Top 13 Best Halloween Internet Finds List [Thing-a-ma-bobs and stuff and how to make some of them]

Halloween is Coming and the punkins'r gettin' fat...

...So naturally I am thinking about the dark nights setting in,the leaves turning and Halloween!  So to appease that particular nagging demon, I decided to curate my very own Halloween hits on the Internet...So I present to you some things I think are worth looking at as you plan your Halloween/all hallow's eve/All Soul's Day/Dia De Los Muertos/Samhain celebrations.  My top thirteen [more or less, depends on what I find really] Halloween finds 2011 from the Internet.

This post is dedicated to Mel, who loves Halloween more than anyone I've ever known

13. Ebay top picks---
This really cracketh me up mightily as it's on 15% off SALE!!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPELL-BOUND-MAGICK-SAMHAIN-DJINN-FAERIE-DRAGON-EARTH-SPIRIT-SUMMONING-POTION-/260854408692?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbc2265f4#ht_11144wt_1240

Quick act now, before it's all gone! Well there are only10 or more available!

(Other SPELL-BOUND-MAGICK-POTIONs are available on eBay, no, really there are)

What every little girl wants for her doll collection!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Baby-Vampire-Zombie-Demon-Doll-Halloween-Naked-Prop-/200644462837?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eb75788f5#ht_8098wt_905

Oh, Goody I can sell the one I have that's like this!

Make sure you really want it before you buy, there are NO RETURNS ACCEPTED!!!

Life-size Exorcist doll, notice it is new and there are only TWO available!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANIMATED-LIFESIZE-EXORCIST-GIRL-HALLOWEEN-PROP-FIGURE-POSSESSED-REGAN-Creepy-/290619740672?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43aa495200#ht_6114wt_1006

And for the hard-core Halloween freak

The description directly from eBay

"FRAMED SKINNED HUMAN FACE.

This is a gory looking skinned human face, it is blood splattered, framed and ready for any halloween party or just for your wall or shelf to scare the pants off of anyone who sees it.

This is a hand made one off item so one of a kind.

so come on dont wait for halloween bid on it now and win it will be a scream.

Check out my other items!

please pay within 3 days of winning and no messers please.

                                                                thanks for looking and happy bidding.

i also have other weird items for sale so take a look if you get time."

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/framed-skinned-human-face-/230687187447?pt=UK_Collectables_WeirdStuff_RL&hash=item35b60721f7#ht_500wt_1269

And look, reserve bid is an affordable £9.99...I am so wondering what was the inspiration behind the making of this

I exited eBay quickly after finding this, OK I lie, I had a look at "his/her other stuff" first. I found one more thing, dare you to look at it:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/casket-horror-halloween-/230687185897?pt=UK_Collectables_WeirdStuff_RL&hash=item35b6071be9#ht_669wt_1252

Knowing how I am transfixed by the kinda creepy and odd I had to force myself to close the eBay tab or I could have been there all day

12. Make you own--- 

The first one is not a Halloween item per se, but it could be with a little imagination more, like hanging those blinds in every window of your house with Jack-o-lanterns' faces cut out in each one...

http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/2011/10/starry-night.html

Seriously thinking about this with just some brown paper...Thanks Colour me Katie!

Another fab craft project is this spider web rug:

http://justsomethingimade.com/2011/09/country-living-halloween-spiderweb-rug/

Thanks for the heads up on the magazine too, Cathe, at "Just Something I Made"!

And here you can make a cool alien laser gun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1J0OKjY1M0

Thanks, Mr. Awesomnezz!

If you want to make something to go with your cider, try these brilliant Maple-Apple mini cupcakes by Amy Bakes Everything

http://amybakeseverything.com/2011/09/29/an-ode-to-alice/

A science-y project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=608OIFWYnto

...And...back to cool crafts

http://www.modpodgerocksblog.com/2011/10/scrapbook-paper-covered-skulls.html 

With many thanks to Amy at Mod Podgerocks!

