How to make a mini Halloween countdown calendar - with printable

Well hello there. As part of my run up to Halloween (and revealing my finished Cabinet of Curiosities) today I'm bringing you another easy little craft that is kinda cute.

Since my project is primarily meant to be a countdown calendar, there really has to be some kind of number/time element... somewhere. Considering there are a limited amount of shelves/drawers it couldn't work like a advent calendar with opening doors/drawers.

I thought about clocks or dials but really I wanted something that would fit under that little bell jar and, well, I like paper. Hence the actual calendar idea. The pages turn over the top and I've added enough numbers to count down from 99, but 31 will probably suffice. It's only about 7cm tall (2.5in).

I'm sharing it as a printable if you want to have a go at making your own teeny tiny calendar, click on the image at the bottom of this post and right click to save a nice big print resolution version. It's still for personal use only though. Just for fun, guys.


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How to make creepy old photographs

For a while now I've been wondering why anyone would want the Tim Holtz Found Relatives cards. It seemed really weird to me that you would make something with photographs of people you don't know. Then as I worked on my Halloween Project I realised I was going to need some pictures. Not just photos, but old spooky ones. So I set to and made some that are a bit creepier than the Tim Holtz set, but I do get what they are for now. It's part of getting that feel right.

Here is how I made my old and weird photographs for my halloween project though this might be useful for all kinds of stuff.

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Halloween Project - making a start

I get that this does not look very Halloween-y. This is my plan for the inside of the Cabinet of Curiosities. I've used washi tape (surprise surprise) to hold all the shelves up and the blocks at the bottom will all be individual drawers. 

Obviously by the time it's finished it will look a bit more spooky-victorian and a tad less Ikea. I've been getting inspired by these awesome works of Assemblage.

You'll have to wait and see how it turns out!

Halloween Project

This year for Halloween I want to make a countdown calendar. Like an advent calendar but, you guessed it - until the 31st of October. I (laughably) thought I might be able to have it done by the first of October. No chance. But it shall be complete by Halloween my pretties and hopefully come out each October hence. Bwa hahaha hahah.

Back in the real world. I have looked at a myriad of options for advent calendars - windows, pockets doors and drawers and I want everything. My fascination with boxes of things goes way back. The only thing I like more than paper is boxes. Boxes with drawers are even better.

I love love love these in my makeshift studio space:

The point is,  I'm going to create a 'Halloween Cabinet of Curiosities Countdown'. A box with drawers and shelves and more boxes and jars. I've got no idea how it's going to work but it's going to be awesome.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! Are you doing anything fun this year? I'm quite pleased that Halloween has fallen on a Friday this year. It means that we can give out sweets to Trick or Treat-ers and watch 'Halloween' like usual, and then go to a party on Saturday night. Best of both worlds!

On top of that, today is just perfect weather. The last couple of years it has absolutely chucked it down and even if kids are happy to tramp about in the rain, their parents are not!

Onwards.
Check out my pumpkin design for this year:

It's based on one in the film Trick 'r' treat.

Bonus - his and hers:

Have fun out there - whatever you are! bwhahahahhh hahha

Happy (belated) Halloween

Eugh.

I pretty much missed Halloween this year due to being poorly. Not happy.

My Husband went to a horror film festival and still had time to do this creepy/cute pumpkin.

I decided I really really really wanted to make those 'broken glass' cupcakes that were on Martha Stewart's site last year. But I was still not feeling fantastic and they turned out less than great. I'm not awesome at making cake anyway but they ended up looking gruesome. Not a-bit-creepy-ooo-it's-halloween-gruesome, actually gross.

The main issue is the 'glass'. It's made from a very light caramel, poured on to a tray and then broken up. Unfortunately I used a non-stick mat with has a slight texture. It ended up making the glass look frosty and dirty and like it was found in a back alley somewhere ...

Anyway. I'm looking forward to Christmas now. So let's just forget about this whole episode and move on.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone. This year we did his 'n' her's pumpkins. What do you think? Mine is the 'Other Pumpkin'. If you listen carefully you can hear it whispering, "Stay with us in the the Other World where it's Halloween everyday". Mr Fiancé said it was too cute. I actually think it's kinda creepy to have buttons for eyes... and how can anything be 'too cute'?

Maniac nurse costume

I hope you all had a spook-tacular Halloween! Ours was very special and the trick-or-treaters we had all looked amazing in their costumes!

Last year I dressed up as a spooky broken doll and the year before that I was evil Alice so this year I decided to change it up a bit and be... a brutal maniac nurse covered in blood.

I put it together pretty quickly, in just a few hours, so it's not lined or anything. I used the pattern from my coat so I could wear it over my clothes and to get that double breasted look.
The blood splatters are on separate patches and tacked on so it can easier get more or less bloody.

What were you for halloween?

Happy Halloween!

One of my favourite holidays is upon us and I felt compelled to make a spooky costume to greet our trick-or-treaters.
Pictures tomorrow!

Mwaah hahah hhah ha!

Halloween 2 and false eyelashes

Okay, as promised here is a picture of the dress I reworked for my halloween outfit. I think its much nicer this way.
(Plus here's a picture of me modeling it - bet you wondered what I looked like huh? well there you go, all big hair and teeth.)
I wore it with the black blouse/socks to the gig we went to and with the white blouse/socks for my living/dead (whats more scary?) doll look.
I did my hair really big and curly with a black bow and for my make-up I did dark eyes with red liner and wore false eyelashes.
I'd never used them before and they were fantastic! Actually thats why I ended up just being a doll not a broken one, I didn't want to hide them or squish one side with my eye patch. I really recommend trying them if you never have!

Halloween Butchery

Happy Halloween!

With very little time and even less spare cash to put together an outfit for halloween I've resorted to butchering one of my previous projects. Remember this dress? Well I've never actually worn it since I finished it. The square neckline never really suited me and the sleeves were not quite right.


So I've made it into a jumperskirt by removing the sleeves and the ribbons. I've also made it into a rounded neckline. It was quite easy to do as the dress was fully lined so I could sew the edges of the sleeve to the lining to finish it neatly.


I'm going to go as a broken doll to the party I'm going to. I know its not very creative but I think it'll be fun. I get to wear full lolita, totally over the top make-up and an eye patch and no-one will look twice. Heaven!