The overwhelming response I have been receiving on my Cotton Candy Cocoon Ornaments has been “out of this world” (pun intended). Not only did the ones I pre-made sell out very quickly but my listing for them on Etsy was being favorited so much I decided to set up a custom made-to-order listing for anyone interested in having one made. This of corpse has resulted in me getting to make more of them, but one order stood our from the rest.
When the order came through my Etsy shop I found out it was going to be a gift for my dear and close friend Heather and I had the hardest time keeping it from her. On top of it I was quite honored just knowing that something I made was on her (always well thought out) Christmas wish list and even more so that her in-laws chose it off her list to purchase it for her.
When she opened the gift during the holidays she immediately texted me and we got a good laugh out of it. The best part though was when she followed it up with this beautiful photo of herself proudly holding it up to show me how happy she was to receive it.
On top of all of it she shared the following feedback about the ornament that truly lifted my spirits.
“Nicole designed these creative, and incredible interpretations of the cotton candy cocoons, I knew I needed one! I put one on my holiday list, and crossed my fingers, since she only made two of them. I was very excited when I opened the box and saw it in there! Honestly, I’m surprised she kept it a secret this long. Ha! If you’re a fan of the movie, I recommend ordering one. They’re well made, and super cute. It was a hit when I opened it at my family party.”
Did you also receive one of my handmade Cotton Candy Cocoon ornament for the holidays? Or maybe you bought one for yourself or someone else? I would love to see and feature your photos here as well as on the Freaky Fanatics slideshow of my portfolio website! Contact me via my website or a DM on Etsy!
Most people know that I have quite the infatuation for all things circusy. Top it off with campy horror and it is quite the recipe of giddiness for me. So it is no surprise to most people that I have always had a deep love and appreciation for the movie Killer Klowns From Outer Space. I mean what other movie incorporates walking a balloon animal dog on a leash!
It really was great getting to be a kid in the 80s, surrounded by so much weird, creative energy and it’s been great growing up and being able to appreciate the things from my childhood on a whole new level. For instance, having the honor of meeting Mike Martinez aka Rudy (my fave👽🤡) and Harrod Blank aka Slim at Flashback Weekend a couple years ago. You can tell by the look on my face in the picture below what a milestone moment this was for me. That recipe of giddiness in full force.
As with most pop culture, horror, and fantasy things that I love, I had been wanting to create something I had envisioned from the movie, but was not sure how I was going to go about making it. Let’s just say I have been researching supplies for the past year.
And that’s when we went inside, and that is when we saw those people in those…those pink, cotton candy cocoons.Dave, it was not a circus tent.It was something else.
For a while now I have been working on variations in between other projects and finally found the base that worked best for what I was trying to create. With the help of my amazing, engineer of a husband (who was able to get the tubing to work the way I wanted them to) I was finally able to bring what I was envisioning in my brain to life and am so happy with the way they turned out.
I present to you my Limited Edition Cotton Candy Cocoon Ornaments….
They measure approximately 8″ from the bottom to the top of the hook. Unfortunately you can’t drink the essence of the person inside them as they’ve been pretty drained already, however they make pretty rad handmade horror decor for your home. I have even been considering making some to be displayed next to my own Killer Klown collection of figurines, Funkos, etc.
There are currently only 2 of these ornaments pre-made and listed in my Etsy shop. They will also be available to see in person and purchased at a discounted rate* when I make my next art drop off at Closet Collectibles in Crete, IL this weekend. In other words, be sure to get one while you can.
Stay Spooky & Magical! LDG Nicole
*Price is discounted from online store prices. Etsy listings reflect the unfortunate amount of shop and transaction fees they charge us artists to sell online. If you are local or traveling to Illinois, I encourage my clients to save money and see my work on full display by shopping my artwork in person with my consignment partner, Closet Collectibles where they truly support my creative endeavors as their resident local artist.
I would just like to start this off by saying that the real horror story begins when that “back to reality” feeling sets in Monday morning after being away in la la land during an amazing, extended weekend with your local horror community. The struggle is real, and my husband and I are definitely feeling it today after another memorable Flashback Weekend Chicago!
