Happy Holidays

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

Happy 2012

Display props - it's all smoke and mirrors.

2011-12-30T20:59:00.000-08:00

Yet another late blog post! This post was supposed to go up before Christmas in answer to two comments that I received about props that were made for the display. My apologies go out to Caroline and Wendy. Click on each picture for a better look.

I received this comment when I first published photos of the Hillside Shopping Centre Christmas window display -

"I too love images of cakes and pastries and jellies from the Edwardian era. When I saw the first image on another blog I thought it was from a book of that era! Did you use plaster to make the cakes? I do a gingerbread/candy display in my kitchen for Christmas and would love to make a faux cake. Thanks, Carolyn."

Carolyn, I hope that are reading this blog post. I do apologize for not posting this earlier, sickness and the busy season delayed everything. Better late than never I suppose. Can you tell what blog that you saw this image on? I would love to see what they said.

I used paper pulp to create the summer window display cakes and pastries. It was labour intensive to create the moulded cakes and it also took a while for them to dry. It is very wet on the West Coast in the Autumn, Winter, and Spring so that was not an option. I would have taken far too long to produce them as well.

I decided to buy as many cake and jelly moulds I could find at the second hand stores to create the cakes. I washed the moulds in order to get rid of any grease that may be on them and then spray painted them with flat white spray paint. I mixed about seven different colours of artist acrylic paints and then began painting the tin moulds. Some colours, yellow and green in particular, needed several coats of paint in order to get an even rich colour.

Once the basic iced cakes were painted and dry I drizzled white or chocolate brown paint from a plastic squeeze bottle to hide paint edges as well as make them more interesting to look at.

This photo was taken for a blog post to show what the cakes would possibly look like when finished.

All of the cake stands were created using wooden pillar candle holders and wooden plates of various sizes and shapes. I didn't want to use glass cake stands in case anything fell over and broke. I also wanted specific colours to tie in with everything else.

The finished cakes in the window display. All of the flat surfaces on the cakes were covered with coloured gravel. I did this for several reasons but the main reason was to hide the joins where I hot glued the metal moulds together. I did want to have a different texture as well on the cakes.

I have a large group of candies that I made a couple of years ago for some items that I never did make but hope to in the future. I placed these around the cakes so that they appeared much more elaborate than they actually were.

These small cakes were made from 4" wide cardboard cylinders cut about 3" to 4" high. Cardboard was glued to the top of the cylinders. I collect cardboard tubes of all diameters and lengths for projects like this.

I mixed a modelling compound with the white acrylic paint and used a palette knife to apply the paint. Once the paint was dry I glued coloured glass glitter at the base of the cakes. Each cake is decorated with vintage milliners fruit on a base of green grass chenille.

Wendy Kolar Mullen sent me a message on Facebook -

I LOVE the Giant Peppermint Sticks!! What did you use to make those? Very clever...the display is Gorgeous...fantastic job...sure to delight many Holiday shoppers :0)

Here is how I created the giant candy sticks, cardboard cylinders and fused edge acetate florist ribbon. This method is quick and easy, no paint involved and the results are far superior as the edges are crisp and clean.

The base colour, your choice, is a 3" wide fused edge acetate florist ribbon wrapped around the cylinder. Most cylinders are spiral wrapped so follow the direction of the spiral and you won't have any bumps showing in the ribbon. Put a piece of tape on the end of the ribbon stuff the ribbon end inside the tube and firmly tape the it in place.

The second ribbon is a 1 1/2" ribbon that wraps around the cylinder overlapping the base ribbon edges, hiding them. Tape the ends and push them in the ends firmly taping them down.

From this point you can add one or two more ribbons. These ribbons can be 1/4" to 3/4" wide, wrapped around the cylinder. The ends are attached exactly the same as before.

Cap the ends with a piece of white card glued in place. Wrap the candy sticks with cellophane, tying each end with a narrow wired ribbon, leaving a tuft of cellophane at each end. That's all there is to making the candy sticks.

That beautiful fur covered chair in the window was the chair from the Spring window display. It was stripped of it's flowers and looks like this inside!

The Adobe Pumpkin Farm

2011-12-29T21:46:00.000-08:00

This blog post was supposed to go up before Hallowe'en, that didn't happen. After getting back from Hallowe'en and Vine I had to tidy my studio somewhat so that I could build props for the Hillside Shopping Centre Christmas Window. Enough with the tap dancing preamble, as a member of EHAG I can very easily justify this blog post at this time of year!

Late Sunday morning, the next day after the Hallowe'en and Vine show, Amelia Schaefer, Tracey Dombroski, Lori Rudolph, and myself went to The Adobe Pumpkin Farm on our way down to San Francisco.

This jaunty scarecrow greeted you as you came into the farm from the parking lot.

The three musketeers, Lori, Tracey, and Amelia.

There were piles of different squash and pumpkins, all of which I photographed. Even though it is winter and just after Christmas I am going to show you all of these beautiful vegetables as a very late "Ode to Autumn".

The colour variation that is evident when you see a nice big pile of one variety is intriguing.

I have no idea what any of the squash are named. I love the powdery look on the outside of this particular squash.

This is the entrance to "The Farmer's Wife Barntique". They provided all of the artists at Hallowe'en and Vine with a much appreciated goody bag.

Mid to deep oranges, peach with creamy buff warts, and a knobbly deep green squash, the colours and textures are so interesting.

A simple shape and pattern but the colour variation is amazing.

Small pumpkins ranging in shades from a lemony yellow to a rich orange.

I had to include this quintessential farm picture.

The faint lemon yellow blush on the mini white pumpkins is very unexpected.

These pumpkins look so ordinary when compared to their exotic neighbours.

These white pumpkins vary in colour from a very pale grey to a very pale creamy white.

Outdoor window ledge vignette number one.

These squash are stunning, absolutely gorgeous. The colours, the textures, the patterns, I could go on and on and on... but I will spare you.

Outdoor window ledge vignette number two

The vine imprints and the scarring give these pumpkins great character.

Outdoor window ledge vignette number three.

Oh boy, here I go again.... the colour, the shapes... can you tell that I am totally in love with squash and pumpkins?

Outdoor window ledge vignette number four.

These would make some very interesting Jack-o-lanterns.

Gourds of all shapes, sizes, textures, and colours.

Well here is my "Ode to Autumn" blog post. It was about 2 1/2 months overdue but I hope that you enjoyed it.

Merry Christmas Everyone

2011-12-24T22:47:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a very hectic pre-Christmas. I was sick for a week and it kept hanging on ever since. Not much got done. Christmas Eve and it is finally done! HAHAHA!!!! I love this time of year, we are all in it together. Here are some pictures of our home all decorated for the holidays.

The tree and some of the living room. We have used these ornaments for the last 36 years, all unbreakable. The glass ones don't get put up because we don't have the room to display them where people won't knock into them.

The edge of my computer desk has a small display. you can see some of my vintage Santas in behind behind.

This year I decided to put up some of my boxed Christmas lights, boxed tree trims and light bulbs. Amongst all of the boxes are vintage trees and more vintage and antique Santas

We usually put a village on the buffet but this year I wanted to do something a little simpler and totally different. I found an ice scene table runner with polar bears on it so that set the theme of a winter snow scene. Christmas Day all of the bowls will be filled with cookies and the snow scene cake stand will have tarts and cookies on it.

The top shelf of the buffet aways has this antique chromolithographed nativity scene. After all if it wasn't for the birth of Jesus Christ there wouldn't be any holiday to celebrate.

The tree on the left is decorated with celluloid ornaments and the tree on the right is decorated with chenille Santas, candy canes, and all sorts of chenille figures.

Here is a look at some of the vintage Chinese and Japanese lanterns and garlands that cover the ceiling.

Finally the little china cabinet decorated with milk glass vases filled with vintage glass spikes.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. I have some other posts that were going to go up before Christmas and never made it so between Boxing Day and New Years Eve I will try to post them.

I have installed Hillside Shopping Centre's Christmas display.

2011-11-21T04:10:00.000-08:00

I am totally fascinated with cakes, pastries, and food presentation from the Edwardian era and earlier. I also love contemporary French pastries. Check out these past blog posts about cakes and pastries here, here, here, and here.

The summer window that I created for Hillside had a few cakes and pastries in it; I wanted to expand on this theme for this year's Christmas window. All of the images are fairly large so click on them and browse to your heart's content!

I took this photo inside the window so that you can get a better look at a selection of the delectable treats. The colour scheme was completely influenced by the cakes and pastries. I love bright colours and wanted to get away from the traditional red and green but still make the setting a Christmas fantasy.

The gifts at the base of the table are wrapped in very bright plastic tablecloths from the dollar store. The tops are decorated with a variety of items that you don't readily connect with Christmas but the addition of silver or gold tinsel, ice encrusted evergreens, and whimsically bent bottle brush trees magically turns them into fantasy Christmas presents. The floor has a bold black and white check pattern to counter balance the bright busy colours.

A look at the left side of the window with all of the desserts and gifts that would delight any child... or adult for that matter! The banquet table is covered with a beautiful tie dyed, embroidered, and bespangled sari.

The right side of the window has a polar fleece covered chair/throne. Halfway through the installation of the window I had one woman mention to me that she would be back later for tea.

Here is the finished window display. I had so much fun assembling this window. At one point I felt delighted and excited; I hope that the same feeling comes across to everyone that sees it.

This small window display is for advertising the Hillside Shopping Centre's gift cards. I like the addition of the tinsel, bottle brush tree, and grapes; it helps to get rid of any stuffiness but still be elegant.

I am off to my studio, it desperately needs a cleaning.

Gift Wrapped Boxes and Fancy Cakes.

2011-11-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a sneak peek at some of the props for the Hillside Shopping Centre Christmas window display. I wanted to go with VERY bright colours that are not associated with Christmas.

That red box with the purple ribbon is going into a small window display advertising the shopping centre's gift cards that are for sale at the customer service desk. The rest of the parcels will be on the floor underneath a banquet table filled with cakes and pastries displayed on cake stands and plates.

It is quite surprising that once you add a little sparkle from tinsel wire, some ice encrusted evergreens, and a few comically twisted bottle brush trees It all says, "Merry Christmas"! I have added some very un-Christmassy touches to the tops of the gift boxes such as fireworks and out of season fruit but those traditional touches pull it all together.

I bought this giant ice cream cone bank last year at Christmas. I put a strand of fresh water pearls in it for my wife. I had bought three bags of fresh water pearls at Salvation Army for about $6 and strung them all together into about a 30" necklace, that was a very good buy to say the least!

All of the parcels are wrapped with plastic table cloths from the dollar store. Not a very green choice but the colours are wonderfully gaudy. A banana, an apple, an ear of corn, purple grapes, three ranunculus blossoms, and three purple iris; what more could say, "Merry Christmas"?

The magician's hand with wand is a very old prop that I liked so much I kept it. The playing card quite mysteriously floats above the parcel.

Here is a sample of the cakes that will be going on the banquet table. The cakes set the colour palette for the window. I made all of the cake stands as well from wooden candle pillars, wooden plates, and gold plastic chargers.

Here are five mini cakes that will be used to fill in any spaces on the table and on this stand.

I bought the stand at Sally Ann. The first day I saw it I carried it around the store and just before I was going to pay for it I put it back. I didn't think that I could use it. It was an ugly brown stand with gold printed brown leatherette on the tray areas. I bought it the next day, spray painted it with browns, burgundies, purple, and a dusting of gold to allow the other colours to show through and, "Voila", a very interesting gilt surface that doesn't yell "GOLD". The aqua paint that I mixed was a happy accident that works beautifully with the gilt surface.

The window will be going in tomorrow. I will take pictures of it and do a post about it in the next few days.

The Autumn window display at Hillside Shopping Centre.

2011-10-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

I love creating window displays. I like the grand scale of a window display. I like to use the ordinary in new ways. It is fun to stop people, to give them something new to look at. Hopefully it gives them a lift during the day. In a window that has merchandise in it the main reason is to sell that merchandise for the retailer.

Very seldom does a chance come along to do a window display that gives the designer carte blanche with the design and installation. Michele Paget, the marketing director at Hillside Shopping Centre has given me this amazing opportunity.

This is the Autumn window display for Hillside. I told Michele that the Autumn window would be a scarecrow with produce around the base, except the scarecrow would be a ball gown created with leaves and flowers.

I love the drama of the curtains swagged back to reveal the lush display of flowers, leaves, and produce.

Here is a closer look at the dress. It is on a wooden platform that has four antique iron casters from an old safe. The slight height variation gives distinction to the dress.

Try this technique at home in some of your displays around the house. I have used this platform at home when I have done displays in our hallway. Have a look at these past displays here, here, and here. This link, here, shows you how I put the hallway displays together.

Here is a look at the swagged curtains that are held up by cording that I had used in one of the hallway displays. I created the two tassels to go along with the cording. They look elaborate but were relatively quick to make.

