#bree makes things

[breelandwalker]

My latest witchy project, and my first piece of handmade jewelry of this kind.

Around Halloween, I picked up a few discount packets of glass “eye” beads, which are painted with the same design used in places like Italy and Greece to repel the Evil Eye. I used plain silver findings from my craft box and some miniature silver jingly bells to create the bracelet.

It was imbued with a simple “Keep Watch” charm that I’ve used on a few other pieces of boughten jewelry, to keep away most kinds of physical, magical, and metaphysical dangers, and to alert me if something serious is closing in. Seems appropriate, given the eye beads.

[breelandwalker]

Since You Asked - Room Sprays

I've had a few people asking me how I made my Petrichor room spray, and if there's a tutorial. Sadly, there is not, since I literally threw it together on a whim with leftover and recycled ingredients, plus the Petrichor scent recipe is my secret.

HOWEVER...

I can tell you that there's this wonderful site called SaveOnScents.com where you can find all kinds of scents, just about anything, really. There are notes on which ones are skin-safe with each product, since some go into soap-making. Get yourself some scents, add them to a clean spritz bottle filled with water (I recycled an old B&BW body spray bottle), then shake well and SPRAY.

The magical and mundane possibilities are ENDLESS.

[breelandwalker]

Midnight Margarita candles are cooling. Time for one more batch, and I really want to use this turquoise block...

I'm thinking First Flowers. It's a scent I wanted to do for Imbolc last year and it's nice and springy. Daisies and white bells and peonies with a splash of rain.

[breelandwalker]

So four "It's BACON" jar candles and half a dozen tealights later, there's another batch of wax melting. I'm going to remake the Midnight Margarita candles, now that I have decent wax again. (The last batch hardened to taper consistency and refused to melt, resulting in burnt-out wicks.)

[breelandwalker]

What time is it?

BACON TIME

[breelandwalker]

Attention Tumblrites

I come bearing the word of my candles.

And that word is, "BACON."

[breelandwalker]

Tonight's Project: Pokeberry Ink

This stuff was durned simple to make, if a bit labor-intensive. I used the instructions I found here to make the ink.

Ingredients:

~2 cups of ripe pokeberries

1-2 tbsp white vinegar

Glass jar or bottle

Pick the berries off the stems (I suggest using gloves) and mash them in a strainer to get all the juice out. Strain the juice into the bottle and add the vinegar as a preservative.

It's really just that simple.

I didn't happen to have a strainer handy that wasn't also for cooking, so I put small handfuls of berries into doubled coffee filters and squeezed the juice out. Got less juice than I probably would have, and it was pretty messy, but hey....work with whatcha got.

IMPORTANT NOTE: POKEBERRIES ARE POISONOUS.

When making this ink, be sure to keep all materials away from pets and children, and clean up thoroughly when finished. Do not use any equipment you will later use to prepare food. Keep finished product tightly sealed and out of reach of children.

(Special guest appearance in the final two photos by my new prayer beads.)