I asked Mastodon for recommendations on spooky handmade things. This is one of the first suggestions I got. Bear In Mind has a few spooky things, including ghost versions of these adorable cacti.
![Orange ceramic cacti with jack-o-lantern faces.](https://spookymoon.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/InShot_20230906_103808082-1024x909.jpg)
I’ve been a member of a Secret Pumpkin group for many years. It used to be a big thing. Now it’s just a few friends. Back when it was bigger, I received a simple little purse from my Pumpkin, which I used until it completely fell apart. It was made by Mari Mortem of The Kitschy Ghoul. Her fancier purses are the type of thing that she releases occasionally and they sell out in hours. But she does a lot of things, most of them vintage-themed. All of them spooky! This wall hanging is what I grabbed from her shop this year.
Sometimes I find things just by cruising Etsy. That’s how I found Harriet Hollows, this darling doll from Prim Heirloom Designs. There’s another doll there that I kinda want, but I’m trying not to spend my whole budget in one place. Maybe next year I can grab one of these Halloween Ghosts.
Another new diorama in the shop.
It’s funny how this looks simpler than the Witch’s Study, but took longer. I’m not even sure why. Things were built mostly from resin bits and polyclay.
I have a whole story for this one in my head. Once the portraits of these two vampires faced one another, but over time, disdain has grown. The portraits swapped, the vampires sleeping in opposite corners of the room.
The cat does not care about vampire politics, and sleeps peacefully on someone’s favorite chair.
Do you know all the vampire authors on the shelf?
At first, I thought the mold was just roses. Once it was on and I started painting, I realized it had all the flowers. That’s okay, still pretty.
New item in the shop! I’ve been doing the diorama thing lately, and I’m really pleased with the result.
I am, however, disappointed with my photography skills. Eh, I’ll figure it out. Seems like I shouldn’t need better than a modern phone, but maybe I’m wrong. Some less blurry details:
Fancy shelves filled with jars I built from resin bits, scrolls, and a nifty skull.
I love the haphazard piles of books. There’s also a little broom, a cauldron, a journal on the desk, and a kitty sleeping beneath.
Leaves and berries wind around the outside frame.
I add the “LLC” because if you leave it off, you end up with some pretty boring candles. Glow City Candles are anything but. They are hand dipped and carved, and you can watch them do it on their Instagram.
The candles are designed to be burned in 30-minute increments, so you get just the right size opening to put in an LED tea-light.
Lorelie Kay makes feather-light pieces of sculpting and assemblage. A couple details I love about this: the vintage brooch, and the separate pumpkin basket. Which I immediately dropped, proving that her materials are tough enough even for me!
Side note: I like her even more after checking her entire Etsy page. Her shop note is about why she doesn’t participate in Etsy’s “free” shipping scam.
This year, I’m buying Halloween art made by individuals, rather than mass-produced items. I have so much stuff from Home Goods, Michael’s, etc. This year it just didn’t interest me (okay, except for a couple Lemax pieces), so I decided to spend my usual Halloween money supporting wonderful artists.
This darling vintage-style peg doll is by Spookshow Babe Designs, who I’ve followed on facebook for ages. Isn’t he adorable?
I love these bracelets so much! Every time I look at them, I want to make a dozen more. Except one more bead wide, because even-count peyote is easier. I don’t know that I’ll ever sell them. For one, I love them. For two, peyote stitch is slow work, and I’d have to charge $$.
Also, happy Countdown to Halloween! Always a good way to kick off my birthday month. The Spousal Unit insists I don’t have a whole month, but c’mon, my birthday is at the beginning, and my favorite holiday is at the end. And let’s face it, I’m gonna be buying myself gifts all month.