YAY, the month of October is upon us, and I have invited another special Collector friend to share her collection with you! I would like to introduce you to Celeste who has a deep passion for collecting Halloween. It has been three years since we first met, and her love for one of kind creations has grown more evident with each passing season! After adopting a few of my originals, I believe she was hooked. And, she has been on the hunt for more ever since. Most recently, she made a special trip out to my Halloween Trunk show and left with several new goodies to add to her growing family of JPD originals. It's obvious she had fun arranging and decorating my Halloween characters all about her house, and fortunately, she sent me photos to share!

I admit that I lost count of how many of my originals Celeste has snagged or at times "caught!" All I can say is that when she grows tired of them, you know who to call! :) Enjoy her photos below along with a fun Q & A! And a huge thanks to you Celeste for your support and appreciation for the work I do. I am truly grateful….



J: How did you learn about my Halloween folk art?
C: I first saw you at Halloween and Vine three years ago and when I found your booth I had already spent all my money!! I was so sad..I brought my friend Mona over to your booth and said, look how cute these pieces are!!! Buy one, so at least I can see it at your house! So she bought "Dixie Dot"! Your web update was not long after that and I was so anxious, I was an hour early for it, I forgot about the time change!! I was able to get my first one that day, "Bailey Boo".


* And, there's "Bailey Boo" above left ~ He must have told her that he wanted to be surrounded by family :)

J: How long have you been collecting my originals?
C: Three years.



J: What is it about my creations that captures your imagination?
C: I love antiques and vintage things and I feel your pieces remind me of vintage Halloween, say the 40's era. The hues you use are so rich and the expressions are so cute and whimsical, I truly love them.




* I love how she has my originals displayed in an antique kitchen hutch, mixed in with vintage tins and other relics from the past!

J: Where have you had the best luck in acquiring my original pieces; shows, web sales, Collector's Catch, eBay, etc?
C: I think I am the queen of Collector catches!!

(J: I think she's caught about 4 or 5 out of maybe 13 or so Collector's Catches so far ~ not bad! She's also had a few lucky wins on eBay and the EHAG Emporium as well as acquiring my work in person at shows.... )


* The spider pictured above was one of her lucky eBay wins - some of you may remember him from EHAG's Black & White Challenge this past spring...

J: Do you have a favorite piece in your private collection?
C: As many of your collectors have mentioned before it is hard to choose just one!!! I am crazy over your candy cups, but I do love my big owl, "Sir Hoots a lot"! and "Bizarro", and...and...lol


* A couple of those candy cups she's crazy about stand behind my silly stylized bat...


* The bulldog candy cup & black cat kettle cup were recently snatched up at my Trunk Show!


"Sir Hoots-a-lot" is the standing owl on the right.... hoot hoot!


* "Bizarro the Bat" is seen guarding the center of Celeste's festive mantel, lined with a fun grouping of my one of kind Halloween creations!

J: Is there anything in particular you suggest I try making in the future?
C: I would love for you to try doing a mouse!!!


* Hmmm, just a bat and 2 cats pictured here, but a Halloween mouse does sound sweet!...

Again, thank you Celeste for sharing your personal photos with us! I am honored that you find such joy in my work...

~ Johanna

PS: Stay tuned for at least one more Collector Spotlight feature coming later this month.....