Christmas Wish List

Just had to put these on my Christmas wish list:

http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/whatonearth/Item_Alien-Gnome-Bandits-Garden-Accent-6_VG1442_ps_srm.html

http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?randomizer=1515925760&action=detail&item=CE3173

Unfortunately, this is backordered:
http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?randomizer=918391616&action=detail&item=CE0422

And from AMC:
http://shop.amctv.com/products/95391-the-walking-dead-poster-key-chain
http://shop.amctv.com/products/95352-the-walking-dead-trio-distress-t-shirt

What's on your list?

Behind the Scenes, or What I Learned THIS Year

1.  I love Hot Blood.  Her red hot glue sticks really DO look like blood, and they were so easy to apply, both on the fake weapons and inside the witch jars. I'm glad I bought lots, because I have tons left for next year, now that I know what to do with them.

2. Do NOT schedule a repairman the week before Halloween.  He may be fast, and he may be good, but inevitably there will be unforeseen circumstances requiring your presence and decision-making abilities (which are shabby by now), and drywall, paint, etc. that need to dry before the next step can be taken.

(Although I do love the new fan in my sewing room, and the additional light made the cat's eyes in the window really shine through.)

Looks cool from the inside, too.

3.  When Hallowe'en falls on a Sunday, be prepared to have just as many ToTs on Saturday as you expect on Sunday.  This means have the props all set up and ready to go by 4:00 pm Sat. afternoon.  Fortunately, that won't happen again until 2021--and as I will be 70 years old that year, it may just be a moot point.

4.  Board Tandi every Hallowe'en. Period.

5.  LoveLee soaps on Etsy makes awesome fake fingers , right down to the ragged cuticles. They're even a bit slick to the touch.  (Red hot glue looks terrific on soap fingers.)

They also make soap poop, for all you pranksters and 8-yr-olds in adult clothing.

6. Duct tape and safety pins can save your butt.



       6a. Duct tape sticks to itself better than anything else. (note bottom left corner of foam insulation board walls)

7. Carve jack-o-lanterns early, even if you have to put the finished products in the fridge or in coolers with ice.  I never got any carved, and my lighting wasn't really enough without them.



8.  Buy lots more extension cords and multi-outlet posts for next year.  Enough said.

9.   Punt.

With all those uncarved pumpkins, I had to come up with some way to use them.  I scattered the pumpkins, skeletons, and the ubiquitous scarecrow around the yard, as if something had come and destroyed the place. 

9a. Don't try to put together a new prop at the last minute.  It will always look last minute--to you, even if your visitors aren't that critical.

Unless you can use the dim lighting to your advantage.

10. Firepits come in very handy for old Gypsy Queens on cold Hallowe'en nights. You can even dance around them, if no one's watching.

(More pictures on flickr, top right column of this blog)



Skeletons

Bought 'em!  Right now "Bob" and "Alice" are sitting in lawn chairs in the front yard as "Napoleon" (my 3' skeleton) rides the flower pot tricycle hauling pumpkins.  They won't stay there, but for now they're pretty entertaining. 

One more shift after tonight and I'm off work for 10 nights, so pictures are coming, I promise!

Quick Question

I have the opportunity to buy 2 skeletons off Craigslist:
http://asheville.craigslist.org/for/2003625495.html

The seller says the skeletons are moveable, but not poseable--there must be some support to keep their positions.  He says he has 2 of these skeletons in his graveyard scene and gets a lot of stop-and-lookers, and he thinks it's the skeletons.  He will come down to $165.00 for these two new skeletons and will deliver them to me this weekend.  Actually, he offered (via email) to do it tonight, but I'm a little cautious.

Based on the photos and his description of the dudes, height and weight, do you think this is a good deal?  Hubby's reluctant, as I've spent a lot this year already, but I think this would be worth it.

Advice? Opinions?  Anything more I should ask this guy?

Big Giveaway

Have you been here?



It's a group of Halloween Artists who are giving away 31 prizes in October--one a day.  There are some really intriguing gifts and all you need to do is describe your favorite Halloween tradition.  For more entries you can post on your blog and shout out on Facebook.

