Mel's Halloween All Year

Shopping Season Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Small Halloween sections are starting to pop up in local stores, and it can only get better!

Online, I was happy to discover that Grandin Road has their Halloween Haven section up now. It's all wishing for me, but I'm going to spend some time here.

Autumn & Skully Items in my Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:04:00 +0000

I've temporarily opened my Etsy shop and have added a few fall/autumn and skull-print items:

If you mention that you came via this blog, I"ll throw in a a little extra something related to the best season there is.

Thanks for looking!

Show and Tell: Zombie Swap

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:23:00 +0000

I just mailed off a package for a zombie swap (zombie apocalypse preparedness, to be more precise) and figured I'd show off some of the goodies. I'm 99% certain my partner doesn't read this blog, but even so, I'll use the versions of the pictures that have any identifying info. obscured.

Tote: This is my favorite part. My husband designed the head for me. I added some Heat n' Bond to the back of the black fabric and glued the printout to the peel-off layer (this way, you only cut once), then he did all of the cutting for me (he is far more precise than I am).

After I made the parts of the bag (exterior, interior, pockets and straps), but before I sewed it all together, I peeled off the backing (and printout) and ironed the applique to the contrast panel.

I'm not at all girly (pink is not a favorite color), but I do love the juxtaposition of the zombie on the very girly tote.

All of the swap items were sorted (by category) into plastic zip-lock bags and placed in the tote, which fit perfectly into a "medium" flat rate Priority box.

One of the requirements of the swap was that we communicated to our partners the reason we included the items in the package. It was up to us to decide if we wanted this to be a serious or silly package, and we could also decide what kind of zombies we were preparing our partners for.

I found an aged index card graphic and added various bloody smears and splatters (5 or 6 different styles) and made one card per category. Most of the items could be used for any purpose but could also be used in a real emergency kit (power outages, etc.), so I explained what was in each set and what else in that category could be added to a real emergency kit.

I'm not going to share all of the contents, but I will show a couple of the sets. This is most of the Leisure set (there is also a CD), which contains portable entertainment: cards, dice, and rules for several games divided into three booklets. (They're multi-page booklets, printed on both sides and stapled in the middle.)

Because this swap is for knitters & crocheters, we know these crafts to be highly portable, helpful for relaxation and they yield a usable item when the work is done (hat, etc.), so yarn was a necessity.

Zombie-themed CD Mix

He’s Dead, But He Won’t Lie Down (Gracie Fields, 1938)
RE: Your Brains (Jonathan Coulton)
Living Dead Girl (Rob Zombie)
The Gonk (Herbert Chappell, Dawn of the Dead, 1978)
Zombie Me (No More Kings)
Zombies Ate Her Brains (The Creepshow)
Return of the Loving Dead (Necromantix)
Walk Like a Zombie (Horrorpops)
Early Sunsets Over Monroeville (My Chemical Romance)
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Here's a Litte Something For Ya (Beastie Boys) (not-zombie themed, but it mentions a shawl, and again - this is for a knitter or crocheter)

Health & Rest set: Everyone knows that during a zombie apocalypse, you might not get to sleep at normal times. And the sound of the zombies moaning might just drive you nuts. Also, in day-to-day life, naps are good. So I made a flannel eye mask for my partner and included some ear plugs, along with some other items: decaf tea, a compressed wash cloth, a mini first aid kit and a bandana.

One of the reminders on the card was to remember to pack all your meds, so I got a pill box and put a few stitchmarkers in each slot.

Food & Beverage set

Apocalypse Chow: How to Eat Well When the Power Goes Out - I have this book and thought it would be a fun addition.
Spork
P38 Can Opener with directions
Various treats - candy, trail mix, jerky & chocolate milk straws (I really wanted to include chocolate, but it will melt in transit).
Finally, I put together some directions for making a stove out of tin cans, cardboard and wax.

Show and Tell: Skulls in the Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:22:00 +0000

A couple of recent acquisitions to share! Both items were found in the last couple of weeks at HomeGoods stores, a new favorite.

The salt & pepper shakers... well, how could I resist? They were with a bunch of pirate-themed items (skulls & nautical motifs), which were fun but not what I'm into. They also had candlestick holders, which were fun, but I had to pick just one item, so these had to come home with me.

I don't have the packaging for the shakers any longer, but I did hold onto the brush package so I could look up the company. The brush isn't available, but the shakers are still available on their website. I now have my eye on the scrubby holder!

Now, pink is just about my least favorite color. I don't own any pink clothes (except for the pajamas that also have margaritas on them) and don't decorate with pink. However, they only had the one brush in stock, so it had to come home with us.

We don't have a dishwasher, and anyone that knows me well knows that I hate doing dishes. However, I've been trying to get into the habit of making sure all of them are clean every night before bed. It really is true -- taking a few minutes every day (or even after each meal) is so much better than waiting until they pile up. I've also been on a candy-making kick (caramels and marshmallows so far) and it's essential that you a) start with a clean kitchen, and b) get everything into a sink of hot-hot-hot, soapy water the second you're done with it. Having fun accessories in the kitchen makes it all more fun. (So many of my tools are orange - it's not Halloween-themed, but it is chipper!)

