Last Min Halloweeeeeen

Hapeeeee Halloweeeeeen

(emphasis on eeeee’s for eeeerie effect)

Today might be too late to buy any Halloween related decorations, or even costumes. I know. I tried to shop lastnight. You see we decided last min to definitely dress up with my daughter.. long story short, we went to Value Village and it was a disaster. Thank goodness i can sew. the only costumes left were gory-horror masks, and bits and peices of ruined vampire costumes…. which was not what i was looking for.

so. it comes down to what can you make yourself…

loopyboopy :: Creepy and Whimsical Art Dolls

after some research i found an interview where she offers some excellent advice to new artists.

Believe in yourself and your work. Art comes from inside and as long as you have the basic skills for your medium, true art will emerge. Keep creating and create what is true to you, never stop or be discouraged by what others say

Oh shes so right. If you create for yourself your passion will shine through. And the more of ‘you’ that goes into your work, the more original it becomes …. and there’s nothing wrong with that.

phew. sappy moment done… now onto more…

even though those two are sculpture, it would make a really great costume. Probably not hard to do either  if you purchase whatever white fabric you can find in the walmart $1.97 bin (which they are going to discontinue soon! nooooo) cut into 8″ wide by at least 3 yards long and start wrapping. use safety pins to secure ends and please… invest in some nude coloured underware.

Hersheys has a mummy making tutorial. (i know…hersheys??)

more costume ideas…

Crimson Spark :: Fire Elemental hand sculpted leather mask

to go with…. a sexy red devil maternity dress?

buy or find a red dress… and get out the scissors. for shoes? if you arent blessed with a giant closet filled with shoes of every colour find ones you dont nessisarily wear (or thrift a pair) and add a coat of paint. I used the new Krylon Paint for plastics. It cracked a bit, but it was also after walking through the snow. Any flexible acrylic paint should work. and you may need to scuff them with sandpaper first, depending on the material of the shoe

im loving this robot too…

customer submitted costume from wtfcostumes.com

or the official Wall-E costume

but stay away from this one….

Lets move on to some “oh so adorable” accessories…

imadeyouabeard :: grey felt beard

angelacatirina :: pretty princess crown (pattern only)

Thats all i got. Everything else is common.. overdone.

Be unique and throw a little “you” into the costume this year.

making the house spooky

Last night we painted some branches black, dressed them with webs and spiders, and made the kitchen table rather spooky… but its not quite enough, one table in one room.

i was searching childrens illustration books for inspiration on my Halloween house decorations, and found some books that would make for great reads for a Halloween party, or maybe even at the fair. Oh i wish i gave myself more time… to put on a play based on this little tale…

Cinderella Skeleton from Google Books or Amazon

Cinderella Skeleton
was everything a ghoul should be:
Her build was long and lean and lank;
Her dankish hair hung down in hanks;
Her nails were yellow; her teeth were green –
The ghastliest haut you’ve ever seen.
Foulest in the land was she.

The wispy torn curtains seems to be a standard in decrepit houses. i have yards of black fabric that i will never use (thick black polyester. ick) we will shred the fabric leaving 1/4 in tack at the top, then find a way to nail or staple the fabric over the front window of the house. If i can find a way to take the screen door off (and not loose heat) i will attach a shorter peice over the front door too.

the winding, twisted overgrown vines are a little harder. thankfully i let the weeds takeover the garden this year, and i dont have to do much to make it look unattended.

we bought a bag of spiderwebs from Dollarama lastnight. they had small webs, one big web… and glow in the dark webs. what fun! i think i might even wrap myself in a bit of webs (going as the grandma witch)

im not sure if thats a line of pumpkins in the skeleton house, or if they are the creatures attending the wedding. either way, so many good ideas for jack-o-lantern faces

We are also adding creepy worn looking signs (using cardboard from cereal boxes) to the garden warning “BEWARE: man eating plants” and scattering christmas lights on the garden floor, to shine some light in the dreary space. We dont want all our hard work to be lost in the dark.

(i will post our pictures as soon as i convince my husband to lend a hand)

Another good book for halloween tales is…. Favorite Scary Stories of American Children (google preview)

Halloween Fair

For the first time the neighbours around Weber Park have organized a fun fair for the kids in the area… and just because i’m magnetically drawn to crafty things… imadeit will be there with a few crafty activities.

im thinking monsters + ghosties….

Join us on Saturday October 25th from 3pm-5pm

at the park on the corner of Frederick st + Edna St

(beside Frederick Mall)

**Because this is the first year they are inviting other artists/businesses in the area to participate. Contact me for more info asap!

Halloween is almost here…

… only two weekends left…

yet i dont feel the goulish spirits in the air.

Gradually participation in this holiday is becoming less and less in our area. Last year was almost unbearable, i think there were a total of 10 houses open to the trick-or-treating kiddies. When i was young it took me hours to walk down our street which was a total of 4 blocks…. and that was enough for me to call it a night. Last year we packed up the wee one, and drove her to a different neighbourhood to get her ‘knock-knock’ satisfaction.

