Hootin' Auction & a Halloween Web Sale!

Woooooo!  I am wrapping up a really great Halloween Art season with a super special Owl Egg Cup Auction on eBay and a Halloween Web Sale next Wednesday. In the meantime, I will be glued to my computer screen as I finish up the graphics for my upcoming sale. As for the owl, this unique character was made famous this fall, thanks to the folks at Phyllis Hoffman's Celebrate Halloween Magazine. This internationally known seasonal publication is currently featuring my one of a kind Halloween folk art, and this original owl of mine is pictured twice on page 23. Oh how I wavered back and forth.... too keep or not to keep. Alas, he is now on eBay and accompanies a signed copy of this Halloween collector's magazine. Many thanks to all of you for placing a bid of affection for this sweet guy. Best of luck to you! As this auction is winding down on the evening of October 19th, my Halloween Web Sale will commence!  For more details and the exact start time, please Join My Mailing List!...





* Like all of my signature egg cups, simply lift his body up to reveal a cup below to stash tiny trinkets, treats, jewels or whatever you fancy....





* Look for the spooky-fun coconut cake on the cover of this year's Halloween issue of Celebrate Magazine! My article starts on page 23.....




* Visit my Auction Page to see more views and descriptions of this very special owl. The winner also takes home a signed copy of this magazine....




* And Save the Date for my last Halloween Web Sale of the year!  A Dozen-plus one of a kind characters will be available for your choosing. Members of my e-Mailing List will receive the full scoop, including the official start time. So, do JOIN now if you are not on my e-maling list already.

Thank you,
~ Johanna

Scenes from the Trunk Show!...

This time, Fall in all its cold and wet dreariness haunted our Halloween Trunk Show. We have been spoiled with warm Indian summer days for the last 5 years, but we were due! Despite the chill, we were so thrilled to see that many of you braved the weather to visit with us and collect a few more Halloween delights for your homes this year. An extra thanks goes out to you out-of-state collectors that traveled via the skies (perhaps by broom? :) to attend this fun event. It was so wonderful to see all of your smiling faces. Many thanks also to Sam Robinson, our event planner extraordinaire along with all the vendors that made this year's trunk show extra special. With just moments to spare, JP and I rushed around and snapped some photos to share with those unable to attend.... Enjoy!

~ Johanna



* That's me in my silly Halloween attire, in front of my hutch of Halloween originals......



* My reproduction Halloween-hatted head characters flew off this old plant stand that they were spookishly hovering on......



* This year's illustrated Halloween cones were also a fun find for my shoppers looking for a little something to spook their homes with...



* I loved how this last-minute display turned out, showcasing my black cat pins. An old wire plant basket made for the purrrfect web-like rack for these popular guys!



* And there's Sweet Owlfred and friends perched atop a rusty old step ladder!



* The back wall of my display in all it's orange and black glory! My signed reproductions from both Primitives by Kathy & Bethany Lowe Designs are showcased, left and center. The right corner hutch housed this year's Halloween originals...



* There's Sam Robinson, aka Manorisms and also our show promoter, snapping some quick  photos before the doors opened. If you squint, you can see my display at center and all the way, straight back!



* As usual, I had about 10 minutes to spare and make the rounds to snap some quick pics. JP had a camera too, so he caught me in the act!



* The clock struck noon and the collectors, who had been huddled under a tent out in the rain, came marching in! Look at all the smiles on their faces ~ love that :)



* Hungry? For those with an empty belly, Erica McNeish was offering some of her yummy eats for lunch....



* Not to mention her delicious sweets for dessert ~ look at those luscious candied apples!



* Erica prepares for the frenzy of hungry guests!



* Next door to me, Mr. Bumble Bindelgrim had a striking display of vintage Halloween delights, up for grabs!



* And, I snapped a quick photo of him before the Halloween fans arrived to snag a copy of his new book, The Pumpkin Dream...



* Handmade pumpkin folk nodders and paper lanterns also graced his table...



* Brightly hued jacks and black cats from Bindelgrim's vintage collection were a hit!



* My other neighbors were Kirsten of Pearl Clothing & Jil Cappucio with her fun fashions...



* Across the way was Heide Murray with her novelty Halloween delights including some spooky rings made from real human molars!



* And to her side was Mysti Gulsrud of Delphinium Design with a table full of colorful Dia de Los Muertos jewels and delightful Halloween handmades....



* And it was fun to see Ed & Sherry of Sticks n' Things join us this year with their creations from wood...



* Up front, attendees were greeted with the colorful delights offered by Sam Robinson, aka Manorisms....



* Homemade apple butter plus other jams & a series of adorable handmade jack-o'-lanterns were made by Sam's mom, Mozell Falletti!



* Cubbies of Jacks and gumballs certainly excited the children that always enjoy Sam's offerings....



* More Halloween novelties from Sam, displayed on electric green!



* And all that orange caught my eye ~ sweet, stitched Jack by Mozell Falletti...



* Kiddy Kits, Raspberry Pear Jam, finger puppets and Apple Mint spread enticed the shoppers...



* Due to the rainy weather, Rabbit Shadow Farms moved their whimsical plants indoors and offered both a fresh scent and visual treats for the senses...



* Pome of Denver had a fun display including black cats ~ one of my favorites!



* Spooky fun collage art also on display from Pome...



* And to "top it off" we had Erin Saboe, our hat-maker offering handmade witch's hats, and just in time for Halloween!



* And although we found homes for many of my Halloween folk art one of a kinds, I still have a fun variety to offer.