There are three tall candle holders that I made a year ago that I decided to use in the window. The candle holders are supposed to look as though they are beaded ropes that are rising in the air; very much like the fabled Indian Rope Trick. The "rope" is a metal rod covered in antique, vintage and repurposed beads. Each bottom end of the rope is finished with a beaded tassel. They add a sense of mystery and drama to an already dramatic window.

Here is a closer look at the vignette at the base of the swagged curtains. Almost everything that I use in the window displays I buy at Salvation Army and various other thrift stores. The chrysanthemums and grasses are in a large, and heavy I might add, green florists container.

At the base off the arrangement is a very old beaten copper plate holding some fruit and flowers. Off to the left you can see the bases of the candle holders with their tasseled ends.

That is this Autumn's window display. The Christmas window will be going in in mid November.

Don't forget the EHAG Emporium...

tomorrow October 31 at 9:00 PM EST

(6:00 PM for everyone on the West Coast.)

Here is a sneak peek at one of the pieces that I will have for sale.

My Hallowe'en mantle display for 2011!

2011-10-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

I didn't do a Hallowe'en display in the hallway this year. I not only didn't have time but all of my fall foliage that I use is in an Autumn window display at Hillside Shopping Centre.

Here is this year's mantle display. I have a few other items tucked on some shelves but with a two year old grand daughter everything has to be kept up high! The images are fairly large so that you can have a better look when you click to enlarge them.

I picked up a lot of these decorations about 8 years ago. The items would turn up at the different thrift shops. I have a good friend that collects holiday items as well and when she is in the US she will find a few things for me to add to the collection. That dark burgundy area that has two party hats on it is a genuine fez. For some reason I associate the fez with Hallowe'en.

I picked up one of Amelia Schaefer's pie candy boxes at the Hallowe'en and Vine show when I was there. He's great!

I had some unpainted white wire branches that I had made earlier in the year so I plonked them into a vintage florist vase. I really like this vase; I'm not sure if it is a Hallowe'en item but it works for me. The black cat is curling around a yellow wooden bucket that is probably filled with fish! Most of my bridge tallies and plastic nut cups are hung from the branches.

This little vignette shows off my US zone Germany witch candy container, a velvet black cat, a ceramic stump vase and a thin wooden board with the Cornish Litany burned into it and then painted with opaque watercolours. The technique of decorating wooden objects with a wood burning tool is known as pyrography.

This last close-up shows Lori Rudolph's great teapot that I purchased at Hallowe'en and Vine this year. Behind the black cat teapot is a 1923 Butterick pattern for a Pierrot costume. Just below and to the left of the black cat teapot is a wind-up black cat that is chasing a butterfly. That probably isn't a Hallowe'en item either but as I said before, "It works for me!"

I'll show you the Autumn window display in my next post.

Hallowe'en and Vine 2011 - Jack Roads

2011-10-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

The quality of the work at Hallowe'en and Vine was stellar but Jack Roads is in a class of its own. I talked to him a short bit. I felt like a teeny bopper girl meeting her teenage rock idol! The poor fellow, what are you supposed to say or do with an idiot standing in front of you!

I wasn't going to put in any of the images that were out of focus but I did anyway. Fortunately almost all of the photos came out well.

Enough with the words, the pictures will speak for themselves.

Hallowe'en and Vine 2011 - A Big Thank-You!

2011-10-13T03:13:00.000-07:00

Thank-you to everyone that stopped by my table to look at my work. You have no idea how much your words of encouragement were and are appreciated.

Thank-you to all of my customers that purchased work from me.

Thanks to all of the new and old internet friends that I finally got to meet in person. You were so encouraging.

Thank-you Ginny Betourne and Christy Silacci for putting on such a high quality show. Your hard work pays off and is very much appreciated by everyone, artists and collectors alike.

Here are some pictures from the show. There were more but I discovered that I had the camera set on the wrong setting the morning of the show, it was too late to take more pictures. There was so much great work there.

Friday at 1:00 in the afternoon we arrived at the Hermann Sons Hall in Petaluma California. The hall had been decorated. Everyone was busy setting up their tables.

All of the props and cloths for the table were brought down in my suitcase. The boxes had been mailed earlier and were sitting on the table ready to be unpacked.

My finished table. This was the first time that I had put it together. I will be making a few changes for next years table. I hope to be there and I am planning for it.

When I came to Arbutus hunter's table and saw her cotton batting figures I said, " Good heavens!" out loud. I like detail, it is important in my own personal work. Her work is so small, about 2 1/2". Each figure is meticulously painted. They are amazing.

Brandi McKenna's moon's are so much like her. Her face is as animated as her moons.

Charles Batte's witch figures and costuming were delightfully elegant.

I finally met David Everett of Chickenlips, he is crouching down behind his booth. We both have a love of stage magicians.

Christy Silacci's work is a hoot. She has a very odd, skewed, and fun look to her work. I like her large pumpkin guy.

Edgar and Edgar had some great vintage items. The large light that you see in the picture is a crystal galleon.

The faces that you see on the necklaces of Gabrielle Acevedo work are created with seed beads. Her bead weaving is very detailed, I love it.

I finally met Jorge de Rojas of HoHoHalloween. His work is wonderful, there was a pumpkin guy in a cucumber(?) car with orange slice wheels that I particularly liked..

Unfortunately this is the only part of one of the photos of Iva Wilcox's table that I could salvage. Thanks again Iva for the post show help.

We arrived on Saturday morning around 8:00am. Loyal patrons were eagerly waiting for the doors to open at 9:00am.

Kerry Howard Schmidt of Paper Moon Gallery creates her google eyed figures using needle felting. She had a bunch of off the wall but oddly endearing characters. I didn't get to talk to her, maybe next year.

This is the second photo that has a Starbuck's coffee in it. Where was everyone getting their Starbucks?

Maria Grimes makes beautiful lampwork glass beads that she then uses to create her jewelry.

This is just a sample of some of the wonderful vintage Hallowe'en decorations that Mark Ledenbach had for sale.

The patient customers were peeking in the windows to get an idea of what was available at this years show.

These two women were first in line. I photographed them and said that they would be in my blog about Hallowe'en and Vine.

This is a sample of the masks available from Mythica Masks

Pink Eyed Sissies had loads of Hallowe'en themed jewelry.

Lori Rudolph of Retro Rudolphs is very busy with last minute preparations before the show. Her work, along with everyone else's work, is amazing in person.

Here is another look at her table. There are two pumpkins on a black stool in the centre of the picture, they are actually pumpkin teapots. I bought the smaller orange teapot. I love it.

I wanted a piece of Sharon Blooms ceramic pieces but airline weight restrictions as well as packing it safely so that it wouldn't break made me decide that this year I wouldn't get a piece.

Amalia Schaeffer of Sweet B FolkArt is busy with last minute touch-ups. I have a pie of hers, I love it.

Tina Haller had a predominantly black, white, and silver theme on her table. She had garlands, hats, and little haunted houses as well as a lot other fun items for sale.

Vergie Lightfoot was behind me at the show. David Everett, Vergie, and myself formed one of the triangular pods in the centre of the room. The thick rich colour of her pieces and the incredibly deep texture of her painted surfaces is amazing. I love her pumpkins and cats.

This is just a sample of the work that was available at this years Hallowe'en and Vine. If you can make it next year I hope to see you there.

I didn't show any of Jack Roads work, that will be the next post.

Catching up

2011-10-06T04:13:00.000-07:00

I have a new computer!

Whahoo!

I know that this maybe old news to some of you but I didn't have a graphics program to edit photos and create posters etc. I now have downloaded GIMP from the internet and I am back in the loop so to speak. I have lots of photos from Hallowe'en and Vine but they have to be fixed up a bit. Hopefully I will be posting fairly regularly again, two months was far too long between posts!

Here are two window displays that were done for Hillside Shopping Centre, one new and one old.

I was asked by the Hillside Shopping centre to create a window promoting breast cancer awareness. They have a shopping centre gift card that is available with $1.00 going to breast cancer research. I wanted it bold, modern, and upbeat. I mixed a range of pinks with three different patterns; polka dots, damask, and stripes, created by the ribbons with a pink polka dot bra.

Better late than never I suppose. I now have a decent camera so I don't have to rely on my son to take nighttime pictures of my window displays that face the outdoors.

I photographed this display the night before dismantled it. The next day I discovered that two bulbs had burned out. That I realized was the reason for the very strong shadows and overall darkness.

The banner hanging in the window says "Summertime... and the living is easy." The inspiration was Marie Antoinette and The Mad Hatter have a party on the patio.

There are references in the display to cocktails on the patio, summer picnics, an outdoor wedding, afternoon tea, birthday parties, and breakfast on the patio.

This close-up shows the picnic and an elaborate birthday cake.

It was great fun making these three over the top topiaries covered in iced pastries each topped off with an exotic cake.

I will have pictures of Hallowe'en and Vine as well as the Autumn window display soon.

I have the new computer learning curve blues... Oh Yeah!

2011-09-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

That about sums up my recent posts as well as this one. I don't have a program to fix my photographs, actually I do, it is on the other part of my computer but I can't access it for some reason.

The will be some wonderful posts coming soon. Please be patient.

See you at Hallowe'en and Vine

2011-09-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

I expected to have a much fancier blog post than this but the sentiment is the same...

See you at Hallowe'en and Vine

I am so excited to see everyone.

I"M BACK!!!!

2011-07-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

I HAVE A NEW COMPUTER!!!!

It is great fun to slash out this old blog entry!

~~My computer has crashed!~~

~~I am on my wife's computer at the moment so that I can let you know that I am not certain when I will be back in the land of blog.~~

I will post a better blog entry than this one in the next few days to let you know what has been happening.

Studio Update July 2, 2011.

2011-07-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

I know that I was going to keep everyone up to date with what is happening in the studio. Two weeks have gone by and nothing from this end.

I did start to work on a few of the heads, sanding and painting. I realized that working that way was going to take much longer than sanding the group that I am presently working on and then on to the painting. Sanding is not one of those steps that you can take pictures of that causes people to shout things like -

"AMAZING!"

"SPECTACULAR!"

"SHOW US MORE!"

I decided to skip showing you that step. This is what I have been working on since the amazingly spectacular sanding sequence.

I have given the set of heads that I am presently working on a base coat. Wonderful colours like lemon yellow, tan, two different oranges, two different blue greens, and PINK! The base coats, as strange as some of them may seem, are used to influence to glazes that are applied later. The more opaque colours when dry brushed off or dry brushed on, patted off or on, take on or show some of the base coat. The resulting painted surface evolves with each step. I have no idea what it will finally look like but I do know that the resulting painted surface will have very subtle colouring to the finished surface. The character of each head comes to life as well, showing me what they should wear and what they are doing.

Off to work. I hope that it won't be another two weeks before I show you something!

Happy Canada Day!

2011-06-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE!

Enjoy your friends and family.

Have a picnic or a special date.

"OOOH" and "AAHHH" with the rest of the crowd watching the fireworks.

HOORAY FOR CANADA!

Things are coming along.

2011-06-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some images of items that I am working on at the moment. I have mentioned before that I don't do drawings of the pieces that I create. I have found that if I design it first that I am held, no trapped, in finishing the piece "the way it should be". There are also the engineering problems that arise. How do I attach the back of the case while still being able to dress the the figure and paint the background. I am figuring this out at the moment with two very large portrait rattles that I am working on. There are no pictures of them because I forgot to bring them down to photograph.

This large brass shade will be turned into a parade lantern. On the left are four figures with their own treat pails. I have to paint the heads, build up the bodies with batting, and then dress them. I am in the process of figuring out the background and how to attach it so that each side is recessed but the interior will allow a battery operated tea light to be inserted. Oh, I forgot... there is the handle to sort out as well. There is a lot of behind the scenes work for each piece going on. The way I work is more like solving a puzzle, when the puzzle is solved the piece is finished.

This is one of the large heads. It is resting on a paper covered wire tree. The finished piece will be a costumed figure holding a Hallowe'en tree all ready for the future owner to decorate.

The last picture shows some of the heads ready to be sanded and painted.

I must get back to work.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

I have spent hours trying to find a picture of my dad and for the life of me don't know where to find one. If my wife was here, she is in Toronto visiting our new grandchild, she would point me in the right direction. So instead here are three vintage Father's Day cards. Times have changed, not that many men smoke any more!

Studio Update

2011-06-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

As I promised, here is an update with what I have been working on.

Here is a sample of some of the new moulds. The large moulds are from 6" - 8" tall. The smallest heads, twelve of them, are between 1" and about 2". With this size range I could, if I wanted to, have a large candy container holding a treat bucket, this treat bucket would hold a treat bucket, the next treat bucket doing the same, ditto for this one, and the same for this treat bucket. That would be five little guys trick or treating! I don't know if I'll do that but you get the idea, Maybe you don't, that was a pretty cryptic sentence!

