HAUNTED HALLOWEEN HOUSE...

On my last visit to Hobby Lobby .... to get school project goodies for Girl Child .... I walked past the last few, lonely looking, greatly reduced in price, Halloween craft leftovers. There, right at the back I found one of those plywood, spooky looking houses. I also found some painted, plywood Halloween stickers. The house's price tag - $3-99 less 60%, and the stickers were $1-99, less 60% - you can't pass up a deal that good!!!!

I brought it home, and over the past 2 days have turned it into this ...

I painted it, then glittered the entire house with some very coarse glitter. I gave it 3 coats of spray on sealant to stop that glitter going everywhere!!! I backed the windows and doors with scrapbook paper and glued on the plywood figures I wanted to use. I'm excited about how it turned out .... even if it'll only be on display for a few more days before it's packed away until next year.

Until next time.....

ANOTHER QUICK HALLOWEEN IDEA...

This idea would make a really quick and cute Halloween Class Handout. I may make some for Boy Child to hand out to his classmates on Friday. I saw the box idea on a blog, but just decided to expand on the idea.

I made them by cutting a piece of green cardstock 81/2" x 41/2". I then scored the long sides 1" in from each side. Along the short side, I scored at 33/4" and 43/4". You'll see that the box then folds together quite easily. You'll need to snip both sides where the side and middle score lines cross (It really is easy, when it's in front of you). Glue the sides together and there you have it. Using my circle punches, I made his facial features and glued them in place. To make his hair, I cut a piece of black cardstock 3" x 21/2". Score at the 1" and 2" marks. Cut his jaggardy fringe along the front edge. I then punched 2 holes through the top and threaded some ribbon for the handle. Glue the back of the hair to the back of the box. Once I'd filled a cellophane bag with candy, I popped it into the box and attached the fringe side of the hair with 2 glue dots. There you have it - super easy and super cute!!!

This week I'll be preparing for a Pumpkin Carving and Pizza Party, that we're hosting for our Cub Scout Den and their families on Friday ..... what could be more fun - 18+ kids and masses of pumpkin guts!!! I'm planning on making the dessert table a dessert buffet .... think dead finger cookies, frankie pops, chocolate bones and skulls - yum, yum, yum!!!!

Have a fun week everyone.

A BIT OF THIS, A BIT OF THAT....

I thought I'd pop in with a few random items I've made over the past week. They've all been made for swaps I'm taking part in.

First - there have been many variations of these apothecary jars popping up all over blogland. I love the way they look, and decided that I had everything I'd need on hand, so why not give it a try .... This is the result ...

I really like the shape of this jar - it was a jar that had fruit in it, once upon a time. I so wish that I could find more of them. By only putting the Halloween rub on, on the one side of the jar, I thought that, once Halloween was over, the jar could just be turned around, and it would be clear glass. Add some ribbon, or perhaps some charms, and it could fit any occasion.

Remember the owl scissors keep? I begun thinking and wondering if it would be possible to somehow combine it with a pouch and/or needlecase, so that you could have an all in one, to take with you for any stitching you wanted to do while on the move. Ta Da .... this is what I came up with, and it certainly seems very functional.

This is the front of it - the owl scissor keep. Now, untie the ribbon ties, and this is what you'll find inside...

A pouch for storing your threads, or what ever you wish, and a needle book to keep all your pins and needles handy. I think I may make a few of these as Christmas gifts - maybe even think up some different scissor keeps for the front ..... Hmm, we'll have to see ....

Have a lovely weekend everyone. My boys (hubby and Boychild) are away camping this weekend with Scouts. Girlchild, her best friend and I will be getting down to some serious tye dying tomorrow - her choice, when I asked her if there was anything special she wanted to do!!!

HALLOWEEN CONTINUED ...

Yes, the lead up to Halloween continues in our house. It's a holiday I don't have many decorations for, but this year I've really enjoyed making a few items. Let me just say at this point, that until we arrived in the US almost 6 years ago, we had heard of Halloween, but had no idea that it was celebrated on such a grand scale.

First let me show you the third member of the Halloween Basket Club ..... the witch!!!

She turned out nicely, although not spooky at all, despite that pointed nose and wart on her cheek!!! I guess, I just don't do spooky well:-)

Next, I decided to give banner making a go (it was our October challenge in the YOE Swap). What a lot of fun that was. It's amazing what you can turn some felt, buttons and trim into if you think hard enough.

This was the first one I made ...

I loved how it turned out so much, that I went ahead and made another one....

Also super cute...

The banner bug has bitten, and I wont be stopping here - Christmas is just around the corner, and my head is buzzing with Christmas Banner ideas:-)

Thanks for stopping by - perhaps you may have been inspired to try something you've never done before. Give it a try - you just never know!!!

THE SEASONS, THEY ARE A CHANGING....

And I couldn't be happier!!!!
I love Fall ... the colors, the smells, the nip in the air .....it's all so yummy:-)

These will be part of my Fall mantle decorating (once the Halloween festivities are over) this year. I seem to be all about the pumpkins this year - every shape and size - they're all catching my eye.

These wooden blocks started their life out as wooden letter stamps in the clearance section of Hobby Lobby - their price tag ... 41c each!!! Bargin, so I snapped them up. After removing the letters, painting, drilling (thanks to my hubby here), mod podging, glittering and gluing, I have 4 adorable (at least I think they're adorable) wooden pumpkins!!!! They really couldn't have been easier to make.

I'm thinking that perhaps I need to see if they have anymore tucked away in the clearance section - I'm starting to see snowmen... Christmas houses .... hmm - I think I must dash off now!!!!

Until next time:-)

I WAS SPOILT....

