Spell book pages are now available  here! It is FREE FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY We just added a much needed Witch's Spell Book to our Halloween decor. It was  in the family for years  found at a thrift store but it started out with a slightly different look: It was a Reader's Digest hardcover that someone had made into a wedding, ahem, gift or prop? The pages were already curled and sealed; all I needed to do was remove the silk cord, paint it, and add the spells and ink. Holy glue gun Batman! I needed a rest after finally getting that silk cord out of there. Painting it was a breeze by comparison. I have a bit more blending to do on the pages, but we love the result. I decided on a Frog to Prince and All Purpose Potion  and used 1/2" black elastic for the ribbon because that's what I had on hand. Total cost: $2.99; the landfill was saved and a bride somewhere was spared. Just in case someone flips it over... I have a plan t......

My favourite Halloween craft this fall is this witch silhouette of our daughter. I was so excited to find the perfect frame (at the perfect price) at my favourite thrift store that I totally forgot to take a photo before I got out the spray paint. It is some kind of moulded foam and the opening is 11x14. I prefer the digital 'no cut' silhouette method. No matter how careful I am with the scissors I always make a 'whoops' and the person ends up looking not quite right. After extracting Macy from the photo I added a clip art witch hat and the spider (Tangie Baxter, Hallow's Eve).  The background paper is from Michelle Coleman , recoloured.  I gave the image a slight bevel and printed on my beloved Cannon i9900. Total cost was only the $2.00 for the frame as I had the photo paper and digital bits already. I filled in the silhouette a bit with Photo Shop in this shot as it is impossible to get a photo in my kitchen without reflections. *Note to self: clear c......

It is year three for our Paranormal Portraits and I look forward to them every fall. Set up was a breeze after last years improvements. Click  here  for instructions and the link to the source. One of Martha Stewart's crow cut-outs pulls the creepiness together. The not so attractive side. This is a little time-consuming and fiddly, but so much fun to have your own family in a spooky Halloween display. I think it's definitely worth the trouble! Thank you for stopping by! Linking up to:  Funky Junk Donna's  Saturday Night Special and Gingerbread's  Sweet Saturday !...

Miss M and I have been happily working on our 2011 Halloween mantle. We started with my very first auction purchase, circa 1979 -- the 400 pound desk drawer. Back then I cleaned it up, stained it walnut, and it hung in a couple of kitchens and craft rooms over the years. We just painted it Meeting House white, gave it a scuff, and it is now home to our Halloween apothecary jars and bits. **Please try to ignore the Canadian Tire sconces. They came with the house (as did the green tile fireplace) and they are on our long list of items to replace. So, just squint and pretend they aren't there. That's what I do. I love  The Grapics Fairy's  goodies. The skull and bat are from her site. The 'Pure Canadian Garden Gnome Heads' label was my creation last year. I was so happy to find fake earthworms at Walmart this year!  The label can be found here . Our jar is now complete and topped with vintage crocheted lace made by my great grandmother. I wond......

Miss M and I have so much fun adding to our Halloween apothecary jar collection. When your assistant and chief advisor is nine years old not every jar has to be scary. We used a $1.00 jar from the dollar store and made the label with help from  The Graphics Fairy  of course (blank label and pumpkin). I was going for a pumpkin silhouette but Macy insisted on a coloured vintage pumpkin and I think she was right. We filled the jar with the cute little putka pods (from Michaels, with a coupon). One 3.8oz pkg will easily fill 4 jars. Our jars are almost 6" tall including the lid and I did make the label a bit smaller so that more pumpkin would show through. Update! My new for you 2017 updated Fairy Pumpkins label is available free  here. My free printable labels are FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY PLEASE   © If you would like to make your own jar of Fairy Pumpkins please feel free to use our label (for personal use only please). Just click to enlarge for bes......