I will also use them for figures. With this size range I have greater diversity with what I can do.

I am so excited! Bye for now, it is back to work!

I have been making lady's fingers...

2011-06-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

As well as men's fingers and children's fingers.

I make each individual finger and toe for the figures. It is time consuming but well worth it for the finished piece.

Most of my time has been spent casting heads to be used for candy containers and figures. Some of them will be further altered by carving, sanding and building up the features. The painting and positioning the tilt of the head is what brings the face and figure to life.

I have a bunch of branches that had I produced a while back that will be used for some figures. They will also be used to create a Hallowe'en tree to display the candy container ornaments at Hallowe'en and Vine.

This is just a very quick update about the goings on around here.

I was going to post it sooner but my grandson, Ethan Charles Long arrived and totally upstaged everything that was happening around here. I love you Ethan!

Better late than never - the Spring window.

2011-05-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

HELLO EVERYONE!

I'm back in the "LAND OF BLOG"!

The blog title says it all. I had promised to show you pictures of the Spring window that I had installed at Hillside Shopping Centre. My camera is not as fast as my son's camera so I rely on him to take pictures for me. I did take pictures of the window but because my camera is slower they were blurry. He was totally preoccupied with his coming wedding, with good reason, so the window stood in all of its glory without a picture to show you.

He is married now, she is a wonderful match for him, so he kindly took some pictures for me. The next day it was taken down and the Summer window installed. I will have pictures of the new window to show you soon, I hope.

This is the window for Spring. I'm not certain where the idea came from, it just seemed to evolve. I liked the idea of using indoor furniture in an outside setting and have it consumed by Spring flowers and branches. I also like bright colours. I pulled the props together from my collection in the garage.

I found the chair on the side of the road one day. It was an ugly 80's chair that I had stripped to the frame. I reupholstered it but used florist foam in place of springs and foam rubber. Go to this link to read about the building of the props and see pictures of the items in progress.

I picked up the large early vintage frame at an antiques place nearby for an excellent deal because it was damaged. The damage was what I found so interesting. That was a win win situation for both of us!

Those small frames I bought at Salvation Army. I knew that they were old because of the style of moulding and the colour of the gold paint. I didn't realize how old until I took the paper off of the backs and saw the tiny square hand forged nails. Each frame had a magazine style picture in it. Behind those pictures were very faded antique photographs mounted on thick card.

That is all for now. I will keep you posted about the goings on around here. I promise!

I thought that I had better let you know what I have been up to.

2011-05-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

All of our kids are finally married!

The day after we arrived back from Pennsylvania I had a telephone call from Michelle, the marketing manager at Hillside Shopping Centre, she had some work for me. There were two enclosed freestanding sales carts, that needed displays and the large window needed to be changed on the 19th of May.

I went into a panic mode about the large window. I had no ideas for a Summer window. The window doesn't use merchandise from any of the stores, it is more like a large art installation. Consequently I have to create props as well as source anything to use in the window.

I picked up three four-sided boxwood topiary trees that had very ugly wooden bases. I removed the bases from the trees and tossed them into the garbage. I wanted height as well as a more contemporary look, these three ceramic vases did the trick. I also added flowers at the base of each tree and a vine to twine down the vase to soften the geometrics lines.

I am in the process of making fancy pastries to go on the sides of each topiary. There will also be a very large plated pastry that sits on the top of each topiary. I like to do the unexpected, to make things larger than life.

Here are a few of the pastries that I have cast in paper pulp from vintage pastry and jelly molds. The table with the wrought iron base and marble top is going to have an extra length of pipe added to it to make it the height of a regular table.

Here is a closer look at the paper pulp pastries. In back are two of the giant pastries, an assortment of coloured liqueur glasses that will be in the display, and then a few of the small pastries.

Here is a better look at the marble topped side table. When the centre post is lengthened I want it to have the look of a European bistro table. More pulp pastries at the base.

Three weeks is not a lot of time to design, make, and source props for a window of this size but it will get done. Hopefully I will keep you posted as to how things are progressing. I have been so busy with these windows that I have almost dropped off out of the blogosphere.

I have done a small amount of work in my studio but not nearly as much as I had expected. The pieces that I am working on will be for Hallowe'en and Vine. Off to work.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Have a wonderful, relaxing day.

Enjoy all of the pampering that comes your way.

The EHAG Emporium Opens its Doors Tonight.

2011-04-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

The doors to the EHAG Emporium will be flung wide open tonight at 9 PM EDT ,6 PM PDT. Be sure to peruse the offerings from the talented artists that are participating in April's Emporium and snatch up one more treasure for your collection.

Unfortunately I will not be participating this month either. I am putting together a post to let you know what I have been up to in the last while.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!

Have a relaxing Easter visiting with family and friends.

Remember... don't eat all of those Easter goodies in one go.

The devil is in the details.

2011-04-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

I have done display work for a long time. I also worked in a florist wholesalers for a while. Over the years I started using this technique to make faux flowers and plants look much more realistic, it will also make the plants appear fuller. I use this technique with any wired plants or flowers that I incorporate into my sculptures. Nature is a great source of inspiration for my work. My first step is to make things look as realistic as possible and then proceed from there. Working this way for me helps to keep the fantasy believable.

Now let's get on with this mini tutorial.

I bought three stems of poppies at Salvation Army the other day to use in an Autumn window display. The poppy on your left is what it would look like directly from the store. It is ram rod straight. The poppies on the right have just had the head of the open poppy bent forward. It doesn't look bad but it doesn't look realistic.

I figure if you are going to use artificial plants and flowers to trick the eye go all the way. Here is a way of getting those plants to look more realistic.

No plant grows ramrod straight. Take the flower stem, bend it in different directions and then straighten it. I had to show you what I meant so I bent the entire stem, normally I work from the bottom of the stem bending and straightening as I work my way up the stem to the flower head.

The stem has a more relaxed look to it. It looks like it grew and wasn't extruded from the ground! Don't forget to bend the leaves as well.

All of the heads are positioned at slightly different angles as well. The three poppies grouped together look more realistic.

The next time you use your flowers they are ready to go with just a slight adjustment in your arrangement.

I love working with faux flowers in display as well as incorporating them into my holiday art work. The following are some examples of work that I have used faux plant material in.

I built the bush head dress that Black Cat is wearing from vintage fabric millinery leaves. The branches and leaves were bent the same way as the poppies to achieve a natural look.

I love Edna. Her cluster of blackberries and leaves was created from vintage fabric millinery leaves and vintage flower pips. The pips are a pale yellow that have been sprayed with several different coats florist spray paints to achieve a realistic looking blackberry. Each berry is different, some have a touch of yellow showing, some are a little more red, and finally some are the luscious deep purple of a ripe juicy blackberry.

Short stems of berries and leaves were created and then wired together to create this haute couture confection for her to wear.

The vine like branches that wind up to the top of this cake/display stand have been bent and twisted as well to achieve a natural effect. They are attached to the underside of the next layer of the stand. The individual branches that are able to hold ornaments have been bent multiple times in order to accommodate different ornaments. They look more relaxed each new time that they are bent.

The wreath that Bernie is wearing was created with vintage glass leaves that were wrapped at the base with wire. I tried to get the look of vine like stems twisted to make a crown for "The King of the Patch".

I had better get back to work, have a great day! Take time and go for a walk, even if it is raining, it is so beautiful.

Studio news and other happenings

2011-03-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have been very busy over the last little while and I thought that I had better bring you up to speed as it were.

I did mention in this previous post at the very end that I had been accepted into the wonderful Hallowe'en and Vine show in Petaluma, California.

Here is what my page looks like in the preview of the artists.

Black Cat is rolling his eyes, mentioning under his breath that he did TRY to be my moral compass. He is thoroughly disgusted with my "Blatant bragging self promotion", his words not mine. I can't help it, I am very excited to be included with all of these fine artists. Some of these people have become online friends and I am very excited to meet them in person.

I have been working on various pieces for the H&V show. I have nothing to show for it yet. I don't work on one piece at a time. The moulds are just about finished, there are floors that I am working on, a chaise lounge, the tin of lima beans is almost finished, and the list goes on. All of these assorted goodies will start to come together in finished pieces. I will post some of them as they are completed.

I did take a break in the midst of all of this to make seven hair ornaments for the bridesmaids and one for the bride, our daughter-in-law-to-be, Nicole. Nicole had mentioned that she was looking at some at a local hat shop. I found out that they are called fascinators. When our daughter was getting married I helped her to put hers together. I wanted to bless my future daughter-in-law, I figure I saved her about $800.00 to $900.00.

I will have the wedding photographer photograph each of the bridesmaids and the bride and do a post about them so that you can see them being worn and not just looking like a clump of feathers.

I had no idea what those hair decorations were called at the time when I made the hat for this candy container ornament, "Edna came as a Paris runway model". I find couture millinery very fascinating, it is just another part of the area of costume that is wearable fine art.

I am going to be making a series of hats for elegant JOL ladies. The hats will be modeled by the proprietors of the "Jollity Village Hat Shop" and their friends.

I am still producing displays for the Hillside Shopping Centre. Michele Paget is in charge of marketing for the shopping centre, she is a pleasure to work with. The window display above was done for the Body Shop. I will get pictures of the big Spring window and post them in the near future.

I have not done any work for the EHAG Emporium at all this year. I may do a few pieces in the upcoming months, we shall see. It all depends on how busy I am.

Well that about does it. This is a very eclectic posting. I wanted to bring everyone up to date with all that is going on both in the studio and elsewhere. I will try to be a bit more consistent with my blog posts. Thank-you everyone for taking time from your busy day to read my posts, it is very much appreciated.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

everyone!

Here are a few images from books in my Saint Patrick's Day collection to get you in the mood.

This is a page from the "Children's Party Book" published in 1935 for a Saint Patrick's Day party. The image is large so that when you click on it is readable.

Dennison produced booklets to promote their products. This page for Saint Patrick's Day appears in the promotional booklet "Dennison Crepe Paper Almanac 1913". The booklet doesn't give instructions on how to make the decorations, it is strictly for promotional purposes. This image is large as well so click on it for easier reading.

And finally, here is a recipe for "Soda Bread" that I got from a woman in Ireland when I was there many years ago. Bake up a batch, have a cup of tea, and enjoy yourself.

"Irish Soda Bread"

4 cups wholewheat flour
2 cups white flour (I use 6 cups of wholewheat flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (Break up the soda in your hand to get rid of any lumps.)
1 teaspoon salt
Mix the dry ingredient with a balloon whisk in a large bowl.
Add enough buttermilk or sour milk (I use buttermilk) so that the mixture is not too dry or too wet. There is no need to knead the dough just form it into a ball. You can either make one large loaf or cut it in half and make two smaller loaves. Form them into balls and coat with flour. Place on a baking sheet and press the dough into a flat disk about 2 1/2" thick. Cut the surface with three or four intersecting cuts. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until the loaf sounds hollow when rapped with your knuckle on the bottom of the loaf.

That's all there is to it! It takes about 1 1/4 hours to mix and bake some of the best quick bread that you have ever tasted.

General Salvage at Jacklin Trading Post

2011-03-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

Remember this photograph from my last post, well here is my tour of General Salvage as promised.

What can I say, I love General Salvage. There is so much in this place to look at. When I go there I try to keep an open mind, forget what the items are used for because anything can be turned into something else. Before I forget, General Salvage is in the basement of Jacklin Trading Post. The upstairs is crammed with antiques. If you plan to visit, spend an entire day or do it over several days so that you don't go into overload shock mode!

I must apologize for some of the out of focus photos. I have tried to bring them into focus as much as possible with my image editor program but a bad photo is just a bad photo.

Click on the photos for a larger image so that you can get a better look at all of those wonderful goodies.

There are small alcoves that have items for specific needs. This alcove has vintage and antique plumbing fixtures and bathroom accessories.

The variety of lamp fixtures is amazing. Once the fellow wouldn't sell me an embossed die-cut brass ring for holding a glass oil lamp shade because I said that I was going to cut it apart to be used in some of my sculptural pieces, evidently they are hard to find. I appreciate that very much, I have some items that I just cannot cannibalize for that reason.

This aisle is a real treat to browse through. On the right side of the picture are metal parts from vintage and antique lamps to be reassembled into your own creation. Some of those lamp parts are from gas lighting fixtures. There are cabinets with thin sliding trays that are filled with hinges and anything else that you may or may not be looking for.

On the top shelf there are glass panels from damaged glass lamp shades, pastel frosted glass boudoir shades and Art Deco wall sconce shades. The middle shelf has all kinds of vintage lamp base parts.

This area has banister spindles and salvaged pieces from broken chairs. On the right hand side of this photo you can see some of those thin drawers that I mentioned earlier, filled with all kinds of treasures. There are lots of cabinets and drawers filled with treasures all around the shop.

