Little Salem

New to Little Salem

2009-08-10T12:12:00.004-05:00

Part of the charm of Little Salem is that you never know what we're going to be doing next. We love to discover and expand the mediums in which we work.

About a year ago, I started my research and experimentation in henna. I read everything I could get my hands on, and practiced designs with paper and pen. I found a great website that is stock full of everything you want to know about it. I still refer to it often, it is The Henna Page. (Not that I haven't found other good resources, too, but this is the one I keep going back to.)

Over that past year I have experimented with recipes I've found, and after many different concoctions, I think I've finally tweaked it to my liking. I've worked on many "henna victims", and finally this past spring I decided it was time to add this new dimension in art to Little Salem's repertoire.

Here are a few pictures to start with, but please visit our website to see more examples, or visit our page on Facebook.

Thanks for stopping!
D'arcy

Too Long Gone

2009-07-29T17:02:00.002-05:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted! Going back to work last year pretty much wore me out, but I must remedy this.

We've been doing some fun things around here, and Mark has been making some very cool leather bags, so next week I will have a "grand re-opening" so to speak. I definitely need to do some catching up here.

See you next week!

Beltaine Jar

2008-05-01T10:36:00.005-05:00

Everything she touches changes
Everything she changes touches
Beltaine Jar

The Beltaine Jar was born on Beltaine Eve. For this vessel I started with drawing the design in free form, and then sand etched.

The design changes as you turn it, in a picture-story of sorts.

The story unfolds to your own interpretation.

Blessed Beltaine!

I'm looking forward to showing you, step by step, how this piece came to be.
Watch for it in my next blog.

Pagan Safety Tip #1

2008-04-11T10:19:00.009-05:00

Take Heed, My Scryers!

My brother, 10 years my senior, definitely had a large influence on me. It wasn't until I was much older that I realized how much patience he had in terms of having me following him around. Well, most of the time he had patience...other times I think he was using me as a science experiment, but that's another story.

I remember one time, he had made his own skateboard, which was cool in itself, but he wanted to burn his name in it (way back then, skateboards were made of wood). I suppose he could have used a woodburning tool, but at that time I didn't know what that was, so it was at that very early age that I learned how, on a very sunny day, you could strategically place a magnifying glass on top of that wood, and actually burn your intended design into it. I never forgot learning just how cool that was. So, you would think I would know better.

Now, let's jump forward a few decades...

My pseudo-spouse (whom I endearingly call my darker half) and I have a very unique decorating style. Ouija boards are wall art, Halloween is a way of life, and creepy is cool. Recently, I acquired a sweet crystal ball to add to our decor (ok, it's glass, but it's still neat). I placed it here and there, trying to find just the right place for it. It finally looked just right placed on our little round table, amidst a Chianti bottle and a creepy animal skull, right in front of my stained glass panel which hangs in our picture window (western exposure).

Well, just the other day I was talking to my darker half while he was sitting at the desk which is right next to the little round table with the Chianti bottle, skull and crystal ball. On this particular day, our cat, "Baby" happened to be lounging on that table, just to the front of my crystal ball. And on this particular day, the sun was making his appearance (which hasn't been happening a whole lot lately, which is why I probably didn't even think this would happen).

"Something smells like it's burning," I said.
"It's probably supper! Go check the stove," replied Darker Half
"Nooo, it smells like it's plastic, or wires...maybe it's the computer!" I sniffed at the air, trying to find the source.

For reasons I don't recall, I looked towards Baby, peacefully sunning herself with little whisps of smoke coming from her back end...

"Oh geez! Baby is smoking!"

We quickly looked for the area where the source of the smoke was coming, and there, on Baby's little back side, was a perfect circle about the size of a dime where her fur was singed! Baby was giving us very nasty looks, totally ignorant (which is not unusual for her) that her fur was slowly turning to ash.

My mind quickly flashed back to the time I was intently watching my brother burn his name into the wooden skateboard with a nothing but the sun and a magnifying glass.

Not that I should have to 'spell' it out for you, but the moral of this story gives birth to my list of safety tips:

Pagan Safety Tip #1: Be Careful Where You Place Your Crystal Balls!

Stop by and visit the "Cats of Little Salem"

Watch for future installments of Pagan Safety Tips!
Feel free to comment and add your own Safety Tips of the Occult!
Soon to come: D'arcy's Adventures with an Iron Lung!

*To all who are concerned, only Baby's fur singed. She is fine and her fur has now grown back.

D'arcy
Little Salem

First INterview!

2008-03-16T20:48:00.002-05:00

Recently, I was asked to do an interview for Kelly Malouf's blog! She is a very talented artist, who has been giving recognition to other artist's by interviewing them and posting the interviews on her blog.

Thank you Kelly, for this opportunity!

Little Lost Soul and Key to my Heart

2008-03-12T21:38:00.007-05:00

My grandma taught me how to crochet when I was little. I am so happy now that she took the time back then.

