Witch Krafting with Kat

As it's the last week of the summer holiday I thought it would be great to share another book link to keep you occupied as you wait for coaches, trains and planes! This one is none other than King James the VI of Scotland's Daemonoligie!  For anyone studying Witchcraft history this book is probably the most historically important social study of it's time. It speaks of a time surrounded by preducdice, ignorance and at time pure lunacy! But also sadly the outcome of these accusations were all too real. A lot of innocent people lost their lives because of the attitude of people including a King!  In 1597, King James VI of Scotland published a compendium on witchcraft lore called   Daemonologie . It was also published in England in 1603 when James acceded to the English throne. The book asserts James’s full belief in magic and witchcraft, and aims to both prove the existence of such forces and to lay down what sort of trial and punishment these practices merit – in James’s v...

Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling & Witchcraft in Edinburgh Scotland.  Please visit their link for opening hours, events and  entrance fee information      https://www.museummfw.com/

  A little extra bit of fun for Witchy Wednesday! 

  Woodcut image depicting witches and the devil on brooms.  🧹 Witchy Wednesday, Witches brooms and Besoms! 🧹 I am currently sorting out a brand new Broom Tutorial which I will be posting here very soon. So I thought this Witchy Wednesday should celebrate the Witches Broom or Besom as it is sometimes called. I am in fact decended from early 19th century Buckinghamshire broommakers, on my mothers side, w hich was something I only found out a couple of years ago whilst researching my family tree. Made me chuckle as I had been making miniatures brooms for over 15 years and had no idea of my past craft heritage! We also have lace makers, chair makers, and chair caners which is something my Mum did for a living in her 20's and 30's! Again another link to the past. I hope to find more about my broom making family when I get back into researching my family tree in the Autumn and winter months. Good excuse for spending wet cold afternoons tucked up in my warm kitchen with a hot mug o...

  But, strangest of all,the very instant the shore was touched, an immense dog sprang up on deck from below,as if shot up by the concussion, and running forward, jumped from the bow on the sand. Making straight for the steep cliff, where the churchyard hangs over the laneway to the East Pier so steeply that some of the flat tombstones, thruffsteans or through-stones, as they call them in Whitby vernacular, actually project over where the sustaining cliff has fallen away, it disappeared in the darkness, which seemed intensified just beyond the focus of the searchlight. From Bram Stoker's Dracula  A few years ago I did a tutorial for Calico Craft Parts on Dracula including the arrival of the Demeter at Whitby!  For full tutorial please visit this link.  https://calicocraftparts.blogspot.com/2021/09/draculas-arrival-at-whitby.html

Photos of Poppets and pins from a past exhibition at Kettering in Northamptonshire I attended.  This week is all about Witches and dolls. On Mondays I posted a feature about Jenny Kelm of Kastlekelm Miniatures and her fabulous Witch Dolls today for Witchy Wednesday I thought it would be nice to share some links to interesting articles on magical dolls also known as poppets!  The subject of poppets is something of a person subject for me as it's my nickname! My Mum has always called me Poppet and still does. In my family it is term of endearment but when it comes to witchcraft poppets also have a more darker more intriguing history!  Here are a selection of really interesting links I found on YouTube about Poppets, including one on how to make your very own magical poppet!  A really interesting film by Elisa Gray. Another really interesting talk on poppets by Doctor Louise Fenton from the University of Wolverhampton.  Interesting talk by Witchfest A wonderful cra...

✨The Witches are gathering at Kastlekelm Miniatures! ✨ I am honoured to call her a good friend and admire her work tremendously. Jenny Kelm of Kastlekelm Miniatures as an extremely talented artist who creates the most magical characters from Folklore including teenie tiny fairies, to gnomes, elves, pixies and Witches! Each one is totally hand made using sculpting and dress making skills honed over many years of being a skilled artist. Each character is unique, fabulously detailed and made with love.  Not only does Jenny make character dolls, which also includes well known TV, Film and book characters, but a huge array of miniatures including magical potions, toadstools, books stacks, animals including dragons, and furniture! In fact everything a Witch or Wizard might need. All perfect for miniature dolls houses and box room scenes. Or just perfect as a collectors piece for shelf displays! Here are some of her most recent makes, a wonderfully wicked gathering of wonderful witches! P...

Cover of the original book As a lot of you are on or going on Summer holidays I thought for Witchy Wednesday I would share another fabulous old book which you can read on your travels, on the beach, or tucked up in the comfort from your own home.  This one is 'Witch Stories' collected by E.Lynn Linton published in 1883 a reprint of the 1861 edition. Published by Chapman and Hall, London.  Please visit the link, you can read the book straight from the link or you can download a PDF.  Link to Witch Stories Preface  Eliza Lyn Linton. Portrait of author Eliza Lynn Linton, by W. & D. Downey, 1890 Eliza Lynn Linton, born on the 10th February 1822 died on the 14th of July 1898, was the first female salaried journalist in Britain and the author of over 20 novels. Despite her path-breaking role as an independent woman, many of her essays took a strong  anti-feminist slant. Information and photo from Wikipedia.  For more information on Eliza Lynn Linton please vi...

I came across this fascinating article by Life History on Witches in England in 1964. What particularly interested me was some of the images of them dancing are at The Rollright Stones one of my favourite magical sites!  Please note that there is adult content in this Life History article so not suitable for younger readers.  https://www.life.com/history/real-witches-photos-of-english-pagans/  

Haunted House made by Kat Hazelton  I thought this Witchy Wednesday it would be nice to revisit my Haunted House tutorial which I did way back in 2020. This project was originally done throughout September and October in over twelve blog postings. I have some requests to put them altogether into one posting so finally here it is. I have made a few alterations to update this tutorial but it is mostly in the spirit of the origina l. Haunted House project part one . I bought this Haunted House kit from Calico Craft Parts a while ago. I made a start putting it together but with one thing and another I never progressed any further with it. So this weekend I decided to restart the project. I had already glued the house together so it was onto the interesting bit of texture and details. The the first job was to add a base paint of gesso to the house and add texture paste to the graveyard and garden. Haunted house project part two House was  covered in a nice coating of gesso and...

  The turning of the wheel. Lammas blessings to you all. Does this year seem to be whizzing past or I am just slow!😂 Not only is it Lammas, but we are now in  a new month (August) and there is also a full moon tonight.  🌝⭐🌝⭐🌝⭐🌝⭐🌝⭐🌝⭐🌝⭐ August 2023 is putting on two lunar shows for us, coming in the form of two super full moons. The Sturgeon Moon, the first of the month's full moons, rises on Aug. 1 in the sign of Aquarius. The second full moon in August, nicknamed a Blue Moon for occurring in the same month as another full moon, rises on Aug. 30. Please visit Royal Museums Greenwich for information on full moons. Link 🔗 below.  https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/full-moon-calendar   🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿 Some folklore stories and articles about History can be quite scary and disturbing and may have some adult content. So I would always advise visiting, reading and viewing any links before showing or reading to younger children. 🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿?...