Blessed be to everyone ...

Happy Birthday to ...

Vampira

Portrayed by Finnish actress, Maila Nurmi

December 11, 1922 - January 10, 2008

Forever Thankful ...

The Addams Family celebrate Thanksgiving in their unique style!
(I do not own this photo)

For everything I have been blessed with...

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

This is what it's all about ...

Got this message from a very nice couple who attended the 2018 Monsters & Merriment, and really needed to share it with you.

I'm like so many of you who feel this time of year, that post-Halloween funk enveloping around us. I try to keep the spirit going, leaving up decorations year round, listening to Halloween music of all sorts, using my essential oils such as the warming autumn varieties of clove, cinnamon, and the like. Basically, I just do not allow myself to fully give in to that sadness, particularly when the last of the leaves have shaken loose from the trees as the world hearkens toward the long dark winter. 

When I checked my MacabreWebs page on Facebook, I saw that I had a message from said couple - which I've included above. I remember them very well - they spent a lot of time at my booth, and were just lovely. I am never one to do a "hard sell," as I myself hate when that's done to me. Sometimes all we wish to do is browse and soak in the energies and colors and vibes of the show (I work hard at providing such an atmosphere for all to enjoy) so I let them mill about. They ended up buying my "October Eve" sculpture, which I have to say was truly one of my favorite creations for 2018. Like I've said before, I'm beyond thrilled when someone falls in love with my art enough to want to make it a permanent addition to their own collection, but still, a small part inside of me aches to say farewell to it.

Seeing this really sweet photo and message jump-started my happiness. It was something I needed, and I'm so thankful to these folks for sending this to me.

Currently, I'm fighting a nasty case of the crud right now, hacking and sneezing and feeling generally yucky. Quaffing plenty of hot tea certainly helps, as well as my homemade chicken broth (tons of garlic, ginger and jalapeños to blast the goo from hanging on to my lungs!). 

I have lots of plans for the coming year, personally and professionally, so right now the main thing is to concentrate on just feeling better and getting my studio reorganized - that will absolutely keep my mind occupied!

LASTLY: Sadly, we did not get to go to Daves Hollow for Halloween camp-out night this year, as the weather was too threatening. Instead, we stayed at a friend's home, ate, drank, watched plenty of fun Halloween movies, and enjoyed each other's company... the perfect fellowship on All Hallows Eve.


Leaving you here with a photo from last year's Halloween night in the Hollow.

As the Veil lifts ...

It is a feeling you keep in your life and soul all the time, not merely for Halloween.

And now, for a true ghost story ...

The long-awaited video for The Secret Commonwealth's The Glowin' Bones of  Craggie Hope premiered at the 2018 Monsters & Merriment show.

It is a ghost story - and a true one at that - I wanted to share with you here...

The events of the story took place in Craggie Hope, a small rail stop town in the late 1800s, during the height of Tennessee's wilder days and, without giving away the story, it deals with "things that die that don't lie down...." as goes TSC singer/founder Troy Guinn's lyrics.

You'll just have to watch it and see for yourself. I especially love this song during the autumn season as Halloween draws near... the crisp chill in the air as the leaves loosen from the trees and sail in the wind, and shadows are early and abundant as the veil begins to lift, certainly enhances this ghost tale for sure (and sends shivers down the spine!). 

Both this song and story are quite near and dear to me in many ways, namely because I so love the song but also due to the fact that this occurred in my neighborhood, a few miles down the road from where I live.

Filmed primarily on the actual train tracks in Craggie Hope, it was also partly filmed on our property (the second time The Secret Commonwealth lensed a video here, proud to say) as well as a few other locations in the area. We're always thrilled to be part of production, especially where TSC is concerned.

The entire album that this song is on, Uninvited Guest, is also known as their "Halloween" album. It's full of wonderful tales about history, love, loss, cryptids and, of course, ghosts and hauntings. It quickly became one of my favorite albums and I'm usually listening to it many times a week (or day!). It is absolutely fantastic - I never grow tired of hearing it.

