Templehearth 2023    Monday, January 30, 2023

I'm so thrilled to be a presenter for Templehearth for the third year in a row!

Templehearth is an online weekend of witchcraft related workshops and lectures hosted by the Temple of Witchcraft. If you're new to the modern witchcraft movement, please keep in mind that "witchcraft" is a catchall phrase that means different things to different people, so let me tell you what it means to me. The particular spiritual path of witchcraft that I favor is that of a life-affirming, healing path utilizing many kinds of holistic and alternative ways to wellness. It is the path of the seer, as well as a spiritual path that enlightens and promotes the evolution of our best selves. I very much enjoy being involved in this type of magick. (Note that I add the letter "k" to the word "magick" to indicate real life magick from stage illusions for entertainment).

The intersection between art and magick has always held great interest for me and this will be a big part of my focus for my lecture this year. For instance, have you ever met an exceptionally influential person and suddenly began to feel it rub off on you just a little? Have you ever been in a creative environment and found ideas of your own begin to flow more freely? Or perhaps read a book about mediumship and then had an unexpected mediumship experience? Whether or not you have experienced any of this for yourself, as witches we have great resources available to us. What if we could consciously use magick and ritual to connect with muses and spirits of inspiration to forge a new relationship to birth a truly inspired project into the world? We can! Explore the possibilities and learn about the magickal law of contagion and ritual to open new avenues of creativity and magick in your practice. This is what I call crafting the muse!

Templehearth runs February 3-5 2023 and registration is open! The cost for an entire weekend of workshops, lectures and ritual is $70 USD. Click here to register! Hope to see you there!

Black Cats of the UCHS Thank You!    Monday, January 30, 2023

I wish to sincerely thank everyone who supported the Black Cat Rescue Candle Project in October 2022!

Together we managed to donate $1000 to the Upper Credit Humane Society from the sales of my spooky upcycled candles! 

Sharon, manager of the UCHS is shown on the left of me with two adorable kittens as I made the donation in November 2022. I was so happy to contribute such a substantial donation this year. My dream was to take the $60 I had in my pocket and convert it into a project that could sustain itself year after year and yield bigger donations. With the help of the InSpirit Centre in Georgetown Ontario, we managed to sell about 120 candles. Special thanks to the team at the InSpirit Centre who did such a wonderful job. Together, we managed to cover costs and reserve enough funds to renew the project in 2023 while still reaching my goal of donating at least $1000. I could still use more donations to cover material costs to generate larger donations in the future. If you'd like to donate for supplies, drop me a line! We can make 2023 the best year yet! The UCHS is currently utilizing the donated funds to help their rescued and vulnerable kitties. 

This year I'll be looking to innovate my current designs and will be looking for volunteers who want to get artsy and help create the candles with me. I'm even considering adding jewelry and other fun products.

I also have some personal news to share! Last year's project was dedicated to my cat Max who passed away in September 2022. I cried so much! As anyone who has ever loved a furry friend knows, the loss of a pet is the real deal. Resurrecting this project is the form my grief took. I wanted to take all that energy and make something good. By December I found the house was just too quiet and missed having a feline to love and care for. Now I've adopted a black cat of my very own! Meet Onyx! He was found in Chamberlain Park as a kitten and rescued by Feral Cat Rescue in Shelburne. He's about a year and a half old and I felt he'd been waiting long enough for his furever home. He was originally called Chandler by the shelter but we now call him Onyx. 

He's the sweetest boy! My husband and I only planned on adopting one cat but a super friendly ginger cat stole our heart as well. When I noticed he seemed to be bonded already with Onyx we just had to take him home too! Originally named Jarvis, he was rescued by the same organization. Nobody knows for sure how old he is but estimate him to be 4 years old. We call him Jasper now and he's so adorable. Jasper and Onxy are settling in well and seem truly happy here. They get along so well with each other and I think it helped them a lot to have a buddy while adjusting to a new home. We love our new furry friends!

