The Witches' Caldron

Happy Post Halloween

2007-11-01T09:35:00.001-05:00

Hey all you witches!
Just wanted to wish everyone a belated Halloween.
Hope everyone had a spooktacular night filled with tons of candies and hopefully very few tummy aches.

Elizabeth and I also wanted to thank everyone profusely for making the Bubble, Bubble, Swap and Trouble such a huge success. We had so much fun seeing all the wonderful handmade items and meeting so many wonderful crafters in the process.
You can see a lot of the projects on the flickr group too (post your own as well!!).

We are officially making this an annual event, so be sure to check for it next year!

Also, we hope that everyone has received all their wonderful goodies safe and sound.
If anyone has any problems reaching their partners or have not received their packages, please email me (sooner than later) and I will see what I can do.
spazzgirl555 at yahoo dot com
No promises.
But, we hope that everyone has "treated" their partners and we will have a 100% flaker free perfect swap.

Again...THANK YOU and see all you witches next year and on the (spider) web!

Simone (and Elizabeth)

Flickr Group!!

2007-10-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Hey all you lucky witches who already got some fa-boo-lous (yes, I had to) packages from your partners....Why not give us all a sneak peek!!?

I have set up a Flickr Group...Bubble, Bubble, Swap and Trouble so that everyone can share what they made and what they received. It will be a great reference too for anyone who is looking to make treats for neighbors, friends, family, co-workers.

So don't be shy...come on! I want to see the goods.
Get posting!

Xtreme Pumpkins!!

2007-10-12T10:11:00.000-05:00

I am a fan of all things Xtreme, especially when it is spelled omitting the first E, like it makes it that much more!

Well, I have not bought any pumpkins for the house yet, but we are getting ready to head out to the pumpkin patch (yep, we really go out to the patch and pick the pumpkin right from the vine) and get our orange global treasures.

Granted we buy a couple at the real patch then head down the road where the pumpkins are already picked for ya and get a couple cheaper pumpkins down there, the markup on self-picked pumpkins is ridiculous. I am doing all the work afterall.

In the meantime, we are deciding what we will carve into them.

It's a big decision.

We always try to make our better than any others (at least on our block) and definitely unique.

A couple years ago we carved out characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, those were definitely unique.

Well, if you are like we are and want some really unique and Xtreme pumpkin carving ideas, you should head over to ExtremePumpkins.com.

(they are super Xtreme even though they opt to use the 'e')

They have contest winners pumpkins from previous years and this one, this one and this one are awesome.

They also have Design ideas, Carving Tips and tons of How-To Advice.

And if you need more ideas or want to see more pumpkins, there is also The Pumpkin Patch flickr group that has some great ideas as well.

Get carving!

Halloween Carnival

2007-10-01T17:47:00.000-05:00

There are a whole bunch of crafty Halloween ideas over at Craft Critique!
Be sure to check out their carnival for tons of great links and ideas.

Halloween Carnival

Just the Treats - Part 2

2007-10-01T16:56:00.001-05:00

Now that October is officially here, we can get in full swing with our projects
These little mini shopping bags are perfect when you wanna give a little extra to the classmates or neighbors.

They are very simple and work with any thick paper or cardstock.
Here are the dimensions and scoring marks.
You cut your paper or cardstock to 8.5 x 5.5
Then score on 1", 4", 5", and 8".
Then score at 1" for the bottom.

Just the Treats - Part 1

2007-09-28T00:11:00.000-05:00

Hey you witches!!
Simone here.
Hope everyone has been in contact with your partners, at least leave a nice comment on their blogs woulda ya...everybody needs blogger encouragement, right?

Well, today I am starting a series I like to call, Just the Treats.
Yes, you could run out to your local shop and buy many ways to present your treats this year, in fact, I saw some treat sacks at the dollar store.
But if you are looking for a way to share treats and your crafty talents, I thought I would start showing you many, many ways to dress up the goods.

