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".

Thanksgiving 2016

  Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends!  

Thanksgiving has come and gone in Canada. We celebrate it on the second Monday of October, this year it was on October 10.

Here are pictures of this year's Thanksgiving display.

This photo shows the entire display. I don't own a lot of Thanksgiving items so I have stretched the collection by adding in anything autumnal.

All of the background material goes up first and this year I wanted to have an easy transition into the Hallowe'en display so the needs for Hallowe'en were also being considered. A mix of various faux autumn leaves went up and over the mantle mirror. In with the faux leaves were added some bare branches that I had made several years ago. The colours of the trees in and around Victoria were my inspiration for the abundance of faux foliage that were used.

Here is a close-up of the left side of the mantle. The turkeys, pheasants, and roosters, are almost hidden in the foliage.

This scarecrow was made about 30 years ago for our oldest boys scarecrow birthday party, two place card holders from the party are on the scarecrows left beside the dill pickle horn that he is holding. The crepe paper zinnias are vintage, possibly 1950's. Gurley candles stand beside turkey, grouse, and chicken salt and pepper shakers.

The rest of the mantle is filled with more turkeys, chickens, pheasants, ducks, squirrels, I love squirrels, and acorn related items, I love oak trees.

Here is a look at the display below the mantle. The vintage stools add interesting height variations to the display.

The large stool features a wood carving by a French Canadian sculptor that my parents bought in the 1970s I believe. That large ceramic turkey is also among my favourite Thanksgiving items. A large plaster plaque with a horn of plenty and a raised inscription saying, "GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD", is in behind the farmer and his turkey.

Salt and pepper shakers, turkey florist vases, and a turkey cookie cutter are on the small green stool.

My collection of Thanksgiving postcards are in a large plastic fruit dish made in England. The dish is a large oak leaf with acorns that mimics a hand carved wooden dish, it is quite beautiful.

These earlier blog posts here, here, here, and here, show most of the antique Thanksgiving postcards.

On the mantle ledge in behind the wooden carving of the farmer with his scythe are some nut cups, two Gurley candles, and two squirrel nodders. The small squirrel nodder is an early plastic while the larger squirrel is composition made in Japan. He has a rabbit fur tale that is a little tatty, but he is delightful none the less.

This last picture shows a group of squirrels on top of the tall green florist vase. On top of the fireplace screen and in front of it are various paper table cloths, seals, and other paper items.

Don't forget, everything in my Etsy shop from November 24 - 28 is 50% off. Spend a minimum of $25 and get 50% off of your purchase at checkout, shipping is not included in the discount.

Hallowe'en Mantle 2015 - I almost didn't do it.

Since last mid September I have been dealing with prostate issues; surgery will be happening in a couple of months. I also had a hernia occur at the same time and the surgery for that will happen after the other surgery, unless God heals those two areas like He healed my back almost two years ago. Needless to say I am moving around at a somewhat slower pace.

All of this makes me sound like a total wreck! I'm not, life happens!

I was so late this year with taking down Thanksgiving that I almost didn't put up any of my Hallowe'en decorations. I did put up decorations but it happened in three seperate stages, each time saying, "Well, that is all I am going to do".

This year's Hallowe'en display is slimmer and very different. I began taking down the Thanksgiving items five days before Hallowe'en. As I was doing this I decided I would do a token display.

I left the wooden stool and all of the leaves and flowers in place. Canadian Thanksgiving is two weeks before Hallowe'en so October 31 for me has included coloured leaves, flowers, berries as well as pumpkins and squash of all sorts.

Fireworks were definitely a part of Hallowe'en growing up in Victoria. More and more people are setting them off in their yards again. I love it!

I went into the garage and brought out the prop fireworks that I made many years ago for a Hallowe'en window display.

These were arranged on the hearth section and on the mantle. The raku pots were added and that was all that I was going to do. I was exhausted.

The raku pots are always on the hearth, the colours are muted and autumnal, that is the only reason that they were included in the display.

This metal tambourine was a gift from a friend for repair work done on some of her vintage Christmas items; I am glad that she had doubles of it. Thank-you Karen, I love it. It was added later along with the other Hallowe'en collectables.

A day or two later I was in the garage and remembered the ebony vanity set that I had bought at Salvation Army for about $8.00 and a turned ebony/teak candlestick that I had bought for about $4.00; out they came and were arranged on the marble side table, $15.00 from Sally Ann. I love shopping at Salvation Army!

My bottle of Carter's mucilage, an old oil can, a vintage marble, a piece of a broken saucer found in the garden, and feathers were added. Two purple and one orange candle finished off the vignette.

I was done.