Here is a sample of antique door hardware. The etched designs on some of the old brass plates are quite beautiful.

Here is another very old showcase filled with vintage glass door knobs, metal door knobs and a wide variety door hard ware. Some of the hardware could be framed and treated as art work.

More glass shades and wall sconces as well as the metal bases for attaching the sconces to the wall. He has several glass cabinets filled with antique glass shades.

I don't go into this area very much, it is mainly electrical parts. My son and I found a porcelain light bulb socket and a button light switch that he used to turn a brass light cage into a table lamp. I want that table lamp, he did a beautiful job.

This photograph of a portion of the kitchen/household area has antique crockery, pastry molds and old scales. There are boxes and baskets of items to browse through.

Here is another view of the kitchen/household area. The shelves on the wall have old bottles and tins of all sorts.

This old fireplace would be quite wonderful in a very contemporary shop. He has fireplace fenders, fireplace tongs, brushes and shovels of all sorts.

There are tins, boxes, baskets, bottles and... stuff. The place is crammed with lots of very interesting STUFF!

The bedroom/boudoir area has side tables, bed frames, lamps, and chairs of all sorts. I think that I have said "of all sorts", "treasures", and "stuff" or something very similar quite a lot in this post. There is another area with disassembled metal bed frames in the shop.

Now we are going out the back door and up the back walk to the less valuable and more weather proof merchandise.

If you are interested in recreating a 1920's garden there is some galvanized wire fencing just behind that wood stove insert. He has door frames, window frames with most of the glass in them, and a few farm implements.

Inside the big arched tent like structure are doors and banister parts, and some interesting hanging lamps.

This section shows the variety of sinks, bathtubs, and faucets available.

Here are more sinks, some medicine cabinets, mirrors, and farther down windows that are in better repair than the ones outside.

Rows of assorted solid wood doors all minus there hardware, you can purchase that inside.

There are shelves of assorted vintage and not so vintage glass lamp shades.

This last picture of the tented area shows assorted tools, windows, and even some old crates down at the very end.

The upstairs shop called "Memories" as I said has antiques but the downstairs is filled the bits and pieces of daily living from bygone eras. I go there fairly often and love every minute of it.

I have been busy in the studio.

2011-02-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

I had promised to show you what has been going on in the studio, so here we go.

Quite a few of these items I have picked up at General Salvage, one of my all-time favourite stores in town. I will do a post about it in the near future with lots of pictures so that you can see why I like it so much. The brass picture frames I picked up at Salvation Army. This lot will be turned into parade lanterns, rattles and sculptures.

What looks like a tin can is a piece in progress, Debra Schoch of "HopHopJingleBoo" included this label as well as a bunch of other delights in a contest give-away that I won last year - Thank-you again Debra. It is wrapped around a cardboard cylinder and by the time it is finished will look like a real tin of lima beans.

Here are those treat buckets that I was working on. Twelve new heads, some are pumpkinish but most of them are based on squash and gourds. The moulds are ready to be taken off of the clay heads and then I can cast, paint and assemble all kinds of delights.

I thought that I would show you how I approach the sculpting of the heads whether they are large or small. First and foremost they are vegetables that just happen to be alive, so I always sculpt a realistic vegetable first. I have various books that I use for reference, so with a quick look or a bit of a study I sculpt the veggy form.

Once the vegetable has been sculpted I turn it around to find the side that the face looks the best on. Large lumps of clay are placed on the veggie for the features. They are then smoothed out, refined, all the while adding more clay as needed to build the face to its completion.

This is what I finally ended up with for this squash. I have other large heads that are ready to be turned into moulds but you will have to wait and see what I come up with for the finished pieces.

This year I will only be focusing on Hallowe'en sculptures. I am fairly busy doing window displays for the shopping centre. Sometimes I have a nice large block of time to work in the studio then all of a sudden I have a display job that cuts into studio time, this happens with freelance work and it is not a complaint. I need a lot of finished pieces for September. It will be easier to focus on one holiday and have the work ready in time without losing my mind.

Why do I have to have so much work ready for September, you may ask. I will be seeing a lot of my on-line friends in Petaluma, California at Hallowe'en and Vine. I have been accepted, WHOOPEE!!!

Well, I had better get back to work.

More snow pictures.

2011-02-24T16:20:00.000-08:00

I realize that there are a lot of people out there that really don't want to see any more snow pictures but it is such a novelty in Victoria that I am going to indulge myself. On the isIand we don't get 6 months of snow. A bad winter is more than two weeks of snow all totaled and for that reason I can honestly say I love it!

I took these two pictures yesterday when we walked to the mall. It looks like we are out in the wilderness but this stream is tucked between the residential area and a major road.

There is a wooden bridge to cross over it. I photographed the stream from both sides of the bridge. This stream is so beautiful during the different seasons. When we walk to the mall we usually stop to have a look at it.

I will do a post tomorrow about some of the items that I have been working on.

We have snow!

2011-02-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

I thought that I had better do a post just so that no one thought that I was lying comatose on the ground sucking jujubes with my hands twitching at my sides full of licorice ropes, toffees, and chocolate covered coffee beans.

There was only supposed to be about 3" or 4" of snow yesterday...

...but we ended up with over 30cm/12"! There was supposed to be another 25cm/10" coming last night but it didn't arrive. It is supposed to snow today so we shall see. Tomorrow I believe it is all to turn to rain and start to disappear.

(I spray painted four columns for a party last year and liked them in the garden so much that I left them there. There used to be a tall bright yellow column beside the watermelon pink column - top picture - but it is now in the Spring window display at Hillside Shopping Centre.)

I will do an update tomorrow about some of the things that are going on in the studio.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Have fun with your "Sweetie-pie" and if you don't have a special someone in your life don't fret, it will happen, in the meantime do something special for someone.

A Little Tour of My Brain, Part 25 - Nature

2011-01-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

Oh my, what a week it has been. Last Friday I started to get a sore throat, it is much better now. I also lost my voice for a couple of days. Black Cat was kind enough to point out that maybe I shouldn't have eaten all of those Christmas goodies that I so lovingly devoured. He was right in saying that and I did agree with him.

All of the props are ready for the window display, it will be installed next week.

Jack suggested that I put together another little tour of my brain blog post. I wasn't certain what to write about and after talking a bit we decided that it should be about nature and how it influences my art work.

A little later I overheard Jack saying to Black Cat, "That should keep him occupied and maybe he won't wander about sighing after each cough."

They laughed!

I love flowers, they are a wonderful exuberant explosion of colour. I prefer flowers that haven't been hybridized although there are some that I make exceptions to.

Click on any of the images for a better look at the photos.

I don't create landscapes in my sculptures just small bases for the characters. In the back of my mind I do imagine them in a larger environment.

Spring is such a wonderful time of the year, so full of promise and surprises. The first snowdrops are a sign that Spring is here. I know that the calendar says Spring is a little way off but that doesn't matter.

The base for "Mrs, E. Rabbit" uses several different colours of hand dyed sisal twine, erica moss, reindeer moss, and composition stones peeking out amongst the ground cover. Tucked in the grass are yellow vintage flower stamens that give the impression of little Spring flowers. The variety makes the base look more realistic.

"Mrs. E. Rabbit" is a candy container, here she is open.

Early and late Summer in the garden. The yellow flower in the top right-hand corner is called ligularia. It has beautiful chrome yellow blossoms on a single stem and the back of the leaves are a rich maroon.

I was going to do one group of trees but couldn't decide on which ones to use,so here is the first of two groups of trees.

I like old trees, they have so much character. A garden with an ancient tree in it has so much more character. I have seen gardeners keep a tree that is past its prime and only take it out when it is beyond hope and safety. I respect those gardeners.

Here is the second group of tree photos. The photo in the upper right corner is a huge maple tree in the forest at Royal Roads. I refer to it as "the party tree". The limbs stretch out almost level with the ground for about 20 feet. The entire tree is about 40 feet across and about as high. It is truly amazing.

I would love to to do a photo shoot with lots of antique Japanese silk lanterns hanging over a large platform with tables brimming with delightful pastries and cakes on elaborate dishes and stands.

In this pull toy, "Just Arrived", I have treated the tulip in the same manner as a large tree by placing other interesting plants around the base of the leaves. When you think about it the size of the plants doesn't matter everything gets stuck cheek to jowl whether it is a huge tree with large bushes beside it or a small flower with other plants tucked around it.

Man made structures with plants next to them become softened and are more interesting to look at. When those structures are older or falling apart they take on a very different, much more interesting personality.

The base of this candy container has "Mr. E. Rabbit" walking down a very old and overgrown stone path.

"Mr. E. Rabbit", shown opened. I had great fun putting together the Spring bouquet from the vintage millinery flowers that were on hand.

Fences are very interesting to study. I love the character of aged wood, metal, or stone fences. That bent wire fence is in front of a 1920's house down by Beacon Hill Park in Victoria. I may replicate it in a sculpture one day. The galvanized fence in upper right-hand photograph is used around several fields at Royal Roads, I would love that fencing around a section of garden.

This double sided portrait rattle shows "Jasper" on one side and "Hanging Out With the Guys" on the other side. I tried to give the effect of a dying overgrown Autumn garden. I also had to hide the wooden support that is visible between the pickets of the fence.

It is all in the details. I am always looking at these little landscapes so that I can reinterpret them later in my sculptures. It is the details that make a piece come to life.

In this candy container, "Bentley the Crow and Carl", I did not want to leave the bottom of the nest plain so I tucked in some bits of reindeer moss and a small tuft of dried corn silk.

Here is "Bentley the Crow and Carl" open. If you are interested in purchasing any of the pieces in this post or any others for that matter drop me a line at lenbenny@shaw.ca.

So there we are, another tour finished. I hope that you enjoy these posts as much as I do. It helps me to understand my own work process and opens up more ideas to pursue.

By the way Black Cat has decided that he does not want to be my "Moral Compass" any more. He said that I was too much work!

For those of you new to my blog check out this post about "Black Cat and the moral compass".

For further adventures of Jack and Black Cat check out these posts here, here, here, and here.

EHAG and The Spring Window.

2011-01-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

I won't have a piece ready for this months EHAG Emporium. I have been very busy cleaning the studio and doing display work and consultations at the shopping centre.

I am getting the props together for a new Spring window. The large window that had the Christmas display will have a ornate chair, frame, and column in an outdoor setting that are being consumed by the Spring garden.

I am constantly on the look out for inexpensive but good quality and good looking faux flowers. Faux flowers can be very expensive and unfortunately there are no florist wholesalers on the island any more. Buying wholesale can still be prohibitive if you are on a limited budget but need a large number of flowers. I like to buy at thrift stores and any place that has a deep discount. Most of these flowers were bought at Superstore. They must have been last years flowers that did not sell but I bought a huge whack of them.

I picked up this chair from the side of the road about 6 months ago. It looked sort of interesting and the fabric that was on it has been taken off and washed to be used later on another project. I was going to send it off to Salvation Army but realized I could use it in the Spring window.

After stripping the chair down to the frame I nailed a thin sheet of pressed wood to the bottom of the seat and the back of the chair. Florist foam for dried flowers is held in place against the wood with wire mesh. The chair has been spray painted watermelon pink and left unpainted where the flowers and upholstery will going.

I am working in the living-room at the moment because the area that I was working in at the shopping centre is now occupied. The yellow column will be used in the window. I am using bright colours for the column and the chair as a counterpoint to the realistic looking flowers. Those pots of narcissus are some of the flowers that I bought at the Superstore. They cost $2.44 each, an amazing buy for the number of stems in each pot.

This picture frame I bought for $25.00 at Jacklin Trading Post. It was damaged and didn't sell but I like it's Rough Lux qualities. Originally it was to be used in the Christmas window but it didn't work. Except for the narcissus at the top of the group of flowers almost everything else I picked up at Salvation Army.

It is raining and overcast here so the colours in the photo are rather dark but it gives you an idea of what the chair looks like. I dislike flash as it tends to flatten everything.

Just so that you don't get all mushy and romantic about the chair this is what you don't see! It certainly looks trashy doesn't it?

I will post pictures of the finished window sometime next week.

The First EHAG Emporium of 2011.

2011-01-19T23:05:00.000-08:00

The EHAG Emporium will be throwing its doors wide open for the first time this year on January 31st.

There are three wonderful prizes to be won. The three lucky winners will be announced on January 30th (the day before the first Emporium update of 2011!)

Iva Wilcox of Iva's Creations created this mysterious "Curious Eye" Halloween ornament.

This pumpkin has attitude! David Everett of Chicken Lips created this whimsical Halloween pumpkin ornament.

And finally, Laurie Hardin of Monkey Cats Studio has created "Gregory Gourdhead".

Click on this link to go to the EHAG Emporium blog to enter for a chance to win one of these fabulous prizes .

