Hallo to Halloween and Autumn

It may still be blazing hot in Dubai, though we are at the end of October, but fashionably speaking, it’s all autumn colours on the fashion walk and Halloween on the way end of this month.  Here are some of our brilliant artisans incorporating the colours  (and tastes) of Halloween and Autumn in their work.

Irenespots

Irenespots is particularly known for her terrifyingly cute monsters, which, if you want to read more about, you can click here.   Check out her pumpkin pots for this Halloween. Which of the two grimacing pumpkin pots do you prefer?

irenespots

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MoJePerle

This polymer clay artist has been part of the ARTE family for a number of years and her designs play beautifully on the colours of autumn and our ARTE brand colours. Read more about her story here.

 

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Paras Creations

Isn’t the Halloween Princess in the photo below, cute? That’s what you get when your princess gal wears a Paras Creations dress, and carries that handmade broom, made by Paras’ loving hands (yes, she actually makes the broom herself, recycling from bigger brooms and donning aubergine flowers on them). Read more about this artisan’s work here.

paras creations

parasbrooms

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Well Preserved

This Halloween, Well Preserved has whipped up a garlic based Vampire Relish to keep the vampires away. Check out what these are usually girls are up to in the Well Preserved kitchen.

wellpreserved

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Mary Falconer Designs

This talented artisan makes awesome clutches and has diversified into making bracelets that match her stylish handbags. Here are our two top picks from her collection (in orange and black, of course!).

Read more about Mary Falconer Designs here.

marybracelets

Yes, you can even express Love during the scary, dark night of Halloween. Mary Falconer Designs shows us how (just wear her black noir tiered bracelet and you are well away).

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In the sand pit

Check out the awesome fabric that In the Sand Pit uses in pretty girlish skirts and tees. The motifs are very striking – from the black silhouette of an alert cat, to the friendly ghosts and skeletons (reminiscent of Casper, the friendly ghost cartoons from bygone days). We even like the polka dotted dress and ribbons, that go very well with the chevron border and the tall witchy hats.

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We hope we kept you bewitched with this year’s rendition of Halloween at the ARTE blog. Don’t forget, if you wish to book a table with us at ARTE, all you have to do is to read the Vendor information on our website, choose your preferred ARTE location, and book with us. We look forward to seeing you become part of our group.

 

 

Have a Handmade Halloween!

Our ARTE Artisans have been very busy creating Halloween themed handmade products. From fun decorations to toys and delicious treats, each piece will help you stand out at your upcoming Halloween party.

Crochet Zombies and Pumpkins by Komeropuoti – Little Craft Shop

Pumpkin Toffee by Toffee Princess

Halloween inspired Crystal Tree by Sahar’s Luxury Handicrafts

Halloween inspired Cat-Shaped Decorative Cushions by Eva’s Cats

Stuffed toys by Natalia Sukhanova

Halloween Inspired Miniature Sculptures by Orange Jar

Halloween Bunting by Bright & Beautiful ME

Trick or Treat Buckets by Bright & Beautiful ME

Halloween inspired Cupcakes by Farah Nausheen Arshad & Sana Ayesha Arshad

Little boys set by In The Sand Pit

Polymer Clay Earrings by Mojeperle

Skull Cork Stoppers by Colin Roberts from 2RGalleries

Cherry Blossoms anyone?

One of the most poignant parts of the ‘Mulan‘ story is when Mulan, the heroine of the story, meets her father under the Magnolia Trees. The conversation goes something like this, “Some (Magnolia) flowers take a long time to bloom, but once they do, they are the most beautiful of them all.” With this, Mulan was encouraged to find her life’s purpose and she became instrumental in saving the Kingdom of her time. Of course, the story is set in China and the cherry blossoms are not the same as the Mulan’s magnolia but for me both the trees’ blossoms stir similar emotions. (I would like to thank Lazar, one of the ARTE blog readers, for pointing out that ‘Mulan’ actually means magnolia. How fascinating).

So when Katarina Kovacevof MojePerle shared with me (Jan) her story of how she created the cherry blossoms pendant in polymer clay, I felt an immediate connection. Katrina says, “Cherry blossoms bloom in Japan during this time of the year.” Further research showed me that this is true for the main Japan cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, though in the rural areas it may start as early as January and end in May.

As April has already descended on us, what better way to begin the month with a story on Cherry Blossoms right here in Dubai. If you are wondering, no, Katrina is not from Japan, but from Serbia. It’s so nice to see how artisans can glean inspiration from other cultures and Katrina demonstrates this perfectly.

How Katrina from MojePearl makes her Cherry Blossom polymer pendant. Photo supplied by MojePearl

How Katrina from MojePearl makes her Cherry Blossom polymer pendant. Photo supplied by MojePearl

The above photo depicts the step by step process that Katrina uses to make her cherry blossoms pendant.  Whenever she makes these pendants in polymer clay, she fondly remembers her grand mother who  loved cherry blossoms. “Sadly, she passed away last year,” she says, her eyes misting up.  I’d say, what a beautiful way to create a handmade product that helps you recollect fond memories of a loved one.

So if you fancy having a ‘cherry blossoms viewing’ or a ‘cherry blossoms picnic Japanese style’, right here in Dubai, pop by Katrina’s stall at the Times Square Centre on Friday, the 13th of April 2012 (and usually every 2nd Friday of the month), as part of the ARTE exhibition. She has other ‘garden’ treasures and roses to share with you, if you fancy these more than cherry blossoms.

Garden earrings. Photos by MojePearl

Garden earrings. Photos by MojePearl

Rose pendant with silver foil. Photo by MojePearl

Rose pendant with silver foil. Photo by MojePearl

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