Saturday, October 30, 2010

A Happy Halloween to You!

It's time to put your party hat on and celebrate another fun-filled Halloween! Wishing you many smiles, laughs, frolic and treats from our spooky home to yours....

Halloween Hugs,
~ Johanna, JP and Jack, our holiday poser!

Happy-Halloween-Jack

* Jack proudly poses, wearing my illustrated party hat for Halloween 2010.... For my birthday, JP gave me a new lens for my camera that created this dreamy, soft blur effect that I just love!

Photography, © 2010 Johanna Parker Design - Image may not be used without permission.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Was it a Halloween Dream?...

Wheewww, we just returned from a whimsical weekend in Washington where the mood was all things Halloween! For weeks upon weeks, mom was preparing for our visit and decking the house in orange and black delights. Everything smelled of spicy-sweet Witch's Brew, and yummy treats made from the Parker cauldron were ready to be served. Naturally, we put on our festive Halloween attire to celebrate the season...

Mom-&-Me

The spellbinding aroma of sugary delights filled the air. Chocolate bonbons, orange bark candy, iced cookies, ginger bars and Halloween cupcakes lured me in to take a bite....

Halloween-Cupcakes

Soon, I was under a Halloween spell and the Hobgoblin himself arrived to start the party. Bells began to jingle and the wild dancing began.....

Dancing-Spook

Guests began to arrive, and all to celebrate my most favorite holiday with me!

Spook-in-the-door

Then, the Pumpkin-Patch King, dressed as a scarecrow, knocked on the door, and I let him in too....

Three-of-us

Preparing for the party, he and the Hobgoblin smoothed my hair and the Pumpkin-Patch King secured my party hat with a bow beneath my chin...

Getting-dressed

We laughed and shared stories of Halloweens past. Giddy with treats and overjoyed to be together, the day swept by, and soon I was waking up. Was it a dream??

On the following morning, I asked my parents if we could go to the Pumpkin King's Patch, and so we headed down a winding fall road to visit his farm. Whimsy once again filled the air with smiles and silliness all about...

Craven's-Farm

He had grown pumpkins of many colors and shapes, bumpy and smooth, mini to massive and all in between...

Craven's-pumpkins

We visited the barn to meet the critters within. JP had a close encounter with a loud squawking goose and what looks to be a bright, dashing spirit which revealed itself within our lens!... Spooooky!

Spirits-on-the-farm

I posed with the pumpkins, and felt a wee bit nostalgic remembering those childhood days out at the pumpkin patch! What fun!.....

Johanna-in-the-patch

It was certainly a weekend not to forget, but it all flew by in such a frenzied blur! Was it a dream... ? No, I think it certainly did happen and what fun we all had.... I hope to reveal more of this whimsical weekend down the road, so stay tuned. For now, allow your imagination to soar! Happy Halloween!

~ Johanna

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Just a Few Halloween Sets Left!...

Many thanks to all of you who popped in at the start of my Halloween Web Sale last night and adopted a special collectible piece for yourself! I appreciate your determination and your patience ~ I know some of you had trouble getting my Folk Art Originals page to load, including me! Sorry! I'll look into that for next time as I'm suspecting there was too much traffic hitting all at once. I feel so very fortunate that your interest in my one of a kinds continues to grow, and of course, I wish I could accommodate everyone's request. The good news is that my love for Halloween is a year-round passion. So, expect to see more from me after the holidays settle. :)

I do however have a few Halloween Reproduction Collector's Sets still available! If you love Black Cats or Owls & Bats, I may just have the set for you! Each item is signed by me, and I'll include an extra goodie in your box. Please contact me soon if you are interested in a set as I only have a few remaining.

Thank you so much for your support & Happy Halloween!
~ Johanna

Cat-Lovers-Set
CLICK HERE for more details on my "Cat Lovers Set"
( The little kitty, top right, sits on a little clip and can be attached to a tree, wreath, etc...
The hugging cat pail can certainly be filled with treats, etc and Shreik the cat looks great just standing around :)

Night-Flyer-Set
CLICK HERE for more details on my "Night Flyer Set"
( The hanging owl and bat are double-sided and add great movement and fun to any room or window! The sitting owl is another clip ornament and can attach to a tree, wreath, etc... The owl on a stick is also a small rattle and can be shaken or hung. And the bat pail is ready to be filled with your favorite candy treats! )

To reserve one today, please email me at:
johanna@johannaparkerdesign.com

Sunday, October 10, 2010

OH Bats & Celebrate365 Magazine!...

