Halloween Weekend with My Little Brother

I don’t get to see my little brother Andy as much as I want to. But last weekend, October 26 and 27, my firefighter and I had him over at our house.

On Friday, we carved a pumpkin together. Andy came up with the design.

We roasted our pumpkin seeds. Andy said they tasted like sweet popcorn. I used a Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seed recipe from online.

We made Apple Pie Shakes with apple cider. It was easy to make and tasted good. You can find the recipe behind the Alpine Spiced Apple Cider box.

On Saturday, we went to the first showing of Paranormal Activity 4. It wasn’t as good as the last ones and like always the shakiness made me nauseous. The movie plot just seemed to be thrown together just to make another Paranormal.

When we got home, Andy painted an eyeball for his eyeball candy jar. I spray-painted the lid of a pickle jar and a candlestick holder, glued everything together, and added peanut butter chocolate eyeballs in the jar. Andy liked the way it turned out and thought it was cool. No kid can leave my house without doing some arts and crafts.

While Andy played video games with my firefighter, I made pumpkin cookies for work’s Halloween potluck on Sunday.

Andy had so much fun with my firefighter and I. While driving him back home Saturday night, he had a sad face. Poor kid didn't want to go home.

Halloween Swap: Witches Wanted

Another gift from the Halloween Costume Swap, witches’ style! 

Double, double toil and trouble Mari will be a witch at work for Halloween. No worries though, this witch won’t be turning anyone into a frog. On Halloween, she’ll be in a wicked good mood because her Halloween Costume Swap partner Emily used some magic of her own and made Mari a flying witch necklace and a witch’s mug for Mari’s morning brew.

Click here to see more detailed pictures of the necklace and mug Emily made for Mari.

Let's Go to the Pumpkin Patch

After watching Pitch Perfect with my friends, Amy and Amanda, I said to them, “Let’s go to the pumpkin patch!” On October 15th, we went to Frazier’s U-Pick Pumpkin Patch, in Apple Valley, to pick our pumpkins. My friends and I had a blast being super silly, on our little adventure to find the perfect pumpkin.

That's All Folks!

Halloween Swap: The Count Has Arrived!

I received an email today from my Halloween Costume Swap partner Amy, from the blog Pictures and Pillows, that her package just arrived! And, now I’m excited to reveal what I sent her. Amy wants to be a vampire for Halloween as you can tell from the pictures above. I really enjoyed making both the “I Bite” necklace and the bloodshot eyeball magnet for Amy. Amy said she, “Absolutely love it!” I’m thrilled to hear that! The elaborate tomb box with its locks, skull, rat, googly eye spider are a creation from the talented Debbie, from Snow Bunnies Ink. I use Debbie for many commission pieces. Her work adds the perfect final touch to what I have created. In Amy’s package I also included other goodies. A pumpkin scented candle, a tomb shaped cookie cutter, and of course a box of candy. It’s not Halloween without some candy.

As you have heard me say in previous swap posts I really enjoy participating in swaps. They help me create things I usually would not make. Think out of the box. I get to explore new mediums I haven’t had to chance to play with yet. I'm excited for the next swap. A Christmas themed swap!

I will be posting pictures of more Halloween Costume Swap pieces soon, as they gradually make their destination.

Don’t Be Scared. They’re Made of Wax.

Before my firefighter and I went to see Iris from the Cirque du Soleil, in September, we went to the Hollywood Wax Museum, where you can see famous actors made of wax. And, where my firefighter and I enjoy being big goof balls when no one is looking. At this wax museum, they’re many wax actors from classic and popular horror movies. Movies that might be playing on your TV today! Movies that as I child scared me so much, I couldn’t go to bed without hiding my head under the covers and as adult where I keep (yes, present tense) the night light on to see what’s really in the hard. No matter how much they scare me, I still love watching a good scary movie any time of the year. My firefighter and I love scary movies. Here are some pictures from the wax museum courtesy of my firefighter.