Now this is just sick

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:22:00 +0000

Valley Glen, CA (aka Van Nuys?) is on a mission to outlaw Trick-or-Treating by the year 2015. Get a load of this announcement in their recent newsletter:

Here's the text, if you have a hard time making it out:

What's happening at City Hall that affects Valley Glen
Halloween decorating...On March 15, Councilmember Mark Newhauser introduced a motion, with Coucnilmember Mary Ellen Simmons, to regulate Halloween home decorating throughout the city. This increasing popular trend offends the general public with themes including witchcraft, the occult and gore.

"It's unsightly, disturbing and a horrible influence on our children" says Councilman Newhauser "It's a small step in our goal to stop the dangerous tradition of "trick or treating" all together (sic) by 2015."

The motion calls for a design committee that homeowners would have to submit ideas to for approval. Newhaurser adds "Traditional fall decorations such as pumpkins, pleasant sunflowers and happy scarecrows will probably be unaffected. Any carved pumpkins with faces although would also have to be approved."

Seriously? Let's skip right past all of the other inane bullshit and jump to the part where they want a committee (probably paid for out of the homeowners' taxes) to approve each and every jack-o-lantern. The whole thing is ludicrous and an example of bad, bad leadership, but that part? Moronic.

Crafted Monsters

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:34:00 +0000

If you're a crafter and you love Halloween or monsters in general, hopefully you've already discovered the great selection of monster patterns!

Before Giftmas 2009, I discovered Danger Crafts on Etsy and all of her fabulous knitted monster patterns. I immediately ordered several, although I've only managed to knit one. She's on Ravelry, as well. (The benefit to ordering from Etsy is that you can order a collection and save a little money. The benefit to buying via Rav is that your purchases go into your library and stay there in case you lose them. Oh, and there are some freebies, too. I've made several Monster Chunks!)

There's a new book, too: Big Book of Knitted Monsters, The: Mischievous, Lovable Toys, which I am planning to order next paycheck.

Anyway. I knit Olivia here for my honorary niece, M. Olivia was pictured with a tutu (which I tried to make, but so failed at) and M was into ballet, so I thought she'd get a kick out of it, even though there ended up being no tutu. Well, she loves this toy. It's not necessarily connected, but now she's totally into monsters, so I've been happily planning another monster for her (no harm in planning way ahead when it comes to Giftmas knitting). I didn't have time to knit a monster for her this year, so I got her Little Monsters Cookbook instead.

Have some monster-loving kids in your life? Even big (adult) kids? You? Okay! In addition to Ms. Danger's patterns, check out:

Knit

KnitWit: 20 Projects for Beginners and Seasoned Knitters
Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits (has a section of cryptozoological creatures, plus an Ant pattern, which would be marvelous for a Them! fan).

Crochet

If I ever learn now to crochet, I'm definitely getting Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More!

Fabric

Supplies: Buttons work, but safety eyes are extra special. I get plain black ones at the craft store (JoAnn Fabrics) and fancy colored ones at 6060's Etsy shop

More treats onna stick

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 23:41:00 +0000

I'm so into lollipops (or any food on a stick) that people have started to send me links. This does not make me sad. My Amazon wish list has a nice selection of books on it (I'll share some links below). I've also started a nice collection of chocolate molds, for sticks and pretzels both, most of which have been presents. I'm dying to try the brain sucker molds my husband got for me, and the Halloween pretzel molds my family gave me. Pics to follow, I promise!

My sister-in-law, "C", sent me the link to this darling treat: Halloween Cookie Suckers. I'm snagging one of the blog pics so you can see that the link is totally worth a click.

The mummies are candy-covered Oreos! Of course, anything with candy eyes is automatically cool, but this while arrangement is excellent! Directions are linked on the above page.

Once upon a time, I made regular candy-melt lollipops for my nephew's birthday party. I stuck candy eyes on blue starfish and bam! Doubled the coolness/cuteness factor.

If you like treats "onna stick", check out some of the following:
Candy molds

Brain Pops
Rat Lolly
Human Fingers Pop & Pieces (some without stick option)
Skeleton Finger Pretzel Molds
Wilton Halloween Pretzel Kit

Books

Cake Pops (all the rage, has Halloween-themed pops)
Hungry Halloween
These two books may "just" have cupcakes and other treats:

PS: I know it's been awhile. The entire actual Halloween season, and then some. What can I say? I'm not a consistent blogger! I'm not even going to promise to post more often. I do have some things lined up...just need to get some pictures taken.

I've been AWOL! Contest Winner, etc.

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:37:00 +0000

Way back in August, I held a little contest. Andrea would have won anyway, being the only person that guessed, but she was also right! The movies were Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (although they really just meet the Monster) and Them. Andrea's prize will be on its way to her shortly. Congrats!

Party theme idea
In an attempt to post something on Halloween during the actual season (close enough), I've had this open in a browser tab for a week, hoping to get a chance to post it: Superstition Party

Magazines
Finally got a copy of Martha Stewart Living, October issue tonight. Have not had a chance to go through it yet, but I buy a copy every year, sight unseen. I also picked up the magazine special, Halloween Handbook, The Best of Martha Stewart Living. This one I did flip through. Since I have every issue of the October mag for the last 13 years or so, plus a couple extra random ones, the original book and the other specials, I didn't find much new (but I haven't looked in detail yet). If you don't have the back issue collection like I do, this might be of some interst to you.

Decorate: Window Treatments

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:04:00 +0000

I think this swag will eventually be moved to the library, but for the party, the entry room was the perfect place for it. Both this and the curtain pictured below were gifts from my bestest bud, Heather, who has long understood my obsession with Halloween and has given gifts accordingly.

