Bye, bye Bat King

She made me an offer I couldn't refuse...
The Grungy Bat King will be ruling the roost
in his new Southern California castle. Another
Plumpkin will be up for adoption tomorrow
evening on eBay.

Happy weekend to all as we say farewell to May!

all-new scenes of zombie mayhem

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. My son's book of choice to accompany him on a school trip. Nice to see him taking an interest in the classics.

But it will have to come highly recommended indeed to persuade me to read it.

I find Jane Austen tedious. With or without zombies.

But it is fun to look at the pictures. "A delightful comedy of manners. Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights . . . and thousands of rotting corpses."

Art on the Darkside Challenge: Puppeteer

This week's Art on the Darkside Challenge: Puppeteer.

I am more of an automatonophobe than you can possibly imagine. I even got a little spooked watching the dragon/demon/thing in a recent post of ShellHawk's.

So I had to sweeten the challenge with a little bit of a beautiful icon. Something I could make dark, without scaring myself. Also... I just couldn't bring myself to keep making her look like a deaddoll/puppet. Partly because it was hard, and mostly because of how much dolls weird me out.

Meh. Not my best photoshopping work, but she does look kind of cute like that.

Fly away home

The spell has been cast and I am bewitched.
Thank you all for your comments and inquiries.
More Lil Witches coming soon.

Fitted and Fabulous - the Corset Saga

A most wonderful friend is building my dress (haven't we talked about that yet? Only in white?), and today she brought in the corset!

I've been snapped in, tugged and fitted. It's amazing! Lovely and comfortable. She used the most excellent light blue fabric with cream colored stripes for it - not that anyone will see - and it's going to be incredible. She mentioned one adjustment she wanted to make to reinforce the back, and she was waiting to do the edging until we'd fit it but ... dude. That woman is amazing and I am getting more excited about this outfit bit the day.

Did I ever post a picture of the underwear she's made for it? ...I really need to do that.

Every day I get more excited. :)

ghosts of halloween past

Torn from the family archives . . .

Well, not exactly torn, but in my attempt to complete the numerous incomplete projects around the house, I've been working at updating scrapbooks. And I can't simply update them without taking time to look through them. Which may explain why so many projects remain unfinished.

While updating one of the scrapbooks of my son's life and times, I found this drawing. Expressing an early love of Halloween. With a definite affinity for grim reapers brandishing sickles.

Make-up: Are you in LA?

If you find yourself in L.A. in June, there is a competition at IMATS (International Make-up Artists Trade Show) and the Fantasy/Beauty theme is gothic make-up.

I'm not 100% positive, but I think that the trade show is actually open to the public.

My real interest is to see if they update their site with photos of the competition entries sometime in July/August. There might be some fantastic ideas for wedding face paint. :)

So. Painfully. Like. Life.

damage control

It didn't feel windy. That day last fall when I very carefully, or so I believed, added a final coat of black spray paint to my graveyard fence. It was so still in fact, that I abandoned my usual practice of spray painting in the backyard and moved the final stage of this project to the deck. That was my first mistake. But I was careful. Diligently protecting the deck. Waiting until the air felt perfectly calm.

Nevertheless, when I turned around, filled with the satisfaction of a completed project, there they were. Paint splatters. Tiny but numerous. On the back of the house and, most prominently, on the back door. My immediate response was a panicked attempt to wipe the paint off. Unsuccessful. Next, I tried an abrasive scrubbing pad. No good. What to do?



And it was vital that the paint splatters be removed before being noticed by any family members. Otherwise, I'd never hear the end of it. For the remainder of my days, every time I picked up a can of spray paint, I would have to endure a re-telling of my misfortune. A cautionary tale for the ages. This had to be avoided.

So I quietly entered the house, remembering to appear "casual" if anyone should walk in, and gathered some rags, a bucket, and a product which had been sitting under the sink and which boldly promised to clean almost any stain. Almost.

