All My Chickens, Week 40, Toile Rooster

I'm out-of-town this week, first in Seattle with family, then to San Diego for a work thing, so this had to be small and portable.

Probably won't finish in a week, but this is what I'll be working on whenever I have some downtime.

The Oreos are watching me

These functional google-eyes are totally edible!
I used double stuffs, and stacked two halves together (which would make them quad-stuffed).

You can get the directions to make your own edible google eyes, stuck into just about any treat, here.

The Twins tell me that they preferred not to eat the gelatin capsule as it's kinda crunchy and doesn't taste like anything. But as it is just a gelatin capsule, you can let your kids munch on these monsters without you having to worry about them eating something they shouldn't.

I found my gelatin capsules at Good Earth, in a huge package of 100 for about $7. The eyeballs are jumbo sprinkles, which you can usually find in the baking stuff at JoAnn or Michaels.

I'm still working on a better, easier way to cut the capsule. I keep thinking that if you softened the capsule slightly in hot water, or maybe used a heated knife or scissors, you might be able to snip it right off instead of cutting up the side and all that. Haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know if it works.

Cookies for Halloween

These are Jack-O-Lantern face parts - see the eyes?

I saw this over on Eighteen 25, and just had to make some!

Instead of putting the pieces in a jar, I used a large clear gift bag. Then I punched a hole near the edge in each plate (one for each kid), and tied the plates onto the bag with the curling ribbon.

She gives you links to her favorite cookie recipe, and her Royal Icing recipe with tons of tips on how to make pretty cookies. I used my own favorite cookie recipe, and, since I fail at Royal Icing every time when I try to make it at home, I bought the Wilton Cookie Icing and tinted it using gel food coloring. (Except for black - that one I bought already colored.) If you've never tried icing your cookies this way, you really should. It's much easier than it looks!

disturbing

On Sunday, as I made my way up to the Roses for pumpkin carving, I was behind this truck on the highway:

Disturbing image, no?

I think it's a deer. Without it's skin. But still whole. From further back, trying to make sense of what it might be, my first thought was giraffe. You know, because of the random colorization there on the legs.

All My Chickens, Week 39, Chick-O-Lantern

And, the last of the Halloween Chicken Trio, this one's dressed up like a Jack-O-Lantern.

(these guys are not exactly the quickest things I've ever made up)

Bees in the Ivy

All My Chickens, Week 38, Count Chickula

Another of the trio I started back in on last week.

(I was holding off so I wouldn't have to post this with the same picture, but haven't taken any more yet, and here it is Thursday.)

This week, it's Count Chickula. Hope I get some work done on him soon, or you're going to think I'm all talk and no cluck.

Halloween Trio

I made these a couple weeks ago, in preparation for a craft night. I sorta copied the idea from some my friend had, for Frankie and the Mummy, but I made up the Pumpkin.
Super easy, and pretty cheap, too. As in, less than $1 for all three. Seriously.

They are made from a 4" piece of 2x4 each, with just a few other bits and pieces: mini spools, painted silver, for Frankie (or you could use some short screws); 1" strips of cheesecloth for the Mummy; plastic spider, 18" twine, and a strip from a brown paper grocery sack for the stem on the Pumpkin.

All the paint is watered down (except the facial features), so it's super-quick to apply and dries really fast. The backs and edges are all done with a very thin black wash, and the fronts get the color.

Frankie's hair was done by painting across the top edge, with fairly thinned black paint, which was then allowed to run down the front until I thought it was far enough down (stand him up, let it run, then flip him over and leave him until it dries). I touched it up with some random brushstrokes in black paint. The face was done free-hand, with a toothpick. A paint pen would work well, too. Glue the spools (or put the screws in) on either side, near the bottom.

Dot the Mummy eyes on the face, near the top and a little to one side, using a toothpick or paint pen. Wrap the Mummy with strips of cheesecloth, and dab on some craft glue that's been watered down, just in a few places, using a paint brush.

For the Pumpkin, cut a 1" strip off the top of a brown paper sack, roll it up, glue the end down, and glue it to the top with tacky glue. When it's dry, wrap the twine from front to back, and back to the front, tie it in a knot, and tweak the ends. Dip each of the spiders legs in glue, and set him on the front. Lay it down until it's dry.

(I would do up a full tutorial, but work is demanding the bulk of my attention these days.)

If you are in the area, and you would like to make some, we are doing these as part of our Terrific Tuesday (most wards would call that Super Saturday, but ours is on Tuesday), on the 18th. Or just let me know, and we'll arrange something.

All My Chickens, Week 37, Long John Chicken

For the next three weeks, I want to focus on a project I got out of a Halloween Tricks & Treats magazine from 1996: three adorable chickens, all dressed up to go Trick-Or-Treating!
The muslin bodies are basically the same, and you just add the appropriate outfit and accessories to make it unique.
Sorry that this isn't something I can link to, but when you see the finished chickens, I think you'll understand why I had to prioritize them and get them done.
You can see from the photo that I've done a little of the work already. And I think I've managed to gather all the necessary materials. I've just got to get this finished!

For lots more Halloween crafts, be sure to check out the BHG Halloween pages. This one either isn't there, or it's buried deep, but there's plenty of fun, quick, and easy ideas for Halloween decorating and more!

Miracle Day

TORCHWOOD is back! (Or, at least, Netflix has finally made the new season available on instant, and I finally noticed.)

John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Kai Owen, and Bill Pullman!
(Not to mention, a host of other special guests, many of them very familiar to American TV viewers, and a bunch of very talented new-to-me people.)

When I discovered there were new episodes, I fully intended to stretch it out over a week or more, watch one episode at a time.
I just couldn't!
I watched the whole season in one sitting.
And got pretty much nothing else done while I did that.
I'd be ashamed, but,

TORCHWOOD!!!

*disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with the BBC or Torchwood.

**please note that, while this is a spin-off of Doctor Who, it is not a show for young viewers or the homo-phobic among you. Captain Jack is who he is, and I think the BBC does a very good job of presenting his character, without being over-the-top or crude. Basically, if seeing two guys, um, together...bothers you, then this may not be the show for you. Even if it is done tastefully. Which it is.

99 skeins of Fun Fur

Clearance at JoAnn

only fifty cents per skein

it seemed wrong not to

Henry's Progress

This is how far I've got with Henry:

The beak is all tweaked funny. It's because I decided that instead of lightly stuffing the beak, which didn't make sense in my head, I'd lightly stuff the wattles. Apparently, that wasn't the best idea. Whatever.

Here's the thing: panels seem like a great idea, but what if they print off-grain? or what about having something with a different texture? I think that's my main complaint with panels: lack of texture.

On the plus side, you could, theoretically, trace or copy the pieces before you sew them up, and then you also have a pattern.
Have I ever really done that? Not so much. But I could. Which is what matters, right?

All My Chickens, Week 36, Henrietta!

The companion piece to last week, another printed panel:

Same deal here. I cut it out back when I bought the thing, and then never sewed even one stitch.