Shivers of Delight

Natalia Lubieniecka brings beauty to what some may consider gory. I, however, am awed by her exquisite, anatomical textile art. You can tell that Lubieniecka is celebrating the beauty in all of us with her work. This is dark art at its finest. The shop is My Soul Design .  Human Heart with Flowers Brooch Human Heart Textile Sculpture Frog Anatomy Sculpture Mouse Anatomy Sculpture Gold Bird Owl & Moon Mobile There are over a hundred beautifully sculpted pieces in this shop. Even if these pieces are out of your budget you should take a look at the artistry. 

I first fell in love with spun cotton figures when I discovered work by Crystal and Ben Sloan of Vintage by Crystal . I own several of their Halloween figures including a bat, cat, and octopus. The tiny little figures have that nostalgic Halloween feel that I just love. This year they've teamed up with Johanna Parker to create figures with some of Parker's images.  This is one of the Halloween art shops that I recommended in The Samhain Society Presents Halloween 2020 zine I featured just a few weeks ago. If you haven't had a chance to read it, grab a pumpkin donut and head over there after you check out Vintage by Crystal. Halloween Bat in partnership with Johanna Parker Mummy and Coffin Halloween Spider Snake Figures Orange Witch Handsome Devil in partnership with Johanna Parker Visit the shop for lots of Halloween figures, and the rest of the holidays are covered as well if you interested. 

Have you ever had that experience where you start pulling out your Halloween decor and realize you need just one more piece for just that certain spot? If it's something to hang on the wall I suggest you take a look at the Schooner Bay Co.' s framed vintage-style Halloween paper cuts. They're sweet and eye-catching. They may not be hand-cut originals, but you'll appreciate the price. The shop also carries some wooden standing silhouettes. Ride of the Headless Horseman Witches Brew and Cauldron Witch Midnight Ride Wicked Witch and Moon Wooden Standing Witch Silhouette Wooden Standing Headless Horseman I went to college in the town right next to Sleepy Hollow and I'm astonished that I haven't been collecting headless horseman pieces. I think a new sub-collection has been sanctioned.

I have to admit with Halloween quickly approaching I've put aside making my spooky dollhouse for the moment. I think this year I'll move the miniature haunted room challenge to later in the year. After all, we need to spread the joy of the season throughout the year! That doesn't mean we need to stop planning and purchasing miniatures. Dark Wishes Designs UK has tiny little portraits and furniture that might just inspire your next project.  Dollhouse Skeleton Portrait Monster in a Birdbath Halloween Chairs and Pumpkin Set of 3 Potion Bottles Bone Collector Cabinet Skull Planter When I retire you'll find me at a table making miniatures and dollhouses. I spent hours planning and dreaming about them as a child and it probably influenced my desire to study interior design and later historic preservation. Life really is a circle. 

What a shopping weekend! I spent money at three different Halloween art shows that went online this year. I hope you're following me on Facebook because I often post about upcoming shows there. There are lots of shows still to come and the supply of Halloween art never dries up. For instance, look what I have for Macabre Mix Monday- the Shivers of Delight mini-Halloween art show every Monday morning. Halloween Bat Bow Tie from Linnell Designs White Chocolate & Strawberry Eyeballs from Chocon Choc Ceramic Sugar Skull Wall Hanging from Addie Clay Pants Ceramic Monster Mug from 735Art Beaded Pumpkin Brooch from Bijoulen Beaded Ghost Brooch from Hattie McGill Stained Glass Pumpkin Brooch fro Julivani Witch and Cauldron Pendant/Brooch from Alex Smila Spider Birdhouse Garden Post from Le Birdhouse Boutique You see? The well of Halloween art never runs dry. 

I was probably in middle school and we were on our annual family trip to the Adirondack Mountains. As I recall (and I do have a horrible memory so this could have been a dream) I walked out to the dock wearing white shorts, a pink top, and a shiny red vinyl belt and my fashion conscious sister told me in no uncertain terms that pink and red don't go together. How can that be?! They're different shades of the same color! Someone else once told me that two blues in a watercolor I was painting didn't go together either. It blows my mind.  Maybe that's why the instant I saw the painted canvas pennants from coolcatkmart  (Kaitlin Martin) I couldn't stop looking at them. The entire shop is pink and red and spooky. The pennants are bold and groovy, and the drawings are eerily romantic. I think I need a pink and red room in our house. I think I need one of these pennants. Pink & Black Moth Pennant Bat Original Painting Edward Gorey Lady Pennant Pink Witch Original Drawi...

I was searching on Etsy for a Halloween brooch and came upon the fantastic, beaded jewelry of Anna Borisova. The rich colors and tiny details bring her creepy crawly bugs to life. There are so many wonderful brooches in her shop, Borisova Designs , but you'll also find earrings, necklaces, and lots more. I can't imagine the time (or good eyesight) it takes to complete one of these pieces. They should be worn all year- not just at Halloween. Large Scolopendra Insect Brooch Embroidered Spider Brooch in Green or Black Beaded Sugar Skull Brooch Mystical Velvet Hand Brooch Stag Beetle Brooch Beaded Evil Eye Earrings I would frame one of these pieces so that when it's not being worn it can be on display. You could even have a little sign that says the piece is "on loan" while you're wearing it!