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just wanted to share a few of our Halloween decorations.
We made a scary, spider infested hallway. We hung fake leaves, Spanish moss, and webs from the ceiling. On the floor, we brought the forest indoors by making a runner out of burlap, Spanish moss and leaves, as well as loads of fake spiders and bugs. 
Using Martha's inspiration, we made "spider egg sacs" out of white nylons, fiberfill and plastic spiders. Clear thread suspends three egg sacks as well as spiders from the ceiling. The overall effect was creepy.
Also from Martha, I made Apothecary style candy jars. The labels were easy, downloadable and printable from her site. Finding black candy that wasn't licorice flavored was the hard part. (I can't stand licorice!--I couldn't stick to all black. I did find a mix of Halloween colors, though).
And from Somerset Home, Kerry and I each made a magnetic calendar to countdown to Halloween. Sort of an advent calendar idea. It was fun to find all the different images and items to use for the numbers and details on the calendar. The back is sheet metal covered with tissue and sealed. Each number and the month are magnet backed. The kids have enjoyed putting up a piece on each date. We have a November topper, too, so the fun won't stop tomorrow.
Now that it's almost time to take it all down, what shall I put up for Thanksgiving? Turkeys flying from the ceiling? Just wait and see....
Oh -- I feel like I have been absent. I have been an absent blogger, certainly. But, today, I return!
As Kerry told you in the last post, we both strive to live artful lives. What is an artful life? There are so many aspects I can think of; hanging fabulous, original art on the walls of your home; wearing unique clothing items; carrying a fun purse or tote bag; making art (for art's sake); owning a pair of crazy shoes (and wearing them); making and sharing beautiful food; choosing or making home accessories that reflect a sense of artful style. I am sure there are many more ways to let art filter into everyday life.
Taking pictures around my house, to look for the sense of artful life, I found myself in the bathroom. What, the bathroom?!? you may ask. Yes, even a bathroom can reflect a sense of art and style. I have used my guest bathroom as a display for various black & white objects and pictures that I already owned. It is amazing what an impact things can have when grouped together. I framed a number of old black & white photos and art pieces in black frames and hung them together. Some of the photos are family shots, some of them are vintage finds. The sketch is one my great uncle did. I love the overall effect.
I looked for a tissue box that would complement the vintage theme. I had no success. Why buy one, when I could make one? Using a wooden tissue box from Michael's Craft store, and vintage images from Dover Publishing, Somerset, and others, I created this box. I love it! It really completes the look I was trying to achieve. The candle is one I made, also. I used black and white tissue paper on a tall white, prefilled candle.
I, too, will continue to look for ways to let art be a focus in my life. As I find those ways, I will share those worthy of photos. In what ways to you live an artful life? Let us know how you express your creativity.
I have been trying to take a cue from Somerset Life magazine and live a more artful life. It is a challenge but still a lot of fun. So, this month I created a new piece of Halloween decor for the house. Rachel and I found this great Halloween paper and I loved it so much, I couldn't even cut it to use for collage. So, I used it whole and added vintage flash card words and metal numbers from 7 gypsies. The finishing touch was this great 'Trick or Treat' ribbon that was tied on a gift my mom sent me a few years ago. So, easy and I get loads of compliments on it.
So I will keep moving ahead with my challenge and try to infuse art in every aspect of my life. It makes me feel good when I surround myself beautiful and original items. There are always more places to incorporate art into my surroundings. I just need to continue to be aware and continue to work on it.
In case you can't make it to the sale, I thought I would share some photos with you. Everything looks fabulous! We are open tomorrow, too. Pop in from 9am - 1pm if you'd like to take a look for yourself.
This Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, we have invited 4 artists to join us for our fall art and fine craft sale. Today I would like you to meet Linda Brookover.
Unfortunately I was in an accident and I am not able to fly again, but now focus on my art and bring to you some of the experiences of the world through the art that I create. I live a few miles from the Flatirons range near Boulder Colorado with my husband and two kids."This Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, we have invited 4 artists to join us for our fall art and fine craft sale. Today I would like you to meet Ruth Meere.
Ruth is the artist behind Fun Lovin' Art. She paints whimsical, fun, bright original pieces. Her subject matter spans the imagination of every child, from mermaids to dragons, lady bugs to lizards, flowers to fish. She even has some fantastic pieces for adults, using fruit, martinis, or jazz as their inspiration.
The Colorado forests are under attack. The Mountain Pine Beetle has infested much of Rocky Mountain National Park as well many of the forests in the Western United States. These insects attack several varieties of pine trees, notably ponderosa, lodgepole, Scotch and limber pine. This infestation will have a lasting, significant impact on the face of Colorado. These little critters will kill hundreds, upon thousands of trees. In the photo, I took this summer, you can see the number of brown (read "dead") trees out number the healthy, green trees.
