Giddy for Ghoultide....

Hello Friends! As you may imagine, I am giddy for the Ghoultide Gathering! It's astounding to believe that all the festivities will start this Friday evening! It will be such a pleasure to regroup with my fellow Halloween artist friends and also unite with so many cherished collectors. Today, amongst a myriad of little to-do's, I am adding the final touches to one last perched owl statement piece. Once I finish and pack him away, I can take a wee little sigh of relief, and then cross my fingers for a great show to come. I know many of you would like to peek in and see what I have been creating for this fantastical event, so I am sharing just a glance at only some of the fun, one of a kind characters that I am carting with me. As you may know, each piece is very special, created from scratch and a collectible treasure. I look forward to your response as you meet and greet this unique menagerie of mine. For now, enjoy the sneak peek.........



* This Raven base chamber vase is one of my faves with that elongated beak and all the eye-catching textural details and painted patterns...



* Hidee-ho-hello from a very special mouse sitter, all decked out for the festivities!



* A one and only signature black cat casts his spell with that enticing smile!



* A bulldog & mouse duo surely look forward to an approaching adoption...



* Oh Bats! A stunning base chamber vase bat is calling to you!



* A pair of some of my favorite owls, created for this season!



* More sweet Halloween egg cup characters will be in the mix!

 

* Owl & Jack ball characters delight you with their innocent faces!

 

* A showy Owl base chamber vase with boldly painted patterns will certainly bring whimsy to someone's Halloween home!

 

* Statuesque Halloween characters will happily haunt you!
 
 

* A pair of spellbinding witches in soft vintage green hues will be awaiting! Check out those batty spectacles!



* A mini bat bust with a splash of purple and orange screeches for Halloween!

Well, that's it for now! I hope you are intrigued, and I look forward to seeing you this Friday & Saturday at the Ghoultide Gathering where all of my Halloween originals for this season will be on display and available to you!

Check back later this week as I hope to post some fun images from last Saturday's Trunk Show.

Happy Haunting,
~ Johanna

Trunk Show Sneak Peek...

Hey Halloween fans! A few of you have asked for sneak peeks from my collection of originals. You know me ~ I don't like to reveal too much, but here are a few teaser images of just some of my one of a kinds that I will be offering at this Saturday's Trunk Show! I hope this will tie you over for now.... hehe! (and yes, the remaining original delights from my Denver event will find their way to the Ghoultide Gathering) I have much yet to do, so bye for now and SEE you SOON!


 ~ Johanna


* A Batty Egg Cup & a couple of mini bat busts..... Cute!



* A couple of Ghosts and a lumina jack-o'-lantern..... There's a really cool ghostly bust back there!  Wish I could keep 'em!



* Towering base chamber vase owl that I poured many many hours into.... and a sweet trick or treat black cat candy container......



* Quartet of Halloween friends including a vintage green-hued Jack....



* Bold Halloween owl ball character and a sweet bat candy container off in the distance....

And yes, there will be more at this Saturday's Trunk Show!  Doors open at noon, but arrive a wee bit early as they sometimes open a tad before schedule...

Glass Glittered Delights...

My collection of Halloween originals for 2012 is almost complete! Oh what a good feeling! About fifty or so unique faces are all staring back at me, and anxiously awaiting to be seen at my shows. Vintage crepe paper bow ties and hand-sewn ruffled collars have all been affixed, but the very last detail adds that touch of vintage sparkle that I so enjoy! I ordered a last-minute round of both Black & Pumpkin Spice glass glitter from Meyer Imports, and I think John Meyer sensed my urgency and promptly sent them this week! I thought you might enjoy a few sneak peeks taken yesterday from my workshop. JP snapped some random pics of me adding a Pumpkin Spice glittered brim to a cat ball character that I will be taking with me to the Trunk Show. And by the way, "Dottie Waverly" will be heading off to the Ghoultide Gathering if she doesn't find the purrrfect pairing at this Saturday's show in Denver. Enjoy & happy creating!

~ Johanna



* There I am, caught in the act of glass-glittering my folk art characters!



* First, I add a bead of glue to the front side base of her hat...



* And, a little tap-tap sprinkle, and the glass glitter is applied to the wet glue line...



* Then, I squeeze on a little more glue to finish that shimmery brim line...



 * And here comes my favorite part ~ tap-tap sprinkle! A little goes a long way...

 

* Now, I have lots of photos to take as I typically document, via images, all the characters I create each year. IF I have a chance to post any sneak peeks before this Saturday's Trunk Show, they will appear here on my blog. No guarantees, but check back just in case time permits! See you soon!

Halloween Treasure Trove!

We are counting down the days till Denver's 7th Annual Halloween Trunk Show! In less than a week, Leo's Garage will magically transform into a Halloween harvest shop filled with delights from myself and fellow artisan vendors. Admission is free, and the fun kicks off at noon this Saturday. We'll be open until 6pm, so make sure to save a little spot for us in your schedule on the 29th! You can even join us for lunch or a sweet treat as homemade yummies will once again be available for your enjoyment.  Well, it's just a few days away, so I better focus and do a little hocus pocus in order to be ready...



WHERE:  Leo's Automotive - 1563 S. Pearl Street, Denver, CO 80210
WHEN: Saturday, September 29th * Noon - 6pm
WHY? Why not!!  :)  We LOVE Halloween!

Take a peek at images from Last Year's Trunk Show...

See YOU there, or Beware!  :)

~ Johanna

A Tease Before Showtime...

Well, I have officially hit the frenzy season! My workshop has been a creative chaos of vintage-hued orange and black characters. Shipments of my licensed designs have been arriving in troves, so I spent the last few days signing various pieces, pricing each and safely packing them in preparation for Denver's 7th Annual Halloween Trunk Show! Amongst all the fun, this year's offerings will include my special, limited edition "Black Cat on Hat" pictured below. I was able to get a hold of 10 of these guys as only 80 were reproduced by Bethany Lowe Designs. It appears they never went public, so they are rare and a fun, signed-&-numbered catch! So, with that behind me, I am intensely focused on adding the final touches to my 2012 collection of Halloween folk art originals. I pour so much time and attention and detail into each piece that it will be a race against the clock to complete and of course, photograph each piece before my shows. Then, I have to sort them into two groups, some of which will debut at the Trunk Show while the others will be on display and available at The Ghoultide Gathering one week later! As usual, please wish me luck!

I snapped a few close-ups today of just some of the faces that have been staring back at me for weeks and weeks it seems. I look forward to finishing them as soon as possible so that I can share them with you!  Enjoy, and I hope to see you soon....



* Above, is a peek at my "Cat on Hat" limited licensed edition of only 80 pieces... These were produced in factory from an illustration of mine. It is fun to see one of my drawings intended for notepaper, take on 3-dimension! (I will have these available at Denver's Halloween Trunk Show)



* A trio of Halloween friends now have their crepe paper bow ties, but still await their glass glittered brims...



* A few one of a kind shelf sitters line up for final trimmings...



* A collection of spooky birds have just received their party hats, and now I must paint their brims to complete their festive look!



* A sweet series of bats await a little more paint and last minute accessorizing...

I feel like I'm a fashion designer for the imaginary world of folk art characters that live in my head! Now, if I just had time to figure something festive and fun for ME to wear to this year's shows..... I'm not even there yet...eek!

Well, that's all for now! I know it's just a tease, but it's all I have time for..... If you want to see more, then please join me at one of my upcoming shows!!!

Happy Haunting,
~ Johanna