So needless to say I am happy to relive the adventure while sharing my latest post horror con recap …
So one thing I learned this weekend was that after 27 years, your 90s teen dreams can still become a reality. The inner teen that is still left inside my 42 year old body was all sorts of giddy gifting my “The Exorcist Was On” portrait to Billy Loomis himself.. Skeet Ulrich. He was in awe that he got to keep the original and thanked ME for making HIM look good (who would’ve thunk it). He got a kick out of me telling him that he was the reason I started watching Riverdale and told me that I was very talented and I definitely need to keep up the great work. I guess you can say he was encouraging the “psycho” in me to keep being “more creative” (pun intended).
Mad props go out to my husband Frank who was a trooper during all of this. He took these pics that I will cherish and didn’t end up threatening a divorce afterwards 😆. However, I think he had his special moment when Rose McGowan (who we’ve met before) voluntarily lit his cigarette when he was standing outside the hotel having a smoke break with our friend Ben.
This weekend we also got to reconnect with David Howard Thornton. The last time we saw him was when I gifted him my original #SELFIE art piece at Days Of The Dead Chicago in 2018. It truly was an eye opener to see the difference 5 years can make and how a sequel to something could actually go surprisingly in the right direction. When we first met David back then we were able to walk right up to his table and shoot the shit with him. However, now that Terrifier 2 has come out and people are starting to discover Art The Clown, we actually had to stand in a decently long line just to say hi. Not to mention the main cast members from both films were there so it was quite the “terrifying” event. For me personally I was excited that the cast reunions included Damien Leone who is not only the creator and director of the film, but also the special fx artist who developed the Art The Clown character. In a world of remakes and reboots, he literally gifted us a new horror icon and from what I have witnessed of the franchise growth over the years, I am not the only fan of the horror genre that has been craving his originality.
With that being said, I gifted both David and Damien wearable art print shirts of my #SELFIE piece. They both really liked them and thought it was great they got to keep them. The woman working at Damien’s table was even impressed by them and asked if I had more of them. Once again Frank gets mad props for capturing these candid images while I was talking with and gifting to them.
We waited to get an actual posed photo with them because we already had reserved a ticket for their in costume photo op that was an absolute must. It was so great to see Damien’s work up close and see David in full character. Just like in 2018, I made sure to get my hands on Art’s horn again. He flipped it around all funny to give it to me and then we all laughed and took the photo. David himself stayed in character the whole time on mute. It was pretty epic. The best part was that we didn’t know he made this face until we got the print out of the photo and it’s pretty damn priceless. Don’t worry I gave the horn back to him..this time 😉
We also had the opportunity to catch up with our dear pal and master of “dark, sticky fun”, Ron Fitzgerald. He is a local entertainer and illusionist that I have been following for close to 30 years. This is all thanks to my Dad who took me to be in the audience of Ron’s live tv/cable access show when I was in 6th grade. I have been catching up with him ever since at cons, events, and even around town. He is one of the nicest, and stylish guys you will ever meet. Frank bought one of his bad ass engraved razor blade necklaces to further support his work.
We made some other purchases from the vendors but the highlight was finally finding an “Audrey II” inspired plant that was impressive enough to buy! I have been on a search for a decently sized one for quite some time for a deadly plant display for our home. Most of the ones I have found are cheaply made plastic and overly priced, but thanks to Archives of The Underworld my search is over. This artist hand sculpts and paints each one beautifully. Of corpse Frank insisted on buying me the biggest one she had and I was not complaining. 💕
We took a break from all the lines and crowds to sit back and watch the costume contest hosted by horror host Svengoolie. To our surprise the room was packed this year and there were quite a few contestants. These being my top faves.
I of corpse had to get a pic with the fellow rebel in the amazing Pee Wee cosplay…
Being a musician, my husband Frank was very happy to be able to talk with composer Alan Howarth who has done music for a lot of the movies he really loves, including They Live. To top it off Frank was in awe that he was signing his autographs like sheet music. He had a ruler and was making the lines and adding the notes. For me, it was his shirt. I could not get over how awesome it was and need one in my life.
We unfortunately missed Alan’s live show because we were attending the Private Gala Cocktail Reception for the Ultimate ticket package holders and the celebrity guests. As someone who has been attending and supporting this convention for almost 20 years I joined forces with Mike and Mia (owners of the con) and donated bloody framed art prints which I put into 4 horror swag bags for party raffles. These bags included not only my artwork but prizes donations from my fellow fiends at Closet Collectibles, Fangoria, Creepy Acres, September Son Films, High On The Hog The Movie, Zombie Pumpkins, Resin Glitz Jen, Metal Movie Nights, Olivia Frankenstein, and Dead Sled Brand.
