Shivers of Delight

From makezine.com Do you need to keep your hands busy while you're watching scary Halloween movies? Here are some ideas for creating what I'd call Skull Flakes out of paper. I've collected the images from a variety of blogs and hope you'll find something fun to make. I think I could even make a few of these for the office. These are easy enough for everyone to do. I can't find this source on this one, but it's seems simple. From Apartment Therapy These would look great hanging too. Chez Beeper Babe These are made from you name! Limited instructions here .

Just in time for Halloween and more importantly, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), comes the animated movie The Book of Life . I'm really excited to see this movie. It is directed by Jorge Gutierrez and produced by Guillermo del Toro who has brought us such fantastic movies as Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy. This story is a timeless one about a young man's decision to follow his family's expectations or follow his heart (I think we all know how that will go) but the most interesting part of this movie is that the characters go to the underworld and deal with death in a positive way. I also like the fact that Disney was planning a similar movie and they beat them to the punch. Do you know that Disney tried to copyright Dia de los Muertos?? For shame. The movie opens in theaters October 17th. Hear an interview with Gutierrez and del Toro on NPR about how the film came to be.

I like to hang a few ghosts around our house at Halloween. It makes the real ones feel welcome. One year, I drew some ghosts on old wrapping paper for a pattern and then cut them out of a polyester chiffon fabric that magically doesn't fray. I think you could also use a featherweight interfacing. Using white thread I hang them from the ceiling. I also made a few tiny ghosts that are captured in jars. I love how they look in the house. The beads hanging from the ceiling are part of this year's New Orleans After Dark party theme.

Emily Stoneking, the genius behind aKNITomy , is just too damn clever. Her knitted dissections are a simply perfect idea. Stoneking explains that she is "interested in using cuddly materials (like cozy knitting) to create objects that many people are usually squeamish about." I can relate to that. There are a variety of animals to choose from in her shop. Besides frogs, there are mice, pigs, earthworms, and bats. Yes, a bat! Patterns to make these lovely creatures are also available. I'm not that skilled or I would have opted for one long ago. Some of the dissections are mounted on actual lab trays. The question that always comes to mind is, why are kids still doing real dissections in class? Surely there is an app for that.

I almost forgot to check in at ModCloth to see what they were offering during this delightful Halloween season. I was not disappointed. Please forgive me while I post some of my favorites. This is just the tip of the iceberg! There is an entire selection of Halloween items, but also search on "skull" and "skeleton" because even more items appear. It's like the search button is magic. There are wonderful accessories for the home as well. These would make lovely hostess gifts if you're attending a party this month. Well, any month really, in my book. If you've shopped at ModCloth before you know they run out of sizes quickly. Don't delay!

For the past nine Halloweens, my husband and I have decorated the front of our house with flames that we cut from plywood and then painted. They move around a little each year, but basically they are the center of attention and everyone loves them. The flames are so well-known that all we have to say to in-towners is that we live in the house with the flames. People know it immediately. So, this year, I thought maybe everyone was getting a little tired of the Halloween flames. I thought we could give them a rest this year by going with a Halloween crow theme. You already got a peek at the Gentleman Crow a week or so back. I added crows everywhere (thanks Dollar General) including swinging from branches hung by ribbon and resting on branches in an urn. I was happy with the overall look. That is until a neighbor stopped me yesterday and said "Where are the flames? Everyone loves the flames!" I know what we'll be doing next weekend....

I'm finding the problem with this blog for me is that when I start gushing about some of my favorite Halloween artists I remember why I love them and then I have to purchase something new from them. This inexpensive little hobby is becoming expensive. Never mind that, have you seen these adorably spooky figures from Monnie Wilson on Etsy? She is from Manitowoc, WI and has created several Halloween themed figures this year. Right now, I'm loving Black Pepper (left). Here are some more of my favorites. Did you buy something new for your Halloween collection this year? Check out Wilson's shop . Gus the Pumpkin Man I love that the mummy is made from a band-aid box! Epsom Salt is just too cute.