Food-Inspired Crafters & the Quest for Food at 2011 Hal-Con Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Comic Convention

Zombie egg cup by mixed media collage artist Isabelle Pineau

I love talking about supernatural TV with my sister Shannon on our podcast Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural. What you may not know is I am actually not just a freak about the paranormal and all things spooky, I am also a very passionate foodie.

So zombie egg cups?! I was absolutely in my element at Hal-Con! Some of the work was so exceptional and downright genius, I just had to share these brilliant people and their work with you. I also try to unsuccessfully strangle Bender at Boston Pizza!

Digital Artist and Miniaturist Erin Glidden



I immediately gravitated to Erin Glidden's crafty table. When I saw these super adorable foodie charms, I wanted them! They were intricate, adorable and absolutely fabulous. I just had to buy some and I did! Right away! They were one of the first things I bought that day and for only $1 each?! I bought six. Not only does she make the most adorable charms, Erin is also an incredibly talented graphic artist.

Pretty soon you will be able to find more charms in her and her partner's Etsy shop Geeksahoy. They did warn me that they had removed all their items so they could sell them at Hal-Con so make sure to come back in a week or so when they restock their store because you are going to want to check them out.



Once I had paid for my merchandise I had a chance to really speak with Erin and discovered she is also wonderfully charming. It made me all the happier to buy her pieces and showcase her here.



I spoke to a woman who had been wearing one of Erin's glitter charm bottle pendants and she had broken it open by accident. She went back to Erin who replaced it for her which was so kind. It was clear from how she spoke to me the woman truly adored her blue sparkly pendant bottle. They really are little treasures.



The detail work is so well done. If you thought decorated cookies was challenging, try making foodie miniatures. There is no way I have the time or patience so now I am going to make my own necklace with Erin's beauties. I bought five food-related pieces and one bottle of vampire blood!

Mixed Media Collage Artist Isabelle Pineau 



Isabelle Pineau made these astounding, scary and super-cool egg cup holders. She told me she ended up doing them completely by hand, just going with it and seeing what happens. As a result, every single one is absolutely unique and I adore them!



Looks like Isabelle also brought all her wares to Hal-Con but make sure to go check out her Etsy store An Oddity or Two in a little while. According to her bio on Etsy, she also makes collage and mixed media "curiosities." I love the sound of that!

Lily Meadows of Rustic Revolution Pottery



I can not tell you how excited I was when I saw these cauldron mugs! Could there be a more perfect mug for my Halloween foodie posts?! As tempted as I was to purchase one of these handmade beauties by Lily Meadows, I could see myself breaking it before I even got it home. We had so much gear and I was so tired, I just could not take the risk. Check out the "Cauldron Ware" on her site!



I laughed with wicked glee when I saw this "Sookie is Mine!" mug with dripping vampire wounds on it. I could hear Eric Northman's voice from True Blood say the phrase in my head as I read it.

Shannon and I are huge fans of True Blood and one of these days we are going to catch up with the latest season for Hexed!



As a huge Dr. Who fan, ever since I was a little kid, I could not get over the craftsmanship involved in the making of these stunning shiny Daleks! These were so eye-catching and beautiful, I loved them. But Daleks still kind of freak me out. They scared the crap out of me when I was a kid! Still, these are amazing!

OMG, WE ARE STARVING!



Our second night at Hal-Con was a tad challenging. I should have done like the sign said and grabbed some of these candies when I had the chance:

"Seriously, take some! They aren't poisoned. (Even if these signs looks like they were written by a serial killer...)"


Hanging out in the car with Bender's head eating the trail mix and dried apricots I bought

Instead we walked to the car for a snack which gave me a chance to sit down. On Saturday we had been so thirsty because there were no working vending machines so we brought a water bottle on Sunday, thinking we were so smart. What we did not realize is how few restaurants were open Sunday evenings!



We walked everywhere and finally someone mentioned that Boston Pizza was an official sponsor of the con and was open. My costume for the day was Kenzi from Lost Girl. A kick-ass Torontonian goth thief who was so hungry at this moment she could eat her own head!



Reg was still carrying Bender's head with him to the restaurant. He had been mobbed all day when he was in the costume and must have had his photograph taken a thousand times.


"Not everything is always about you Bender!"

Like Bo, Kenzi was starting to get a little tired of being the sidekick nobody noticed! She discovered that strangling a robot with no neck in public was not as easy as she thought it would be.



Reg ordered the chicken fingers and I got the individual Bacon Double Cheeseburger Pizza and an iced tea. Normally I never get anything with caffeine but I was desperate and thank the foodie gods that Boston Pizza allows free refills! Reg enjoyed his chicken fingers and my pizza was super tasty with lots of sauce, just the way this foodie likes it.

One of the highlights of the dinner for me was seeing a guy wearing a bullet proof vest with the word, "WRITER" written across it. Reg and I immediately shouted out, "Castle!!!" It was one of the only contemporary television costumes at the con next to mine. Very cool.



Oh to have full bellies and no longer be dehydrated. Next year? I am bringing a ton of my own food and beverages and staying in a hotel somewhere so I can collapse a few times during the day.

This year we got so lucky with the weather which was sunny and quite mild for November. A weather miracle for Halifax in November. Still, next year, more food and a big cozy bed! Oh and more shopping, lots more shopping...