Día de los Muertos

Los Dias de los Muertos is the Day of the Dead in Mexico. I just found out about it through a CraftyPod interview with Crafty Chica Kathy Cano Murillo talking about Dia de los Muertos, a crafty holiday!

I think it sounds so much nicer than the totally commercialized and candy crazy Halloween that came from the US and invaded us a couple of years ago. Not my cup of tea, even though I’ve made some Halloween decorations. But probably all holidays are bound to be a commercial success sooner or later? You just have to stick with your own believes and please don’t fall for the idea that you are a bad person if you don’t buy all the right accessories for your family/kids at the holidays! Take the time to do what you enjoy and forget about the rest. If you have to have a decorated tree and all the food and, well everything, then you might have to. But enjoy the process of making it and if you hate it, forget it!

Anyway, Mrs Murillo says that Los Dias de los Muertos is about honoring the dead by thinking of them, crafting for them and being happy. Lots of people make their own sugar skulls, for the sweet in life (sugar) and death (skulls). I didn’t have time to craft a skeleton (!) like I wanted to, since I just listened to the interview today, but made a spread in my art journal. Maybe next year I will make some calacas?

In Sweden we celebrate the Christian holidays of All Saints Day next weekend. Then people will visit their local churchyard to light candles and bring flowers to their loved ones. Since it gets dark around four five in the afternoon now, it is an amazing view to go to a churchyard on this day, Alla Helgons, to see all the candles, thousands of them, glowing in the dark, reminding us of people who have passed away. It is not a crafty time in Sweden, but I’m now letting a Mexican Holiday influence me and my day, at least in my Art Journal!

I’ve been thinking about my few lost ones today. I might do separate spreads in my Art Journal later about my grandfathers, dad’s father (farfar) and my mothers father (morfar) who are both passed away. I want to bring everyone to my Art Journal now, because this weekend all the fun in art journaling came back in a rush!

Have you ever fallen in love with a notebook? Just needed to buy it, got craving for its pages? This happens to me all the time. Most recently I fell in love with this Beatles Notebook. Yum!

External inspiration

• Link to article called Handmade decorations for Día de los Muertos – and what it is all about, list with tips on what to make!
• I’ve also found a new and very nice podcast called I Should Be Writing! Check it out while you Art journal tonight!