So Part 1 - The Gum Holder.Haven't you heard...The ADA has now said that chewing gum is good for you!

Where were they back in the 80s when all I wanted was to chew some Fruit Stripe gum?

Well, you can get packs of Trident gum at the store rather cheaply, you know those skinny ones with only like 8 pieces in there.
And whip up some of these with cardstock.
This little holder is super easy to make and you really don't need the velcro at all, I used it to hold a mini kit kat in there and now it is gone.
Wonder where that candy coulda gone, probably right into an 11 year old's mouth when I left it alone.
Oh, forgot to mention, it holds other small candies as well, like mini kit kats, bit 'o honeys...really anything flat and skinny.

And if you don't have that handy punch from Stampin Up to make the slit, you can really make it yourself, or use a circle punch and just go across with it.

The diagram with cut and score lines are on Splitcoaststampers, here and here.

Got a great treat idea?? We'd love to see it and link ya up!

Stay tuned for more ways to dress up your treats next week.

The Info is Out!

2007-09-24T10:41:00.000-05:00

I emailed all your partner's info to each of you swappers.

If you did not get your partners questionaire answers, please email me ASAP or comment right here on this thread, so I can get it out to you.

That is all....

Swap Partners

2007-09-22T09:25:00.000-05:00

Yes, after hours of scientific logic, coin flipping and careful research of all you fabulous ladies, *e* and I have finally paired all of you up.

I want you to know that really there was little science involved but we tried our very bestest to pair everyone based on your questionaire answers as well as what we learned about you from your blogs. (yep, we visited every single one!)

But alas, we are only human, although a swap-picking-robot woulda been sweet, and we tried our best, so we hope you are all happy with your matches.

Jennifer W. + Shara S.
Samantha M. + Olivia C.
Mary Ann A. + Michele K.
Greta A. + Jennifer B.
Connie H. + Michelle S.
Jessica K. + Simone
Karen S. + Elizabeth M.
Hettie + Angela D.
Noel M. + Erica P.
Bucket + Kate H.
Kimberly B. + Bobbie L.
Trisha M. + Malieta
Flossie + Judy B.
Christina H. + Susan G.
Laura B. + Lauren D.
Heather H. + Ashley F.
Kim M. + Andria O.
Kristina L. + Angelique B.

You will be receiving the questionaire answers from your partners via the email addresses you provided. Everything you need to get out your packages and learn a little more about your partners is included.

And be sure to drop your partner an email, visit her blog...All us bloggers love making new blogger buddies. This isn't a secret swap, so chat it up with your new blogger friends!

All packages should be mailed on or before October 15th!

Problems, concerns, questions, or you just wanna chat...feel free to email me! (spazzgirl555 at yahoo dot com or elizabeth at emma81399 at aol dot com)

California Event

2007-09-19T10:22:00.000-05:00

Here in the good 'ol midwest we have plenty of spooktacular events for the holiday season, but this makes me want to take a little trip to sunny California.

Thanks to Jessica K for pointing this out to me, anyone else with some cool linkage, feel free to pass the goods along to your fellow witches!

At Roger's Gardens, they have this event which they describe on their website:

We invite you to experience a 'Mystical Halloween' at Roger's Gardens. View and shop our vast collection of unique Halloween treats, and leave inspired to decorate your home, and entertain your family and friends in celebration of this festive holiday. This year at Roger's Gardens we are creating a turn of the century carnival atmosphere. Whether you prefer a more whimsical Halloween, or enjoy the scarier side of the holiday, you will leave Roger's inspired. When you arrive at the carnival, we encourage you to visit our fortune telling tent, the haunted sideshow, and seek the magic elixirs and finds of far away lands that our traveling medicine man has displayed. As you exit our carnival, don't forget to pay your respects at the haunted cemetery.

Umm...I want to go see the magical elixirs!

If you are in the Cali area, all the info as well as more photos of their amazing art for this event is on their website for their Something Mystical This Way Comes event.

