welcome! make sure you're comfortable, this is kind of a long one! you see dia de los muertos is a very special celebration close to my heart. ever since i was very young, i was fascinated by different cultures and their practices... especially the way they interpreted death. after a friend of mine died of cancer when we were 12 years old, i decided then that i wanted to learn about all cultures and their different world views. so later i went on to university in psychology and religious studies, more specifically, psychology of religion. through this experience i learnt so much and came to appreciate and love dia de los muertos even more. it struck me how colorful and regal dia de los muertos celebrated death... AND life. the both so closely intertwined.
after the passing of my grandmère (grandmother) who i was close to like a second mother, this time became a celebration of her, for her. i started setting up an altar and leaving ofrendas. it was my time for sitting with her and taking stock of the year so far. i would write a letter to my grandmère and leave it there on the altar for her to read. then with the years i lost a couple more special people in my life, my uncle and grandpère (grandfather). they all now have a special place at the altar and a letter especially for them.
everyone deals with loss differently, i have just chosen to see it in a certain light. accepting this inevitability of our physical existence, but believing that the soul has a place somewhere in the after life.
here are some of the dia de los muertos crafts i have made this year:
embellished candle holder with dimensional glass paint
clay skulls decorated with sequins (for eyes) and sakura glaze and glitter pens... here's a closer look at each one of them:
and of couse, what kind of post would i have without posctards... my newest obsession. i think i've included some of the postcards i've been making in every post this week! well this one is no exception. instead of a letter to my loved ones this year, i made posctards. i left a larger area on the one side to have more room to write. here are a couple blanks ones:
dia de los muertos postcard 1 side a
side b
dia de los muertos postcard 2 side a
side b
ok, this post is getting pretty long. i'm off now to sit at my altar and share some chocolate and cakes with my special loved ones, leaving them my letters and well wishes. please don't forget to check out susanna and stephanie's dia de bloglandia posts. as well as all other participants of dia de bloglandia. a great big thank you to both stephanie and susanna for hosting this excellent celebration.
ps. the winner of my halloween giveaway (à la random number generator) is melissa from wondrous wild wanderings!!! congratulations melissa!!! pleasy please email me your address so i can send off your package asap!!!
pps. if you liked my postcards, check me out later in the week, as i will be posting a fun tutorial with a step by step of how i make my postcards... also there is still time to sign up for my gratitude postcard swap.
hope you are having a fabulous halloween/dia de los muertos weekend!!!
until next time...
peace
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