This curtain isn't as easy to make out, but I was trying very had to get a picture of it without revealing the room beyond!

I was pretty bummed to realize that I did not have one window in the house that this would work for, but I had wanted to obscure the door to the utility room (the door is off the hinges because of the cats -- this is where one of the litter boxes is), so when John suggested tacking it up, I immediately agreed. (This won't stay up year 'round.)

Top pic: in the window sill, an assortment of skulls guard the party favors (in the cauldron), gifts for other August-born guests that don't live close, and a card from an off-season Halloween card swap.

The Cake Was Not a Lie

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:42:00 +0000

You can all officially be jealous of me for this. I asked my sister-in-law, "C", to make my birthday cake this year. People, this cake was nicer than my wedding cake, which was a lovely flavor but had icky frosting and... well, that's an old story. Too bad SIL-C, as I call her online, was not decorating cakes when John & I tied the knot!

I searched online for cakes that appealed to me and provided pictures to SIL-C and set her loose. I wanted the topsy-turvy style, even though they're very trendy right now (I generally eschew trendy stuff), a general color scheme and Halloweeny accents. We settled on mainly chocolate cake, with the middle section being cherry chip (a family favorite). She seriously came through, with a beautiful piece of edible art that was yummy, too.

Another angle, so you can see the giant spider on top of the cake. There were candy eyes and pumpkins around the trees (also edible) . Plastic spiders, bats, ghosts, cats and pumpkins completed the look. Oh, and the little skulls? They're beads.

I just love the details: the coordinating cake-board (sitting on one of my cake stands), with the spiderweb "doily."

Mid-party status. That's a lot of layers!!

Entertaining: Movies & Games

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:12:00 +0000

Remaining on the subject of my recent Halloween-themed birthday party:
There's no sense in getting too attached to your agenda. Things happen and the evening might not go as planned. Guests show up late, have car trouble, and might need a ride to an auto parts store. People might just end up really getting into the conversation and you don't necessarily want to interrupt it to start a movie.

We had planned on a "double feature" as the central part of the evening, but it didn't go off quite as planned. We had video games set up in another room, and the targeted audience of the first movie were not in the "theater room" (or left early). We got started much later than usual, but again, not necessarily a bad thing: people really seemed to enjoy the food and there was a lot of animated conversation going on, so we just went with the flow.

The big surprise for the evening (for some of the guests anyway) was my birthday gift from John. He got me a very late-model HD projector and build a HUGE screen for it (102"). We've been using it for the better part of a month to watch DVDs (Dr. Who on a screen that big? Fantastic.) If you've been reading the blog, you might remember that we even made up tickets to go with the invitations.

When there was a lull in the conversation and a lot of the food was gone, we announced the start of the movie. After two families left and another arrived, we stopped the first movie and had a brief intermission, then started the feature film of the night.

In Sunday's post, I mentioned a contest. Here it is: Images from the two movies we showed at the party are below. If anyone can name them both, they're guaranteed a prize: some of the drink charms and a copy of the music mix party favor. Put your guess in the comments -- make sure there's a way for me to reach you (blog link, email address, something.) If you only know one, guess anyway. If no one gets them both right, I'll go to a single correct guess. (Guests who were at the party are exempt. Besides, they already have the CD and I'll give them drink charms if they want.)

Movie #1
Hint: This might not be what you think it is. This was a movie for the kids, so it would be classified as a comedy. (That's a really big hint.)

Movie #2
Hint: There might be a bit of a hint on the ticket.

If you know, or think you know, what either movie is, please comment! I'll give it to the weekend. If there ends up being only one correct guess, for either film, that person will win the CD and drink charms. If there is actually more than one correct guess, then I'll do a drawing on Saturday or Sunday.

Games
After almost everyone had gone home, a couple of the guests (Melanie & her 8-year-old daughter) hunkered down on the floor and played a round of Zombie Dice. It went really fast because the 8-y.o. got 12 brains on her first turn (you need 13 to win the game). I joined them for a round of Cthulhu dice (same link), and then Melanie's husband joined us for a second round. That game also went fairly quickly, as it was designed to, but I was right: it's way better with more people.

We decided that we would have to have a Cthulhu/zombie game night in a few weeks. (Melanie & Richard got me the Zombies!!! game, not realizing that I already had it. Now they own a copy, too!)

Make: Drink Charms

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:52:00 +0000

Well, the last couple of weeks have just been nuts! We had some pick-up scenes to shoot for the movie, then my actual birthday, which John & I spent quietly together. Then a madcap week of prepping for my first birthday party in absolutely ages. In the middle there, somewhere, I redid the Chartarum website (you should check it out; I'm very proud).

Finally, last night, it all came together. Of course, I didn't get everything finished, but those are now ideas to be used for future parties - no reason to be upset. The guests who came either loved the idea of a Halloween part in August, or understood my excitement and played along. There were even some Halloween-themed gifts!

I'm back to blogging, but with keeping two other sites going, I may not be able to post quite as often as I did previously. But I will still try to get a couple of posts in a week. There will be a flurry of party-related posts, and then I'll back of to a minimum of two posts a week. Now that Halloween stuff is starting to hit the stores - online and brick & mortar - I'm sure I'll have plenty to share once I run out of Show & Tells from around the house.

