Tis' the Season...

of the Witch! I love Halloween, my favorite celebration of the year. I always try to make a new (to me) decorations and this year I transformed this poor little girl and her pet deer. Am very happy with how it turned out and can't wait to give her some spooky friends.

Inspiration

Years ago when this issue of the Crafts Report arrived at my door I was captivated by the cover photo. The golden light, the rustic studio, a women working at her craft, a sweet dog at her feet. That was 1993 and I have saved that cover all these years. I rarely want what other people have, I'm just not wired that way. It isn't that there aren't things I desire, I just don't envy other people. 

Except, I wanted this woman's life. 

And I have it. I have the sweet dog, I have the (not so rustic-but crowded) studio and I have been able to carve out some time each day to practice my craft.

I am blissfully happy. I pulled out this cover a month ago when I reorganized my studio and framed it and hung it up. It pleases me more than ever and I share in this unknown ladies joy of working with my hands with my dog at my feet. Blessed for sure.

Mardi Gras 2019

Today's post will be a bit of everything Mardi Gras. 

To lead off: I was asked to create a new Mardi Gras mask for a big fundraiser where I work. It had to be BIG. So I made it 7 feet 4 inches wide by almost five feet tall. The almost finished mask is shown below. When I can scrape some free time together I plan to do a whole "how I built it" photo story that I'll post here and on Instagram.

I was very generously gifted with two tickets to the event so I could see the mask hang in all it's glory- if I do say so myself- it looked really good!

You can see in the above photo I added round mirrors to the eyes of the mask, they look subtle because I chose to put them behind the sheer black sequined fabric that I used to cover the entire mask before I  began adding more layers and embellishments.

Gerry and I had a lovely time- good food and drink and music!

Halloween Decorations- All lit up!

I posted previously about how I made these potion and elixir bottles, but here they are all lit up. 

I used glow sticks and found a great deal on those tiny little lights, just $4.95 at Wheatons. They come on when it gets dark and only stay on for 3 hours - so a big battery saver. Plus, I appreciate not having to dig the battery pack out of the mason jar to turn it on and off. 

Halloween Decorations circa 2016

I LOVE Halloween, I love making decorations and decorating and funky lights and crisp nights and strange noises in the night. I started seeing some cool Halloween bottles pop-up on my Pinterest feed and knew I had to make some, so here are my efforts thus far:

The plain glass bottles before

And after they've been transformed into Magical Potion and Elixir Bottles!!!!!!

Some detail shots showing what I did:

In case you haven't figured it out, I made my "potions" very personal, they are named for my novels, and contain things like limerance, and essence of canine and strength of mule.

Needle Felting

So, while I was recovering from foot surgery this winter I taught myself how to needle felt. It's a very simple craft- you take wool and a single needle that has several barbs in it and you repeatedly jab the wool into the shape you want. VERY therapeutic for someone who couldn't walk for a month!

This is my first creation, a little fox, I used a kit from Wool Pets, that I bought on Amazon.

Not at all Wordless Wednesday

For over ten years I had a jewelry business selling earrings, brooches and necklaces that I handcrafted. At the end I was in 21 stores in three states- and that's what ended it. At this same time I was working fulltime at the Museum, I was doing a lot of freelance graphic design through my company White Rhino Graphics. And I was trying to finish my first novel, The Fourth Storm, and I had a pretty active social life with Gerry.

Instead of being fun, it became on obligation. I'll likely go back to it when I retire, but now there's the Web, so my selling will be online- ahh, no more getting up at the crack of dawn to lug tables and boxes of jewelry to an outdoor craft fair!!!!!!

(Yeah, except now I get up at the crack of dawn to load a horse into a trailer and go to a horse show : )

Needle Felting

Needle Felted Fox

So to keep my hands busy while I recuperate from surgery this winter I taught myself to needle felt. I had never heard of this craft until I saw a darling little foal on one of my favorite blogs, Behind the Bit, What! How was that done! I was captivated and went on Amazon and ordered this little fox kit--because for once in my life I used a little restraint and instead of jumping in whole hog and ordering every supply needed for this craft, I ordered an inexpensive kit to make sure I liked doing it.

Well, I did! So then I jumped in whole hog : )

And of course, I'm not starting small or easy- oh hell no, my first original creation is going to be a sculpture of Dallas. It's taking awhile to create and it is a bit crude, but I'm not unhappy with it. I'll post pics when I get it finished.