Goddess Magic Cream

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GODDESS MAGIC CREAM



After spending so many years sculpting, I never expected to become a chemist -- and I'm not really. Yet, when I start concocting my Goddess Magic Cream, I feel like Madam Curie. It all started with some beautiful, amazing glass jars with wooden lids. Immediately I thought of putting my clay faces on top of them and adorning them with unusual items such as old keys, bits of turquoise, ancient looking artifacts. The first tops I created had beadwork around the faces, which was rather Native American looking. During the last two years, I have tried to make them look mysterious and ethnic, but not all Native American. The end result is faces that look like they were resurrected from another time.



So then I had to figure out what to place inside the jars. Teas? Herbs? Spices? No. Naturally, I had to pick something much harder. As I’m prone to do when I get interested in something, I spent the best part of two years in research and development of a cream I hoped would put all others on the market to shame. I struggled with online tutorials of cosmetic making and bought many books on the subject. Finally, I locked into a formula that I was proud of. One ingredient I studied and added to formula is emu oil. This is an incredible lipid replenishing ingredient. It assists other ingredients in their trans-dermal penetration. It has been used in Australia for thousands of years as a remedy for skin disorders such as psoriasis and dry skin. It also is believed to have natural anti-inflammatory properties that can penetrate the skin. But most importantly, it is used for muscle and joint pain. Combined with shea butter, it absolutely glides over your skin. I chose to use Lavender essential oil for the scent after trying many other scents and combinations. Lavender acts as a calming agent that promotes restful sleep and helps relieve headaches.




I learned so many things while experimenting with the cream. One thing that surprised me was reading about 'angel dusting.' The cosmetic companies have to place on their labels the names of any ingredients that have placed into the creams, no matter how small an amount that may be. This is intended to help people avoid ingredients to which they are sensitive or allergic. But it also allows the companies to include on their labels tiny amounts of panthenol, glycerin and other beneficial ingredients in that are present in quantities too small to have any real benefit.



Here is what my customers have told me. Yes, these are real testimonials -- sort of like the old time salesmen who stood on the soap box selling their snake oil. But my repeat sales of the cream tell the story. People love it!





Testimonials:

"I rubbed the Goddess Magic Cream on my feet at night and placed them in socks. The next morning, my feet were smooth and my calluses were almost gone!"

"Cheryl, you need to open a cosmetic company! This cream actually made my pores become smaller and everyone is telling me I look great!"

"I keep it under my pillow at night so that it is never far away while I sleep. If I wake up during the night, I apply more to my neck; I always immediately fall back asleep and have heavenly dreams."

"I went to the beach and broke out in horrible hives. The pharmacist told me to try 'this and that' and I was still a mess. Not wanting to go to the doctor, I thought I'd try some of your cream, Cheryl, on my neck and chest and face. Previously, I had used it only as a hand cream; I didn't think you could put it on your face. When I did, I was very surprised that within the hour, all the hives had disappeared! You've really got something here."

These are but a few. I'm really too old to get into the cosmetic field now, and I have no desire to limit myself to one thing. So, I give my formula away to anyone who buys the cream. All ingredients are listed on the scroll included with each cream. Whoever heard of a cosmetic entrepreneur giving her secret formula away?








Oh, by the way – I forgot to mention the real secret ingredient – holy water from Lourdes, France. Two summers ago, my granddaughter, Alli, and I traveled to France. We collected water from the famous grotto of St. Bernadette to give as souvenirs. The water reputedly heals many illnesses. Someone suggested that I include the water in my cream. Here is a real mystery. Even though I have placed 2 T. of the holy water in each ‘batch’ of cream, after 2 years I still have holy water. Just as I finish one of the bottles, another recipient of souvenir water gives it back to me. I wonder how much longer I’ll have the water. Maybe I’ll be forced to go back to France to get more! Poor me.

ANGELS: GOLD LEAF

ANGELS: GOLD LEAF

Angels of Sacrifice

While traveling in Greece a few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit with a Greek Orthodox priest who was also an iconographer. He gave me a lesson in the craft of gold leaf.

