An Attack on One of Us is an Attack on ALL of Us

Ran across this article today on the legal battle of John Unger (an original artisan) vs. Rick Wittrig, manufacturer of mass produced stolen artwork. While Mr Unger is not, as far as I know, Pagan, he is an original artisan who built his company from the ground up, earning his reputation through high quality craftsmanship, attention to detail, and blood, sweat, and tears.

You guys know that nothing gets me more pissed than theft and plagiarism, especially theft from small artists. The fact that this guy could overturn Mr. Unger's copyright by default, outspending him, is a travesty against the very heart of intellectual property laws. Whoever has the most money wins?

If you have an extra few bucks laying around, invest in one of his lovely hand forged firebowls to support his legal battle (and get an awesome central piece for your rituals). If you don't have a few bucks laying around, spread the word. Post it on you Facebook, your Myspace, Twitter, throw a fundraiser, write your newspaper. Just get it out there. There is no point to creating brilliant works of art if they can be stolen out from under you. Surely we don't want to live in a world like that.

Trials and Tribulations, or My Lol Cat is Mean

My lol cat ate my new coon bone. I came home to a mysteriously empty bag and an obnoxiously innocent looking cat, licking her chops. She also managed to rampage through my (locked) knitting stash, and rip 3 inches of skin from my left palm. So my next bone carving project will have to wait.

I know the blog has been simmering for awhile; I've been running to keep up with orders, adding new artisans to the site, field testing new products, and plotting new mischiefs...

The Witch n' Bitches will be held every Sunday from now on, starting next week, but not tomorrow (October 18th). I could really, really use the downtime. Next week, however, feel free to invade the Nile Cafe with your knitting needles and crochet hooks in tow. Cackle with us over coffee to your hearts content!

First Witch n' Stitch Craft Circle This Sunday

Before and after. At least the clouds give us fair warning.

So, the snow in the high country has hit, making our Sunday class hikes a bit dangerous. Rather than call the whole thing off until mid spring, we're hosting a Witch n' Stitch for the crafty folk.

Join us this Sunday at the Nile Cafe for our first Witch n' Stitch! Bring your knitting needles, crochet hooks, yarn, embroidery hoops, beads, or any clean crafts (anything that won't leave a mess or stain) and have a cup of coffee with like-minded magical crafters.

Not crafty?
Want to be?
Bring your newbie self down and learn how to cast on, knit, purl, cable, chain stitch, crab stitch, and all that other tricky stuff.

Like all of our classes, this gathering is free to attend.

Hope to see you there!

10AM-12PM Sunday 11th, at The Nile Cafe (954 Manitou Ave
Manitou Springs, CO)

Raygan's Awesome Dolls

Our friend Raygan made this awesomely cute voodoo doll :) Her eyes seem to follow you around the room, lol.
Raygan will have a spot on our Craftsman's Corner pretty soon, along with quite a few talented local artisans.

Hope you guys are well!

-Carmin

Samhain Treats

The skulls are done!
Finally, after mold mishaps and recarvings for the master, Ac finished the skull mold, and I'm casting these beauties just in time for Samhain. The one above is palm wax, but future candles will be done in soy, in a variety of colors (and we're taking color requests). He's a bit neo-primitive, inspired by Victorian anatomy charts and traditional calavera sugar skulls from Mexico.

Next up are figural candles that are... a bit more realistic. And hot. The commercially available figural candles always looked depressed, lank, and slightly erm, Ken-like. As in Ken-and-Barbie ;)


As promised, I've selected a new winner for the contest, as the last winner never sent the shipping info. I really, really love this incense and wanted to share... so I selected 2 winners instead of 1. Mwahahaha! *ahem*
Coyote Rose and Milaka, I believe that we already have your shipping info (let me know if anything has changed) and you 2 should be getting a pack in the mail by the weekend, or Monday at the latest :)
I hope you enjoy!

-Carmin

Proud as Punch

A necklace I made for a friend's birthday :)
I carved it out of deer bone that we found in the canyon down the street. This is probably the most complicated piece I've done so far (a Celtic shield knot), and was really proud about how it turned out. I took this picture before the obligatory morning coffee, so it isn't the steadiest shot... lol

A quick note: I didn't get a response from the winner of the incense giveaway, so I'll be selecting a new winner tonight, from the previous entries.

Thanks!

-Carmin

It's Finished!!!!

I love that in-between state of knitting projects... the rush of finishing a piece, and contemplating the next one. Drooling over fibers and possibilities at the local yarn shop, writing patterns in my head, dreaming over complex cables and Fair Isle...but repetition is a killer . That said, this particular scarf was a joy to make. The bamboo and silk combination is light and soft, and the color never got old no matter how long I looked at it :) I chose a moss stitch (a.k.a seed stitch) for an earthy, organic look. It makes an excellent contrast to the elegant and subtle sheen of the yarn. Currently available in the Etsy shop

And on to the next project! Found a luscious hand-spun Romney that's begging to be used.