Hallowe'en Artists' Studio Trick or Treat Tour

Ready!

2012-02-26T18:26:00.006-08:00

Both the 2012 poster and bookmarks are now ready! If you know me, I hate leaving things to the "last minute", and besides I wanted to incorporate Bat World onto both, so they are now both viewable by clicking here. Feel free to copy the poster jpg and bookmarks pdf and distribute, I'd appreciate any help in advertising that you can offer! And so do the bats!

Believe it or not, I finally gave in and put the tour on Facebook, even though I believe it to be evil and far scarier than any Hallowe'en thing imaginable. (People actually post their suicide notes on there??? What the ???) Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/events/156140341170819/. Is it possible to get a "like" button on an Event? Help! It's a learning experience for me, I should hire a 13 year old!
Anyway, here's what will happen when YouTube, Twitter and Facebook merge:

Bat World Sanctuary joins the tour!

2012-02-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

I am grinning like a Jack o'lantern with happiness! I invited Bat World Sanctuary and they have jumped onto our haunted hayride and will be sharing with Bat Conservation International the privilege of being our honored bat conservation charities! All participating artists can now choose to give their participation fee to either Bat World or BCI, while both groups will help to advertise our tour. It's a win-win arrangement, as the additional advertising will generate additional sales which will create more donations, as many artists give part of their earnings to the bats. 2012 is looking very bright!

email update

2012-02-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

Please note that my email has changed: get rid of woosel@total.net and please use woosel[at]scratchingatthewindow.com.

Still an orange glow!

2011-12-31T12:49:00.000-08:00

Teddy Bear Review has published a review of our tour! Thank you so much, Joyce! Read it here: http://www.teddybearreview.com/ Doesn't Pam's bear look absolutely perfect for Hallowe'en?

A bright and spooky New Year!

2011-12-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

We are all set for a brilliant 2012! Please note that I've moved our tour: now http://www.halloweenstudiotour.com/ is its true address (not just a redirect) and it lives as a sub-web on my scratchingatthewindow.com. WOW! This move should secure accessiblity (ie no down time!).

Here's to a fearless New Year!

Picture from http://pixdaus.com/single.php?id=246651

Fading into the eerie mist...

2011-11-29T11:36:00.000-08:00

For the most part, this blog is now going to go to sleep, until the passion, mischief and mayhem begin to unfold again come summer 2012 and the 4th Annual Online Hallowe'en Artists' Studio Trick or Treat starts to build momentum! Until then, rest, more or less, in peace!

(I'm blogging all year over at http://clawscratches.blogspot.com/, join me there!)

If you're an artist and want to hop onto our Haunted Haywagaon, please email me and I'll let you know what's involved.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale

2011-11-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
I hope you come visit my website I am offering a Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale on my website through Monday November 28, 2011. Come to my website and check out the wonderful deals. Thank you for checking it
Beth
Some Bears and other beasts

www.bearsnbeasts.com

On to December...

2011-11-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'll admit it! Hallowe'en is over! Fine! Go ahead, celebrate that other Holiday, if you must!
But do it in style, like with these critters from my Hallowe'en artists:

Pam Pontious' merry rooster, Amy Thornton's snowman pin, Melanie Clark's Frostie Bear,

Martha Burch's Candy Cane Santa and Beth Hogan's Snow Lady with Lights!

These and so many more are waiting for you at www.TeddiesWorldwide.com but only for a very limited time starting today!!

2011-11-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

We are in the Fall issue of BATS magazine! This issue came out in good time to show off our gorgeous poster and bring attention to our tour from the bat-loving community!

We had some excellent advertisting this year (all free), no wonder our statistics soared!

It's over...on to 2012!

2011-11-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

Our tour for 2011 is officially over, but I have some excellent numbers to share!

Number of unique visitors: 1958
Number of sales: 20
Amount collected for Bat Conservation International (not including $ from artists' sales): $800.00

Number of happy bats: priceless!!!!

There are many additional side-effects that are not measurable, like how many people now know about bats and their plight. So I think all the artists deserve to take a bow and bask in a swelling round of applause! And I thank each and every one of you, artists and trick or treaters, for supporting this event and making it the success that it is.

Here's to making a difference for the bats!

Creaking Door Prize winner!

2011-11-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to scream out: it's Deborah B. of Boulder, CO! Deborah correctly figured out the mystery phrase, "white nose syndrome"! Congratulations, Deborah! Your prize, the beautiful velvet covered journal, is on its way!

Eeeek!!!