The priest used wood, canvas, and tempura along with gold leaf to compose his icons. He dried and seasoned the wood outside for 3 years. He stretched and dried the canvas in a kiln. He then sanded one side of it smooth to make it shine. This was done so that the gold leaf would lie smooth on the finished icon. He then painted the canvas with a mixture of powder, half egg yolk and half vinegar – the tempura. He applied dark colors first for clothing, and then light colors on top of this. This mixture was applied repeatedly and then the gold leaf was applied to create halos or backgrounds. He completed the piece by varnishing it and gluing it to a piece of the seasoned wood. The priest produced beautiful iconographic images depicting Jesus, Mary, and the saints.

The most surprising part of the process was the method he used to lay down the gold leaf. His method seemed a bit “unorthodox” to me. He took a paintbrush and whisked it across his forehead and onto the canvas. He then laid the gold leaf down over the area he had painted with his sweat. He finished by smoothing the leaf with a wooden dowel. I'm not sure how sanitary his method is, but who am I to argue with tradition? Besides, artists throughout the centuries have given so much of themselves to their work in so many ways – why shouldn’t one give his sweat literally as well as figuratively? I feel like I’m very much a part of my work; it enmeshes the artist and material into a work infused with love.

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I've titled my angel series Angels of Sacrifice, because that is the only story that I've written so far for them. The story seems to represent so many of us who have spent a lifetime giving to others in one way or another. I think it speaks to mothers most of all. Here it is, along with my angels.

Angel of Sacrifice

Silently,

She lies cocooned beneath the gossamer wings

of her guardian angel.

She does not move, for fear her angel

will leave her

alone

to face the universe of memories

that abide in her mind.

Unrequested,

the angel came with strength, wisdom, love

and a promise to lift her sorrow.

Luminescent prisms flow in the distance

becoming brighter and clearer as she

travels.

Seeds of light burst round her in an

unwavering fashion. Her angel by her

side, they transcend toward

a presence brilliant and familiar.

She is teased with leaving behind the

heaviness of her life and escaping to

a place of peace.

But..knowing in her heart that it is

not the time..for there is

much more love to give before she

can go home again...

She returns...

Cheryl Dolby

Quilted Art Journal

QUILTED ART

Gypsy Woman Journals

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Through the years I have found that my penmanship leaves much to be desired. Regardless, I love to keep journals, and I’m especially fond of creating covers for them. Sometimes I just pack my journals with pictures, sometimes I fill their pages using rubber stamps, and sometimes I sell them at the Roanoke Farmers’ Market for other souls to fill. The Gypsy Woman Journal series was 'developed' instead of just created. By this I mean that I started with an idea and then experimented with it endlessly ‘til I got it right. Many times, this is how I end up with a series I love. One of my favorite sayings, "Play it till it sings," describes how I feel when I create one of these labors of love. The journals started many long years ago when I began experimenting with batik. I decided to modernize the batik process by making a crayon batik. I transfer my design to cloth and free motion quilt it on my sewing machine using metallic thread.

I then glue fabric and embellishments to a hardbound journal frame such as Canon. Along the spine, I tie on fanciful, gypsy-like ribbons or yarn.

This week I'm experimenting once again with a portrait journal that I will send as a baby gift to a friend.

A few years ago, the magazine Quilting Arts had a contest for quilt-altered book journals. I was excited when they chose to feature my adaption of my book She Who Whispers

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To think that it started with an old children's board story book I used as my base! The sky was the limit as I purused my endless supply of embellishments. I even used a jangled bracelet around the spine to add more interest. I usually don't have time to enter my work in magazine contests, but this year I have decided it’s time to share my art again. When I was on the art show circuit, I was worried that others might copy what I do (although this was a silly worry since no one actually can keep up with me; I move on continuously exploring new mediums, which is my passion). I was especially worried about this at the major shows where jurying is so tight. An artist could easily take pictures of my work, go home and duplicate then in their studio, and then use the resulting slides in the next big show. I would be in competition on my slides of my own work! But now, my thinking has changed. I am hoping to actually stimulate my readers’ and viewers’ imaginations to create their own pieces using some of the materials I have used. I want art and crafts to live on in our world of ever changing technology. Homes today are decorated by young people, more often than not, with sterile prints in an effort to achieve sleekness. Doesn't the owner's personality come into play when decorating anymore? Artwork adorning the walls adds so much character to a home. And can't the flat screen TV's be combined with beautiful artwork? I'd like to see more decorating of this nature in magazines.

