It's Halloween and No Cricut?? No Problem!

I think everyone in blog land has a cricut machine, or some other die cutting machine that does the vinyl also. While I would love to have one to play with, I just don't know how much I would use one. I wanted to create some Halloween plates that simply had a vinyl black cat on it. So I did it my way!

I assembled my supplies.


Found a Black Cat Graphic on the internet and printed it off


Cut roughly around the black cat graphic and cut two pieces of clear contact paper a little larger than the cat.

I applied mod podge to the back of the graphic and placed it on top of one of the contact paper pieces. Put it on the clear contact paper side, not the paper backing.


Then I peeled the back off the other piece of contact paper and slowly covered the cat with the contact paper.

I waited for the mod podge to dry, about an hour. Then cut around the shape. I didn't bother cutting out the whiskers. I wanted the cat really black, so I painted over the shape and allowed it to dry. I forgot to take a picture of that.

Aren't they Cute!


Then I added some google eyes. Much better!


Then I just peeled the back and stuck them to my plates. I stuck a ribbon bow at the top with rolled up tape.


The best thing is, I can change these out with the season!

Be back soon!

Jessie's Witch Project & Great Thrift Finds

I have been trying to get this post done for awhile. I have been really busy with Jessie's Birthday, Mom & Sister's weekend and an October 15th deadline for individual tax returns.

This was a Halloween project that I was going to do, but Jessie took over when I screwed up on the painting. I bought this flat sided fish bowl (at Goodwill of course) and I wanted to paint the inside, I made a mess of it and that is when Jessie took over.

She painted the outside with glass paint, which was so much easier. That was when she claimed the project as hers. She did the rest.

I purchased the witch headband at the thrift store and a big bag of yarn with the black and gray yarn in it to add to the hat. She added wiggle eyes. I made some clay that you bake to harden. Jessie made the shape of the nose, wart, mouth and tooth. After baking she painted them and attached it to the bowl with glue. I put a strand of 50 Christmas lights inside to illuminate her.

And here she is:)................


So Cute!! She now sits in our Bake Center. I removed the little lamp that you can see sitting behind her.

My great thrift finds??? You know that bag of yarn I bought for the witch hair? Well I sold the rest of the bag in 2 separate auctions on ebay for a total of $28.00!!! I didn't realize it but this bag had some Tilli Tomas silk yarn in it. That doesn't mean anything to me except it made me some money. I had no idea who Tilli Tomas was before, but now I will look for her at the thrift stores!

I had the HP56 toner cartridge on my shopping list for a couple of weeks. I wanted to use a gift card I had at Office Depot. I just couldn't seem to make it over there, it wasn't on my usual driving route. One day I stopped in at the little thrift store down the road from my 2nd job and guess what was waiting there for me???

Just the cartridges my printer takes! Two twin packs packaged in a plastic bag for $4.99!! That is about a $95.00 savings!!! Yahoo!!!

I was beginning to feel real lucky, until Hubby's office computer crashed and then my laptop at home crashed two days later! Do you think I can find those at the thrift store??

Be back soon!

Pottery Barn Knock Off - Galvanized Metal 3-Tier Stand

Pottery Barn image found here.

I have loved this galvanized Metal 3 Tier Stand for over a year!!! Pottery Barn you rock! The buffet in my dining room has a galvanized top, so this belongs in there!! This is something I wanted to keep on my informal dining room all the time and change the display with the seasons. Unfortunately I didn't like the dimensions of this stand. It would be too tall and too wide to use for a centerpiece on my dining room table.

I thrifted two silver trays and I was ready to go! I collaborated on this with hubby, who told me to get a threaded rod from the lamp department at Home Depot. He didn't like my idea of just using glue and a dowel. Something about structural support etc, etc..... So he measured and drilled, and drilled, and drilled some more. He used some pvc pipe to increase the diameter of the center post and added a top ring with something he found in our "Parts Bucket" Here it is before painting.

Here it is after spray painting with a hammered galvanized spray paint.

Not quite the finish I wanted!