2011-10-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

In one week it's Hallowe'en! Eeeek! That means our tour is almost up, only a few days left before the pumpkins go dark and you'll have to wait another year! New items have been added, and the auction still has some steals so go trick or treating and you may be surprised at what you find. And remember the bats in your Hallowe'en wishes!

http://www.halloweenstudiotour.com/

Late to the party!

2011-10-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

But what's a party without music?! If you've already enjoyed the tour, please take another look! We have a new artist: a musician! Her page will be up soon!! And a new auction item! (Thank you again Beth!)

1101 unique visitors have already trick-or-treated with us!! (as per statcounter.com)

3 days to go!

2011-09-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

Only 3 days to go, and on October 1st our tour gets a big advertising push as we're part of Culture Days:
"The second annual Culture Days weekend kicks off on Friday, September 30 and runs through Saturday, October 1st and Sunday, October 2nd with over 5,500 activities happening in 800 Canadian cities and towns from coast to coast to coast. Are you ready to celebrate and participate in the largest ever arts and culture campaign in Canadian history?" -- Culture Days email

For the Bats!

2011-09-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I am so very excited to be a part of this event!! Our fiendishly clever webmistress has done an outstanding job organizing this event. I can't wait to wander down the virtual paths and explore all the fantastic special features, tricks and treats she has created for all the visitors.

While this event promises to be filled with amazing art from all over the world, we must remember that this is a very important fund-raiser for the bats. I don't know about you, but in our area (northern NY state) we have seen a definite and dramatic decline in the number of bats filling our twilight skies this summer. And equally noticeable have been the record number of mosquitoes. The two are not unrelated! So let's come out and support those who are working hard to help the bats!! They need us just as we need them!!

See you all in the Haunted Forest on October 1st!!

Greenspirit

Almost time!

2011-09-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

Only 4 days to go before the gates swing open and everyone can enjoy our tour!!! Finally I have everyone's art (ah! These artistes and deadlines!!!) and I am thrilled to saw WOW!! You're going to see some incredible art!!! And such fun introductions to the artists and their "studios"! I can hardly wait to share!

New this year: an auction!!! Thanks to my sister Doris' inspirational idea and donation of 3 gorgeous hand-knitted pieces, there are now 9 items up for bid, many being one of a kind!! And all the donors (so far)are giving 100% to Bat Conservation International! (Thank you, ladies! You are amazing!) So, gentle trick-or-treaters, bid for the bats!

Much appreciated!

2011-09-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

For anyone wanting to help advertise our tour and help the bats, here's a button that can be used as you wish!

And thank you!

We're a Culture Days event!

2011-09-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Our Hallowe'en tour is listed as a Culture Days event, and here's the flyer being distributed in our area!

Here's the front, then unfolded... ...and here's us, in the bottom right corner!

Thanks again to Eileen at Perth Arts Connect for getting us in there!

My Halloween yard!

2011-09-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

So I thought it might be fun to post a few videos of my yard from last year. It looked much scarier in the dark but the darker videos just did not do anything justice.

Enjoy, Melanie

2011-09-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

FINALLY -- I got some pieces finished for the Halloween show! Just could not catch up this year!!!!
I have a great altered book with lights - for a centerpiece
one of my little bears and a crow this year. Gotta wait to see them though

Lets go and Trick or Treat

2011-09-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

Halloween Show is coming soon I want offer you a look one of my pieces that I will be offer at this wonderful show of Artist. You can check out more of my work at www.bearsnbeasts.com
I look forward to all the spooky stuff when web show opens
Beth Diane Hogan

Black magic!

2011-09-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

Artist Sally J. Smith was hard hit by the nasty weather that ravaged the east coast and her beautiful forests show the brutality of Mother Nature's rage... So many of the places that are the stars of her photography are viciously altered, needing time to heal. But Sally will join us on our tour! And here below is a tease of a photograph of one of the houses she'll be offering as a treat. With a little black magic!

Scary or sweet?

2011-09-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

Bats and our tour had a great day at the Maple Leaf Doll Show on Sunday! Well over 100 bookmarks went home with eager collectors, and new connections and friends were made! My rat Ceres here poses with Grandma Gnome, created by very talented artist Deborah Downey, who may join the tour in 2012.

2011-09-07T22:03:00.001-07:00

I am working on some Halloween tags, notebooks and fun stuff. This is my "4 Sisters" tag. These are really FUN!!!

Teasing treats!

2011-08-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Pam Pontius of PamdaBears has sent in pictures of her treats and here I am teasing you with wee close-ups of their spooktacular faces! October 1st is only 31 days away!

