We have some new products in the Etsy shop, courtesy of Bun. She has spent the day making the most beautiful earrings, using stone beads, glass beads, and metal charms. They are really lovely, and they're available now!


Goddess Knot with Sodalite


Crescent Moon and Greek Key

And many more at the Dreaming Priestess shop!

Wanting to go out to the lake for Solstice, but the 103 degree Texas heat is giving me pause. A morning run to Home Depot was enough to leave me in a melted puddle, so I'm wrestling with this one. I really want to go and experience some community and Spirit, but  I also know my body well enough to know that the chances I'll end up puking on the bathroom floor from heat exhaustion are better than fair. Hrm.

Doing my Phoenix grading. It's been a challenging week there, and I'm not feeling it.

I'm amazed at how fast my paycheck goes once I pay bills. This whole "getting paid once every nine weeks" bit from UoP means that we end up running our household supplies down to nothing and needing to do a massive Costco and grocery run to replenish. Plus you pay all the bills and all the other stuff you've deprived yourself of, and that big chunk o cash doesn't go very far after all. Bleh.

Bun's made some lovely earrings to put on the Etsy site. They'll be up later today or sometime tomorrow. I'm also putting together some "kits": a bar of soap, a facecloth, and a bag of salts to be sold as a bundle. Keep an eye out for those.

Thanks to everyone who sent along feedback on the site and the products yesterday. We're making some changes so keep an eye on the space. We'll be adding some Ebay auctions as well. Currently we have one up for one of our personal travel altars but I'll be putting some soap kits or spa baskets up as soon as I get some built. 

Thanks to popular request, we are now offering a Soap Sampler Pack at our Etsy shop!

Choose 5 scents to try! We'll send you small slices of each of your choices -- enough for several handwashings or a couple of showers. A a great way to try our products without committing to a whole bar! Especially great for those with allergies or sensitivities -- you'll know which Dreaming Priestess products work best for you!

$5.00 each Pack (5 soap slices), free shipping!

Also remember that with any purchase of $5 or more, you get a free hand-knitted facecloth.

I know several of you here have your own craft business through Etsy, Ebay, etc. I'm wondering what advice you have to offer.

We're getting a lot of views at our Etsy site but not a lot of sales. I know part of this is the economy itself -- people don't have a lot of money to spend on luxuries. I also know that scented products are harder to sell in a venue where people can't, you know, sniff them. But I'm still looking for ideas about how to increase my sales. If you'd be willing to take a look at the site and give me feedback (either here or at dakotawitch at gmail dot com) about what you like and what you'd change, I'd appreciate it.

I have my first Ebay auction up here. I'm a newbie to selling on Ebay, so any tips you can provide are welcomed. (I know that entry itself could be drastically improved -- it was a sort of "throw it at the wall and see if it sticks" type thing.) Those you who have done a lot of Ebay selling of your own crafts and products, what advice do you have? What pitfalls are there?

I'm looking for other ways to advertise the shop as well. I'll be buying some ads on the local hippie/pagan/eclectic listserv later this week. I'm also participating in a "trunk show" here in DFW later in July, which should hopefully bring me some foot traffic and sales. What other venues do you find useful for getting exposure to your sites or listings?

I'm finding this work incredibly grounding, even as busymaking as it sometimes is, and really want to see it soar. I will have a website of my own up soon -- just waiting on fundage and design time -- which will likely help sales, but I still need to know how to get people to actually visit the site.

Further, if there are products you wish I carried but don't, let me know. We have a number of new things coming -- whole herb incenses, Tarot bags, Sabbat-themed soaps, chakra-themed soaps, salt and sugar scrubs, and more in our spa line, to name a few -- but we are always looking for suggestions.

New products on my Etsy site!

We've reduced the prices on our personal altar boxes to $15.00

Also, with any purchase of $5.00 or more, you get a free hand-knitted facecloth! Take a look at the colors we have available, and specify in your order which color you'd like.

More new products coming in the next week.

x-posted to dp_soaps 

Spring is here, and that means that flowers and fresh scents are in bloom at Dreaming Priestess. We'll be putting items up at our Etsy shop in the next few days, but we wanted to give a sneak peek (and first dibs) to those who follow us in the blogosphere.

We'll ship anywhere; add $1.00 per item for shipping. If you buy several items, let me know and I'll see about a discounted bulk shipping rate. If you're out of the US, comment and I'll give you a shipping quote. If you are in the DFW area, we can work out a delivery.

