Canis Stella

The rebuilding has begun.  I resisted the temptation to delete this site entirely.  I reminded myself that a decade of chaos and severity of mind and body, does not create the correct frame of mind to make huge decisions with.   So I let the site hibernate until I could think clearly. 

The first order of business for Canis Stella, Myth and Magic to make its comeback, was to rebuild my infrastructure, business identity and the physical components to make it all work.

The initial struggle was getting the space workable and trying to figure out how to make a small dwelling into not only a home based massage studio, dance studio, and art studio, but also the space I live in, and house two cats within.  

This involved a lot of clean up, sorting, organizing, setting up a workspace, an actual workspace, and storage space for my supplies which preferably didn't involve digging thru a pile of boxes every time I needed something.  I spent three days sorting beads into little containers until I was cross eyed, just so I could see what I had to work with; and that was after playing several games of tetris with furniture.  

Next was to decide exactly what to offer, and then create a foundation for the infrastructure to function.  All the adulting things, like a book keeping plan, inventory templates for a crafting business, a pricing calculator, (best thing ever invented).  Where will I photograph my inventory for listings? What is my new brand? What is my new alignment? Who the hell am I now? What do I stand for?  All the hard things.  

What do I stand for?  Well I'm convinced we really have to be accountable for cleaning up the messes of the world that have been created.  In more ways then one.  I'm so sick of politics.  Everything in me just wants to go buy an earth flag to stick in my yard and scream at the top of my lungs that there is enough happiness for everybody so just stop being .....(choose your expletives)...  

But it's unfortunately not my yard.  So, instead of an earth flag waving in all the faces of the neighbors, I decided, a more subtle approach to share my views with the world, might be to see what it could be like to blend my witchcraft with an eco friendly crafting business.  I was already upcycling and thrift shopping for belly dance costuming anyway, why not take it to a new level?  I'll share more about that as I go in the future. 

Next order of business was the graphics facelift. I should probably mention since it's such a touchy subject for a LOT of people, that my website graphics are partially AI assisted.  I discovered a way to create graphic backgrounds I couldn't find anywhere else, by simply instructing AI to make what I wanted in accordance with my vision.  So the graphic art on this website, is partially AI created, partially Canva , and the photography which I did for my goddess head logo and all of my Etsy listings, is all me.  I am as well an accidental photographer I learned a few years ago.  Now that's out of the way I'll refrain from discussing the complexities and controversies of AI for the time being. I will say this though before moving on.  I'm one of those people who strongly believe that if I say please and thank you to Alexa, that when the terminator era arrives, maybe they won't kill me because the machines will remember that I didn't treat them like my slave.  We have to teach it. So that way we can absolutely AVOID the terminator era phase? Just something to think about?

In and around all of this was actually making things.   Figuring out how to get back into a creative head space again was a very slow process.   I had to ease my way into it while navigating a lot of stress.  I've had to recalibrate entirely my relationship to magic, and witchcraft, and most importantly a little self care, and figure out what it means to me, why I practice it, and allow for all of the things I now have to do differently as a result of the massive recalibration.  When I started this site a decade ago, I didn't know what I didn't know.  Things are not the same anymore.  

I began with what I did know, that being the basics of my beadwork.  Then I branched out and started exploring some multi media techniques. Painting, upcycling, sewing, weaving, furniture refinishing and decorative bottle painting, and all sorts of strange and unusual things.   

I've been endlessly fascinated by some of the crafting techniques I can learn on Youtube. In the process of learning different ways to sew and craft, I've also accidentally discovered Ambient Fairy , (dragon, druid, unicorn, shaman...etc.) music videos with pretty (probably AI created) pictures, which I'm quite enjoying as background music for my sewing and crafting; whilst in my newly designed magical somewhat fairy themed studio in progress. And yes I am guilty of watching cheesy fairy and dark academia themed Youtube video's on home decoration fairy aesthetics and remodels.  I'll just admit it now.  It is the curse of the artist in me. And no it does not demean or cheapen the authentic witchcraft practitioner-student that I am in any way shape or form. I will admit though some of those videos are even a little too cheesy for me.... I'm very selective in an old ancient world, gothic, romantic, antiquey, fairy, crunchy granola, wish I'd a been a hippy but born too late, kind of way.  

The reality is, it makes me more productive to be surrounded by the suggestion of otherworldly beauty in a harsh and often times unfriendly world.   A coping mechanism to be quite sure.  Also practice at multi media art for inspiration for the store.  Practice, practice practice..... it goes for art as well as witchcraft. So I figured I might as well start with my personal space and upcycle some of my own belongings.  The first thing I did was bead a necklace for myself and get to work decorating the humble little tiny space I live in which doesn't have any plumbing.  

I reasoned if I had to pack my dishes across the driveway into the main house to wash them, as if I was camping, then my living space may as well look like a forest (which obviously implies camping)... and lets face it, I live in a glorified storage shed so using my plant jungle to hide the fact that I live in what used to be an industrial mechanics office made of tin,  and that sort of 1970's motorhome prefab wall covering that pretends to be wood...... I'd rather look at my fairy forest decorations and my gnarled collection of manzanita sticks, (locally found on various walks down my street).  And it is amazing the multitude of sins you can cover with fabric.  

I was highly  encouraged by the fact that once I started my fairy forest art studio makeover inside my living space; I just happened...???..(que mystical sun beam streaming down from the sky with a faint hint of angelic choir like singing???..) to come across two very nice FREE pieces of furniture sitting on the side of the road that someone was getting rid of one day.  WHAT???   (head turns, brakes applied carefully after responsibly looking in my rear view mirror so as not to get rear ended... studies terrain for safe parking on side of road). Foraging for obscure and free resources in the world sometimes requires responsible piloting skills I've noticed. Safety first, excitement second. My new mantra. 

It took me twenty minutes to figure out how to fit two furniture items in my car.  Confirmation... my humble remodel effort is on the right path! The Gods were generous and apparently approving of my newly desired fey aesthetic intentions (and possibly wondering what I'll do to refinish the lovely SOLID OAK table with the curly cue legs and the matching bedside table with the curly cue shelf); and what it will  look like after watching so many Youtube videos on furniture decoupage, painting and refinishing...?? What will she do?????  So many options... different color stains?... chalk paint? Wood burning? Decoupage?  Soooo many options.  Still pondering.  And....waiting to buy a a sander when it fits the budget. Even in art you have to adult.  You can't just go straight to the painting.  

So at this time, I have a small handful of things made, all ready and waiting for their photo sessions and some furniture to refinish after I invest in a sander and some hardware store supplies. (Not entirely eco friendly... but they do make non toxic chalk paint now and you can bet I'll be looking into that.)  Once I get the photography done and the listing graphics finished and edited, then I can start uploading a few new things to the Etsy store slowly.    This concludes the first installment of "Here's What's New."  So check back in a few weeks for new items and a new "Here's What's New" adventure blog.    

Blessed Be.