Creaking door-prize announced!

2011-08-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

Once again, there's a Creaking Door-Prize to be won on our tour! Again, it will be a word scramble where trick-or-treaters have to collect the letters and unscramble them to spell out the correct phrase. And here's the prize: a gorgeous black velvet 8" x 10" journal! I bought this at a Medieval Faire because I thought it would be the perfect offering for our prize, with the elegant witch and crows, dark and powerful!

So enjoy the tour come October 1st, collect the letters and good luck!

Wish-craft!

2011-08-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

What do you do when people you admire agree to join you in something you really believe in? Well, first you jump up and down and hug everyone in reach, then you blog/brag a little. :0
I have awesome news!!!! Mark Dennis, an incredible sculpture artist, has agreed to take part in our Online Hallowe'en Artists' Studio Tour! I covet his work, especially his mermaid and the drowning sailor and his satyr! WOWWWW!! Look at this amazing piece!
Check out Mark's blog at: http://www.madsculptor.blogspot.com/ (Photo of Mark by Adriana Esqueda)

Then drag your zombie behind on over to Britta Peterson's haunted hollow to be utterly amazed! http://www.eerieelegance.com/ and http://www.brittablvd.com/ are her websites and she's been hosting and sharing her Hallowe'en parties for years! You're sure to be inspired by the amazing creativity of this super cool Mistress of Hallowe'en! And she's going to be on our tour!! I am so very happy!

Finally, I've heard from George Plumley that I have permission to use sound clips from his "Sounds Like Halloween Night" CD! While I will be reviewing the CD on the tour, you're welcome to take a sneak peak: http://www.soundslikehalloween.com.

What can I say but that I'm grateful, so very happy and grinning from ear to ear! What an amazing tour we're going to have!

* Wish-craft= make a wish, than make it happen!*

Batty greetings!

2011-08-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Batty cards! Each little guy folds up and fits in a lovely red envelope. They have crystal eyes and you can write your own personal message on the orange pumpkin. Of course I'll be offering these as a treat, but I'm only making 12.

Visible ink!

2011-08-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

For those who have not yet received their subscriptions, or who've been unable to rest their bony hands on a copy (like me), here is the announcement in the September issue of "Dolls" magazine (just click to enlarge) and the Philadelphia Convention review from "Teddy Bear Review". While both articles appear in both magazines, except for the pictures they are very much the same.

If you visit the magazines' links, you can enjoy the entire issues!

Don't we look stunning!?

Spreading our wings wide!

2011-08-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

Spook-tacular news! Not only will our tour be covered in Teddy Bear Review and Dolls magazines, but BATS magazine will include the tour's poster and (drum roll please) we're now listed as a Culture Days event! Wow! (Thank you again Eileen of Perth Arts Connect!)

"Participating in Culture Days by registering an activity is a great way for you to further raise your profile in your community, reach new audiences and make new contacts interested in promoting the arts and culture. It’s also a great opportunity to be part of a Canada-wide initiative that supports the vision of promoting access to arts and culture." And there we are!

Also, while I was on vacation, I left a nice pile of bookmarks at the Visitors' Center at MacGregor Provincial Park and in the Port Elgin Public Library! I hope my fellow artists are getting the word out too, it's such a great feeling.

Gone Batty!

2011-08-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all.

Here is a little glimpse into my latest artistic intensive.

Cute and cuddly bats snoozing and swaying from your ears anyone?

I'll keep the finished pair in my attic, happily flying about, until October 1st.

Sheri

Hi everyone! I present to Marlene Tetrich and Laudanumila

2011-07-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! ( Hi Karen ;) )

I do not handling very well in English, so I can not participate in this place all I want, so I'll let the pictures speak for me, I present to Marlene Tetrich and Laudanumila, my first creations this year for Halloween, I hope that they like! :)

Have a nice day!
Sandra

Faery magic!

2011-07-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Sally J. Smith creates (or "finds") and then photographs incredibly beautiful masterpieces in nature, and quite often she stumbles upon faery houses! For our tour, I don't know what sort of treats she'll be offering but the decline of bat populations in her state of New York has inspired her to join us.

For an example of her works, take a look at the calendar she's created for 2012, available at http://pomegranate.stores.yahoo.net/w538.html.

Wondrous weavers!

2011-07-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

Another artist who has yet to say "Boo!" here on our blog is Sheri Fleischauer! Sheri is an amazing artist who experiments with all sorts of mediums, although I think basket weaving is perhaps her favorite. Her jewelry is awesome, and here is a very Hallowe'en design of a fellow weaver: dangling spiders! Light-weight and very comfortable to wear, they allow you to make an elegant and eerie statement! I hope there will be a pair available on the tour!

