![]() I’m Belle Raponi, creator of all things magical! My mission is to keep life fun, bring smiles to faces, walls and hands! I’ve always done some sort of craft since I was little, and it’s just evolved over the years. I need a creative outlet. In 1991 I was in a serious car accident and was home bound for about 12 years. Amidst many therapies and re-learning to do many basic human functions, I started doing different types of crafts. The shadowboxes emerged from my wanting to make a good friend a birthday gift and one of the only things he enjoyed was beer, so I made a beer shadowbox. Another friend saw that and wanted one and it took off from there. I made those under the name Shadowboxables for several years, then branched out to other things as I was gifted a silhouette machine. It’s allowed me to do more creative things both in my shadowboxes and with things like wood signs. I had a craft booth at a local store for about 8 years and would often switch up my decor in there. I’d done an extensive Christmas project with a magic theme and had started making magic wands. On a whim I decided to bring some into the shop and they sold out. Twice! So, I put on my thinking cap and figured it was a good time to switch to all things magical! The store did a Saturday market that I attended that year, and found that I loved doing vendor events, so I left the store atmosphere and opted for the vendor events for the next couple years under the name “Magic & More”. When the pandemic hit and all the vendor events were cancelled, I realized the necessity of a web page and settle on “Enchantinglymagical.com” as the domain name was not taken and I loved everything about the sound of it. It takes me about a week, sometimes two to make the magic wands. Some of that time is finding the parts and pieces and stones then creating each piece, some of it is drying time, painting, wiring, last minute touch ups and then the naming and pricing process. Lots of care and love goes into each one of a kind item. The magic wands are each given special properties, or names, if you will. I sit with each one and get the feel of the energy of the piece and then gift it a name. Whoever the wielder of the wand is gets to unlock it’s full potential. I figure it’s less like the wand chooses the wizard and more like they choose each other in a symbiotic relationship. 🙂 My wands are made for mature young people (not young kids) and the young at heart as many of them are breakable. I know lots of people who collect them (including me!) They are heat sensitive so don’t leave them in direct sunlight or in a car in the summertime. The dragon eggs also take a week or so based on how many colors are in them. Once I have all the pieces painted (they are made with thumbtacks, so they are not for young people), it takes me about 4 hours for a large one. They are then sealed for an extra layer of protection! The baskets are also hand made by a friend of mine who uses the scraps from making wool blankets and rugs. They are made specifically for each size and color. I’m a lover of learning, a believer in self development, meditation and quieting the mind. I’m all about having fun in life, no matter the circumstance, especially now. I’m a believer that we get to choose how we perceive things, and our choices equal the kind of life we have. The more we look for the good stuff, the more we find it, and I like the good stuff!
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