I'm including a few images from my home, Woodloft (I name everything I own). One of my great passions is 'the grounds' at Woodloft and the Woodloft Garden. I'll expound on this more in the summer when the herb garden is in full bloom and the vineyard is ready for my brother, JIm, to harvest and make his "Blended Legacy" wine. (ask permission) I’m also quite taken with the garden of my neighbor, Jean. It’s a fantasy beyond belief!

HEALING WOMAN

HEALING THROUGH ART, WORDS AND NATURE

Explore the world of healing with me at Woodloft, my home nestled in the woods of Virginia’s Roanoke Valley near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Healing takes place on many different levels. In this blog, I will share my stories of artful healing with you through my four books as well as through my clay sculptures, mosaics, journals, clay planters, acrylic paintings, jewelry, frescos, garden art, labyrinths, quilts, stained and crashed glass, goddess cream, Healing Woman soaps, and herbal lore.

Almost all of my artwork uses faces and figures of angels, goddesses and crones to express the emotional life of humanity. I hope to inspire you to create your own artful healing.

OUR JOURNEY BEGINS WITH MY MOSAICKED ART CAR ...

B-DAZLE! I have always felt that anything worth owning, is worth naming. Yes, believe it or not, this is my 1989 Nissan car, B-Dazle. I have placed florist globs, tile, washers and beads over her entire surface. She took 6 years to complete.

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I drive her only on the weekends when I display my artwork at the Roanoke Farmer's Market. I used aquarium glue (because it is waterproof) to adhere the 23,000 beads and bangles. My granddaughter, Marcy, and her friends actually counted every bead and bangle for a contest held last summer at WVTF Radio in Roanoke. The station holds regular shows of work by local artists. B-Dazle greeted visitors to the opening of my show, “Angels, Goddesses and Crones.”

The contest challenged everyone to guess the number of beads and bangles. The winning guess of 17,000 won one of my Goddess Ceremonial Necklaces for a guest of the show.

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Many people have asked me if they can purchase my car, but until I start another one, I cannot bear to part with her. I began to work on B-dazle in the year 2000. My mother, Jane, was living with me at the time because Alzheimer’s Disease had made it impossible for her to live on her own. The situation made me unable to exhibit my work on the art show circuit I had frequented for so many years. Not only did I miss the art shows, but I was also unable to work on my sculpture and other art projects because Mom needed my undivided attention. So, I decided to create something that mom could enjoy watching me do. I had her sit on an outdoor chair and view the show -- me being the show of course -- as I slowly but surely added those many embellishments (often with the aid of a nice glass of merlot).

Whenever I took my mother out to walk, to shop, or to do any of the things she was still able to do, I noticed that people seemed to avoid looking at her at all. It was as though no one wanted to see an old woman in decline. It saddened me to think that she had given so much to her friends and family, that she loved people so much, that she had been so vivacious and entertaining, that she had tap-danced her way into everyone’s heart, and now she was ignored. It was as though to be old and debilitated was to be a kind of a non-person. B-dazle changed all that.

During the many stages of B-dazle’s evolution, Mom would sit in the passenger seat, all buckled in, and we would peruse the local shops.

I was delighted that as we drove around, almost everyone who passed us would give mom a “thumbs up” and a smile. In turn, she would flash a big grin and enjoy her outings in ways I hadn't expected. It brought a lot of joy to her life in her last years, and in many ways, brought a special kind of healing to us both.