Come haunt with us!

2011-07-25T14:10:00.001-07:00

This is an open invitation: I'm looking for a choice few artists to join the Online Hallowe'en Artists' Studio Trick or Treat.

If you create original art, ANY kind, with a Hallowe'en, autumnal or macabre theme, please contact me if you think your art would play nice with the rest. It's all about sharing our art, bat conservation, and enjoying Hallowe'en together. The "fee" is a $28 donation directly to Bat Conservation International, and a promise to spread the word about the tour (through emails, your website, facebook, posters, bookmarks (ready to be printed off the website), etc...), however you are able.

I really hope to find some more European artists, so contact me!

You can send the email to (Karen) at woosel[at]wildmail.com.

Eerie windows to the soul!

2011-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Artist Sandra Arteaga (Are you there, Sandra?) hasn't posted anything yet, so I thought to share some of her previous works with you all, as a tease and to show off her incredible talent! Here are two pieces that I find breathtaking:

This is her corpse bride

and this is her witch.

Aren't the eyes amazing?! I want so much to see her work in person, I hope she creates a piece perfect for my collection!

Running with scissors...and an axe!

2011-07-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

One item I will be offering the trick or treaters this year will be handmade Hallowe'en greeting cards. It's always so hard to find nice ones, I often have to resort to making my own, so I thought why not offer them as a trick or treat!
This is one of the designs:

Notice the lovely batty cutout corners and the cool fuzzy ribbon/yarn! (For the tour, I will be sharing more photos from this incredibly well-decorated home!!) Of course, there will be a very limited supply of cards... hint, hint. ;0

Less than 100 days to Hallowe'en!

2011-07-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

In collecting all the decorating tips, recipes, and other fun things to share on the tour, I came upon this great list to help you all prepare your Hallowe'en gatherings! This list could be used no matter what you're planning, to stay on top of all the bits that sometimes get forgotten! Here's to a stress-free host/hostess! Because it's (almost) never any good to axe your guests...

(It's from Taste of Home magazine, their 2010 Hallowe'en special.)

Stoking the fire!

2011-07-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

Wow! Thank you, my dearies, for your inspiring and teasing posts!!! I've been a bit down on the tour lately as I'm hitting too many "too busy, maybe next year" brick walls from invited artists... But seeing your posts stirs up the fire under this old cauldron and renews my spirit.

A collector wrote "Here in Pennsylvania we have lost almost all the bats in this area to the dreaded white nose fungus disease, so your Halloween tour is one event which is very dear to my heart." That too reminded me why we're all involved in this event: to help the bats both with our donations to work towards an end to White Nose Syndrome but also to share our love and fascination for these often misunderstood creatures. Here's to saving the bats!

Day of the Dead Skull - Work in progress...

2011-07-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know about all of you, but I'm getting really excited about this Hallowe'en season!! Last year I got so inspired by Dias de los Muertos or 'Day of the Dead' artwork - especially the skulls! Only I was inspired a little too late to have a related piece ready for the tour.
But not this year! I hope to have a skull or two finished for this season.

So far this one is just a work-in-progress and I can't wait to get to the embellishment part!
Well, my skull doesn't have much to say - with no mouth at all, just yet! But, personally, I would like to say thank-you to Karen for all her hard work organizing the Hallowe'en Artists' Studio Trick or Treat Tour every year, in support of bats!!

a Boooooo Book

2011-07-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone -- I had this Boo Book last season - it was a blast to make! Something other than a teddy bear and quite refreshing! I think maybe there might be another in the cooker for this year -- maybeeeee

The demon of creativity

2011-07-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

I came home, ate, and went to the studio, drew out the head pattern that had been stewing in my brain and cut it out. Sewed it together, added horns I'd made earlier, yellow "cat" eyes and here's the beginning of my demon...

Certainly more sweet than sinister! Where does he go from here? I don't know either! We'll find out soon!!

How to Haunt your Home!

2011-06-24T07:39:00.001-07:00

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!

2011-06-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-06-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-06-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-06-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-06-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-06-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

... 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!

2011-06-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

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!

Until the witches ride again...

2011-01-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

For the time being, I'm doing non-Hallowe'en stuff (for the most part!) on my personal blog, http://clawscratches.blogspot.com/, where you can read about my soft-sculpture creations as they come to life! As August comes around, this blog will re-awaken, or as I find cool Hallowe'en things to share with you!