Roger's Gardens
2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd
Corona del Mar, California 92625
949-640-5800

Toll Free @ 1.800.647.2356

Store Hours:

Open Daily 9am-6pm (PST)

If anyone attends this, please, take a camera!!

A List of Witches :)

2007-09-17T13:50:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow Halloween lovers.
As you should all know by now, I emailed everyone the questionnaire this morning and lemme go on and say how awesome ya’ll all are by getting em back to me. I already have about half of em back and that is just awesome.
I’m going to go ahead and make a list right now of all the people that I emailed.
**if you are not on the below list, please email me at emma81399 at aol dot com so I can get the questionnaire out to you.
I’m tickled orange and black over how excited ya’ll are. This is going to be an awesome swap J

Jennifer
mary ann
michele
crafty connie
michelle
san Francisco lauren
bucket
Erica
greta
Kimberly
noel
inspired by ink
kate
andria
scrappin trish
malieta
Jessica k
susan
celtic mommy
kd teacher
angellique
Olivia
tiffany
Kristina
flossie
clhenry99
kim
pink ric rac Jennifer
shara
laura
Ashley
heather
angie
Karen

***also, JUDY BERNARD and “BASKET MOM”, if you are reading, I need links to ya’ll’s blog J “BASKET MOM”, I also need your email addy so I can email you the questionnaire J

Halloween Stamps

2007-09-13T12:58:00.000-05:00

All this talk about stamping candles got me looking for some great new Halloween images to ink up, besides the Martha goodies I already told you about.

So here's some Halloween stamps to get the wheels of creativity spinning...

These stamps are from Cherry Pie Art Stamps

This goofy little bat is from Eat Cake Graphics. They have a few cute designs!
Just Johanna has some very cute little stamps and a perfect little bat for stamping votives for sure! I love these creepy cocktail stamps by Impression Obsession, they are wicked cool.
Inkadinkadoo makes some great wood mounted stamps for any little project.

Check out these vampy witches from Third Coast Rubber Stamps. They have tons of stamp sets to choose from and those skeletons are mighty scary.

If you aren't up for the scary skeletons, the stamps from Sunday Internaltional Rubber Stamps, may be more up your alley.
And don't forget these border stamps by Hero Arts.
I am sure there are plenty more out there, but at least this gives you a little idea of some places to find some.

Swap News and Update

2007-09-11T12:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who has already signed up! We are floored that there are actually more than 3 people.

We are still accepting sign-ups for the Bubble Bubble Swap and Trouble until Saturday, September 15th.

So, there is still time to join us, all the details are HERE.

Then, on Monday, September 17th (or maybe over the weekend), you will receive a questionaire that will help Elizabeth and I to pair ya up with the perfect partner. We need to get those back ASAP so we can get everyone matched, so try to shoot those back by the 21st.

All swaps need to be mailed directly to your partner on or before October 15th.
You say you want to start your swap...Go ahead.
Start your projects, your shopping, your stocking up of your favorite candies, the details aren't changing and you should be paired with a partner of similar tastes.

If anyone has any questions, concerns....just shoot me an email at spazzgirl555 at yahoodotcom.

PS. All participants will be linked in the sidebar of this blog, so we can all check out what you're up to. If you prefer not to be linked or you're not listed, let me know.

Less Spoooooky Halloween Decor

2007-09-11T00:04:00.000-05:00

Hey spooksters, Simone here and dontcha just love all that creepy, spooky, eerie, give-ya-goosebumps stuff Elizabeth posted yesterday?
You don't?
You like a tamer, more gentler Halloween you say?

Well, I thought I would give y'all some less scary alternatives today.
I remember a time when my Halloween decor was way less scary due to a certain little kid and even nowadays, I can spookify my house almost all the way but there are still some things off limits. (otherwise someone can't sleep at night!)
So here's a few ideas to keep with sweeter side of Halloween.

