Exciting new artists!

Already we're up to ten artists planning to take part in 2010! If you'd like to see the growing list, visit http://www.halloweenstudiotour.com/ !

And do I have new treats to share with you! Kim Coffman of The Goblin Bazaar and Celena and Marty of The Filigree have voiced an interest in welcoming you to their virtual studios! I had the incredible good fortunate of seeing their art at FaerieCon and you will be impressed by their offerings!

(Love you, Lou!)

YES! We're doing it again in 2010! Bigger, better, spookier! Already 7 artists have said they'd love to take part, so

October 1st, 2010,

will see our second annual (???) Online Hallowe'en Artists' Studio Trick or Treat!

Scary cool!

Listen to this!! In the last 14 days, our "enter" page was accessed by 182 unique visitors!!! That's so cool! And we haven't even gone live yet!!! Wow!

This according to http://www.statcounter.com Super cool tool!

It's almost time!!

WOW! The last few days have been insane! I have never spent so much time on the computer, but everything is ready except for minor tweaking as artists check their pages for a final time and we make adjustments.

Monday I worked on the artist pages from 10:30am-5:00pm and then 8:00pm to 11:30pm! There were a lot of late arrivals... but we survived (if you received a rather curt email during that time, please excuse the tired fingers!!) Tuesday was another 2 1/2 hours. Today we have wrapped things up!

And tonight... we go live!!!!

Haunted happenings!

Unfortunately Sue Burgan was unable to join us, but Brenda Dewey has!!! Brenda creates magical creatures, and she's into Hallowe'en BIG-time!

She doesn't have a website, so you'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see her work! These boots are hers, though, works of art filled with treats for her family and friends!

We're out there!

Thanks to our amazing artists, even with no money for advertising, we're still going to be seen in all the best places! Through email lists, newspaper listings, blogs, postings on websites, etc... we're going to have lost of trick-or-treaters and it's all because of you, ladies! Special thanks to April, Amy, Martha and Karen, you put a smile on this old ghoul's face! Have you been spreading the word? Let me know!

Happy Death

You know, sometimes the world seems like a cruel and miserable place full of inconsiderate and ridiculous people... and then other times a person does something so nice you're walking on air! Mr. Dan Piraro of "Bizarro" fame (you probably have seen his work when you read the newspaper's funnies) has graciously allowed us to use one of his strips, "The Grim Reaper's Crafts Booth"! Not only that but he sent a crisp, clean copy that almost glows in the dark!
Pay him a visit if you would, http://www.bizarro.com

I am covered in goosebumps to share the news that Amy Thornton has joined us! Amy's adorable bat Duane DeVein made it all too clear that she belongs on this tour (after all it's for bat conservation), and the rest of her wild and zany bunch are sure to catch your eye... and drag it 15 feet! Can't wait? See Amy at http://www.mutztoots.com/ and blogging at: http://mutztoots..blogspot.com/

spinning our web

Our tour is listed on http://www.shadynookcrafts.com/craftshows.htm and it's on Martha DeRaimo-Burch's website http://www.marthasbears.com and it's in friend Melanie's blog: http://indextrious.blogspot.com/ ! Let's continue to get it our there!

Spirited advertising!

Mom and I had a card-making blitz and we've sent out 36 hand-made, beautiful invitations to those collectors who have purchased my soft sculpture art. I'm hoping they'll be enticed to trick-or-treat with us on October 1st!

Martha DeRaimo-Burch has added us to Facebook! Way to go, Martha! Thank you so much!

And many artists, like Karen Lyons, Amy Thornton and Tammi Beaulieu have reassured me that they will spread the news to their mailing lists! Thank you so much, dear ladies! That's the spirit!

Everybody counts!

Okay, I got a counter on the site, so we'll know how many people visit, how many return visitors, etc...! It was free and from http://www.statcounter.com/ if you're keen on getting one yourself and was very easy to load up! Let's hope it has to count some big numbers!

It took some doing, but Pat Murray has joined our group of artists! I met Pat about 1 year ago and she created for me the most adorable needle-felted baby rat. This is "Pooka" in the photograph! For our tour, she has three animals ready and waiting. You can see her impressive menagerie and this lady's incredible imagination at www.freewebs.com/patscreations

Also on our tour, we've got a real treat in that Pamela Williams has come on board! Pamela is internationally known for her powerful and hauntingly beautiful photographs of cemetery statuary. I'm truly honoured to make her art available to you all through our tour! http://pages.interlog.com/~romantic/ is her website

Haunting the neighbourhoods!

