Goblins and things that go bump in the night

We survived another Halloween...190 little goblins, witches, vampires, zombies, princesses, knights, ghosts, Frankensteins and other scary things that go bump in the night!

There were some fabulous store bought costumes and some equally fantastic homemade ones too. I always like to see the homemade costumes as there is so much creativity in them! Some had scars and injuries as part of their look and the level of makeup skills to produce those scars was fantastic.

This year had an equal number of older kids...some as old as 16 or 17. My policy has always been that if you have the courage to ring the doorbell, you get a chocolate bar, regardless of your age. I do prefer a costume, but still give if they do not have one.

Sadly, for the first time ever, I had a few huge groups of teens that were a wee bit pushy. They demanded a certain type of chocolate bar, they pushed each about while on my porch, and there was a lot of profanity. A few times during the evening there was a group 50 or 60 of swearing, shouting, pushing teenagers loitering on the street just outside my house or the houses to each side of me. They were pushing in and out of my front garden beds and even throwing firecrackers at  my neighbour's car.

I got very brave and decided to sit on my front steps and pretend I was just sitting there handing out my candy. It took about 15 minutes but they eventually noticed me and moved a wee bit down the street. Cars could not get by them and it was quite disconcerning. Eventually they headed home after a police car came by. Ironically they were from the posh, multi-million dollar homes about a block and a half below my street. I could hear them telling the police officer where they lived and she asked them why they weren't loitering on their own street!!!

I took a couple of pictures of my Halloween decorations this year. I usually do much more but was a bit late getting organized with it this year so kept it to a minimum. I was very happy with the googly eyed lights that lined the sidewalk from the driveway up tot he house. Little Mr P called them Eball lights last year...He loved them!

There was a very tiny graveyard this year...usually there are a few more tombstones...

I put a few things up on the front porch...

The bench on the other side of the door seemed to be a bit of a morgue...

There were a few hanging things too...

I did walk down the driveway to take a picture of the whole scene,,,but my camera battery died!

I usually decorate all around the door frame and put up some big 6 foot spiderwebs with HUGE spiders...but was a bit stingy with the decorations this year...just ran out of time.

Hope you enjoyed your Halloween!

All Hallows

I'm back with Little Mr P's card.

He is such a typical boy. He loves scaring people, popping out from hidden places to say Booo! and having fun on Halloween. He like bats and spiders and rustling leaves, so hopefully will enjoy this card.
He will be dressed up as Darth Vader when he opens this card. Tomorrow will be dress up day for him at Kindergarten as well.

I managed to use another piece of that ancient VOS paper for the background of his card too. I matted it with a snippet of black card stock again, roughed it up with the blade of my scissors,  and adhered that to another corrugated cardboard square card.

I had a tree die cut in my stash. I had rolled it off at the local scrapbook store. They have a great selection of accucut dies that you can use for free. Thought I would use the tree on his card as he so enjoys walking through the crunchy leaves on the sidewalks on our morning walks up to the school. They always notice their surroundings and he has remarked about how many trees are completely bare now, when we walk up to school.

Another piece of the bargain ribbon, another Pink Paisley Twilight rectangle matted with black card and then I tucked the tree die cut overtop.  I only had to add a couple more MME Wicked Merchant Malvado embellishments and I was nearly done. The "piece de resistance" is the Jolees Silhouettes Spider in the frame.  Little Mr P loved the spiders my daughter put on the porch this year. He gets me to go out on the porch every morning since his Mum decorated, to ohh and ahhh over them!

Here is a close up of the Joleees Spider. He is going to love running his finger over the domed resin!

Here is a peek at the inside...

Think this is a world first for me...two cards in one day. Off to watch some British TV with DH before that 5:30 am alarm rings.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Ribbon Carousel Challenge - must use spooled ribbon, theme Fall and Halloween
3. Sparkles Monthly Challenge - Halloween or colours orange, purple and black #49
4. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
5. MFP Friends of Speedy TV - Halloween

Spooky Greetings

Spooky greetings to you all!

It is so very close to Halloween and I still did not have my Halloween cards made for Little Miss C and Little Mr P!

Once we got back home from walking them to school this morning, I set off to my craft room and got this one finished up...this will be for Little Miss C as she loves animals. She will be dressed up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz when she opens this tomorrow! It is dress up costume day at school tomorrow.

I am continuing along in my campaign to use up VOS (very old supplies) and managed to find a snippet of paper that is at least 10 years old. It was originally part of an 8 1/2 x 11 Provo craft Pathways, Heartland paper stack that someone gave me for a present. It has papers that would have been considered old school, even ten years ago. So it was shoved into the dark recesses of the paper cupboards, languishing all these years.

I tore a bit and scuffed up the edges, inked it with purple chalk ink and matted it with a snippet of black card stock. I distressed the edges of that as well. Once that was affixed to my square corrugated kraft card, I added a K and Co carved pumpkin.

I stumbled across a 25 cent per yard/metre ribbon sale at my local scrapbook store. I picked up a few metres of assorted ribbons...the Halloween word ribbon I placed under the pumpkin, was one of them.
Not bad, eh? I have been trying so hard to add ribbon to my cards and usually struggle to find a place that it will look good. If you are not in the habit of using it, it can be hard at first to think of where to incorporate it into the design!

I added another snippet of black card under the Pink Paisley Twilight rectangle and popped a circular MME Wicked Merchant Maldavo 3D sticker element over the top right of it.  I stuck 2 layers of black card behind the top half of the circle, and then trimmed it so it did not show. This way the sticker sticks perfectly level as half sits on the sentiment rectangle and half does not.

A little snippet of three MME Wicked Merchant Maldavo banners and I was done. Another one of my faster cards...perhaps I am on a roll.

Here is a closeup of that K and Co pumpkin...the inside of the mouth is heavily glittered...it makes the little mouse show up so well!

I kept the inside fairly simple.

Off to put up the front porch and front garden Halloween decorations and then I will settle back downstairs in my craft room till my second card is completed...see ya later!

This card is entered in the following challenges:

1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Ribbon Carousel Challenge - must use spooled item, Halloween or Fall
3. Sparkles Monthly Challenge - Halloween or colours orange, purple and black
4. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes
5. MFP Friends of Speedy TV - Halloween