INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It's important to conduct the séance in a place where there will be as few interruptions as possible. Choose a quiet space with lighting you can adjust to a dim setting. Make sure the room is comfortable and not filled with distracting electronics, loud artwork or other items that might take away from the experience.  Many people mistakenly think that a séance must be conducted in a haunted place. The room or building you choose does not have to be haunted. Spirits will come to any place if they feel welcome when you call them. You may, however, wish to hold the séance in a place that holds spiritual meaning for you and the others who will be present. For example, you could hold it in the home of a loved one who has passed on if you seek to connect with that person through the séance. A séance is much more powerful if everyone there really believes that it's possible to communicate with spirits. Skeptics weaken the energy of the séance, making it hard for spirits to come through. Choose people who believe in the supernatural and desire to contact spirits.  You might want to invite people who have lost someone they want to get in touch with. A séance is an opportunity to communicate with loved ones on the other side. Don't invite someone who's deeply afraid of ghosts or who tends to get nervous when something out of the ordinary happens. This could be disruptive to the séance. Once you contact a spirit, you’ll want to ask questions. You might have a limited amount of time to talk to the spirit, so it’s best to have your questions prepared ahead of time. Tell guests to think of a few questions that they hope to ask before you get started. It's best to use yes-or-no questions because you'll get clearer answers.  If you know who you want to contact, the questions should be for that person. However, you might also create general questions to ask if you’re just hoping to reach the spirit world. For instance, you might plan to ask your deceased grandmother, “Are you okay?” “Are you around us?” or “Do you think I’m on the right path?” Keep in mind that you might not get clear responses to your questions. It’s easiest to ask yes-or-no questions. Your candles and ritual supplies will set the atmosphere for your séance. Additionally, they make the area more welcoming to spirits. Arrange your table so that it feels right to you. Here are some items you might choose:  Candles to light the space and attract spirits with their light and warmth. White candles are a great option because you can use white for any ritual. You might also try violet candles to enhance psychic powers, blue candles to enhance communication, orange to attract good things and banish negative things, or silver/light grey candles to enhance psychic powers and repel negative powers.  Incense to increase psychic powers and attract spirits. Choose scents like cinnamon, frankincense, or lemongrass. A photo of the person you want to contact if you’re trying to summon a specific person. An item that belonged to the person you want to contact. Your spirit board or pendulum, if you’re using one. This will help everyone get in the right state of mind to experience the séance. Ask everyone to silence and put away their devices before the beginning of the séance. Once the session is underway, any type of distraction could throw off the energy and prematurely end the séance.

SUMMARY: Choose a quiet room to use. Invite people who believe in the spirit world. Ask the sitters to prepare basic questions for the spirit. Set your table with the candles and ritual supplies you plan to use. Make sure everyone turns off their electronic devices.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you wash your face each day, use a gentle and non-foaming cleanser. Use lukewarm or cool water and lightly work the cleanser over your skin. This can minimize the risk of further irritation and clear away bacteria or germs that could cause infection.  Use a gentle, non-foaming cleanser to wash your face. Avoid using anti-aging creams. Avoid products with exfoliants, fragrances, or retinols because they can irritate or exfoliate your skin even more.  Allow the skin to heal completely before beginning your new, toned-down exfoliating regimen. Rubbing your skin dry can easily irritate already fragile skin. After you’ve cleansed your skin, gently pat it dry with a clean towel. This can prevent further irritation. Apply a thick moisturizer to your skin after cleansing. This can calm your skin and promote healing. Avoid creams with fragrance or exfoliating ingredients such as retinoids. These can further irritate and exfoliate your skin. Put a 1% hydrocortisone cream on top of moisturizer twice a day. Focus the cream on irritated areas for up to two weeks. Hydrocortisone cream can ease irritation and inflammation. It can also get out any red on your skin and provide a barrier from bacteria or germs. Use a mild vitamin C cream instead of hydrocortisone if you prefer something more natural. At a concentration of about 5%, vitamin C cream may soothe your skin and help it heal faster. Avoid exposing any area with vitamin C cream to the sun. Vitamin C creams and lotions can make you especially sensitive to the sun. Covering yourself up can protect you from sunburn and further irritation and inflammation. Gently apply a thin layer of vitamin E oil on your over-exfoliated skin. This can keep your skin moisturized, soothe any discomfort, and promote healing. If you’ve over-exfoliated, you took off not only dead skin cells, but new ones as well. This can expose delicate, new skin that is prone to sunburns. Protect your skin and promote healing by staying out of the sun if possible. Wear sunscreen or sunblock even if you’re just running errands. This can minimize the risk of sunburn, further inflammation and irritation, and hindering the healing process. Wait a few days to a week to return to your normal skincare and makeup routine. This gives your over-exfoliated skin time to heal completely before you apply anything with chemicals on it. It can also minimize irritation and speed up the healing process. If you notice your irritation worsening or it won’t go away after a week, make an appointment with your dermatologist. They can determine if you have severe damage or an infection on your skin. Depending on their exam, you may receive a prescription for a stronger cortisone cream or a prescription barrier repair cream.

SUMMARY: Use a gentle cleanser. Pat your skin dry. Moisturize your skin. Dab on a hydrocortisone cream. Consider a vitamin C cream. Layer on vitamin E oil. Avoid the sun or wear sun protection. Go au-natural. See a dermatologist.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This includes the fabric that you will be using for your appliqué as well as the item you will be attaching the appliqué to. The only instances where you should not wash the fabric is if you are using a non-washable material, such as felt or silk. Wash the fabric first, then dry it. Iron it last to remove all wrinkles. You can draw the design by hand, or use a stencil. You can even print the design off of the computer. Simple designs work the best for appliqués, especially if this is your first time making one.  Try to use a thick paper, such as cardstock. It will make tracing easier. If you are doing letters, words, or numbers, reverse your design; it will come out the right direction in the end. There are lots of different types of iron-on, fusible interfacing. You must get the kind that has adhesive on both sides. When you buy it, one side will already have the adhesive visible; the other side will have paper on it.

SUMMARY:
Pre-wash and iron all of your fabric. Choose and create your design on a sheet of paper. Buy iron-on adhesive meant for appliqués.