My Spooky Agenda: July 28 :: August 4

If you've been following my Spooky Agenda posts, you'll see quite a few death anniversary posts. My hope is that you'll click the link and read a little about the person and maybe decide to read their books or watch their films. It's my way of keeping Halloween alive all year long and honoring their work in making Halloween special. 

You may also notice that today is a Shivers of Delight anniversary! Yikes!! I started this blog 7 years ago with a single photo. I didn't know what direction I was going to take with the blog, but I wanted to connect with others who had the same passion for Halloween. I've met so many wonderful people and the blog has led me to some amazing artists. Thanks for encouraging me!

Now, this important message: clear your calendar for Sunday morning/afternoon. Wendy Addison's Halloween shop is only open for a limited time each year and it sells out. It opens on August 1st online and you need to be there.

Wednesday the 28th

• 7th Anniversary of the Shivers of Delight blog!
• Pop Up Ghost Stories with New England Curiosities, 7PM EDT (online event)
• (2014) Margot Adler Death Anniversary (Wiccan Priestess, Author, Journalist)

Friday the 30th

• The Magic of Reading Tarot for Others Zoom Workshop with Roxie Zwicker, 6:30PM EDT

Sunday the 1st

• Wendy Addison's Halloween Phantasmagoria shop opens, 3PM EDT

Tuesday the 3rd

• (1983) Carolyn Jones Death Anniversary (portrayed Morticia Addams on The Addams Family)

Wednesday the 4th

• International Owl Awareness Day 

Happy Halloween!

Jack-o'-lantern Favorites: Macabre Mix Monday

I don't know if you saw this photo of my new display cabinet that I posted on Facebook and Instagram last week, but I realized I need more jack-o'-lanterns for my collection. Sure, it looks full, but some of these pieces are reproductions that are great for Halloween decorating, but I want to display artist-made pieces year round. So I'm on the hunt.

I started my search on Etsy because frankly it's just easier- don't discount easy; people shop at big box stores for a reason.

That said, below are some pieces that capture what I look for in a jack-o'-lantern.

Paper Maché Jack-o'-lantern from CreepyTreasureNProps

Hand Hooked Pumpkin Chair Seat from Jayne Tynan Design

White Pumpkin Lantern from Josh Hogge Arts

Hand Carved Pumpkin & Black Cat from Joy Hall Folk Art

Original Oil Painting, Pumpkin Still Life from Tony Corbitt Jr. Fine Art

Spun Cotton Jack-o'-lantern Roasting Corn from Susie Scott Studios

Woodcut Print, J is for Jack-o-lantern, from Normandie Art

I don't post anything that I don't absolutely love. I just wish my real Halloween collection could include all of my virtual collection pieces! 😭

Bold Halloween Rhinestone Jewelry

It has begun! Today marks the start of 100 days of Halloween. To celebrate boldly, I have some stunning Halloween rhinestone brooches to show you that were designed by Bettina von Walhof and her daughter Michelle. These pieces are highly collectible and you're going to want one too. What better way to show your love of Halloween? These pieces are all from the Etsy shop vonWalhof Jewelry that is managed by Michelle Whitfield-Walhof.

Halloween Witch Brooch, signed B & M von Walhof

Gothic Stylized Bat Brooch signed B & M von Walhof

Frankenstein's Monster Brooch signed B & M von Walhof

Jack-O'-Lantern Brooch, B & M von Walhof

Giant Goliath Beetle Brooch signed Bettina von Walhof

Halloween Owl Brooch signed B & M von Walhof

If you're mouth is hanging open, definitely hop over to the shop to see more of their beautiful work.

My Spooky Agenda

We hit 100 days till Halloween this week! There are lots of Halloween sales going on. Forget about spending money on anything but Halloween from now till November. I hope you have lots of ramen noodles in your house.

I'll definitely be attending the Darksome Art & Craft Market on Friday- so many great Halloween artists sell here. Block some time off for this during the weekend because artists update their shops at different times and days. A special shout out to Skullduggery Ceramics participating in the sale who had planned to have her physical shop opened for the event and had to quarantine due to COVID-19 in her household. Make sure you stop by her Etsy shop.