Christmas time...

2010-12-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

Well, since you can't beat'em, might as well join in!

This is the box of Xmas cards that I very happily found at Winners! Unfortunately, they only had the one box... ah well. Obviously I was ecstatic to find a Xmas card with a rat/mouse on it! What luck!

The photo is by Chris Collins/Corbis and published by Sellers Publishing, Inc., at http://www.makefun.com/

And Xmas became MUCH more enjoyable when my little brother introduced me to Krampus! (Read about him at http://www.krampus.com/who-is-krampus.php) We even attempted to make Krampus cookies: chocolate sugar cookies with red sugar glitter horns, yellow mini Smartie eyes and dried cranberry tongues! What fun! We used the heart cookie cutter for the head shape and the long thin moon cutter for the horns, they turned out pretty good, we think!

Happy Solstice!

Bits and bites

2010-11-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

By the way, before I nod off:

The mystery phrase was "trick or treat" and our Creaking Door Prize winner is H. Weigl! Congratulations, I hope you enjoy the set of 6 Hallowe'en cookie cutters!

And I already have 7 artists interested in doing the tour in 2011! Well, doesn't that sound promising! :) I'm getting all excited, only 354 days to Hallowe'en! But first I have to recover!!

Famous folks!

2010-11-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

I just want to shout out that two of our artists have their 15 minutes of fame! Martha DeRaimo Burch must surely be pleased that her gorgeous pair of bears graces the flyer for the Doll and Teddy Bear Artist and Collector Convention to take place in May 2011 in Philly, PA! Congratulations, Martha!

And Amber Rose has her cat "Oreo" featured in the Dec. 2010 issue of Teddy Bear Review! Good stuff! Okay, so he's a Christmas cat, I can't get too excited, but he is quite cute. Way to go, Amber!

It's all over! Boo-hoo!

2010-11-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Boo-tiful Ones,
Well, it's all over. The gates remained open until Nov. 7th, and in total from Oct. 1st-Nov. 7th we had 1110 unique visitors! Thank you everyone for taking the time to trick or treat with us! We raised $493.00US for Bat Conservation International, and that's only what we know about, not counting donations people made because they visited the tour and learned about the bats! So, take a bow everyone! We did good!
Thanks again to Bill Slavin for the perfect poster image.
And, yes, I'm already scheming and dreaming about 2011! I'm looking for about 20 awesome artists... What incredible pieces will materialize in 2011!? A chill is running up my spine! ;)

Time flies!

2010-10-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

Like the old tombstone image, time flies! Only 10 days left for our Trick or Treat, and Martha DeRaimo Burch's "Keeper of the Spiders" is now also gone! So don't delay, if there's something you like, go back to that artist's studio and make them (and the bats!) happy!

Start the presses!

2010-10-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

I want to pass on an apology from Celena and Marty of The Filigree: life is unpredictable and a regrettable delay of the autumn issue of their amazing newspaper was unavoidable, but things have now returned to normal and they're getting back on track! Watch for the next issue to "arrive" soon! http://www.thefiligree.com/

In the meantime, you can ponder why this incredible mummy and her partner are still homeless? Perhaps you can offer them a cool, comfortable place to while away eternity? Read more about them here.

Me? I'm looking out the window just now and it's SNOWING!!!! ACK! Such is Canada...

Ghoulish Grin!

2010-10-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

I can brag a little, right? I'm very happy to announce that I actually have had a sale! One of my bat-head brooches, the tan Spotted Bat, is going south to CT! Yippy!

So, that makes a total of 9 sales off the tour so far! Let's hope we can keep this going!

By the way, this brooch was $30.00 with $10.00 going to BCI.

Howl with delight!

2010-10-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

It is my pleasure to extend The Barkery's invitation to you all!

If you're anywhere near Stratford, Ontario (Canada) on October 30th, dress up your pup (if you're blessed enough to have one) and join in on the Hallowe'en fun! There will be prizes for best costumes, treats (of course) and a parade to City Hall! Woof! Rain or shine!

The Barkery, of course, is on our Trick or Treat Tour as the sole "shop" because of this event (and frankly their decorated, healthy, all natural cookies are works of art!), which extends our love of Hallowe'en to our canine companions! And ps: Werewolves are welcome!

4 winds!

2010-10-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

We're spreading like "The Mist" in Stephen King's gory story! Yippy! Check us out on http://bookrat-misty.blogspot.com in her Helluva Hallowe'en! We're listed on http://www.shadynookcrafts.com/craftshows.htm and read Kathleen's lovely review on http://www.mythinglinks.org/Samhain.html! WOW!