You can pick up a copy of it by clicking the link below. 

http://tscband.com/The_Secret_Commonwealth/Music_Store.html

With so much gratitude in my heart ...

The 2018 MONSTERS & MERRIMENT show was just amazing.

Thank you to all who were a very vital part of this event!

The entrance to the show, with the lively and inviting vintage-styled goodies offered by Fezziwig's Halloween Holiday Shoppe.  Run by Vance Nichols (Creative Director of Fontanel), it was an absolute  delight to the senses, like walking into a Halloween wonderland! 

I am again humbled by the love and generosity of all who participated and attended. From the artists, to the live music, the movies and all the cool prizes we gave away to excited fans, it was 9+ hours of fun and fantasy. 

I'd told Mark that I hoped to sell as much of my Halloween art as possible - did not want to have to repack and bring anything home, and you know what? I nearly sold out of everything! With the exception of a few large, high-end sculptures, I returned home with empty boxes! It feels so good to know that there are folks who fell in love with the Halloween spirit, embodied in clay, paint, and material, and that those creations will forever be in a home as a family heirloom. That does my heart a world of good, and again, I am filled with a sense of humbleness here... 

As you'd expect, right now I'm still pretty worn out, still reorganizing and unpacking the last few things back into my studio before I take a break (the entire month of October!) and then rev up production for a few upcoming events.

I'll return here soon to post some photos and maybe even a few video clips taken at the show, but for now, I must return to the Batcave and rest up...

In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys the autumn season! Gather with friends and family, have fun, stay healthy, and know you can look forward to an even bigger show in 2019. See you then!

Love and gratitude to my Friends and Family who participated:

Kelsey Schoff ... Crystal Chan ... Jeff Bertrand ... Keely Jane ... John Davis ... Gerald Seiberling... David and Jessica McCullars ... Nena Gravil ... 

Michael Hraba ... Stephanie Macias ...  

Jackie Cheuvront ... Michelle Sweatt ... Natasha Gann Petree ... Vicki Miller ... Jodie Wrekt ... 

Linda Hermes King ... Jeff Wilson ... Andrea Luttrell ... Ethan Black ... Elizabeth Bissette ...

Amy Delvin ... Christy Eidson ... Jeff Nelson ... Jennifer Cater ... Stephen Fox ... Melysa Baucom ...

Chris Simpson ... Alexis Colbert ... Jerry Winnette ... Destiney Hett ... Jesse Scherer Mangrum ...

Rachel Cottone ... Cindy Mallalieu ... 

Troy Guinn ... Franko Hashiguchi ... Don Clark ... Rob Campbell ... 

Vicki Kremer Plant ...  Susie Kerr-Wright ... Robert & Thomas Rhea of Crimson Witch Patisserie ....

The amazing and talented Vance Nichols ... and EVERYONE at the fantastic Fontanel, the best venue I could have ever hoped, wished and dreamed for.

Of course, it goes without saying, I could not have done it all without my dearest hubby, Mark... thank you for believing in the magic of Halloween, but mostly, for believing in ME. I love you, honey. The best is yet to come!  

Countdown to the show ...

Only a few more days!

I was worried I'd not have enough art to bring with me - but after being in my studio almost non-stop for most of the year, my butt glued to the chair, sculpting, painting, glueing, embellishing.... I like to think I'm pretty much finished! Whew! It's most certainly a labor of love, even in the face of adversity (I had a few health issues this year but, being that I'm an ornery cuss, just powered through it all), yet always worth it in the end. Can't imagine not doing this! 

Put almost everything on display in my studio shelves (which are crammed full now), stood back and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw! Yes, I think I might actually be done after all.  Made a varied assortment of things this year, big as well as small. Hope everyone likes 'em!

If you live in the Nashville area, please stop by and see me! In fact, come see all the amazing artists (30 total! - our biggest bunch to date) who also have worked hard to bring many wonderful hand-made creations for display and sale. Stay for the live music by our friends, The Secret Commonwealth, do some wine tasting, grab yourself some of the free Halloween candy, catch a few movies in the theater, and enjoy yourselves outside at the Fall Festival. 