A little tour of my brain, part 24 - More candy images

2011-01-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

My goodness it has been two weeks since my last post! It has been somewhat hectic and chaotic around here. Black Cat or as he likes to put it "My Moral Compass" has been a bit of a nuisance. Despite my complaining about him nosing in and disrupting things it hasn't stopped him. Enough of that... in August of 2009 I did a post A little tour of my brain, part 4 - candy. Here is an update. Just a minute, I think someone is at the door.

" You need help and guidance."

I just stepped away and you see what I mean, he is typing on my blog.

"B.C., I am trying to work!"

He says that I have way too much stuff in my studio and that I should give it to someone that could make better use of it. The only thing is that I think that the "someone that could make better use of it" is the one that is telling me to get rid of it.

Where was I... oh, yes back in August of 2009 I did a post A little tour of my brain, part 4 - candy. Here is an update to go along with that original post. All of these photographs were taken before Christmas.

This picture and the one that follows were taken at the local Chapters bookstore.

I love the close-up images of the candy.

There is a new candy store at Hillside Shopping Centre called Sweet Delights. Since taking these photos they have moved to a new location in the shopping centre and are getting the store ready for a grand re-opening on January 21. The interior is looking great!

In the old store there was a back wall of wrapped candies in cubbyholes, the overall colours were lovely.

There is something about bright coloured shiny things that gives me great pleasure.

More shiny candies! I love the colours of those long spiral suckers.

This final section of the back wall shows some of the British candies that are available in Canada.

It is not just the individual cellophane cones of candies but the mix of colours that overwhelms the eyes that I find visually exciting.

Bright saturated colour and fun graphics help to sell cheap kid's candy.

Some candy comes in a toy that can be played with after or collected and displayed. I admit that I do have some candy in toys that I have collected over the years. I will photograph them and do a post about them at some point.

I wonder how long it will be until someone comes along and decides that it is not politically correct for young children to be eating candy cigarettes and chewing bubble gum cigars?

All of the colour and all of the graphics are promises of candy Nirvana.

"Black Cat would you stop that!"

He is dancing about waving his arms and chanting in a a squeaky voice, "Sugar high! Sugar high! Sugar high!"

Maltesers, KitKat, Yorkie, and Areo candy bars take care of the chocolate craving.

The packaging colours, the graphics, the special font created for that candy and finally the candy itself become a recognizable treat that is part of everyday life.

Do you have a favourite candy or candy memory?

Black Cat and the moral compass.

2011-01-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

Jack and I were talking the other day, I can't remember about what, but I happened to mention the phrase "moral compass".

"What's a moral compass?" asked Black Cat as he appeared in the doorway.

Jack was still annoyed with B. C. for something that had happened between them earlier. "A moral compass doesn't go around and listen to other people's conversations", was his reply.

More was said but that is neither here nor there. What did come of it was Black Cat's decision to be MY moral compass.

Like all New Year's resolutions I can only hope this comes to a halt soon.

A Little Tour of My Brain, Part 23 - Christmas Cakes and Pastries.

2011-01-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

Last May I did a post called A Little Tour of My Brain, Part 19 - Cakes, Cookies, and Pastries. Here is the Christmas edition of that post. All of the photographs were taken at Thrifty Foods at Colwood Corners. I am going to let the pictures speak for themselves. I don't know why I like looking at desserts but I do. Enjoy a calorie free dessert course.

I love the colours, decoration, and shapes of these cheesecakes and pastries.

More pastries and cheesecakes.

"Petite Pastries".

More "Petite Pastries".

Small cakes and fruit tarts.

Tarts, bars, and mini cakes.

Mini cheesecakes, tortes, and flans.

Big cheesecakes and mini cheesecakes.

More cheesecakes including chocolate cheesecake.

Happy 2011 Everyone!

2010-12-31T15:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Two 1920's bridge tallies and two 1960's paper party plates.

2011 will be a wonderful year for you!

Grab it with gusto and don't let go no matter what the circumstances.

Better late than never - The major window display.

2010-12-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

I have photographed this window three times and each time there was so much reflection that they were unusable. My son has a polarizing filter for his camera and when he was out last night he took these photographs of the window for me. Thank-you so much Mike. This is the large window display that I did for Hillside Shopping Centre. I have shown you the other window displays in this post and this post.

I thought that you may like to see some of the props that made their way into the big window display.

This urn is about 24" tall and was an extremely ugly reddy/yellowy/beigy colour. The colour, besides being ugly, did not work with anything else in the display. I liked the shape and now it fits into the colour scheme. Black and white with evergreens are the predominant colours and accented with a variety of golds, silvers, and red.

Spray paint works wonders to unify everything. I used several golds and silver when I sprayed each article. One item had more of one colour in it than the others so that it looked different but the overall look was unified.

That black candle holder was on top of the tallest column when I was putting the window together. I hadn't fastened it to the column, forgot it was there, moved the column slightly, it came crashing to the floor. One arm was broken in two places and was unrepairable. I reassembled the candelabra, it now has the centre candle holder with an arm on either side. I think it looks a lot better. Mike, said that it was too busy before and looks better. I totally agree.

I picked up two of these lamps at a Salvation Army Thrift store, they were $19.95 each. I took both of them apart. The bases have been used as very ornate candle holders. One of the metal shades along with the parts from a very old floor lamp have been turned into my version of a Venetian parade lantern. I wonder what kind and colour of fabric was inside that shade? The lamps were made in Spain. For some reason I think the colour was red. If anyone knows for certain I am curious to find out.

Here is a front and back view of the "cocktail" dress in progress. I used a hardware cloth base and wove the evergreen branches into the wire. The back of the dress is where the two edges of the hardware cloth join. It was lightly wired together so that I could remove it from the bust form.

Mike took this image with his fish-eye lens. I liked it and decided to include it.

This is what the window really looks like. I had about three weeks to come up with this window as well as the other windows that you have already seen. It was a very hectic but very rewarding time. I went with this theme because I had the columns, the trees, the wreaths, and the milk glass already on hand. The rest of the props I found at the Salvation Army and my favourite secondhand store, Jacklin Trading Post.

Here is the finished cocktail dress. I saw the 10" disco ball at Superstore and liked the juxtaposition with the vintage and antique items. Nothing says party like a disco ball! In the background on the left hand side you can see the Venetian parade lantern resting up against a column, it has been securely wired in place.

I had hoped to post this before Christmas to give everyone some ideas for decorating, well... Happy New Year! If you have a group of milk glass or clear glass fill it with polyester batting, sprinkle some snow on top, drape some mini lights behind the glassware with or without polyester snow on top of them and you have a very fast and festive decoration for the mantle or buffet. You could use this for a New Years Eve party.

Another view from the side. The candelabra on top of the large column is the one that I knocked to the floor.

Here is a close-up view of the Venetian parade lantern that I created from various lamp parts.

The black and white tile floor pulled everything together. I created it with thin glossy card, loosely spray painting the pieces that were the black tiles.

That urn in the background looks so much nicer now that it is white, it ties in with the milk glass vessels.

There is the base from the Spanish lamp, it makes a very ornate candelabra. All of the candles had to be made from either cardboard tubes or plastic pipe spray painted white. If I had used real candles there is always the possibility of them getting too warm and then bending off to one side. Those are the little things that the general public are not aware of but take time to make.

There we have it it. I didn't have it ready to show for Christmas but it is still the holiday season.

Victoria Christmas Window Displays

2010-12-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

I was so busy before Christmas that I didn't have time to do a few of the posts that I wanted to. I am going to catch up with my posts before the New Year is here.

Sadly, the large department stores in Victoria don't do Christmas windows any more. They are all in shopping centres and the large display windows are not there. The Hudson's Bay Company has cut right back to just presenting the merchandise to the customer. The escalator well has about four large windows in it that in years past had some beautiful displays but this year there was a printed backdrop of paneled walls with two manikins standing in front of it. Sears was a bit better but not much.

Some of the more interesting Christmas windows are found in the independent stores.

This very simple but interesting window is at Fan Tan Gallery in Chinatown. Sorry for the reflection in this and some of the other photographs, it does make for an interesting image though.

This is not exactly a window display but I liked it so much I had to include it. Opus Art Supplies have a series of very small windows and this wreath made from used paint tubes and the odd Christmas bauble was the only item in one of the small windows. I love it!

I must get a lens that gets rid of the reflections. Lets call this an "art" shot. Roberta's Hats has this very festive window.

I had forgotten about the Rook and Rose florist shop. It is tucked into a very small foyer with stairs to the first floor on the right hand side of the shop. Despite the very small size, their presentation, flowers, and accessories for sale are top notch.

This evergreen wreath with three clocks hanging from the bottom of the wreath is on the other side of the entrance to the shop.

A friend of mine's wife and daughter opened a women's accessory boutique called Violette. He designed the interior for the store and now does the window displays. He said his daughter has the idea and he puts it together. No matter, his display work is excellent.

These two window displays are for a vintage clothing store called The Patch. The window with the red trim is on the right side of the store entrance while the black trimmed window is on the left. There is very little depth in the windows that look directly into the store but they do a great job with what they have. It is very simple and straight forward with the holiday colour coming from the choice of clothing used in the display.

This large dramatic window display is for the guess store in The Bay Centre.

There were other stores that unfortunately I did not get a chance to photograph but there is always next year.

The blog post "Hello! I am back in the land of Blog." showed close-up views of the windows that I did for Suzanne's. The mall was so busy that I couldn't take a long shot of them to put them into context. Here are both sides of the store. Oh, that white cage around last manikin in the photo above is a reflection!

Have a wonderful and relaxing week.

Merry Christmas one and all!

2010-12-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

Santa is no longer taking requests at the malls, he has headed back to the North Pole ready to deliver his gifts to everyone. NORAD has been very helpful over the years and provided on the spot sightings as Santa travels around the world. Click here to follow Santa around the world as well as to see where he has been.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

A Little Tour of My Brain, Part 22 - Rupert Annuals

2010-12-22T23:33:00.000-08:00

Last April I did a blog post about some foil numbers that I picked up at Paperchase in London many years ago. You can read it here. Each letter had a British inspiration to go with it. Number seven was the Rupert Annuals. Here are some of the annuals that I have collected over the years. I didn't realize that a lot of my posts over the last couple of years have so much in common with the spirit of the Rupert Annuals, they really have been an inspiration to my work. Throughout this post I will have links to previous posts that tie in with each of the images that I have chosen.

Every year at Christmas beginning in 1936 a new annual is published. The front and back of this annual is from the 1960 edtion.

I love fireworks and I love an artists depiction of the exploding fireworks as well as his/her interpretation of the fireworks casings. Guy Fawkes Day is on the fifth of November and has made an appearance in one of the annuals. The very first "a little tour of my brain" blog post was about fireworks. This illustration is from the 1958 annual.

The covers of the annuals have characters and situations from the stories appearing in a vignette. This annual is on the 1958 edition.

The 1984 annual has this page of the residents of Nutwood where Rupert and his family live. We are in the 21st century but Rupert resides in the 1930's. This literary and artistic device gives way to some great mechanical inventions, almost "Kiddy Steam Punk". Besides these characters Rupert visits Father Christmas, the imps of Spring and Autumn, Jack Frost, mermaids and mermen and other creatures under the sea, as well a host of other characters from around the world on a regular basis.

The way that I think about the characters that I create has been greatly influenced by the annuals. They are from an ongoing cast and their interaction is very important to the pieces I create. I know and understand who they are and what they will do and say.

This 1976 Rupert annual shows an airship with a flying saucer styled structure hanging underneath it. Rupert is always dressed in his yellow and black trousers with a red sweater.

After each story are games, puzzles and activities. This 1972 annual has a game with pictures of leaves and their corresponding fruits or nuts that you must match.

The British picnic, this time held on tropical shores. There are two cakes, jam tarts, and fresh fruit, all to be washed down with hot tea. There are two posts about pastries for you to check out - Cakes, Cookies, and Pastries and Cakes and Pastries - Inspiration Results.

This annual is from 1975. Rupert often goes to exotic locales in his adventures. The clever device of having Rupert perpetually in the 1930's makes the locales that much more exotic. You may want to check out another post that I did in the little tour of my brain series called "Far Off Places".

The conjurer and his daughter, Tigerlily, live in a Japanese pagoda in Nutwood. This illustration is from the 1976 edition. I love stage magicians so much that I did four posts about them - Le Plus Grand Cabaret Du Monde, Magic Apparatus, and Stage Magicians, Kellar, Thurston, andStage Magicians, Assorted Posters

This cover is for the 1974 Rupert Annual. A perfectly normal winter day in Nutwood; snow on the ground, everyone making snowmen, Gregory the guinea pig on a sled flying beside Jack Frost to see His Majesty King Frost in his palace in the clouds.