Now, on to today's topic; Drink Charms. I don't think I've ever been to a party - even a small family gathering - where a beverage glass or bottle was held aloft and the word's "is this mine?" were uttered. John & I did a bit of driving and spent a little more than usual laying in a nice variety of cane sugar sodas (no HFCs). I didn't want any of it to go to waste; so, at almost literally the last minute (about an hour before guests started to arrive), I gathered up some materials and made a big pile of these drink charms.

While I was at a store earlier in the day, I thought I'd look around for some wine glass charms or something. No luck. Then I spotted some pony-tail holders in the dollar bin. They wouldn't quite work, because there were two smallish loops, each with a giant bead. But it gave me an idea, which didn't click in place until the eleventh hour.

I have a TON of beads and buttons. I make stitch markers for knitting and have done other beading besides. I also recently purchased some elastic beading cord and DING! A light bulb went on. Sadly, the majority of my beads were far too small for this concept to work, and I didn't have a large enough variety.

Then I remembered this large bag of plastic beads and charms I had tossed into a bin of things I set aside for swaps or small surprises for children I know. Aha!!! That was it.

I cut lengths of .8 - 1mm elastic beading cord (available at any craft store, I would think) and started stringing a bead or charm on each and knotting them securely.

The key is variety. I wanted each one to be easy to remember, but didn't figure people would remember nuances of shades, so I only used one of the 6 different shades of purple.

An assortment of plastic charms is even better. It's much easier to remember "sea horse" or "the bat-phone" than faceted-orange-bead. I had a few left from a purchase I made years ago (while I may lose craft supplies, I never throw them away), but mostly had to go with brightly colored round and shaped beads. I recommend a quick stop on Etsy and search (under supplies) for plastic charms or gumball charms (may be your best option).

The drinks table (right). In the cauldron were vintage flavored sodas (Frosties, Bubble Up, Dad's Rootbeer, etc.), available at World Market (their logo was on the box)

The green tub was filled with several varieties of Jones Soda. We had a hard time finding it locally so ended up buying a couple of mixed cases at World Market as well. The flavors were limited, but people did NOT seem to mind. The little black tub in the back held bottles of water.

You can see the dish of drink charms on the table with the totally unnecessary bottle opener (all the bottles had screw-off lids, although the vintage ones did not look it). I wasn't quite as prepared as I thought; I forgot all about diet pop! Some kind friends stopped an picked up some on the way. Which reminds me: Mel, if you're reading this, please tell me how much I owe you for the ice & the other pop! The only person that lost track of their drink was me, but it was just a bottle of water and I sorted it out eventually.

If you made it this far, congratulations! The next post is going to contain a bit of a contest, and a handful of the leftover charms (I made too many) will be part of the prize.

Happy Birthday to Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:12:00 +0000

Hi, everyone! It's my birthday and I wanted to pop in and, um, wish myself a Happy Birthday. Also, to say that I'm going to take a brief break from posting. The next week is going to be very busy!! I'm having a small party on Saturday and there is much to do.

In the meantime, I invite you to check out the Chartarum Facebook page. (Chartarum is the name of the movie project I'm involved in.)

Make: Insanely Easy Cloak

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:09:00 +0000

Another tutorial re-boot from www.myhalloweenlinks.com.

This easy cloak has only 3 seams (unless you're doubling the width). It's a great last-minute project if you need something with a high neck. Depending on the material, it could also be a warm layer for trick-or-treaters in cool climates.

Materials

A couple yards of fabric. (I like to use "double backed flannel" - really thick flannel - or lightweight wool. If the fabric is too thin, it won't flow right.) See Fabric, below.
Yard or so of decorative cord or drapery cord. (Ribbon is too light!)
Scissors
Sewing machine
Needle & thread (to make channel narrow, and if you want to do it by hand).

Fabric

You're going to turn the fabric so the that the selvage (machine-finished edges) are the sides. This way, you won't have to sew the sides, too.
Once you figure out how long you want the cloak to be, add several inches for the collar and hem. (See the directions to figure out how much).
For a floor-length cape, measure from your neck to the floor, going over the shoulders, and add 2-3 inches for hem and flow (more if you have big hips, etc.). Then decide how high you want your collar to be and double that amount. For a 3" high collar, add 6". I'm about 5' 3" with generous hips and a yard and a half is plenty long enough.
If you want it wider, you can get 2 pieces and sew them down the center. The regular width works well for kids and average-size adults. If you're bigger or just want it voluminous, buy twice this amount. Cut it in half, sew the 2 pieces together down the center (two selvages together) and then treat it as one piece.
All measurements for this are guesstimates - just add a few inches to be on the safe side, and hem the bottom last.

Make

Fold the desired height of the collar down and either pin or iron into place (my preference).

About 1/2" from the bottom of the fold, sew 2 seams, about 1" apart.
Run cord through the channel you created and gather until the top fits comfortably around your neck.
Tie knot in cord at one end near the gather, and then, using needle & thread, sew just a few stitches at the edge to make channel too narrow for knot to pass through. Repeat for other end.
Try on cape and note where the hem should be. (A second pair of hands will come in handy if you're making this for yourself.)
Hem to desired length. I leave this for the very last in case I miscalculated the length in either direction (if I made it too short, I make the hem as small as possible; if too long, hem to desired length and cut off excess).

For kids, make sure it doesn't drag the floor or they can trip while trick-or-treating. An inch or two above the floor is good for kid-length. Also, use caution with cords for young children, as they can be a choking hazard.

