How to Haunt your Home!

Even I have to admit it's a bit hard to get totally into the Hallowe'en spirit while watching my roses open, eating strawberries ripened by the sun and hearing the grass singing in the summer rain! But here is the poster for the Hallowe'en program I'll be giving this October at the Stratford Public Library! (Thanks again to Cathy who thought to add a little ghost to the Library's logo!)

Yes, I had to set a minimum age of 12 years, as I'll be demonstrating things that require bending wire, using knives and using spray paint! Yippy! And almost everything will be included in the Online Hallowe'en Artists' Studio Trick or Treat, of course, and I'll be letting all attendees know!

Happy Solstice!

Enjoy the longest day of the year and then... dance in the moonlight, or (if you're up around where I am), dance in the midnight thunderstorm!

(picture from "The Witch's Spell" by Sandy Nightingale)

FaeryFest!

This past weekend was FaeryFest, an annual faery event that always takes place the weekend before Solstice. Not only did I get to see Tammi Beaulieu's latest dragons and masks (and proudly displaying our Hallowe'en tour poster and bookmarks!), but I scouted and found two artists I invited to join the Hallowe'en tour!

I've wanted Heather Bruton to join us from the start, I love her work and have 4 pieces. The latest is this handsome dead fellow, Bobby Shaftoe, from a poem that I'll have to look up! Heather does the most beautiful dragon birds but is this piece she put a "dark twist" on this poem and brought Bobby up from the dead depths to reunite with his true love! Yicks! I hope we can entice you to join the tour this year, Heather!

Stories sold me on both of these art works, for it was only when I heard this piece was called "Hope" did I fall under its spell. Artist Jackie Cooper doesn't have a website but you can find her as "Curious Concepts" on (evil) Facebook. If you look closely, you'll see tiny green leaves emerging in this stark scene and I was touched by the hope captured in this miniature reproduction of a full-sized painting. Thank you, Jackie, will we get you on the tour?

If you were at FaeryFest, Jackie had the best costume, a stunning dark faery from head to toe!

Sneak peek... EEK!

I am so pleased to be a part of the Trick or Treat Tour this year. I am already starting on pieces just for the tour and I thought I would give you wee a sneak peek! 

Haunted Hugs! 

Melanie

An early treat!

When I saw these cupcakes, I nearly kicked myself: why didn't I think of that?! So here's an early preview (of the sort of thing that gets shared in the witchs' brew section of the online tour) to get your creative juices running: remember it doesn't have to be complicated to be brilliant! Jack Skellington cupcakes, simply gorgeous and oh so elegant! From http://www.kempenfeltcakes.com/Cupcakes.html "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is an obvious favorite of mine, how about you?

Also another idea: any animal cookie becomes a Hallowe'en treat by icing on the animal's skeleton! Brilliant! (The idea is from http://family.go.com/disney/pkg-disney-recipes/)

Already looking forward to our Hallowe'en tour!

This year I'm creating a Halloween Steampunk Cat. He might even have a Cheshire Cat smile ;-)

Karen Lyons

KJ Lyons Design

Like a seance...

... only I'm calling together the living! Exciting news: I'm opening up this blog so that all the participating Hallowe'en artists can "blog" here, sharing their creations-in-progress, their inspirations, their past Hallowe'en art, anything and everything Hallowe'en to get everyone excited about October 1st!

How will it work out!? We're going to find out! I hope we'll all be able to connect with each other and become a wee community to inspire and encourage each other to great, ghoulish heights!

Coverage in Teddy Bear Review and Dolls magazines!

Dear Hallowe'eners,
I attended the Doll and Teddy Bear Artist and Collector Convention in Philadelphia in May and I'm thrilled to share the following news with you: Teddy Bear Review's editor Joyce Greenholdt wants to use some of my photos from the Philadelphia Convention and has also asked for a write-up. Pictures will also appear in Dolls magazine! If you haven't yet had a chance to check out the online review I created, go to http://www.scratchingatthewindow.com/ and click on the Convention's flyer.
More importantly, the Online Halloween Artists' Studio Trick or Treat (http://www.halloweenstudiotour.com) will also get a news report in both Teddy Bear Review and Dolls! This is just wonderful and will certainly mean a lot in regards to how many people will visit the site come October 1st!
So exciting! So if you're keen to take part as an artist this year, don't delay, contact me at woosel[at]wildmail.com!

The Philly show was also great for getting the word out about our trick or treat tour and the importance of bat conservation... if all the participating artists (like, perhaps, you?) spread the word at shows, we should have an incredible turnout!