Hallowe'en 2016

Oh boy, am I late in posting this!

There is not a lot of room in the home so the mantle and fireplace is where I focus all of the seasonal displays. Christmas is the one exception to the rule. The living room and dining room are totally over the top Aladdin's Cave overwhelming!

This year I decided to display most of my paper Hallowe'en items. I had a lot more than I realized, this is about half! After putting all of the decorations away I discovered a box that had been overlooked, more cardboard and paper items!

This poster hung on the wall above my computer. It was tucked in a drawer, forgotten about, this is the first time that I have displayed it.

Here is a photo showing the whole Hallowe'en display. The only item moved from the Thanksgiving display was the small green stool. It went from under the marble top table onto the hearth on the right hand side.

Walking into the living room you can see a few items that are not completely visible from the front, the black cat on the pumpkin, the owl fortune telling game, and the side of the wooden box.

I hesitated in putting this picture in the post but decided to anyway, it's just a little closer look at the top half of this year's display.

The bare branches that were added into the mix of faux autumn leaves have been used to hang the Japanese rice straw leis, paper masks, gauze masks and the orange party hat on the right. The Mr. Peanut mask I purchased a couple of months ago. The four paper masks between the American Indian gauze mask and the paper black cat mask, my favourite, I think are villains from the Dick Tracey comics.

Here is a better look at the vignette that I created inside the Hudson's Soap box.The owl on the roll of dennison serpentine is an antique cloth tape measure. The witch candy container was made in U.S. zone Germany. the cat in front of her is a plaster filled celluloid cat.

Here's a closer look at the left side of the mantle, I love the cascading moss like effect that the leis give to the scene.

This picture shows some of the previous picture as well as some of the following picture. I wasn't certain if I should include it but you get a better look at the celluloid witch lantern, the black teapot and the smoker.

The black cat teapot looks extremely well behaved unlike the yowling black cat smoker or worse yet those mischievous black cat salt and pepper shakers.

The little fellow with a face on each foot is a Victorian match holder. The top of his head has holes in it for holding matches as do each of his toes. I suppose the burnt matches were placed in his mouth. He is not a Hallowe'en item but I have seen a lantern in the shape of a foot with a face on each toe, I love this little guy and used the likeness to the lantern as an excuse to showcase him.

I plonked an old paper party hat on the owl cookie jar. He stands next to a black cat teapot. The orange piece of card stock with the woman's face on it has recipes for Hallowe'en candy on the reverse side. My friend Karen gifted me with the bird jug, are you noticing as I am just now, that a tea party theme is emerging.

The wooden plaque above the German pumpkin is a pyrography or wood burning picture of "Cornish Litany".

My sculpture "Ready to Party" is hanging on the wall down in the righthand corner.

Here is a close-up of my sculpture "Ready to Party". It is available, go to this blog post for more information about it.

These plastic disguise glasses are from my youth, once I put them on absolutely no one recognized me!

Below the mantle are more treats, that lovely big German J-O-L with orange glassine paper inserts in the eyes nose and mouth, the happy family look of the pumpkin garland, and four paper plates behind the garland. Hanging on the left is a felt and cloth made in Japan witch.

This vignette features an early crepe papier table cloth resting on the brown stool. The black ebony dresser set has been put use to display various goodies. The two small bowls are filled with candy, the lidded box has place cards and seals in it, while the large tray holds the two candle sticks, an early doily, a corn cob pipe and J-O-L stickpin.

There are party nut cups, invitations, coasters, two orange and yellow milk bottle caps with ravens on them scattered about. There is also a small cloth witch standing beside a pair of brown Victorian walking boots.

The cast iron bowl is filled with bridge tallies and postcards. It is standing on a crepe papier napkin. The silver cat and moon diecut Is most likely from a party hat. Beside it are some black cat stickers and a very tiny but detailed witch on a broom.