Advertising is underway! Everyone has to pitch in to make this event a success, and I'm hearing some wonderful things! Thank you for doing your part and please tell me what you're up to! Ruth Fraser is off to England with our poster and bookmarks in her luggage! Morgan Hersey has sent it to her dealers! Sheri Fleischauer will be handing out bookmarks at the GarlicFest this weekend! And I've hung 11 posters in and around town (mine is a tourist town, after all). It's in the Public Library in Kincardine on Huron Lake and all the way over in Carp just outside of Ottawa, Ontario. And because Bill Slavin's illustration is so lovely, everyone has been very receptive! Very nice!

Doppelganger?

We've got two Sarahs! First, there's Sarah Pendergrast. I met Sarah at Okto-BEAR-Fest a few years ago and adopted a wee pumpkin bear and witch bear, so naturally I hoped she would enjoy taking part! Nowadays, she's creating imaginative bears and other spooky creations, like canvases and mini books! Can't wait to see them! Sarah's got a blog at http://sarahiscrafty.com/

And then, very new to my acquaintance is Sarah Medina. Sarah adds to our international flavour as she's way down under in Australia, and her bears definitely have world-wide appeal. Lately she's been bringing Lil Spooks to live, adorable teddies that walk the 'not so very dark side". Can't wait? Here's her website:
http://www.jellybellybears.com/

Meow!

I've always thought of cats as mysterious, a bit faery, definitely tricksters. They seem too independent, able to perceive what we can't... other-worldly. I connect them to Hallowe'en and magic... and now Karen Lyons who is the absolute best at bringing felines to life in soft-sculpture is going to represent them for our tour! Wow! You're going to be thrilled by her work!
Can't wait? This is her den: http://www.kjlyons.com/ !

Also otherworldly and definitely faery, Morgan Hersey will grace our tour with her spectacular leather masks! Want to share your secret identity with the world? Want to free your inner spirit? Morgan's work will set your imagination racing! http://www.masksbymorgan.com/

We're International!

Long time friend Angelika Schäfer-Siegmund has come on board! This took a bit of effort, for Angelika sadly informed me that in her part of southern Germany, Hallowe'en isn't really celebrated. There are a few parties, but that's it... what a shame! So I mailed to her an emergency Hallowe'en survival packet, and she's now able to join us! Yippy! You can get a glimpse of some of her amazing creations here: http://hungrymoon.tripod.com/angelika.htm , baby Polar Bears are her speciality!
And Ruth Fraser is off to London, England, for a Teddy show and will take our poster and bookmarks with her! Yippy! Thank you Ruth, from all of us!

Hallowe'en is for Grown-Ups!

If you talk about the history of Canadian artist Teddy bears, you're going to talk about Ruth Fraser. Since the 1930's Ruth has had a special Teddy and today not only does she make exacting, expressive bears but she's also a restorationist of damaged and tattered Teds. I met her in May 2005 at Ruth's very own "Hug-In" event, adopted from her in 2007 and this year I'm thrilled to say that she's decided to grace our little tour and I'm very excited to be able to share her work with you.
No web or email... yet!

Hallowe'en Ladies

Years ago, on my first visit to Guelph, I saw the cutest little print of a pup in a witch's hat. I wrote down the name of the artist... and have been following Paulina Cassidy's work ever since! Needless to say, I'm thrilled to be able to tell you that Paulina will be joining us, with her whimsical, quirky, magical prints and perhaps a few naughty faeries! Paulina has so many wonderful witches and pumpkin people and bats and... truly an artist who enjoys Hallowe'en! If you can't wait, see her "Restless Moon Gallery" at http://www.paulina.ws .


In the Teddy world, Sue Burgan and her
"Victorian Fantasy" dressed bears have done a lot to put Canadian bears on the map. With undeniable style and elegance, Sue's bears are dressed to perfection and... she's on the tour! While she was at first a bit hesitant (for she already has a very full plate this fall), I am honoured that she'll be presenting some of her work for all of you, what a treat! No website to tease you with yet, but she can be reached at suzsor@hotmail.com .

A REAL TREAT for me to share with you!

This morning's email delivered a real Hallowe'en treat for all of us, but me in particular (and a huge sigh of relief!)! Celebrated Canadian illustrator Bill Slavin has given me permission to use one of his amazing cover art works for our tour poster!!!! I am so delighted, I can't express it! This book literally bit me at the Library yesterday (as I was looking for something entirely different) and when I saw the cover again (for I had read some of the stories before)... I thought "WOW! What a spooky, eye-catching poster that would make!" Bill has informed me that the book is, sadly, out of print but check your library for a copy, it's Chills and Thrills edited by Priscilla Hawthorne and illustrated by Bill Slavin and Vesna Krstanovich.
To read about Bill and see his extensive lists of work and awards, please visit: http://www.canscaip.org/bios/slavinb.html

Arrrrroooowwww!

