Rustic Spoon Star a Kitchen Witch Pentagram

If you've followed me for a while you might know that I have a thing for spoons. Its not just because they're good for eating soup! I think they're lovely objects and perfectly crafted for stirring up magic.

And with that in mind, I've made a kitchen witch pentagram. If you're not witchy in the least don't fear - you are very welcome to create this is a simple pretty star.

Best of all the materials for this project are few and simple. Spoons, twine, glue, paint, flowers. That's it! Heck, you probably have that in your house already.

A package of wooden spoons usually comes with three in various sizes. Now, you could just cut them all to the same length... or buy five packages and make a set of three different sized stars. BUY THEM ALLLLLL!!!!!

I've carved the edges of the spoons to give an old, weathered, almost handmade look to them. I think it makes a BIG difference, but please be careful when whittling away.

The flowers and leaves I used were grabbed from the bottom of my stash bin. If you're making a pentagram as opposed to a star, you might want to consider the magical properties of the colours you use. You could go so far as to incorporate dried herbs, flowers and other natural elements with magical intent. A pretty pentagram with protective qualities perhaps?

AND... there's a video tute. Pop over to my YouTube channel to see it HERE or check below.

Please use it. Please share it. Please tag me if you create this project. It's so encouraging to see your work and it's absolutely appreciated when you link back to me.

The List of Bits:

5 wooden spoons
Twine (or other binding material)
Acrylic paint
Hot glue
Instant/Crazy glue

Dried flowers and embellishments

Fortunes Told Collage Sheet

I've made a collage sheet of fortune telling goodies for all the fairy sized diviners, seers and mystics out there.

There's a whole whack of stuff on it! Mr. Pixie grumbled that I spent way too much time on it... but it was totally worth it.

Besides all the cards of a traditional tarot deck, there are 4 little magazines/guide books to make. 

There's one for Palmisrty, Phrenology, Tea Reading and Cartomancy (aka card reading).

I've also included two tiny sets of runes on the sheet. They have bone and wood textured backgrounds as those are traditional rune making materials.

Anywho, it's a nice full sheet of mini fun and I'm super pleased with how it turned out. If you have a tiny fortune teller who could use some accessories the sheet is available in the etsy shop HERE.

The Stuff of Little Fairy Tales

I put together this cute little trio of wee things.

A handmade book (recycled from the pages of discarded a book), a wee wand charm and a tiny vial of pixie dust.

I woke up one morning to find a wee trio like this on my bedside. It must have been one of the newer house fairies... soooo forgetful!

I thought it would be a nice surprise for others too! If you have someone who needs a sweet treat from the little folk you can buy this little trio HERE.

On that note... some of the items in my shop will no longer be available to some areas of Canada. Shipping to British Columbia costs twice as much as sending the same package to Australia, and almost 3 times as much as sending to the USA. It's absolutely ridiculous. I'm pretty sure there are some bad pooka running that place.

Little Fortunes - Tarot cards and crystal balls

I've been fiddling with tiny tarot cards all week. I wanted to get them just right but it turns out the size I had guestimated for scale wasn't far off from an accurate 1:12 scale version. I'm not hugely worried about accuracy... I mean I appreciate it, but I'm not a stickler for it.

One of the things about scale is that when creating a 1:12 scale tarot deck on card stock the thickness of the card becomes an issue. 78 layers of card stock is thick! So, for this little set I've only included the 22 Major Arcana. This gives a nice little pile, thick little cards and still allows for an actual reading if you are so inclined to squint your way through some fortune telling.

Anywho, I've made a few sets including the Major Arcana cards, wee crystal ball and a fortune telling book. They are available HERE.

While fiddling with the wee tarot cards I was doing some research and came across this really cool boxed set that was the original Waite Rider Smith deck from 1909. The deck is known as the "Roses and Lilies" deck because of the back pattern on the cards.

Anyway, I thought it would be nifty to recreate that set in miniature. I know the scaling of the book and box aren't perfect... but I'm pleased with the set none the less.

There are in fact 78 cards included in this set. I've printed on regular paper and, although it still makes for a very thick stack, it's not nearly as ridiculous as when printed on card. Plus... they look pretty great if-i-d0-say-so-myself.

I've had a request for a tarot collage sheet and I'll finish that up as soon as I can. Until then, if you'd like to buy a completed set, there are a few mini "Roses and Lilies" boxed sets available in the etsy shop.

