Fall Art Market: There is Still Saturday

This Saturday, October 8, 10 am - 5 pm

Sugarhouse Garden Center 

1602 East 2100 South 

Salt Lake City, Utah

 The big kick-off for the holiday arts and crafts season began today.  Well, for me anyway.  I wish everytime I wouldn't be so dissappointed of what I didn't get to make on my list.  I only had a week to prepare this time, so I made claims I wasn't able to get to.  So sorry if you went looking for my hand-lettered potions, the ones you see pictured are all from Jeni Gochnour's inventory.  The good news is they have almost moved from the designing phase (for the third year in a row) to the crafting phase. I also had to forget my painted lawn signs, handmade paper mache witches and a myriad of other pretties.  Nanette continues to remind me that there is always next year's show.  I kept whispering that to myself last night as I put on my jammies to just go to bed.

Childrens' Halloween Parade masks.  Or Mardi Gras.  Or Masquerade.  Take your pick.

I wish you could see how cute the ravens are with their black glittered beaks and eyes, ruffled collars, striped painted legs, and party hats.  We became instant friends as soon as the party hats were on and the bows tied.

Oh my, these sea salt caramel toffees in the mini coffin boxes turned out so tasty.   Great gifts for neighbors and teachers.

The handpainted recycled old spooky books created some last minute fun for me.

More New Years Eve masquerade and Witches Night Out masks.

Elsa painted and assembled all these little witchy finger cards.  Thanks my little apprentice!

Really fun streamers for your school classroom party, mantel or dining room table.  Some are fringed and some are just dual colors ruffled.  So fun to make!

More of Elsa's work.

Do you spy the little witch shoes?  I am so mad I didn't get a close up of these, they were my pride and joy.  The tag reads, "Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat."  And this table had the jar of frou-frou princess masks.  Pink, purple, and lots of sparkles.  Poisons by Jeni Gochnour.

This children's spinner game is so fun.  I have used it every year for one of my girls classroom parties over the last 10 years.  I re-created the game from one my friend, Jennie, found online from the 1930's or 40's.  The wording is just too cute.  You gather a few basic household and food items for the game, and them just spin away.  

Chloe Asks Nice Boy to Halloween High School Dance

Chloe came home from school a couple weeks ago on a Wednesday night and announced she was asking a boy to the Halloween dance that night at 8 pm.  

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, really?  You just turned 16, don't we want to gradually work up to the dating thing?",  I questioned.

"If I don't ask tonight, he'll be asked by Friday, " she responds.  "I have to."

"Okay, well the dance is in like 6 weeks, are you sure this must be done tonight?" I doubted.

"I'm sure.  I'm just glad you are so creative Mom, I'm sure you can think of something really cool," she brown-nosed.

No pressure there.  I had the Guynn wedding the next day and she had a Young Women's activity that night, so time was of the essence.  Chloe and I speed brainstormed for 10 minutes.  The result:  Uncle Sam and his slogan, "I want you!" marry The Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West, and her finger-pointing threatening line, "I'll get you, and your little dog too!"  We discussed what the picture inserted at the end of the book should look like.  It would be the Wicked Witch of the West, and she should be pointing her long, green fingers at him (Eddie), when he opens the book.  Chloe found the perfect image online in 2 minutes, maybe less, gotta love Google.  We made a quick trip to D. I. to purchase a couple of books. Then Matt saved the day and drilled the massive hole.  I lettered, painted, glued, burned and packaged, at Chloe's request, after all, who was asking who to the dance anyway? 

After all was said and delivered, I had the sinking feeling that we had just set the bar very high for Chloe's invitations and acceptances to the potential 36 other high school dances for the next 3 years, and then there is still Elsa and June to follow ...  I sure hope he says "yes", or there is going to be one mad witch at our house, possibly two.  And we might get his little dog too.  (long cackle)

Who does he answer?
Hint:  This book belongs to Chloe Ferre.

Is she sending subliminal messages in the book titles she chose?  Quite Possibly.

A new wax seal from my recent purchase at Tail of the Yak.

Matt drilled some very large holes through the inside of the two layers of books.   Super cool.

Notice the 3-D witch finger?

Just when I thought we were done with the project, Chloe wanted to burn and distress the cover page.
Details, details, I just don't know where she gets that from ...

Eddie, I hope you have the heart of the tin man and say "Yes!"  Just follow the Yellow Brick Road up 114th, you can't miss us on the north side.  She's patiently at home clicking her heels together for your affirmative reply, but her dad has considered sending the winged-monkeys after you.

(an even longer cackle)

The Halloween Season Turns Official

Eye saw Mommy kissing Frankenstein (original artwork by Julie Nelson)

(original artwork by Ann Gardner purchased at Art Market)

Deck the Halls with witches and pumpkins, fa la la la la la la la
(Stackable & Nesting Witch and Cat painted boxes by Barbara Young, Handpainted Gourds by Jeni Gochnour, Wool Pumpkin and Spider by Macey Wilcox, all available at Art Market)





The candy jars are filled of creatures with care, in hopes that the Phantom Ghost soon will appear.



Oh Spooky Tree, Oh Spooky Tree, how fragile are your branches?

Fright Food Night at the Ferre-nstein's

Well every party must start with an invitation of course...

(Ignore the spelling error, I was out of my mind for this one. "Specimans" of course is "specimen", but they were already sewn and ribbonized, so forget it!)

Then we have the 36 specimen samples on the soapstone lab surface...


Start concocting. I had sample pizza ideas listed on the lab sheets, or you could use those living brains and create your own.

John unable to keep the creature parts out of his mouth any longer



Jean Michel, always a straight A student, got extra credit for siting his research.


Yea, we are telling our scariest moment tales now. Can't you tell?


The couples' Trick or Treat bags filled with guests' favorite treats they brought to share with the group.

Nanette made caramel apples from the freshly harvested apples off her tree. Go Martha, go Martha!

Julie dried us some vulture brains (AKA amazing caramel corn)

Below, please find interesting specimen of the male gender:



Too bad girls, they are all taken.