Every issue has an origami design for children or their parents to fold from a square sheet of paper. The directions for this paper water lily design appeared in the 1958 edition.

The King of the Birds also lives in a castle in the clouds. Rupert has visited him in various stories. This is the 1977 cover for the Rupert Annual.

I know I have used this phrase before but I love paper crowns, party hats and noisemakers. The illustrations for this story appeared in the 1978 edition of the annual. Visit my post about party hats and noisemakers here.

The costumes for the characters are wonderful. The attention to detail is another of the characteristics that draw me to these books. The landscape in this 1978 annual and all of the annuals is realistic. The fantasy is grounded in the real world.

This illustration from the 1978 Rupert Annual shows fairground rides at a funfair. There are three posts that I did earlier this year about fairground rides and architecture - Wowie Zowie! Carters Steam Fair, Midway Rides at Centreville Amusement Park, Fairground Architecture and Midway Rides and one post about country fairs, Country Fairs, Metchosin Days, and the J-O-Lity Fair.

The endpapers of the annuals are as interesting as the rest of the book. This is from the 1976 Rupert Annual.

Hello! I am back in the land of Blog.

2010-12-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

We have been shopping and are still not finished. We still have baking to do. I did soak the Christmas cakes again with more liquor. Unfortunately the mincemeat will be made but will have to be used for next year as it has to mature. The liquid that is used is brandy and the longer it keeps the better it gets! We will be using store bought mincemeat this year but I will fortify it with a little extra liquor.

The last week of October I was contacted by a shopping centre that I occasionally do work for asking me to do some Christmas displays. I asked when they wanted them by and the response was "last week". Normally there is a lead up time for Christmas work. I had five separate displays to get ready in about three weeks.

This is a small display for what they refer to as "The Curio Cabinet". They wanted it to tie in with the Visit Santa area in the centre court. I love the lettering that I used for the North Pole sign, it's called Tilt-A-Whirl. The candy canes are made from cardboard tubes that I have collected over the years with florist ribbons wrapped around them. They were then wrapped in cellophane. Other cardboard shapes were wrapped in pieces of dollar store plastic tablecloths and cellophane, tied off with wired mylar ribbon.

This area is the gift wrap area housed in an empty store. They wanted people to be aware that Christmas is coming and that this is the place to bring your gifts to have them wrapped. I love the colours that the cheap dollar store table cloths come in. The counter and the large cardboard boxes are all wrapped in the colourful gaudiness of these plastic pieces of happiness. How is that over the top flowery speech, but where else can you get such instant beautiful colours?

"Please Mum" is a store in the shopping centre that sells children's cloths. They were pleased as punch to have their clothing displayed in this empty window by the children's play area. In January this will be boarded over and torn down for the beginnings of the major expansion that the shopping centre will be undergoing.

After ten days I changed the cloths on the mannikins. The mall had all of these pointsetta plants, snow flake, and pine branch in storage from a previous Visit Santa display. I used some of the batting that is used for the Visit Santa area and finished it off with some gift boxes from the store because there was no signage available. The window is simple and very eye catching. You don't have to fill a window with merchandise.

Last Thursday, December 16th to be exact, I got a frantic call from the marketing manager asking me to come in and do some damage control. A shop that was leaving in January ended up going into receivership and had vacated the premises. This was in the very visible centre court area. Fortunately all of the fixtures and manikins were left behind.

This photo and the following one are on one side of the store

I put together seven groups of clothing and gathered up a bunch of necklaces and hand bags and headed down to the store.

There were two posters available to use so I grabbed those. This photo and the following one are on the other side of the store.

These two displays as well as the previous two displays are side by side. I probably should have taken a long shot of the entire window but it was a very busy Saturday afternoon when I finally finished the displays.

The front store entrance had hoarding up and the shopping centre will be putting graphics on it telling of the new store to be there in January. Beside the front entrance was this one small area that I put this bust form in. I used bracelets and necklaces, as well as a few well placed straight pins, to hold the scarves in place because there were no brooches in the shop for sale.

I will do a separate post about the big window display. The photos didn't turn out so they have to be redone. I am also going to show some of the other Christmas windows in Victoria. The small independent stores do some very nice displays. Department store windows no longer seem to be important at Christmas. The bottom line dictates that it doesn't pay.

Don't forget to visit SpookyTimeJingles if you haven't been there already. My blog and website links were posted but I forgot to put a contact link on my guest artist page. If you would like to purchase ilexander or any of the other pieces contact me at lenbenny@shaw.ca.

Pierre is ready for the Christmas party with his hat and party horn. His head is hollow so lots of treats can be placed inside.

Miles is a candy container ornament. Treats can be put in his head as well a his pumpkin treat pail.

I am the surprise guest artist on SpookyTimeJingles!

2010-12-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

I can now tell everyone what I have known for quite a while, I am the surprise guest artist on SpookyTimeJingles! I was very surprised and honoured when asked to be a guest artist. Thank-you, Dani! Here are a few more ornaments for sale similar to what I have on the SpookyTimeJingles site.

"Antoine"

Antoine loves marzipan and has taken two of those tasty tablets. "One for now and one for later", he says with a twinkle in his eye. They will last all of ten minutes if I know Antoine.

Antoine is a composition candy container with papier mache covered wire arms. His green party hat is made from a double layer of hand painted rice paper. The party horn in his right hand is created using hand painted papers. The top of his head is open to place treats inside.

"Antoine" - $65.00 U.S. - 1 only

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"Lucien"

When you are small everything is bigger, including his paper hat that is waiting to slip down over his eyes! Lucien is eager to see what is inside this Christmas cracker but first he would like to pop that chocolate flower into his mouth.

Lucien is a composition candy container with papier mache covered wire arms. His party hat is made from a double layer of hand painted rice paper. He is carrying a handmade Christmas cracker in his right hand. That Christmas cracker is also candy container. Gently hold it at the top and lift the cracker end out of the cracker body to reveal what is inside. It is created from hand painted papers, vintage fringed cellophane candy wrappers from Spain, vintage cake foil trims, vintage holly and gold chenille. The top of his head is open to place treats inside. In his left hand is a chocolate flower cast from a vintage chocolate mould. In flower's centre is a vintage floral pip. The top of his head is open to place treats inside.

"Lucien" - $85.00 U.S. - 1 only

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"Chic Shoes" proudly presents the "Sugar Toes Collection" just in time for the festive holiday season.

"The Mistletoe Shoe"

This composition candy container ornament is covered in raspberry glass sugar crystals. A sprig of vintage mistletoe, its stem wrapped in vintage ribbon, rests on the front of the shoe. The edge of the shoe is trimmed in vintage chenille. The ornament is approximately 6" from the top of the wire ring to the sole of the shoe and approximately 5 1/2" wide from the toe of the shoe to the farthest point of the wire ring. Treats and candy can be placed in the ornament.

"The Mistletoe Shoe" - $55.00 U.S. - 1 only

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"The Diamond Berry Shoe"

This composition candy container ornament is covered in blue glass sugar crystals. Vintage green lacquered ivy leaves with frost encrusted berries cascade from the top of the shoe down covering the vintage silver leaf. The edge of the shoe is trimmed in vintage chenille. The ornament is approximately 6" from the top of the wire ring to the sole of the shoe and approximately 5 1/2" wide from the toe of the shoe to the farthest point of the wire ring. Treats and candy can be placed in the ornament.

"The Diamond Berry Shoe" - $55.00 U.S. - 1 only

To purchase or inquire about any of these ornaments please contact me here or at lenbenny@shaw.ca.

Happy (American) Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T22:15:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October and the U.S. celebrates it on the third Thursday in November. Here are a group of Thanksgiving postcards that were specifically meant for the American market.

This turkey's tail becomes the frame for a painting of the landing of the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock.

A cute Pilgrim boy and girl carry baskets laden with the bounty of field and garden.

Nothing symbolizes Thanksgiving more than a pilgrim boy and a turkey.

The turkey on this postcard is surrounded by God's bounty that also includes bananas and watermelon.

A turkey, apples, plums, corn, a chrysanthemum all symbols of the harvest.

This card shows the tom turkey with his mate surrounded by more seasonal produce.

I love the liberties that designers take. This turkey is perched on the bunting without the least bit of sag in the fabric.

Another image of the turkey in a field surrounded by seasonal produce. A pineapple, the symbol for hospitality is also pictured with the produce.

A very straight forward patriotic Thanksgiving postcard, just a turkey and the flag.

I love the panoramic autumn view of the farm with the corn standing in field. All of this is viewed from beneath a tree in beautiful autumn foliage.

The image on these two postcards is the same. The old image at the top has been reworked and updated to produce the more modern version below.

Happy Thanksgiving

to all of my American friends.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner.

A Last Good-bye to Autumn.

2010-11-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

I love Autumn. I love the colours of the leaves and flowers. I love the colours and shapes of squash, gourds, and pumpkins. I love the crispness of the autumn air. As a last hurrah here are some of my favourite images from this year. They range from late summer/early autumn to the end of October. Good bye Autumn and hello Winter.

Happy Hallowe'en Everyone!

2010-10-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Hallowe'en everyone!

I don't have anything in the Emporium this month but have a look at my sales blog.

There are candy container ornaments for sale.

Click here to go to my sales blog.

Don't forget the EHAG Emporium Sale tonight.

Click here to go to the Emporium Sale.

My (minimal) Hallowe'en Displays

2010-10-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy this year, as well as having a one year old visit us on the week-ends, I decided not to put up any major displays of anything that could get destroyed.

My wife and I, Nicole - Mike's fiancée, Joe - a friend of Mikes, and Mike carved pumpkins on Tuesday night. I did have picture of Joe's cat pumpkin but I don't know where it went. POOP! Nicole's pumpkin wasn't finished but I will show it later.

The pumpkins were moved outside so as not to rot. Nicole's pumpkin is the one beside the broom. We have been buying the bamboo brooms for years. They are the best thing that we have come across for sweeping up leaves. I apologize beforehand to anyone that I may offend - I HATE LEAF BLOWERS! They are so noisy.

I keep saying that I am doing minimal displays but for me this is very minimal.

About 15 years ago the corn husk garland on the edge of the mantle was popular. I managed to find one a few years after they were no longer being made. I like the tattered look of the garland.

Chic Shoes for Autumn Occasions

2010-10-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

"Chic Shoes", in the heart of Jollity Village, proudly present a selection of their "Autumn Shoe Collection". These shoes are for the most discriminating who wish to step out in style no matter the occasion.

"The Lumina Shoe"

When an orange pumpkin on your shoe just will not look the best with your wardrobe choose the Lumina Shoe. A lumina pumpkin, leaves, and tendrils decorate the front of this lavender shoe.

This composition candy container ornament is covered in lavender sand giving it the look of suede. The lumina pumpkin is an early vintage plastic button edged in vintage milliner's leaves with brown vintage chenille tucked in amongst the leaves. The edge of the shoe is trimmed in black and brown vintage chenille. The ornament is approximately 6" from the top of the wire ring to the sole of the shoe and approximately 5 1/2" wide from the toe of the shoe to the farthest point of the wire ring. Treats and candy can be placed in the ornament.

"The Lumina Shoe" - $55.00 U.S. - 1 only

"The Autumn Leaves Pump"

This shoe is at it's best on the dance floor, listen to the rustle of the wind in the leaves as you dance.

This composition candy container ornament is covered in a rich chocolate brown sand giving it the look of suede. An ornate antique brass button sits in the centre of a cluster of milliner's leaves. The edge of the shoe is trimmed in orange vintage chenille. The ornament is approximately 6" from the top of the wire ring to the sole of the shoe and approximately 5" wide from the toe of the shoe to the farthest point of the wire ring. Treats and candy can be placed in the ornament.

"The Autumn Leaves Pump" - $55.00 U.S. - 1 only

"The Moon Blossom Shoe"

This shoe captures the beautiful mystery of the exotic night blooming Moon Blossom. The flower resembles the moon on a clear night with a haze of clouds surrounding it.

This composition candy container ornament is covered in a rich deep blue sand from a 1950's sand art kit. The moon is created from a vintage cream convex button placed on top of a vintage black concave button. Three vintage black velvet milliner's leaves edged in a white design surround the blossom. White fleece is placed behind the blossom to create the hazy cloud effect. The edge of the shoe is trimmed in black vintage chenille. The ornament is approximately 6" from the top of the wire ring to the sole of the shoe and approximately 4" wide from the toe of the shoe to the farthest point of the wire ring. Treats and candy can be placed in the ornament.

"The Moon Blossom Shoe" - $55.00 U.S. - 1 only

"The Elizabethan Quick Step Spider Stomp Shoe"

That rollicking dance from times gone by known as the "Elizabethan Quick Step Spider Stomp" has been revived and with it a shoe that brings back the essence of those courtly days. It is an elegant and understated shoe but with just enough flare to take it from the ordinary to the extraordinary. You will feel like a queen on the dance floor and truly the envy of all who spy these lovely shoes.

