Holiday party with former staff and consultants aka Disaster House 2014

Aaron, our former, and only other human staff member, was over earlier this month. He brought along his wife, the lovely photographer Melissa, and their adorable kids. The little ones did some modeling for us about a year ago.

We decided to make a party of it, so Hubby fired up the grill. (Yes, we know it's cold out. We're the kind of idiots who grill all winter long and sit out by bonfires in pouring rain, snow, and sleet.) While he was taking care of dinner, I thought it would be fun to make a gingerbread house with the kids - and quickly learned why they are sold as kits.

 

The roof pieces burned, one of the gable ends stuck to the cookie sheet and crumbled when it was removed, and the sides did not hold together. Finally, out of desperation, I grabbed the glue gun.

 

It held together long enough for the kids to have fun decorating it with gumdrops, m&m's and red hots.

 

And really did not look too bad considering all the difficulties and the ages of the little ones....................................Then, the roof caved in.

 

The most important thing is we all had a good time with, what will now forever be referred to as, 'disaster house 2014'. (And I have learned to just buy a kit in the future!) Thanks to Hubby, we also all had a great dinner. As an added bonus, all the feline members of the household hide whenever there are little ones here, so no 'help' from Grimmie......

 

Who spent the evening completely worn out from the excitement of hiding all day.

It's holiday decorating time!

So........ the other day Hubby and I decided to start putting up the holiday decorations. Not a feat than can be accomplished without plenty of feline help, mostly from our problem child, Grimoire.

 He thought it would be helpful to try to chew on the outdoor wreaths while I was trying to put new bows on them.

 

Lady Fray wandered out to have a look at the situation, but luckily for us humans did not find it as intriguing as Grimmie did.

 

 

While Hubby was taking care of making the outside look festive, yours truly tackled the inside. Decorating the tree with lights and ornaments was a true challenge, but I had Grimmie right there to lend a paw every step of the way. I was unable to get any pics of the tree trimming. Lets just say the lights all survived it unbroken, the ornaments are still all in one piece, and the claw marks on my hands where Grimmie missed the light string and got me instead, will eventually heal.

 

After all the excitement was over Jezzie wandered out to give her approval.

 

Madame Z was still trying to adjust to the fact her cousin, Lady Fray, now lives here, and was not in a festive mood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome our newest staff member, Lady Fray

All of us at the Ravens' have had an exciting time getting aquainted with the our new staff member, Lady Fray. Although, we did have some concerns at first about how well she would fit in.

In the beginning, she seemed to have a great work ethic, going above and beyond the normal expectations, even to the point of ordering take-out and eating in her office instead of going out.

 

But then the problems began. On the night we witnessed her grab a catnip toy, get stoned off it, and run around hissing at other staff members, we knew the stress of all that work was getting to her.

 

Happily, she has learned to balance her schedule better. She now takes some time out for play to ward off any repeat, stress induced, incidents.

 

We still are not fully sure what her duties around here will be. Our CEO Jezebel has been giving it plenty of thought and the two have had a few meetings regarding future projects.

 

For now, Lady Fray is still getting a feel for how things work around here. She has taken an interest in the embroidery section of the shop, as well as, learning the computer end of running an ETSY business.

 

 

 

And of course, Grimoire is there to lend a paw (whether she wants it or not) and show her the ropes.

 

Madame Z's Corner: Goldstone

Madame Z provides monthly posts featuring a different healing stone each month. She gathers her info from many different sources including the books: The Pocket Book of Stones; The Way of the Green Witch; Healing Crystals and Gemstones; The Essential Guide to Crystals, Minerals, and Stones; and Grimoire for a Green Witch; the websites: That Crystal Site; Wings of Spirit; and Healing Crystals for You; as well as relying on personal experience. Healing stones are not a substitute for medical treatment. Anyone with serious medical or emotional issues should consult with a health care professional. When purchasing a healing stone, it is best to buy the stone you are drawn to. Healing stones should be cleansed and charged periodically. We cleanse our personal stones at least once a month, and sometimes more often if we feel they need it. Cleansing can be accomplished by holding the stone in a stream of water. A natural stream is best, but since most of us do not have access to one, filtered water is a good substitute. Some stones should not be placed in water. These stones can be placed in dirt or smudged with white sage. To recharge the stones, place in a sunny window or in moonlight for a few hours.