No Trick-or-Treaters?

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:28:00 +0000

Me either! I really do love living out in the country. I don't miss my incredibly nosy neighbors from the city at all and hope that the people that moved in after us have a least one car up on blocks and maybe hold some kind of summer camp in the backyard or some naked solstice dancing. Wait, where was I? Oh, yeah. But the one thing my old neighborhood had going for it was the trick-or-treaters (TOTers), something we did not see any sign of on our first Halloween in the new place.

The place I grew up in did Halloween very differently from where my husband grew up. Apparently, in some towns TOTing goes on for hours. In my hometown, and in the town we lived in when we were first married, TOT was for one hour, period. The fire station whistle would blow, I think at 7 PM, and then again at 8. Where my husband grew up (really just several cities over), TOT started sometime in the early afternoon and went until dark or until you ran out of candy.

The house I grew up in was on the other side of a busy street from most of my friends and was the side without a sidewalk. When I was a kid, my peers would be escorted across to the few houses there to get candy, but after we grew out of TOTing, our friends did too, and we were lucky to get ten kids. In later years, after I rented the house from my parents, I might get one or two.

My last Halloween there, I resolved to just give out money (50¢?). If we got our usual amount, I'd still come out ahead. If we got fewer kids, I wouldn't have a bag of candy taunting me. That year, I got the most TOTers: a whopping four, but only because three showed up after the whistle (they'd heard about the money) and I was in a good mood.

Then I moved to a slightly larger, more suburban area, with actual sidewalks. We had the same one-hour period, whistle-to-whistle, but oh, what a difference those sidewalks made! I never counted, and I'm sure I never hit any major record, but it was common for me to get 30 or 40 TOTers in that hour. Most were polite. Many were adorable. Every year, there would be a couple that made me consider just keeping the light off (surly teens without costumes, adults demanding candy for babies "asleep in the car"), but by the time October rolled around, I couldn't wait to pass out candy again. (I'll confess to having two bowls of candy: one with the good stuff for the ones that were into it, with attempts at costumes, and a small bowl with less-good candy for those who shoved other kids to get to the door, didn't wear costumes, didn't say a word...)

Now, we live in the country with, you guessed it, no sidewalks. And zero trick-or-treaters. So, what does one do when there are no TOTers? Carve a pumpkin anyway and watch scary movies! (Our jack-o-lantern last year (right) was based on those in the Orc areas in World of Warcraft (my idea, my husband's work).) Somewhere near the big day, have a small party to watch old, bad sci-fi or horror movies.

Something I used to do was put together goody bags for kids in my life (niece & nephew, friends' kids). Some people do the "boo" thing, where they leave surprise packages for friends and neighbors.

I'm content to stay home, but if you're really jonesing for a fix, you can see if any friends would let you take over candy duty while they take their kids TOTing, or just let you hang out during the evening and help.

Show and Tell: Spooky Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:11:00 +0000

This is one of those things that was never meant to be a Halloween decoration, but it just cries out to be. My understanding is that this tree was fashioned from wire taken from the coal mine my maternal grandfather worked in. I just love it, and not only because it's spooky. It has history.

For the moment, it's residing in a window with a small coffin someone from a Halloween forum sent me as a surprise gift.

Make: Mini Vintage Postcard Magnets

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 10:39:00 +0000

Another tutorial re-boot from www.myhalloweenlinks.com.

Use reduced versions of postcards from the Golden Age of Halloween to make magnets for yourself or to share with friends. These magnets would make great party favors and they're a snap to make!

Materials

Color prints of vintage Halloween postcards. Either select a variety or one great image. Depending on the magnet style you go with, the images (or magnets) may have to be cropped to fit.

Sources - find online (highest resolution possible), right-click and save to your hard-drive (e.g. Antique Halloween e-Cards). You can also buy books of reproduction postcards (e.g. Old-Fashioned Halloween Cards: 24 Cards) -- since this is for personal use, you should be able to copy a couple and reduce the image size.
Resize in whatever way works best for you, depending on which magnet style you decide to go with. If you don't have access to any photo-editing software, I can recommend www.picnick.com. It's free and you don't even have to register. (I did register for the most basic access and have never received any spam.)

Magnets

Business-card-sized magnets are, to the best of my knowledge, the thickest and would actually hold a piece of paper on your fridge. Buy a package at the office supply store or collect actual business magnets and cover up image w/ your own! If you go this route, the existing vintage images will have to be trimmed a bit because the proportion is slightly off (or you could trim a bit off the magnet to keep the image as-is).
Skip the glue and buy printable sheets of perforated cards (Avery Ink Jet Magnetic Business Cards) or magnet sheets (Avery® Magnet Sheets). If you go with the full-size magnetic sheets, you can keep the cards' original proportions; however, they are very thin and would only serve as a decoration. (I haven't used the perforated magnetic cards so I don't know how thick they are.)

Glue stick or rubber cement
Scissors or Paper cutter

Make

Cut out images
Glue to magnets
Package (think cellophane sucker wrappers from the cake decorating section)
Give (make sure you keep one for yourself!)

Make: Gravestone Rubbing

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:42:00 +0000

Another tutorial re-boot from www.myhalloweenlinks.com, although it's more of a recap of my experience and a guide to other resources than an actual how-to..

