Happy Halloween!!

This year we are carving our very own pumpkins, from our allotment!!!!  Luke went to pick them up from the greenhouse this morning where they have been resting since being picked.  One was a little bit bigger than the other but they were both a perfect size for carving.

Rachael decided to carve hers on the front and the back which was a great idea as we put them in the window for the trick or treaters to see and don't get the benefit of all the hard word ourselves.  So the first one is the scary side...

...followed by the friendly side that is winking at you!

This is Luke...pretending to be happy at having to pose with a pumpkin at the age of 13.  That is his 'are you seriously making me do this mum?  What on earth...' look.  He actually did all his own carving this year with me holding the pumpkin steady and praying that I would still have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs left at the end of it!

The finished pumpkins (look who crept in Jo!)  The little pumpkins are the top of a cheap set of lights we have bought for outside this year - they had to be cheap as we are taking bets as to whether they will get stolen or not!

I found this brilliant decorating idea too, but I can't remember where it was.  Below is a photo of what we are putting down the other side of the garden path for the trick or treaters...these scary eyes.  They are SO easy to make.  It is just a couple of toilet roll middles with eyes cut out on one side and a glow stick put in the middle of it.  The kids really got into making them and there are some really good shaped eyes on some of the others.  (These ones were just a practice run to see what they were like!)

So...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Look at these!

Recently Linda of Stitching with my Furbabies introduced me to a new blog Pickle Barrels Designs.  Nancy was having a lovely giveaway where she was offering either a set of Christmas charts or Halloween charts to a follower and someone they introduced.  Me and Linda were lucky enough to win. Well actually, for some totally bizarre reason we were the only 2 people who entered.  I can only assume there was a total internet blackout directly after we entered until the closing date :)

As Linda introduced me, she got first dibs and chose the Christmas designs.  I therefore got Halloween and they are gorgeous.  There was also the Sullivan's threads required, some fabric and the cutest EVER halloween bag.  Look at these charts, aren't they lovely?

Thank you Nancy for offering such a lovely giveaway.  I would highly recommend a visit, so click on the link above and have a look.

And in other news...I have done a little bit on Papillon Creations Around the World.  This is part 8 (I think).

The second part of Positive Thinking has been released, so I have made a start on that too.  I have done a little more than it looks here as tonight I have stitched 2 more words.

Belated Halloween photos

Luke was invited to a Halloween party at a friend's house and wanted to go as a skeleton.  Here he is.

His hair was white face paints mixed with ordinary styling gel which worked quite well.  He went trick or treating at the end of the party and came home like a bedraggled rat with his hair slicked to his head as it was raining cats and dogs.

Rachael initially was only going to have her nails painted.  I spent ages painting little ghosties on them for her, trying to get different faces for each which was difficult.  Finally she was convinced to put her old costume on to scare and trick or treaters away...lol.

Perhaps she overdid the fake blood a bit?  Trick or treaters were really disappointing this year.  We only had 5 groups come round whereas in previous years we have run out of sweets as it was so busy.  We sat and watched The Corpse Bride whilst Luke was out as he wouldn't have liked it.  

And finally...here are this years pumpkins.  Luke's is the one with the teeth joined (top), Rachael's has the teeth staggered (bottom).

Halloween exchange

I have heard that my halloween exchange arrived safely, so here is what I stitched for it. It is the Brittercup Designs ornie from Just Cross Stitch Halloween issue 2008. I left off the heart in the end. It was fun to stitch but was actually the first time I had stitched a whole design over 1. I would still like to do this one for myself sometime too.

Rachael went back to school today. She is still complaining of earache but is much better in herself and has finished the antibiotics. Hopefully the earache will keep clearing and not get worse again!

I'm still stitching the needlebook for the exchange so can't show that. Well actually I say still stitching, I found one that I liked even better so I have started stitching that for my exchange partner instead. Summer in Sussex is comming on great and hopefully I will be ready to begin construction by the end of the week. I will take some photos tomorrow when there is decent light and post my progress.

Halloween update

Better late than never I suppose!!

Luke had a party at Beavers on Friday - officially known as a Monster Ball so no parents were upset at us celebrating Halloween, yes, really!

I said I would do some of the food for the party so Colin and I were cooking and preparing all morning. The picutres are of the cakes and biscuits we made between us. Below are the oranges I carved like pumpkins and filled with jelly.

Luke was a devil and Rachael was a vampiress.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my Trick or Treat Fairy. She is currently hanging on a wall until I can decide on the frame for her. I am toying with the idea of adding some spiders and bats to her but can't decide.
I have finished a couple of small projects in the last few days. Both of them were on my WIP/UFO list so I am really pleased. Firstly there was a blackwork butterfly and today I finished an ornament for an exchange.

A little bit of everything!!

Crikey, it is ages since I updated my blog. I have had my mum staying with us for a few days so I haven't been on the computer much. It was lovely to have her here as with one thing and another we haven't seen each other for about 3 years or so. My Auntie Angie, mum's twin sister, looked after Dudley so that mum could come up. He has Alzheimer's among other medical problems and it was too much trouble for his son or DIL to have him. The children were absolutely thrilled to bits to have her here and Luke in particular howled like a baby when we saw her onto the train on Tuesday. We didn't do a lot whilst mum was here but it was nice just to chill and catch up on news.

Rachael was taking her gold challenge in swimming this week. She had to -

• plunge dive and swim 100m using 2 strokes in 2 and a half minutes
• tread water for 3 minutes with her hands above her head
• sculling head first and feet first with a 360 tucked turn
• 10m swim, forward somersault, 10m swim
• 800m swim using 3 strokes, minimum of 200m on each, in less than 25 minutes
• exit from the deep end without assistance

SHE PASSED!!! WELL DONE RACHAEL

I received my fall/halloween exchange from Jackie a while ago but I had to wait until the 27th to open it. The package she sent me is fabulous with loads of lovely goodies and some beautiful choccies. I feel very spoiled indeed. I got my first ever scissors keep too which is gorgeous and won't just be kept for Halloween. Thank you Jackie. (There was a cute little halloween teddy too but Rachael has decided she wanted it.)

I have been emailing my partner to see if mine has arrived with her yet, but there has been no contact at all from her. I sent 2 packets as I couldn't get it all in one and I would have thought they should be there by now. Below is a photo of the ornament I made her. I was going to save it until it arrived but as I don't know if I will ever find out it arrived I thought I would post it now instead.

I also received my Fancy Fibres exchange from Lindsay. I didn't know that Kreinik made silk threads. They feel gorgeous and I have been playing with them all day. There were also 2 Threadworx threads which I have already used to cord an ornament I was finishing. The other thread is a Thread Gatherer thread which I haven't tried before either and feels gorgeous. The blue colour is wonderful too. Thank you Lindsay!!



Colin carved our halloween pumpkin today. It's just a basic one because we have 2 more to do with the children tomorrow. Mum bought the children a decorating kit for their pumpkins. It's a bit like Mr Potato Head for pumpkins so it should be fun tomorrow.