Shivers of Delight

I could make an entire collection from Halloween masks. While they used to be flimsy and mass-produced, you can now find artists creating beautiful masks that are worthy of displaying on a wall. If only I had another wall. The masks I'm showing you today are from an artist who studied folk art and it's evident in her work. Galina (Sergivev Posad, Russia) uses everything from paper maché to injected plastics to create her masks. Her shop is called Rhythm Box Masks . Lucifer Devil Mask Skull Mask Santa Muerte Mask Skull Mask Daemon Mask Darn it, now I want a wall of skull masks. It never ends, does it?

You don't see many artists doing quilling, but when you do it's amazing. I remember being in junior high when I saw my first quilling kit at the local craft store. It seemed like such a simple thing to roll tiny strips of paper and glue them together to make beautiful flowers. My excitement turned to frustration when the paper tore and the glue stuck to my fingers and the paper in the most unattractive way. It's harder than it looks. Sarah Yakawonis  (Greene, Maine) must be a very patient person. Her fine-art quilling produces intricate images of anatomy using hundreds of pieces of hand-torn paper. They really are magnificent. Her shop is Yakawonis Quilling and along with her original art she offers prints of her work. Anatomical Hand Anatomical Back Quilled Skull Full Figure Muscle Structure Veins of the Head Neck Muscles I'm fascinated by these images and would love to see them in person.

I am possibly the only person in the world who doesn't look good in a t-shirt. You might call me a freak- I do. That doesn't stop me from buying them, though, because I fall in love with the creative designs. I have a large pile of t-shirts in a stack labeled "needs to be altered." The designs by Freak Show Clothing are calling to me. Hey, add another to the pile, right? Hatchet Rose Sword Swallower Dead Johnny's Barbershop Little Hooligan Toddler T-shirt Snow White Creepshow I may not look good in t-shirts, but I look fabulous in black. Sold!

I'll bet we can have a fight over which of these pillows is the best. It will probably come to blows because how can we pick just one? Amanda Treder has an eye for finding the perfect images to transfer to pillow covers. Her pillows will give even your brightest room a dark edge. And that is a good thing. The pillow covers are velveteen- I love that. Her shop is called treder .  Don't miss it. Edgar Allan Poe Portrait Creature from the Black Lagoon H. P. Lovecraft Portrait I Only Have Eyes For You Set Palmistry Smoking Skeleton You can choose from a few different colors for you pillows, but black and white are always in style.

There are so many amazing artists in the world, that I can't keep up! So, I'm cleaning out my files and showing you a variety of delightful items by various artists. I hope you'll visit all of their shops. They deserve the attention. Raven Teddy Doll from boverly8 Silver Vintage Skull Pin from CMajorJewelry Death and Resurrection Pendant from alishaanti Black Leather Vase from LeasBoutique Miniature Devil in a Graveyard from S3CreationsIL Bronze Cat Skull from mrsoles Laser Cut Devil Charm from Shareliving I feel so much better get these posted. I hate when items get sold before you see them!

The illustrations by A. L. Swartz are quiet, elegant, and perhaps startling to those not familiar with Dark Art. Three-eyed creatures, skulls, and exposed anatomy are all part of Swartz's surreal world. He says he creates his "own realm of esoterically-charged flora and fauna, drawing heavily on the themes of symbiotic relationships, the circle of life, and the classic concept of memento mori ." You'll find his work for sale at SkullGardenShop and can learn where he'll be exhibiting at Skull Garden . Blue Jay with Yellow Roses Seeker Fox The Wooden Tarot Deck Original Painting Osara Goat Ruby Cat Skull Amethyst Skull I love the details in these illustrations. I could look at them for hours.

Stephanie Buscema is one busy, spooky, woman. Her bright, sassy illustrations end up on everything from prints, to pins, to clothing and fabric design- and she runs it all herself. Sure there is an Etsy shop ( StephBuscemaMart ) to draw you in with prints and pins, but if you really want to see what she has to offer, you need to hop over to her website The Art of Stephanie Buscema and then link over to her shop Kitschy Witch Designs . Buscema's style has a retro comic book feel and her images focus on Halloween past and outer space. I think I need some of the fabric to whip up a skirt. Memento Mori Charm Bracelet Mr. Fluffy Are You There? Giclée Print Storm Hags Hedge Riders T-shirt Mallory Bones Giclée Print Fortune Teller Spinner Wheel Pin Count Orlok Giclée Print Here is a quick look at some of Buscema's textiles .     These are fun, right? Make sure you check out all the links to see she has to offer.

Sometimes, things call to you. You keep getting signs and realize it's time to stop ignoring them and just give in. That's what happened to me with the writer Zora Neale Hurston . Hurston was born in 1891 in Eatonville, Florida and died in 1960 in Fort Pierce, Florida. In between those years, this African-American woman saw more, did more, than I can ever hope to do. Reading is something that I really enjoy, and southern women writers have a special place in my heart. Their writing always seems to be a good combination of the mystical and practical. So, a year or so ago when my friend's girlfriend, an English teach in a local high school, told me her favorite author was Zora Neal Hurston, an African-American writer from the South, I was a bit taken aback. How had I never heard of her? She promised to lend me some books, but time when on and we forgot about it. Then, a few months ago, I opened my Facebook feed and front and center some nonprofit or other had a large quot...

Sometimes I have fantasies of quitting my job and making odd dolls all day and night. I wouldn't be able to sell any of them so the fantasy usually ends in me being in debtor's prison making weird mice taxidermy (I adjust to my circumstances pretty well.) It's people like Zlata that fuel my dream. When I look at the anthropomorphic dolls she is creating my mouth falls open. She creates figures for a world she calls Athrogon, and all are hand made from bits of fabric and clay that only she can breathe life into.  I'm in awe. The shop is Zlata's Fantasy Forest . Brown Bat Soft Sculpture Ravena Art Doll Flying Fox Soft Sculpture Mrs. Pumpkin Soft Sculpture Mermaid Katrina Art Doll Furry Deer Art Doll I'm so impressed with these dolls. I must find out more about Zlata. Visit her shop and make sure you open each image to see the full photos.