Halloween Decorations

I 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....

Fun Lovin' Art - Paintings by Ruth Meere

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 common factor in her work is that it reflects Ruth's bright, exciting personality. She uses vibrant colors and pays careful attention to the details, in the designs of the borders and even in the embellishment the frames on many of her works of art.

Ruth says this about how she became a full time artist:

"In search of personal fulfillment, five years ago I decided to quit my job in Marketing and Public Relations to become a full-time artist. Though I enjoyed my work, I found I always had a hand in the more artsy side of my job. I still do marketing and P.R. part-time for Crawdaddy's Toys in Lafayette, CO.I paint at every available opportunity - at night and during naptime - thus my housekeeping is very sporadic, but we couldn't be happier, messy house and all."

Ruth's approach to making art accessible is what I find appealing. In addition to offering original paintings, she offers mounted prints of her work so that each piece can be more affordable. According to Ruth, a mounted print is a high-quality reproduction of an original painting. A photograph of the original piece is printed directly onto a 3/8" thick wood board. The board has a finished, beveled edge and requires no framing. It is easy to hang and easy to clean. Most importantly, it looks great!
Join us at the studio this Friday and Saturday from 9 - 1 to see Ruth's paintings as well as some other fabulous art! Tomorrow I will introduce you to Linda, maker of fabulous handbags and lamps.

Can you stand it? All these wonderful women in one place! We hope you can make it to the sale!

Halloween Goodies

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?

Anyway, here is my first endeavor into the world of ATC. I am fairly pleased with the result.

Oh- not many people have signed up for our goodie bag give-away. Look at Monday's blog to sign up! Good luck!

Halloween is coming...

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.

~Author Unknown