a little halloween inspiration...

as to be expected, the last few weeks have been full of hustle and bustle for The Crepe Confectionary...

between a mound of halloween and custom orders for the shop, and taking a little time to enjoy the Country Living Fair in Ohio with my mom, i've been eating, sleeping, and breathing halloween...and i couldn't be happier!

so i thought that i would share with you some of the great ideas i've stumbled upon for scaring up some truly inspiring tricks and treats...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Handmade-Halloween-Treat-Bags/

i love these handmade treat bags crafted from old dictionary pages, and this idea couldn't be hotter right now. it seemed that everywhere i turned at this year's Country Living Fair, there were these beautiful handmade items reusing old book pages. for this bibliophile, i couldn't be more smitten with the look...

http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/paranormal-portraits-1009

now this idea, i have vowed to make for halloween this year, its just too cool not to! and believe me, it is a lot easier than it looks...all you need are two little LED lights and a couple of watch batteries -- both of which you can get at your local hardware store for just a couple of dollars. i've already started going through my mom's old photo albums for good pictures...i'll post a more detailed how-to, promise!

http://www.countryliving.com/cooking/entertaining/halloween-decorating-1005

one day, i will host my mom's halloween birthday dinner in a setting such as this...doesn't it look absolutely magical?

http://decorvillage.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/dine-with-scary-friends.jpg

but for now, i think i could definitely do this in my own dining room. i am completely taken with the vintage charm of this dining room, decked out with orange and black crepe paper festoons and tissue lanterns...its straight from the pages of a Dennison Bogie Book.

http://www.hotskwash.com/main-gallery/

and these...(sigh)...these velvet pumpkins have completely seduced me this fall season...i saw them a few months ago on the web somewhere, and a number of vendors had them at this year's Country Living Fair. to buy them, they are quite pricey...but i assure you that their construction is incredibly simple! in fact, if you check back here in the next few days, i will post a step by step tutorial on how to construct some of these soft, lush lovelies for yourself!

until then, may all your endeavors be crafty ;)

A READER POLL: MY FIRST SWAP!

my latest halloween party hat

if you've ever had a peek in my shop, you know that i have a thing for party hats. i make them for all sorts of occasions, and i believe they're not just for wearing. i think they look great displayed on pedestals or on top of a feather tree. i have halloween hats, valentine's hats, and of course, birthday hats.

i don't know what it is about a sweet party hat that just puts a smile on my face...maybe its because i never had one for my birthday as a kid. both of my parents worked their hinds off, and while we were always celebrated warmly on our birthdays, there was often not a lot of time for frivolous details such as party hats. so now when i get a custom order for one, i always do what i can to make each one as special as the last. i guess this is my way of sublimating my wish for a frilly party hat all those birthdays as a kid...lol.

the image on this hat is taken from the old Dennison Bogie Books

but my favorite kind of hat -- to create, wear, or display -- is a great vintage looking halloween party hat. i love playing with the traditional black and orange color theme, adding classic details and imagery, yet with modern polish. so, this got me to thinking...

perhaps The Crepe Confectionary should host a party hat swap for halloween?

what do you think dear readers? are any of you game?

i've participated in swaps before, and i can't tell you how fun it is to get a bundle of surprises from the postman! and i love seeing what sorts of creativity fuels other crafty peeps out there. if you have never participated in a swap, i thoroughly encourage it! and, i think this one might be right up a beginner's alley...

SO HERE ARE THE DETAILS:

• i will provide the party hat template for download through the blog
• you drop me a line saying 'COUNT ME IN!'
• i will assign swap partners, and hand out addresses
• you dream up something extra spooky and fun for your partner
• once we have swapped, we'll post pictures for all to see!

so what do you say ghouls and boys? i think of it as 'trick or treating' for adults...very crafty adults...lol.

who's in? leave a comment on this post if you're interested.

and, i just want to take a moment to thank all of my readers. its always so encouraging to hear from each of you, and i love finding inspiration in how you see the world. now, i would love for you to join me in some of the fun!