So I did a little faux finishing and sealed it with a matte sealer. I threw on some of the fall decorations that I had stored in my buffet and a crow I had purchased at the dollar store. Those crows go fast at the dollar store. Do not attempt to find one in October when you are in the mood to decorate for Halloween.

I love the way it turned out!

I still need to accessorize it. I really want a candle on the top tier. I want to put some candy corn in the bottom pumpkin dish and maybe some other type of snack wrapped with that gorgeous orange polka dot ribbon Pottery Barn used! I think I have some some in my sewing room.


The best thing about my Pottery Barn Knock Off is my bottom tier is a ball bearing swivel plate (carousel or turntable)! The worst thing - I love the knob at the top of the Pottery Barn version. I really want a knob at the top of mine. I may make a second version of this..................who knows when of if.......

Be back soon! Jessie has been crafting!

Halloween Wrap Up

Well, the big day is over. We went to my sister's in Atlanta, so I could see some trick-or-treater's. She usually has about 3oo of them. This year there were only about 150. It was cold and had rained almost all day. Maybe the weather kept people from coming out.

We had 3 stations set up on the porch. My sister's friend always comes over because she doesn't get any at her house either. They started coming early. It wasn't even dusk yet.

This was our first trick-or-treater. (My sister's neighbor with her grandson)

and a picture of kids heading our way.

No more pictures after that. It got pretty hectic. I loved seeing all the kids dressed up! The costume award went to a mother who dressed her 3 kids from the show "The Adam's family". She did a fantastic job with their makeup and outfits.

I did manage to get a picture of Jessie and my niece Lauren before they took off.

Jessie is Minnie Mouse. This was last years costume.

My daughter Amber took a picture of her in the Detectives costume I made. Click on the picture to see it in detail. (oops that doesn't work on this picture) She wore it to work on Friday.

Looks Great! Don't you think? I think I want this back!

I had a great time in Atlanta, it's too bad next year Halloween will be on a Sunday.

Now I have to get busy on the Goldilock's costume for Jessie's play.

Be back soon!

Happy Halloween!

Some of my favorite Halloween pictures:

I wish I hadn't put these jars in the Halloween basket. I really liked them! But at least I have the picture!


Just love my Boo sign!

I took this picture on my back porch and I kinda like the fuzziness of it! Not to mention it hides the fact my porch needs cleaning! When I have time, it's raining. When it's not raining, I am busy!

I hope everyone has a great Halloween!

Be back soon!

Completed Projects

I finished some projects this weekend. Remember the "Young Detectives" costume my daughter Amber wanted. This was in the new Martha Stewart Halloween magazine. Well here is the cape.......

This turned out really nice! In fact I'm thinking I need one too. With different fabric of course. Here is a closeup of the fabric.

Here is the cap.

The dog coat is pretty small, but I didn't have much fabric left. I bought the amount the Martha Stewart magazine suggested, unfortunately I forgot that I was making a larger size adult cape. Duh!


Max didn't want to co-operate for the picture taking. He didn't seem to mind wearing the cape though. It was shipped by Priority Mail today - should be there just in time for Halloween! She better email me a picture with her wearing it!

I finished my project from two years ago, that I found in the closet. Orange felt circles were stitched around the edge

and faux fall leaves hot glued on.


It became a placemat for Thanksgiving or any fall inspired event.

I'm not sure I'm loving it. I like it, but it may be better as a hot pad in the center of the table. Sometimes I have to live with things for awhile before I decide it I really like it.

Be back soon!

Detectives Costume

I am working on the Young Detectives Costume for my daughter Amber. It of course will be for a not so young person.LOL!!! This is in the Martha Stewart Halloween magazine. I found some hats at Walmart marked down to $1.00 for two. Unfortunately they were white. I bathed them in Rit Dye and that is the beginning of the hat.

The beginnings of the hat. This looks like a pretty simple costume. I hope to be through by the weekend, and in the mail it will go!

Looking better, but I need to take my steamer to them. That's what I get for leaving them in the dryer too long!

Hopefully it will end up looking something like this:

Here's another picture:

Ohh................She wants one for her dog Matlock too!

Be back soon!

Surprise Visit and I need Nyquil!

