Showing posts with label pumpkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pumpkins. Show all posts

Sunday, November 27, 2016

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".

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Autumn in the Country

A few weeks ago we did our annual trip to the country which really means drive a little ways to where the farms are. We are so fortunate to live on Vancouver Island, we have mountains, farmland, lakes, and ocean all within a very short driving distance.


We have a route that we do; High Oaks Farm Est. 1893 and then out to Dan's Farm Market to buy squash and pumpkins.


I am not certain if this is an apple or crab apple tree; the flesh was red for the most part. Yes, we picked an apple each, the tree was on the side of the road and I don't think anyone picked them.


I was using my camera and Trish was using the cell phone.

We met and were talking with the wife of the owner; she was saying that they may have to sell the farm because none of their children want to run it and it is too much for them to run. They rented to the farmland to Gayley Farms this year for growing pumpkins. 


She let us go down the driveway for additional pictures. I loved this fake crow on the fence post with the sign and thermometer.


This lantern with a sign and another thermometer was on the other fence post... I just noticed the horse shoe! There is something interesting about the artless clutter of undesigned groupings of things.


We then went off to Dan's Farm Market only to be greatly disappointed; it may be under new management but there was about half the amount of squash. There were a few large bins of squash, pumpkins, and gourds. We didn't buy anything. We left; were disappointed but things change.

We went to the Root Cellar, a large produce market where the prices are "dirt cheap" as the sign says and bought squash.

I went back to High Oaks Farm last week and bought 6 pumpkins for carving.

Check out some of my previous posts about our autumn excursions here, here, and here.


Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Last weekend's drive in the country - Part 2

After having a look around Firbank Farm Market we went off to the small town of Sydney for coffee at Starbucks. I had a look in the town's second hand shops. I love scouring for items that can be used for future sculptures.

On our way back home we went down Oldfield Road to Dan's Farm and Country Market. This market is not a boutique market. The squash, gourds, and pumpkins are piled in huge bins. The rest of the produce is placed on slanting shelves just like a super market. There is a certain charm to this though because there is not the harsh lighting. I like this market.

The large bins allow for some great pictures of one variety of squash. You get to see the colour, shape, and texture variations within one variety. This helps my painting not to be to rigid as to colouration. 

Enjoy looking at the pictures.




They also have goats that you can feed and pet. There is also a small barn with poultry, a pig, and a donkey. Some of the ducks and chickens wander around the barn area as well, a small taste of the country for city folk.

















On the way home we passed a field that I pass quite often. I wanted to give you a panoramic view to enjoy.

This farm land is very close to the city. We are fortunate on Vancouver Island that the city, the ocean, lakes, and wilderness are all close together. You can be in the city and then 20 minutes to an hour later you can be in the wilderness of your choice.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Last weekend's drive in the country. Part 1

The weather for the last 2 weeks on the West Coast has been rain, rain, rain. At times it was coming done so hard that there was no point in going out in it even for a leisurely drive in the country. Last Saturday there was a lull in the rain so off we went to some of our favourite spots in Saanich north of Victoria.

We spotted a field of pumpkins off the highway so we decided to check it out. We passed a large farm market as we turned off the highway but didn't go in.

That big field of orange pumpkins was over on another road but we did get to see vast empty fields.

Canada Geese were flying across this desolate field.

Not all pumpkins make it to the farmers market. Some pumpkins are broken during the harvest.

Other pumpkins have started to rot on the vine and are left behind.

Before the season has started these are well on their way to fertilizing the field.

We came across Firbank Farm Market. The displays in front and inside were beautifully done.

There were bins of mini pumpkins.

Chrysanthemum's, hay bales, scarecrows, pumpkins and gourds of every colour and shape, what more could anyone want that is in love with this season. There are so many ideas for future sculptures here.

Another bin of mini multicoloured pumpkins.

Cinderella pumpkins, those big flat orange ones, are supposed to make great soup.

This bin of yellow, white, and green gourds had one orange squash placed on it. That one spot of intense orange made everything else look so much more interesting.

Another vignette of chrysanthemums, ornamental kale, and gourds surround an old aged wooden box filled with dried sunflower heads.