Thank you all once again for your amazing support of the Black Cat Rescue Candle Project. We're making a difference, one candle at a time. I hope you wil support again in October 2023!

Black Cat Rescue Candles are Back!    Thursday, October 20, 2022

Autumn is here. The season grows darker. Halloween approaches with themes of pumpkins, witch’s hats, and black cats. But did you know that black cats are among the hardest to adopt? They are often feared, abandoned, and even maimed or killed due to superstition just because of the colour of their fur!

Click the Photo to Watch my Video!

I discovered this issue after rescuing a few black cats and kittens in my area and found it extremely difficult just to get them accepted into a shelter. It was then that the agencies I dealt with told me about the problems and it broke my heart.  Black cats are beautiful, loving and kind pets, yet they are unwanted and unloved by so many. They are not evil, and they deserve to find their fur-ever home.

Introducing The Black Cat Rescue Candle Project!

In partnership with the InSpirit Centre, I will be selling my beautiful handcrafted upcycled candles with a charming cat pendant. Each one is a little different. We hope that you will join us this fall season in helping raise funds for the Upper Credit Humane Society. Together we can help black cats and other disadvantaged felines to have a better future and the beautiful life they deserve. UCHS also needs a new facility, so donations have never been more important. By myself, I cannot afford to donate enough to make a difference, but with your help we can.

I had only $60 to fund the start-up of this program, but when you purchase a candle, this investment can grow to hundreds or even thousands of dollars to make a greater impact. The sky is the limit. Not only that, together we can keep this project going year after year!

My goal this year is to make and sell at least 100 candles at a minimum cash donation of $13.

Candles will be on sale October 1^st until October 31^st or while supplies last at:

The InSpirit Centre, 61 Main Street South, Georgetown, Ontario

On behalf of UCHS’s black cats Carol, Jolene, Loki, Magic, Martello, Merida, Molly, Salem, Starla, the InSpirit Centre, and me, we thank you!

Welcome Visitors from Templehearth 2022    Saturday, February 5, 2022

I just wanted to take a moment to welcome those who have come to visit my website from Templehearth 2022. I'm so excited to be a presenter again this year! There are many facets to my career including that of an artist/artisan was well as my work in the spiritual arena. If you'd like to know more about my services as a psychic reader and workshop presenter feel free to check me out at www.InSpiritCentre.com 

I offer readings in-person and on Zoom or by phone. Receive 10% off in store at InSpirit Centre until February 28, 2022, with code: CHRISF22

As for my main website, I admittedly am going through a bit of an identity crisis as a I try to find the right way to put all of my talents and offerings under one roof. As a spiritual person, it is challenging sometimes to put that information out into the world because it is so deeply sacred and personal to me. Thank you for continuing to support my work! I plan to reinvent my website as my vision for the future becomes clearer. 

For those who are interested in my handmade work, I still have some offerings available on my etsy shop at www.christinemarieford.etsy.com

Journey to the Heart of the Sun    Tuesday, February 2, 2021

I'm so excited to be making my debut as a presenter for Templehearth 2021! It's an online weekend of magickal education and experience and I'm so honored to be a part of it!

In writing this, I am coming out of the "broom closet" so-to-speak for the first time on my website as a witch and member of the Temple of Witchcraft. Most of my readers and clients know me primarily for my fiber art, jewelry, and handmade leather journals on Etsy. I decided that it was time that I share this important part of my own personal journey and evolution. A lot of people are triggered by the words "witch" and "witchcraft" because of the frightening and disturbing history of persecution along with confusing and often ridiculous and horrifying representations in TV, movies and pop culture. It's a broad term that even among modern practitioners can mean different things to different people. For this reason, I hesitated to share this part of myself fearing that there would be those who would not understand.

For the record, my path has been a life-affirming and healing journey for me that continues to challenge and encourage me to be the very best version of myself every day. It's a path of personal responsibility, healing, magick, and self-exploration for which I am very grateful. It's a crooked path that is not for everyone. I think it's important that people have the freedom to choose what is right for them while still appreciating other parths. Luckily we live in an enlightened age where there is a greater appreciation for spiritual and cultural diversity. 

