Instructions for an ark, anyone?

It's raining... non-stop. It's not helping with the lack-of-Christmas-spirit thing... plus the crazy people on the news have kinda fouled any headway I was making. (Pepper-spray? Really?!) What's happening with people, we are so messed up!



My single pumpkin sprout was joined by two new babies, that's rather wonder-full! So cute!




We did bake 3 kinds of cookies on the weekend, they turned out pretty great, but I think I need snow. Lots.






In more exciting and happy news, I just sent in my submission to Teddy Bear Review, as Stephanie Finnegan requested material for an article about "What are you doing in 2012?" It just so happened that I was discussing a collaboration with Tammi Beaulieu and so I was able to send Stephanie our plans to create something together! I really do need to re-focus and get back to making things, I've gone stale and need to find my passion again... Working with Tammi is definitely going to help as my lady bear will need to be awesome enough to be paired with one of her dragons!!!

And by the way: 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, and, according to the Chinese Calendar, rats play nicely with dragons...

The taste of memories

With help from Darcie (thank you so much!!), I was able to find a recipe for a treat that I have long craved: chrusciki! Not that I knew what they were called... I only remember them from my grandmother and from long-ago German Christmas pot-luck gatherings.

You can find the recipe at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chrusciki-i/detail.aspx, I'll be trying it out soon! Tomorow looks good, maybe the smells will create some Christmas spirit.

To you, they're Brandy Crisps...

Today I came across this, in the November issue of "Taste of Home" magazine. Wow, and they don't sound too difficult. The brandy in the cream should make them quite decadent... We're going to make a batch for Christmas.

And of course, you see the Hallowe'en potential!? Fried toad flesh maybe? Tint the cream green (with spinach powder) or red, maybe add some berries or raisins for gut bits and it'll look awesome!

Trying, trying...

Okay, cookies like these might get me into the Christmas mood (instructions are here: http://www.crazydomestic.com/2010/12/melted-snowman-cookies.html).




But only after a hearty breakfast!

So, perhaps I should celebrate a success: I did create 3 rat silhouettes out of fiberboard with battery tea lights for eyes! I left the fiberboard white so they would show more in the dark and also had an extra tea light behind each one.

Here they are on their big night, pretty cute I think!

Also, visiting Elora during "Monster Month" was a highlight. At the Twilight Zoo during Scare Fair (love these names!), we met Tim Murton and Julie and I very much want to be part of this amazing Hallowe'en event in 2012. There are lots of possibilities, from helping set up to having a booth to perhaps supplying treats for an opening or closing party?? They need volunteers, so if you can help, scream it out! Visit http://www.twilightzoo.ca/ to see some of the amazingly beautiful and spooky paper and fiber mache creatures.
Look at the joy in these dancing demons! Who would not want to join in?!

Pumpkin fate

So what happens to Jack-o-lanterns after Hallowe'en?

Well, the non-organic ones, like this stunning creation in the center by the Gothic Gourd lady herself, Stacy Saman, gets carefully packed away with the other Hallowe'en treasures to shine again another year.

The real pumpkins, if they're lucky, get to take part in a Pumpkin Parade, like this one where people from all over town came to drop off their Jacks of all kinds, showing amazing creativity!

And then?

Well, again, if they're lucky they get to go to a boar farm and be devoured with gusto!

Things not done...

... I have a list. A long list. The year is almost out and 2012 is brewing on the horizon.

I really wanted to use these for a meal for Hallowe'en... very cool veggie pasta.

And I really wanted to make something like this for the Online Hallowe'en Studio Tour.

So now the green grass pasta will become something Solstice-y and the ghost... well, it's a long winter.

I think I have to come to a full stop, enough running around with 1/2 a chicken head and decide what I really want. Especially for next Hallowe'en.

What's your dream tattoo?

I thought I'd try something new! I really enjoy creating my dressed lady bears: each has such personality and character. So why not invite you, yes you dear collector, to imagine your ideal lady bear and we will create her together!

A big part of these ladies is their tattoos and piercings, so I created a gallery of tattoos for you to see what's possible and let your imaginiation free! So please enjoy the

and please email me if you have any questions...

(Weird truth: the wilder the creation, the faster she finds a home!)

baking Krampus

With the falling snow (where did all the leaves go?!), it's become evident that that other Holiday (you know, Christmas) is on its way. The older I get, the less I like Christmas. I am already sick of all the stuff in the stores and it's only November 11th!!! Seriously, can't they at least wait until after Remembrance Day?
Anyway, can't stop a train wreck, can you? So, what do I like about Christmas? I like baking, and last year we made Krampus cookies!!! Yesterday I hunted for a cookie cutter, but the only one I could find isn't very good, but I did find instructions on how to make your own cutters, and amazon.ca sells a cookie cutter making kit, or even just the metal refills for the kit. Hmmm... I'm thinking maybe to create some Christmas joy I need to Hallowe'en it, with a little devilish mirth!


Here's a close-up of last year's creations, chocolate cookies with red sugar glitter horns, yellow mini-Smartie eyes and dried cranberry tongues. I used two shapes, a crescent moon and a heart, but it was slow going.

Pumpkin 2012?

One happy Hallowe'en surprise presented itself when I was cutting into and cleaning our Jack-o-lanterns-to-be! Sprouted seeds! Deep within the dark cozy "womb" of one of our pumpkins, several seeds had grown roots and were sprouting!

How magical! We planted these sweetlings and one survived the shock, and here he is, being unimpressed today with another shock: snow!!!

So, what am I going to do with this baby? Can I keep him alive all winter, until I can plant him outside? How do you slow down a pumpkin's growth?

Getting over the blues...

I can't believe Hallowe'en is over... Yesterday I packed away the last of the decorations (although I simply couldn't fold away the child-sized skeleton, it would just be wrong! He's living in my studio for now.)
I've been rather depressed (where have all the ghosties gone?) and then I got this lovely package in the mail!

When you receive something this creative, you know you're blessed. Real leaves are taped onto the box, so simple yet so elegant! I received this from Sally J. Smith of Green Spirit Arts, one of my Online Hallowe'en Artists' Studio Trick or Treat artists, and inside I found the 2012 calendar and greeting cards I purchased, along with many special thank you treats. These are some of the cards:






To see more of Sally's amazing work, please visit
http://www.greenspiritarts.com.