How about this purple entryway.
You can make your own garland with craft store finds which are spray painted to suit your color scheme.
And I love all the colorful pumpkins too.
There are little ornaments and messages in the garland as well, I am sure you can accomplish the lettering with any painted chipboard letters.

I know our Michaels sells Halloween ornaments, or you can recreate your own with some styrofoam balls or clear ornaments.
Complete Instructions for making the Purple Garland.
Instructions for painting your own pumpkins funky colors.

Now this next project is so sweet it gave me a cavity and is totally not up my alley, but would make a cute little table for October.
Plus, it sounds very simple to make and if you love that country look, this would be the craft for you.
All the instructions for these fence-post pumpkins are HERE.

Candles seem like a Halloween must.

Even if you use those battery powered flicker things for safety, the glow of the candle really adds to any ambiance.
You can create these candles using wooden letters, deco paint and wire.
Directions are HERE.
Martha also recommends stamping hurricane or votive candle holders with dye ink and then wiping them clean with glass cleaner when Halloween is over. She has complete directions on her website as well.
And as long as your making the candles, you should make some of these creepy Mad Scientist jars too.

I am now officially saving all my jars and looking for creepy toys to use to make these.
My son will want to display these all year, I'm sure.

Now, if ya like the gross and eerie, this website, Scaryguys.com has some great how-tos as well for creating your own Haunted House.

And before I leave ya, I'm wondering, when do you start Halloweenizing your house??
When is the perfect time? Is there a good time?

Spoo-ooo-o-ooky

2007-09-10T08:54:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone…witchy elizabeth here. I have to say, ya’ll don’t know how excited I am that so many of you are interested in our Halloween swap. I think simone and I thought we would be the only ones signed up….lol. I can’t wait to get the swap started and see what spook-tabulous things everyone gets.

I have to say that I have been in love with Halloween for as long as I can remember. Being a candy junkie (seriously, I could stick my face in a vat of jujy fruits and be happy as a pig in sh*t) that is prolly where the love started. I mean c’mon, free candy?!!? Whatta concept.
But now as adult, I think I also love the whole spooky-ness to it. especially Victorian goth. What’s not to love?
So while I was stumblin’ around from one site to the next, I came across this site, gothic rose antiques. oh if I had the moola, my house would so be decorated like this for Halloween. Maybe once the kiddos are older, I could go this route with the decorating. You got the spooky dolls, old pictures from funerals, the candelabras, ahhhh...a pure delight.

Now here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure……

**all pics are from gothic rose antiques website :)

Halloween Swap!

2007-09-07T18:07:00.000-05:00

JUST BUMPING THIS TO THE TOP FOR EASY ACCESS, THERE IS STILL A WEEK LEFT TO SIGN UP!!

We are getting ready for our favorite holiday, Halloween!

If you love Halloween, like we do, please join us for our....

Bubble, Bubble, Swap and Trouble

Who Can Swap with Us?
Swap is open to Canada and US Bloggers only.
You must have a blog to join our little group.

Important Dates
Sign Ups Close on Saturday, September 15th
All swaps should be mailed on or before Monday, October 15th
Partners assigned by September 21st, the latest

What Do I do?
After you sign up, you will be sent a spooky kooky questionnaire by eerie Elizabeth that you need to fill out and send back ASAP. This will help us pair you up with the best match, so that people who love the cutesy Halloween will be paired with the like and those of us that like the creepy, gory Halloween will be partners.
Also, your answers will be shared with your swap partner so that they get to know you better.

This is more than getting a great swap, you’ll meet a great group of people too!

What are we swapping?
All things Halloween! You must include one handmade item.
This does not mean one card, it means maybe a note card set with matching pen, or a little Halloween album, Halloween bag, spooky decorations, festive simple apron, home décor item to creep out your home…the sky is the limit, but only send what you yourself would want to receive. The rest of the package should/can be store bought and should total $15.
Also, don’t forget a bag of your favorite Halloween candy, what would Halloween be without the treats, right?

