Scream for Halloween

September 15th is the big reveal! Stop by to check out how you can enter to win. :)

http://artisticthalloweenqueens.blogspot.com/2009/09/halloween-queens-are-celebrating-their.html

Long Live the Queen

The time is drawing closer for the Artistic Halloween Queen's big October Giveaway.  You can enter to be a queen for a day and win prizes throughout the month of October - a prize a day for 31 days.  I'll post more details soon.
Meanwhile, here's my little pumpkin queen make-do for the give-away.  She started as an old metal soap/lotion dispenser.  She's basically complete now, though I may yet add a cloak and a few more jewels, depending on time and availability. 

(You can see her in progress in my previous blogs.)

Now what I need to work on are my photography skills - or lack thereof. :)  Any tips to get better photos?  I've read to take them outside, but I had to send this one in last night to the Queenly organizers, so daylight was out. 

Oh, Mr. Darcy!

Carolee Clark recently blogged on Creating the Hive about boosting creativity, and somehow the mention of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy (in the famous, drool-worthy wet shirt scene) came up.  (Doesn't it always?) :)

So...here... just because.... :)

CSI Chicago: Special Cat Edition

Eyewitness statement from Rebecca Sterling:

I was in the kitchen getting some water and Macy the Cat walked in. I looked down and saw her ears bleeding profusely. Alarmed, I picked her up to see what happened and noticed it was paint and not blood. I ran into the dining room where I saw that they'd knocked over several things on the table, including a big bottle of red paint, which had spilled all over the chair and floor.

I had to hurry and clean up the paint before it dried, so I couldn't get a picture of it. Then I noticed red paw prints all over the hallway, so I grabbed Macy and washed her paws in the kitchen sink. I tried to get her ears clean, but it wouldn't all come off.

 




 





When I returned to the hall to see where else she had walked, I saw red prints on the white living room carpet.

When I went to clean that up, Macy took advantage of the opportunity to attack the garbage.

 
Frisky was nearby watching the whole thing, but refused to comment other than, "I didn't do it."

 

Frisky maintains that she had nothing to do with the crime and that all evidence which would suggest otherwise is clearly circumstantial.   

Families of the victims are asking jurors for the maximum penalty of imprisonment during crafting days, since evidence has show Macy to be a hardened criminal incapable of rehabilitation.  Macy's attorney maintains that a thorough investigation will prove she was framed, and that Frisky actually committed the crimes in question.

A little rusty...

Wow, I can't believe how much time got away from me this year. I didn't even start back into the Halloween work until the end of July - when I had planned on starting in January! I'm finding the old arthritic fingers aren't cooperating as well as I'd like - I think they're out of practice. :)

Nevertheless, it's onward and upward! My little pumpkin queen make-do is almost finished, as is a recipe box and a couple of ornies. I'm off now to start on a little something for my daughter (she just went 3000 miles away to college a couple of weeks ago and wants to decorate her room), as well as another ornament for the SEHA gals giveaway.

Meanwhile, here's an update on Her Highness. Now, don't mention her hair - she's a little sensitive about that right now. Bad hair day, you know.... As you can see in the first picture, she had just woke up and hadn't even combed it out yet. And she absolutely insisted on wearing her crown for the second photo, even though her hair still needs to be put up and she's not even dressed yet!
Some queens...


Now, for those of you who may be reading via blogger, you can follow this blog--and see the comments--on http://creatingthehive.com/creativespiritgallery/blog. Why don't you join in the fun? :)

Excuses, excuses...

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a very bad blogger.

Most of the time, I blog on my writing site, but I've neglected this poor newly born baby since I started it last month.

However, I have an excuse. I do! I've been busy working on an item for the Artistic Halloween Queens October Giveaway on Facebook. Here's a preview of my little Pumpkin Queen in progress. She looks a little lumpy and grumpy right now, but give her time. Once she has on her ruff, collar, crown, jewels, and fabulous, curly red hair (ala Q.Elizabeth I), she'll be stylin'. :o)

Check out the Queens' Facebook page throughout the upcoming weeks to see how you can win prizes.

My other two groups, HA31 (HalloweenArtists) and SEHA (Society of Eclectic Halloween Artists) will also have some neat stuff coming soon, so they're worth a look as well.

It's time!

I'll be getting ready tonight to start new pieces for the Halloween and Christmas seasons. I'm really looking forward to it - it's been too long since I've had a chance to sit down and paint or sculpt.

Now, the trick will be keeping my cats off my work table. They want to add their own special touches to each piece. :)

Jacob Marley here was a gift I made for one of the AHQU Queens during a holiday swap.

Welcome!

Since I've been selling on eBay for a while, and working with the following artists group blogs: AHQU, AHQU2, HA31, and SEHA, I thought maybe it was time to put up a blog of my own. After all, they've been asking for members to send in their blog information for a while now. I've been bad. Very bad...

So, pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage and relax. Until I get this a bit more filled in, here are some great Halloween and other folk artists whose work you can enjoy. And if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can also see a few samples of my own work.

HA31 (Halloween Artists Group Blog)
Halloween Artists Group Website
http://artisticthalloweenqueens.blogspot.com/
SEHA (Society of Halloween Artists)
Eye Candy (The Art & Photography of Lana Gramlich)
The Dreaming Tree (Lana's Blog)
King of Mice Studios (Carolee Clark)
Creative Spirit Gallery (my other Web home)