And to Meg at Mega*Crafty who originally made these

http://www.megacrafty.com/2011/09/scrapbook-paper-covered-skulls.html

Mustn't forget Mrs. B from:

http://www.confessionsofapagansoccermom.com/

She is hosting a give-away...

http://www.confessionsofapagansoccermom.com/2011/10/giveaway-from-marie-segals-art-from-my.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/52932553/halloween-shrine-brooch-1-mha-team?ref=v1_other_1

Crafted by

http://www.mariesegal.blogspot.com/

11. Games

I reckon there could still be a few people who haven't seen this yet, a new lifestyle choice game of "What Would A Zombie Do?"

http://nerdapproved.com/misc-gadgets/what-would-a-zombie-do/

I got one of these for my husband and noticed that more and more he plods around moaning, I so gotta see why it keeps sticking on only those two choices


Aside from this I got absolutely nothing for games, please send if you know of any interesting ones.

10. Books and other literary finds

How about an interesting read from the British Library? 

http://www.amazon.com/Faces-Living-Dead-Martyn-Jolly/dp/0977282732


"AN Erudite and Fascinating Examination of Spiritualism and Photography,February 8, 2007

5.0 out of 5 stars

                                 By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) 

This review is from: Faces of the Living Dead (Hardcover)

Though the subject of spirit photography is not a novel one, few writers have offer the degree of academic investigation, research, and fascinating illustrated documentation of the subject as has Martyn Jolly in FACES OF THE LIVING DEAD: THE BELIEF IN SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY. This beautifully produced book, published on fine paper and designed with the topic in mind, surveys the advent of Spiritualism in the mid-nineteenth century to its gradual dissolution into the New Age Realm in the twentieth century. Jolly writes with infectious enthusiasm for his subject, never stooping to denigrate his topic but rather electing to explain the times and incidents which contributed to the need for Spiritualism and the accompanying wide use of the camera to provide desperately needed evidence that the departed can communicate with us. The book is rich in examples of some very startling photographs that mark the appearance of faces, bodies, and gauzy hoverings in the old photographic portraits that became so popular as the camera gained a foothold in artistic and documentary use. Even if this well-designed book were only of images, the volume would be a fascinating collection of otherworldly strangeness. But it is to Jolly's credit that the reverse is true: his writing is so excellent that the accompanying photographs are almost superfluous, so meticulous is his descriptive commentary. Yet marry the two - the visual and the written - and the result is a book of endless fascination. This book is a fine addition to the libraries focusing on photography, on the history of Spiritualism, and on the needy imaginations of those who shared these treasures with the world. Highly recommended."

http://poetry.about.com/library/weekly/blherrickhalloween.htm

The Hag

Robert Herrick (1648)

The Hag is astride,

This night for to ride;

The Devill and shee together:

Through thick, and through thin,

Now out, and then in,

Though ne’r so foule be the weather. 

A Thorn or a Burr

She takes for a Spurre:

With a lash of a Bramble she rides now,

Through Brakes and through Bryars,

O’re Ditches, and Mires,

She followes the Spirit that guides now.

No Beast, for his food,

Dares now range the wood;

But husht in his laire he lies lurking:

While mischiefs, by these,

On Land and on Seas,

At noone of Night are working,

The storme will arise,

And trouble the skies;

This night, and more for the wonder,

The ghost from the Tomb

Affrighted shall come,

Cal’d out by the clap of the Thunder.

9. Crafts

First a shoutout for the folks at EHAG:

http://ehagemporium.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-are-you-doing-halloween-eve.html?showComment=1318726238451#c1198104127932223482

They have some really interesting pieces of Halloween Artistry and crafts[wo]manship, like these:

                  Photographic print Painting by Carolee Clark

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77650105/flight-8-x-10-print-of-original-acrylic?ref=tre-513023538-3

OOAK Sculpted Art Doll, Witch, Sculpted OOAK chair, by primdolly 

[OOAK is "One of a kind"]

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83425251/ooak-sculpted-art-doll-witch-sculpted


Others of a similar nature

http://www.mythicalmasks.com/oddiments_files/galleries/wall_plaques.html

Laurie Hardin's Monkey cats Studio
http://lauriehardinsaccents.blogspot.com/

8. Haunted houses and experiences

If you are looking for a haunted house in the USA, with will be a helpful site for you

http://www.hauntworld.com/americas_best_haunted_houses.cfm 

If you are near Indy or Anderson IN, this is the place for you, apparently

http://www.indyscreampark.com/source/index.html#/swf_attractions


If you are in the UK, you'll find these helpful

http://www.hauntedhappenings.co.uk/2012_ghost_hunts/


In the UK, haunted visiting is NOT limited to the Halloween period:

Apparently witch ghost hunting makes you hungry!