We had a surprise visit on Saturday evening from our daughter Amber. She lives in Virginia and she showed up on our front porch Saturday evening. Her husband and her were unexpectedly in town for a funeral.

She decided to surprise her little sister Jessie and celebrate her birthday. (Jessie's birthday was on Monday)


She put candles in a slice of cheesecake and sang to her! She came bearing gifts too! After the gifts were opened the two of them went shopping for Jessie's "Neon Dance" coming up soon.

Soo cute! I can't believe how quick they put together this outfit! I would still be wandering around the mall! I am definately not a mall person.

Then they played with glitter eye makeup! Ugh! I will be finding this in my kitchen for Years!

Thanks Amber, for making a little girl's 14th birthday even more special! She loved it and I loved seeing my girl's together, giggling, laughing and having a great time!

I gave Amber some Halloween goodies for her office. A pennant to hang in her office cubicle and one for home.

A "BOO" sign. I had made two of them.


She loved the fact that it could be used year round. HUH? I forgot that Amber and her husband call each other "Boo".

A Halloween decorated candy jar and hand sanitizer.

We'll see if it actually makes it to her office!

I have a bad cold and I am out of Nyquil and Dayquil. I am totally unprepared for the winter season!

Be back soon!

A Quick Halloween Project

I bought this package of black glittery "Boo"letters from Halloween about a month ago at Joann's.


They were in the $1.00 bins right at the front checkouts. It came with a black ribbon to hang it up with.

I have seen this project all over blogland, for every season, so I copied! I had a frame already. I am sure it was from some project I never got to. I had some scrap paper left over from another project. That's all I needed, besides a glue stick and glue dots.

The black border around the edge was actually divided into 3 sections, I just cut off the dividers.
I wish the photographer could have captured the glittery "Boo" letters, and not gotten a picture with glare on the glass. I think it's time to look for a new photographer!

That's the start of my Halloween decorating. Hopefully, I will get a lot done this weekend!

I sat it on the mantle and the photographer, again, took a bad picture!

So simple, so cute and so easy!

Be back soon!

Working on:

You see this pile of fabric scraps?

They are from making my "Vintage Inspired" fabric pennants. A little at a time...............

It's amazing how much work you can get done in a car while waiting on your daughter to finish her activities! I just have to add the ties to these. Maybe I can get that done tomorrow and take a better picture!

Be back soon!

My Daughter Amber Was Right! Finished Halloween Basket!

She left me a comment saying something like this about my Halloween Auction Basket:

"There is no way in Halloween ALL that stuff is going to fit in one basket!"

She is so smart! She was right! I thought the only thing I would have to wrap separately would be my spice rack. No such luck! I ended up with three packages to wrap.

I came back from Mom and Sisters extended weekend on Tuesday and got busy in every spare moment! I really didn't think there was that much left to do. It took me much longer to get everything done than I thought it would! You know the saying, "If it can go wrong, it will!" That's how it went! But it is done and I am satisfied except for the wrapping. It was late last night and I was too tired to fool with my bows or the wrapping.

Here is a picture of the napkin rings I did to go with the napkins and table runner.


A picture of a few other jars I did besides the ones in the spice rack.

Yes that is a rock on my counter! It is one of three I took from my sister's lake house in Cheboygon, Michigan. Love those Michigan rocks!

This is the first package, two crates and a cauldron.



Some of the pictures are pretty bad. The bag over them made it hard to photograph and I was sooooo tired!

Here is the completed spice rack. No pictures with the crow and the lights on it.

Jessie did the shrink wrapping on them and she decided to add some extra bugs to the front of it. I liked that idea!

Here are my pictures of the basket. I wish they were better!

You can't really see what the heck is in there but it looked neat!

The wrapping was another story. I couldn't find a bag big enough to fit it. This was the jumbo size bag and I tried setting it inside the bag and it ripped. Then I decided to just put it over the top of the basket and put a ribbon on the bottom part. I also taped the bottom.

I also included two of the Halloween banner/pennants I made in addition to the other things I posted about.

I am glad it is done and delivered. I just hope someone bids on it! I am always so shy about my work. I always have this dreaded feeling that my basket will be the only one without a bid on it!

Keep your fingers crossed!

Be back soon!