Glitter Gore Trophies

Nothing says Halloween like severed body parts and glitter! When I saw this great trophy idea on Dollar Store Crafts, I loved it, and decided to make them for my friend's Halloween party.

One trip to the Dollar Tree later, I had my hands and skull. I also picked up some wooden plaques, glitter, and scrapbooking labels at the craft store, and spray paint and upholstery tacks from the decorating store where I work. I sprayed the body parts and labels first with Fusion spray paint, which sticks really well to plastic, then with a brighter gold spray paint.

While the spray paint dried, I stained the plaques.

Next, I brushed tacky glue on the bloody bits of the hands and sprinked on the red glitter. I did the same with the recesses in the skull and black glitter.

I printed out award designations, taped them inside the label holders, and then affixed them to the plaques with upholstery tacks. When the glue was dry on the body parts, I hot glued them to the bases. 

The perfect award for an awesome costume, like an amazing Edward Scissorhands. 

Of course, because I made the awards, I couldn't take one home, but I rocked as Rosie the Riveter, don't you think?

Don't encourage him

I know I shouldn't indulge my husband in his zombie-ridden apocalypic fantasies, but after he got his Urban Bone Machete, Mark II, he asked me to make him a sign with which to display it.

Commisioned to make a craft project, I'm helpless but to oblige, as evidenced here and here. So I present "In Case of Zombies".

Its a blank pine plaque I bought at AC Moore. I woodburned the lettering, filled in with colored pencil, attacked it with a meat cleaver (the one knife I never use, and didn't feel really bad about mistreating), and distressed it with artists' acrylics mixed with matte medium. Here's an in progress pic. More pics to follow once we get it and the machete up on the wall.

Onesies on the runway

For my sis's baby shower, hubby and I designed some killer stenciled duds.

The most important ingredient: freezer paper.
It makes a super easy fusible stencil material AND keeps your steak from freezer burn. Seriously. Here's a detailed tutorial. Check out this other great set of tuts on stenciling, too.


Second important ingredient, fabric paint. Third, cotton onesies, washed. Now go find yourself some quirky sayings or cute graphic designs on the internet. Or design your own. Print out.


Now trace onto your freezer paper. Cut out the parts that correspond to the black bits. Don't forget to reserve interior details, like the inside of the O's. Use a dry iron set to cotton, iron on your stencils. They'll stick after only a few seconds. Don't forget to iron on those O centers, too.


Now you're ready to paint. Use several light coats instead of one thick one.


Let dry to the touch, then peel off the stencil. Voila! Haute couture à la bébé. Allow to dry overnight and heat seat per your fabric paint's instructions.

I detailed this design with a fabric marker after the pink paint dried.
She's gonna have spunk, style, and spit-up.

Amid piles of gift wrap

My furious whirlwind of crafting and days of joyous giving are past. I gifted nineteen homemade presents this year, and just made the Christmas deadline on a few of them, but it was a fun and rewarding race to the finish. Let's see photos of the last few gifts before I wrapped them up and sent them off their new owners.

A knitted bamboo kimono
for baby on the way

Mother of pearl and fossilized coral necklace
for my grandmother

Sugar body scrub with vintage ice cream spoons
for many lovely ladies

Freshwater pearl and swarovski crystal necklace
for the bride to be

Knitted cotton ballband dishcloths
for Mom

Shell and silver necklace
for Mom to look great while using those dishcloths

And one more that didn't get a photo shoot before gift wrap-

The Crumpet beret, modeled by my beautiful aunt, Paula

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays, and here's to a wonderful and inspiring new year!

Who needs the mall?

Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. I avoided the mall crowds and made some more presents. Ok, I did make a stop to the bead store and the craft store, but didn't have to fight for parking at either. Spoiler alert for my bead store shopping companions, don't scroll down if you want to be surprised on Christmas....

Etched pilsner glasses.

Fluorite and cut glass necklace.

Red tigereye and onyx necklace.