Why is Halloween so unpopular?

What on earth happened to the spirit of it all… the fun and festivity?

So my request to you.. make this one count. Its a holiday of creativity and imagination. Its bringing magic to life. Its a safe time to express those inner urges to be someone else; someone you always wished you could be… like a superhero, or a flying fairy. Its a chance to create a family tradition, and bond with your children, as this is a holiday for all ages.

It doesnt always have to be gruesome either. A few years ago we made our house into the gingerbread house, with giant candycane + lollipops lining the sidewalk… and of course the witch at the door.

Mind you this year, just for us, we are haunting the place inside and out!!

We will alter this pumpkin centerpiece from Recipie Tips since my garden seems to be lacking the pretty yellow blooms they have, AND to increase the ‘creepy haunted house look.  i am going to use more of the dried vines like they have, a few coloured leaves, and some red sedum

Pumpkin & Fresh Flower Candle Holder

1. Trace the bottom of a 4 to 6-inch pillar candle onto the top of a pumpkin.

2. With a sharp knife, cut along the traced line. While cutting, hold the knife at an angle, this will create a cone shape.

3. Discard the cut portion. The candle should fit securely into the cut portion of the pumpkin. Adjust the size of the opening as needed. If the cut portion is too large to securely hold the candle, place a can inside of the pumpkin and place the candle on top of the can. This will create stability for the candle.

4. Arrange flowers around the candle.

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hang this witches curtain, which Martha Stewart created simply from garbage bags. (cut in strips, the gently pull strips to deform each strand… “for a decrepit effect”) i have a mass of black polyester fabric that is just not cool enough to actually make clothing out of… and a really small doorway.

then… paste these or scarier vinyl letters on the front door…

add some creepy crawly bugs (papermache + wire…Tutorial on THURS)

a sketeton image painted on the mirror in the front hall… which i will hang for trick or treaters to see

make a droopy weeping wreath and spray it with a coat of black satin paint,

and toss in some cheap thrifted candlesticks, and paint them black too

finally, we need something to spook up the yard. On the lawn will have…

a ghostly seance (tutorial THURS)

Costume Time

Its almost time for the 2nd Annual Mommy A Go Go
Hallowe’en Parade

At the Cambridge Centre October 30, 2008

See Mommy-a-gogo before October 27th to register your wee one. (everyone who registers will receive a free loot bag… yum yum. By registering you also have a chance to win some wonderful door prizes (that make mama’s life much easier)

Door prizes include:

• Busy Bees Playground party package – 2 hours exclusive use of the playground
• Graco Alano Travel System stroller – Kids Creations Art Studio
• Two $50 gift cards from the Cambridge Centre
• Wee Piggies and Paws gift cards
• And so much more!!!

Dont have a costume yet… me neither. Actually we have a number of costumes. My giant wee one just cant decide! So i found a few other options to help her out…

the good witch from SDEMKE etsy shop

http://coolest-homemade-costumes.shippony.com/images/food/cakes/homemade-halloween-costume-02.jpg

a sweet birthday cake from circular hat boxes…

or a cupcake! so cute

a few newborn chics

… with yellow rubber gloves as the feet.

im in love with these toilet paper mummies from Home on the Fringe (click on pic to go to the site… suddenly wordpress wont let me add another link)

lego!! do kids still play with lego (click on the pic for other easy ideas from CRAFT:)

all in all… have fun. dont stress about the kids costume, and try to get them invoved in the process… you will be surprised by their creative little minds.

make it yourself HALLOWEEN

Tin Can Luminaries from Better Homes and Gardens

Materials

• Tracing paper
• Permanent marker
• Clean empty tin cans
• Hammer and large nail
• Spray paint: orange and black
• Wire
• Tea-light candles

Instructions

1. Transfer the pattern of your choice to a clean tin can; go over the transferred pattern with a permanent marker. Fill the tin can with water; place it in the freezer. When the water in the can is frozen, remove the can from the freezer.
2. Use a hammer and nail to puncture the design in the can. Punch two holes in the rim of the can on opposite sides, centering the design between the two holes. Let the ice melt; allow the can to dry completely.
3. Cut a 16-inch length of wire. Insert one end of the wire into a hole in the rim; twist the end of the wire around the wire length. Insert the other wire end through the other hole in the rim, securing the wire in the same manner.
4. Spray paint the pumpkin can orange and the bat can black. Let the paint dry. Place a tea-light candle inside the can and hang securely from a branch or garden hook. OR omit the hanger and line your steps or walkway with glowing Halloween faces.

creepy party invites

i love the creepiness of this halloween tree from Design Mom. where can we find birds like this?? or maybe hang papermache scary faces?

but i love this even more

if i could find a way to make him… and not scare the bee-geebies out of my own self … then i totally would. apparently this is just a poster hanging in a window. For the timid, perhaps a paper skeleton would be best.

check out this cute + friendly character from Sewing Stars