Don't forget that a number of artists made some very special bats for our tour, like April Norton's "Baby Bats". A list of batty artists appears on http://pages.total.net/~weric/trick_or_treat/batty.htm .

Like magic!

2010-10-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

As the month glides by like a ghost, you may notice some of the art objects... disappearing! And new ones magically appearing! As works get sold, the artists are all invited to offer new items, so don't delay if you like something!

Adrianne Kinsella is one of our lucky artists to have sold a piece and she's offering a new, stunningly beautiful vase featuring a raven! Come and have a peek! No, I'm not going to tell you exactly where she is, have fun hunting her down... and remember to enter to win the "Creaking Door Prize"!
Have fun! Only 20 days to Hallowe'en!

Rising from the dead!

2010-10-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Or nearly so! Connectivity was restored Sunday afternoon, thank the ghouls at Glidehosting! Although what went wrong? Something about a "problem with mysql", whatever that means! I'm sure our statistics are going to reflect this glitch! Yuck!

Thank you all for your patience!

Really screaming!

2010-10-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

My apologies to all: GlideHosting is having some sort of difficulty and you can't access the tour at http://www.halloweenstudiotour.com/ ! AARRRGGHHHH!!!!!

You CAN, however, access it at http://pages.total.net/~weric/trick_or_treat/enter.htm !

I hope the problem will be resolved soon!

Man, this sucks!

We're out there!

2010-10-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Our tour is in my local paper! In the "What's On" section of the October 8th issue, here's our advertisement! Wow! Looks great and the editor did a great job! Thanks so much!

If you want to help us out, see if your local paper will run a similar ad! We'd really appreciate it! So would the bats!

Flying high!

2010-10-04T17:46:00.001-07:00

Check out how great we look on Bat Conservation International's home page, http://www.batcon.org/! Yippy!

It's alive!

2010-10-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

Our tour went live very, very late on September 30th without a rattle or a hitch! Phew! It's always a bit scary... And we certainly have been visited: from October 1st up to today, October 3rd at 9:15 pm, we've had 406 unique visitors! That's pretty amazing! Take a look at the statcounter.com table for more figures. Four items have sold, with April Norton and Robin Andreae being the lucky artists. And this is just the start! So if you've seen something you like, don't delay too long: it may be swooped up by some other witch!

And thank you to all who are taking a stab at the Creaking Door Prize mystery phrase! 8 fiendishly clever trick or treaters got it right and have their emails swimming about in the witch's cauldron, waiting for the November 1st draw!
How spooktacular is that?!

Culture Days Update

2010-10-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

Before getting into the excitement of launching the tour last Friday, I wanted to share with you what an amazing event Stratford's Factory 163 hosted for Culture Days! And boy, was I in the right place! Volunteering on Sunday, I got to see the incredible Magic Toy Shop of Dr. Coppelius (based on the ballet Coppelius and a precursor to Frankenstein, about an alchemist trying to create the perfect living doll) created by the students of this summer's Setting the Scene workshop and full of eerie, strange body parts; the amazing students and their works-in-progress for Off the Wall's class "Creating Creature Costumes" and speak with faux-food artist Carolyn Horley as she created the most realistic bacon out of styro-packing sheets!!! WOW!!! Best of all she gave me her used gloves, covered in red "blood"! Oh, they'll be part of my Hallowe'en, for sure!!
I was also able to talk to visitors about bats and hand out quite a few bookmarks for our tour. It was nice to hear everyone comment that bats are our friends, they aren't viewed as negatively as I feared!

Photographically, this scene, also created by a Setting the Scene class, was the most gorgeously spooky!

Culture Days 2011 in Stratford? Be there!

It's finally here!

2010-09-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's the eve of October 1st! The gates will soon swing open with a loud squeaking and creaking! Please do enter! We have incredible treats for you, the studios are full of surprise and wonder! You will be awestruck at the creativity and imagination! I'm very proud to share all this work from our amazing artists and taking the tour is sure to get you in a Hallowe'en mood!

Don't forget the bats! They need your support! Winter is fast approaching and how many more will die while they hibernate from White Nose Syndrome?!

And if you want to find me, your hostess, look for the cemetery!

ENJOY!

Culture Days!

