Day of the Dead

Finished the altar off with some purple m&m's (Lola's favorite color and a treat she kept in the house for all the kids) and fresh flowers. Marigold is the traditional flower but my least favorite so these are in the same color family but much prettier.

Thanks to all my friends that have donated Patron bottles to me! I put rum in the little one because it goes better with the coke.

 Rest in peace Lola we all love and miss you.

Day of the Dead Altar #gelliarts

 

I really enjoyed putting together this altar for Lola. I used gelli prints to cut the sugar skull banners. Aren't they pretty! I want to add a few more things but I have plenty of time.

#gelliarts day of the dead banners

These are tissue paper.

I have been so inspired lately, I have about five things going at once. The last two days I have been cutting gelli prints on deli paper into day of the dead skulls. I have used tissue paper before but that is so fragile I thought that deli paper would be a perfect fit. It still looks fragile and will still move to represent the wind but very sturdy.

Here is a sneak peak of the altar, top row anyway. It has been a few years since I have done a Day of  the Dead altar. I've decided it is time for another.

We lost my dear mother in law Lola this year.  She will be the main subject. Isn't she beautiful? The top shelf is supposed to represent heaven and she herself supplied a lot of the religious items I've gathered. The St. Joseph statue for when we were moving and she gave me a lot rosaries over the years to use in my art.

The crosses are a tribute to all the catholic boys I've loved before. I guess...I'm not religious and that is the only excuse I can come up with.

Miss Firestarter is ready for the feast. (At least I think that is her name.) Her silk dress is so lovely but her hat is really shabby. Showing her years, poor dear.

Stay tuned for final reveal!

Day of the Dead

I really wanted to do another Day of the Dead altar this year but didn't get around to it.

Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos

Ms Firestarter

Really enjoyed making this art doll this weekend. Friday night, I took a dollar store skeleton and wired it to a metal base. I had already distressed the skeleton for my Halloween display. I found some velvet I had embossed from a previous project in my fabric stash. On Saturday morning ran to the thrift store and I found a 100% silk tank top for only $1.99. Back at home I found a feather boa that matched the silk. It took me only about ten minutes to fashion her skirt. The next four hours were spent on the simple looking shaw. The piece was perfect already. All I had to do was line it with the silk. Well needless to say my machine made that nearly impossible. Off to bed. Next day I made her hat out of a chocolate mold and more scraps of fabric. My glue soaked through the fabric and really messed up both fabrics. Rather that recover them. Which would have been easy enough at that point. I left it. Made it look tattered. And, after all Ms. Firestarter has been dead for a very long time. Had to vacuum after attaching the feathers. Spent the next couple days beading her rosary and covered a button with velvet for her skirt. Don't you just love her purse?