This composition candy container ornament is covered in a rich chocolate brown sand. The The edge of the shoe is trimmed in dark brown, medium brown, and burgundy vintage chenille. The ornament is approximately 6" from the top of the wire ring to the sole of the shoe and approximately 4" wide from the toe of the shoe to the farthest point of the wire ring. Treats and candy can be placed in the ornament.

"The Elizabethan Quick Step Spider Stomp Shoe" - $55.00 U.S. - 1 only

"The Bohemian Dancing Shoe"

This dramatic shoe is not for the faint of heart. It demands attention and is a stunning addition to any wardrobe.

This composition candy container ornament is covered in glossy black crushed glass. The main decoration of this dramatic shoe is the antique rose coloured silk fringe. An antique orange bakelite oval is suspended from vintage black braid. The ornament is approximately 6" from the top of the wire ring to the sole of the shoe and approximately 5" wide from the toe of the shoe to the farthest point of the wire ring. Treats and candy can be placed in the ornament.

"The Bohemian Dancing Shoe" - $55.00 U.S. - 1 only

"The Delicata Dancing Slipper"

This dainty dancing slipper has all of the panache of the season. What more could you want than an orange shoe with black accents.

This composition candy container ornament is covered in fine orange sand giving it the look of suede. A vintage fur button is centred on an orange bow of early vintage orange velvet ribbon. The edge of the shoe is trimmed in orange and black vintage chenille. The ornament is approximately 6" from the top of the wire ring to the sole of the shoe and approximately 5 1/2" wide from the toe of the shoe to the farthest point of the wire ring. Treats and candy can be placed in the ornament.

"The Delicata Dancing Slipper" - $55.00 U.S. - 1 only

"The Spider Blossom Demi Boot"

The spider blossom although not rare is not a very common plant and is prized for its multiple blooms. Artists and designers have been inspired by them through the centuries.

This composition candy container ornament is covered in fine orange sand giving it the look of suede. The spider blossom is created from a vintage berry pip in the centre of an antique celluloid button. Three vintage black velvet milliner's leaves surround the blossom. The edge of the shoe is trimmed in orange vintage chenille. The ornament is approximately 6" from the top of the wire ring to the sole of the shoe and approximately 5 1/2" wide from the toe of the shoe to the farthest point of the wire ring. Treats and candy can be placed in the ornament.

"The Spider Blossom Demi Boot" - $55.00 U.S. - 1 only

To purchase or enquire about any of the ornaments please contact me here.

An update about my updates.

2010-10-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

That title probably didn't make much sense but I liked how it sounded and I'm tired. I have been trying to get the last few Hallowe'en items posted for about a week now. They were supposed to be posted yesterday and that didn't happen. I had to go to the airport to pick up our son and his fiancée. They weren't there to be picked up. My wife called me on the cell phone a little later and said that she had got the days mixed up. I was supposed to be there the next day, oh well.

The next day (which means today) I went out to the airport a little early so as to avoid the rush hour as well as do a little thrift shop browsing. I didn't find anything worth purchasing unfortunately. The cell phone rings. It is our son calling to say that they missed the flight from Vancouver to Victoria because... well that doesn't matter. They managed to get on a 6:00pm flight. I waited around for another couple of hours. I'm home now.

Tomorrow, I hope to get those shoe candy containers posted. We shall see.

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving Everyone!

2010-10-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

I have not made a post on my blog for a while, my apologies. Getting ready for winter has taken up a bit of my time. We had to clean up and bag branches ready to haul off to be recycled. There was two days of stacking wood. We had to call in the septic guy to pump out the septic tank. That meant digging up and clearing the opening to the tank and the grease trap. It is times like this that make you wish for the not so environmentally friendly sewer system. The sewer system in Victoria is pumped out to sea after being ground up and strained for solids! The powers that be see nothing wrong with this. Enough of my rant. In amongst all of this I have been in the studio working.

Our son, Mike said to decorate. He said that Phoenix would not be a problem. I started to set up a display in the hall and am just finishing it. I will post a picture in a few days. I love decorating for the holidays. Unfortunately I did not put out any of my Thanksgiving items this year.

Here is an article about some of my Thanksgiving collection that appeared in "Antiques and Collecting Magazine", November 2007.

Click on each image to see a larger more readable version.

I visited the National Museum of Funeral History online the other day. I leave you with the tag line at the top of their website -

"Any Day Above Ground Is A Good One."™

Joy Studio is having a give-away!

2010-10-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

Visit "Joy Studio" if you would like a chance to win some of the Hallowe'en fabric that she is giving away. Looks like there are some really neat patterns for those Hallowe'en projects that are soon coming up.

http://joystudio.wordpress.com/

The winner will be announced on October 13rd, so hurry on over.

No More - AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

All is well!

Firefox caused the images to disappear. You could see them but I couldn't. The same thing happened when I went to other blogs. When I went to mail the parcels at the post office the fellow there mentioned that he had to reload Firefox. I stopped using Firefox before because of issues and I have stopped using it again. I am now using Google Chrome and hopefully all will be well. I can now do some posts again.

Whoopee!

~~I am have problems with my images disappearing!~~

~~I am trying to get help with it so please be patient.~~

The Grand Prize Winner is...

2010-09-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Mandy from Halloween 247

Mandy, email EACH of us with your address and we will get your goodies off to you.

Thank-you everyone for taking part in Trick or Treat Street. I know everyone had a lot of fun. The comments were so positive and everyone was enjoying themselves. I had a blast!

I have to get back to work. My studio is a mess!

Welcome to Trick or Treat Street!

2010-09-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hurry up, everyone is here. I'll introduce you to them and then we can go trick or treating.

Click on image for a bigger picture.

Meet Artemus. He is a little annoyed because he forgot his treat bucket. We have that all taken care of because we stopped by his house on the way, his mum gave us the treat bucket to give to him.

The dull sheen and the deep colouration to the apple skin has been achieved with about 6 or 7 layers of glaze and paint. He has a vintage apple leaf on top of his head. His arms are vintage chenille and his torso is created from vintage ball fringe pompoms. Artemas is wearing a handmade paper mask and is carrying a handmade party horn. The ornament is 7 1/2" from the top of the wire ring to the hand cut tissue paper fringe and 4 1/2" wide at the widest point of the wire ring. He is a candy container ornament.

"Artemas has Attitude" - $45.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Black Cat decided to come as a bush. He is very pleased with himself because the Byrd brothers got quite a shock when they decided to check out the nest. They have taunted him quite a lot lately.

Black Cat's crown is made of vintage millinery leaves and wire. A handwoven bird's nest of wire and corn husk silk is securely attached into the branch crown. A tiny jack-o-lantern is glued into the nest. He is wearing a handmade paper mask. His arms are vintage chenille and his torso is created from vintage ball fringe pompoms. The ornament is 7 1/4" from the top of the wire ring to the base of his torso and 5 1/2" wide at the widest point of the wire ring. He is a candy container ornament.

"Black Cat came as a Bush" - $55.00 US one only

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Cynthia decided to come as the notorious spy, Mata Hari. She has been enjoying walking around looking suspicious and rubbing her hands together as if she is contemplating "doing someone in".

Cynthia is a purple topped turnip. Her colouration was achieved with deep purple and white overlapping washes. The leaves used for her top are vintage millinery leaves. Her arms are vintage chenille. On her bodice is an early vintage glass button surrounded by burgundy chenille. Her black vintage veil wraps her head swathing her in mystery. The ornament is 6 1/2" from the top of the wire ring to the base of her arms and 4 1/4" wide at the widest point of the wire ring. She is a candy container ornament.

"Cynthia came as Mata Hari" - SOLD.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Doris is dressed as Carmen Miranda. Doris loves all things Latin, so she decided to make a Carmen Miranda inspired head dress. She is one hot pepper!

Her subtle colouration is achieved with 4 or 5 layers of yellow, orange, and red glazes. On top of her head are early vintage millinery fruit and leaves. Her shoulders are created from vintage ball fringe pompoms. Her arms are vintage chenille. The ornament is 7" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of her torso and 4" wide at the widest point of the wire ring. She is a candy container ornament.

"Doris came as Carmen Miranda" - SOLD.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Edna loves Haute Couture and decided to come as a Paris runway model. Her pale complexion is definitely enhanced by her hat of blackberries, blackberry leaves and one very fine curved black plume.

Her lovely pale colouration is painted over a bright grey green base coat. It is built up with 4 or 5 layers of yellow, lemon yellow, and soft brown glazes. There are areas where the green shows through very softly. Her haute couture hat is created from vintage millinery blackberries and leaves. The early vintage plume sets of her dramatic hat. Her arms are vintage chenille. The ornament is 9 1/2" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of her elbows and 6 1/4" wide at the widest point of the wire ring. She is a candy container ornament.

"Edna came as a Parisian runway model" - $55.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Julian decided to come as "King of the Forest" this year. He is feeling and acting quite regal, much to Black Cats annoyance.

The rich colouration of Julian's head was achieved by using 7 or 8 layers of paint in yellows, oranges, and warm browns. It was painted on and patted off revealing the layers beneath. It has a leather like look and sheen to the surface. The crown on his head is made from a piece of vintage metal from a glass lampshade collar. A row of green cotton chenille yarn was sewn into the base for contrast. It is accented with green feather down and one brown feather. A brown vintage button finishes the crown. Vintage berries, leaves and floral pips accent the paper covered wire sceptre in his hand. He wears a handmade paper mask. His arms are vintage chenille. His torso is created from vintage fabric fern fronds and erica moss. The ornament is 11" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of the sceptre and 7" wide. He is a candy container ornament.

"Julian came as king of the forest" - $65.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Lester is ready to go trick or treating. His party horn will scare the pants off any unsuspecting people that he meets.

Lester's grey green colouring was built up up from a yellow green base coat. 5 or 6 layers of paint have been added and then patted of to give his shell a lovely mottled appearance. He is wearing a handmade paper mask. His arms are vintage chenille. His torso is created from vintage fabric fern fronds and erica moss. In his hands are a handmade party horn and treat bucket. The ornament is 9 1/2" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of his treat bucket and 5" wide across the wire ring. He is a candy container ornament.

"Lester" - $50.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Everyone so far has mentioned that Ron's treat bucket is as large as he is. He laughs and just mentions that he needs a LOT of sustenance to grow into a mighty oak.

Five layers of soft browns and ochres have built up the subtle colouration on his face. His cap has had three layers added and patted off to give the cap a natural look. He has a vintage millinery leaf on his cap. His arms are vintage chenille. Pompoms from vintage ball fringe create his torso. Ron and his treat bucket are wearing handmade paper masks. The ornament is 8 1/2" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of his treat bucket and 5" wide across the wire ring. He is a candy container ornament.

"Ron brought a particularly large treat bucket" - SOLD.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Larry has brought fireworks for later when we all gather at the bonfire. He loves noise so all of the fireworks he chooses end with an explosion. To further add to the racket he has his party horn at the ready.

Approximately 12 layers of yellows, orange, reds, greens, browns and ochres have built up the lush colouration on his head. The white stripes were then painted on. He has a hand painted vintage millinery leaf on the turban part of his head. He is wearing a handmade paper mask. His arms are vintage chenille. His torso is created from vintage fabric fern fronds and erica moss. In his hands are a handmade party horn and a handmade firework. The ornament is 7 1/2" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of the hand cut paper fringe of his party horn and 4 3/4" wide across the wire ring. He is a candy container ornament.

"Fireworks for the Bonfire" - $55.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Nigel has brought apples for roasting by the bonfire. We'll drop those off, get his mask on, and then go trick or treating.

The complex and beautiful colouration on Nigel's head was built up from bright yellow to oranges and then to various layers of light greens, dark greens, and grey greens. All of the colours were either scrubbed on with a brush or patted off by hand. He was then finished with a spatter of grey green paint. The complexity of the colouration is truly beautiful. He has a vintage green velvet millinery leaf at the base of the stem on his head. He is carrying a handmade paper mask and a vintage basket. The basket is trimmed with vintage millinery leaves on the handle and filled with painted apples on a bed of wood shavings. His arms are vintage chenille. His torso is created from vintage fabric fern fronds and erica moss. The ornament is 10" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of the basket and 5 1/4" wide across the wire ring. He is a candy container ornament.

"Nigel Brought Apples for Roasting" - $65.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Prentice tried on this party hat at Marty's Mercantile and liked it so much he decided this is what he would wear for trick or treating. When I asked him why he liked it so much his response was, " My face doesn't look so skinny!"

Prentice started out a light green and the colour was built up with grey greens, then glazes of deep rich greens finished the colouration. In the deep pickle green are some beautiful colour variations. Hand painted papers make up his party hat. The 3/4" head from a early vintage brass paper fastener ornaments the centre of the hand painted orange and black burst of hand cut paper frills. His arms are vintage chenille and his torso is created from two hand painted vintage millinery leaves glued back to back. The ornament is 8 1/4" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of his torso and 5" wide. He is a candy container ornament.

