Tutorial Tuesday: Spider Egg Sac Chandelier

Boo, Ya'll.

Well, a week squeaked by and I was so busy having fun with the Houseplants (I entered the contest over at Instructables.) and getting ready for our big Halloween party I just didn't post at all !
If you asked me a question about the plants or the crowns I put most answers in the comments on those posts, because Blogger keeps your secret identities pretty secret!

I have a huge Bloggy Love and gratitude post to do tomorrow that will be completely off the Halloween Theme, but for Tutorial Tuesday (The Wednesday Edition) I need to keep it SCARY.

This is the decor for the bathroom for our little soiree.



I don't think you need be an arachnophobe to appreciate the creepy feeling you get sitting under this little fixture. I used red Christmas lights to give the feeling of radioactive glowing spider eggs still hatching inside, but this looks good without a light or would be cool glowing with a single dim bulb as well.

Supplies: Cheap white Japanese paper lantern available at Cost Plus, or Ikea or places like that, webby stuff, Christmas lights ( mine are all red) Lot and Lots of Plastic Spiders and a cup hook and tacks.

You simply:

• stick a large circle of tacks in the ceiling
• suspend a Japanese paper lantern from a cup hook or something similar
• fill the lantern with all red Christmas lights
• wrap it in the fake webby stuff that is every where this time of year.
• Stretch the webs up to the tacks and embellish liberally with plastic spiders
• Sit beneath and SQUIRM.

Tutorial Tuesday: Horrifying Houseplant Costumes

Okay...all you people, making cute pet costumes...

My pets just won't have it. So i decided to pick on some residents that are slightly more cooperative... and in doing so,
I am going to show that I have more time on my hands
than anyone else in the whole wide world...
Mwah-hahah.

I made costumes for my house plants.
And I made a tutorial too...
(in case you find yourself with a little time to kill.)

The Ferocious Ficus


and

the Rest in Peace Lily

Materials:
Stryrofoam balls, acrylic paints, vampire fangs, crepe paper sheets, pins, floral wire and tape
Tools:
Hot glue gun, knife, wire cutters, scissors

Ferocious Ficus:

• Cut balls in half

• Paint outside green and inside red. Add lips to outside cut edge and let dry
• Cut crepe paper with squiggley edge

• Cut leaves out of darker crepe paper
• Place vampire fangs between halves of painted styrofoam ball

• Pin in place with a straight pin in the back

• Secure fangs with hot glue in the corners

• Use hot glue on the fronts of fangs to create a sappy drool. Let harden.

• Wrap around the outside of the ball with the squiggley crepe paper and hot glue in place.

• Insert floral wire, (1 foot long- bent in half) into the back of the stryofoam ball with an end in each half.
• Secure with hot glue and wrap crepe paper to cover.
• Wrap wire with floral tape.

• Glue on leaves and wrap floral tape to end.

• Wrap wire on tree branch.

Oh, The Horror.

Rest In Peace Lily is just a much larger styrofoam ball, painted like an eye and wrapped with cut crepe paper, hot glued in place. It is anchored with a bamboo skewer.

Look Out!

Little Boo Peep

Yesterday I got a rare treat. I got to help make a costume for my niece.
She is little Boo Peep.

We recycled or thrifted every bit and I think it came out just perfectly.
Rescued squashed vintage hat. Totally restyled.
thrifted eyelet top embellished with recycled ribbon.
1.25 for thrifted chintz swatch for over skirt.
borrowed petticoats
And a kid friendly "crook " from recycled pipe
insulation used to pack a bicycle,
wire hanger, bamboo garden stake
and recycled ribbon and trims.

Total cost 7.00.

It certainly restored my faith in chintz.
Shepherdesses look great in it!

Hallowweeeeeen Party.

The Party Already?

Well, I did consult
the Housewives Tarot....

and things are looking spooky.

But I'm still altering the altars.

Carving the Pumpkins,

Working in the lab.

So feel free to look around,

but keep coming back, because,
I plan to attend this party all week long.

Today's treat:

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin-Eater Madelines


Prepare your favorite pumpkin muffin mix,
according to the directions on the box.
(or make it from scratch, if you must...)