I had the pleasure of sharing some of my Halloween collections here at home in Connie Porcher's Celebrate365 Magazine! You can see a fun collage within an article of Halloween goodness around my house in her Fall 2010 issue. It just came out! From my own collection of Halloween originals, I promised to auction off a very special Bat Candy Bowl that I am pictured with in this fun publication. So, you can meet "Sweet Billy" the bat bowl and see lots more photos of him on eBay as his auction just listed tonight. Both functional and fun, you can place him on display, and he will literally hug your sweets! Fill him with candies, and expect years of giggles and grins to come as each Halloween approaches. The winner of the auction receives both the Bat and a signed copy of Celebrate365!
CLICK HERE to see more, and many thanks for your kind bids of support :)

Cheers & Good Luck,
~ Johanna

Bat-Bowl-Front
* A peek at "Sweet Billy"......

Bat-Bowl-&-Article
* Another look at "Sweet Billy" with the signed copy of Celebrate365 Fall 2010. You can see a glimpse of the photo where I'm holding him out for the readers to see!

Bat-Bowl-Profile
* Cute profile, huh? His dimensional wings wrap from inside to the backside of the bowl....

Bat-Bowl-&-Cover
* And another peek at Sweet Billy next to this fun Halloween Collector's issue!

Please visit his AUCTION page to see more! Thanks for looking..... and thank you Connie for sharing my love of Halloween collectibles with your readers!

* OH, and speaking of Halloween Collectibles....
Please Mark your Calendars for my Halloween Web Sale, this Wednesday evening! I will be offering about a dozen one of kind pieces, and will also have a link to a variety of Signed Halloween Reproduction Collectors Sets! So, if you're interested, but would like to know more, please join my e-mailing list by just sending me a quick message to: johanna@johannaparkerdesign.com

See you then!



Friday, October 8, 2010

Collector Spotlight!...

I wanted to share another fun Collector Spotlight with you this month! Through a chain of events, my collector friend Kevin in New Jersey stumbled across my Halloween folk art collectibles, and the rest is history. Since then, he has been adding both my originals and reproductions to his growing collection of Halloween decor. Fortunately, he had a moment to share some of his own photos with us, but he admits that much more of what he has collected, including several of my originals, are still in storage. So, perhaps we'll get to see the full collection next year. Kevin recently relocated, so I'm sure it's a bit of a challenge just finding all the goodies he has been accumulating! For now, enjoy a peek at what he has on display this year along with a fun Q & A! Thank you for sharing Kevin :)

Collector-Spotlight-profile-Kevin

J: How did you learn about my Halloween folk art?
K: I bought a Scott Smith item at a gift shop and stumbled across his Halloween and Vine website, saw your collection and had to have some. When I attended H&V last year I had a whole game plan. My plan was to dart to your table fist, place my orders and then dash to Scott's & Greg's and then place an order and see what was left.

Kevin-Collection-Owl-Vase
* My original Base Chamber Vase Owl is surrounded here by two whimsical Greg Guedel carvings...

J: How long have you been collecting my originals?
K: Only about 2 or 3 years.

Kevin-Collection-curio-cabinet
* A variety of collectible Halloween folk art pieces are on display in Kevin's Craftsmen-style curio cabinet...

Kevin-Collection-Halloween
* A Johanna Parker reproduction black cat candy container, third from left resides amongst Kevin's collection atop his curio cabinet and includes an eye catching witch and JOL boy from Scott Smith and a coffin boy from Living Dead Dolls...

J: What is it about my creations that captures your imagination?
K: They are so unique, and the fact they are each hand made. I love originals!

Kevin-Collection-Halloween-containers
* Kevin proudly displays an array of candy container originals on the various shelves. The black cat and owl piece are Johanna Parker originals and Lori Rudolph of Retro Rudolph's created the devil and smiling jack-o'-lantern. The orange cat & jack combo piece up top is vintage...

J: Where have you had the best luck in acquiring my original pieces; shows, web sales, Collector's Catch, eBay, etc?
K: Web sales, and too many at H&V. (Still paying those off...haha)

Kevin-Collection-Owl-&-Skelly-Hat
* Another one of my one of a kind owl candy containers shares a spot next to a whimsical Scott Smith skelly top-hat creation.

J: Do you have a favorite piece in your private collection?
K: Hmmm, tough questions. I wouldn't part with any but I'm fond of the owl you made me.

Kevin-Collection-Standing-Owl
* Yet another one a kind owl from my studio to Kevin's house. I wonder if this is the owl he's referring to? He has quite a few!

J: Is there anything in particular you suggest I try making in the future?
K: Witches, maybe a Dracula or Frankenstein.

Kevin-Collection-Witch
* Speaking of witches, it looks like Kevin has at least one of my original witches! I believe she is a couple of years old, but looks pretty good for her age :)

Kevin-Collection-Halloween-buckets
* Back to the curio cabinet, Kevin has a trio of my Halloween buckets designed for Bethany Lowe Designs intermixed with a black cat from Greg Guedel.