A Fortune Tellers Wagon

This piece has been sitting on my work table, unfinished, wheelless, for about a year. And while I misplaced the original wheels and the door, it's a small miracle more bits didn't disappear!

The base of the piece is the Bathing Machine from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts (also available from Alpha Stamps if you're outside of the US). It's nice thick chipboard and the kit is pretty easy to assemble. 

(Note: the original wheels are larger than the replacement ones I've used)

Because I'm slightly more interested in fortune telling than Victorian changing habits at the beach, I've made my wagon into a tiny 'seer' caravan.

I've used Graphic 45's Couture to embellish this beauty. Doweling, dresden and window boxes have been added.

The roof has been covered with natural bark, with a sprinkling of miniature terrain moss and a pink of Flower Soft.

The little poster is a graphic from thegraphicsfairy.com

And there is an inside! I've left the roof removable for easy viewing.

A fortune tellers delight! Tea leaves, a marble crystal ball, and tiny tarot cards!

Here is the list of most of the bits I've used on this piece. It's really just a hodge podge of stash so some of the supplies might no longer be available.

Bathing Machine
Gypsy poster graphic from thegraphicsfairy.com
Couture papers from Graphic 45
Small Antique 3D Gold Crowns
Miniature candlestick
Simple Cups & Saucers Set
Wire Chair
Wooden Stir Sticks
Drinking Straw
Bark
Lace
Miniature Terrain Moss
Moss
Flower Soft
Wooden doweling
Bead caps
3mm Brass Flat-Back Studs
Half Scale Cocktail Shaker
Faux Metal Number Plates 1 to 25
Baroque Dresden Borders - Black
Thin Looped Dresden Borders - Black
Thin Fleur Dresden Borders - Black
Carpet Runner Bookmark (used for rug inside)

I do have a few sets of miniature tarot cards available HERE. These are slightly larger than the ones I used in this piece, but take a gander if you're in a pinch.

And if you just want to buy the whole thing... the wagon is available HERE.

Sentimental Matchboxes, A Lovers Memento Revisited

A number of years ago I posted about the creative process. I used a tiny project chocked full of creative ideas and inspiration. It remains one of my favourite projects and posts. You can visit the original post here: A Lovers Memento: A Romantic How To 

I decided to revisit the project. It sort of niggles at my mind every year as Valentines Day approaches, and I wanted to create a video version for YouTube.

They're special little things because they hold a lot within a small space. They're full of creative thinking and spirit, they're sentimental and thoughtful, and although they require a bit of heart and time, they don't require a lot of money or materials.

They are basically tiny boxed treasures that tell a story. This box for example...

Those matches ensure that the fire always burns. Buttons, as nearly everyone knows, are brimming with magic... and this is especially true when they're from a lover! And I am certain that bark was tucked into a pocket after carving initials upon a tree trunk (which you should not do, but people didn't always know better.)

Perhaps your love is to the moon and back! It requires golden wings to fly to the stars. That love might be so strong is that the hands of time stand still for it.

Maybe your love is bound by magic, secured with a length of red thread. Kept safe with a vial of passion, devotion and sweetness. And just to make sure it's never lost, a compass ensures you'll always find your way back home.

Perhaps it's not romantic love at all that fills your matchbox, but a spirit of stardust, the wonder of a snail shell, and a heart that is as strong and fragile as an eggshell.

All at once fairy tales and truths. Funny how that happens.

I'm still a little unwell. I'm hoping to sleep straight through Valentines Day and wake up on the side of it with a box of discounted chocolate that will ruin my diet. Diets are meant to be ruined occasionally.

Go make something wonderful for yourself.
xo

Little Acorn Houses

I have been dramatically unwell this past week, spending most of my time sleeping, or trying to sleep. At one point I reclined, eyes stinging and watering, with flowers upon my chest in a mock interment upon the couch. 

Don't worry. I have survived and well on the mend.

In fact, yesterday I was feeling so positively spiffy that I managed to make a bunch of little acorn capped houses.

IN FACT, yesterday I was feeling so well that I made a 'how-to' video so that you too can make acorn capped houses!

Hop over HERE for the viddy and my sickly voice.

What will you need to make these doo dads?

Creative Paperclay (or modeling medium of choice)

Matchstick

Acorn caps

Acrylic paint

Glue