2010-09-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

For my part, 8 more posters are up around here, but more importantly: We're part of Culture Days! This is a Canada-wide interactive celebration of arts and culture, from Sept. 24th-26th! The display I created is part of the "Perth Arts Connect Showcase at Factory 163" in downtown Stratford, Ontario, Canada. It features 3 of my own creations and lots of advertising for our Hallowe'en Trick or Treat, as you can see in this picture.

Thrilling!

2010-09-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

The art is flowing in and I have to say I'm AMAZED! Gorgeous, unusual, very Hallowe'en, I think you'll be thrilled too at what you'll see on October 1st! And the variety!

Thank you to all the artists taking part, your work speaks for itself!

Scream it out!

2010-09-13T18:34:00.001-07:00

First of all, I want to thank all the artists for advertising their participation in this event! Thank you! Our collective effort is what will make this show a success!

Our poster and bookmarks have been mailed to 11 locations around the world: London, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; 2 in Berlin, Germany; Santa Barbara, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Orlando, Florida; Burlington, Vermont; Austin, Texas; Vancouver, BC; Toronto, Ontario! I targeted public and other libraries, feeling that our advertising had a very good chance of being posted and seen!

I've also hung 14 posters so far and given out oodles of bookmarks. Also, I pitched the tour at Guelph's FaeryFest in May. My very good friend, Sarah Forrest, who can't take part in the tour will still be setting out bookmarks at the Teddy Bear and Doll Show in Bristol CT on October 3rd. Thank you, Sarah.

And as of tonight, it's on the Teddy Bear Artists and Friends web events calendar!

Witches and Bats

2010-09-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Keep your fingers crossed! With any luck, jewellry artist Pat Wilde will be joining us! I met Pat last year at a show and purchased this gorgeous pendant... no, you can't have it, it's mine! But Pat has many more fabulous pieces, which wear well and are very eye-catching! So let's hope she can squeeze us onto her busy, busy dance-card!

And I'm very happy to share with you all that Amber Rose will definitely be on the tour! I already have her photos and wow, what a devilishly sweet mix! You'll be amazed and, yes, there will be a bat, a cousin to the one pictured here.

Only three weeks to go!

Boo hoo and 3 cheers!

2010-09-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Trick or Treaters,

I am very sad to inform you that the Hayes will not be able to take part in our tour. Earlier this year they were involved in an accident and this has unfortunately forced them to drop out of our tour. We will miss them (and their super dragons!) very much but let's wish them all the best and hope to see them rejoin in 2011!

I do have some good news, though... well actually excellent news: Kathryn Looby is with us! I have two of Kathryn's gorgeous copper art pieces in my home and am enchanted by the way she captures her sprites, woodland faeries and other magic in her work. Here's her caffeine sprite, and visit her website to be dazzled!

2010-09-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Fiends,
I'm so devilishly excited, the Hallowe'en goodies have appeared in the stores! Wow! And what fun! I have to say that Michaels this year was a big disappointment, with nothing really eye-catching other than the 7' talking skeleton (who was cool); Winners, however, stole the show! If you have a Winners, check out the small but excellent selection. Also, Martha Stewart's Hallowe'en special issue was a let-down: it's a "best of" from years past, only I have the years past so there's nothing new. Much better, and oozing to the rim with deliciously sinister ideas for both young and old is the Special Interest Publication from Better Homes and Gardens! Crack open the spine and take a peak, lovely!

open the creaking door...

2010-08-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

This year our Creaking Door Prize will again be a fun part of the online "tour"! The prize will be this lovely boxed set of 6 Hallowe'en cookie cutters! What better way is there to celebrate then with sharing treats, and these metal cutters come in such a pretty, old-fashioned box, too!

Saving one bat at a time!

2010-08-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

In the spring of this year, we rescued a bat! It was an experience I will treasure always, and "Bats" magazine (published by Bat Conservation International) printed our story with a photo I took in their Summer 2010 issue. Wow! Here's what they printed:

Congratulations!

2010-08-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to announce that one of our artists is featured on the cover of Teddy Bear Review magazine! Sarah Medina's sweetheart Pip is on the cover of the October 2010 issue of TBR, and she's in the article starting on page 21 entitled "Fiscal Forecast", about staying upbeat in today's economic downturn.
Also, you can find Karen Lyon's gorgeous lynx Obelix on page 27! Congratulations to you too, Karen!
(Amber Rose Lawrence is also featured on page 22 and I'm hoping she'll be joining us but she's really busy... keep your fingers crossed!)

We sure do have amazing talent taking part in our "tour", thank you ladies! Links to their websites are on http://www.halloweenstudiotour.com

Once again: for the bats!