Kevin-Collection-various-Halloween
*A variety of collectible Halloween folk art pieces resides on Kevin's antique buffet as well...Left to right: Johanna Parker reproduction JOL from Primitives by Kathy, Greg Guedel devil & witch, Johanna Parker reproduction black cat from Primitives by Kathy, Katherine Webber witch & Scott Smith JOL man. OH to be in such great company!!

What fun! Many thanks Kevin for allowing us to peek inside your new home to see how you decorate for the haunting season. We look forward to seeing more from you in the future, and I very much appreciate your love for my Halloween folk art as do the other artists that you represent in your collection. If I left anyone out, please let me know and I will offer you credit.

Cheers & Happy Halloween!
~ Johanna

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Back from the Ghoultide Gathering!...

We pulled into our driveway at about midnight last night after 2 long days of driving back from Northville, Michigan ~ the charming site of the Ghoultide Gathering. Luckily, the road home was an event-less stretch where the main challenge was to just keep those eyes open and alert! The road going, on the other hand, was a different story as our truck broke down in Nebraska. AAA came to the rescue, and after a few hours of slight mental meltdown, and the AC compressor plucked from the engine, we were mobile again. I was already overly tired from preparing for the show amidst the construction zone we've been living with here at home. So, you could have called it the icing on the cake, but it wasn't very sweet! Luckily however, we arrived in plenty of time to set up for our show, connect and reconnect with fellow artists and get a teeny bit of sleep before the doors opened to the Halloween fans. After our long journey, it was a pleasure just to reach our destination with time to spare. Seeing all our friends, both artists and collectors was truly the icing on the cake, and of course it all flew by so very fast that I keep replaying it in my mind as to remember all the fun we had.

We snapped as many photos as time would allow, but I always wish I had more to share. My photos below feature the fellow artists that I exhibited with in the historic church at Mill Race Village. I captured most of the displays that surrounded my table, but did not have a chance to lug my tripod over to the other 2 buildings before the show opened. Luckily, many other images are popping up in blogland, so hop around for more perspectives as I know they are out there! Let's get started......

Johanna-Parker-Ghoultide-display
* That's me, the morning of the Ghoultide Gathering looking rather sleepy. Now you know why!..... I look forward to catching up on my zzzzzzzzz's, maybe in mid December! haha......

Ghoultide-Church-building
* Luckily, the Friday before the show was a beautiful day which allowed for an easy set-up. JP snapped this photo while the various artists inside the Church at Mill Race Village set up their individual tables. Unfortunately, the weather was less agreeable on Saturday morning, so we are grateful to all the loyal and determined collectors for getting up early in their layers and rain gear to stand in a chilly, wet mist.

Ghoultide-before
* JP set up our tripod on the church balcony and captured this photo right before the doors opened.

Ghoultide-Crowd
* And here's a glimpse of the frenzy after the show began..... You can see me and JP at the back right, looking up at the camera :)

Johanna-with-portfolios
* A view from my table looking out. I brought along my 2 portfolio books for folks to skim through....

JP-d'Andrimont-Ghoultide-Gathering
* Going back in time just a tad stands JP ready to meet and greet our collector friends.

Ghoultide-William-Bezek
* The talented William Bezek won best display! Congrats Will, it was sensational!

Ghoultide-Nicol-Sayre
* And Nicol Sayre and her lovelies won one of the runner up prizes, and it's no surprise! (Laurie Hardin won the other 2nd place price, but regretfully, I have no images from the cozy room she, Scott Smith and Pam Gracia shared)

Ghoultide-Star-Rug-Company
* Maria Barton of the Star Rug Company had a table full of delights right across from us! It was fun getting to know her :)

Ghoultide-Primdolly
* This is only half of the wonderful witches and ghouls that Sheila Bentley of Primdolly Designs brought with her to Ghoultide this year! We were side by side, and it was fun to chat in person, finally, and see all the amazing characters she creates.

Ghoultide-Jerry-&-Darla-Arnold
* The intricacy and vintage appeal of Darla & Jerry Arnold's spun cotton figures were just marvelous...

Ghoultide-Lori-Ann-Corelis
* Lori Ann Corelis had a yummy-colored harvest display of her endearing mohair animals all dressed for the Halloween season....

Ghoultide-Whimsical-Whittler
* Vaughn & Stephanie Rawson, the talented duo that make up the Whimsical Whittler had a display full of enchanting creations....

Ghoultide-Paul-Gordon
* A glimpse at some of the wonderful creations from Paul Gordon certainly made us smile and set the festive mood!

Ghoultide-Irene-Gates
* A burst of color from Irene Gates and her whimsical collages greeted visitors upon entering the church...