On to the goodies! Pictures to follow in a later post when the Camera Gnome finishes downloading them!

Spring and Summer Florals Bath Salts: $4/bag (one bag does about 8 baths)
Rose
Jasmine
Plumeria
Honeysuckle

Spring and Summer Treats Bath Salts: $5/bag (one bag does about 8 baths)
Also available as glycerin soaps for $5/bar
Apple martini (a new scent -- very playful and summery)
Summer citrus (a blend of lemon and orange)
Lemon meriengue pie (a blend of lemon and sweet vanilla cream)
Apple pie a la mode (a blend of apple, spice, and sweet vanilla cream)
Dreamscicle (a blend of orange and sweet vanilla cream)
Cherry pie (a blend of cherry, almond, and sweet cream)

Other available scents:
Nag Champa (perfect for mediation)
Leather
Stress relief (lemongrass and ylang ylang)

Also available are our 100% cotton hand-knitted facecloths in many colors. Measurements vary a bit due to the nature of handmade items, but they are roughly 8"x6". Each is made of sugar and cream yarn in a variety of tri-color and marled patterns.

We can custom build you a gift basket for that special someone, or for that private spa day for yourself!

Comment with questions or orders, or email us at dakotawitch @ gmail dot com

PayPal preferred.

I know, I know, it's only October, but those winter holidays will be on us before you know it!

In the next few weeks, I will be adding a number of new products to my Etsy site

This is my official call for special requests. What would you like to see for the winter holiday season?

New product updates to come in a day or two.

Hey all, I've put an update on the Dreaming Priestess LJ community. You can see it here 

New stuff is going up all the time, so please surf by the site and take a look!

Lots of new product at the site! Stop by and take a peek! 

 I've created a community where I'll post updates about new products and other developments at Dreaming Priestess (aka my Etsy site and other aspects of my craft business).

Pop over and join me here

It'll be low-traffic. But I figured for those who want to keep up on the  new products and whatnot, this is  more efficient than you having to wade through everything else in my blog. I'll be cross-posting to this blog as well.

I've added two more bars of the Holiday Cookie soap to my Etsy site.

I also currently have on the counter, waiting to harden, cure for a day or two, and then be photographed:

Claritea: Clear your mind. Sweet orange, spicy clove, heady ginger, and peppermint blend with Stash's Crepe Faire tea, making for the perfect morning pick me up. Cast in clear glycerin base and dyed a deep forest green. Celtic oval mold. Contains whole tea leaves. Vegan friendly.

Blackberry Bramble: The smell of ripe berries in summer sunshine. Clear glycerin base provides a perfect canvas for Blackberry Wine fragrance, with notes of Heather and Lemongrass,  and Republic of Tea's Flowering Garden tea. Contains whole tea and herbs. Dyed deep purple and cast in our Forest Spirit mold.

Cranberry Muffin: Sit back and enjoy this calorie-free treat! Cranberry and Vanilla Cream fragrances come together in this sweet, warm bar. Whole dried cranberries are an added surprise. Cast in clear glycerin base and dyed an earthy berry shade, this is cast in our Celtic star mold.

 Solar Citrus Blend: Orange, clove, and lemongrass awaken the senses. Whole orange peel adds texture to this clear glycerin soap, dyed sunny orange and cast in our Eye of Horus mold.

Rose Forest:  Take a walk down a floral forest path. Rose, cedarwood, and jasmine evoke shadowy sprintime forests. Cast in our Celtic oval with a whole Amazon rose embedded in the center, this clear glycerin soap is a treat fit for any woodland nymph.

Spring Walk: Honeysuckle, rose, jasmine, and heather take you on a stroll through a sundrenched springtime afternoon. Cast in our shea butter base, this is one of our most luxurious blends.

Awakening: Wake up with an blend of lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, and heather. Cast in clear glycerin and dyed deep purple in our Celtic Triangle mold, this is a perfect way to start your day, or anytime you need a little lift.

I'll also be posting single notes of Heather, Rose, and Lavender.

Food type blends including vanilla mint, hot apple spice, and biscotti are coming as well (as soon as more shea butter base appears).

Watch this space for more!

Ok, it may be too early to worry but...

My Etsy shop is getting lots of traffic, but no sales so far.

Anyone want to take a look at the shop and tell me what I might be doing wrong?