This was something my grandmother did when I was a kid. It's been close to 30 years since I've tried it. A few years ago, I ordered a stone-rubbing kit, but didn't do anything with it except lose one of the pieces. I also ordered the video linked below. On an overcast Sunday, in late April '06, I took the "boughten" kit and the other items I'd assembled, and headed to a local cemetery.

It was a real learning experience. First off, it's quite physical work. And time-consuming, if you do it right. Two major things to take with you, in addition to the materials needed for rubbing: sunscreen and drinking water. I remembered the first, and attempted to get the second, but the store had NONE in stock. Not even in the machines outside (truly bizarre). I figured I wouldn't be that long so it wouldn't matter, but I was mistaken! Even on a cool, overcast day, I got a little dehydrated.

The most important thing to remember is to do no harm to the stones! Check out some of the resources below for tips about how to clean them (plain water only), etc.. Common sense plays a part too -- don't touch stones that are leaning, crumbling, or have been patched together (right). Take a camera too, and just photograph any stones that might be jeopardized by rubbing. Note: Please be aware that some states have outlawed the taking of rubbings.

Resources

Association for Gravestone Studies
Morbid Outlook: How to do gravestone rubbings
Cryptic Clues in the Bone Yard. I have this video in my collection, and found it to be quite interesting. It shows you how to build a complete kit without spending a ton of money. The benefit to the video over a website is that you can watch someone do a rubbing.
Cyndi's List - a list of cemeteries & funeral homes. Intended for genealogists who want to find a particular grave; however, there may be resources that will help you find a good cemetery to visit.
There are stone-rubbing kits available. The one I purchased had 5 sheets of special paper, 2 cakes of very hard rubbing wax, a roll of low-tack masking tape and a soft bristle brush.

Prepare for an adventure!
First, pack your bag. A great comprehensive list is available in the resources. My first trip included the items pictured below. Make sure to wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, and take a big bottle of water!

This rubbing wax came with the kit I purchased, but you can make your own by melting down crayons (see resources) or peeling the paper off a giant toddler crayon. This commercial wax is very hard. I'd like to experiment with different types.

After selecting the stone, very carefully clean it, using a soft, soft brush and plain, clean water ONLY. Make a note (or photograph) of details like cemetery name, name on stone, date, etc.

Cover the stone with your paper. This is special paper that came with the kit. When it's gone, I'll use pellon (interfacing) from the fabric store. Use low-tack masking tape and wrap the paper around the edges and tape on the back. Make sure the paper extends past any place you want to rub - don't risk getting any wax on the stone.

Originally, this cemetery was very, very Baptist. Even if the sign didn't explain it, you could tell by the fact that on the vast majority of the older stones, the women didn't have last names. They were "Jane, wife of John Smith," never "Jane Smith." That's why I picked these two to work on for my first try. It helped that Reed (Abigail's stone, shown up top) is a family name, and she died near Halloween. But essentially, I selected two stones that were in good shape that denied the women their own last names.

Start rubbing (see resources for tips). The image will start to appear.

Keep rubbing, until the image is clear and as dark as you'd like it. Carefully remove the tape and roll up the rubbing. See resources for care & handling of the rubbing after you get it home.

On the second example (Elizabeth's), the stone had some extra detail that made it difficult to fit the paper tightly around the sides. It still worked, but it was touchy.

These aren't perfect - not by a long shot - but I'm happy with my first attempts. Sadly, they didn't make it to the new house for some reason, so another trip is in order.

Show and Tell: Candle Holder

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:55:00 +0000

I just love this candle holder/lamp. It was given to me quite some time ago, by someone who wanted me to sell a bunch of stuff on eBay for her. She didn't want the money, so mostly I think she wanted help cleaning out her basement. This was so heavy (see the marble base?) that shipping would have been prohibitive; instead, I kept it and always have it out, somewhere. (At the moment it's next to the tub in the master bath.)

The glass insert has seen better days, and I'm on the lookout for a replacement.

Make: Bubble Favors

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:51:00 +0000

Another tutorial re-boot from www.myhalloweenlinks.com.

I used these (with different labels) for prizes when I led training classes at the corporate level. I called them "stress bubbles," but you can call them whatever you want. You can give them to trick-or-treaters, or use them as party favors - alone or in a bag of goodies.

Gather Materials

"Wedding Favor" bubbles. Avoid the fancy packaged ones at craft stores and look for packs at $1 stores or big box stores (I just bought a 9-pack for $1). You shouldn't have to pay more than 25¢ each.
Tape. Try to match the height of the label, plus a little bit if possible (alternately, make the label a little shorter than the tape). If you use a laser printer, the width of the tape isn't as crucial, but if you use an inkjet printer, you'll want to cover all of the print; otherwise, the ink will run when the bubble liquid spills (inevitable). If you can get 1" wide clear tape, this is perfect. In a pinch, you can layer regular transparent tape, but you may need to trim a bit.
Labels. Print several images on plain paper and cut out. You can download mine (click image below to open PDF) or make them yourself. You can fit several onto 1 sheet. The labels should be just under 1" high and about 3.5" long. You can do black text & graphics on colored paper, or full color graphics on white paper, etc. Other ideas: Put each persons' name on a bottle. Use a plain mailing label, and handwrite the message or add a sticker scene.
Stickers &/or ribbon. If desired.

Assemble

Design your labels, following the specifications above & print onto plain paper. Print & cut out. Add stickers, if desired.
Wrap the labels around the center of the bottle and tape or glue in place. If it's possible that the ink will run, apply tape across the whole label.
Add ribbon around the neck, if desired.
Share!

