Pick Your Pumpkin: Monsters, Black & White, Art-Inspired or Crafty

Despicable Me's Minions Pumpkins from Craftberry Bush, Zombie Pumpkins from Martha Stewart, Monsters from The Cottage Market, Cookie Monster from TruedeKids

Who could resist the big googly eyes, lopsided grins and bright colors on these monster pumpkins?  All you need is some paint, a few extra gourds and Styrofoam (or ping pong) balls or fuzzy pom-poms. 

Trick-or-Treat Pumpkin from Frugal Flourish, Argyle Pumpkins from Horchow (No longer available), Matte Black Pumpkin from Dishfunctional Designs, Bug, Spider and Zebra Print Pumpkins from Country Living

If you want something a little more elegant, try a black and white theme.  These make a big impact when grouped together.

Jackson Pollock Pumpkin from Dishfunctional Designs, Neon Rothko Pumpkin from Dishfunctional Designs, Van Goh Pumpkin from Swell Designer, and Modern Pumpkins from Apartment Therapy

Get in touch with your inner artist and channel the likes of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko or Vincent Van Goh.  Group your artsy pumpkins with other items, like the mini mushrooms above, for a look that may have been imported from Sweden or Denmark.

Mummy Pumpkin from The Cottage Market, Mod Podge Pumpkin from The Painted Home, Washi Tape Pumpkins from Foxhollow Cottage, and Spider Web Pumpkin from Fine Stationery

Get to the root of true craftiness with decoupage, rhinestones and Washi Tape.  Your pumpkins can be anything you want them to be, so let your imagination run wild!

~Heather F.

Studio/Mktg. Director

Bella Ink Suggests What to Read, Watch and Wine this October

Bella Ink Designs' Invitation: PH-152, Vampire Wine: Pinot Noir, Williams-Sonoma Halloween Medallion Plates, Grandin Road Pumpkins and Candlesticks, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Venetian Plague Mask, Scream Movie Poster

October is fall leaves, bonfires, s'mores, and apple picking, as well as an approved day to do nothing but dress up in costumes and get spooked, all in good fun.  October means Halloween, and we're featuring some of the little things you may want to check out to help set the tone for the rest of the month.

We'll be honest, the Vampire Wine pictured above, which we recently tasted at Geneva's Festival of the Vine, was really for watching the premier of Vampire Diaries and The Originals last week.  Coincidentally, two shows that fit this month's Halloween theme thanks to all the vampires, warewolves and witches populating both Mystic Falls and New Orleans.  Luckily, the bottles will also look fabulous on the table of any Halloween party.  Blood red wine is the perfect accompaniment to candy, right?

Frankenstein is one of our favorite novels.  Maybe because it was written by a woman on a dark and stormy night when the men in the room proposed a challenge to the group: See who can write the scariest tale.  The men didn't win.  On an amusing note, Urban Outfitters is currently selling R.L. Stine books like The Wrong Number, so if you used to bury under the covers and scare yourself with this series, order a few copies and revisit Fear Street.

The Venetian plague doctor's mask was inspired by Dan Brown's book Inferno.  This one is eerily beautiful with all the embellishments (we love embellishment!), but most masks we've uncovered online are unadorned and downright creepy!  As explained in the book, doctors would put herbs in the beak to keep the smell of death at bay when the black plague consumed Venice. 

And finally, why not spend one spooky night in with a classic horror movie?  We suggest Scream.  Make some popcorn and grab a cozy blanket, as well as someone to squeeze when things get intense.

Happy Halloween!

~Heather F.

Studio/Mktg Director