7. Ectoplasm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0HncGNBCqY

I wonder if they’d let me into a steampunk group if I could manifest ectoplasm?  Guess it’s not worth worrying about since I can’t do it anyway.

6. Art

This one by Earth Angel Arts

http://www.earthangelsart.com/etsy-shop.php

http://wiccancountess08.deviantart.com/#/d4b3obh

by Wiccancountess08

From the sumptuous photographs on Cosmic Maid

http://cosmicmaid.blogspot.com/

...and these images will get you in the mood for Samhain, if this is what you call Halloween...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njoJTpXptks&feature=related

http://www.facebook.com/PaganArtists?sk=photos

5. Dia De Los Muertos [Day of the Dead] 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60459671/day-of-the-deaddia-de-los-muertos-custom?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=day+of+the+dead&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=GB&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

How to Celebrate Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos)

You can have a Halloween that lasts more than one day, if you like the sound of this celebration

http://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-Day-of-the-Dead-(Dia-De-Los-Muertos)

PLEASE watch this, it’s so evocative:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq3ygHZIyls&feature=related

And now you will have to wait for the top four---Mwahahaha!

Certainly link and make suggestions to anyone you think would like to see these.

Best Wishes,

Gabrielle Elliot

©2011

I was just Playin'...

in case you were wondering wtf...

Last night I was reading the Regretsy blog, here's the article:

http://www.regretsy.com/2011/10/11/job-opportunity/#comments

So just for a change of pace, I had a go with the competition on the blog, it was fun.  The picture above was my entry. I got 13 thumbs up in total and a nice person called "Scribblecraft"  helped me by adding it to the comments list. A first effort in that arena.  

That's the explanation (sorry it's still not cake).

The end

Best Wishes,

Gabrielle Elliot

©2011

I know I promised cake...

Hello everyone,


I know it seems I haven't posted in a long time but I have been going through the suit of fire and fine-tuning  them and trying to get them all uniform-ish.  Please realise that errors such as large spaces between paragraphs aren't actually my fault, it's a Blogger thing.  All spelling and grammar errors I will hold up my hands on and say "guilty".  Still I am hoping to get started on the suit of water while we are in Scorpio.


Since I don't have anything new on the tarot to share with you, here are before and after shots of the Chicken mushroom pie I made today.  I know I promised cake, but hopefully pie will be just as good for you.

P.S.


I've had a couple of requests to share the recipe of this chicken & mushroom pie:


First get two boxes of    

http://www.amazon.com/Jiffy-Pie-Crust-Mix-Pack/dp/B0029JPOV0

[Yes, I cheat,but it's so easy, just wish it was as cheap in the UK as it in in the USA]

Ingredients:

[aside from the Jiffy above]

2 skinless chicken breasts

1 onion

12 mushrooms

3 carrots

1 teaspoon sage fresh [if using dry a bit more, to taste]

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 chicken Oxo cubes [Bullion cubes-USA]

1-2 tablespoons plain flour

Enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan twice, 

[OR enough melted butter if you choose a more rich gravy]

First mix up your pie crust mixes  as advised on the box and roll into two separate even balls of dough...if you are making a big pie like the one pictured you need two boxes of Jiffy, it depends on the size of the pie you are making, that one did two suppers for two people or six at a single sitting if you made some veg  and potatoes to go with and cut the pie in slightly smaller pieces.

Put those dough balls in the fridge while preparing the meat filling

Roll them into two balls and stick them in the fridge

Get out your pie dish and spray with oil or coat in butter, stick this in the fridge too

Chop the onion finely

Cube the carrots

Cube the chicken

Slice the mushrooms

Get out a skillet [frying pan]

Coat the bottom with olive oil [or butter]

Heat

When the oil/butter is hot, toss in your onions and the garlic, fry until they are soft

Add the sage

Add the carrots let them start getting soft

Add in the mushrooms

Fry until things are just browning, remove them from heat and take out of the pan and into a separate bowl

Turn on the kettle, heat a kettle of water

Reheat the frying pan, when it's hot again

Add the chicken and quick fry but do not let them get browned too much on the edges

Crumble 2 Oxo cubes over the chicken

When the kettle's boiled, pour the water over the chicken,  filling to about 1 1/2 inches 

Let this cook until it bubbles

Remove from the frying pan

Strain the liquid chicken broth and place in a pitcher

Place chicken in the bowl with the pre-fried veggies

Put the pan back on the heat and make a roux, here's the way to do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL7evCGGX3g

A demonstration on the procedure used to make the three types of roux: white, blond and brown. Also, an example of how to thicken a liquid with roux is shown.