The wolves are howling! With delight, that is! The only shop stop on our tour will be The Barkery, as Cheryl, Paul, and the Westies Sammie and Daisy Mae have been Hallowe'en enthusiasts in Stratford, Ontario for years! Their doggie Hallowe'en party and parade are always a lot of fun and I'm going to be able to share some great photos. The Barkery creates very artful, gorgeous, healthy treats for our canine friends, and they use completely natural ingredients to achieve the lovely colors on their decorated treats, including something special for Hallowe'en... Intrigued? Take a peak at http://www.thebarkery.ca/

Dragons and Bears go "BOO!"

Tonight's been a great night: I have two artists that I very much wanted to share with you turning on their lights on our Hallowe'en map!

First, Martha DeRaimo Burch has come onboard! Martha is very well known in the Teddy Bear world and has a true flair for Hallowe'en! She's also creating "altered art": 3D books that are very eye-catching and very Hallowe'en! You can take a peak at her work on her website,
http://www.marthasbears.com/ (and don't forget to check out the "rat's ass", a personal favorite!)

Secondly, Tammi Beaulieu will be joining us! I met Tammi at Guelph's FaeryFest in 2008 and still remember her elegant, beautiful dragon sculptures! They remind me of seahorses, very tranquil and graceful. Tammi also makes wearable paper masks, dragons of course! I am very excited about seeing her work, I think you will be too! Some examples are on this site: http://lilacgrove.deviantart.com/

Up from the Ashes

After having a few disappointing exchanges with artists, I was a bit down and worried that this little idea of mine was in jeopardy due to a lack of participation. Wow! Hallowe'en itself seemed in trouble as one artist admitted to putting up her CHRISTMAS tree on Hallowe'en night! YICKS!!! That's just so... scary!

But then a (literally) winged artist sent her happy note about wanting to take part and it made all the difference. I am absolutely delighted to be able to share Rebecca Dixon's incredible wearable art: airy, magical wings and stunning leather masks.
For a sneak peak, take a look at her website, http://www.upfromtheashespa.com/ and be amazed!

Another Artist!

What a way to end the day! I'm twitching with excitement to announce another "house" has been added to our Trick or Treat route! April Norton, of London, Ontario, will present her exquisite, expressive hand crafted porcelain dolls! I met April last year in September and still think of her beautiful work, I'm sure you'll all take great pleasure in seeing it too!

Helping the Bats!

Okay, why am I doing this? Yes, I want to share all this incredible art with as many people as possible but also I would very much like to raise awareness concerning our bats. Bats? Yes, those adorable little critters that eat unbelievably huge amounts of insects and pollinate plants. As our natural world continues to be pinched (by us humans), getting smaller and smaller, bats are loosing ground.

Right now, in fact North American bat populations are suffering from a very scary disease called "White Nose Syndrome" that is literally wiping out entire colonies of bats while they hibernate. No one has yet determined the cause of the syndrome, but its affects are devestating. No bats means LOTS of insects which means crop loses, vegetation damage and, yup, lots of mosquitoes, black flies, deer flies, etc... feasting on you and me! Yicks!

To read more about bats, please visit Bat Conservation International at http://www.batcon.org/ . Each artist participating in this online tour has been asked to donate to BCI in lieu of a fee. So let's save our bats!

First Artists!

I am so very happy that artists are replying to my invitations and that a number have signed on! Thank you all for your interest and support!

First up is the extremely talented Sheri Fleischauer, miniature artist extraordinaire as well as jewelry artist, basket weaver... in fact, anything this lady puts her hands on becomes art! I don't know what she'll be sharing with us for the tour, but I'm sure it will be spooktacular, one-of-kind pieces rich in imagination!

Secondly, Peggy and Gordon Hayes have signed on with their incredibly beautiful "interactive" soft sculpture! This pair is best known for their unicorns and dragons and if you'd like to see their work, please visit http://www.unicornsndragons.com/

We're on our way!

Dying to Know More?

If you'd like to join my mailing list, please email me at woosel[at]total.net. I'll answer any of your questions and send you a spooktacular reminder to take the tour on October 1st!

It's Alive!

It's alive! I've registered the domain name
http://www.halloweenstudiotour.com and it's active! This is the launch point for the tour, which will "open" October 1st, 2009!

Greetings!

It is my deep, dark pleasure to announce the birth of the Online Hallowe'en Artist Studio Tour! This is my "treat" to you all, a special way to celebrate my favorite season and share some exceptional art by artists I personally admire.

On this blog, I hope to keep you all up-to-date with proceedings and progress

as we approach the "launch" date of October 1st, 2009!