Please Let Me Introduce You to Jorene (That's Me)

It's our Season of Delight and though I've been posting in this blog for 10 years (gulp) I thought it might be a good time to re-introduce myself.

Some very good friends of mine, Jen & Pat Healy of Mixture Group, have watched my passion for collecting Halloween art grow over the years and took it upon themselves to create and produce a fun and quirky short video about me and my unusual hobby. I'm brimming with delight because it's both scary and wonderful to see myself on video and have a camera focused on me. <insert another gulp here>

First and foremost I am a passionate collector of Halloween art. The blog and how I decorate our home is my expression of this. The video is about 4 minutes and I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Halloween!

Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween 2024: What I purchased!

I have to admit that I rarely take a lot of photos at the Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween show because I'm too busy shopping. By the time I'm finished, some of the booths are empty and others are nearly so. That happens within the first hour. I'm not kidding. 

The Early Buy Ticket is $20 and starts at 8am sharp. Standing in line before the doors open is an event within itself. Collectors with numbers come early even though we have a guaranteed spot in line. I want to see who is there, hear what they're excited about, and check out their outfits. Most people take the effort to don their favorite Halloween clothing. 

Jennie Hepler-Takens, Show Producer

The best part of standing in line is when Jennie Hepler-Takens (show producer and artist behind My Dearest Witch) and Amy Schneider (show photographer and assistant extraordinaire) come through the line handing out tote bags, mugs, and an official ribbon to wear- all for the price of admission! Maybe someday I'll have enough tote bags to make a cape. Life goals. That's a joke....maybe. 

I've found that there are two methods of attacking the show. Kristen Stafford (Halloween Art & Travel podcast) has a clear plan of which booths she will visit and in what order. She uses her map of the show like a football play diagram. It's amazing. Then there is my plan which is to pick the first artist's booth I will visit and then I just become dazed and wander around like a zombie. Kristen's plan is clearly a better one. She had a mission and completes it. I enter the doors and my mind goes completely blank! I know it sounds odd, but I'm actually waiting for my pieces to call to me. I walk into a booth with no thoughts in my head and look around till something catches my eye more than once and then I buy it. The only reason I come out successfully is because there are no bad choices at this show. 

My husband, Rich, has even become fascinated with the show and runs ahead of me looking for pieces he thinks I will like and carrying all my shopping bags. He doesn't ever ask how much I've spent, just if I went over my budget and the answer is always "yes." Then he smiles and points something else out to me. He's a keeper.

So, that's how I spend one heavenly hour in Marshall, MI after driving 12 hours. It is so worth it. 

Thank you for reading this far if you're only interested in what I purchased. I have to say it always comes as a surprise to me when I unpack my bags days later. It's all such a blur and then wonderful to get excited all over again. This year I purchased 12 pieces at the show, plus Ellen Gee's Memento Mori Skull the night before. 

These photos are not posed where they'll be displayed. I try to document my pieces soon after I purchase them and when the photos to be bright and clear. You'll see them displayed in my collection during the next several weeks. 

Marie Antoinette (Jeanette Leary: Sugar Bright Studio)

Halloween Witch (Iva Wilcox)

Witch Louise (collaboration piece between Colleen Moody & Iva Wilcox)

Candle Man (Jorge de Roja HoHoHalloween)

Ollie Owl in Fez (The Shadow Farm: David Schilling, artist

Mushroom Brooch (Petra Rachwalski: Designed by Emma)

Beatrice Bat Girl (Rebecca Miller Campbell)

Bat Girl (Melissa Belanger)

Halloween Night (Stacey Bear: Mementos Art & Antiques) 

Owl with Book (Stacey Bear: Mementos Art & Antiques)

Cat in the Moon (Mandy Palomba: October Oddities)

Full-length Hand-painted Skeleton Skirt (Nina Vivian Huryn)

Memento Mori Skull (Ellen Gee)

That is the sum of my art show purchases. Of course I made a few more purchases in Marshall and Chelsea, MI that I'll feature on Instagram and Facebook over the next few weeks.