Hope to see you there! 

Monsters & Merriment on 'Today in Nashville' TV show -

Did you catch our little segment on Nashville's Channel 4 WSMV?

The 'Today in Nashville' show featured our dear friend, Fontanel's Creative Director Vance Nichols, in his monthly appearance where he creates an easy to do floral arrangement. For this season, he put together a gorgeous autumn window box display.  I need him to come to my house and give my front windows a makeover with these, they were stunning!

The super-awesome Vance Nichols! 

Vance and the show's hosts, Kelly and Carole, shared information about the big Fall Festival and also MONSTERS & MERRIMENT. 

Vance with show hosts, Kelly and Carole

Okay now, please bear with me; I must confess: I just about died, watching this on TV ... it was surreal seeing my product and website displayed for millions of viewers here in the south who were also tuned in at this time.

Seeing this on TV almost made me faint! (with happiness!)

http://www.monstersandmerriment.com

It is seriously difficult to fathom that my humble little Halloween art show has been featured first on a famous Halloween radio station (The Big Scary Show) and now, on TV! 

And not just that, but also included some of my very own hand-made art: "Seemore," a sculpted piece I created a few years ago that Vance himself fell in love with and has since added to his personal collection (Seemore is in the lower right of the photo below) 

All I can manage to say is WOW! I think I got up and did the Snoopy Happy Dance, and scared my poor cats in the process. Really, this is all like a dream come true for me... I don't quite know what else to say, I'm still in shock. 

Vance, you are so wonderful to me, thank you for your friendship, and very much so for believing in this vision I had of a cool Halloween art show... you "get it," and I'm eternally grateful to you, my sweet friend. As we've been saying to each other, "the sky's the limit" in making this bigger and better with each passing year. 

I say, YES! Let's do it!

She was excited to talk about the show!

Seemore is ready for his closeup, Mr. DeMille....

You can watch this fun clip (it's only about 4 minutes long; the MONSTERS & MERRIMENT segment starts at about 3:20) by clicking the link to the WSMV Channel 4 website. 

https://www.wsmv.com/today_in_nashville/vance-nichols-fall-window-box-planters/video_66811ca4-3bcf-53cc-9923-e22db94263c5.html

https://www.fontanel.com/events

And please come on out to Fontanel for both events... they are fun, filled with food, music, art, movies, and are FREE!





  

Big Scary Show podcast - Update ...

You can stream and listen or download the CreepyCon podcast #166 that features sound bites and interviews with me about Monsters & Merriment, and also the Rector of the First Church of Halloween (our dear friend John Davis) who will discuss the Gospel High Mass he will be conducting at the show on September 29th, 2018 at Fontanel.

Listen in by clicking on the link below!

https://www.bigscaryshow.com/episode/big-scary-show-episode-166-creepy-con/?doing_wp_cron=1536242614.7403519153594970703125

Happy First of September 2018 ...

Yippee!!!! Summer is nearly gone. I've worked on so many projects all summer long, but withheld posting photos until the break of September (which is today!). 

Now, in my opinion, can we rightly say it's Halloween season. Let the festivities begin!

I've rediscovered my love of vintage Halloween, and this year indulged in creating several goodies in that particular style. Ya know, I really must do more! I love it so much, from the rich colors to the set up, it absolutely hits me right square in the old nostalgia button. 

So here are but a few of the many vintage Halloween things I worked on earlier in the summer...

"Got Candy?" 

Hand-made by me. Polymer clay, paper clay, string, paper, wire, wood, acrylic paints.