Zombie Army Productions‘, Chad Savage (the incredible artist who designed our Save The Date Cards for our wedding in 2009 and the Frankenskull lapel pins we display on the curtains of our Frankenhearse), and John LaFlamboy (haunted house extraordinaire) were announcing all of the raffle ticket numbers and handing out all of the prizes at the event. Mike got on the microphone and announced who I was and how I have been attending and supporting their convention since 2004 which made my creepy little heart happy. Then he handed the microphone off to me to plug my work and those who donated. Shoutout to everyone who kept this introvert laughing the whole time and for John making it a point to purposely “get my name out there” over and over again when he announced the winners. I truly appreciate your hilarious determination to help this ghoul out.
It was great to see the prizes being such a big success at the event after all the hard work that went into them. The attendees who won them really lucked out thanks to all the amazing boils and ghouls who joined forces and donated for them. Frank and I had some drinks and mingled a bit at the party but neither of us were comfortable pushing our way through the folks who were hoarding over the celebrity guests to get selfie party pics with them. Frank and I figured we would give them a break from their already long day of fan photos and let them be humans for the rest of their evening. Unfortunately, this made it hard to be able to just shoot the shit with any of them as they were sort of congregated to one spot with a crowd around them. However the party was a really nice perk for con attendees and we were truly honored to get to be a part of the whole VIP experience.
I would like to end this by saying thank you again to Mike & Mia and the crew at Flashback Weekend Chicago for all the hard work you put into making this such an immersive and unforgettable event each year. You guys are killer and we are so grateful for all you do and have done over the years to support our Midwest horror and art communities!
As my blog and bio readers are fully aware, I attend a lot of conventions to network, gift my art and be around like minded people. The first horror con we ever went to was Flashback Weekend in 2004 (where we met Sid for the first time). We have been attending them regularly, every year since. We even travel to them or have mini staycations for the whole weekend to really make the most of them.
Since COVID hit we haven’t been able to attend any conventions and have been having major withdrawals. Most cons were cancelled or dates kept being pushed back for a long period of time. As they started to gradually make a small come back we were still avoiding crowds, not traveling and masks were still mandatory for photos etc. Not to mention they would be planned and then cancelled as restrictions were changing from day to day.
Since things have started to re-open more, Flashback Weekend announced their return. We originally were not going to attend. Wait it out some more but my husband Frank and I discussed it and on a last minute whim decided to go. We figured if they decide to shut the world down again at least we got to get our horror con fix in. Being smart about things still being so unknown we decided to only go one day and on a Sunday which as any convention goer knows, is the quietest and least crowded day to attend.
Here are some highlights from our last minute horror con adventure…
One of the most exciting parts of the day was when we decided to adopt a life size Stripe Gremlin. He enjoyed the convention with us all day long. The best was when a young girl passed us and said “Ohhhhhh.. you broke the 12 O’Clock rule!” Frank and I laughed about it all day….
Stripe Garcia also helped us connect with some new horror fanatic friends. So many people stopped and asked about him or took photos of him. Including the most adorable young cosplayer who goes by The Mini Creep. She saw him and asked if she could take a photo with him. I saw her incredible Sam costume and asked if I could take a photo with her. It made my creepy little soul happy to see someone so young and so excited to dress up and be a real part of things. It made me flash back to the day I was little and dressed like Elvira and how much I would’ve loved events like this when I was a kid.
The Mini Creep & Living Dead Girl Nicole
Then of corpse the main reason we came to the convention was to embrace our inner 80’s child. When we saw the guest list there were 2 main things we wanted to accomplish, and that was having a mogwai play date with Billy Peltzer and finding the shooting star that would lead us to a circus tent from space! Check and check!
Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) – GremlinsRudy (Mike Martinez) and Slim (Harrod Blank) Killer Klowns From Outerspace
We were so glad that we were able to enjoy a horror con again. It was just what we needed. We knew we missed our horror community but after being there again after so long it really hit us how badly we missed it. Oddly enough it was refreshing. I guess if I were to describe it from my witchy point of view I would honestly say it re-grounded me. I was having a bit of a stressful week and I think Frank knew this would lift my spirits (goddess do I love this man).
Thank you again to Flashback Weekend for putting on another fun and safe event for us horror geeks to feel free again!
