Playing with clay and miniatures

I've been working on a Snow White shadow box.  The original Grimm version is so dark with a cannibalistic step mom who is forced to dance to death in burning iron shoes.  Of course. whenever I take on a fairy tale I have to take over the story as well.  In my version, the hunter while sparing Snow White knows better than to bring an animal heart to the Queen so he kills another girl in her place.  Which means heart and knife are part of the shadow box.  And that leads me to my latest obsession clay.  I started using #CreativePaperclay a couple of years ago and I love all the things I'm able to create.  Somehow working with clay led to another new passion and that's miniatures.  There are so many things I need for my shadow box dioramas and most of the pieces I find are out of my price range plus, I don't feel like the work is mine if I'm using other people's creations.  So here's a few of my recent pieces

I made the cauldron, candy canes, cake, cookies, bowl, and books from #CreativePaperclay for this Christmas Witch diorama.

I made this miniature graveyard and tree.

This was for an Edgar Allan Poe shadow box, I made the parchment paper, inkwell, quill and book from #CreativePaperclay.

And this is from a magic diorama.  I made the cauldron, the herb bag with the pentagram, the mushrooms, cutting board and knife, and the tombstone.

Making old things new again

There are so many old jewelry cabinets in thrift stores or sold at garage sales.  Different styles I keep as jewelry cabinets while others make great small curio cabinets.  I've finished two jewelry cabinets recently with an Edgar Allan Poe theme.  The first one is Edgar Allan Poe / Raven themed the second one is a custom order for a Tall-Tale Heart / Raven theme.  

I often find these cabinets which are perfect for repurposing into Gothic style curio cabinets.  This one is a apothecary / potion bottle theme.  I thought it would be perfect to hold small perfume bottles.

I found these two pieces at garage sales recently.  I can't wait to make them over.  I think the carriage will be stunning with a Gothic look painted black and different fabric added to the inside.  And the clock will have a full makeover with a scene or skull of some sort in the glass enclosed portion.

   I'm kind of obsessed with all things vintage and antique.  I'm especially in love with the 20's and the Victorian era and giving them a Gothic twist.  My latest 20's / Gothic mash-up was inspired when I got this Art Deco style clock case.  I just knew it had to become a vampire flapper's boudoir complete with a skull chandelier.

 

This clock case seemed to call out for a Victorian vampire tea party.  I love the idea of the traditional lawn party being held at night in the cemetery by a very proper looking lady who just happens to be a vampire.  She's even carrying a black parasol in case those moonbeams become too bright.

I've been working on a couple of Gothic Valentine themed items for the shop.  Nothing says, "I love you" like a bleeding heart coffin or a black heart box celebrating immortal love! 

To continue the Gothic Valentine / Immortal love theme I also created this vampire fairy tale shadow box.  It's the tragic tale (aren't all good love stories?) of Gracen, an ancient vampire who falls for the beautiful but very human Lady Elizabeth.  It's a love story that ends and begins in death.

Black Market 2012

I wish I could say, "I can't believe it's been nearly a year since I was here!" but I've been well aware of my lack of blogging.  I don't know about you but I tend to start avoiding something like crazy when I feel guilty about not doing it.  And even though I've wanted to blog and had things to write about, I still avoided because so much time had already passed.  But I'm working on that and just jumping in pretty much where I left off; Black Market wrap up.

The event was last weekend and if you aren't familiar with Bats Days and the events that occur you have to check out their page: Bats Day  I'm usually so busy getting ready for the Black Market that I don't get a chance to enjoy the other activities planned over the weekend but I've seen the pictures and heard all about the good times had from other people.

Here's my table set up and my two assistants, my parents sporting their skull shirts. 

I'm going to get a new sign before the next show I realize that one is not easy to read.

This table of stunning hats was right across from me.  I wanted each and every one of them.  You can check out the full collection here: The House Of Wormwood

Directly across from me was a table that brought out the full fan girl mode in me.  It was the Monster Man table with Clive and Constance Hall!  I love that show on SyFy.  And I think she pretty much has one of the coolest jobs ever.