Label sample (not to scale) - Click to open PDF (right-click to save to your computer):

Note: I made this so long ago, I have no idea what my sources are. Sorry!

Party Planning: Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:17:00 +0000

Following up a "save the date" mailing, which serves as bit of a teaser and lets people know there is more to come, the invitation gives the needed details (what, when, where, etc.). More information is always available via phone or email.

The first thing you might notice is that the colors are not what you'd expect for a party of this nature. Well, it is an off-season party! I like the incongruity of the summery colors with the skull and spooky font. One thing I'm trying to do is to use some of the things I've been collecting for all these years. I bought these fun invitations not too long ago because the main card color is pretty close to my signature color. This style of invitation is great because you can run the top card through your printer, then attach it to the base card with foam mounting tape.

I had initially planned on stamping the invitation like the envelopes, using the smaller stamp. But I realized a couple of things: 1) the skull was facing the wrong way (for my preference), and 2) I hate trying to line up the stamped image (or, if stamping first, trying to make the text line up properly). My solution: stamp the skull on white paper and scan it, then clean up the image, color it any way I wanted, and lay out the invitation and print (I used Adobe InDesign). This way I could flip the skull so it was facing the way I wanted it for the top of the page.

I've been learning to pare down what is included on the invitation. (I'm not all the way there yet, but it's better than our first party invitation!) This is not a costume party, so I wanted people to be aware (people can feel awkward if they show up to a non-costume party in costume). I also don't want there to be any questions about whether or not guests should feel free to bring hand-crafts like knitting or crochet (always fine at this house). Everyone already knows we have cats, so that info. isn't necessary any more. If we were doing a adults-only party, or were requiring costumes, that information would be important to include.

Stamps: Skull, from StampFrancisco: Large and Small
Ink: Vivid! Dye Inkpad, in Garnet (envelope only; invitation image was recolored digitally)
Font: Black Castle, from dafont.com

Text
Join us if you dare!
For a slightly spooky, not at all sinister, mid-summer “Hallowe’en” bash.
(It’s not really Hallowe’en, but that doesn’t mean much around this place.)

Why:
When:
Where:
Wear: Regular casual (although people have been known to show up in PJ pants & bunny slippers, and that is fine).

What-not: It’s not an over-the-hill party, just a regular birthday party where the theme happens to be Halloween (the birthday ghoul’s favorite holiday and year ‘round obsession).
Food, games, movies and conversation are planned. Knitting/crochet are always welcome. Feel free to get in touch with any questions!

RSVP
by
(email)

Inserts

By the time this post is visible, everyone on the guest should have received their invite, so it's safe to share the item to the right. We always show a movie or two during the course of an evening, and this time have a special surprise for our guests (more on that later). We thought it would be fun if people had a little souvenir (if they like that kind of thing), and worked up this little ticket. I don't know if you can tell, but they're actually perforated. I based the design on vintage movie tickets (like these) and used Photoshop, InDesign, card stock, a sewing machine, paper cutter and hole punch to achieve the look. (If there is interest, I could work up a tutorial.)

Fonts: Jefferson (Liberty Hall), Harting (Admit One) & Kenyan Coffee (everything else)

Not shown: an insert with additional info. We have a large yard, so people can camp overnight if they'd rather not drive home and wanted everyone to know.

Show and Tell: Witch Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:50:00 +0000

Eventually, I'm going to run out of stuff at my house to post about and will have to start searching the web for things to share. But it's summer and hey, I've got stuff of my own to show off. Every once in a while, I plan to post an image (with details if available) - evidence of how Halloween is always around, somewhere, in my house.

It makes me a little sad that I can't wear this more often. Truth is, it's a little snug on my big 'ole noggin. And there is really no call for a suede witch's hat most of the time. So this darling bonnet resides atop an old clock in our library (brought down for pictures).

Hat source: Broom Rider from Blonde Swan.

I've had this for a few years; here's a picture of me wearing it several summers ago. My best friend got the black one, and I didn't want to look too much like a copycat, so I went with this one. I added the ribbon band because the unrelenting beige wasn't really to my taste.

That little bouquet of vintage buttons (and spool) that I made is around somewhere...

Theme: Zombies

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:20:00 +0000

From time-to-time, I'm going to put together a collection of links on a topic and share them here. This time: zombies! There are different kinds of zombies. I will always mean the non-Voodoo version; think of Night of the Living Dead: slow-moving; dumb but deadly. Any George Romero zombie. I'm including a sprinkling of Return of the Living Dead, just because of the "Braaaaaains!" thing. By no means should this be considered an exhaustive list; I could go on & on...