Just watch the demo on youtube until he starts putting the white roux in a bowl then turn it off, you just need to put the oil/butter into the same frying pan and when it's bubbling and turn down the heat slightly.  [Actually this is an excellent demo so I do recommend watching the whole thing some time when you are not making a pie ;-)]

Pour in about half your pitcher of chicken broth, stir until smooth---I have a couple of a silicone spatula that I use instead of the whisk like he does in the demo. Because pie gravy needs to be hearty enough so when you cut the pie it doesn't leak all over your plates, not nice for entertaining make sure you go no further than white roux---blonde roux is not thick enough and make the chicken gravy too dark.

Because we are just building the basis of gravy we are not making roux to use later you do not need to use a different pot or cool it before using, just do it in the frying pan.  

Put the rest in gradually until the gravy is the right consistency for you, if you don't have enough liquid, you can top up with milk for a chicken pie, makes it whiter [or water if you prefer]

Taste it and add any salt-n-pepper, to your taste

Turn off the heat

Add all the chicken and vegetables into the gravy and stir well

Sit it aside to cool down

Turn on the oven to 200 C or 180 degrees C fan assisted or 350 F

Get out a small cup with a small amount of milk in it and a pastry brush

Get out your doughballs from the fridge and roll them out

Place the first pie crust on the bottom of the pre-greased and cold pie dish, press it down

Take a fork and prick the bottom pie crust about a dozen times

Trim it with your knife or a kitchen scissors

Add the gravy, meat & veg into the pie pan

Smooth it down with a spoon

Take up your second pie crust and place it over the top, from the centre pat down gently until you get to the edges 

Flip all the edges up carefully

With your pastry brush and paint on milk around the edges of the bottom pie crust

Carefully roll the edges back down [if you want you can easily do this in sections, you just need to get the milk on the bottom pie crust as this will act like a glue between the pie crusts]

Pinch all the edges together around 

Trim

If you want to get fancy, roll out the remaining dough and cut with a cookie cutter and paint with milk and stick down to the top of the pie [I used two star-shaped cutters]

Don't forget to cut some holes in the top with a knife so the pie can breathe

Brush milk over the whole top of the pie

Bake in the oven for an hour

Check it at 45 minutes,  just to make sure it's not getting too brown

Let it set a bit before cutting into it

Eat

You can make this pie with any fillings you have---any vegetables, meat, potatoes, etc., or  invent a new one! 

Key thing---the colder the dough is before it goes into the oven the nicer gold it bakes, milk also helps the colouring to be golden brown.  I even wash my hands in cold water before using the dough and that seems to work [got this tip from an English friend]

P.S.
While researching Roux, I came upon this video that made me smile a lot and think of Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live in a wig dontcha think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKlsSff7GOE&feature=related

RosalieServing

Best Wishes,

Gabrielle Elliot

©2011

28. THE MAN OF FIRE: "THE ASSASSIN"

“You never know what's hit you. A gunshot is the perfect way.”

--- John F. Kennedy

“I was a killer, was the best they'd ever seen

I'd steal your heart before you ever heard a thing

I'm an assassin and I had a job to do

Little did I know that girl was an assassin too”--- John Mayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22C_xlt05GY

The Assassin, in disguise as a fire fighter, runs out of a raging inferno, his gun still smoking. Behind him is superimposed a shooter’s target and behind this the Roman Coliseum ablaze is layered with a full moon above.

Interpretation:  All of the men in all of the suits should be considered as having active attributes of the positive and negative of each of the suits. 

The man of earth, “the CONSUMER” always has to have the next big thing.  He is very generous but do not forget to tell him “thank you” as you will not be gifted from him again if you do not acknowledge his generosity. He has no idea how to satisfy his overwhelming hungers.

The man of fire, “the ASSASSIN" is always on his guard.  He is quite often hard to pin down and to trust that he will keep his promises.  Because he is unpredictable he can be terribly exciting to be around.  If you friend him, he’s “always got your back.”

The man of water, “the SOCIOLOGIST” never really makes a commitment to what he thinks, feels or believes.  He constantly seeks to be the witness but never the actor in any real-life situation.  He does have ideas but he keeps them all to himself.  He will ask all the questions and rarely, if ever, answers any himself.