I find that creativity is a very spiritual process for me and it was only a matter of time until worlds collide.  My spiritual journey weaves in and out of my creative journey adding inspiration and a sense of wonder and adventure.  I expect this will become even more apparent as I begin to post some of my newest work.  This time I decided to try my hand at some writing and wrote an evocation for Sekhmet. It is available in my shop here as a free pdf download. Enjoy!

My presentation for Templehearth will be on February 7, 2021 and it's called "Journey to the Heart of the Sun: Myths, Stories and Mysteries of Sekhmet".  If ever you are looking for inspiration for your next creative project, one need only look to the old gods of ancient Egypt for inspiration!

If you'd like to hear more about this incredibly important and complex goddess, there's still time to register for this event! (Templehearth has a wide variety of events with incredibly talented and accomplished speakers). It never ceases to amaze me how the stories and myths of ancient Egypt remain relevant in our modern world. 

I hope you are all staying well and safe!

Christine

photo by Ross Welsh, British Museum

Growing, Evolving and Healing    Saturday, July 25, 2020

Dear friends,

It has been exceptionally long since I’ve updated my website and I thought I’d share my journey with you. Life takes unexpected turns and I’ve grown and changed in ways I never would have imagined.

For a long time, I thought fiber art and fine craft would be my whole world for the remainder of my career, but a life-altering accident in 2011 brought changes I never could have expected. With such an extreme situation, I found myself turning more and more to my own spiritual pursuits.  Those pursuits turned into new career opportunities facilitating workshops and doing psychic readings at the InSpirit Centre in Georgetown Ontario owned by my sister Barbara Ford-Pimento and her husband Mark Pimento. In terms of my fiber art, I felt like I’d entered a sort of incubation period, knowing that my work was changing but not yet knowing how it would manifest.  I’m still not sure where my visual arts are going but when I find out, you’ll be the first to know!

In 2019 I underwent my fourth major shoulder surgery. The partial shoulder replacement I had finally failed, leaving my shoulder completely dislocated for over a year while I awaited my next surgery.  When I finally received the date of my surgery, I was shocked that it was booked on the anniversary of my accident in 2011! The surgery date got changed delaying it for a week, but it got me thinking about how things have come full circle and how much I’ve grown since the initial accident.  Still, it was like reliving the experience all over again. I faced the pain and my fears and am moving forward!

Now it's 2020 and we are all coping with Covid-19. The economy is finally opening up in Halton Hills since the shut down in mid-March.  Prior to this my sewing studio hadn’t seen much action in a couple years but suddenly the world was struggling to keep up with the demand for PPE.  My cousin who is an RN, and my stepdaughter who is a microbiologist, strongly encouraged me to sew cloth masks and so I did. The supply chain also struggled to keep up with the demand for sewing supplies, yet I had a fully stocked studio at my disposal. How could I say no?

I sewed and sewed from March to May. I donated over 250 masks to vulnerable persons in my community, grocery store workers, two retirement homes and local seniors.  An unexpected influx of donations kept my project going until the supply chain finally caught up. Without access to regular physiotherapy, chronic pain and mobility issues has kept me from doing more. And that’s OK. I was just happy to have contributed during a time of need and be a part of something greater than myself.

Now that we’re all adjusting to the new normal, it’s time to think about the future and where to go from here. So where are things going for me?  To start with, I’m looking forward to sharing more about who I am and more facets of what I do.  I expect the look of my website to continue to change and transform along with the products and services that I offer to become broader and to reflect my current areas of interest.  

In the meantime, you can find out more about my special projects going on at the InSpirit Centre in Georgetown, Ontario.  More on that later! And of course, you can still find me on Etsy. My shop will be undergoing big changes too, but custom handmade leather journals and other goodies are still available now.