Misc. Zombie Fun

Haunted Paper Toys has two different zombie sets to print, cut out and stand up: Monsters #5 & Monsters #6. There is a zombie in the Pocket Monsters collection, which makes great bookmarks and, finally the zombie mask.
The Zombie Hunters is a fantastic web comic (that I'm really behind on)
End of Days kit (crafty): don't forget to include knitting (or materials for your favorite portable hobby)
Flesh Eating Zombies Figure Set

Movies
just a sampling; it's not possible to list them all, and everyone has their favorites

Shaun of the Dead is a very dark comedy using entirely Romero-style zombies. I'm listing it first because it's fun. Gory, yes. But funny at the same time.
Night of the Living Dead (NotLD) is the classic, black-and-white cult film that really kicked off the horror zombie genre. There were movies in this series: NotLD, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead and Land of the Dead. Note: I cannot, even a little bit, recommend the remakes of Dawn or Day of the Dead. The latter was so bad that it didn't resemble the original at all. Both had the wrong kind of zombies. Stick with the classics!
In 2007, Romero began a new series, which (so far) includes: Diary of the Dead and Survival of the Dead. He has plans for more, each picking up a character (or characters) where Diary left off.
The Evil Dead • Evil Dead II (really, a remake of the first movie) • Army of Darkness
Dead Alive (incredibly gross, but funny)
Zombieland
The Return of the Living Dead - campy as all get-out, this is the source of the "braaaaains" line that is inevitably uttered when discussing zombies. (Although everyone knows zombies will go for any flesh.) There are several movies in this series.
Sort-of zombie movies that I like: 28 Days Later and Night of the Comet (apocalyptic-type movies, people acting kind of like zombies, but not rising from the dead)
Resident Evil Trilogy 1-3 (bears virtually no resemblance the games)
I asked my husband if he'd add anything to this list, and he suggested some of Lucio Fulci's movies: Zombie & Zombi 2.

Books

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. Essential.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. Surprisingly, this was a fascinating read. Very well-done; I found myself forgetting that it was fiction. If real history books were written like this, I think more people would remember what they studied!
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Must be included. I'm on the fence about this one, but it's wildly popular.
Apocalypse Chow: How to Eat Well When the Power Goes Out. Not really about zombies. But if you're preparing your zombie apocalypse preparedness plan, then a cookbook like this could really come in handy. (I am so bummed that it's out of print, but used copies are frequently available.)

Games

Zombies!!! Believe it or not, my husband and I bought this game, and played it, on our honeymoon. As a game, it's probably better with at least 3 people. There are a ton of expansion packs for the game, but start with just the main box to see if you like it. If the game doesn't' come with it, go ahead and order a bag of zombies. You can use them as cupcake toppers as well.
Zombie Dice (just reviewed recently)

Treats

Try these strawberry jam-filled candies (Skull Crushers), or use a brain mold instead.
Straightforward & simple: cupcakes with zombies from the BagOZombies (wash first) on top.

PS: The "knitting zombie" is yours truly. I was a zombie in a student film that was never finished. I was first in make-up, but in the last scene filmed, so...I stood around like this, knitting. It's too bad the film didn't get finished, but I've gotten plenty of mileage out of the knitting zombie pics, so it's all good.

Make: Necronomicon Mini-book Invitation

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:13:00 +0000

I have a few small tutorials that have been housed on MyHalloweenLinks, but I'm going to transition them to here, because they need to be updated. The first is a "hack" of an existing mini-book created by Ray O'Bannen (linked below). These directions will show you how to add text to his image, so you can use this little booklet as an invitation and more.

You have six small pages to enter your details. You will need some minor layout experience, MS Word experience (or any page layout program -- I initially wrote the directions for Word, so I'm continuing) and access to a color printer. The file used to be in Word, but is now in PDF format, which might make this a little more difficult.

Disclaimer: Ray O'Bannen designed the faboo mini-book; I'm just applying my idea to his existing art. Neither he nor his site have anything to do with this one.

Directions

Download the PDF for Book 3 on the Haunted Paper Toys' Necronomicon Notebooks page (Books 1 & 2 are cool, but have illustrations - I haven't tried this method with them, but it could work!).
Get the image into Word. There are several ways to do this, and I can't go into them all. I was able to select the image on the PDF and copy it, then paste it into a Word document.
Add text boxes over the "parchment" pages, following the guide (right).
Set the layout to "in front of text" if it didn't happen automatically (otherwise, you can't move the box around).
After you create the text box, use the formatting options to adjust the text direction to match the first image, then go to Format/Text Box to turn off the border and fill.
Print. (How it looks will depend on the font you use and the quality of your printer.)
Follow the directions (first link on the Notebooks page) to assemble, then pop in an envelope and mail!

Please note: the original file is high-resolution for excellent printing. You may have system resource issues, depending on your computer's memory.

Games: Alan Wake

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:16:00 +0000

This is a quick drive-by posting. I don't think I qualify as a gamer, per se, because my interests and skills are very limited. I tried Ghostbusters 3 (PC) and couldn't do it. I managed Dragon Age: Origins (PC) and World of Warcraft okay, but couldn't hack the controls for the newest Resident Evil (console). (I have hand/eye coordination issues and first-person shooters trigger massive dizzy spells. (I'm still sad I couldn't play Portal.)) I got pretty good at Viva Piñata...I SO fail at being a gamer.)

I don't think I can play Alan Wake, either (haven't tried the controls yet). But whoa, is it cool! It's actually a game I'll sit down and watch someone else play. It's reminiscent of Twin Peaks (which I loved), and I'd have a hard time believing it's not intentional. There's a bit of Steven King thrown in as well (he's actually quoted at the beginning).

We got through episode 1 yesterday (there are 7 currently, with more promised as future downloadable content) and I was kind of sad that I was so drowsy I couldn't keep watching. (I've watched bits and pieces of games while others played, but never more than a couple of minutes.)

Alan Wake is a best-selling writer who has hit a slump and travels with his wife, Alice, to Bright Falls, WA for a change of scenery. He's not there long before things turn truly bizarre and pretty freaking scary.