Shivers of Delight

Dias de los Muertos may have passed, but that doesn't mean we stop collecting.   FourElementsShoppe has a nice assortment of reasonable-priced, imported, Mexican folk art. Besides carrying tin retablos and skeleton figures, there is a large number of colorful tiles that would look fantastic framed in a grouping. The subjects will make you smile. Sugar Skull Walking Dog Skeleton "American Gothic" Skeleton Playing Slot Machine Skeleton Fishing Skeleton Bathing Skeleton Playing Baseball Start with the tiles, but then take a look at the mugs. Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo Sugar Skull Mug These are so much fun! Take a look at everything in the shop.

In the back of my mind I keep thinking that I need to throw a witches' tea party. I imagine crazy witch hats and spooky little teacups filled with whiskey. I'm not crazy, right? I've had my eye out for some teacups and came across MoreThanPorcelain . Monica Diamantopoulou finds porcelain sets of dishes made in Germany between the 50s and 70s and add embellishments that I think you'll like. Day of the Dead Coffee Mug Nightmare Before Christmas Tea for 2 Set Skeleton With Glasses Plate Sugar Skull Plate Edgar Allen Poe Mug Skeleton Valentine Plate Sugar Skull Tea Pot Now that I've found this shop, I'm thinking a winter witches' tea would be lovely. A new tradition may have just been born.

I hear a lot of people say they get depressed when Halloween is over. I'm afraid the Christmas music before Thanksgiving might just drive them over the edge. Fortunately, I think I might have a solution for anyone who needs a reminder that the spirit of Halloween is with us everyday: Pocket Halloween Shrines. You know those mint tins in random drawers around your house? Turn them into a memento Halloween box! You can carry one in your purse or pocket and when you start to hear the sounds of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", just whip that shrine out, open it up, and breathe a sigh of relief. If you're not feeling very crafty at the moment,  MindThePins is a shop that sells little spooky shrines. These adorable little shrines offer words of encouragement and are made from bits of lace, religious charms, tiny little skeletons. Little Skeleton Shrine: Be Persistent  Little Skeleton Shrine: You Are The Controller Little Skeleton Shrines: Rough Times Are Be...

Well, it's finally happened. If you've been following this blog for awhile, you'll know that I've been wanting to make a cat bed out of a coffin. At first, I though a wicker casket would be nice and cozy, but then realized that the cats would probably shred it to bits. I searched antique stores and markets for a coffin that was affordable and sturdy and this September you may remember that I finally found a small, four-foot coffin at Brimfield. This week I had some time on my hands and decided to make my coffin cat bed a reality. I purchased a can of Behr's Fall Foliage paint and five wood-turned-legs and got busy. 1st of 3 coats of Behr Fall Foliage paint A little semi-gloss black paint on the legs 5 lovely feet attached to the coffin Scooter helps me position the new cat bed The sign of approval came when our alpha cat, Tonka, tried out the bed first. He was quite pleased. Steps (made by my father-in-law for me to use in the kit...

I have several pieces of jewelry that I can only wear during Halloween season: the brooch that says "bad witch", the rhinestone skeleton, the giant spider necklace, among others. Then there are the spooky pieces I wear throughout the year. They tend to be a little more subtle or just darn cute, like my eyeball necklace and my tiny, bone, skull necklace. The little porcelain jewelry by Yoana Alexandrova are pieces you can wear all year long. They're playful and fall in the "just darn cute" category. They look like little pieces of candy. You can find Alexandrova's collection of skulls and eyeballs at PorcelainCreatures . Sugar Skull Pendant with Roses Skull Necklace Evil Eye Necklace Evil Eye Pendant Skull Charm Necklace Teal Devil Brooch Alexandrova has lots of skulls to choose from in her shop and they're very affordable. She also makes charms in the likeness of animals and plants, if you're interested.

Oops. I meant to post this for Day of the Dead and got swept up in the moment, I guess. Jaap Barten-Biemans (also known as Professor Struntköpf) repaints vintage holy statues in a Day of the Dead style. They look divine! (sorry) When I look at these statues I can't help but think Jaap has given them much more emotion. Religious statues often look pensive and sad, but these redone statues seem filled with love tinged with a warning to take care of our souls. I love the way joy and fear are combined here. You can find these statues at Muertify . Holy Jesus Bust Holy Mary Bust Joseph and Baby Jesus Statue The Puppet Master Santa Muerte/Holy Theresa Statue Holy Mary & Baby Jesus Bust These would be beautiful on a family altar, don't you think?

I love the feel of cool porcelain in my hands. It's the perfect medium for skulls. Pam Stern has been sculpting clay for about 20 years and creates hand-painted, original sculptures. None of her pieces are made with molds, so you know each one will be unique. Check out her website gallery for beautiful fantasy sculptures - the link is connected to her name above. If you interested in something a little smaller, Stern has a shop on Etsy called PSPorcelain . The paintings on the porcelain are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Blue and White Ceramic Skull Skull Cup Blue and White Skull Cup Day of the Dead Shot Glass Skull and Roses Vase Black and White Day of the Dead Story Cup These cups are very affordable and I doubt they'll last long. They might even be gone before this post is published if I get my way...