2010-08-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

Of course, if you're in the New England states or southwestern Canada you probably already know about what's happening to our bats. White Nose Syndrome continues to spread and wipe out entire colonies of bats. For the latest news, read the Bat Conservation International newsletter at http://www.batcon.org/news2/scripts/article.asp?articleID=317&newsletterID=71

So, what can be done? Help the scientists find the answers to prevent the spread of this catastrophe by showing your support! Write to your governing bodies, tell people about what's going on and send funds to help pay for the research. We have to remain hopeful that a cure will be found in time to prevent the near-extinction of our bats. To learn more, visit http://www.batcon.org

What they're up to

2010-08-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Hallowe'ers! August is streaking by like a lightning bolt as I count down to our Online show! So, what are our trick or treat artists up to?

Both Martha DeRaimo Burch and Amy Thornton are, as I write this, having fun at the Teddy Bear Artists Invitational in Binghampton, NY. The theme this year is "Children's Classics", so check out Martha's "Little Women" and Amy's "Treasure Island" at http://www.tbai.org/gallery.html

Celena and Marty recently released the Summer 2010 issue of their newspaper "The Filigree", filled to the margins with the latest faery news! With some awesome photos! Check it out at http://www.thefiligree.com

And me? Like many of our 18 (so far) participating artists, I'm busy making something spectacular to share with you all on October 1st! These wings and mask were the inspiration... A costumed she-rat is in the making!

It's coming!

2010-07-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, Hallowe'en is around the corner! And I'm thrilled to announce that 18 artists already have said "YES!" and will be participating this year in our studio tour. I plan to feature them as we get closer to the big day (Oct. 1st) but in the meantime you can always peak at http://www.halloweenstudiotour.com for the artists list.

And of course we're doing this for the bats! I sadly have to tell you that White Nose Syndrome has spread into Canada, detected in both Ontario and Quebec in April of this year. Bat population losses continue to climb to unbelievable levels and the ecological impact is, as yet, unknown.

So please, save some $$ to spend on the art that will be created just for this show and support our artists and the bats!

as they sleep dreaming batty dreams

2010-02-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

I'm delighted to say that I'm already setting up our artists' pages and everything is coming together very nicely. One artist is already looking for the photos for her page, thank you Kim! She's also advertising the tour already, check out Kim Coffman's blog at http://goblinramblings.blogspot.com/ !

Last year there was a question concerning how the event benefited bats. To avoid last year's confusion, I'm happy to say that this year each artist is donating a sum directly to Bat Conservation International in lieu of a show fee. So each artist equals a donation to the bats, directly towards helping solve the deadly mystery of White Nose Syndrome.

Welcome Sue and the Barkery!

2010-02-11T16:41:00.000-08:00

I am excited to say that Sue Burgan with her "Victorian Fantasy" bears and the whole gang at The Barkery have climbed aboard our haunted haywagon! Sue is a fellow Ontario Teddy Bear artist who makes the most exquisitely dressed bears and realistic pieces, while The Barkery, a bakery for dogs, hosts the most tail-wagging fun with their Howl-oween Parade! (You can visit them at http://www.thebarkery.ca/ )
More good news? Yes! Illustrator Bill Slavin has granted us permission to use his perfect haunted house on the hill for our poster and bookmarks again this year! While the book with this image for its cover (Chills and Thrills, edited by Priscilla Hawthorne) is sadly out of print, you can see Bill's latest work in the upcoming book Talking Tails, due out in April!

Last Year's Statistics

2010-01-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

I thought this might be of interest to you: Last year, in total, we had 8 sales off the site, with most being for items above $200. So while there were few sales, they were for pricey pieces. (Two sales were to folks in England!) On average for each day in the month of October, we had 42 visitors a day to the opening web page. Furthermore, all visitor feedback was very positive, although I think the Creaking Door Prize was a bit too difficult/time consuming as only 13 people entered. (Thank you www.statcounter.com for the numbers!)

Hey, and already 12 artists have agreed to participate this year, you can see who at http://www.halloweenstudiotour.com/.

2010-01-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to say that the artists' guidelines are now updated and are ready to be shared with the artists. The plan is to email invitations out this week; hopefully I can inspire some more of my favorite artists to take part!

And how's this for wonderful: "The Filigree" creators Celena and Marty are in the latest issue of Faerie Magazine! WOW! If you'd like to get a copy, visit http://www.faeriemagazine.com/

Exciting new artists!

2009-12-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

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!)

2009-12-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-09-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-09-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-26T20:58:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-24T20:31:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-09-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

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!