I hope all of you are staying well and safe during these challenging times.

Much love!

Christine

© 2020 Christine Marie Ford – All rights reserved.

Uniting for Love after Quebec City Mosque Shooting    Friday, February 3, 2017

This is a photo of two lovely women I met during a vigil in Kitchener, Ontario the day after the horrible shooting at a mosque in Quebec City. The photo at the bottom is of myself and my little sister at the vigil. The night of the vigil, I just knew I HAD to stand with my fellow Canadians at City Hall in Kitchener as a show of solidarity with those who lost their lives during evening prayers just one night ealier in Quebec City. Even with a 101 deadlines and -7 degree weather, I was outside. It was the most peaceful gathering with kind, compassionate Canadians from all walks of life. It made me feel proud to be Canadian.

When peaceful Canadians can't even get through their evening prayers without getting shot, I WILL stand in solidarity. I'm not Muslim and Islam doesn't particularly resonate with me, but I WILL stand with ANYONE for the freedom to practice their faith peacefully.

I stand on guard for freedom of religion, I stand on guard for women's rights, I stand on guard for LGBTQ rights, I stand on guard for human rights, animal rights and our planet. May we all be united by compassion, love, and the knowingness that we are ultimately all One. Peace.

Christine

Healing Through Creative Destruction    Monday, October 19, 2015

“Change can only occur with the destruction of the old. The very nature of destruction is creation.”   – Scott Cunningham

I find the concept of creation and destruction so intriguing. A common mainstream view is that destruction is bad and creation is good but we artsy types know better.  It just depends on the circumstances right? For example, destroying harmful habits can be good while creating debt can be bad. In fact, destruction and creation can both be beneficial when wielded to our advantage.

When it comes to artistic expression, many people tell me how they would love to be more artistic but that they are either wrought with anxiety, fear of failure or that they have no talent. Even an artist like myself has to constantly take care of my vulnerable inner child. In fact, every time I start a new sketch and see that blank page, a wave of anxiety overtakes me. Then I go about my ritual of destroying my anxiety by giving myself permission to fail. This gives my soul a chance to soar, if only for a little while. I find it fascinating that some of my best work was simply the result of getting out of my own way long enough for the magic to happen. Just a little healing can go such a long way!

 Do you have harmful programs that you’d like to destroy in order to make room for your creative endeavors? If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few ideas that I’ve found helpful for me.

There’s a great therapeutic product called “Wreck This Journal” widely available in bookstores. Not only is it absolutely freeing and liberating, it’s actually pretty hilarious! Each page includes an activity like dropping the journal from a great height, or scribbling outside the lines and even smearing what you had for dinner on the page! Oh yes, if you follow the activities you will absolutely wreck the journal in the most liberating of ways!

Oftentimes when working on an artistic project, that inner critic just will not shut up! Argh! Here are a couple of techniques I’ve found to teach my inner critic how to take a back seat during the creative process:

• Give your inner critic a name. I call mine “Crusher” because that’s what it does. It attempts to crush my confidence and my will to accomplish my goal. Talk to your critic. When you receive criticism ask for it to provide concrete evidence for the criticism. Next, find all the evidence you can to debunk your critic’s harmful opinions of you.

• When your inner critic just won’t shut up, ask it to take a back seat during the creative process. Then tell your inner critic that you will listen to what it has to say for five minutes afterward. Be sure to honor your critic and allow it a full five minutes to talk to you. I think you’ll be surprised at what happens.

By destroying old harmful programs, room for artistic healing and expression is truly possible! Working with my own inner critic is a regular process for me and my healing journey is not over yet. I’m making progress though, and I hope that this article helps you on your own journey as well. 

