Wednesday, September 30, 2009

October Eve's Moon...
Its October Eve...that's right, the last night of September, and the night before...OCTOBER!
Makes me swoon with anticipation....hearing crows this time of year sends a shiver through my soul. That chilly feeling I get when I step outside either early or late...the way I can start to see through the woods a little more, all yank my heart out of my chest. Its the ultimate month for a person most at home in the woods. Makes me want to throw on my oldest pair of jeans and an old sweater with the sleeves too long and jump on the nearest horse and let his nose lead us wherever he pleases for as long as he pleases or untill we both get too tired. I'll fill my eyes with fresh mown hay bales, hawks soaring overhead, purple morning glories, dry yellow fields and cut soybeans....We'll race cloud shadows accross the ground all the way to the haunted looking rotting down farm house, and I'll peer down the well shaft. Yes, spit. Then we'll hop over an old rusty fence or two, quiet tresspassers by now. Anything for pretty patches of dry and witchy looking moss. Or a feather, skull, litter of bones, some worthy artifact. I'll talk to my horse with my thoughts alone, or my legs, is it the legs? He is a mind reader for sure. I'll need a stick, a spiderweb stick, till we get out of the woods. I will lay down on his back while he grazes. Late afternoon sunbeams will paint psychadelic pictures on the backs of my eyelids.
Later that night, I'll take a long hot bath and afterwards eat rice pudding or pumpkin muffins in a big old flannel shirt. Before bed, I'll step out on the porch and peer into the pines at the moon. The dark chill will wrap itself around my legs as the crickets chirp. I'll run back inside and jump into bed. Dry branches crunch under hooves in my dreams, as I hear an owl hoot at the October moon!












October Eve!!!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Fall at the Farm...

Fall is in the air! After weeks of humid cloudy dampness, fresh sun and drier air are here! Just look at the pictures from this Sunday....
The girls with Sugar Boy... this photo courtesy my sister Dusti who also got some great pictures of the day and posted on her blog
http://thehalloweenstress.blogspot.com/


The back of the shed has such a pretty color...no telling how many hours I spent in there as a girl brushing down a sweaty horse....




Danny and Cassie about to brush Sugar...they were laughing because he was trying to eat my purse and a small moon I was sculpting on the way out that lay inside it..."no NO Sugar Boy!! Don't eat that!!!"


Whiskey in the pasture...






Just look at the colors of Autumn accross the pond!




This would have been a beautiful shot if it was clear, but I still love seeing a horse being ridden through the pines...Ellie is so good with Sugar...



Cassie dipping around in the water with Angus in tow...


Looking back towards the field and dam...such gorgeous color and light...



Ellie makes her way all over the place on Sugar...




Cassie in Cassie land...




Cassie and Danny inspect something...

One of my favorite spots....



Little Danny lookin cute and scruffy.....


And last but not least, more paintings by my Dad...he's been painting everyday...





















And a recent moon by me....



Fall is officially here!!! I intend to soak up every last drop!!








Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Happy Autumn Equinox and a Few WIPS...

Today, its here! The equinox! We should all feel the balance of the sun's entrance to Libra and the beginning of Fall...HURRAY! The perfect balance of night and day, and I didn't even get into the woods to celebrate. I'm packing and shipping and running and creating in between, helping with homework and life's chores took over...it was sort of dreary dark and humid day anyway. I'll be sure to get to my woods time in soon....but here are some of my recent efforts. Lots of things going at once as usual and already time to simultaneously start the next round. I love it when things are dry and ready for me to pull out one at a time and cut and sand and carve and paint! I love the smell of burning paper mache. I use a dremmel to cut into my very thick moon's walls, and that burning paper smell makes it fall for me.....




Lots to finish up! Check back soon!

Friday, September 18, 2009

NEW! Black Cat Lantern and a New Moon!



I am so excited to have finished this black cat lantern today! I have turned him into an electric lantern. He has a base that he can be removed from with a small candlestick style mini lamp inside. His hat is covered in a citronish green glitter to match his glowing eyes...He has curved fangs and a wicked grin! I will put him and the happy double moon beside him up for grabs on eBay tonight! Mr. Cat will be the FIRST of a series of black cat head lanterns, so keep checking back for more!


















Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Johanna Parker in a Martha Stewart contest!
Please read and vote!