At the Hollywood Wax Museum there’s no need to be scared. They’re made of wax! Thank goodness.

A Birthday Gift for a Special Someone

Today is one of my employees birthday, Tristin. Tristin is one of the most beautiful, caring, and strongest woman I know. Over a year ago, Tristin lost her baby. Her husband and her only got to spend a few precious minutes with their beautiful baby girl when she was born.

I made Tristin a sparrow brooch/ornament for her birthday. The sparrow is holding a ribbon where I embroidered Khaylena, the baby’s name. I also stamped the sparrow on a burlap bag, painted it, and embroidered Tristin’s name on it.

I know she’ll love this gift because we have talked about it before. I just hope it doesn’t cause her to shed many tears.

DIY Bloodshot Eyeball Magnet

Get your eye drops. I mean Supplies: Molded Eyeball (at Michaels for 99 cents each), paint, paintbrushes, Mod Podge, E-6000 glue, and a magnet. If you cannot find a molded eyeball, you can use a wooden ball also available at Michaels arts and crafts store.

Blink 1: Start by watering down your red paint. Paint a light coat of red on the veins; repeat if you want them to appear darker until you’re satisfied with the results.

Blink 2: Paint the sclera, the white part of the eye, with white paint. While it dries, add a little of the water down red paint, in a circular motion, to give it a more natural look.

Blink 3: Paint the iris, the part that gives your eye its color. Start with the lightest color first working your way to the darkest color. I did yellow, blue, then purple, gradually blending the colors together.

Blink 4: Outline the iris and fill in the pupil with black paint. Add a small dot with white paint on the black pupil.

Blink 5: Mod Podge the whole eyeball to seal in the paint.

Blink 6: Glue a magnet on the bottom of your eyeball with E-6000 glue.

Place the bloodshot eyeball magnet on your refrigerator. Now, you have an eye on those late night snackers!

It’s on its way!

I mailed my Halloween Costume Swap package today to the United Kingdom. Hopefully, I won’t have the same shipping delay I did with my last swap. It took two months to reach Canada!

To let Amy, my Halloween swap partner, know her package is almost on its way, I sent her this postcard last week. Not sure if shes gotten it yet. At work, we were handling out Frankenweenie collectors cards to customers and I took a set for myself. I made one of the cards with a vampire cat on it into a postcard. I chose that particular card design because it kind of went with what Amy wants to be for Halloween - a vampire. I added googly eyes to the vampire cat, glued bat confetti to the card, painted the moon with glow in the dark paint, and added other fun touches.

The back of the postcard is my favorite, with the text in a gooey falling substance. I used sticker paper for the back of the postcard. I whole punched our names on the sticker paper before sticking it to the back of the collector’s card. I drew a bat with a thought bubble saying, “Hi!” and behind it a moon. In one of the gooey substances, I wrote in capital letters, “ALMOST ON ITS WAY! HOPE THE ANTICIPATION ISN’T KILLIN YOU?”

I hope this postcard makes Amy excited about what’s coming her way. I know I am! About what’s coming my way too!

DIY Eyeball Tissue Paper

Blink 1: Supplies - Gift-wrap tissue paper with a colorful dot pattern, black Sharpie, and red Sharpie.

Note: Place newspaper or card board under tissue because Sharpie ink will go through the tissue paper onto the surface you are using.

Blink 2: Draw a black circle in the middle of each dot with the black Sharpie.
  
Blink 3: Draw veins around black circle with red Sharpie.

Talk about eye-popping tissue paper!

You think this is cool? Keep your eyes peeled for a DIY Bloodshot Eyeball Magnet. No pun intended.

Pumpkin, You Won!

Congratulations to Amanda Hoffman for winning the Jack Oh! Lantern necklace giveaway! For all who entered the giveaway, thank you! I will contact the winner soon. If you didn’t win but would like to own your own Jack O’Lantern necklace, check out Emily’s Etsy shop, The Morose Bee, to purchase one or two.