I did a bit of shopping too it wasn't all work. ;)  I bought an adorable spider hair clip from La Vie Macabre  She also does some gorgeous resin skull jewelry.

I also bought some adorable hair bow clips one with a skull cameo and one with a small coffin from LaDanseMacabre  They also have beautiful velvet caplets and all kinds of jewelry and other goodies.

This is a booth that I need to buy something from, they have the most adorably creepy stuffed creations at My Vicious Boutique

Foul Bitten has amazing art work it's etched copper the process is done with salt water and a battery on her kitchen counter it's just incredible.

I just love MaS Design Ceramic Oddities  All her ceramics are hand poured, sculpted, fired and glazed by her in her home studio

And if you love all that's odd and strange than you have to check out The Curio Emporium  This will take you to their Facebook page their website will be up and running at the end of this month.  It's definitely worth checking out.

I could go on and on there were so many amazing vendors there.  Plus I enjoy getting to sit back and watch all the gorgeous people in their finery.  Although no one quite stood out as much as this guy who was kind enough to stop and pose for this picture. :)

It really was an amazing day.  I love getting to meet the other vendors and sharing stories and the best part is getting to meet people who buy my work or seeing how people react to pieces as they walk by.  I love to see the surprise on their face as they see a small unexpected detail in a shadow box.  I work at home and I don't do any other shows but this one so I don't get to see a lot of public reactions or feedback which just makes this show extra special to me.

    

Custom Orders and Finished Projects

So much for my updating at least once a week!  I have been keeping busy I finished another small curio cabinet with a vampire theme and two custom orders.  One was for a mini coffin and the other was for a creepy carnival/circus shadow box.  The orders were polar opposites in that the customer who ordered the coffin knew exactly what she wanted down to colors and fabric.  The customer who ordered the shadow box pretty much just said creepy carnival/circus and that was it.  But each one challenged me in it's own way.  I lined the bottom and top of the coffin in fabric which I haven't done before and I really like the way it turned out.  I will have to make one for the shop I saw some great vintage monsters fabric hopefully it's still there I think it would look great in a coffin.  And the carnival shadow box pushed me to make something that I may not have made if I wasn't given the theme.  I love how it turned out and I'm already planning a different version of it for the shop. 

I'm working on a couple of new pieces right now.  I have a witch's mini cabinet almost done.  I made a kettle that is filled with a green "bubbling liquid" and I have a few more items to make for the shelves.  I finished one of the tomb style shadow boxes.  It's The Count and Countess throw a ball.  It features the Count welcoming the guests at the front door and the Countess leading them down a long hallway to the ball room.  I really like the outside of this one I used a filigree style cross and added a small vampire bite coming out the center.

I haven't started work on the Dark Shadows piece yet.  I know what I want as far as mood and feel for the piece but the practical what is still eluding me.  Maybe this week will have a break through and I can start on it.  But if not I do have a few other pieces started so there is no lack of work to be done.

Completed Projects and Fledgling Ideas

I created a lot of new pieces before the Black Market some of them sold, like a cabinet, which I wanted to keep, and some of them I didn't get a chance to display.  I didn't get pictures of everything I sold.  I don't know what I was thinking I had the camera with me should have taken pictures of the people with their purchases.  But here’re a few that I did have:

I've been listing the items that I have left on Etsy.  So the shop has a lot of new inventory in it if you haven't checked it out in awhile, including new necklaces I made.  Here's a peek at some:

I made a new Vampire Theater and a new Vampire’s Castle shadow boxes.  I used basically the same elements from the originals but I changed them up some so each one remains unique:

I have plans for a Dark Shadows inspired shadow box I just love the over the top gothic atmosphere of that series.  I'm also planning on a shadow box inspired by Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite movies the halway scene with the live hands holding the candelabras is amazing.  I’ve just started a little Frankenstein mini shrine.