2008 IMBOLC/LUGHNASADH CRAFTS ENTRIES

[katsu]

Notice: Please add your original crafts for the current Eisteddfod here, and post any comments into the appropriate feedback thread. Entries for this category include three-dimensional objects crafted by hand, such as wands, staves, athames, jewellery, altars, shrines, and so forth, but excluding sculpture. Generally speaking, craft items would be used for some purpose, as opposed to art created to be viewed.

[Magrathea]

It's relatively simple...it's a clock. Made from driftwood...found in the river. The dots are actually drilled in, but that doesn't show up too well on the photo. It's cherry before you ask
Magrathea

[Creirwy]

Hi everyone
This winter I got back into knitting in a slightly obcessive way lol. I thought I would try out socks, and since Ive been showing my family my little projects I've heard so many stories of how my Nana (my mothers mother) would knit, how she taught my mum and learnt from my great-grandmother etc. Its really connected me to my history - and got me full of inspiration! So here's my entry, my Nana's socks in honour of my ancestors, and my warm feet hehe.

The completed pair on my feet


and heres the socks in progress

[Claer]

Last year I was joined out at my garden altar stone of an evening by a young hedgehog investigating what I was upto there. Every time I did a ritual or meditation there, this hedgehog turned up. He'd come into my circle and snuffle at objects on the altar stone. In the Autumn I moved home, leaving the garden to the hedgehog, but I decided to have a go at painting him before leaving. When clearing the garden of potted plants I found this lovely stone under the

Hedgehog paperweight.JPG

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sage bush - so I cleaned it up and painted the hedgehog portrait on this. Afterwards it was varnished and I put a bit of felt on the reverse, to use as a paperweight on my desk.

[susan]

Rattle.
This is my first attempt at making a rattle.

DSCN1965_2.JPG

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[CelticDao]

After over a year of "thinking" and months of "doing", my Bardic Altar to Brigid has finally come together. This started as a piece of Jade, that I have had my eye on for years. Of course, this was the "evil seed" - an idea that gets planted in your head, and before you know it, it's taking all your time, and all your conscious thought, and money. I have never made wooden hinges before, but this project cried out for them. So I learned.

I couldn't just put the Jade into the Walnut. This is an Altar to Brigid, Goddess of the Hearth, and the Well, and Bards, and Midwives, and Smiths. It was She who gave me nine waves of blessing, at the Giant's Causeway, on the north coast of Ireland, in 2006. The Jade is an obvious water sign (the well), but I needed a fire sign, too. The nine flames in the cauldron are a symbol of the nine waves of blessing. The nine-pointed star is actually three "fire" symbols overlaying each other. But UNDER the Jade, I placed three amethysts, in the inverted triangle, symbolizing Water, and Amethyst as Love Stones - but within that symbol, also under the Jade, I wrote a Triad of Haikus, symbolizing fire:

Mother of us all
blessed Lady of the hearth
we bow before You

Keeper of the flame
You give us the spark of life
we dance in Your light

Midwife of wisdom
You kindle the fire within
fill us with Your love

Photos below show the Heartstones, in a water configuration, and the fire triad, ..

Heartstones.JPG

Heartstones and Fire Triad

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then the altar with the "wings/legs" closed.

Closed.JPG

The Altar Closed

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Note the stones about the jade, signifying the four directions. As in Bardic Ritual, you end up in the West, facing the East, the stone for East is on the far side of the altar. It is rutilated Quartz, with a "silver lining". To the right, which is South, is a Tiger's Eye, which I treated with Heat, to change it from Yellow to Red. On the near side, West, is Labradorite, symbolizing Water, and to the left, the North, is Snowflake Obsidian. The four stones are shown in closeup below.

4Directions.JPG

Clockwise from top right - East, South, West, North

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Continued next post...

[CelticDao]

First, we have the Fire Sign, The "Well of Flame", or Cauldron symbol that I created for this altar:

FireSign.JPG

The "Fire Sign" - copper foil on the Jade

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And then the Altar open:

Open.JPG

The Altar Open - the "wings" become the legs.

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And finally, in use:

InUse.JPG

In Use (finally!)

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