 

Our December spotlight stone is Goldstone. Goldstone, which is man made, can be found in a variety of colors, including green, blue, and red. Goldstone was created from glass combined with copper. It's the copper that gives this intriguing stone it's glittery sparkle.

 

Goldstone in general is thought to increase self-esteem and self-confidence. It is also believed to help stabilize moods and to bring a feeling of vitality and zestful energy. Goldstone, as mentioned above, contains copper which is thought to assist in conducting the higher spiritual energies entering our world. Copper is also considered to be extremely helpful in treating inflammation and increasing blood flow.

 

Physically, goldstone is believed to relieve pain and inflammation, detoxify the body, and protect against bacteria. It is also thought to help strengthen bones and the circulatory system. It is even considered helpful in overcoming depression.

 

Blue Goldstone is associated with the throat and third eye chakras. It is believed to protect psychic and empathic sensitivities, and to repel negative energies. This sparkly stone is also thought to stimulate learning, communication, telepathy, and channeling.

 

Physically, blue goldstone is believed to relieve migraines, to enhance eyesight, and to help one overcome bulimia and anorexia.

 

Magickally, it is thought to enhance invisibility.

 

Green Goldstone is thought to open and balance the heart chakra. It is believed to bring a feeling of warmth and to open one's mind to the world around them.

 

The red variety of goldstone is associated with the root, sacral and solar plexus chakras. Like the green variety, it too is believed to bring a feeling of warmth. Like most red stones in general, it is thought to increase energy and motivation.

 

To cleanse our goldstone we use filtered water. The recommended way to charge goldstone is by placing it on a windowsill on a starry night, but we have also used moonlight without any problems.

 

Personally, we have the most experience with the green variety of goldstone. We experience it's energy as bringing a calmness, but also as providing an energetic, zesty feeling. Green Goldstone is one of our favorite stones.

Grimoire's Sneak Peek

 

The holiday season is in full swing now. We started our Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales by knocking every item 15% off, plus offering free shipping on many orders. For free shipping at ravenheartdesigns.etsy.com on orders over $100, enter coupon code 100freeship14. Enter coupon code 50shipfree14 for free shipping on orders over $50 at ravensmysticmoon.etsy.com. Check our shops' home pages; facebook pages; and my twitter page, Grimoire the Cat; for additional offers throughout the holiday season.

 

 

 

Our Stone of the Month for December will be goldstone. Goldstone can be found in a variety of colors, including blue, red, and green. We picked this delightful stone for two reasons. First, we thought the way it sparkles and shimmers when the sunlight hits it made it a perfect choice for this festive month. The second was for a more practical reason. With prices already discounted shop wide because of the holiday season, we wanted to take this opportunity to spotlight a stone we do not have available for sale. Be sure to check out Madame Z's post next week to learn all there is to know about this man-made, though still amazing, stone.

Black Friday Sales on ETSY

Everybody at the Ravens' have been busy this past week getting ready for Black Friday sales. The last of the finished products, our repurposed light bulb ornaments, were listed yesterday.

They are available in both Christmas or Yule varieties. The Christmas snowpeople are holding the brooms and the Yule snowwitches are riding them. They are listed for sale at the ravenheartdesigns.etsy.com shop, along with the other snowmen and beer cap ornaments. We also still carry several hand knit scarves and blankets in that shop, which make great gifts.

 

 

As well as, a selection of hemp baskets like this one, also a great gift idea!

 

 

Over at the other shop: ravensmysticmoon.etsy.com, we still have several meditation/prayer beads available, and plenty of earrings.

 

 

For the littlest ones this Holiday season, we have embroidered baby bibs.

 

 

 

 

Okay, that last one is really over in our other shop, Raven Heart Designs, with the inappropriate baby bibs. I just wanted to add it to the post because it's one of my favorites!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY EVERYBODY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun with Beer Cap Ornaments

So the other day while attempting to photograph and list the newest creations, beer cap Christmas and Yule ornaments, I was blessed with WAY too much help from the other staff members.

First, Grimmie (who else) was under the mistaken impression that I needed assistance hanging the ornaments on the little prop tree.

Then, the newest member of the staff, Lady Fray, stopped by to supervise the photography session.

Of course, they could not be listed for sale without Grimoire's invaluable assistance.

Later on, Jezebel and Madame Z dropped by to lend a hand with pinning all the new items to Pinterest boards.

