The Raven's Tea Party...my first Halloween Swap piece.

I was invited to participate in a Halloween Art Swap by Rabbit Hollow Primitives and this is my folk art piece, the Raven's Tea Party. Man, what a blast I had making this project! My partner is Howling Moon Designs, and she's already posted it on her blog.

http://howlingmoonsblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/rabbit-hollow-prims-halloween-swap-my.html

And by the way, she's got some wonderful creative stuff on her site, you should check it out!




I knew I wanted to build this piece around a raven holding a tea bag, and when I spied this candleholder in my stash, I knew I was on the right track. After painting it, I wrapped it in bundled twigs, draped gathered tulle between all three branches and added doilies to the side holders.



I made the raven of muslin and paperclay with wire feet and quilted wings sewn on separately with a tea bag dangling from it's beak and a witchy hat on it's head. It is also wearing a tiny skeleton key around it's neck. The tea pot is styrofoam and paperclay and painted with acrylics. The spider is wire and beads. I added fun yarn around the teapot's base. The twig nest around the raven's feet also holds a teeny tiny jack o' lantern I carved from a pumpkin less than an inch across. X acto knife, baby!!

















I painted a scary tree with a crooked fence and a witchy moon with bats on the front side of the teapot, and on the back there's another scary tree in a an old graveyard. Very spooky and perfect for a Halloween tea party.


And what's a tea party without cake? I started with a wedge of styrofoam and some paperclay, then added the dimensional bat and piping with hot glue which I painted to look like ooky black icing. Acrylics made it look like chocolate cake with orange frosting, just perfect. I LOVE the way this piece of cake came out!


As the finishing touch I added this mini garland made by my daughter. The rosettes are made of book paper and the stickers are from Martha Stewart's Halloween collection. She is a clever one, my daughter!

Candace at Howling Moon Designs says she loves her gift and I loved making it for her. I see that she is a member of Eclectic Halloween Artists Group, which I would love to join. Guess I'll have to start campaigning for that honor.

Rabbit Hollow Primitives has posted all the swap projects on her site, go take a look. There is a wonderful collection of beautiful creations on her site, you'll be glad you visited.

http://rabbithollowprims.blogspot.com/2010/09/halloween-witches-tea-party-swap-pics.html

And guess what, I have another candleholder just like the one I used for this project, so I can make another Raven tea party if I want. I love it when a plan comes together!