Then, in desperation, I grabbed a bottle of turpentine from the shed and tried that. Nothing. At this point, I considered the possibility of doing a commercial for this particular brand of spray paint. Because once it attached itself to something, it clearly wasn't going anywhere. I briefly wondered how much such a commercial might pay; enough to have the house professionally painted?

Then, I realized something. It was mid-October. Summer was over. I was now the only person still spending time on the deck. The cat and I. Maybe I didn't have to do anything right away. And so the paint splatters went ignored and thankfully unnoticed throughout the remaining fall and winter months. Periodically, I found myself hoping the cold might freeze them off. Or perhaps the blowing snow and freezing rain might deliver a sand-blasting effect to the back of my house. But no.

The warmth arrived and the paint splatters were still there. Any day now I might be sharing the deck with others, and while they are not the most observant group of people, they might actually notice black paint on blue and grey. The time had come to act. Luckily, my winter sand-blasting fantasies had given me an idea. The next best thing to sand-blasting: sandpaper.

It was one of the few times I've been happy that most homes on the East Coast are made of plastic. Or more accurately, vinyl. The sandpaper worked brilliantly on the vinyl siding. Sure, if you look closely, there are some scratches. But if no one noticed black paint, they're not likely to notice those. I was thrilled. Apparently, hibernating on the problem over the winter had paid off.

But not entirely. The sandpaper that had worked so well on vinyl was a total failure on a steel door. There was only one solution remaining. More paint. If you can't clean it, conceal it. Off to the basement. To the land of leftover paint.

There I found the black paint I had used when my son wanted his room painted black. I carried it up into the light of day, and several brush strokes later, the splattered paint had "disappeared". There is truly nothing like black paint for covering up more black paint.

I'm feeling quite pleased with myself. I wonder if anyone would notice if I painted jack-o-lanterns along the bottom.

House Guests

All work and no play makes Melissa a
happy gal! Last week was one of those rare and
gloriously productive weeks where I was able to
make serious headway on the multitude of munch kins
that have been inhabiting my studio in various stages
of completion. After a few more final touches, I will
be posting one on eBay, one in etsy and the rest will be
added to the inventory of whimsical creatures that
will be accompanying me to my upcoming Fall show.
Wishing you all a week of creative abundance!

Free Cape Pattern @ Fitzpatterns

Thanks to Take Charge of Your Wardrobe, I finally see the possibilities of this cape from Fitzpatterns. Every other time I've been to their page of free patterns I have overlooked it.

It's free -- just go through the steps to 'purchase' and make note of the fact that the charge for the medium pattern is $0.00. They send it to you digitally.

This will be so cute with a skull-patterned lining.

pumpkins' progress

They're alive!!

The first pumpkin plants have emerged from the soil. On their way to sincerity.

Shallow Sounds

I'm feeling shallow today. Easily annoyed about trivial things. Like being invisible.

My fiance introduced me to the string quartet years ago; a perfect balance between my strange taste in pop bands and love of stringed instruments. I have a lust for cello and violin.

Isn't it pretty?

It's all over my internets today.

Lots Going On in There... Brain Maps

Check out these awesome brain map illustrations.

Aren't they fantastic? I have to figure out some way to use them in Halloween decor; at the moment I'm simply too tired to think. This week is draining the life out of me!

If I had a brain map done right now, it would read:

"WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWorkWorkWorkWork
WorkWork"

Work.

long week's journey

Once again, those intrepid souls at Canada Post have successfully completed their mission. Sort of. Delivering a package from Quebec to Nova Scotia, across the vast province of New Brunswick, would take time. I knew that. So I waited. And I waited. And I waited. And when it seemed like I'd been waiting a ridiculously long time, I tracked the package.

Imagine my surprise. It seems it hadn't taken it that long to arrive after all. It was here. They just hadn't bothered to tell me. Kudos on another job well done.

And thank you Pumpkin Brain for your contribution to my small but expanding collection of Halloween-themed beer label art. They'll fit in beautifully.

Fun in the Making

Fun in the Making has got to be one of the best names I've ever heard for a crafty blog.