My Halloween Kick-off Event: Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween

For the last several years, my true Halloween kick-off event is making the trip to Marshall, Michigan for the Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween art show. If you've been following the blog or know me personally, you'll know that for me, attending BPOH is when I go completely delirious with joy. It's the one time every year that I can count on feeling like a child again. At one point during the show this year, my husband, Rich, actually told me that I should probably go sit in the car for awhile to calm down and relax for a bit. Ha! He was right! I needed a time out.

"Bewitching" was last Saturday (Sept. 28) and I'll give you the quick rundown. (It looks long, but really, I'm leaving a lot out.) It takes us about 12 hours of driving to get to the show from Connecticut. We leave before dawn because my goal is to get to Marshall on Thursday evening in time to claim a number to stand in line for the early morning sale on Saturday. This isn't a ticket. Just a place holder for standing in line- and you must show a driver's license- collectors are serious about their place in line. It's important to get a low number if you are hoping to purchase a specific piece at the show. And, you will fall in love with specific pieces ahead of time because the artists attending will be flooding your social media feed with what they are bringing for weeks in advance. It got so bad that I had to scroll quickly through my feed this year with my eyes closed. I don't like to fall in love with a piece because the chance that you'll be able to purchase it is pretty low unless your number is under 10. My number ended up being 122 this year to put it into perspective, and I was near the front of the line. 

As we drove into the Calhoun County Fairgrounds, I spied Kristen Stafford of the podcast Halloween Art & Travel waiting to greet us. She arrived shortly before we did and got her number right before us. Line buddies! We couldn't have planned it better.

Friday was spent shopping downtown Marshall- which is adorable and right out of a Norman Rockwell painting and then heading to Chelsea, MI for some more shopping. I know that you're probably wondering why I would be shopping ahead of the show, but as I explained to my husband, I wanted my credit card company to know I was there. I didn't want them declining my credit card because I was spending crazy amounts of money in under an hour on Saturday. Don't worry, Rich didn't really believe that excuse either. All I can say is that there are some really cute shops in this area. Also some good beer. We love visiting Albion Malleable and Dark Horse Brewing while we're in Michigan. (I swear no one is sponsoring this post- I just love these places so much!)

Friday evening there was a meet and greet with BPOH artists at Eastend Gallery in Marshall that was lots of fun. Some of the artists were invited to sell a piece of art at the gallery show and I was excited to be able to purchase a beautiful skull made by Ellen Gee- you may know her as the publisher and editor of Autumn Brilliance magazine. We had a delightful conversation about the beauty of death.

It was a frenzied hour of trying to talk to artists and other collectors. We only see each other once a year! I have to add that the punch probably helped the atmosphere- it was so delicious I asked for the recipe: one bottle of caramel vodka, one gallon of apple cider, and some caramel sauce swirled in. 

At one point, all the witches in the room went up to the ballroom on the third floor for a photo. I was chatting with Rebecca Miller Campbell and she said she hoped some child on the street was looking up at the windows and might see a witch standing there. Brilliant! I told her to gather the witches in the windows and I ran down to the street for a photograph. I wish I had a better camera than my phone, but the sentiment was captured at least. 

We all headed to bed early that night in order to be fresh for the show next morning- at least that is what we promised each other before heading out to a brewery.

I'll post about the actual show tomorrow.

2024 Halloween Artist Pop-up Sales and Shows!

This is a post to bookmark! I'm going to keep a running list of Halloween artist pop-up sales, shop updates, and shows that will be taking place for the next few months. These are events that I see in my social media feeds and email and want to remember. I have a feeling you do as well. 

Just don't buy what I want. heheheheh

October

5th Darksome Art & Craft Market at Mount Moriah Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA

7th Stacey Bear Fall/Halloween Sale, Online 8pm EST

15th Tattered Moon Halloween Shop Update, Etsy 7pm EST

16th Forever Fall Halloween Shop Update, Etsy 7:30 CST

17th Vintage By Crystal Halloween Shop Update, Etsy 11am EST

18-19th Salem Night Faire, Salem, MA

19th Clay of the Dead shop update 10am MT

25-26th Salem Night Faire, Salem, MA

25-26th Gothic Harvest Market at Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, NY

Stay tuned for updates!