Butter Madeline tin and fill each half full.
Bake a 375 for 7-10 minutes.
like magic. madelines.

Make Sure You visit A Fanciful Twist to see the whole list of Revellers.

Blog Action Day: Fight Poverty With Pennies

Everyone is thinking a little more about poverty in a more personal way these days.. What with the constant railing on about the global economic crisis and all. Ironically, it will be likely that charities will be hardest hit.
There have been times in my childhood and young adult hood where I was, indeed, below the "poverty line" but truly, I have always had much more than many. Always a roof (occasionally in a dangerous neighborhood), always some food (I'm glad I like potatoes) and always a few leftover pennies.

I am inclined to think that, even with budgets tightening, there is an opportunity to be fully aware of what we have, by giving some away.

In every budget there is some spare change that could be gathered to give the gift of a goat, a flock of chickens, or even a llama, which could really make a huge difference to an entire family.

It might be the richest you've ever felt.

Tutorial Tuesday: Gilded Lace Crowns

These pretty crowns are great for costumes (Halloween princess, anyone?), fairy house decorations, and the tiny ones could be cute tree ornaments. They are deceptively easy to make, and could be a fun project to do with little ones.

Materials:
Lace, modpodge, gold acrylic paint, gold leafing powder.
Tools:
scissors, paintbrushes, wax paper, optional hair dryer

1) Take your lace and make a crown shape.

The laces I used have one flat side. That really helps the structure.
The width of the lace and the pattern will help you determine the size of your crown.

2) Trim lace to size with a 1/2 inch or more overlap, matching pattern.

3) Paint with gold acrylic paint. Be sure to cover all surfaces.
Paint both sides of the lace.Let dry.
You may want to do more coats of gold paint.
I mixed an iridescent gold and a flakier gold for a
deeper look.

4) Place on wax paper.

5) Coat with ModPodge until well saturated.
I recommend you seal with, at least, 3 more coats of Modpodge.
Move it around while its really wet,
to keep the holes in the lace from becoming windows

6) Enhance the color with gold leafing powder
dabbed onto wet Modpodge with dry brush.
You can skip this step, but I really think it makes all the difference.

7) Dry completely flat. A hair dryer can speed the process.
Brush dry crown with a dry brush to remove excess leafing powder.
Peel off of the wax paper.

8) After all of ModPodge dries,
use craft glue to attach the ends of the lace together
to form the crown.

8.5)Pinch ends with fingers until set, wait overnight, until dry.

If this crown will see heavy use,
some stitches on a sewing machine might also be a good idea.

9) Place crown on head and have fun storming the castle.

Made It Myself Monday: 13 means Sushi

Well, the accidentally big blog break at the beginning of the month had a bit to do with the fact that the first half of October is fraught with Birthday's around here.

Saturday, the wunderkind had his 13th. The theme was Sushi featuring Rock Band Karaoke and it was our first official Boy-Girl Party. It was great, the kids came and all the neighbors crashed the party as well. There isn't a scrap of food left in the house.

My main contribution was the cake.

oh yeah, and the birthday boy, but at 13, I guess I still consider him a WIP.

Happy Birthday Kid, I love you more than I could ever say... now, go do your homework.

I really want to say a big thanks to all the folks who stopped by from Today's Creative Blog too.
And to the delightful Kim for her really great article. So Very Kind!!



That was such a wonderful birthday present to get all the lovely feedback on the western shirt.
I just started a Wild Western Shirt Flickr group for all you folks looking to make your own!

I think it will be so fun to see all the variations!

I hope I get my next western shirt cut out today. So many things to sew, so little time.

Oh, and I did make a special 40th Birthday New Vintage Party Dress... Stay tuned. It will be posted as soon as I get that photo shoot done. Which will be after my photographer finishes his homework.

What Turning 40 Looks Like

my sisters

self portrait on public transport

cupcake

cupcake

cupcake

Beautiful Ladies who came out to play

and gifted me with vintage fabric

and dark chocolate espresso caramels.
Thanks so Much !!

And dinner just for grown ups

I had the best time.

I'll get to Portland someday soon.
But this day was fun and sweet, even staying close to home.