The man of air, “the EXPLORER” rarely stays in one place, unless he is conducting some sort of experiment.  He is often seeking and gaining more information.  He will be an excellent judge and strategically approach any problem or issue. 

The Assassin is someone to have on your side as he can be quite a protector.  He knows the exact moment to strike.  He seems to be fearless and have the ability to focus all of his intention on a single action.

He is the personification of finely conserved energy.  He constantly uses the element of surprise.

When you first meet him, he may appear to be travelling incognito.  You will  know him initially by the element of surprise in your first encounter.  If he is out there looking for you, be assured that he will find you, just, whatever you do, do NOT sneak up on him!

The Assassin appears to be ultimately dangerous, he holds the key of sheer will, focused and controlled.  He can be your greatest adversary or most loyal guardian.

Certainly link and make suggestions to anyone you think would like to see these. Just please do not reprint as your own work.

Best Wishes,

Gabrielle Elliot

©2011

27. THE WOMAN OF FIRE: "THE SNAKE CHARMER"

“He said "I'm a king snake"

And you'll be my queen

With a butler and servants

And your own private stream”---Billy Gilman

“Charm is a way of getting the answer yes without asking a clear question”---Albert Camus

The seductive snake charmer is smugly secure that she can enchant even the most reluctant or dangerous of beast.  Her image comes from the Minoan culture:

“...the Minoans worshipped the Great Mother, a female goddess who embodied fertility, fertility of the earth, of the animal world and of humans. In addition to being a fertility goddess, she was a protectress of the people. ...who possessed different natures each depicted in a different way. As a protectress of house and home she was depicted with snakes...” http://traumwerk.stanford.edu:3455/94/148

Behind her is pictured a stone circle, as a full moon rises reflected in duplicate. She holds a two-headed snake in each hand.  She wears a headdress of flames and a caduceus adorns her gown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v9fcgwbV_M

INTERPRETATION:

All of the women in all of the suits should be considered as having active attributes of the positive and negative of each of the suits. Remember if this tarot indicates you or a person in your life, it does not have to indicate a female person.

The woman of earth, “the GARDENER” is clearly a maternal figure.  She represents all of the womanly attributes: beauty, nurture and care.  If her energy runs too strong her children can be too clingy or may never leave her home.

The woman of fire, “the SNAKE CHARMER" always turns men’s [and some women’s] heads.  She is a temptress and seems to have the kind of aura that makes her mysteriously popular.  Beware as she represents the worst types of envy and retribution and when handling this type of energy you must be careful how you use it, as flying into a rage or jumping to conclusions before you have all the information may have terrible consequences you never intended.

The woman of water, “the GOVERNESS” is a quite ethereal being.  She is always calm, and often placid.  She will pick up a crying infant to soothe it, but forgets to do the checks to see if something is actually hurting the baby.

The woman of air, “the PILOT” takes herself very seriously.  She is likely to have either an important position in her career or is in charge of some rather large responsibilities.  It is very hard for her to understand a joke.  She will often seem remote or cold.  Her professional status can isolate her.

“All charming people have something to conceal, usually their total dependence on the appreciation of others.”~Cyril Connolly

The Snake Charmer understands truly the concept of duality and appears to be able to manifest her every desire. In the below song by KT Tunstall there is a description of such a woman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AEoUa0Hlso

She is a very social creature and is often seen holding the rapt attention of a group simply by her presence. You will probably hear of her before you meet her as her reputation usually proceeds her.  She is able to sell herself without ever mentioning her product.  Often you will find an opposing factor; individuals to disdain her or gossip about her as jealousies tend to follow in her wake.  She can be very dismissive of others if she disapproves of the amount of attention you are getting.

She is quite creative and good at organising event as she is excellent at using her charm to enlist the right people to make her event successful.  She is also quite experienced at delegation, and you may find yourself taking on more responsibility on her behalf when you work with her, though she will have the lion’s share of the praise.  This can be one reason why others become critical and jealous of her.

When you first meet her, she will take your hand warmly and hold it longer than you may deem necessary.  She will always look into your eyes when she is speaking to you.  It is likely there will be many of her followers around her.

A funny way to look at the charisma the woman of Fire has is in this short clip:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af1OxkFOK18

Certainly link and make suggestions to anyone you think would like to see these. Just please do not reprint as your own work.

Best Wishes,

Gabrielle Elliot, ©2011