Got questions??
Well, just shoot them to me at spazzgirl555@yahoo.com and I will be happy to answer anything on your mind.

Please be sure to post your swaps on your blog when you receive them.

I am really looking forward to a great swap as well as meeting some great new blogging buddies and I know eerie Elizabeth hopes the same!

Don't be shy, just comment on this thread with your email address and blog info, or if you feel more comfortable, shoot me an email with your info.

Martha's Crafty Supplies

2007-09-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

Alright, so I showed you all the Martha party supplies, so I thought today I would round out the week with her Halloween crafty goodies.
Most of the crafty supplies are self explanatory, so I am just adding basic info.

Martha's Stamps ($3.49 ea.)

This fence stanp is big (6.4 in. wide) and I know my buddy (and fellow swapper) Michele owns this one, she used it to make this card! ($9.99)This set of three stamps as well as that Gothic alphabet set is also $9.99. Double-sided stickers, so you can add glitter or embossing powder or sand to the top and adhere it to your project. (10 sheets for $4.99)Dimensional stickers (12 stickers for $3.99). Glitter stickers (2 sheets, 24 stickers $4.99) Flocked stickers (2 sheets, 42 stickers $4.99)Halloween Icon stickers (3 sheets, 21 stickers, $2.99) Mad Scientist stickers (3 sheets, 21 stickers, $1.99)
Glow in the Dark Seals for all your spooky mail. (2 sheets, 24 seals, $2.99)
Rubons (2 sheets each, $3.99)

Ribbons (23 yards for $5.99)
Decorative Tapes (4 patterns, 1 yd each, $4.99) Writeable Decorative tape, you can write or stamp your own messages on these bad boys! (3 designs, 1.5 yds each, $4.99)
Halloween Tags (8 tags with twine, $1.99)
For all your brown paper packages, you can tie them up with these Harvest twines (6 spools, 12 yds each, $3.99)
Tissue paper (4 designs, 10x10 sheets, 3 of each, $4.99)

12x12 Halloween papers (18 double sided sheets, $9.99)
Halloween Punches ($9.99 ea.)

And last, for all those that don't have a problem with this pesky flakes like I do...Halloween glitter. ($15.99 for the set that comes with three colors of glitter Golden Beryl, Yellow Gold, and Heliodor glitter and 4 oz of her glitter glue) And just black glitter ( 1.5 oz. for $4.99)
Remember there is more information and products on Martha's site and these items are available at Michaels and online as well.

I have also heard that the Michael's are now excepting coupons for the Martha goodies, but haven't tried to use one yet, if anyone has tried and it worked...please let us know!

Party Supplies - The Martha Way

2007-09-06T10:41:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes...she does it all. Cooks, gardens, knits, crafts and now she does Halloween too!
If you haven't had a chance to catch a glimpse of the new Martha Halloween line at Michaels, you have been missing some of the coolest new stuff on the block.

I had the pleasure of viewing it all first back in July at CHA and I was giddy with excitement when I saw all the Halloween stuff and have avoided Michaels since because I knew it would be trouble on my checkbook.

So here are a few of her products that are perfect for your Halloween festivities this year.
First thing you need are the invitations.
These cat invites are simply lovely. They come with 8 invites, 8 inserts to write your info on and 8 envelopes, but they aren't cheap at $10 for 8.

A more inexpensive option would be to buy this 3 piece stamp set ($12.99) and make your own invitations. I have heard nothing but good things about Martha's stamps so far.Now, if you want to splurge on the invites and truly get your guests talking about how fab your party is even before they walk through your door, then these are the invites to get! These reminder finger invitations come with 6 resin fingers, 3 yards of black ribbon, 6 invitation boxes,
6 black note card inserts, 1 Sterling gel pen, and shredded tissue paper. They aren't cheap at $12.99 for 6, but I think they would be well worth the money to set the scene for a ghoulish night.
Another option for a cool invitation that is on the more expensive side as well, would be these Mad Scientist invitations. Each kit is $12.99 and comes with 6 slide mailers, 12 plastic slides, 6 bug specimen stickers, 6 specimen labels, 6 date/time/place stickers, and 2 sheets of clear adhesive mailer seals. These would be cheaper to mail than the fingers in the box and still unique enough to have your guests talking about them.
I bet you could even buy slides and these holders and make your own.
I am lucky enough to live close to the American Science and Surplus store and I know they sell that kinda stuff, as well as lots of other kooky stuff perfect for Halloween hoopla. Now on to the decor.

