Last week’s rain turned pine needles into hedgehogs. Is that you Esme?

I am by nature a collector. I accumulate a LOT of stuff. Every once in a while I attempt to tame and organize it.

Thank goodness for my IKEA guru. She is helping me reorganize my studio.

We live in an old house and  are always discovering things left behind by previous owners. The best was $2,000 cash in an envelope under a radiator cover.  I insisted on returning it to the lady from whom we bought the house. I was spurred on, no doubt by my love for Edgar Allan Poe’s story, The Tell Tale Heart. I do live in Baltimore after all. I am sure that if we had kept the money that radiator would hiss at me until I went mad. We also returned a diamond ring. But we kept the cement Indian head and the old toys and watercolor instruction books.

This was found in the rafters on a recent trip to the attic….. Should I save it? Or is it a sign from above that I should be getting rid of stuff??

Y manana, El Dia de los Muertos!

October just zipped past. Here is what I’ve been up to….

The Festival of Champions was a big hit!! My part was to design and construct an obstacle course based on the 12 Labors of Herakles. I had a bit of a tight deadline so I had to work fast. Originally,  the course was to be outside in Mt Vernon Park South but because of the weather we brought it in to the Sculpture Court. It might have looked a bit more magical outside with birds and apples in the trees etc., but there were advantages to having it in the museum as well. We had a big crowd.

First the kids took a list from a pot that held an image of nervous King Eurystheus. A  speech bubble above his head  read,  “Welcome to the Herakles Obstacle Course! I, King Eurystheus, have sent Herakles to accomplish 12 Labors. The first was to slay the Nemean Lion. I didn’t think he could do it, but  HE DID! He came back wearing the lion’s skin as a cape! Now I hide in this jar because I am afraid of him. Do you think you can make it through this course? Beware….   I have thrown many obstacles in your way!”

The course was designed for kids ages 3 and up. Each obstacle had an icon to identify it so that little ones could make their way around the course.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures on the day of the festival. I was too busy! But I did get a photo of Ingrid Schindall playing Queen Hippolyte. The sign read “Communication and good manners can overcome many obstacles. Ask one of these Amazons for a hula hoop. Be sure to say please and thank you!”
Ingrid is a fantastic hooper and sells her hand made hoops on etsy. Syl loves them and was her assistant for the day.

Here are some pictures of the obstacles in progress:

Here’s the Hind before I added the golden antlers with matching hooves. She was at the center of a large maze. The kids were instructed to “Find the Hind”

The swamps of Lerna were curtains spray painted,  cut into strips then suspended between two sets of columns. A large Hydra was hung above and the kids had to venture through.

One of the nine heads of the Hydra.

Calm down Kerberos, pet him gently!  He was made of soft, soft fleece. I over heard a little boy say, “OUCH! He bited me!”, then he laughed himself silly.

David and Grace enjoyed the rest of the festival immensely. They loved the Heroes exhibit, took the quiz to find out which hero or monster they are, and said that Kevin O’Malley’s talk was hilarious! Here are some more photos from the festival.

Go ahead and take that quiz…tell me which hero or monster you are!

I’ve been in a fall mood and have been as busy as a squirrel. There is something about the cooler weather and shorter days that makes me want to gather up and organize my resources. I am making little handpainted Witch Brooches, Catrina Cameos and Pumpkin Pins to celebrate the season.

Catrinas are the skeletons of well to do ladies. On El Dia de los Muertos,  they come back to remind us that, in the end, regardless of how much money, status or power one may have,  we all wind up dead. I’ve loved these ladies with their fancy dresses and headpieces ever since becoming acquainted with them while living in Texas. I thought it would be fun to make some cameo pins of them. (while listening to mariachis, of course!)

The brooches, my little skeleton books and more will be for sale this Saturday at the Festival on the Hill in lovely Bolton Hill. I’ll be teaming up with Kris Willett again, so look for us under the Earthly Treasures sign. Fingers crossed for nice weather, please!

I’ve also featured a selection of pins and mini books at my etsy shop, peggyellen. Please visit this little witch and her pumpkin pals there!

And….don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Family Festival of Champions, Oct 24th,  and  the Dia de los Muertos Festival ,Nov 1st, at The Walters Art Museum. More details about both of those days to follow…

I am gearing up for some fall craft festivals, making more little books, cards, some pins and masks.  They will feature ghosts and skeletons awakened from their infinite rest to celebrate Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. Maybe some witches too! First stop, The Lauraville Fair Saturday the 26th, starting at 12:00.  I’ll be joining the lovely Kris Willett of Earthly Treasures and artist  Nathalie Jedynak.  If you are in town, stop by and say hi!

I could cut this pink rubber stuff from now to eternity.  It is so very relaxing. I’ve been printing with acrylic paint onto felt, then touching it up and adding highlights with a brush. It sort has that “paint on velvet” feel.

ps…Stay tuned for more festival dates and the grand re-opening of my etsy shop!

School has started and it feels like fall.

Sometimes caution ties my hands, other times I take the anxiety and play with it. (Hand modeling thanks to G.A.B)

My youngest decided to join me in the Illustration Friday fun this week. Here is Sylvie’s work. She taught herself to use  a free paint program that came with the family computer. Unbeknownst to me, she  was working away on her submission while I was here in my studio working on mine. Surprise Mom! I am looking forward to doing mother/daughter IF posts more often.

Big thanks to Chicken Nugget Lemon Tooty for the inspiration!