Happy Halloweeny Christmas!

I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of Holidays! I just couldn't get too far away from my Halloween-inspired art! LOL! This little ACEO is currently listed on eBay until Dec 30th. Click here to view all the details.

Tucker II

I rarely repeat any of my creations, but a few years ago I sculpted the first Tucker, the tuckered-out angel, and felt it was time to create another. Just gazing at him is so calming. He makes me want to take a wee nap.

I will be listing this little guy on eBay right after Thanksgiving.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Reluctantly leaving Halloween behind for a bit, I have begun to explore some Holiday images. I will be listing ornaments like this on eBay soon.

Hello Winter!

We woke to about 6 inches of fluffy snow this morning. Such a beautiful sight that I just had to share.
Enjoy!

BOOtique Updates are Happening

Hello there! I wanted to share a few of my items that are currently in the Artistic Halloween Queen's BOOtique for August.
This a a great site for all things Halloween.

Check out all the artists' offerings by clicking here!
Happy Halloween!!

What's Up?

I have been MIA for a while, that's true. For some time now I have known that I needed to work on my studio. I am blessed to have a large space where I can create, but after a couple of years it had gotten too cluttered and messy. So, this early Spring I decided that I would re-create the studio space into a fun & organized place.

I am happy to say that I have accomplished 85% of what I wanted so far. Of course, as the space came together I was itching to get back to creating art and it wasn't too long before I just couldn't stop myself. So, I have a little more to finish, but one of the best things added to my studio is this picture rail! My hubby made it out of some beautiful light colored wood. I had planned on painting it up (of course!) but the wood is so nice I just couldn't cover it. I just painted up the supports and made some knob medallions to customize & personalize it. I love seeing this wall with my Halloween art collection. It is the first wall you see when entering the studio. Perfect welcome!! Some of the pieces are mine and most are from other Halloween artists.

Oh, and yes!... that is a group of tutu crinolines hanging in the middle. I so rarely wear them anymore anyway!

Thanks for visiting!

Shark!

Just when you thought it was safe to get back into sewing!...

This is another of my handmade pin cushions. Made out of hand-dyed wool, this one is large!

Current on eBay, click here to view all the details! Thanks for visiting!

Spring! Yea!!!

I have been spending the Winter hand dyeing and felting wool. I love to work with wool -- it dyes the most beautiful colors and sews like a dream.
I have been creating pin cushions. Some with Halloween themes, of course, but lately they are definitely sweeter.

This one is called "Pond". It is made of hand dyed wool, a handmade dragonfly, and lots of embroidered bugs.
It is currently on eBay until Sunday, March 27th. If you are interested in my auction, please click here. I would LOVE to have you visit.

I am sooo ready for Spring! Winter doesn't seem to want to end here in my mountain valley. We have had snow this week and more forecast, but I saw a buttercup on one of the slopes 3 days ago! This gives me hope and fills me with joy!

Happy Spring Everyone!

The Winter Witch

Hello,

I thought I would share a few pictures of my Winter Witch for this year. She is just over 12" high, costumed in wool, has a tiny owl on her staff, and holds out a lantern as she peers out into the snow. Brrr....

It's THAT time of year!

Hello again,

Just to catch you all up on what I have been doing I thought I would show a few of my more recent Copic ACEOs. I do enjoy working with Copic markers, the key is to find the best paper(s). The color's hue and saturation is greatly affected by the paper used. If you find the perfect paper -- what a dream!

If you are interested is visiting the eBay auction for the top one here "Little Witchlet", click here.

Thanks for visiting my blog and Happy Halloween!

Okay... I HAVE been productive

Hello again! After my last post, well... all my bent-up productivity broke free. I have been creating my little Halloween art.

Thought I would post a few pictures of the results.

Thanks for looking!!

Pardonnez Moi

Shame on me! I have been away from posting for way too long.

No excuses -- none -- but I do feel I should offer an explanation.

I took a trip to Europe and I fell in love with Paris. Thanks to the Icelandic volcano I got to stay a bit longer than planned.

Such a beautiful city... truly, stunningly magnificent. The Parisians were a bit unpleasant and haughty and so I decided to become one for a day.

I don't smoke, but to complete the transformation, I made little rolled up paper pretend cigarettes and colored the end and placed them in a discarded Galouse wrapper. The beret was borrowed from my sister, who joined me in adopting the Parisian attitude for the day.
Anyway, back to the explanation...
I came back from Paris a changed person and I don't understand why. I have been in a creative funk ever since my return. I just don't feel creative or inspired. My husband says my desire to create art will come back someday, but I wonder...
... maybe I need another visit to Paris to search for my muse. I think she left me, became a Parisian herself and stayed there. And, I don't blame her!

A Couple of Sneak Peeks...

I, and a bunch of my very talented Halloween artistic friends, will be debuting a new Halloween Art marketplace around the stroke of midnight tonight. It is the Halloween Queen's Castle Bootique. This is my first venture outside eBay, I am pretty excited!

I am so excited that I just have to show a tiny peek at one of my two artworks.

I really hope you will join us in our Grand Opening tonight!

Thanks for peeking!

Copics - I can't stop!

Hello, again. This is just a quick post to share glimpses of what I have been busy doing lately.

Yup, more Copic marker ACEOs. I really love these alcohol ink markers now. In fact, after I finish this post, I am going to try coloring on some fabric!

Truly, I cannot stop. Is there an Alcohol Inks Anonymous? ;-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Copics Witch

I have been busy playing with my new Copic markers, again. I wanted to try them in my ACEO artwork, which is why I finally bit the bullet and ordered them last month. I am really liking them, especially since my last order for additional colors was the Original Copics -- these come with a fine tip instead of the brush tip.

So, in case some of you are interested in Copics, I thought I would share a few tips from me, a new user.

First, Copics are expensive. So before you buy, I suggest you go to YouTube and type Copics in the search box. I learned alot there about how to best blend and color.

Second, through trial and error I learned that Verithin Prismacolor pencils work well with Copics. They don't seem to be disolved by the alcohol inks so you can draw lightly first, cover with Copics (which are transparent color), and then add additional Prismacolor pencil on top. My only cautions are that you use only Verithin under Copics. You can use the softer Prismacolor pencils over Copics once they are dry (quick drying) if you do not intend to add additional color with your markers in that area. The softer Prismacolors will smear and could stain your Copic tips.

Third, I have found the paper that works best for my artwork. It was available at Paper Zone stores (not sure if it still is, sorry). It is called Conquerer CX22 Diamond White Cover Sub 118.3# 42.51M. It is super smooth, has a nice stiffness/weight, and is relatively inexpensive. I bought a box of 200 8.5"x11" sheets a few years ago for just over 15 cents a sheet. This box should last me a lifetime.

Fourth, I currently own about 30 Copic Sketch and 12 Copic Original markers. I have nearly every color I need, but there are about 5 more I wish I had. At about $4.50 each, you can see that this is a serious expenditure, so choose your colors wisely. A mix of very, very light and their darker shades in the primary colors, plus the same in earthtones and grays should give you a good starting set.

These are just my opinions/observations so far -- freely given, but not guaranteed :-).

My latest ACEO witch shown above is titled "Hobbles" and will be on eBay tonight. If you wish to view the auction... click here.