Check out her Halloween category. Not a ton of Halloweeny posts, but the X-Ray decor ideas are SO CUTE!

Chipboard Hanger - Free Broom Rides

(**Please click on picture to see the details close-up!**)

yard sale season

First yard sale finds of the season. A collection of old weathered lanterns that will have a new home on the front porch in October. They were scattered amongst a pile of metal and plastic in the back of an open trailer on someone's lawn. She said they were things her father had collected over a lifetime. I wonder if he's aware that his daughter is selling off his memories for a dollar apiece.

This Takes The Cake!

So - take a pretty, average wedding cake (see picture below):And replace those pink flowers with this adorable little creature:

And I think we might have a winning plan for a wedding cake.

Also, I think this is the first blog I've posted that my Mom has read. She's standing over me right now reading this. Weird.

Mom, don't take this too literally. No final decisions have been made tonight. ;-) Love you!

(additionally, she didn't realize my smiley face was winking -- so much to learn about the internets)

good old-fashioned plastic

I'll admit it. As a child, my Halloween costumes of choice were the ones with the cheap plastic masks and flimsy suits. After all, why put thought and effort into creating a unique costume when one could be purchased that looked exactly like the character you were attempting to become. Exactly. Why you could even assume the identity of your favourite television character.


Like Steve Austin. Or perhaps his evil overweight twin brother.




You could become Morticia Addams. After an especially hard day.

Or maybe one of the Brady Bunch. It doesn't matter which one. Your choice.

Why not go a step further and disguise yourself as a real celebrity. Like Ali the Vulcan.

Or amaze your friends and neighbours with an uncanny likeness to a teen singing sensation.

I used to wonder why the those outfits always displayed the picture and the name of the costume's identity. Now I think I understand.

Source

*sharp inhale of breath* MOUSTACHES!!!

There was a time when I referred to Martha Stewart only as "The Devil."

I mean really, what woman can live up to her ridiculous standards? And who would want to, for gosh sakes?

But now I think of her only as "that clever devil." Her website *dramatic pause* has provided me *another pause * with MOUSTACHIOS!!!

(you can't see it, but I'm doing a jolly little jig)

Moustaches on sticks. I think I need to provide some of these along with extra masks at the wedding, don't you?

Tiny Witch

This is one of my favorite Halloween stamps by Tin Can Mail...

favourite ghost stories: prince's lodge

In honour of Victoria Day, a ghost story with a connection, admittedly indirect and tenuous, to Queen Victoria herself. Sort of a "six degrees of separation" ghost story.


This domed building, once a music room, is the only structure remaining of the 18th century estate known as Prince's Lodge. The prince in question was Edward, Duke of Kent and 4th son of King George the Third. As the 4th son, there was little chance of his ever acquiring the throne, so he was permitted to roam the world in search of adventure and purpose. Not needed in England, he was encouraged to make himself useful elsewhere. One such "elsewhere" was Halifax, where he spent several years in the 1790's as Commander of the British Armed Forces here and, by all accounts, straightened out the seedy little town.

But he didn't come alone. He was accompanied by his girlfriend of many years, Julie St. Laurent, and they lived on a newly renovated estate overlooking Bedford Basin, and soon to be dubbed Prince's Lodge. In his personal life, Edward was a hopeless romantic: he designed meandering footpaths on the grounds of the estate that spelled out the name "Julie" and he oversaw the creation of a small heart-shaped pond nearby.


In his professional life, however, he couldn't have been less romantic. He was strict, uncompromising and priggish. He was fond of rigid discipline for himself and he expected no less from the men under his command.

And that brings us to the ghost story. Although Edward entertained lavishly on the grounds of his estate, he expected his guests to adhere to his strict code of behaviour. No drinking. No gambling. No behaviour of any kind that he perceived as a moral shortcoming. One summer afternoon in 1796, Edward and Julie were hosting a large card party on the estate lawn. And as sometimes occurs at large parties, two guests, Colonel Ogilvie and Captain Howard, got involved in a heated argument. Tempers rose to the point that the matter could apparently be settled only through a duel. Swords were drawn. Howard killed Ogilvie but was also mortally wounded and died soon after.

