The holidays were a busy whirlwind this year I didn't get a chance to post this Christmas decoration I made. It's a very Poe Christmas.
Since it is nearly February I've been getting ready for the next holiday, Valentine's Day. I made a few new pieces this year.
This is more an anti-valentine piece. I call it the death of love.
I used clay to make this anatomical heart with a key hole that I added to a heart box I painted and added trim to. Next to the heart is the skeleton key that matches it.
I'm working on a new shadow box that features a doll I'm in the process of making. I sculpted a raven's head over a small porcelain doll to create Miss Ravensworth. Here's a sneak peek. I'll be working on her clothes and home interior next.
For my next doll project, I'm going to try making the entire doll. I have some ideas I've been wanting to try out.
October is here, it's the happiest time of the year! Now if the weather would only get on board and dial back the heat it would be perfect. I'm gathering my Ghouls together this weekend for a Halloween tea party craft night.
I love the look of fairy gardens, but usually they are filled with moss and plants that would just wither and die in this City of Sun. But I ran across this one from Garden Answer on YouTube that features a Halloween theme and uses succulents which are perfect. I can't wait to try it out. I need to hit the Dollar tree store for some small Halloween houses.
Once we finish all that crafting we will want to enjoy a tasty pumpkin flavored treat. I've been pinning recipes like crazy on Pinterest. I've found this pumpkin cake with a cinnamon glaze that I can't wait to try. It won't look as good, I'm sure. My last bunt cake had a decided slant to it, but it still tasted good.
We can't have cake without tea my current favorite right now is this one from CamilleLaLune on Etsy I love the taste but the name makes it the perfect tea for my Gothic Tea Party, Countess Bathory's Bathwater. You can see from the picture it's a lovely shade of blood red.
Call me old fashioned but I do believe in dressing for tea including elegant headwear. Okay, honestly I'll use any excuse to wear a tiara. :) I own a couple from one of my other favorite Etsy shops, EJPcreations. Perhaps a little something like this will be just the thing.
We've been on a vampire movie kick lately so we may indulge in one of our favorites, or
We shall carry on Halloweening despite the 100-degree weather!
I recently bought a new camera. And I'm obsessed, taking pictures of everything. It has a 60x zoom on it. So when we had the Supermoon recently I took some pictures.
It doesn't even look real. There is supposed to be another Supermoon later this month I want to try and get some earlier pictures. I took this one after 10.
I've been playing with different settings.
My sweet old girl in Toy setting. She's lost a lot of her teeth, despite my daily brushing! and now she has a reverse vampire smile.
We have a lot of cactus growing in the yards, but this one is my favorite. It has character.
I love the combination of black and white and color, especially on flower pictures. The real purpose of the camera (or justification) is to take better shots of my shadow boxes and other pieces. Now I just need to create a good background.
I love old monster movies, Dracula, of course, being my favorite, but I've always had a soft spot for Frankenstein and his bride. It's probably no coincidence that the two I love the most also have corresponding books. If only there had been a classic Wolfman novel it would be a perfect trinity. Someone suggested I may want to do a Bride of Frankenstein shadow box and the idea took hold. The thought of sculpting that iconic hair was too much to resist. So I created this beauty.
I tried a new technique to create the stone wall and floor. I like how it turned out, but it's a bit time consuming. She sold the same day she was listed. I've had a request for a custom shadow box with another Bride. This one is going to be humorous which will be different for me.
The only known specimen of the rare and once rumoured, Lepidoptera Mortem has been found and I have him preserved and ready for display.
This month was the birthday of someone I lost and loved dearly. The memories led me to create this miniature Momento Mori style diorama inspired by part of a poem I wrote for him and all those we lose too soon.
To get back to the more whimsical side of things here's a new jewelry box I just finished. I love this Victorian Bat costume.
It's a constant battle every year loving summer for about a week and then being over it and longing and dreaming of October and all it's wonderful Halloween/Fall goodness. I made a few pieces to remind myself it's only 122 days until Halloween.
I found this cute Victorian looking doll house carriage and a little doll. I decided to give them a vampire inspired make-over. Here's what it looked like before
And here's the after.
I was contemplating possible Halloween decor themes and The Mad Scientist's Laboratory came to mind. So I decided to do a miniature version in a shadow box.
A hummingbird decided to build a nest on a windchime we have under the patio. Thank goodness it's so far under the patio it doesn't move. (yeah, not the best planning on my part) It's been fascinating to watch how dedicated she is to sitting on the nest. And once the babies were hatched she has flown back and forth almost non-stop. Here's mama on the nest and the babies ready to bust out of the nest. Which cool fact, the nest is built to expand as the babies grow.