"Many Silly Faces to Love"

Mini portraits of black cats - painted and assembled by me

"The Enduring Friendship of Autumn Times"

Hand-made from polymer clay, acrylic paint, paper, wood, wire

"October Eve"

Hand-made by me of polymer clay, paper clay, acrylic paints, plastic, 

wire, material, wood

The stores began to stock seasonal things about a month ago. I'll admit, it's fun to see Halloween goodies on the shelves so early in the year, but there's a flip side to this coin that doesn't sit well with me or any of my fellow artists. The vast majority of the Halloween items in these stores are all cheap-quality, mass-produced knock-offs from China. I noticed that a lot of the items I've seen so far look strikingly familiar to me - they are virtually identical to creations from some of my favorite holiday artists.  

I've also noticed that when I check the demographics on my Monsters & Merriment website, a good portion of the traffic comes from Beijing, China, as well as Russia. Hmm... I love it that people are going to my site but it makes me wonder whose intentions are pure ... and whose are not.

Time for me to get back to the studio. Still have so much to do before Monsters & Merriment at the end of this month! 

The Big Scary Show podcast

The Monsters & Merriment crew made it out to Knoxville TN to attend the superbly demented and delightful CreepyCon Halloween convention this past weekend.

The Big Scary Show - one of the coolest horror news broadcasts in the known universe - was there, and we met up again with our friend Badger. I was interviewed for next week's broadcast, telling all the listeners about the upcoming MnM show in Nashville.

Our dear friend, John Davis, the Rector of the First Church of Halloween, was also interviewed by Badger. John informed listeners about the FCOH, the Gospel of Halloween, and what attendees can look forward to when they meet him at Monsters & Merriment, where he not only will have a booth selling some of his beautiful Hallowed Relics, but also will be performing a live preaching of the Halloween Gospel inside the Countess Moira theater during the afternoon's festivities.

http://bigscaryshow.com

You can hear our interviews next week (August 27th - September 1, 2018) by tuning in to Big Scary Show (just click on the above link to automatically take you to the website in a separate window).

From my Parlor Panther to yours ...

Halloween is drawing closer! One of the biggest icons of the holiday - next to pumpkins - is the black cat, often depicted with a witch, riding along on her broomstick on Samhain eve.

So many untrue superstitions have been woven about this beautiful creature! If anything, having a "parlor panther" in the house brings nothing but good luck, much love, and even a free vermin disposal machine. 

My cat Lily in the photo above is the sweetest little kitty ever. I daily admire her lovely sleek-as-mink fur, vivid green eyes, and even her claw-studded 'biscuits' she makes against my neck, as I carry her like a baby in my arms around the house - which she loves.

Hoping that people will adopt more black cats - they are often the last ones remaining in shelters, sad to say. Folks, don't miss your chance to have your very own mini black panther! I promise that you will be a happier person for bringing one into your home to love who will love you back unconditionally.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

A true immortal classic ...

Won't you come join us at the best venue in town?

https://www.fontanel.com/events

Grinning Glow Skull necklace - - -

Every once in a while, I get the bug to create some fanciful freaky jewelry. I use bits and pieces of existing chains and whatnot and to that, add my own hand-sculpted pendants.

Of course, it seems that everything I sculpt turns out to be either a monster or a skull, as in this case, the pendant presented here being a grinning glow-in-the-dark one at that. I think he's a rather charming chap!

I like to 'test' my goods whenever possible, and wore it out to an event where I got many compliments and queries about it. It turned out so well, I am tempted to keep it for my own use! 

... but likely will have it available for sale at this year's  MONSTERS & MERRIMENT.

Ok, back to the drawing board, got lots more to do!

My nose to the Halloween grindstone...

"Baby Just Wants to Cuddle" - paper clay, wood, acrylics on wood platform.
2017 by Ellie Gee 

What does your art table look like? Mine is so overflowing with projects, I think I may need to knock down a wall and enlarge my studio. Seriously, I have way too many things calling my attention. I would say that is a good thing, right? Keeps me busy and motivated, especially as these are the months I really put my nose to the grindstone, for MONSTERS & MERRIMENT is only about three months away.

A few photos of the MacabreWebs booth from last year's show.

The "Other Halloween" ... (UPDATE)

Tomorrow we fly, for it is Walpurgis!