And, what can I say about the Morbid Anatomy museum other than please support them if you can.

Finally, I'll be remembering Margot Adler on the 28th. Her 1979 book Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today was an introduction to Wicca for me -plus, I used to love her stories on NPR.

Wednesday the 21st

• Yarrow Blood moving sale of prints and original ink drawings, 11am EDT

Friday the 23rd

• 100 Days Till Halloween!! 
• Darksome Art & Craft Market, online through the 25th (over 100 artists!)
• Instagram #TrickorTreatYoSelfSale- use the hashtag to find special deals
• A Virtual Weekend of Tarot & Divination workshops through the 25th

Sunday the 25th

• Morbid Anatomy Taxidermy Benefit Auction at 3pm EDT on Instagram @taxidermyauction

Wednesday the 28th

• (2014) Margot Adler Death Anniversary (Wiccan Priestess, Author, Journalist)

Halloween is Coming: Macabre Mix Monday

A little of this, a little of that for Macabre Mix Monday. Here are some pieces that caught my eye this week, and it was a busy week. I found a few spooky items at the Brimfield Antique/Flea Market (you can see them on my Instagram feed), a beautiful antique display cabinet from Facebook Marketplace to house my jack-o'-lantern collection, and a log cabin doll house that I think will work perfectly for a witch cottage. More about those at a later date.

Jack-O'-Lantern Shelf from The Poisoned Painter 1

Ghost Wreath from The Village Peddler Co

Stained Glass Snakes from Sclo Glass Studio

Haunted House from Mel Poole Studio

Halloween Witch Art Doll from Bethany Lynn Originals

Halloween Raven Business Card Holder from vranaraven

Ceramic Pumpkin from Kirillov Shop

I think the time leading up to Halloween is so exciting!

New Halloween Collections: My Spooky Agenda

I'm starting to see more shop updates. I'm shivering with delight!

 Wednesday the 14th

• An Education in the Grotesque: The Gargoyles of Yale University online lecture
• Burial Ground dried floral, hand-bouquets shop update, 6pm EST (these sell out quickly!)

Thursday the 15th

• Obon Festival, Japanese festival of honoring the dead (Kantö region)

Friday the 16th

• Amy Earles: Wool & Water Art and Design shop update and sale!
• Virtual Market of the Beast: A dark market for the weird, wild, occult & obscure (through the 18th)
• Vandolls Folk Art August Spooky Box pre-order and shop update 6pm EST
• (1993) Hocus Pocus film released

Saturday the 17th

• New Halloween collection drops at October 31st online shop

Tuesday the 20th

• (1999) Sandra Gould Death Anniversary (2nd Gladys Kravitz on Bewitched) 

Pumpkin Brooches: Macabre Mix Monday

Let's start thinking about our wardrobe for the Halloween Season. I like to accessorize with artist made jewelry. Even if I'm wearing a simple all-black outfit, a brooch can make it pop and put me in the Halloween spirit. I found some beautiful pumpkin brooches that I'm considering adding to my collection. Which one do you like?

Beaded Jack-O'-Lantern Brooch from Atelier Ojos de Gato

Embroidered Pumpkin Brooches from Anna Mozet Art

Sterling Silver Pumpkin Brooch from Olympias

Embroidered Pumpkin Brooch from Plumaria Art

Beaded Pumpkin Brooch from Thezora Art Bijoux

Sterling Silver Pumpkin Brooch from Jan Palomba Design

Ceramic Pumpkin Brooch from Sharon Bloom Designs

Embroidered Crow and Pumpkin Brooch from Saliy Embroidery

Hand Painted Tin Crow and Pumpkin Brooch from Designs by MoDa

Ceramic Floral Pumpkin Brooch from Studio Flower NN

The nice thing about these brooches is that even when you're not wearing them, you could display them in a frame!

Heather Gleason: My Eclectic Mind

I first wrote about Heather Gleason's spooky art back in 2015 (read the post here) and since then I have purchased one of her paintings. I absolutely love it and it's one of the pieces in my collection that gets lots of ooooohs and ahhhhhs. 

