Shivers of Delight

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!

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 hav...

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 ...

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 sho...

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.

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...

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.