When Edward learned of the incident, he was incensed. Someone had neglected to remind the two men that duelling was high on the prince's list of unacceptable behaviours. He ordered the unfortunate pair buried in unmarked graves precisely where they had fallen, and stripped of all military honours. And that was the end of it.


But years later, long after the estate had been abandoned and had fallen into disrepair and the railroad was being cut through the property, two skeletons were uncovered. Their graves unknowingly disturbed, Ogilvie and Howard naturally rose and resumed their battle. From that point on, as the fog drifts in off Bedford Basin, people have been certain they could see two men, swords raised, duelling in the shadow of the old music rotunda at Prince's Lodge.

And what of Edward and Julie? They left Halifax in 1800 and several years later, against all odds, it appeared that Edward's three elder brothers would die without surviving children and it was now up to him to marry a princess and provide a legitimate heir. So, since romance doesn't keep the monarchy afloat, he said farewell to poor Julie, returned to England, married a German princess and provided the country with its longest reigning queen: Victoria.

don't want to see things again

Maybe someone will ask me to take this down. But I don't care.

I'm sad today and it speaks to me:

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.

Moooooooooooo Lamp

My friend Joe would really hate this lamp. I think he's genuinely terrified of being abducted by aliens.

I, however, think it's hilarious.

From Dollar Store Crafts we have this incredible Alien Abduction Lamp How-to.

I keep telling myself that I'll do an alien-themed Halloween party some year. :) This would be a quirky addition.

Cartoon Skeletons

Think they would fire me if I printed these out and put them up around my cubicle?

Check out more sketches from Michael Paulus here, and Hyungkoo Lee's 3D ones here.

corked

Back when I created a collection of ornaments for my shiny new Halloween tree, I intended it to be the first of several. But as with many of my projects, those good intentions ended up on a back burner. Then up on a shelf. Then in the back of a dark, dusty, cobwebbed closet.

But one day, as I was finishing off a bottle of wine, the cork beckoned to me. "Halloween tree ornament," it whispered. Perhaps it was the wine talking. I prefer to believe it was the cork.

And indeed, it was the perfect size for a tree ornament. So out came the paint, and it was transformed into a wine-cork-o-lantern.

Another bottle of wine; another cork-o-lantern. Another bottle of wine; another cork-o-lantern . . . You get the idea.



Two thoughts come to mind. The smell of burning cork is not among my favourites. And I seriously need to reduce my wine consumption.

Halloween Panorama

Check out this fantastic Halloween Panorama!

It's delightful. :)

[UPDATE] - this has nothing to do with the post, I just didn't want to create a new one -- FINALLY! ACHIEVEMENT! WORK-RELATED VICTORY! We finally got in a session with the voice actor we needed today, and so far all has gone well. :) :) :) Such a huge relief, I cannot tell you how happy I am.

a walk in the park

Another bright sunshine-y day. And another wonderful day to be unemployed. Another benefit: the opportunity to attend more of my children's school functions during the day. And so it was that I was able to enjoy the warm sunshine on the Common while watching my daughter's softball tournament. Punctuated of course, by breaks for latte and ice cream and a walk through the public gardens.



Where I noticed an abundance of orange flowers . . .

. . . but nothing even approaching black. Hopefully the city landscaping staff is working to correct this imbalance.

Mortals Beware

**Stamps by Stampfrancisco and Oxford Impressions

Halloween Wedding Music

Several years ago, before my husband-to-be did goodness-knows-what to our computer bookmarks, I had found a brilliant streaming radio program from NPR that was nothing but Classical Music fit for Halloween. It was brilliant, it was amazing, it was perfect. And now that I *really need it* to plan my wedding playlist I can't find it to save my life.

So that sucked, but I'm moving onward and upward in my quest for brilliant Hallowedding music. I'm already considering phonograph recordings as the ambient music before the ceremony (so beautifully creepy).

