halloween paper mache fun!

hi all!

i am reporting live from the frankenstorm.  not really!  yes it has been raining all night but no i don't live on the coast.  we are quite a bit inland from where the storm will make landfall.  HOWEVER, you would not know that by the insanity in the stores on friday and saturday.  OH. MY. WORD. doing a regularly scheduled shopping for groceries and such was a bit of a nightmare.  why people are freaking out this far inland is beyond me.  yes will probably have stormy weather.  yes there will be some wind. yes we could lose power.  no it is not an apocalypse nor is it going to be a repeat of hurricane katrina right here in loudoun county :P  now we have a generator so we are lucky.  we did not go out to buy it the day before a big storm though.  and why so much toilet paper people?  whenever a storm is coming people buy enough water and toilet paper to last for a month.  why?  i did my weekly shopping because i will use the same amount of stuff in a stormy week as any other week.  having spent most of my life on the southern most part of the coast of louisiana i have been through hurricanes - tell me about 140 mph winds and be concerned.  not 50 mph winds (which is what we could have where i live).  i do feel for the people on the eastern coast but am thankful it is not a more severe storm. i am sure there will be some casualties and lots of damage but that is always a risk with a storm.  however i would also like to appeal to people - prepare sensibly, prepare ahead of time - not the day or two before a storm - it breeds panic and price gouging and you risk not being able to be prepared at all.  as for the folks on the coast who ARE actually in danger i hope they stay as safe as they can and i hope for the best for them all.

the threat of the storm did not deter me from making the trek out to maryland to The Queen's Ink for a class with one of my most artists dina wakley.  i have taken a class from her online as part of the 21 secrets workshop and her's was my favorite class - you can see more about that HERE.  my book is not done so i have no pics yet but i will! in person dina was great fun and a great teacher.  if you have a chance to take a class with her do it!  if not take her classes online.  that being said i am beginning to think i am not a class taker - in person anyway.  i get more out of them when i do them online - my own stuff, my own pace, but i do love meeting these artists in person or seeing them again in person.

and now for a halloween project - it's almost here!  if you subscribe to Through the Craft Room Door i wrote an article in there on making your own paper mache items at home.  it's EASY! i am always frustrated at not being able to find the forms i want so me and pezza made our own!  and i finally got around to finishing them (pezza is still working on painting hers a rainbow of fruit flavors).

i started with a ghostie

we gave it a coat of gesso and then some fabby Luminarte Silks Ice because a ghostie MUST shimmer.  oh who am i kidding everything possible must shimmer but especially a ghostie yes?  now pezza and i had some creative differences on the ghostie.  i made three items and she made 1 and then she insisted my items belong to her as well.  i don't think so kid!  hahahah!  so she wanted a purple ghost.  i compromised with some viva decor Inka Gold - amazing stuff and perfect for the rough textured surface of paper mache - i made it rough on purpose.  so i took a it of inka gold on my finger and rubbed across the ghostie so it caught all of the raised surfaces.

you can really see it here - isn't that cool???  this is the biggest reason i love paper mache!

next up is my witch's hat - i love the way this turned out - the shape turned out better than i could have imagined! 

SO much fun right?!?  so the hat got a coat of black gesso and then some gorgeous shimmering Luminarte Silks for the design.  and the piece that started itall - my witch's boot

oh i am so in love with it.  i want to make a host of shoes now and i am not even a shoe person!  pezza's is a tiny version of this and she made it completely by herself so it isn't hard.

of course it started like the hat with black gesso and then luminarte Black Ice Silks.  I sponged on more Silks (though later i wished i had done some inka gold instead - ah well.)

my fave part - a total fluke when i was applying the newspaper layers but i swear i have real boots that look like this!  hahaha!

the lacing was challenging - it took hubby and i a number of attempts with different things to get it done.  he drilled the lace holes for me - thank goodness because i don't know how i would have made the holes :P

the boot is partially hollow so i can put candy in it or flowers - whatever i want.  i suspect we will be playing in more paper mache - once i decide what i want to make next!