A Month of Spookdays

I’ve been a member of a Secret Pumpkin group for many years. It used to be a big thing. Now it’s just a few friends. Back when it was bigger, I received a simple little purse from my Pumpkin, which I used until it completely fell apart. It was made by Mari Mortem of The Kitschy Ghoul. Her fancier purses are the type of thing that she releases occasionally and they sell out in hours. But she does a lot of things, most of them vintage-themed. All of them spooky! This wall hanging is what I grabbed from her shop this year.

Owl and pumpkin wall decor in orange and black.

Another new diorama in the shop.

Tiny vampire's parlor with a bookshelf, chair, and table with a glass of "vine"
Vampire’s Parlor, $115

It’s funny how this looks simpler than the Witch’s Study, but took longer. I’m not even sure why. Things were built mostly from resin bits and polyclay.

A table with a glass of "vine," a coffin lamp. A chair with kitty.

I have a whole story for this one in my head. Once the portraits of these two vampires faced one another, but over time, disdain has grown. The portraits swapped, the vampires sleeping in opposite corners of the room.

Bookshelf full of vampire books. Chair with sleeping cat.

The cat does not care about vampire politics, and sleeps peacefully on someone’s favorite chair.

Do you know all the vampire authors on the shelf?

Flowered frame.

At first, I thought the mold was just roses. Once it was on and I started painting, I realized it had all the flowers. That’s okay, still pretty.

New item in the shop! I’ve been doing the diorama thing lately, and I’m really pleased with the result.

Witch's study, with books, herbs, curiosities, and a sleeping cat.
Witch’s Study, $115

I am, however, disappointed with my photography skills. Eh, I’ll figure it out. Seems like I shouldn’t need better than a modern phone, but maybe I’m wrong. Some less blurry details:

Upper shelves filled with jars and bits.

Fancy shelves filled with jars I built from resin bits, scrolls, and a nifty skull.

Desk, books, and kitty.

I love the haphazard piles of books. There’s also a little broom, a cauldron, a journal on the desk, and a kitty sleeping beneath.

Leaves and berries wind around the outside.

Leaves and berries wind around the outside frame.

I add the “LLC” because if you leave it off, you end up with some pretty boring candles. Glow City Candles are anything but. They are hand dipped and carved, and you can watch them do it on their Instagram.

The candles are designed to be burned in 30-minute increments, so you get just the right size opening to put in an LED tea-light.

Jack-o-lantern in candy-corn colors.

Lorelie Kay makes feather-light pieces of sculpting and assemblage. A couple details I love about this: the vintage brooch, and the separate pumpkin basket. Which I immediately dropped, proving that her materials are tough enough even for me!

Side note: I like her even more after checking her entire Etsy page. Her shop note is about why she doesn’t participate in Etsy’s “free” shipping scam.

Pumpkin Queen doll with assembled and sculpted pieces, with a folk art vibe.

This year, I’m buying Halloween art made by individuals, rather than mass-produced items. I have so much stuff from Home Goods, Michael’s, etc. This year it just didn’t interest me (okay, except for a couple Lemax pieces), so I decided to spend my usual Halloween money supporting wonderful artists.

This darling vintage-style peg doll is by Spookshow Babe Designs, who I’ve followed on facebook for ages. Isn’t he adorable?

Wooden peg doll with a cat face, painted in vintage Halloween style in orange, black, and white.