But we're open to suggestions in the process, and that one chick has recently gotten me thinking about appropriate music for a Halloween wedding. TIME FOR THE RESULTS OF MY RESEARCH!

Associated Content has a great article on Sophisticated Halloween Music. Go there for full details, but here are the highlights I found appropriate:

• Witchcraft - Frank Sinatra or Nancy Wilson
• Bewitched - Peggy Lee
• Spooky - David Sanborn (umm... I personally prefer the Classic IV version of this song)
  
• This Masquerade - David Sanborn
• I Put a Spell on You - Queen Latifah
• Sing You Sinners - Tony Bennett and John Legend (romantic? maybe not, but lots of fun)
  
• That Old Black Magic - Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Voodoo - The Neville Brothers (not my style, personally, but the lyrics are cute)
  
• Theme from Bewitched - The Hit Crew
• Halloween - Donald Rubenstein

Also from the AC: Songs with a Blues Theme, Songs with a Witch Theme, Songs with a Devil Theme. Then there are the 50 Pieces of Classical Music for Halloween. Some stand-out pieces:

• Bach, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (which we all know an love)
• Chopin's Funeral March
• DeFalla, Dance of Terror
• Liszt, Mephisto Waltz No. 1
• Mozart, Requiem in D minor

Umm... okay. I got distracted. There is a John Williams' piece on that list. It made me giggle.

Anyway, About.com has even more Classical Music for Halloween. And then some more. And then some more again (though much of it is also on the AC link above). And then some Classics for Halloween from the movies.

If this is all too much classical for you to sift through, there is also a page with some instrumental soundtrack summaries to be found here. Looks like mostly tracks from movies/tv. Or you could take a suggestion from Naxos on good Halloween listening (they are a classical music label).

Finally, still haven't found my NPR streaming music for Halloween, but they do have a list of classical music selections for the season.

...Now. If you want my advice for a truly beautiful, haunting sound to your wedding that floats ghostly quiet in the background of your event, I like dark violin ... try Paul Mercer. Here's his myspace music page.

Finally (PREPARE TO LOVE ME FOREVER if you want Popular Music or something weird, say, Marilyn Manson but are wanting to set a more elegant, wedding-appropriate tone): THE STRING QUARTET. Also on Last FM. (Gothic Wedding Collection, anyone?)

ATC - Witch Hollow

**Vintage images by Kelly Burton's Collagevision: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5945339

bright sunshine-y day

One of the positive things about being temporarily unemployed is being able to spend a beautiful Wednesday afternoon sitting on my deck in the warm sunshine, enjoying a glass of wine, listening to the latest installment of Hauntcast, and watching the plants grow. And my reliable Goldflame Spirea can always be counted on to deliver intense October colour in the middle of May.

Blogger to Die For: SheWalksSoftly.com

There are many fantastic blogs on my reading list that you'll get a taste of in the coming months, but the top article when I wrote this post and our first winner of Blogger to Die For Award is Dana of SheWalksSoftly:

Awarded to Dana, May 2009 From She Walks Softly

What You'll Find There... Art of all kinds, unusual themes and strange vintage items to gawk at
This Blogger... is a woman of strong visual sensibilities that I deeply admire
You Should Check It Out If... you like the elegant, the macabre, and a little bit of humor all rolled up into one amazing package

Like most blogs I read regularly, I don't remember how I found this one; I won't bore you with details I can't recall. No one wants to hear me make stuff up.

What I do know is that every time this blog is updated I find myself inspired. The amazing imagery she shares is always stunning and diverse. The posts are often image-heavy (which I love, love, love!) and the text perfectly digestible.

It's a visual treat over there.

I recommend... clicking on "candy coated nightmares" in her tag cloud. (bonus points for finding Robbie Rabbit there)


The Blogger to Die For award is picked using a method for organized randomness (i.e. their blog is in my reading list, and they are the most recent poster when I draft this thing each month) because I can't pick favorites in any kind of order - the next blogger to die for winner will be announced on June 13th