Creatively yours,

Christine

Black Cat Rescue Candles    Monday, September 28, 2015

 The Story

As we approach the darker half of the year, Halloween images of black cats, witches hats and candy are everywhere.  Each year in my small Ontario hometown, a black cat seems to cross my path in need of rescue.  I’m reminded of sweet Mira (short for “Miracle”) named by Pam, our gallery curator, while I was a resident artist at the old Mill. Pam came to my studio upset one day. Abandoned stray cats always seemed to find her and she was emotionally torn up.  A female black cat had been living under the porch of the studio next door.  Pam had been feeding her but as the weather grew colder she fretted about what was to happen to this sweet cat.  Winters here are long and bitter and there was no space for her at our local animal shelter. Mira was so frightened, that it was hard for me to get near her.  Something had to be done.

I spent several days befriending Mira until I felt confident that I could foster her until a shelter vacancy opened up.   Mira did well under the circumstances and I kept her isolated from my other two cats. Days later a vacancy opened up and I brought her to our local Humane Society. I learned that not too many people want to adopt black cats let alone an adult one. I felt sad because Mira was the sweetest soul you’d ever hope to meet. Pam and I continued to make donations in her name until finally two elderly women adopted her two years later.

The following spring, Pam introduced me to little “Picasso”:  A jet black male kitten with bright golden eyes who’d managed to get into some paint and was prancing around proudly with his newly painted white tail. How apropos that he was rescued at a visual arts center! That lively little character, got adopted much quicker! Nevertheless, a pattern was beginning to form. 

One day I got an idea and it’s one I’d like to share with you now. I started making fanciful candles with cat charms on them in October and selling them in my studio to an eager public. I then used the proceeds to sponsor black cats in various animal shelters.  I call them Black Cat Rescue Candles. If there was more public awareness that black cats are just as sweet and lovable as other cats, maybe they’d be adopted sooner.  Fear of black cats being “evil” still seems surprisingly common. Even my older sister complains that certain friends won’t come to her house because they’re afraid of her cat just because it’s black!! Animal shelter volunteers also told me about other unspeakable things that happen to black cats around Halloween that I won’t even elaborate upon here. What if sponsoring black cats at rescue centers buys them more time to get adopted?  What do you think?

I should point out that this project is just an idea, and it’s something that I do for myself.  It’s not essential to attach a cause to your candle making project unless you feel called to do so.  They make great gifts and family crafts too! If my idea happens to inspire more ideas, joy, creativity, discussion and possibly save a cat or two, then I’m happy!  

The Project

Truthfully, candle making from scratch is an art and science that I haven’t fully mastered. My first attempt resulted in an epic mess, the wrong type of wick, ruined pots, a lost fortune on supplies, and a pissed off husband! This time, I decided to try upcycling and not only was it inexpensive, it was so much fun!

What you will need:

• 2 white or cream colored identical candles to experiment with. When you are happy with your results, you can make as many as your heart desires and even experiment with other colors.
• 1 cat charm (many great and inexpensive designs can be found in local craft shops and online – I purchased mine on Etsy)
• 1 jump ring (add this to your charm if it only has a teeny tiny loop at the top.
• 14” long piece of ribbon. Black, white or red ribbon looks good, but go with your gut or use what’s available. You can also substitute with raffia, cord, yarn etc.
• 1 small tube of good quality black acrylic paint
• 1 paintbrush (1/2” to 1” wide works well)
• 1 small square of coarse sandpaper
• Optional: 1 cake decorating turntable (I found mine at a dollar store!)
• Aluminum foil
• A lighter or matches
• Optional: 2 pieces of 8 ½” x 11” parchment paper to print the labels.
• 1 water soluble glue stick for attaching the labels.

Instructions (to be used, re-written, adapted or abandoned completely)

Step 1 – Choose your candles

I purchased 2 cream colored unscented pillar candles at my local dollar store for $1.50 each to experiment with (2” diameter wide x 5” high).  Quality can vary dramatically, so I chose to experiment with the cheapest first. They worked well so I could afford to make plenty more!  You may prefer to use natural wax such as beeswax, soy or palm so follow your intuition. Remember, the first two candles are just for experimentation and upgrades can always be made later.  