It's been years since I've picked up a crochet hook. For the past several years I've been delving into stained glass and things that are far removed from the more domestic arts. It feels like I've come full circle now, and can see where the skills I learned from Gramma can blend perfectly with the glass art I have come to love.

These chokers combine the things I've learned from childhood (crochet), things I learned a few years ago (stained glass), and things I'm new to (beading and wire wrapping).

The next thing I would like to learn is how to make patterns and instructions so that I can help someone else who would like to learn!

Late Winter/Early Spring Blahs

2008-02-22T09:04:00.006-06:00

This time of year is not my favorite. Everything seems to stand still for a while, waiting for the snow to melt. It's not that there aren't things to be done, it just seems like I'm doing everything in slow motion and it's taking forever.

Sales have slowed down, so I've been working on the website, trying to make it easier and more enjoyable to navigate. It's in a state of confusion right now, as I make new pages and new links. It should be straightened out by next week.

So, with all this work I've been doing on the business end of Little Salem, it has left me little time to create new items. Luckily though, Mark has been diligently working on creating new buttons for his MonsterButtons shop, and has come up with some very cool new buttons! He's been selling them on Ebay, with rave reviews by horror fans as far away as Italy!

Here are a few of his new creations. It brings new meaning to the phrase, "I've created a monster!"

Mark puts his all into making these. Every monster, vampire, and zombie is lovingly placed into a background and setting that he has created on his digital canvas. For Mark, this is a labor of love and a true tribute from a life long horror fan.

Here is just what a few of his extremely satisfied customers have had to say!

"This is freakin' awesome!"

"Very cool keychain!Thanks for the lightning fast delivery!Vampi is dead sexy!"

"I can't wait to get more buttons! The buttons are so high quality with the images crystal clear. I am very pleased with all of my purchases!"

"I wish I would have found your store before I dealt with some of these other sellers. I wear your buttons everywhere. It's the color and style on the background of these buttons that makes them solid."

Be sure to visit him at Little Salem and Ebay to see more of Mark's adventures into the macabre.

Websites and Etsy and Ebay, OH MY!

2008-02-07T10:03:00.001-06:00

Little Salem was first thought of in 2001. I knew nothing of running a business. I got my name registered, and figured that the rest would just fall into place. How wrong I was!

Everything got put on the back burner when I decided to go back to school. I spent 4 years at a two year college, but I loved it there. I took some business classes, but mostly my time was spent in the Fine Arts Department. At 40 years old (although my brain is more like a very mature 24 year old!) I still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I spent most of those four years becoming obsessed with glass. Stained glass, glass blowing, and glass fusing. Luckily, my teacher urged me to at least try other things like sculpture, bronze casting and even graphic arts. I had two very wonderful teachers over that time. Now, what to do with it all?

With four years of Fine Arts classes under my belt, it was now time to get back to business. I yearned to be an artist. I imagined selling my work for thousands of dollars to people who never ask what the price is. (I think the word 'starving' is in there somewhere.) What I came to realize is that, there is a difference between 'art' and 'craft', neither of which can be counted on to make a living. So, my business has evolved into a place where I not only offer my crafts (and art) at a price that is affordable to all, but unique commercial items as I come across them, as well.

Along the way, my business became a partnership when I met a like-minded artist. He became my partner first in life, and now in business. And so, Little Salem evolved again.

We started our own website, finding that just having an online store does not mean people will rush there in droves. First, we opened yet another store on Ebay. More recently I found Etsy, so now most of my handcrafted items are there. Soon, I found the Pagans of Etsy Street Team, (a wonderful group, I might add) and joined up with them. Now, blogging seems to be the thing to do, so here I am.

My dreams for Little Salem is to become a brick and mortar shoppe. From 2001 until now, it has become like a little Village, and that's not too bad. Little Salem Village has grown to include the neighboring villages of Etsy and Ebay. I am hoping it evolves even further over time to a village where other artists/craftsmen can be located to offer their wares and knowledge. In time.....

Oh my! I better be off to Little Salem proper and make all the changes and updates that I was supposed to be doing, while sitting here blogging and dreaming (can this become addicting?) Well, that was my introduction. It will be an interesting journey to see where Little Salem ends up. Until next time....

Dark Romance

2008-02-06T12:32:00.000-06:00

I thought I might as well start out the new blog with a new item. This is an adaptation from a crochet pattern from the turn of the century. I found the pattern on another blog and made a couple changes. If I find the blog that I got this from, I will post a link.

I've posted this on Etsy. I'm very new to that, and to blogging, but I'm hoping to advance in both, and make this blog informative as well as helpful in my business.

I do tend to create many different kinds of items from stained glass to wearables, and have way more things that I want to learn than I will ever have time for in this lifetime.

Other places I can be found: Little Salem, Etsy, Ebay, Myspace