On the marble table are two children's readers, a book of party ideas for the Hallowe'en host or hostess, and a copy of Tasha Tudor's book, "Pumpkin Moonshine" that I purchased in the early 1960s.

The black cat is a wind-up toy. He chases a butterfly so other than being black and a cat those are the only qualities that allow him to be present with his comrades, they are quite forgiving.

The box of cookie cutters are reproductions bought in the late 1990s.

The ceramic pumpkin candy dish is Japanese and stays on my dresser year round, he is a favourite.

This view shows the hearth and its contents of paper table cloths, paper plates, and a brown vintage basket filled with paper napkins of different designs. There are pictures following with close-ups of the rest of the treasure trove.

And here we are, a silk screened cloth trick or treat sack, another commercially printed cloth sack with exotic Egyptian pictures resting on a fez. The brown envelope in the back is a pattern for a clown costume dated 1919.

On the right mantle ledge in front of a New Yorker magazine and two children's magazines are some soft plastic candy containers, the witch still has some of her candy. The tiny black cat is made of wooden pieces held together with string. A vintage made in Japan mustache made of crepe hair used in theatre make up and two paper mustaches, all guaranteed to make one totally unrecognizable. The little pumpkin, once you push in his nose makes a very unscary wooing sound, and his eyes light up!

A closer look at the paper napkins and other tableware. The paper gun was an advertising give away from the Army and Navy Store. It is printed on card stock with a glassine paper insert attached inside. When it is brought down with a quick snap of the wrist the glassine paper shoots out with a loud snap.

And finally a close-up of the right hand side of the hearth only to show my nod to Guy Fawkes Day, November 5th, with the English children's book by Alison Uttley, "Hare and Guy Fawkes".

Hallowe'en Mantle Display 2013

Here's this year's mantle display. I haven't done a done a display in the front hall entrance for a few years now, I miss doing them. Thanksgiving in Canada is mid October and I like to put up the Thanksgiving collectables so that gives me a very short time for creating a Hallowe'en display.

This is the entire display. We have a grandchild and sometimes other kids come by so I like to have the display so that I can keep an eye on it but also show them when they are interested.

I didn't put up any of the paper items this year. I decided to put out some items that haven't been out for a while. This is a portion of the collection, most of it was bought about 10 years ago, there was much more vintage around back then.

Here is the mantle; close-ups of the items are below.

Unfortunately, the two black cats beside the Jack-O-Lantern don't show up very well. This large Jack-O-Lantern was a surprise thank-you from Lori Rudolph several years ago.

The mould blown plastic pumpkin is a light shade; the inside has a clip to go over a light bulb. I have another one that is twice as big but this one is my favourite. I looked for a wooden lamp base for several years and finally found one; it goes perfectly with the soft brown orange of the lantern.

I am quite cavalier when it comes to adding items into collections; the three birds are parts of salt and pepper sets but work perfectly in the colour scheme and the overall look. My wife asked me, "Why are toucans considered Hallowe'en?" and I realized that in some of the vintage graphics there are birds that look similar to these birds. I also like them a lot!

The two comic black cats are salt and pepper shakers that I found one year, not at Hallowe'en, with other kitchen items at a thrift store. I love them!

The ceramic tree stump in the background is a vase. The witch candy container and a few other items were on display at a Sally Ann shop many years ago and were not for sale. I traded them for a large pumpkin I had made. I lucked out on that one; they wouldn't do that today. The black cat in front of her is plaster filled celluloid. The owl is an interesting item; it isn't really a Hallowe'en figure but an early tape measure. The head, feet, and wings are metal and the body is an early plastic of some sort, it's a favourite piece. A favourite piece, right, there quite a few "favourite pieces" here!

Tucked in among the vintage items are a set of four soft plastic wind-up walking figures that are about 8 years old. They are quite delightful and are some of the best designed commercial items, in Canada, that I have seen in quite a while.

