SNOWFLAKE CANDLE MEMORIES

Snowflake Candles

Snowflake Candles

Last Christmas, our little town had over 22 inches of snow on Christmas week. This is a time I treasure each year because so many wonderful things seem to happen so fast. I was snowed in alone for the first time in my life and felt very nostalgic as I wrote my blog post. People have told me all year that it was their favorite of mine and have asked me to repost. I’ve always loved this phrase, and now I get to use it... “Back by popular demand,” I am reposting my Snowflake Candles. Hope you like it.

This is the first time in my entire life that I have been snowed in alone. It’s quite remarkable really, considering that I spent many years living in the snow belt of Lake Erie and Warren Ohio. Oh yes, we were snowed in quite often there, but there were always children then and lots of family. Now, my children are grown and live in their own homes. In many ways, the snowstorm has allowed me to experience calm and peace. How can anyone ask me to go anywhere or do anything for them now? I am trapped. I am snowed in, with no hope of emerging for many days. Oh, so sad..tee hee.

Our Virginia Department of Transportation is working overtime trying to clear Interstate 81. Travelers are trapped in their cars. Until the trucks that frequent this highway that were abandoned for lack of gas and heat, are towed, the crews cannot clear our city and county roads much less Interstate 81.

In many ways I feel fortunate. Other storms in the past, have caused power outages here at Woodloft. My lights flickered only once this time so far, in a teasing way. Being alone with heat and lights makes it all so bearable. But…the quiet…it is so quiet…so surreal.

Candles displayed in the snow

Another display in the snow

When I first stated that I was going to post my Magical Christmas week, I had no idea what was ahead. Sometimes it’s best to take things as they come. I am now in tune to creating a beautiful Woodloft Christmas, even if I may not have the food or the gifts I had hoped to purchase. One way or another, Christmas will happen at some point but, I never would have guessed that I might be having my own “Merry Little Christmas.” Me? The person who loves to entertain and loves a crowd, especially family?

My friend Kyle offered me a bottle of water a few weeks ago on the Farmer’s Market. She and her husband Dave have a booth next to mine. I was amazed at the beautiful bottle in which the water was held. It had dazzling snowflakes all over the surface. Kyle and Dave create kiln fired glass bottles shaped to become cheese trays. Kyle told me where she had purchased them. She said she hoped I’d give her the bottles after I drank the water. She wanted to “smoosh” them. That is the way she and Dave describe the process they use to kiln fire the bottles.

I took Kyle’s advice and bought many of the Evian bottles of water. I knew I wanted to do something unique with them but was not sure what at the time. I thought about putting water inside and adding a single rose or other flowers. Then the idea came to me to use a simple white candle in each bottle.

I had to drink a lot of the water over the last few days but here they are, serene and delicate looking, just like snowflakes.

Aren’t they beautiful in the snow? I’ll move them inside soon but for now, I am luxuriating in their splendor.

Single tapered candle

Sometimes, the simple things we do in life can have a profound effect. I love this candelabra and it cost me only the price of the bottles of water and inexpensive white candles. I am so glad I shopped for the white candles for the bottles last week, otherwise, I might be showing you plain bottles in the snow.

Tomorrow I will tell you how our family devised a new way to celebrate Christmas by spending very, very little cash for presents. We call our Christmas game, “Naughty Santa.” Wait till you see how much fun it can be. But until then, I will sit at my computer, perhaps work in the studio for awhile or maybe I'll just gaze out of my windows as I take my nostagic winter journey inward with glorious memories of Christmas past.

TIME CAPSULE

TIME CAPSULE

ONCE UPON A TIME

Very unusual "time" piece

I’ve always been intrigued with the idea of time capsules. When my children were young, we gathered together some of their toys and other everyday items like coins and newspapers. We placed them into a metal box along with a poem that we wrote and buried it in our yard in St. Louis. The poem started something like this:

“Woe be it to he, she and they who open this box before this day.”

