Halloween Crafts

Feeling bored, I looked around my craft studio and decided to take some styrofoam and Sculpeys and create a pear-headed goon I saw in a magazine.  I wrapped the styrofoam balls in foil, rolled out the clay with my roller and went to town, wide smile, chunky arms and monster feet and all. I used carving tools to make the indentations that make up the eyes, nose, mouth, and creases on the arms, fingers and toes.  The I brought out the features of the face and body with different colors of acrylic paint.  Isn't it adorable?

I then thought I'd take more styrofoam, since I had plenty, and some felt and make a mummy.  Of course, this mummy had to have wings and a peace sign over its heart, giving it a much more friendly appearance.  I added a few splatters of blood here and there, and drew a cute bat on one of the wings.

Lastly, I had a Halloween Card that a good friend gave to me many years ago.  I really liked the silhouette on the front and bring the card out every year.  I wanted to make a decoration from it, but didn't have the hear to actually cut up the card, so I transferred with my copy machine onto a piece of mylar.  I then filled in the moon with silver glitter glue and made an outline around the edge with orange glitter glue.  I glue it to the front of a picture frame easel and there you have it!

Spooktacular if I must say so myself!

The Queen Bee, a Mixed Media Piece

While on a leaf-peeping excursion in New Hampshire, I came across a lovely antique shop in Petersburgh, Grove and Main.  I picked up some vintage glassware as well as a few pieces of ephemera.  Among the ephemera were 3 miniature porcelain dolls, one of which is featured in this mixed media craft.

Last weekend while my husband and I were sitting in our car in the parking lot of the mall I fell in love with a beautiful miniature maple tree with vibrant red and orange leaves.  I Googled it and discovered it's proper name is an Amur Maple.  I plucked a few branches and pressed the leaves.  I also used these in this mixed media piece.  While I was at it, I grabbed a few deep red leaves from a neighboring Fire Bush and included them in my creation as well.

I took an unfinished shadow box I purchased from Michaels and painted it with a mixture of acrylic paints in shades of coffee bean, vanilla & gold.  I whirled the colors with a sponge brush and applied it all over the box.  I then wadded up a paper towel and dipped back into the gold and dabbed it on here and there.  I then added an abstract scrapbooking paper with birds inside the box and dabbed some gold on it as well.

Then I began layering the dried leaves around the outside of the frame, making it heavier on the bottom right.  From there I added a ribbon and flower in the center and behind it placed the porcelain doll and added butterfly wings to make her a faerie.  I donned her with a bee to hide her nakedness and gave her a bronze crown as a finishing touch.  A brass butterfly, a flower with a crystal center, a feather and the words The Queen Bee all became a part of my creation.  I sprayed the entire piece with gold glitter spray.

I love creating mixed media art but sometimes have difficulty transferring my idea from my brain to the craft table.  This time, however, it came together well and I love the results!  Even though it has a fall feeling to it, I will keep it up all year round as I like it too much to put it away.