Most of you probably know Johanna Parker... her Halloween art is amazing!
She was recently selected, along with 10 other entrepreneurial women
on Martha Stewart's website as her Doer of the Week!
* What a thrill! *Here is how WE CAN HELP, Johanna win! VOTE !!!
Now, it is up to you to VOTE for your favorite Doer of the Week!
Johanna says: "The winner is awarded $2,500 to put toward her business, and I must admit,
those funds would help me to fulfill my dream of enlarging my closet-sized workspace
where I paint all of my whimsical delights!
I would be honored if you would vote for me :)"
Simply, click on the following link which takes you to Martha Stewart'sDreamers into Doers website:
http://dreamers.marthastewart.com/profiles/blogs/vote-for-your-favorite-doer-of
Then, look for the "POLL" along the right side column.
Select a winner's name and press "VOTE"
You can see her work at....
~http://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/http://www.johannaparkerdesign.blogspot.com/
Thanks everyone for supporting a fellow Halloween artist!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Laughing Moon
I managed to finish a large double sided moon lantern today, and he is absolutely laughing! Just the most jovial one I have ever done. The color is a golden yellow, but with black added in for the lowlights/shadow areas and a light glaze of same all over. He truly looks like an old timey relic. The pictures don't show the subtlety of color and glaze. But its a nice effect in real life! I think I am going to put him on (but for 3 days only!) on eBay tonight!






Bye for now!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

White Moon Lamp
This lamp is really fun...the whole thing stands 31" high! He glows amazingly bright in a dark room! This one is offered on eBay this week,
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260475832938&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT











More pictures of work to follow soon! Don't forget the STJ update September 13th at http://www.spookytimejingles.com/ to see the Harvest Moon Lamp below and lots of other beautiful Holiday art for sale! And I have to mention, my sister, my much adored only sibling and BFF has started a blog! She is also an artist and a wonderful writer. She was diagnosed with MS almost 4 years ago, and she hopes to purge some of her frustrations and experiences through writing about it, as well as post any art she is working on. The link to her blog is http://thehalloweenstress.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-12.html?showComment=1252763548159#c4280799402310895872
Hope you'll stop by and say "hey"!!! She has more talent than you can shake a stick at. There is nothing she can't do. Her main passion is woodworking. She is also a fabulous jewlery maker and seamstress. She can carve anything. Make something old look new. Make something new look old. Restore antiques. Re-build an engine. Bake bread and cookies. Paint anything. She has style oozing out of her pours! And she is the funniest person I know!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Spooky Time Jingles Sneak Peak!

Halloween Harvest Moon Candlestick Lamp

Here is a moon in a color I haven't done in over a year, harvest gold. Its basically a yellow ochre color, (a softer, browner toned yellow, not the same as my brighter bonfire yellow) which gives it a real old timey feel! The candlestick base on this lamp is a beautiful antiqued bronze color, which goes well with all the autumn colors of his jewel-encrusted hat. This lamp is elegant and simple, and looks so much more impressive in person. It is a very tall piece, with a roll switch on the cord. The moon lantern itself is my 6 inch size. The hat is about 8 inches high and the moon is removable and so can also sit by itself!











I actually have so many things that are almost ready, and after almost a week's absecence on eBay, I will be returning soon with many unique pieces! The rainy and cloudy damp weather we have had this week slowed down my production some as pieces just were not drying, but I am excited about a black cat lantern that is almost dry and there will be some more lanterns and shakers on a stick soon. I am making some painted Halloween antique hurricane lamps as commissions and will also be making atleast one to sell from my blog here or on eBay, so please check back soon! WIP pictures and more finished pieces to be posted soon as I can!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Squeezing out the last drop of Summer....

It was another gorgeous weekend. We packed up and headed out to the farm for the first time in a while on Sunday! We soaked up the day....



It was neither to cool nor too hot...perfect for a bit of this...





And some more of this.....





and a little beer sippin' and reminiscin'...




And, someone's old truck always serves as an elbow prop... this time it's my Uncle Tom's, visiting from Louisiana, with CP, from Mississippi... dear friend's of my father's that are always a part of the big annual opening dove hunting week! Their arival always means good times...they can sure tell some stories...






Throw in some grillin' and hangin out on the back porch...Dad keeps us entertained as usual... Jim's waiting for coals to get hot...




The dogs had more fun than anyone... they keep me company on my solo trecks around the place as I always am vanishing off somewhere exploring...





Danny and I found a skull...looks to be cat...





And a view from the springhouse...overlooking the pond...




Looks like I have some cleaning up to do before Halloween and for Ellie's birthday this year...spider webs can stay...







Danny drags out one of the jack o lantern signs Dusti made when we were teenagers for our annual Halloween party...we put one at every turn so partiers can find their way....







Home sweet home..the springhouse...sacred site of many memorable activities, camp outs, parties, and intimate gatherings I will never forget...






The dogs churning it up again..








If you know me, there's no need to ask....






About to go for a swim......if I can dodge the sea creatures...





Puttin' some sugar on Whiskey...



I can't wait to get back!