"The Grand Party Hat" - $55.00 US One only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Xerxes left his costume to the last moment because he was so busy doing last minute preparations for The-Man-in-the-Moon's magic show. He is a stage hand in charge of props. He grabbed an old black curtain and quickly made a cape and then used black tape for eyebrows and fangs. He looks scary even for a quick costume like this.

Xerxes started out yellow and then layers of orange glazes were painted around the circumference to give an interesting variation to the orange. It looks very carrotish! His carrot fronds are made from vintage fabric fern fronds. The eyebrows and fangs are cut from hand painted paper. The cape was cut from an old piece of blouse fabric that originally had beads sewn to it. It is filled with lovely holes and the edge is left raw. The ornament is 11" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of his cape and 5 1/2" wide. He is a candy container ornament.

"Xerxes came as a Vampire Carrot" - $50.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Walter Melon is ready to go. He was with Prentice when he bought this party hat. Walter loved all of those orange and black strings hanging down from the top of the hat.

The colour was built up with layers of green paint patted off to reveal the light green base coat. His handmade party hat is made from a section from a cardboard cone and vintage fringes. He is wearing a handmade paper mask. His arms are vintage chenille and his torso is created from vintage fabric fern fronds and erica moss. The ornament is 7" from the top of the wire ring to the bottom of his torso and 5 1/2" wide. He is a candy container ornament.

"Walter Melon" - $50.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Owen loves going trick or treating with his dad. Luke came home with these big nose glasses for them to wear trick or treating. Owen wore his to bed that night.

Each base for Owen and Luke is a composition candy container covered with hand painted papers. The papers have been hand crimped and then repainted to look like cabbage leaves. The big nose glasses are made from metal rings, wire, black fur, and a composition nose. They have been securely attached to each face. Their arms are vintage chenille. Owen is 5 1/4" from the top of his metal ring to the base of his arms and 4 1/4" across the widest part of the metal ring. Luke is 6 3/4" from the top of his metal ring to the base of his arms and 5 1/4" across the widest part of the metal ring. Both Owen and Luke are candy container ornaments.

"Trick or Treating with Dad" - set of two ornaments, Owen and Luke, $95.00 US. one set only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Could Jack look any sillier? He doesn't think so and thoroughly enjoys his new look.

The paint finish was achieved with a base coat of brilliant yellow with layers of oranges and yellows layered on to give him a rich orange colouring. The big nose glasses are made from metal rings, wire, black fur, and a composition nose. They have been securely attached to Jack's face. His arms are vintage chenille. Jack is 6 1/2" from the top of his metal ring to the base of his torso and 4 1/2" across the widest part of the metal ring. Jack is a candy container ornament.

"Jack and His Big Nose Glasses" - $50.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Since Max has put on his big nose glasses he has been walking with a swagger in his step. He says he looks rather distinguished, that is until he bursts out laughing!

The paint finish for Max was achieved with a coats of medium and dark oranges painted on, patted of, and scrubbed on with an old brush. He has a rich orange colouring. The big nose glasses are made from metal rings, wire, black fur, and a composition nose. They have been securely attached to Max's face. His arms are vintage chenille. Max is 6 1/2" from the top of his metal ring to the base of his elbows and 4 1/2" across the widest part of the metal ring. Max is a candy container ornament.

"Max felt he looked rather distinguished" - $50.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Can you believe it, Carter, the wise old owl or so he says, started all of this silliness with the big nose glasses. He was right though, they have been the most silly and most popular disguise this year.

Carter's colouration has been built up on a base coat of medium brown with several layers of a warm dark brown dry brushed on top. The big nose glasses are made from metal rings, wire, black fur, and a composition nose. They have been securely attached to Carter's face. The limb that he is sitting on is decorated with three early vintage velvet millinery leaves. Carter is 7 3/4" from the top of his metal ring to the bottom leaf and 4 3/4" across the widest part of the metal ring. Carter is a candy container ornament.

"The Ring Leader" - SOLD.

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Bentley, the crow and Carl are the best of friends.Bentley has a nest on the ground that they intend to fill with their swag, at least that is what Carl called it. They are going to fill the basket several times and intend to empty it into the nest. They're not greedy, there were several young children that were ill and didn't have a chance to go out tonight.

Bentley is cast composition with wire legs. Carl is a cotton wrapped wire frame dressed in vintage textiles with a vintage tassel hanging from his hat. His head is composition. Both of them are wearing handmade paper masks. Carl has a painted vintage basket resting in front of him. The nest is a handmade basket of paper covered wire. There are two hand painted vintage millinery leaves decorating it. They are standing on a papier mache base.

Treats can be placed in the nest, in the basket in front of Carl and inside Bentley. Bentley is a candy container. Gently lift Carl to reveal the interior.

"Bentley the Crow and Carl" - $195.00 US one only.

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Everyone finishes their trick or treating, has a little to eat and then it is off to see The-Man-in-the-Moon's Hallowe'en magic show.

This year's show is "Princess Rosamund and the Attack of the Pie Zombies".

Click on image for a bigger picture.

Reginald plays "A Dignitary - from a Very Foreign Land". He is in disguise, he is actually "The Evil Conjuror". He enchants the pies of the kingdom , turning them into pie zombies in hopes of taking over the Kingdom.

Reginald has a cotton wrapped body over a wire armature. His head is composition painted in multiple layers to give it a rich orange colour. He is dressed in vintage and antique textiles and trims. His hat is vintage leatherette with antique trim and a peacock feather plume on the front of hat. He carries a scroll wrapped with antique metallic braid in one hand and a twisted root in the other hand. He is 12 1/2" tall to the top of his staff. He is standing on a papier mache base.

Click on image for a bigger picture.

Lift off the top of his hat to reveal that he is a candy container.

"Reginald was The Evil Conjuror" - $250.00 US one only.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Wally was one of the Pie Zombies. The smaller children were a little frightened when "The Evil Conjuror" passed in front of a pie waving his staff, then to reveal Wally as a life size "Pie Zombie".

Wally went out earlier to trick or treat in his stage costume and frighted several young children. They were later heard yelling at the magic show, "It's only Wally!"

Wally stands 9 1/2" tall. He is made of composition over a wire frame. There is a vintage millinery leaf on top his apple head. The arms and legs of his suit made from vintage striped fabric. He is carrying a small jack-o-lantern treat bucket. His pie crust is dusted with crushed glass glitter. The back of the pie is painted with multiple washes to look like an old tin pie plate. He is standing on a papier mache base.

"Wally was a Pie Zombie" - SOLD.

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Click on image for a bigger picture.

Princess Rosamund was trapped by the Pie Zombies and placed into a large cage above the stage. It fell open, she disappeared and a bird flew away. The-Man-in-the-Moon finally defeats The Evil Conjuror, but where is Princess Rosamund? The-Man-in-the-Moon drapes a large scarf over an ornate footstool,lifts it up to reveal the lovely Princess Rosamund.

The-Man-in-the-Moon is dressed in vintage and antique textiles and trims. His head is composition painted with several coats of light yellow over a dark yellow base coat. It was patted off to give an interesting yellow glow. In his right hand is a vintage silk scarf while his left hand holds a black staff and a long ribbon of vintage rayon. His shoes are papier mache. He stands 14 1/2" tall.

Princess Rosamund is dressed in vintage and antique textiles, trims, and jewelry. An antique button closes the neck of her robe. Her head is composition painted with several coats of orange over a dark yellow base coat. It was patted off giving her head a rich subtle colouration. She is holding a jack-o-lantern in each hand. She stands on a vintage metal glass holder that has been transformed into an exotic footstool. She is 11 3/4" tall standing on the footstool.

Click on image for a bigger picture.

The stage is created from a 12" piece of oak molding painted an orange red. Gold paint was then put on very thickly direct from the tube to give the effect of old woodwork. It was then rubbed with a deep warm brown for an aged look. The stage floor is 11 1/2" wide and 7" deep. Individual "planks" were glued down to simulate a wooden stage floor. It was then rubbed with the same warm brown that was rubbed on the gold molding.

This sculpture is 16 1/2" tall, 12" wide and 9" deep.

Click on image for a bigger picture.

"Princess Rosamund appears from under the scarf" - $650.00 US one only.

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Thanks for stopping by, we're off to the bonfire for some treats and fireworks.

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To purchase any of the ornaments contact me here.

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Good Trick or Treaters are given surprises

Follow the instructions to qualify for prizes

Sept 14th - Leave a comment on each blog to qualify for a prize from each artist and while you're at it why not become a follower of my blog to stay updated on the goings on at Happy Holidays.

*For those not familiar with blogging: Comments can be left at the bottom of this post.*

If you do not have a blogger acct. Please leave your name & email address with your comment. Thank you!

This puzzle is my first prize. You have to get the cord off of the card and then back on again. The graphic is from a vintage bridge tally.

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Sept 15th - Mention Trick or Treat Street on YOUR blog, with a link back to me, leave me a comment about it and you qualify for the days prizes.

This thaumatrope is my second days prize. Hold onto the cord in each hand twist the cord causing the oval to rotate. The different images on each side merge to show the jack-o-lantern glowing. It is really a neat effect. The jack-o-lantern is from a vintage bridge tally.

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Sept 16th - Visit one last time and leave each of us a comment to qualify for yet another prize from each artist.

This puzzle is my for the third day. You have to move one bead from one loop over to join the other bead. It can be done! The black owl and jack-o-lanterns are from an antique silhouette decoration.

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Sept 17th - One lucky Trick or Treater will have their name drawn (at random) from all of the comments and will receive the GRAND PRIZE - An original art piece from each artist.

This my GRAND PRIZE offering to one lucky Trick or Treater - "The-Man-in-the-Moon is ready to go"

(Randomly selected Winners will be announced on Each blog, Each day! - check to see if your name is a winner and email us to collect your prize)

You've come all this way, it's a shame you can't stay...

but there's two other artists who want you to play.

They have prizes too and treats galore,

click on a link to see what's in store!

Now you get over to

Lori Rudolph of Retro Rudolph's

and then on to

Amelia Schaefer of Sweet B Folk Art

and have fun with their goings on.

Trick or Treat Street starts tonight.

2010-09-13T05:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the night.

Join Lori Rudolph of RetroRudolph's, Amelia Schaeffer of Sweet B FolkArt, and myself for Trick or Treat Street. At the stroke of midnight, Pacific time, our three day blog hopping event will begin. I have seen a few of the pieces from Amelia aka B and Lori, you are in for a delightful treat.

See you tonight at midnight, Pacific time.

Join us Monday at midnight for a trip down Trick or Treat Street.

2010-09-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Join us Monday at midnight as September 14th begins, for "Trick or Treat Street". We're having an online three day Halloween blog hopping event that ends at midnight September 16th. The WE are -

Amelia Schaeffer of Sweet B FolkArt

Lori Rudolph of RetroRudolph's

and me, Len Bentham of Happy Holidays.

We have 3 days filled with Halloween Tricks, Treats and Tomfoolery planned!
There are so many prizes being given away, 10 prizes a day from each blog and the grand prize to one lucky winner - an original piece from each of us! That makes a total of 93 prizes to be won in three days! I've used a lot of exclamation marks because this is amazing!

All you have to do is visit our blogs daily and leave a comment on each of our "TRICK or TREAT STREET" blog posts.

The winners will be drawn at random and announced daily. Check the sidebar on each of our blogs to see if your name is there.

We will announce the GRAND PRIZE WINNER on September 17th. Remember that GRAND PRIZE? One person will receive an original art piece from each of us.

Amelia Schaefer of Sweet B Folk Art
Lori Rudolph of RetroRudolph's

and of course me, Len Bentham, of Happy Holidays.

We will see you there.

Tricks,Treats, and Tomfoolery! You are invited to "Trick or Treat Street".

2010-09-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

"TRICK OR TREAT STREET" - sneak peek

2010-09-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

"Happy Holidays", "RetroRudolph's", and "Sweet B Folk Art" are proud to present...... A POEM to tickle your fancy and entice your curiosity.

Join us for a stroll down TRICK OR TREAT STREET

Who knows who you might chance to meet.

Three lanterns are lit, the doors opened wide

Visit each blog to see what's inside.

A trio of artists offer scary surprises

and plenty of treats, with three days of prizes.

Stay on the third night and watch the moon rise

and you will be eligible for our special GRAND PRIZE!

So mark the date

the fun can't be beat

It's all yours for the taking on TRICK OR TREAT STREET

You've seen my sneak peeks now check out "RetroRudolph's" and "Sweet B Folk Art" to see what wonderous items that they are going to let you have a peek at.

RetroRudolph's

Sweet B Folk Art