DIY Skully Tee

Cut Out and Keep has this neat, easy skull-shirt  tutorial.

Oooo! Fashionable. :) In a way I can get behind.

Needs: t-shirt, scissors, some idea where to place the holes (I was going to direct you to Chic Steals for this... but that blog seems to be SOL for me. Try this instead).

READY FOR HALLOWEEN DAY 16: Showing off the goodies

Make it now.

Haunting Confections

Not so sweet inspiration. 

 Having fun unwinding to the Cupcake Wars on 

Food Network channel. You might want to check

out some of their crazy good cupcake recipes

for your upcoming Halloween parties. 

Glitter Skull Toothpicks now in ETSY.

Decorative Skull Plates

Decorative skull plates. Amazing decorative skull plates.

And you can make them. They will show you how to if you visit the link!

It's getting to be Halloween -- I just love this time of year, when the craft blogs start to come alive with projects I actually care about!!!

Skull Scarf

Dear Fiends, I wish I could tell you I made this. But alas, no! This fine scarf is one of several eerily wearable pieces made by Crafty Lady Abby.

I love her use of filet crochet to create these spooky, everyday, craveable accessories.

I'm copying the ever-loving fool out of this pattern (I asked first, I promise)! I will be sporting one of these, my friends. Hopefully by Halloween.

:)

Day of the Dead notions holder/wrist bag

Creepy Crochet for crocheters... This is a notions holder. It keeps your yarn and your stuff to make yarn into cool stuff.

Ooo!

Though I guess you could use it as a purse, too. Sweet Satisfaction. Pattern Here.

Dia De Los Wedding

The title of this post makes no damned sense. :)

Who cares? Look at these invites from Royal Steamline. They are so sleek and stylish and (my favorite part) black and white.

So beautiful!

And if you want some further Day of the Dead Hallowedding inspiration, do check out Marcy and Danny's Big Day. I don't know them, but anyone who gets married on Halloween to a skully theme is someone I want to be on a first name basis with.

Cheers, friends!

Critical Path

Only 6 weeks remain until the house is crawling
with miniature rapscallions clamoring for attention.
Six weeks until summer distractions become
priority number one and business plans, schedules
and soon to be fleshed out sketches collect dust
in the corner. It's time to get crackin!

Yummy Skulls with Nutty Brains

I wish I were dedicated enough to make something this badass.

Honestly, you have to see this. You'll never make them, but you'll be begging your kitchen-happy friends to. They are just that cool:

Skull Truffles

One Cupcake is Poisoned

It's cupcake making day!! All day long, I'm making cupcakes.

It's fairly traditional in the south to have a groom's cake. But my groom isn't getting one cake, he's getting about 100 cup-sized cakes. Very, very, very chocolaty cupcakes!! And I made an adorable sign to go on the table:


Sliced my finger making it, but I'm happy with the results.

Now for that icing recipe -- makes an insane amount of icing. Probably twice as much as you need, but I think the original recipe claims 32 servings:

• 2 cups SOFTENED unsalted butter

WHIP IT. WHIP IT GOOD. (on a high setting, with a paddle attachment, until light and fluffy).

• 9 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 ^1/2 cups cocoa powder, unsweetened, sifted (I used about 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder from Hershey's -- yummy)
• 1 tsp (I used a tablespoon) vanilla extract

Beat this in with the butter. A little at a time, if you don't like cleaning cocoa powder off the ceiling.

• 1/2 cup to 1 cup whole milk (as needed for consistency)

The last step is to add the milk in, a little at time, still beating on high until it's the consistency you like. It will harden some in the fridge if you cool it for awhile.

This is an AMAZING recipe, both for taste and for getting good shapes with a piping bag (after cooling in the fridge).

Enjoy!! Happy (almost) Halloween.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! You're running out of time...

...so go make some more! Woman's Day posted this really great doomsday cuckoo clock idea; unfortunately, someone forgot to supply the pattern. Tsk, tsk!

So I made something that might help those who really want to make one - hope it helps:

a printable

Halloween Skull Parade Baton

Rule the holidays in style.
Skull Baton now in Etsy.