 

                                                                

                                         
Thanks to (in spite of) all their help the new ornaments are now listed for sale at ravenheartdesigns.etsy.com!

 

 

Madame Z's Corner: Tree Agate

Madame Z provides monthly posts featuring a different healing stone each month. She gathers her info from many different sources including the books: The Pocket Book of Stones; The Way of the Green Witch; Healing Crystals and Gemstones; The Essential Guide to Crystals, Minerals, and Stones; and Grimoire for a Green Witch; the websites: That Crystal Site; Wings of Spirit; and Healing Crystals for You; as well as relying on personal experience. Healing stones are not a substitute for medical treatment. Anyone with serious medical or emotional issues should consult with a health care professional. When purchasing a healing stone, it is best to buy the stone you are drawn to. Healing stones should be cleansed and charged periodically. We cleanse our personal stones at least once a month, and sometimes more often if we feel they need it. Cleansing can be accomplished by holding the stone in a stream of water. A natural stream is best, but since most of us do not have access to one, filtered water is a good substitute. Stones that include metals should not be placed in water because of the risk of rust. These stones can be placed in dirt or smudged with white sage. To recharge the stones, place in a sunny window or in moonlight for a few hours.

 

Our spotlight stone for November is Tree Agate. Like most green color stones, tree agate is considered a good stone for helping one to connect with nature. It is thought to reduce arrogance and to help remind one that they are a part of the whole. Tree Agate is believed to help one stay grounded; and also to have a calming effect on the nervous system. It is thought to bring a feeling of inner peace, warmth, and tranquility. Tree Agate has a gentle energy which works slowly to bring about change. This stone is thought to be most effective when combined with other stones, such as ruby zoisite or chrysoprase.

 

Physically, tree agate is thought to assist in cleansing and detoxifying the body. It is also believed to be beneficial for the feet and legs, and to aid the kidneys and bladder.

 

Magickally, tree agate is associated with wealth, wisdom, and self work. This delightful stone is even believed to be beneficial to house plants.

 

Tree agate is primarily a heart chakra stone, but is also associated with the crown and root chakras.

 

Our personal experience with tree agate tells us this is a very gentle and calming stone, It seems to bring a feeling of warmth, love, and patience to the wearer.

 

Cleanse tree agate with warm water and charge in sunlight.

Grimoire's Sneak Peek

We have a lot happening in November! First off, our 'Stone of the Month' will be Tree Agate. Madame Z will tell you all about this really cool stone in her post next week.

Our 'Stone of the Month' sales will be cut a few days short this month due to the start of our Black Friday sales. The sales, starting on Thanksgiving Day, will feature savings on many items in both shops: ravenheartdesigns.etsy.com and ravensmysticmoon.etsy.com. In addition, we will have special coupon codes for even more savings! They will be found throughout the holiday shopping season on our shops' facebook pages and my twitter page, Grimoire the cat.

Finally, we have a new employee starting in November. Madame Z's cousin Lady Fray will be joining our staff.

She has already been with us for a week touring the facility and getting acquainted with everybody. None of the staff is sure what her duties will be, but we understand our CEO Jezebel will be making an announcement soon.

Back to Work with Problem Employees

The tomatoes, both red and green, are canned, the squash is in the freezer with the jam and fruit butters, and now it's time to get back to creating new items for the ETSY shops! Over the summer I became overrun with used light bulbs so it looks like Christmas and Yule ornaments will be a good place to start.

For the past couple weeks Madame Z has been trying to tell me I need to make more itty-bitty snowmen hats and scarves. Either that or she has taken over the role of problem child from Grimoire.

 

I admit, when I kept finding yarn scraps all over the house instead of in the work room, I thought Grimmie was to blame.

 

Speaking of......................

He was thrilled to offer his invaluable assistance in readying the light bulbs for painting.

Looks like I might have two problem employees on my hands!

New supplies

A new shipment of blank baby bibs arrived this week and you know what that means.................empty box!!!

 

Grimmie is easily amused and never misses an opportunity to have, what to him is, a good time. While he was loafing off, the esteemed CEO was busy inspecting the new supply of bibs.

 

After giving her approval to this latest shipment, she was off to an important meeting with Madame Z.

 

Who she appears to be grooming to take over for her when she retires someday.

 

While the rest of the staff was occupied with their various activities, yours truly was undertaking the task of pre-washing and shrinking the new bibs to prepare them for embroidering.

 

 

Well, at least that was the plan...........