Unfortunately neither Bean nor Shellhawk are part of that group, because their work is outstanding and I have purchased items myself.  Maybe next year, ladies?

And look! I won a giveaway over at The Candy Corn Chronicles!  The Pumpkin Girl

I have lots of repurposed items for Halloween, and my share of the commercial stuff, too.  But more and more, I'm collecting handmade items of the holiday, and when I'm too old and decrepit to get out and haunt the yard, I will set up my little display in my nursing home windowsill and admire them from my rocker while I remember the good old days.

Latest Acquisitions

 When I woke up yesterday morning, it felt like a good day for junkin'.  After lunch I headed out to hit various thrift stores, and though I didn't get to all of them, the ones I hit yielded several items for this year's haunting.

First, another oil lamp for my collection.

It's in great shape; it just needed a little work where the burner part was rusted and hard to get open.  Once I got it unscrewed and cleaned and refilled, it burns beautifully.  Whoever priced this didn't know what they had, because, although I haven't looked up this pattern in my book, the assembly indicates it was made before 1920--which makes it at least 90 years old. I got it for the cool price of $15.00.

And the last tea light holder came in from Dark Candles:

This one's a little dark, but here they are all lit up in my kitchen:

Next, a couple of Halloween buckets (probably will give these to friends), and electric stick candles which will be painted black and used in the tent, also.

The small jar has painted-on letters, which I will need to paint over or cover with a label, but is a good size for small  potions.

This old jar cost me $3.00.  It's very large and with the lid painted black, and maybe some tattered muslin or something around it, will also be a good jar for a specimen.

Next are several red dresses I will be dismantling for drapes inside the tent:

Detail of the fabric:

This one has a nice shimmer to it, that doesn't show up well in the pictures, and is lined with red satin:

It also has a long scarf that went with it, and will make a great headband:

This one was my favorite.  Notice the rhinestones across the bodice?

They'll be removed and used somewhere else, probably on the little wooden casket from Michael's that a friend gave me.  I figure part of the fabric will be used to line the inside of the casket.

The underskirt is black netting, always handy, and more red satin.

Tonight will probably be spent watching a spooky movie off my Netflix list and ripping seams.

Good times.

Christmas in August

Look at what has arrived at my humble abode this week:

A couple of items from Victorian Trading Company.

These aren't very tall, but I think they'll look good across the windowsill, or maybe even around a tombstone. There are 5 sets of three on the string.

The tall witch's shoe pincushion came in, too

I'm not sure how I'm going to use it this year, but it was too unique to pass up.

Next, the tealight holder, which really looks to be a votive holder.

Not red, as listed on the Dark Candles site, but purple.

I'm crazy about purple and I've decided to keep it, but it's not what I ordered. 

This is what I ordered:

 I can see this on the table with the black lacy tablecloth and the crystal ball.  So I've sent an email to Helena at Dark Candles to work out how to keep the purple one and order the red one, too, since they were different prices.

The first set of tea lights I ordered from her came in. These are Bonfire (the dark orange ones), Graveyard, and Clove.  With my next order, I want to try a single votive of several more scents to decide what I want to use in the tent, and some pillars for the house.  So far, they are smelling delicious, but they may not last til the jack-o-lanterns are carved.

Next were a couple of items from a blogging friend:

A papier mache skull from Michael's, I think.

This little casket emits a Fun-House type of laughter that continues as long as the top is opened.  A little black paint (to match my other casket), something to cover the inside top, some batting and silky-like fabric to line the bottom and it would be ready for....what? 

A tiny skeleton?  A tiny vampire? 

 Or a severed finger?

I had a storyline started for my gypsy, but the "elegance" of the candleholders has given me pause.  Maybe it would be creepier to have her surroundings not be likened to an old shack in the woods, where everything is all dusty and cobwebby inside, but more colorful and "bejewelled" and elegant.  Then have the pathway to the tent lined with spiders and cobwebs, crooked tombstones, swamps and cursed victims.

What do you think?