Ghoultide-Aaron-Lowe
* Aaron Lowe had a table full of colorful and imaginative felted designs that kept catching my eye...


Ghoultide-Mill-Race-Village
* And one more peek at Mill Race Village from the day leading up to the big event. Fingers are crossed that next year brings sun and clear skies all weekend!

Again, I just wanted to give a big thanks to Scott Smith & Stephanie & Vaughn Rawson for organizing such a stellar show! The caliber of work represented was phenomenal, and I was honored to be a part of the artists exhibiting. It was a joy to reconnect with many artists and finally meet others! We shared lots of laughs and stories, and all in just a few day's time. If only we could slow down the clock and have even more opportunities to chat and ponder all the amazing talent that we are each gifted with...... You all are such an inspiration....... And speaking of inspiration, I truly cherish all the collectors who stopped by and shared your sweet compliments. Whether you adopted an original or not, I appreciate your thoughts as you inspire me to continue dreaming and creating what I do. It was wonderful to see you and meet you!

~ Johanna

Friday, October 1, 2010

Collector Spotlight!...

YAY, the month of October is upon us, and I have invited another special Collector friend to share her collection with you! I would like to introduce you to Celeste who has a deep passion for collecting Halloween. It has been three years since we first met, and her love for one of kind creations has grown more evident with each passing season! After adopting a few of my originals, I believe she was hooked. And, she has been on the hunt for more ever since. Most recently, she made a special trip out to my Halloween Trunk show and left with several new goodies to add to her growing family of JPD originals. It's obvious she had fun arranging and decorating my Halloween characters all about her house, and fortunately, she sent me photos to share!

I admit that I lost count of how many of my originals Celeste has snagged or at times "caught!" All I can say is that when she grows tired of them, you know who to call! :) Enjoy her photos below along with a fun Q & A! And a huge thanks to you Celeste for your support and appreciation for the work I do. I am truly grateful….

Collector-Spotlight-Celeste-profile

J: How did you learn about my Halloween folk art?
C: I first saw you at Halloween and Vine three years ago and when I found your booth I had already spent all my money!! I was so sad..I brought my friend Mona over to your booth and said, look how cute these pieces are!!! Buy one, so at least I can see it at your house! So she bought "Dixie Dot"! Your web update was not long after that and I was so anxious, I was an hour early for it, I forgot about the time change!! I was able to get my first one that day, "Bailey Boo".

Celested-Cats-on-a-ball
* And, there's "Bailey Boo" above left ~ He must have told her that he wanted to be surrounded by family :)

J: How long have you been collecting my originals?
C: Three years.

Celeste-Hallowen-with-tins

J: What is it about my creations that captures your imagination?
C: I love antiques and vintage things and I feel your pieces remind me of vintage Halloween, say the 40's era. The hues you use are so rich and the expressions are so cute and whimsical, I truly love them.

Celeste-Kitchen-ball-characters

Celeste-Kitchen-hutch
* I love how she has my originals displayed in an antique kitchen hutch, mixed in with vintage tins and other relics from the past!

J: Where have you had the best luck in acquiring my original pieces; shows, web sales, Collector's Catch, eBay, etc?
C: I think I am the queen of Collector catches!!

(J: I think she's caught about 4 or 5 out of maybe 13 or so Collector's Catches so far ~ not bad! She's also had a few lucky wins on eBay and the EHAG Emporium as well as acquiring my work in person at shows.... )

Celeste-Spider-Egg-Cup
* The spider pictured above was one of her lucky eBay wins - some of you may remember him from EHAG's Black & White Challenge this past spring...

J: Do you have a favorite piece in your private collection?
C: As many of your collectors have mentioned before it is hard to choose just one!!! I am crazy over your candy cups, but I do love my big owl, "Sir Hoots a lot"! and "Bizarro", and...and...lol

Celested-egg-cups-&-bat
* A couple of those candy cups she's crazy about stand behind my silly stylized bat...

Celeste-Dog-&-Kettle-cups
* The bulldog candy cup & black cat kettle cup were recently snatched up at my Trunk Show!

Celeste-Owls-on-Mantel
"Sir Hoots-a-lot" is the standing owl on the right.... hoot hoot!

Celeste-Mantel-collection
* "Bizarro the Bat" is seen guarding the center of Celeste's festive mantel, lined with a fun grouping of my one of kind Halloween creations!

J: Is there anything in particular you suggest I try makingin the future?
C: I would love for you to try doing a mouse!!!

Celested-mantel-candy-conainers
* Hmmm, just a bat and 2 cats pictured here, but a Halloween mouse does sound sweet!...

Again, thank you Celeste for sharing your personal photos with us! I am honored that you find such joy in my work...

~ Johanna

PS: Stay tuned for at least one more Collector Spotlight feature coming later this month.....