Happy Halloween!

This year I was at a loss as to what I wanted to be. I could have been a witch, I thought about trying to be Salvador Dali (he's an artist for people that are not art fans), and I thought about being a McDonald's worker (I have much of the stuff from a review).

Then I decided I wanted to be a cactus. 

One day I poked big toothpicks in a green sweater that I've had for a long time. On the backsides I hot glued buttons. Then trimmed them with a fingernail trimmer. By the end of that day I was done! I did great not hot gluing my fingers the first 1/2, but toward the second 1/2 I burnt them often. I don't even think I was careless. It's just that I had the task of getting them in the sleeves, which was tight quarters.

Then I had to get fabric to make blooms, for my cactus. 

I ordered a terra cotta skirt, which I was excited about. It  came in the mail, and was golden rod yellow. I bought dye, and dyed it too dark. 

It ended up being more work than I'd like, but at least I got to watch Man in the High Castle, while I put the toothpicks in. 

This is how it turned out:

Two students were cacti, so we grouped up together to get a few shots:

A detail you didn't see! My nails:

I hardly do my nails! I just use my hands too much. 

Lucky for me I didn't get poked too much. It was impossible to lean back in a chair though. The first green makeup wouldn't cover me, and the second was almost too strong. I'm not the best with makeup! I rarely wear any daily, let alone Halloween. 

I get to go home, wash my face, and dress Isaak up to be the girl he wanted to be. Travis said, "I just don't know how to get him ready!" Ha!

Mica's now too old for Trick or Treating. We'll hang back to deliver candy. 

What's your favorite costume that you or your child has been?

What's your favorite candy? 

WW: Cacti and Succulent Show {Liky}

I like Cacti and Succulents more than Roses. I think it's cool that Cacti are prickly, but will poof have a bloom that's pretty. I think it's the contrast of not inviting mixed with inviting that I like. They just are unique to me. What's a plant, or flower that you like?

We went to a local nursery to see a Cacti and Succulent Show.

My husband kept asking why I was taking photos. Sometimes certain things are just intriguing.

Isaak was the only child that would pose for me, but Travis posed with a hair flip. LOL!

I got a photo of the boys after 15 shots. Mica kept doing this silly smirk on purpose. Finally Travis said, "You better knock it off! We don't want to stand here anymore." He started laughing, so I shot a photo.

Bloom:

Brownish:

Whiteish:

 

Greenish and Yellowish:

I know I took way too many pictures, but I love cacti and succulents.

WW: Mexican Themed Art {Linky}

I started working on these images about 5 or so years ago. I neglected them, worked on other things. Do you ever have projects like that? Then I dug them out and finished them this summer. They are going in my brightly colored kitchen.

The kids were coloring right beside me. That was fun!

The first one is called Octopus's Garden

I kind of got the idea from the Beatles song, but was also into Mexican art and lots of techniques at the time. I suppose the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo influenced me as well.

Details. The beach is pained with clear paint and different types of sand (fine up front and course as it goes back). There are actual seashells on the sand. I used a newish clear medium that has glass beads in it for the water. The spines on the cacti are toothpicks, cut, sanded and painted. The sombrero is toothpicks as well. I mainly dripped paint on the cacti instead of painting them.

The second one is called Terra Cotta Fish Bowl

I just wanted a piece or two to go with the others. This image is much better in life. They both are. They are longest wise half the size as a standard door. It's hard seeing them small. I just wanted to carry the theme of cacti into this image as well.  I just envisioned a fish swimming in a terra cotta pot.

Details: There's sand on the ground of this one as well. I painted the walls and steps with a pain pallet to give them a stucco feel. Then washed over them. The pot I tried something that was difficult to work with. I painted it with paint, mixed with powdered dish soap. An epic fail. It kept drying and crumbling. Once I went over it with washes it was good. The cacti is dripped paint and toothpicks. Then the fish, lizard and tiles are all made out of found paper and a touch of colored pencil.

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