A very large owl cooky jar has a vase of a black cat standing in front of a wooden barrel; not exactly Hallowe'en but it works for me. The ceramic pumpkin florist vase has a light that flashes on and off. The 3 small black items in front of the vase are a cat standing beside a vase on top of a book, each one is different. Trying to photograph them is a little difficult, sorry about that.

The large pumpkin in the back was from Starbucks several years ago. The large black cat beside the pumpkin chocolate box is an incense burner or smoker. Either incense or a lit cigarette would be placed in the back opening and the smoke would come out of his mouth. Fortunately it wasn't used so the painting is in good condition.

Candles, owls in various guises; salt and pepper shakers, a small sculpture, and ash trays, alongside cats both black and white, create this vignette.

Those two grey top hats were bought at Kresge's when my brother and I were considerably younger. The black cat is a wind-up toy.

I include figural salt and pepper shakers because they are veggie guys, some are more Hallowe'en than others. This pair is not very Hallowe'eny though is it?

In the right side of the display I used two yellow ware bowls that I picked up at Sally Ann about two years ago. I have several vintage wooden Japanese orange crates that I use for risers.

Jorge de Rojas of "HoHoHalloween" made the veggie guy, Amelia Schaefer of "Sweet B Folk Art" made the pumpkin pie and Lori Rudolph of "Retro Rudolph's" made the pumpkin teapot. A celluloid witch lantern is peeking around the corner.

Noise makers and party hats look intriguing resting on the Spanish moss. The ceramic pumpkin rests on top of a vintage fez. For some unknown reason a fez seems to fit in with Hallowe'en, I do not know why.

Here are five other links here, here, here, here, and here to previous Hallowe'en posts.

I went to the Church of the Advent Garage Sale last Saturday.

The Church of the Advent is just down the road from us and every year they have a garage sale. I try not to miss it. You never know what you will find. Silly me, I went with about $30.00, but it is better to ready than forfeit some wonderful item because you didn't bring enough money. I spent an amazing $5.00! That $5.00 gave me five individual purchases...

A vintage rayon scarf to be used for costuming a figure - $1.00...

An elephant eggcup with a few chips around the top, but I love it - 50 cents...

A 1920's silk screened? paper lampshade - 50 cents...

two very old cake racks that may be used in my studio or maybe in the kitchen - $2.00...

A tiny Wade vase ( with a chip on the inside lip, but no one will see it when I use it for a figure or ornament) - 50 cents...

A bag of 1920's/1930's bridge tallies - In it were these three designs...

This Autumn landscape...

This Hallowe'en design...

This unused Hallowe'en bridge score pad...

And inside the score pad were four pumpkin bridge tallies. All of these bridge tallies cost 50 cents.

You never know what you will find. I have never ever found any Hallowe'en items before. The lampshade may be made into something I'm not certain. I had to show you my great inexpensive purchases.

A Little Tour of My Brain, Part 11 - Hallowe'en - Bridge Tallies

I love the graphics from vintage bridge tallies and the Hallowe'en bridge tallies don't disappoint at all.

This is the first tally that I picked up. It was in a bag of tallies that cost a few dollars. The mushrooms and tree are quite delightful.

A friend gave me this tally one Christmas. I like the use of the non-traditional colours of a soft yellow and green.

This tally is probably from the same era as it uses the same yellow and green as the previous tally. I like the use of Japanese lanterns and serpentine, it immediately says costume ball.

The diecut shapes of the tallies are always interesting. A lot of the tallies have a cord and tassel attached to them.

This tally has a perforated bottom to ease in bending it. The guest’s name is written in the white area and bent forward to a right angle. When it is placed on the table each guest can read where they sit and the tally becomes an upright decoration on the plate.

This tally and the previous one may be part of a set. They were probably less expensive as they are smaller and it uses plain coloured string with no tassel.

This tally was in the bag of tallies with the flying witch tally.

This tally has a small pad inside and is printed both front and back. Great graphics are on the front and back.

Forget scary Hallowe'en this tally is just plain cute. The colours are soft, the witch is pretty and black cats are kittens!