I priced my goods competitively with other, similar goods. Of course, I still have to price them so I make money, so I can't go much lower.

I'm offering free shipping.

I know I don't have a lot up there as yet, but there is more coming.

Any ideas? 

 My Etsy shop is up! You should be able to find it here or by searching for my username (dakotawitch) from the Etsy homepage.

Not a lot up there yet, but I've got a bit. We've got more product waiting to be photographed, so keep an eye on the shop, or watch this space for updates!

ambient_indigo, your Heather soap will be up as soon as I get the photographs done!

I got some lovely Heather fragrance...gonna pour some soap....:) 

What items would you want to have in a travel altar? So far I'm thinking..

-- Candle holder(s)
-- Matches
-- Vial of salt
-- Vial for water
-- Stone for earth
-- Candle(s)
-- small dish or something for incense

I'm thinking fairly standard Wiccan/Eclectic Pagan here. There's a shop in the area that may be interested in taking some of my work on consignment, and I need to get one of my travel altars put together soon for him to look at.

Feedback appreciated as always! 

I'll be putting my first products in my Etsy shop this weekend. I'll be pouring glycerin soaps and shea butter soaps.

I'm stumped as to what to pour first...anyone out there have a particular scent request? :) 

I'm also interested in getting ahold of Tarot decks that people don't use, want or need anymore. 

Please understand that I'm going to alter the cards into collage and other art projects, so please don't send me your grandmother's gyspy tarot deck unless you don't mind it being reincarnated this way :)

I'm even interested in decks that are incomplete, or that have a few cards that are in less than intact condition. 

Surely there are places to find such things online, right?  

Hey all,

I'm looking for some supplies for a couple of craft projects. I know that alot of you are like me and have waaaay too much stuff. So why not get rid of some of your junk so I can turn it into art?

I'm looking for:

Old calendars I can gut. Preferably engagement calendars (daily planners) or page-a-days, but I won't turn down full size wall calendars or any other type, either. I'm particularly interested in Pagan/witchy themes, artists like Susan Seddon Boulet/Susan Dawes/Maxfield Parish/etc., nature scenes, yoga/zen, and the like. Fantasy themes are also welcomed. 

Old magazines I can gut for collage makings. As long as they have pretty stuff, I'll take them. Travel magazines, yoga magazines, Simple Living, Martha Stewart Living, etc. Even old catalogues if they have pretty naturey photos. There is something in me that will not let me destroy a National Geographic, though if you have a bunch that will otherwise end up in the recycle bin or trash heap, I'll get over myself and give them a new life.

Scrapbook tools and supplies that you no longer use, or have outgrown or replaced. Shaped punches/die cutters, fancy scissors, that one piece of pretty paper that didnt' mesh with a theme, stickers,  you name it. 

Tissue and wrapping paper, especially if you have bits left lying about that aren't big enough to wrap something in but that you just can't stand to give away.

Altoids boxes of varying sizes

Empty wine or other bottles. I'm going to try my hand at incense bottles.

If you have any of this you'd like to part with, email me at dakotawitch @ gmail dot com and I'll give you shipping information. If you are local to the DFW area, I can arrange a pickup. I'm sure we can also arrange a trade in future Dreaming Priestess/Dakotawitch product for your help! 

Thanks everyone for your feedback on my Etsy adventure.

I've decided to go ahead and open a shop and see how it does. I've got the shop set up under Dakotawitch. As of yet, there is no merch out there -- I'm hoping to get at least a few items out on the site before I leave for California for Bird's wedding on Thursday.

Towards that end, is there anyone out there who would let me borrow a digital camera for a few days to take pictures of my merch -- or who would like to play photographer? I can come to you with product, or you can come out here. There's free product in it for you. Drop me a comment here or email me at dakotawitch @ gmail dot com if you can help.

If all else fails, I can upload camera phone pictures for now and then do a better job when I have access to a digital cam once again!

I'll be listing handmade soaps to begin with, as that's what I have a preponderance of supplies for at the moment. In coming days I will list bath salts, more soap, some cloth bags for Tarot and stones, travel altars of various sizes, candle holders, and whatever else my creative little hands can bodge together. If there's something in particular you'd like to see, let me know.

I'll be making soaps in all my standard scents, for those who have bought from me in the past, so you can get all your old favorites. I also have some new fragrances and new molds that I'll be trying out. If you're looking for something special, let me know and I just might be able to make it happen for you.