Freak Show

The first time I saw Tod Browning's Freaks I was mesmerized. I think the idea of people so completely outside of society’s norm coming together and forming their own family was especially appealing. I was one of those kids that got labeled “freak” early on in life. I just didn’t quite fit in. It took me many years to find my family of fellow weirdoes and even though most of them would blend seamlessly in your average American crowd I know their creative, chaotic, horror movie loving, inner freakiness make them almost as much of a curiosity to “normal” society as the side show freaks back in the day were.

I had this doll which was rescued from a thrift store missing arms and legs I gave her new arms but they didn’t exactly blend or are even that functional for her and with no legs I figured there was only one place for this girl to shine. So I created the Freak Show shadow box for her. At the same time it pays homage to all the strange and freaky girls out there who are working what they have and making the world they want.

Skulls and Castles

I've finished two new projects since I last posted.  The first is a wood box purse.  I've made a lot of these for myself and as gifts through the years but I haven't made any for my shop yet.  I love them but there is the drawback of every time I open one to get something out I have to make sure it's lying flat and I don't lose anything.  So I wanted to make one that was fully lined and opened like a traditional purse.  It took me more than a few days (read a week) and two trips to the fabric store before I figured it out.  But now that's it's done I love it!  I will be making some more if not to sell in my shop than definitely to sell at the Bats Day Black Market event.  If you want more information about this event here's a link to their website: Bats Day.  Enough of the chatty chatty, here's some pictures:

My other project is a new shadow box called The Vampire's Castle.  The idea started with a great castle graphic that I got from Altered Artifacts.  I used images from the 1931 Dracula for the vampire and his brides.  I also used a quote from Bram Stoker's Dracula on the back of the shadow box: "...the walls of my castle are broken.  The shadows are many, and the wind breaths through the broken battlements and casements."  This was a fun project and I'm trying to think of some other themes that I can use the castle front with.  I'm thinking dark fairy tale like maybe a gothic sleeping beauty.

This week I'm working on a carnival freak show shadow box.  Stay tuned for the research pictures for that project!