Step 2 – The Burn Test

Light just one candle with a protective dish underneath.  Let it burn for at least 30 minutes and watch how it burns. Is there any black smoke? Is the wax dripping excessively and starting to make a mess? Is the flame “drowning” in the wax? Are there any offensive odors? If so, you’ve just been burned! The quality is too poor for our purposes and I would personally try a different one.  Price is not always an accurate gauge of candle quality. I’ve been “burned” by expensive ones too!  Once your candle has passed the burn test we’re ready for step 3!

Tip: Repeat the burn test for every new brand to be sure it meets your standards.

Step 3 – Candle Painting

Before painting, remove any labels and packaging. In a vertical motion, use the sandpaper to remove any shininess. This will help to give the paint and wax decorating process a surface that it can “stick” to. Do not worry about how the surface looks as it will be covered up later.

Cover your work area with newspaper and add a small dab of black acrylic paint onto a little piece of aluminum foil. Taking your unburned candle, apply a small amount of paint to the brush and begin making wispy strokes from the bottom toward the top. Leave the top half of the candle mostly unpainted with the exception of a few uneven “wisps” here and there. Allow the paint to dry for 20-30 minutes.

Step 4 – Wax Decorating

While the paint is drying, prepare your cake turntable by covering the surface completely with aluminum foil.  Once the paint is dry, place the candle at the center of the turntable.   Take the candle that you used previously for your burn test and relight it now. Tilt the burning candle slightly allowing the melting wax to drip onto the painted candle. Work slowly allowing the wax to drip down the sides. Rotate the turntable, creating lots of spooky drips down all sides of the candle. Experiment by letting drips fall near the wick of the candle and some along the sides. By now some wax has probably pooled around the base of the candle and you can even tilt the turntable slightly to access hard to reach areas. Add as much or as little detail as you like. When you feel your candle is thoroughly spooky, leave it to cool completely for a few hours.  If you have several candles to decorate, wait a minute or two and then gently lift the candle from the turntable and leave it to cool on the newspaper. Remove any chunks around the base of the candle. Place a new candle on your turntable and keep on going!

Once you’ve got the hang of decorating your candles with wax, feel free to explore other candle colors and looks! Try new paint colors and painting techniques!

Step 5 – Finishing Touches

Once your candle is completely cool, thread the cat charm onto your ribbon and tie it around the candle with a double knot. Tie it firmly, but not so firmly as to damage your wax design.  Trim off the excess ribbon.

Optional: Add a parchment paper “Black Cat Rescue” label to identify the cause.  Free labels are available for download at ChristineMarieFord.com. Apply using a water soluble glue stick. Remember to sign your label and indicate what kind of wax you used.

You’ve now made your first upcycled Black Cat Rescue Candle! Experiment with new designs and themes or tailor them for your next holiday celebration. Most importantly, remember that no matter how your first candle turns out, skill comes with practice. Trust that creatively speaking, everything is unfolding exactly as it should. I went through several candles before I finally created this design which is now my favorite.  Enjoy!

***My candles are also available for sale at  the InSpirit Centre (downtown Georgetown) and the Upper Credit Humane Society in Erin Ontario. Proceeds will be dedicated to these sweet kitties below! 

Miniature Fabric Art Animal Totems!    Friday, September 18, 2015

New Animal Totems!

I've been so busy this year restructuring, finishing old projects and planning a new future for my artwork. In the meantime, my miniature fabric art animal totems are back and now available in Williams Mill gallery shop!

Blue Heron Totem

Approximately 4" x 3", this series of miniature animal totems has been a lot of fun! I've attempted to create the "essence" of the spririt of the animal and have collaged and stitched together dozens of different fabrics to create the look. Each art piece comes with a miniature easel and a card with details on their medicine teachings from various Native cultures for $65 CDN. I'm a huge animal lover and have been a student of animal medicine for a long time. 

Bear

Horse 

Fox

Cat

Rabbit

Dolphin

Rabbit

Each piece is truly one of a kind! Enjoy!

Christine