I took part in The Fall Intigue Basket Swap, that was hosted by Michele (Something Special). The task at hand - fill a basket with some Fall goodness. It didn't have to all be handmade, but something handmade would be special.

My basket arrived on Friday from my sweet partner - Ruth. Everything was wrapped so beautifully and it was a real treasure to open. Ruth, you made my day - THANK YOU!!!

Here is a peek at all of my goodies...

It was filled with Thank You cards, a notepad. The sweetest vintage Jello mold (my kids immediately requested Jello). See how cute those 2 ears of corn are ... they are salt and pepper shakers!!! The gem for me was the Gooseberry Patch booklet - I absolutely LOVE all things Gooseberry Patch:-) The Fall dish towel will look cute in my kitchen and the sweet pumpkin will take its rightful place on my mantel just as soon as the Halloween decor comes down.

Then there was the added bonus of all the tags, ribbon and rafia that Ruth used to wrap my goodies - all of it will be put to further good use.

Don't miss the lovely stamped fabric bag (full of acorns) or the cute straw broom!!!

Ruth, I'm sending you a big hug Thank You for spoiling me - I loved my basket full of Fall goodies ... you brought a smile to my day!!!

Wishing you all a lovely Fall day!!!!

HALLOWEEN CUTIES...

Those two words don't really sound right together do they? When I showed these little baskets to my hubby, his first question was "Are they mean't to be scary?". My reply "No". His reply "Oh good!!!". So now you understand where the title for this post came from:-)

Every Halloween we have a handful of kids that we like to give a little something extra too ..... family friends and the kids best friends. Given this is the year of "use what I have on hand", I took my crochet hook and some Halloween colored cotton yarn I had in my stash, and just got busy crocheting - this is what evolved. I am sure there are probably hundreds of tutorials for similar little baskets all over blogland and I'm sure these aren't an original idea, but they're what I came up with while "playing", and I'm very excited about how they turned out!!!! We'll fill them with some Halloween goodies and they'll be pretty cute gifts I think.

I thought I'd share how I made them with you - just incase anyone wanted to give it a try ...... they're really quick and easy. I found some purple yarn in the yarn bucket this evening, so I'm going to make a witch next.

Get Ready....

I used 100% cotton yarn and a D (3.25mm) crochet hook.

Felt and/or googly eyes

A little ribbon

Here Goes .....

With Jack O Lantern or Frankie colored yarn, make 2 chains (CH)

Row 1 - Single crochet (SC) 6 into the 1st CH (6 ST)

Row 2 - SC 2 in each SC around (12 ST)

Row 3 - SC 1, 2 SC in next SC, continue like this all the way around (18 ST)

Row 4 - SC 2, 2 SC in next SC, continue like this all the way around (24 ST)

Row 5 - SC 3, 2 SC in next SC, continue like this all the way around (30 ST)

Row 6 - SC 4, 2 SC in next SC, continue like this all the way around (36 ST)

Row 7 - SC 5, 2 SC in next SC, continue like this all the way around (42 ST)

Row 8 - SC 6, 2 SC in next SC, continue like this all the way around (48 ST)

Row 9 - SC 7, 2SC in next SC, continue like this all the way around (54 ST)

Row 10 - SC into the back loop of each SC (54 ST)

Rows 11 - 20 - SC 54 STS

Row 21 - 25 - Change yarn to green for Jack O Lantern or black for Frankie, and SC 54 STS.

At the end of Row 25 cut yarn and thread through loop to bind off. Weave in all the ends of your yarn.

To give them faces I cut circles from felt and just played around with their placement until I was happy, then I glued the pieces on .... It's really not an exact science (which makes them all the more fun). Both their mouths I embroidered with a piece of the black yarn.The ribbon handles are just lengths of ribbon pushed through to the wrong side of the basket and tied off to secure them - you can make them as long or short as you like. I prefered mine to be fairly small.

I'm linking this to Val's Spookify Me Saturdays over at Yarni Gras. If you haven't visited yet, you should as there are some really great Halloween ideas to see.

Until next time....

HALLOWEEN IDEA...

The Halloween decorations came out on Thursday - not that I've finished putting it all together or decided on just what look I'm after, mind you!!!

I saw the idea for these ornaments in a magazine I was browsing through at the store the other day. I'm not sure which one it was, as I paged through a few. They were really simple to make, and I like the way they turned out .... especially the way they sparkle in the light.

Here is the quick "HOW TO" for these ornaments.....

You'll need -A pack of 2 inch round mirror tiles

-Orange glitter glue

- Some Halloween rub ons

- Thin ribbon for the loop

- Assorted beads for the dangly bit at the end

- Felt

- Glue

Next * Place the rub on onto your glass tile

* Apply glitter glue around the edge, and let dry preferably overnight

* Make you bead dangle

* Place glue on the back of your mirror tile and position the dangle & loop

* Place felt on the back

* Once dry, take pinking sheers and cut around the tile (be careful not to

cut your loop or dangle)

There you go, all done. As I said this is not my original idea, I just saw a picture of them in a magazine, and this is how I put mine together.

I am going to link this to Val over at Yarni Gras. She is showcasing a whole bunch of cool Halloween projects through out the month of October ..... hop on over and have a look - you won't be dissapointed:-)

Until next time - Happy Crafting!!!

A LITTLE SOMETHING TO SHARE ...

I love Betz White's patterns!!! I'm yet to try one that doesn't come together quickly and easily.I made this little leaf scissors keep and ladybug tape measure as part of a giveaway that I'm involved in.

I have made some of her other tape measure covers ..... the cupcake was super cute!!! Sadly I don't have a picture of that one.

This set was also one of her patterns - I have made the owl scissors keep a number of times:-)