Gleason is active on facebook at My Eclectic Mind and is continually adding new pieces, plus she has lots of flash discount sales.  In addition to painting, Gleason has an illustrated Halloween book called The Mysterious Spooky Stories of My Eclectic Mind available on Amazon and occasionally some t-shirts in her shop. You'll always find original art, which is something I love. Here's a sample of what she has available as of today.

The Dead Live Here

Leaving My Body

Ghouls Love Green

Remember the Way

Take a minute to visit her website and if you're on Facebook follow her here and if you prefer Instagram you'll find her @myeclecticmind, and when you can purchase your Halloween art directly from the artist or from reputable shops that you know are stealing artists' work.

A History of Ghosts: My Spooky Agenda

 
There are some great lectures this week and even a suspenseful movie if you want to brush up on your French.

Thursday the 8th

• Tracing Poe's Footsteps Through the Bronx, Online lecture from New York Adventure Club
• (1994) Dick Sargent Death Anniversary (2nd actor to play Darrin Stephens on Bewitched) 

Friday the 9th

• (1774) Anna Morandi Manzolini Death Anniversary (Anatomical wax modeler)

Saturday the 10th

• KilkennyCat Art 20% Off sale on original art & ornaments (through the 15th)

Sunday the 11th

• The Cultural History of Ghosts lecture from Morbid Anatomy

Monday the 12th

• Virtual Cinema Elevator to the Gallows (1958 French film)

Wednesday the 14th

• An Education in the Grotesque: The Gargoyles of Yale University online lecture

My Abandoned Cemetery Garden

I keep thinking that my husband and I need to purchase some tombstones for our backyard garden. 

When we moved into our house 17 years ago, the backyard was a sloping area of mown grass. Having moved from the south where I loved to garden, and watching my husband continuously mow the unused area, I realized that we were going to need to create something interesting here. After one landscape architect and a lot of dirt moving and plant buying I've ended up with a design I didn't even know I craved- the abandoned cemetery. 

The garden is now full of blooming plants that have spread everywhere but where I planted them. There are hundreds of bees and birds, chipmunks and squirrels, neighborhood cats, and even a fox that have claimed the area. The weeds are too much to keep up with even though I spend hours working there each week. So, I've decided that I need to be true to my nature and embrace the look of a long forgotten cemetery. We've joked that a few broken down tombstones would not be out of place. Well, my husband thinks we're joking. I'm not so sure.

If you're curious about the blue bottles, they are on the bottle trees we've installed at various spots around the yard. You can read my post about them here and even see my husband putting up our first one many, many years ago.

Gargoyles: Macabre Mix Monday

If you're new to this blog, Macabre Mix Mondays are when I show a variety of Halloween artists- sometimes with a theme and some times just some of my favorite items I've come across. Most of the pieces I find are on Etsy and are one of a kind so if you see something you like, don't delay in making a purchase.

Later this week I'll have a link for an online lecture on the gargoyles of Yale University for you to watch and keeping in theme, I decided that maybe I (and perhaps you?) need some gargoyles in my collection of Halloween art.  

This would look splendid on the top of our garage.

Gargoyle Weathervane from Weathervanes of Maine

If the weathervane is out of your price range, perhaps a little watering spike for your houseplant?

Gargoyle Watering Spike from Mountain Mud Works

I know I've shown you this post cap before, but it's so fantastic it's worth another look.

Gargoyle Wood Fence Post Cap from Postcapman

One of these days, we're actually going to put a doorbell on our house that works (instead of having people ring the broken one we can't hear) and it will look something like this.

Bronze Gargoyle Doorbell from Honeck Sculptures

This polymer clay sculpture is stunning, don't you think? (and it's very affordable)

Quasimodo and Gargoyle Sculpture from Justa Sculpture

Imagine having a cuppa out of this!

Reproduction Gargoyle Teapot from Rockerbilia

I love these ceramic gargoyle wall pieces.

Gargoyle Wall Decor from Mandy Stapleford 

Prices for these pieces range widely and the artists have other gargoyle as well, so visit all the shops to find your perfect gargoyle.