This, however, is a natural occurrence. What can I do about it? There isn't a lot I can do about this insect nuisance. But we, as people, seem to compound the problem. We cause forest fires. We use de-icers to clear our roads that make the soil uninhabitable. We build and build and build. Perhaps we should be thoughtful in the choices we make.
Unfortunately, I have no solution. Only reflection. And a wish that we are all careful with this irreplaceable earth.
In my small world, I will respond by re-purposing when I can. I will support artists and crafts people who recycle. And I will reflect on what good I see around me.
In my part, today, I hope I have joined the cause set forth by the folks at Blog Action Day.
It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.
~Robert Louis Stevenson
To continue the introductions, today I would like you to meet Elizabeth.
We were looking for artists to participate in last year's art sale. Elizabeth's sister-in-law, our friend Kathy, introduced us to Elizabeth. Elizabeth had recently moved from California to Colorado; and we were told that she was a great photographer. And is she ever!
She takes beautiful black and white photographs of landscape and scenery around the world. Then she adds her own artistic flair when she hand tints those photos. The results are fabulous! Some of the photos have lots of hand-tinted detail, some have minor touches of color, and the works of art created with Elizabeth's careful attention to detail are wonderful.
including us, who were able to learn Elizabeth's craft. With her gentle, thoughtful instruction, we all thoroughly enjoyed the knowledge and expertise she shared with us. It was a delightful evening.Next Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, we have invited 4 artists to join us for our fall art and fine craft sale. I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to each of the artists who will be joining us.
Today, you will meet Sandy. Sandy has a gentle soul, and a big heart. She is new to selling and marketing her art; it is a challenging and vulnerable position for anyone to be in. We think that Sandy's art is special because she takes regular items and turns them into magical, whimsical creations. When looking at her pieces, it's hard to even imagine that they had a "life" before she got her hands on them. 
Kerry and I went on our regular walk around Waneka Lake today (in Lafayette, Colorado). It was a lovely fall day. The air was cool, the breeze had a crisp fall smell. The sky was bright blue, not a cloud in sight.
As we walked around the south west side of the lake, we saw a horrible sight! The boathouse was gone, or mostly gone. All that was left was ugly, charred remains. (photo from 9news.com)
We were both saddened by this. We had each brought our kids here to ride on the paddle boats this summer. We have enjoyed looking at it on our twice a week walks.
Later, at home, I tried to find out what happened. Arson is suspected in the Saturday morning fire that destroyed the boathouse and it's contents. There was an estimated damage of $400,000.
It is a shame. A shame to lose an asset to our community; a shame that someone would set a fire; a shame to see such senseless destruction.
Thanks to everyone who signed up for our giveaway! We were excited to read all the suggestions people made for our studio.
Using the random number generator, the number 5 was picked. That number belongs to Kari and Kijsa, who left us the fifth comment on our giveaway blog. Congratulations, ladies!
Kari and Kijsa have a great blog and website with fabulous design tips and ideas! They are two talented sisters!
Stay tuned, we may do another giveaway!
I spent a little time in the studio yesterday, getting in the Halloween Spirit. I love Fall and all the things that come with it: changing leaves, chrysanthemums, asters, cool nights, pumpkin patches, apple cider, jack o' lanterns, Halloween, family gatherings, roast turkey, pecan pie, and Thanksgiving.
I made a Halloween candle to go in the guest bathroom. The bathroom is decorated in black and white, including vintage photos (which I should show you) and a few silhouettes that are just beautiful. I wanted the candle to be black and white, too. The Halloween cats are from a vintage postcard. I added the pumpkins as a splash of color. I am pleased with the result.
I also took my first stab at making Artist Trading Cards. I have never made any ATC before. I love the size and the openness of the medium - anything goes. I have been held back because I don't know what to do with them! What is their function? Do they need a function? What do you think?
As I mentioned, we have been puttering in the studio. I decided to make door tags for my girls' rooms. It was purely an experimental project, not too difficult, but I didn't really know what the end result would look like when I started. I just wanted to get my hands working with some of our new materials: papers, letters, and stickers. The frilly yarn, clips, and rubber stamps were ones we already had.
I assembled the tags using Mod Podge as a glue and sealer. The papers came from a large paper stack (on sale) at Hobby Lobby, and ones we had ordered last year from Oriental Trading Company. The stickers are new ones from one of our favorite catalogs, 7 Gypsies. The letters are a pale sparkly green from the dollar section of Target.
The girls were pleased with their new door signs, which made me proud of my work.
Don't forget to sign up for our great giveaway. Check out Monday's blog for the details.
We have some wonderful goodie bags left from our launch party. We would love to share! So it's time for a swag bag giveaway! We will draw a name, at random, to select the winner. To qualify for the giveaway:
If you win, you will receive one (1) goodie bag via the USPS. You will receive a bag similar to the ones pictured. The items (and colors of the items) in the bag will vary, but each bag will contain 3 handmade items. The drawing with be on Monday, October 8.
Good Luck! We can't wait to read your comments!
