Oh dear, it's a Needlefelted deer

Here's a little stop motion video I put together for this dear deer. Sorry the resolution is so low

 

"Mercury Glass" Spooktacular Halloween Votives

Here's a fun project for Halloween. For How-To instructions, click here.

Halloween Apothecary Centerpiece - Facci Designs

Be the Ghostess with the Mostess this Hallow's Eve.

Apothecary jars and bottles, especially around Halloween, always seem to conjour up creepy 18th century pharmacists in the back concocting their potions, liniments and elixers. So to get into the spirit of Halloween, I created this wicked and spooktacular centerpiece with my custom Apothecary printables.

Facci Designs Halloween Apothecary Labels

download PDF here

I used my own vintage collection of bottles but you can use bottles and jars you have in your kitchen or bathroom - try to find all sorts of heights and shapes for a more dramatic effect. You could also purchase several kinds of bottles online. Below is a list of sites for bottles and the supplies you’ll need.

specialtybottle.com; factorydirectcraft.com; ebay.com; save-on-crafts.com; amazon.com

Supplies:
• Apothecary bottles and jars
• Printable Halloween labels
• Netting
• Mirror tray or tile
• Moss
• Candles
• Halloween polyester webbing or cotton balls
• Halloween blood
• Decorative paper bats
• Facci Designs Needle felted mice (optional)

I placed the netting on the table and secured part of it to the wall behind the centerpiece. I grouped the bottles on a mirror to create a ghoulish glow when the candles are lit. I added some moss and Halloween Polyester Cobwebs I purchased but you can make your own, with cotton balls or even a glue gun! (google it).

I printed my labels on an Avery White Full-Sheet Label but you could print on regular paper, trim and glue to your bottles. Don’t always center the label on the bottle, place some on the top, bottom or angle them a bit to make them look more authentic.

I used Shabbat candles since they are smaller and more narrow than your average candle. Once everything was set up, I dripped some Halloween blood onto the candles and even some of the labels. (Don’t worry if you get a fingerprint on them, it makes it look even creepier.) I then adhered some paper bats.

Please note: when using real candles, please be cautious of the flame and keep the webbing away from the lit candles.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Book

It’s been a tradition for almost nine years now to carve pumpkins for my friend’s kids. I may not see or talk to my friend as often as I’d like, but every October we have a standing date to create some Halloween fun. I let the kids design the pumpkin and then I carve it.

Since her sons usually have some difficulty coming up with a face idea for their jack-o’-lantern, this year I put together a fun booklet they can flip through to get more than 100 different face ideas. I’d like to share it with you … enjoy!

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Pumpkin page templates (you’ll need Adobe Reader to open)
• Cardstock
• Printer
• Ruler
• X-acto knife or scissors
• Hole punch
• Ribbon

WHAT YOU DO:
Step 1: Print each page of the pumpkin templates on cardstock. You’ll have 14 individual cards, including front and back cover. (Again, you’ll need Adobe Reader to open)
Step 2: Trim out each card with scissors or an X-acto knife:

 

Step 3: Starting at black edge, cut each card — excluding the front and back cover — along dotted lines:

 Step 4: Punch three holes along the edge of each card, including the front and back cover:

 

Step 5: Turn each card over and score lightly with an X-acto blade, 5/8″ from the edge of hole-punched side. (This will help the booklet  flip better.) Be sure to not cut all the way through! Fold flap towards front:

 

Step 6: Stack all cards together (no particular order is necessary). Thread ribbon through top and bottom holes, as shown:

 

Step 8: Place ribbon, as shown, and tie a knot or bow:

 

Step 9: Flip through your booklet, separating each piece to create more than 100 different pumpkin faces!

 

Step 10: Happy pumpkin carving!

 

 

 

 

Martha Stewart Weddings Feature

I'm so excited to have my Heart Felt Love Story stop motion videos featured on the home page of www.marthastewartweddings.com. You can view the story and videos here.

"A Heart Felt Love Story" Stop Motion Video

 

This is #29 in a series of stop motion videos I created with my needle felted mice.You can view them all here

Lindy & Geno get married!

 

Geno and Lindy on the set.