Ebay, in Voodoo shops and in the Louvre!

 Here is the amazing Voodoo doll pincushion I received in that swap. You can read more about that here.

Here is the other pincushion I received in that swap. 

Notice the Voodoo doll that is attached to the front! So cute!

Researching the Voodoo dolls was not only informative; it was just plain old fun! I was amazed to see the variety of Voodoo dolls currently available. I am not going to discuss the practice of Voodoo, I am just going to show you some of the stunning Voodoo Dolls that I saw!

Here are some of the most interesting Voodoo Dolls I found, click on the image to be taken to the shop that sells that particular doll:

From Bijoux Bayou on Etsy

From Michalinaeisenberg on Etsy

From BehindTheRowsStudio on Etsy

From - From Grams House on Etsy

Here is a fun little guy that was given to me by a friend. These wrapped string dolls seem to be everywhere right now!

From a friend

While the above are mainly (but not only) artistic and/or fun, I also found a Voodoo shop that is located in the heart of New Orleans and has an amazing variety of Voodoo Dolls, Gris Gris, Potions and so much more available. The shop is called, what else, The Voodoo Shop. Here is one set of dolls from the many they have available. 

Aren't these lovely. Click on the picture to visit the site and learn more about them.

The one Voodoo doll that I came across that I was most intrigued with was a 4^th century AD, historical Voodoo doll found in Egypt and currently housed in the Louvre in Paris. This particular doll was found in a terracotta vase along with a binding spell. When I first saw this picture I thought that the person represented by the doll sure did make someone angry! Can you imagine finding yourself represented as a Voodoo doll! Yikes! If you click on this picture it will take you to the Wiki site with information on the picture and the doll  itself.

Now, how about a giveaway… As those of you who follow me know, I have a really spectacular embroidery sewing machine and one of my favorite places to get embroidery designs – Urban Threads just happens to have an awesome Voodoo doll pattern. Here is the one that I made...

 

Since I am celebrating the art of the Voodoo doll I will be giving away this awesome doll (along with a couple of silly surprises) to a randomly drawn person on Halloween!

To enter the giveaway all you need to do is follow my blog (if you don’t already that is) and leave me a comment.  You must be a follower to win.

For additional entries you can:
Post about my give away on your blog linking back to this post
and/or

Tweet about it, linking back to this post

If you post on your blog or tweet, post the info in the comments or click here to email me so that I can add your additional entries to the drawing.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to check out the Broomsticks on the Bayou page to see who else is celebrating with us today!

***Update***
And the comment chosen as the winner is...

The winner is PlumFieldHouseGardens. Congratulations!! Email me with your mailing information and I will get you VooDoo doll mailed off to you! Thank you for stopping by my party!

**NOTE** I am not sure if the email link is working correctly so please email me at AutumnWindReno at Aol. com