So sorry, did you miss these?

September

3rd Erstwilder Halloween Brooches Release 12:30pm AEST

13th Farm and Foundry shop update 1:00pm EST

28th All Hallow's Art Fest in Petaluma, CA

28th Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween in Marshall, MI

August

30th  Wendy Addison Halloween Store Grand Opening in Port Costa, CA (Restocked every week!)

30th Sharon Bloom Designs Etsy Shop Halloween Update 8:15am PST

30th Le Puppet Regime The Everlasting Collection Arrives, Noon EST

31st Wendy Addison Halloween Online Shop Opening at Noon PST

31st EHAG Emporium Haunting Hallows Pop-up, 9pm EST

Shivers of Defocuses

You may have been wondering what I've been up to lately. 

Well, I've been caught in the cycle of busy work where nothing significant gets accomplished. 

I haven't lost my passion for all things spooky. I'm just waiting for this phase to pass. It always happens when I'm feeling a loss of direction or purpose. Rather than slow down and work it out I just add more mundane tasks to my to-do list. Do you do that too? For some reason, this blog keeps getting pushed aside. Perhaps I've been cursed?

While I figure it out, I hope you'll follow me on Instagram and Facebook where I'll post a daily inspiration (am I crazy?!) spooky stuff that inspires me, and hopefully you, to focus on what really matters: a deep connection with the mysterious, dark, and unknowable.

Are you following Strange Dolls?

It saves me a lot of time to be on artists' mailing lists. I hope you're taking advantage of it too. This week I received an email from Strange Dolls artist Beth Robinson about her new collection of Memento Mori boxes. They're beautiful!

I first saw Robinson's dolls at an art show in Vermont where she used to live. I purchased a melancholy doll with blood dripping from her nose and down her dainty white dress. It sounds gross, I know, but she is actually quite endearing. I brood about her troubles.

The figures in Robinson's Memento Mori boxes are fantastic and have an air of royalty. "Each element symbolizes the passage of time, the cycle of life,  and the inevitability of mortality." Robinson encases the figures in clear resin which for me almost freezes time. Very interesting.

Memento Mori Box #6

Memento Mori Box #1

Memento Mori Box #4

Memento Mori Box #3

If you like spiders, Robinson also has a few Black Widow Dolls in her shop.

Black Widow Doll #1

The Strange Doll shop is currently stocked with a great selection of art dolls and sculptures- even some Day of the Dead pieces. If you're looking for a doll stand (and who isn't when you're collecting Halloween art) I like this one because it's made to hold the dolls under their arms instead of around their waists. Don't miss out.

It took about a year, but it's sort of done.

I realize that about this time last year, I started the redecorating project where I switched my dining room with my Halloween art gallery. You can see the start of the project here >> and here >>. I just needed more room for art! I didn't expect it to take quite as long as it did, but I think I can call it sort of done. Every time I buy a new piece of Halloween art I have to move half of it around again to find the right space, but I'm sure you all understand that. 

I was a bit sad to lose the large space I had for the dining room, but since we don't entertain that often it really didn't make sense to have the dining room there. The Halloween art gallery was in a tiny room and was so filled with art that there was no place to sit and enjoy it. It the end the switch made sense. 

Introducing the new Halloween Art Gallery.

If you would like to see a short reel of the room head to @shiversdelight on Instagram. 

Rusty Dolls: Halloween Art from Finland

Taina Latvala creates some beautiful Halloween art dolls. The faces are so expressive, but I really love the costuming. Her shop is Rusty Dolls on Etsy and Latvala resides in Kurikka, Finland.

Halloween Witch at Dressing Table

Woodland Witch

Fortune Teller

Purple Witch

Old Ghost

Woodland Witch with Lantern

They're fantastic, right?!

Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween 2023: It's a Wrap!