So, MARK YOUR CALENDARS for the evening of Wednesday, October 19th when I will be offering those to you during my Halloween Web Sale! Stay tuned for a variety of sweet characters, each unique. The fun takes place on my Folk Art Originals page. For the official start time and details please join my e-mailing list. An easy sign-up form resides on the sale page at the link above.

Happy Haunting!

Trunk Show, Tomorrow!...

I have just a quick reminder for all of you Halloween-loving folks that will be in the neighborhood. Tomorrow, when the clock strikes noon, Denver's 6th Annual Halloween Trunk Show will begin! I included the following eye-candy-filled ad in my latest Newsletter, but if you missed it, I will be offering a really fun assortment of my latest licensed designs at this unique event. Also, I should have around 30 or so originals to offer, including a very special black cat kettle cup that made the newsstands this fall... It's bittersweet to possibly part with the little fellow, but I will be happy to find him a black cat-loving home too. So, I hope to see you this Saturday - that's TOMORROW at Leo's Garage on historic S. Pearl Street in Denver.



* The ad above features a collage of just some of my licensed designs that I will have available.. But, there will be a dozen of us vendors offering an array of vintage-style delights, including delicious eats!



* A peek at page 23 of Phyllis Hoffman's Celebrate Halloween Magazine reveals a photo of me along with a small menagerie of my one of a kind Halloween creations... The "TREATS" black cat kettle cup at right will be up for grabs at the Trunk Show.... I just decided tonight that I might be willing to part with him, maybe...  :)



* It's always difficult to put a value on such a piece.... pondering that still.

SEE YOU Soon! This shall be fun!...........
~ Johanna

Ghoulicious Ghoultide!...

We just returned from a whirlwind road trip to the Ghoultide Gathering and back! As usual, the weekend festivities flew by faster than I could keep up. The Friday night early buy was a frenzied blur of collectors eager to snatch something special for themselves or on the hunt for others. We barely had time to sneak in a quick snack and get changed in between setting up and opening time! Hence, I was unable to make the rounds to the other buildings and tents to document ALL the spooky delights (OH and how I wish had had time!!) You'll have to peruse the web and haunt the other Ghoul artist photo postings for more peeks at this unique event. Luckily, we snapped some images in the Cady Inn where we exhibited this year. So, I will share with you what we were able to capture in less than 24 hours! Many many thanks to ALL the determined collectors willing to brave the windy chill and intermittent rain drops in the air. The weather conditions were far from favorable, but so so many of you did not let that stand in your way, and we (speaking for all the artists) are humbled by your loyalty and love for what we, as folk artists do. :) And, another HUGE thanks goes out to Scott Smith and the Rawsons for putting on another fabulous event! Enjoy the photos....and I hope to see you next year under the warm rays of the sun ~ we are due!



Ahh, that's me all set up, stockings and boots on, hat affixed and ready for the Early Buy Friday night affair...



Halloween vignette of just an assortment of some of the one of a kind Halloween folk art characters I offered at this show....



A sweet mouse on a ball character rests atop an old Halloween tambourine that mom purchased from Mark Craven (for me!)... This mouse was one of the first to fly out of the house!



Remember the black & white vase JP candidly captured me painting a couple weeks ago? Well, here it is in it's ghostly entirety with a cat and spider companion.... All found homes and rather quickly at that....



Just a few moments for a couple more peek-a-boo photos..... I love the one I captured of JP below.....



There's my man looking quite smashing behind my pair of pumpkin girls, featured in Celebrate Halloween Magazine! It was bitter-sweet to say good bye to those cuties, but I still have my cute husband :)



EEk, another mouse made it to Ghoultide, but didn't make the ride back home with us!... Guess I'll have to make more of these little characters to go with their black cat "friends"...



A quick jaunt outside in the chilling air beckoned the festive sounds from the folky Appleseed Collective!... What fun......



Vergie Lightfoot and Scott Smith, were caught arm and arm at the gazebo for the group photo! I feel like I have gone back in time....



Speaking of Scott, the line of anxious collectors continued to build at the stone house that he, Paul Gordon and Sheila Bentley were exhibiting in...



Sweeping by is Michael Corelis, Lori Ann's husband with a crow on his top hat! And off in the distance is the Cady Inn which housed  the displays of both me and 7 other Halloween artists.



More folks line up at the Cady Inn situated on the charming grounds of Mill Race Village.



Doll artist, Allen W. Cunningham patiently awaits the show to begin in his old-fashioned Halloween attire.....



A peek at some of Allen's Halloween delights....


Nicol Sayre and fun-loving husband Phil know how to dress for the occasion in their Victorian Halloween steam punk style......



Just a glimpse at some of the sweet creations dangling nearby, created by Jerry & Darla Arnold...



I catch Katherine Webber adding the final touches to her spooky display before the clock struck 6pm!...



And, look! There's Kristen Beason's glowing face, peering through a tree of her haunted delights.....



Determined collectors on a mission are first to arrive at my display for first dibs at what I had to offer Friday night! (Thank you all for your determination despite several hours of chilly air outdoors...)



More Halloween fans arrive to meet the characters that I have made for them!



A decision is made and I reach to collect a piece chosen for adoption. Below, a basket of Thank-You goodies for my patrons awaits their choosing.....



Collectors continue to eye the selections of one of kind delights at hand...



Saturday morning rolled in, and it was time to open again for round two. The crowds were amazing! The flow of attendees was certainly non-stop for many hours despite the windy cool weather. Like I said, it was a whirlwind weekend of Halloween galore, and I feel certain we will be back. Thank you again for joining us either in person or in spirit :)

~ Johanna