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!

Skull Happy Cocktail Apron

40's and 50's housewife fashion is tragically adorable. Sitting at home by myself this past weekend, yards of black and silver skull fabric hanging out in my craft box and no internet to speak of, I was compelled to sew a gothic cocktail apron.

What could be better than spooking-out such a nostalgically happy fashion statement? You just need 1/2 a yard to a full yard of excess fabric (depending how how big and how many pockets you want). Holiday prints are always for sale, even if they aren't always on-sale.

And cocktail aprons=super easy sewing projects. Great for beginners looking to make something neat!

I found my pattern over at pattern bee and adapted the lengths to suit my tastes, but if you don't like the style or despise pockets you could try out this step-by-step tutorial or go to eHow for an entire series of videos. I made the body and trim of my apron from plain black cotton I had lying about, and did the pockets in my silver-skull fabric.

I don't really remember the measurements other than that I cut the apron 26" wide and gathered the top under the waistband to about 20" -- I mostly just cut it to feel, laying it out and testing as I went. The borders/trim/waistband/ties are all about 1 1/2" wide. I cut my waistband and the ties long enough to tie in the back or wrap around and tie comfortably in the front.

Not very precise, I know.

Now I just need to make a vintage dress and tulle petticoat to wear with high heels around the kitchen while baking creepy cupcakes. ;)

Sugar Skull Softies

There isn't a tutorial or anything, but if anyone is interested in sugar skull softies you simply must check this out over at Craftzine or at the creator's blog.

She's all sold out at the moment of this blog posting, but they are sometimes for sale at her etsy shop.

So cute!

Boo!

New Halloween treats available in ETSY!

Chocolate Skull Truffles: The Importance of Good Tools

I talk about the bonechillers icecube trays a lot. I'm constantly freezing little icecubes, and boxing them in tupperware for later use. Never fails to impress people when they come over for mixed drinks.

But the other weekend I made Ghirardelli Sinful Chocolate Truffles (easy-peasy, I'm telling you). I let the chocolate cool to room tempature, poured into my icecube tray, refridgerated and - HUZZAH - sinful chocolate skull truffles.

They were awesome. And melty... don't hold them too long in your hand. The would make FANTASTIC cupcake toppers.

Skull Bath Bomb diy

I wonder what would happen if DIY Bath Bombs met a skull-shaped icecube tray...



Some other bath bomb recipes can be found over at Craftbits. Do you think my bridesmaids would be offended enough if I made them the 'antifungal' version?

Glitter Skull Toothpicks

Wow! Where did the week go? I can't believe
it's already time to posts this weeks
FRIDAY FREEBIE for one FANTASTICAL FOLLOWER.

For your chance to win this bag of Glitter Skull
Toothpicks, click on the FOLLOW link just to the left
of this post before Friday the 20th. If you already
FOLLOW THIS BLOG then you are already entered in the
drawing. I will post the name of the winner tomorrow.

Glitter Skull Table "Numbers"?

WARNING! Carrie Mae is on a Martha Stewart kick. This happens every once in awhile, when I start surfing the 'net for Halloween inspiration only to find that half the exciting, affordable, diy Halloween craft ideas can be found either on her site or BHG.

Obviously the best, most unique ideas are hard-fought finds on obscure blogs, but for sheer volume of "I have got to try that" projects, Martha's site is golden.

Like this little glittered gem. So simple, so cheap, and such a decent idea for table-toppers. I was already thinking about silhouettes as a kind of 'theme' for the wedding, if you can really say we have such a thing, and I plan to use copious amounts of black and silver glitter. I've already resigned myself to the fact that fine glitter, which will look much lovelier than the kiddie craft alternative, is going to be pricey, and Martha has some of the best.

For the table "names" I wanted to use shadow art, like the outline of a raven or witch's hat or skull or bat or ... you get the idea. Either carved out of pumpkins (risky for a party with 20 tables, given the shelf-life of a pumpkin), or something clever like, well, this.

Old frames, some posterboard, glitter and glue -- gosh. I'm enamored of this plan. Help me pick out some more Halloween-friendly silhouette templates!!!