The actual poem was longer but I can’t remember it now. As we placed the box into the ground, we were excited thinking about someone from another century finding it. We imagined the look on their faces when they discovered what life was like back in the twentieth century.

Jax's Time traveler book

It was with that in mind that I created this storybook for my new grandson, Jax. I decided that I wanted to fashion it after a “Once Upon a Time” type of story with an outer space theme.

"Once upon a time" and the Visitors from outer space

It is hard to believe that I actually found the very old time keeper ( I don’t know what it is exactly) that I placed on the front. It was stored away with steampunk type items in my studio and worked out perfectly. I set the date to his actual birthday.

Front of mysterious box where book is to be kept

I also wanted to have time appear to stand still on the day he was born. I think I accomplished it by showing each and every one of his relatives on the Dolby side of the family, as we were on that day. I know that right now I would love to have a journal or album created especially for me, exclaiming and proclaiming my birth. I would love to be perusing that sanctified book and viewing my aunts, uncles, cousins and entire family as they were on the day I was born.

View of some of the inside pages

My son Cameron, Jax's father

My parents, "The Greats"

Skyrockets and explosions from deep space...Jax is born!

I crackled and textured the box and added a mysterious key and the time keeper I had found. I placed his special book into the mysterious box I created for it.

Book placed inside of box

I’m headed for Washington D.C. this morning and I will surprise the parents with Jax’s book. I’m posting the blog just as I leave so that they can view it when I get there. Hope they like it.

HEALING WOMAN SOAPS AND CREAMS

HEALING WOMAN SOAPS AND CREAMS

Healing Woman soap and cream gift package

Many of you probably wonder why I have named my blog, “Healing Woman.” Even though my postings are very diverse and don’t always lend themselves to the subject of healing, I like to think that the stories I attach to each of my art pieces are in some way therapeutic. Words can be powerful healers and thoughts do turn into words. It is wise to choose the good ones, as Tut reminds us.

By focusing on good thoughts and words, illness can be turned around. It is important to be atuned to our bodies and I do believe that illness doesn’t shout, it whispers. Listen for the whispers.

Three soaps available now-Lavender, Rose Geranium and Lemongrass

A few years ago, I decided to create healing soaps. I wanted them to be extremely special. They couldn’t be just any soaps. I read endlessly on the subject of soap and searched until I found ingredients that I believe to be good for your skin.

Closer look

Naturally, my soaps have faces. It seems that almost everything I create has a face but I never guessed I’d be creating “soap” faces. It’s amazing where art takes you.

I decided to use all natural ingredients. I chose shea butter as the base. Unfortunately, others have discovered it’s healing properties and many cosmetic companies are having a hard time keeping it in stock. I sometimes have to wait for months for my shipment to arrive. Shea butter derives from the Karite tree which is grown in Africa and well known for it’s restorative properties. I whip the butter which makes it very creamy and luxuriant. One of my customers told me that she puts water on her face before bed and then just a little of my cream. She said it has made a tremendous difference in her skin. Her face is almost completely wrinkle free. I never have used water as the base but I’m going to try it.

I use other emollients such as coconut oil, emu oil (very good for joint pain) olive oil, just to name a small portion of the ingredients. I vary the ingredients with each new batch I make. I also use these same ingredients in my Goddess Magic Creams

Gift box

Sometimes I grind herbs such as lavender and lemongrass to a fine pulp and add them to my creams as well. I also use essential lavender oil, not the fragrant oil. Fragrant oil is synthetic and is probably the reason why some people sneeze when they are around certain fragrances. The essential oil is pure and derived from the heart of the plant.

I have packaged my soaps and creams into a gift box which includes the cream and soap and a scroll describing the healing ingredients I use.

What I have available now is lemongrass soap with lavender cream, rose Geranium soap with lavender cream and lavender soap with lavender cream. I’ll be posting more in January when I have time to make them.

You can e- mail me and we can make arrangements for shipping. I take Paypal or checks. I’m pretty sure they will arrive in most parts of the USA before Christmas with priority shipping.