When the few Hallowe'en items were introduced to the merry mix I added this wonderful Japanese ceramic pumpkin candy dish.

right click for a larger view

Two days before Hallowe'en I decided that I would put out the few items that were in an antique cupboard in the garage; everything else is packed in boxes and stored away.

The hand-carved farmer and the squirrel nodder were part of the Thanksgiving display, two of my favourite pieces. Those two pieces and the fireworks were all that going to be in this years "sort of" Hallowe'en display;  and then the few Hallowe'en items were brought out.

right click for a larger view

These were the fortunate items to be displayed this year.

Here is a close-up of some of my owls. The egg cup is Japanese. I picked it up at Salvation Army about two months ago, I have never seen this design before. The owl beside the eggcup is a tape measure. His head, wings, feet, and branch that he is standing on are brass and his body I think is bakelite.

The little pumpkin head in behind is a stickpin.

The chenille witch is sitting in front a burgundy fez so she is a little difficult to see clearly.

right click for a larger view

The rest of this year's display; party hats, Gurley candles, a fairly new plastic pumpkin whistle, a celluloid witch lantern, a wind-up black cat, and three pumpkin cups each with different glaze combinations. The pale peach pumpkin cup I picked up in a thrift shop in Sydney, a town about thirty minutes drive from us.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the pins that you see marching along the front of the mantle were supposed to hold lights in place with some sort of garland or leaves to disguise the wires. That never happened, I was just to tired and busy to do it or even care about doing it!

Christmas decorations 2014 part 1

Well, Christmas has come and gone, New Years has come and gone, so if I don't post the decorations that were up for last Christmas then it just may be Hallowe'en before you know it!

Looking into the living room from the hallway, I love the mix of colours and textures, it is pure visual overload.

Our live Christmas tree is decorated with a mix of vintage and handmade decorations. In early December we hosted a party for our son and his wife, lots of our friends were there as well.

I was talking to one person and mentioned that the glass garlands on the tree were old. She and a few other people were quite surprised that they were glass, they were only aware of the plastic reproductions available today.

This year I decided to put up my collection of bell swags and wreaths. I had no idea that I had so many wreaths! There were enough wreaths to decorate two vases on the mantle as well as decorate my six and half  foot feather tree that I made years ago.

This is the left side of the mantle I am not a purist when it comes to decorating, those mirror balls are awesome. I wish that I had a light that would put a focused beam on them so that we could have spots of light around the room!

There are foil wreaths, foil and cellophane wreaths, and some of the smaller bell swags hanging from the branches in the vase.

 This picture shows the right side of the mantle with more cellophane wreaths, foil wreaths, and plastic wreaths. The large wreath on the wall is one of my favourites, it is covered with chalkware Santa faces, chenille guys, and cotton headed characters.

Here is a close-up of some of my favourite Santas and snowmen. The glittered little guy with the puffed up cheeks is a candy container. The snowman beside him is French. The little guy between the snowman and the skier is a wooden party whistle, unfortunately his nose is missing.  The tall skinny plastic Santa behind the gnome ringing the bell is a pop-up toy: push him down and his head shoots up about twelve inches on a paper tube and then settles back to rest on his shoulders.

In front of the Santas in sleighs is a salt Santa that belonged to my mum.

I came across two of these horse shoe wreaths several years ago and gave one to a collector friend for Christmas. The stars on either side are cardboard covered with glittery white sand.

Here is the bottom section of the feather tree, the large red wreath and the garlands are made from rice straw or the leaves I can't remember which. There are lots of bottle brush wreaths and cellophane wreaths as well.

The large red wreath at the top left hand side is the same as the finer rice leaves/straw roping and wreaths but it looks like it is made from very coarse but softish rice leaves.

The star at the top of the tree is wrapped in narrow rice straw roping as is the wreath at the bottom right side of the picture. There are fold out paper lanterns tucked in the tree that were a gift from a friend one Christmas.

In behind the feather tree I put out my collection of tree topper angels and stars, the large glass star lamp is there to stop kids from handling them. I have more tree toppers in boxes but no room to display them.

Here is a close-up of the ledge on the fireplace. There is a boxed cellophane wreath, I have other boxed wreaths but as I mentioned above I have no room to display them. In front of the wreath is a 1948 florists vase. The vase was bought for me as a new baby, my brother has one for his first Christmas as well. At the base of the vase are three pin-back buttons.

This was beside me at my computer. The piece of brown paper tape with the white piece of paper attached to it was from our daughter when she was very little. She drew a picture on the white paper and written on the brown paper tape is "Mare (merry) Christmas Dad", one of my more treasured pieces.

Tucked in behind the feather tree is my computer and chair, it was very crowded but cozy. The room was like an Aladdin's cave.