Halloween 2013

It absolutely kills me that my apartment doesn't have better natural lighting. The light over my kitchen table tints the most decorated part of the house (this sofa table) a gold-ish yellow. That's one certain thing about sharing a big building with other folks - only one side of your dwelling has windows. I apologize to your eyes now.

This year's Halloween theme was "heads". I always try to create a different look with the things I already have plus a few new treasures. It's not as gruesome as a head-inspired theme might suggest but decorating with a more apothecary/thriller theme scares the crap out of my kids. So we can call this "Happy Halloween Heads" and feel safe as we walk past this to go down the darkened hallway to the toilet.

Here we have a collection of faces, masks, busts, pumpkin heads and silly bobbley heads hanging from a tree. Some fall favorites, a parachuting faerie, and the Black Pumpkin herself in the center of the kitchen table. Happy Halloween!

May - Faerie Display

Faerie House under glass

Louisa May Alcott Flower Fairy book

3-D pop-up Faerie book

My bust children got a touch of floral added to their seats

Back From the Dead and Feeling Inspired

Where oh, where has the Black Pumpkin been?

Well, winter's bleakness got the best of her and so she was compelled to hibernate for a time and slip into a small coma.

Then the sun came back, kissed the sleeping pumpkin's face and awoke her from her slumber. She arises bathed in light and new wonder.

Illustration by John Bauer

After the onslaught of Christmas and the New Moon Experience in Utah before that, January hit and I suddenly needed to recuperate and take a Black Pumpkin break. I apologize if you have been returning to this blog to find nothing new in the last 2 months, but I have to say that I am glad I took the time to just veg, rejuvenate, and concentrate on the basics again, including my day job, because I now feel ready to plunge into the sea of art and dolls once more!

Plus, it's always nice to get inspired anew after months of not. The two illustrations included in this post are from animationarchive.org in a post about John Bauer and his art from the Swedish Bland Tomtar Och Troll (Among Trolls and Elves). His work inspired some of my favorites such as Brian Froud and Jim Henson and has now inspired me. Just look at the faces of those bumbly, grotesque but lovable trolls encircling the princess! How can you not simply adore them?

And the face of this little elf, below, would make any mother want to wrap him up and put him in her apron pocket, be her gypsy troll or SAHM.

Expect some fairytale-inspired work from me soon, as well as more Twilight goodies.

Illustration by John Bauer

Unlike trolls, however, I come to life in the sun and turn to stone for long periods without it. I must have the sunlight in my day-to-day life, despite what my friends say about me actually being a vampire - nocturnal lover of the night.

In my dreams, I wish I could have both the sun and the moon and do away with sleep entirely.

♥ Have a happy, light-filled weekend. ♥