UPDATE: ... we really did fly - on a plane, that is!
Flew with my dear Hubby and our good friend John into Burbank Airport in LA.
Spent three full weeks, traveling (by rental car) from California to Nevada, to Arizona, to New Mexico, to Colorado,  to Kansas, to Missouri, to Illinois, to Kentucky... then back home again to Tennessee.

Most EPIC vacation, ever. 
Now it's back to putting my nose to the grindstone, in full Halloween mode..!

Happy Springtime, everyone!

Greetings, dearies!

Loving the springtime weather we're having here in Middle Tennessee.
Of course, I dread the hot summer, but it's what I call a 'necessary evil' to get through as we look forward to glorious autumn.

I'm working on so many different things at the moment; namely, putting the latest Monsters & Merriment show together. Got word from the folks at Fontanel that last year's event brought in something like 3000 attendees. Whoa! That made my head spin! How to top that? You'll just have to come and see.

Did you know that 2018 marks the 200th anniversary of the published book, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley? What an astonishing impact that story has had in our modern media, from countless offshoots of the story, to movies by the score; you name it. 

This year's show theme will be dedicated to Frankenstein!

Check out the slide show gallery of many photos from each of the past shows, by clicking on the link below.

http://www.monstersandmerriment.com

FrankenBunny arises!

*** UPDATE: - - -  SOLD!!! ***


A crack of lightning fills the midnight sky ... from a pile of broken leftover eggs, candy wrappers and busted up Easter baskets, he rises ... and walks .... searching for old carrots!

Meet FrankenBunny.
He missed Easter, but is now ready for Halloween!

FrankenBunny is a resin sculpture I created, mounted on a live-edged wood plank, and surrounded by a few broken leftover eggs, plus his eyes glow in the dark, too!
He stands approx. 10" high, 7" wide, and is signed by me.

He is available this month, beginning April 10th, at the ever-awesome PFATT Marketplace.

http://www.pfattmarketplace.com

The monsters are stirring ...

The frost is melting ... and it's ALIVE once again!

Flyer art by Ethan Black 

Save the date... for a bigger, badder, more MONSTROUS time is in store for this year's show.

Returning again to the fabulous Fontanel complex in Nashville!

Teddy Bear Valentine keepsake box

It's been said that a heart-shaped box was where you kept your truest, deepest love. And it's also said that for many of us, a teddy bear is our first love, trusted confidant and most beloved childhood companion.

My original, hand-decorated and designed "Teddy Bear Valentine Keepsake Box" is featured for the month of February at the wonderful PFATT (Prominent Folk Artist's Trinkets and Treasures) Marketplace, just in time for Valentine's Day.  

Now, don't be surprised - it is not the typical MacabreWebs offering. You won't find any pumpkins or bats or skulls; instead, it's a sweet, smiling and rosy-cheeked Teddy Bear sitting on a big sparkly red glitter heart, affixed to the top of a 3" x 3" metal latch keepsake box.

Inside the lid, you'll find an original poem that I wrote to express our loving feelings on this holiday: 

In the end

And from the start

You will always

Have my heart ...

I love you!

I used to collect things like this when I was a young'un, and know that there are other girls and ladies out there who too would surely cherish a one of a kind gift such as this for Valentine's Day. Candy is good, flowers are nice, but a Teddy Bear such as this will last forever!

Go to PFFAT for purchasing information by clicking the link below.


http://www.pfattmarketplace.com/macabrewebs.html

Happy Birthday!

To my all-time fave (and fellow Aquarian), Alice Cooper, who today reaches a milestone of 70 years on earth!

Hope to meet up with you again, dear Sir. And when we do, please pull my hair like you did the last time. Swoon!

When a girl named Ellie met a boy named Alice...

Do we really know?

Iced, iced, baby! ...

Up here in the Castle GreenFuzz laboratories, we have about 3 inches of snow over a layer of ice. That means, staying put inside! No traipsing about in the graveyard for any of us ghouls today. 

One small consolation - Halloween will be here in less than 300 days. Time to start getting ready!