I cannot believe it's over already! I look forward to Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween in Marshall, MI every year and it's gone in a blink of an eye. Truly, I think this one was the best ever.

This was my 5th trip to the show (4th for Bewitching and once for Ghoultide Greetings.) There were 52 vendors this year and 6 new artists. Bewitching Peddlers never disappoints. Jennie Hepler Takens of My Dearest Witch runs the show and has a booth. I don't know where she finds the time.

This year Eastend Studio & Gallery in Marshall had an exhibit of some of the artists' works and was open for a meet and greet event the night before the show. It was really great to be able to talk to artists and collectors because during the show it's rather hectic and not as easy to catch-up. Marshall is just the perfect setting. The town is friendly and adorable! This is my 3rd year of staying in an awesome Airbnb downtown- and yes, I've already been penciled in for next year there.

I have a few collages of photos just to give you an idea of the atmosphere of the show and weekend. My husband and I drove 12 hours straight from Connecticut and arrived just in time to get my ticket (Thursday evening) for standing in line for the early buy on Saturday morning. We got numbers 114 and 115- higher than usual for me! Several people in town asked me why you would need a number to stand in line. Well, collectors wants to be in quickly because some booths will sell out in 15 to 20 minutes. No joke. You have to have a plan and then you have to run. Fortunately, I did have a plan and was able to get to the The Goode Wife booth (Stacey Walsh) and pick up one of her Butter Witches she has been showing on social media. I would have been sad if I didn't get one. Stacey's booth sells out very quickly. I'm proud to say I didn't even gently guide (push) anyone out of the way. 

Right now, pull out your calendar and put a giant X on September 28, 2024 . I'll see you there!

Thursday and Friday in Marshall before the show.
Upper right are the fabulous check-in folks for the show and lower right is me with Kristen Stafford of the Halloween Art & Travel podcast. Our Airbnb host drew a sweet message on our bed. The gallery meet and greet is lower left.

The show is at the Calhoun County Fair Grounds and when you arrive it's very dark and a giant glowing pumpkin greats you.  I arrived by 7am for the 8am show. I love finding out where others in line are from and if it's their first time at the show. Upper left is a pic of me, Kristen, and Stephanie Hodges (Holiday Pizzazz online shop.) 

These are just a few of the vendor booths at the show. They're all decorated beautifully. 

Here is what I purchased to add to my collection. I will say that I bought almost twice what I normally do and I had to leave so many other beautiful pieces behind because I ran out of money. My credit card only stopped me once to inquire if perhaps my card had been stolen. Nope, just little old me on a shopping spree- a very fast shopping spree.

Butter Witch from The Goode Wife (Stacey Walsh)

Witch Brooch from Marguerite Noschese

Pumpkin Ornament from Acorn Cottage Collectibles (David Bruce)

Cat Rattle from Acorn Cottage Collectibles (David Bruce)

Cat and Pumpkin at a Fence from Iva Wilcox

Bat Bucket from Alycia Matthews

Witch Candy Container from Vandolls (Rachel Garrison)

Agatha Cat Witch from Tattered Moon (Lurena Williamson)

Beloved Pumpkin Couple from Mementos Art (Stacey Bear)

Ghost Under the Bed from Mementos Art (Stacey Bear)

Miniature Coffin Room Box from Silke Sordyl

Pumpkin Cart from My Dearest Witch (Jennie Hepler Takens)

Day of the Dead Stage from Allen Cunningham

Witch Hat from The Victorian Witch Hat (Karen Steinkraus)

Grim Kitty Banner from The Pickled Punks Show (Isaac Bidwell)

Sadsquatch Banner from The Pickled Punks Show (Isaac Bidwell)

2023 Autumn Brilliance Magazine (a must have) & Bewitching Peddlers Banner (My Dearest Witch)

Every trip to Marshall includes a stop at The Plaid Herb in downtown Marshall. Shop owner, Jody Mankerian, makes adorable primitive Halloween figures.

Halloween Witches and Cat from The Plaid Herb (Jody Mankerian)

I think that's everything! Maybe I should check the trunk one more time.