Deer Crossing

Wow. Just. Wow.

Christmas on the Way. Wow.

Christmas ornaments on our kitschy tree at GETty Crafty

I can't believe it's nearly here, already. Christmas and the end of the year are a breath away, and I am completely undone by how fast this year went by! I'm sure all of you feel the same, even if this was a crappy year for you and you're happy to see the back end of it and start on Lucky 2013.

Anyone want some Jack
ornaments? I'll be
making some when I get
back...

That's what I've dubbed it. Lucky 2013! You saw it here first, and I want my residuals if you decide to use it!

Lucky because I'm going to continue to work hard, and am in the process of making plans for the business for the coming year. I'm planning out new pieces, marketing strategies (ha!) and all manner of grown-up things.

And before that, a well-earned vacation!

When I get back, some of these delightful Christmas ornaments will be available for purchase on my Etsy store: 

I had a good time at the GETty Crafty Holiday Bazaar (pic of me in my new Holiday dress below!), though we had a tough time due to a nasty rain storm that blessed us that day (massive eye roll.) Even so, there were some wonderful peeps who turned out for the sale, and we were happy to get a chance to chat.

 No, this is not a real light bulb. It's ceramic, through and through!

 Oh, and this bowl turned out pretty cool! I'll put it on Etsy when I get back from vacation.

Since I'll not be attending to my store until December 10th or 11th, I've decided to put it on vacation 'till I get back. I haven't really  had much of a day off since August, and I am far overdue for a break! I will be touching base with the blog while I'm off, so comments will be posted as they come in.

If you're interested in the Jack ornaments, keep a eye on the store as I'll be making some and posting them after the 16th or so. Since I ship Priority Mail, you should be able to get them in time for Christmas!

In any case, I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving! Check out the new Hauntcast when it comes out the first Friday of December, and check out the latest Shocktail Hour, 'cause it's seriously cool!

Catch ya later, kids!

Happy Thanksgiving, All!

I couldn't track down a Trick 'r Treat short for Thanksgiving, but I did find this one:
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope it's a relaxing and warm experience for everybody!

Infographics: Your Way Through the Zombie Apocalypse!

I was recently contacted by Ben Hughes over at MoneySupermarket.com, which is a U.K.-based company that seems to help you save money in your home, etc. Ben was thoughtful enough to work out a plan to zombie proof your house, and another plan to zombie proof your car! 

As if that weren't enough to get you thinking and planning ahead, the site offers a fun, Hallowe'en themed page that offers:

• Haunted House Insurance
• Broom Insurance (for witches with wisdom)
• Time Travel Insurance and, lastly,
• Afterlife Insurance

Pop over to the page when you get a minute and explore your options. I don't think you can be over-insured, in this day and age!

Thanks, Ben! You've covered some very important aspects of surviving the Zombie Apocalypse and others of life's little curve balls!

Now, where's my shovel? I need to start digging that escape tunnel...

GETty Crafty!

The GETty Crafty Holiday Bazaar: it's coming on Saturday, and I've been working my butt off getting ready! (I'm very excited that this show came to me, as well!) My stock was thin from the time up at Abel's, so I've been running my kiln a lot more than usual. (I am so not looking forward to the electric bill this month!)

This will be the first time I will be going to the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, and I'm really excited! It looks beautiful! This is the first year I've done Christmas ornaments, and from the initial response, I don't expect to have any left.

 If you're local, please come down to the show, as it benefits the Foundation, which raises money for those who suffer from SMA. The admission is only $5.00, going to the charity, of course. There will be goody bags at the door, pics with Santa, a fashion show, live music, and Annie's Naturals is showing up with pizza!

Oh, and regarding my leftover jack-o'-lanterns? A customer decided to buy all six of them. Looks like I have another collector!

As an aside, I found a great app for my phone, called "Color Notes." I've been writing down all my product ideas for next season in it, so I won't forget when it's time to start making things. I'm going to be doing a few new things so I have a shot at getting into the "Halloween and Vine" show this year. It seems they jury in more folk art than my style, so I'll have to do a little modification for anything of mine to be considered. I'll be doing more sculptural things for that, and less pottery.

Well, I gotta go and get some more work done for the show. Stop by and say hello if you can!

More Haunt Pics and an Update

 It was, all in all, a pretty good Hallowe'en. We got maybe around fifty ToTs or so, many of them seven and under. Spider Rider was telling me he popped by to look at the haunt and admire Mr. Chicken's projection tombstone. Here's his direct quote from Facebook:

I dropped by last night and admired your yard and Mr.Chicken projection. I was rushing to buy more candy so I didn't brave your zombie grabber and come say hi. Looked great and I watched a little girl cry and plead with her father to not make her go to that scary house. Awesome.

Awesome, indeed! 

We were lucky the predicted rain held out until around 9:00 PM, which sent me scurrying around to pull in the fog machines and projector effects, and get Stewie covered up. He's getting to be an old man, in paper mache terms, so I baby him as I can. (He is really going to need some repairs next year, that's for sure. His blue shop towels are starting to show, and he needs re-sealing from the elements, too!)

Big dream for next year (which I know will take a major miracle to make happen) is to get some three-axis skull action going on. I really like what Bob Robertson did with the guys below, and would love to have something like that out in the front yard next year. Click on the pic to watch them in action.

Maybe I can tempt Mr. Chicken out to Folsom for a weekend with promises of exotic things not found out in the Bay Area... (Not likely, but maybe I can drive out there...)

Meanwhile, I'm going to take a little time off from blogging. I have a new show in less than two weeks for which to prepare, called GETty Crafty Holiday Bazaar, being held at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria in Sacramento, and my stock is looking thin. Fortunately, I've already made some inroads into making some Holiday ornaments, and if all turns out well, there will be some Krampus ornaments available for purchase! I'm also going to whip out some hair fascinators and whatever else I can manage, so if you're in the area, please do stop by. There will be live music, a raffle and all manner of fun things and other crafters with whom to shop for your Christmas gifts, so it should be a great time. Plus the library itself is gorgeous, with many opportunities to take cool photos of architectural details for your haunts, so it's win-win, right?

It's also my last weekend at Abel's Apple Acres this weekend, though if it rains Friday and Saturday, I'm staying home to work. It is supposed to clear up Sunday, so we'll play it by ear...

I will be posting new things in the shop, however, so stick around. I have a few jacks left from the season that I never got around to posting on Etsy, so keep an eye out! They'll make great gifts for those who missed out, and if you're a Hauntcast Minion, you can still get your discount!

See you soon, kids!

A few More

Not a bunch of new stuff, due to having to be an adult, but the old stuff is still holding up!

A Few Good Jacks

More pics next week! I've got a film crew coming over for a new home haunter documentary tonight, and I can't squeeze out the time quite yet. So consider this a teaser!