Oh gosh, can you believe October has come and gone?!! This year is a-flying by, isn't it!
On Saturday I received the above mondo fantastico sampler from my partner Debbie, of Kitten Creates. I adore the tradition of Dia de los Muertos and it couldn't be more perfect for me Debbie. Such fun fabric and the embellishment details are so great. Love it to pieces!
My sampler ... and goodies (so much fun - skelly sockies, candy corn fabric and skelly washi!) ... were wrapped charmingly, it all made me smile so much. Thank you so much for everything Debbie!
I love Dia de los Muertos. I love the ritual of it, the craftiness of it but most dear to me is the paying tribute and remembering.
My father believes that visiting a cemetery is feeling sorry for oneself. We cannot talk of loss or shared grief. He is the stiff upper lip, the stoic. I am the softie, the heart on the sleeve. He on one side of the bank and I on the other, with no bridge to meet upon.
So my heart swells as if I have finally found home when I place my mother and brothers photos on my mantle, along with items that they loved. I talk to them. I write them notes. I laugh. I cry. These days my mother and brother sit upon the mantle with my Auntie, beloved friends gone too soon and furry family members.
We drove out to Pasadena yesterday to the wonderful store, The Folk Tree. We love to visit year round but we always make a trip out for their annual Dia de los Muertos altar exhibit, Altars and Ephemera.
I picked up a few darling skulls and skeletons for our altar and some skeleton paper garlands to hang. I hope I can still find some marigolds for our altar. I had hoped to make pan de muerto and sugar skulls but I don't think I'm going to get around to it.
We are going to the Loteria Grill for breakfast and then we'll come home and begin our altar.
If Dia de los Muertos is your kind of thing, be sure and visit the participants of Dia de Bloglandia, organized by the oh so wonderful blogs Rodrigvitz Style, Susanna's Sketchbook and recuerda mi corazon. And if those leave you wanting more, there are last years participants to view too. Read all the wonderful stories of remembrance from the participants of the 2008 Dia de Bloglandia.
Oh boy! How fun - make a little Frida doll from the online magazine, "We Love Crafts Magazine". Go to the We Love Crafts Magazine website We Love Crafts Magazine Click on "Ya estamos aqui entra!!" You will see the Table of Contents - they are calling it the Indice. Click on "El Alfiletero" pages 51-54. That will take you to the Fridita tutorial. So cute. In the middle of the left hand side of the page, click on the red "aqui" to get the PDF pattern for your little Fridita.
Make a distressed folk art Frida painting tutorial at U create U create tutorial
My new blog friend Lori, of Run Lori Run, makes the most darling softies. She recently made this darling girl, Ruthie. Lori says that Ruthie is ready for some fun and I believe her! Look at those spidey's on her skelly legs, so cute! Lori's Etsy Store
How about carving your own skelly stamps like these from Kleas? Aren't they great?!
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