These rats are a perfect addition to any staircase to spook out your guests. I am sure this is another idea that could easily be re-created in your own home for a fraction of the cost!
Martha's rodents are sold in packages of 10 for $4.99. Maybe at that price it is just easier to buy these than cut out all those rats.

Now, this garland is definitely something that I am working on for my own house. It is so simple to recreate with a scalloped punch and some letter stamps or stickers, love this idea.
Martha's garland will cost ya $4.99 and comes with the 12 circles and two 75 inch ribbons.

The bat garland shown here would be much more difficult to make yourself, so you can purchase 25 feet of this plastic garland for $5.99.These silhouettes are perfect for your windows and I remember last year Martha had patterns on her site for making them yourself.
I don't know if she is still offering the free pattern now that she's selling them, but it would be worth a look-see if you wanted to make them yourself.
Besides the witch shown here, they also come in skeleton and cat designs and are $9.99 each but this self clinging sheet is reusable year to year.
Another spooky item to add to your table would be a nice centerpiece of skullz and bones.
I'm sure that Martha's is covered in glitter (eek!) because I saw it at CHA, but these just come plain, unglittered. You get 2 skulls and 2 jaw bones, 6 large bones, and 6 small bones to throw around your place as you choose, but I must say this bowl of bones is perfect. (cost for kit is $14.99) Now on to the food, what's a party without food and drink?

You can jazz up your appetizers with these Skull and Crossbone toppers!
They come in a pack of 24 for only $3.99.
You can spookify (I think I just made up that word) your soda or wine bottles with these handy Mad Scientist Beverage Labels, they come in packs of 9 assorted labels for $3.99. This would be a great way to spruce up a bottle you may be bringing to a party as well!

If there is one item that I really love of Martha's it would be her boxes for all your baked goods.
These cupcake boxes with skullz and a window on top sell for $9.99 for a kit to make 8 boxes that come with 12 laboratory labels and 12 skull seals. They would be perfect for guests that want to take their desserts home with them or as your treats.

Speaking of treats....
What's Halloween without treats, right?

Well, Martha has several treat bags. There are these Window Treat Bags which sell for $4.99 for a pack of 8, although I think this is something anyone with a die cut could easily recreate!
Or these Spider web treat bags which sell for $9.99 for a package of 12.
If you want to have the coolest treats on the block for your party, you can give your guest these Test Tube Party favors. (again, another item you can easily re-create with supplies from the AS and S store.) This kit sells for $8.99 and comes with 8 test tubes and corks and 8 labels.If you want something other than candy, these Test Tube pens are very cool. My little guy has already declared he will be buying and using these at school this year, so I guess they pass the "cool test". They are $4.99 for four pens.
There are more party items listed on her website, I just picked the ones I liked best!
Martha Stewart Website
And stay tuned for more Martha tomorrow, when I will feature the Martha Halloween craft supplies!

Welcome to the Witches' Caldron

2007-09-04T18:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks for clicking over or stumbling across our little blog of all things Halloween.

Elizabeth and I are so happy to be sharing our love of this great stress-free holiday and all the fabulous things we have found to help in our festivities.

We will be showcasing:
* Party planning ideas
* Crafty projects and finds
* Great festivities around the world
* Costume ideas
* Household decor ideas to get the house ready
* Trick or treats for kids of every ages

So, sign up for our swap, subscribe so you don't miss a thing and get ready for some great Halloween information coming your way for the next couple months!