Absence

I haven't touched this blog in months. I apologize for the lack of updates and review of last Halloween.

Less than 2 weeks after Halloween, I lost my husband. His passing was sudden and unexpected and plunged me into a grief I could never have imagined. I'm beginning to emerge and hope to blog again soon.

Amy

© 2010 Haunted Yard

Nibbles

I whipped up some finger cookies and brains last night to snack on this weekend. Yum! The smoked salmon dip recipe was the perfect color and consistency to pipe into a creepy, yummy brain.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween everyone!

© 2009 Haunted Yard

A Few Creepy Links

...to get you in the haunting spirit.

Famous Ossuaries - I'm fascinated by the Sedlec Ossuary "Bone Church" and the chandelier of bones.

6 Creepiest Places on Earth - Sedlec Ossuary makes another appearance here!

Catacombs, Crypts and Cemeteries -Anyone else making travel plans?

America's Most Haunted Places - I don't believe in the supernatural/paranormal, but I love a good ghost story!

Mütter Museum

Turn of the Century Photos - Not exactly "creepy" but wouldn't some of these photos look great in old frames as Halloween decorations?

38 Facts about Frankenstein -By far my favorite movie to watch every Halloween. Don't miss 5 Days of Frankenstein from James Lileks beginning here.

10 Things Your Body Can Do After You Die

© 2009 Haunted Yard

Coffin Purse

The question I am asked most often during the month of October is, "Where did you get your coffin purse?" When I answer that I made it, the second most asked question is "How?" So, I've put together a quick tutorial to make a coffin purse.

Items you'll need to make the purse are*: foam craft board, fabric (I used a faux leather because it is durable and the cut edges won't fray), a ruler, pencil, craft glue, craft knife and purse accessories. I ordered hinges, clasps and the handle from Light'n Up.

To start, I traced out the shape of the coffin in the size I wanted on the foam board. I drew a rectangle 7 inches by 11 inches. Starting from the upper left corner, I measured down 1.25 inches and to the right 3 inches. I made the same measurements from the bottom left corner. From the top right corner, I measured down 1.5 inches and measured up 1.5 inches from the bottom right corner.

Then, I just connected my measured marks to create the shape of the coffin. Repeat to create the lid for the purse.*

With a sharp craft knife and a straight edge, I carefully cut out the shapes. To make the sides of the purse, I measured the lengths of each side and cut out pieces 3 inches high for the base and 1/2 inch for the lid. With a bead of glue I attached the sides and secured them with duct tape.

Next, I traced the coffin on to my fabric. I measured perpendicular to each corner of the box and traced a rectangle large enough to cover the outside and inside of the box. I did this for both the bottom and the lid and cut the fabric with sharp scissors.

Using craft glue, I glued the the fabric to the box and covered the bottom of the box with a piece of fabric cut to size.

I attached the handle and clasp and then attached the lid to with the box with hinges. Since the screws are so small and the craft board is softer than the wood they were meant for, I reinforced them with glue.

In hindsight, I am not really happy with the fabric I chose for this project. It had a bit of elasticity that caused some buckling and wrinkling when I glued it. I might re-do this purse with some different fabric.

*cats not necessary to complete this project.

© 2009 Haunted Yard

Interesting Halloween Cocktail

I recently heard about a seasonal ale-based cocktail I thought sounded interesting. Simply add a shot of vanilla vodka to a pumpkin ale and serve in a glass rimmed with brown sugar. In my case, I chose Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale from Blue Moon. My verdict? Well, I'm not a beer fan, so the brown sugar was my favorite part. That's not to say I found it terrible, and it's definitely a great way to use the remaining 5 bottles. I did put my Nosferatu beer glasses to good use.

© 2009 Haunted Yard

Packing Tape Transfer

I stumbled upon this tutorial for packing tape transfer votive holders. I love this idea and couldn't wait to try it out myself. I followed the directions by printing some images from The Graphics Fairy with a laser printer. Then, I covered the image with a piece of packing tape making sure to rub the image well with a burnishing tool (a craft stick or your fingernail will work too). Then, I soaked the image in warm water until the paper rubbed off easily. Finally, I just slapped it on my glass holders. I love the way they turned out! I can think of a million uses for this technique.

© 2009 Haunted Yard

Halloween Cards

Some people mail out Christmas cards to their family and friends. I mail Halloween cards. Here are a few I made this year.

© 2009 Haunted Yard

Catzillas

...destroy Halloween Village.

© 2009 Haunted Yard

Halloween Costume - Last Minute Change

Every year, my boss throws a Halloween costume party. I usually have a few year's worth of costume ideas floating around in the back of my mind and I usually always make or assemble our costume. We rarely do couple's costumes but last year I thought it would be fun to dress as Homer and Marge Simpson. I've been purchasing little things here and there to make the costumes and nearly had everything ready when my husband tells me last night he'd rather go as a different cartoon dad.

*sigh*

So, plans were scrapped and new costumes were ordered last night with rush shipping since the party is a little over a week away. It's the first time in a long time I'm not making my costume, but that's OK. I plan to add a few little things to make it my own.

For those who have the time and skill, these homemade costumes are great. I might have to steal the Death Becomes Her costume for next year.

In keeping with the costume theme, here's an adorable picture of my husband and his sister as the devil and angel. Some things never change.

© 2009 Haunted Yard

Lost my Halloween Spirit

This very un-fall-like weather we've been having is really getting me down. With snow on the ground for a week and daytime temps barely getting above 30 and nighttime temps in the single digits, my Halloween spirit has sure been in the dumps. I've only been able to light up my yard twice since I set up. I'm just going to have to light some fall-scented candles, sneak down into the craft dungeon and take advantage of some indoor time to get some Halloween crafts in the bag.
© 2009 Haunted Yard

New Face for Boris

After 8 years of enduring fall weather in Wyoming, my Boris the Butler prop was showing some major wear and tear. It was time to replace the old, worn out face with something new.

Old Boris

New Boris

I love the new Boris, although I will miss the old face.

© 2009 Haunted Yard

Haunt your Page!

A few weeks ago someone asked me if I had a button for my blog so she could link to me. I finally figured it out and made one! You can haunt your page with the button to the right. If you link to me, let me know so I can return the favor!


© 2009 Haunted Yard

Finally October!

Ok, so I'm a few days late in welcoming October. I spent Friday night and all day Saturday hauling, sorting, fixing, painting and setting-up the yard to avoid the big snow storm in the forecast. Luckily, I was able to get everything set up before the rain yesterday turned to big white flakes. I have to admit, the yard looks kind of cool covered in white.

© 2009 Haunted Yard

More Halloween Jewelry

I've listed sme more Halloween jewelry in my Etsy shop.

Garnet and Sterling Silver Skull Earrings

Gemstone Dangle Earrings in Halloween Colors

Wishbone Earrings in Halloween Colors

Smiling Halloween Skull Necklace

© 2009 Haunted Yard