THE ELUSIVE BUTTERFLY

Frannie stuck in her thumb and pulled out a plum and said, "it's Sharon - Sharon won!" Good guesses from all and thank you for entering.

This book, "Barbie Mariposa", was the inspiration.

How did we do?

Very Poofy!

Layers and layers of pink tulle in two different colors - 9 yards total.

Very Sparkly!

Oodles and oodles of glitter - 3 different shades of pink. Not to mention all the pink sequins that outlined the wings on both sides.

Getting Ready To Take Flight!

The wings were made out of black foam core - they actually had movement. I made hinges out of paper and tape. Frannie has worn them four times and they are still in one piece. I also made shoulder straps out of very wide black elastic and attached them to the foam core with long pearlized pins.

Here's a close-up of the headpiece modeled by Mr. Pumpkin.

Frannie said Mariposa needed a wand, so I made one to match her headpiece.

I started with a styrofoam ball and a dowel painted green. Hot glued on some of my crepe paper roses along with other floral petals and leaves, attached some butterflies and then tied on some pink glittered ribbon streamers. Voila!

S.W.A.K.

FRONT AND CENTER

Here's a photo of Frannie's class getting ready for their school's annual Halloween parade. Can you guess which one Frannie is? Now, I won't tell you that I love sewing tulle and slinky fabrics, but I do think it was worth the effort. That crown and scepter look especially grand, if I do say so myself! Those two items were a lot of fun to make.

Apart From The Crowd

I think Frannie made a great costume selection. She received quite a few compliments on her costume while out trick or treating on Friday evening. She was very proud!

Now scroll back up and take a look at the first photo. Do you see the paper owl, cat and pumpkin hanging up on the front board? I used the instructions provided in the Martha Stewart Living (October issue) and taught the children how to make these. They did a great job!

Thank you, Sharon of Red Geranium Cottage. Frannie just loves her Halloween purse and all the goodies that were stashed inside. It was such a wonderful surprise! Not only that, do you see the fabric that was used in the center panel? My sister, Ellen, just brought me a yard of that the weekend before your giftie arrived. I just love it! I asked Frannie if I might borrow her purse (yes, I would) and she said I could use it as soon as Halloween was over! Isn't she something! I don't blame her.

Now I want to tell you about something exciting and fun - I was just notified today by The Woolie Ewe that I won their contest. I entered a name for their newest knitter, Woolamina, and I won a $100 gift certificate to their on-line knitting store. I can't wait to shop. They have all kinds of yarns and patterns, so if you're a knitter, go on over and check them out!

Jen, thanks for boo-ing me!

S.W.A.K.

I WANT CANDY!

Mmmmmm..... Chocolate

Do you have a sweet tooth? Do you need a sugar fix? Do you crave chocolate? Well then, you've come to the right place. Have I got the giveaway for you! All you have to do is comment on this post and tell me what your favorite Halloween treat is (I'm talking candy here). :) If you do, you'll be entered to win this fabulous Halloween pail chock full of chocolaty treats. And I don't mean those little snack size teasers. You're going to get those old-time Halloween size bars. The kind that required a pillowcase to hold all your loot.

This adorable pail measures approximately 7-1/2" tall and 9" in diameter at the top. Here's a sampling of what you could win: M&M's (dark chocolate, milk chocolate and peanut), Mounds, Almond Joy, Baby Ruth, Reeces Peanut Butter Cups, 3 Musketeers, 100 Grand, Milky Way, Kit Kat, Butterfinger, Nestle Crunch, Hershey's and Hershey's Caramel, Russell Stover Dark Chocolate Covered "Marshamallow" Pumpkin and Orange "Marshamallow" Pumpkin, and a small package of Orea Mini Chocolate Sandwich Cookies. Did you notice that I didn't stick in any of that candy that I don't consider to be a true Halloween treat - like Starburst or Sweet Tarts? We're going chocolate all the way!

Mmmmmm..... Pure Chocolate!

Now, just to sweeten :) the pot a little, if you post this link and/or "I Want Candy" icon to your blog (you can do this by right clicking on the "I Want Candy" picture and then "save picture as" and upload to your blog), should your name be chosen, you will also receive this, just back in production for the cooler weather, box of scrumptious Mallomars. YUM!

I'm changing the date of the drawing to coordinate with the Fall Into Fall giveaway - let's make it Wednesday, October 15th, at 8 PM Eastern Time - Frannie will stick her hand into a plastic pumpkin and pull out a winner. It could be you!

Don't forget to check out the Fall Into Fall Quilters Blog Giveaway!

S.W.A.K.

HERE KITTY KITTY

Meow!

Just finished these two pumpkins. I did this same design on a real pumpkin last Halloween, but I had to throw it away at the end of the season. So, this year I went to Michael's and purchased two of those craft pumpkins. They look real! And they're so much easier to paint on, the surface is not quite as slick. One of these pumpkins is for Frannie's classroom and the other is for home.

2007 Issue

The idea came from the 2007 issue of Halloween Tricks & Treats by Better Homes & Gardens. I enlarged the pattern to the appropriate size, traced it onto the pumpkins and painted. I tweaked it a little by adding glittered eyes and a sparkly, glittered moon. I also elongated the necklace and used stick-on rhinestones in an amber color. They'll look just as good next year!

STARTING TOMORROW!

Tomorrow I'm going to post another giveaway - check back!

S.W.A.K.

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL... AND GIVEAWAY TOO!

I know it's just the beginning of September, but here at my house, when school starts the Halloween planning begins. After all, we need something to look forward to, right? You can see from the photos below that for the past three years Frannie has opted to be a fairytale princess. Well, this past weekend we went to our nearest Joann's (about 25 miles away - for some reason they won't put one closer - arrrrgh!) and purchased our costume pattern and fabric for this year.

Snow White - 2005
(Would you believe I hand-sewed those red-sequins around each of the red tear drops on the sleeves individually. What was I thinking?!!)


Cinderella - 2006
(Thank goodness for Walmart - that's where I purchased all this gaudy fabric!)

Sleeping Beauty - 2007
(By the way, the trim at the bottom of this costume is vintage, from the 50's. I have oodles and oodles of it, that's why I didn't mind using it on a costume.)

? - 2008

So here's the deal: Make a comment and tell me who or what you think Frannie will be for Halloween 2008. All the people who guess correctly will have their names put into a hat, and on Wednesday, September 30th, at 8:00 pm EST, Frannie will pick a winner. If no one guesses correctly, then everyone's name will be put into the hat. Now, when you make your comment, make sure you specify which prize you would like. You may choose either a Halloween banner made by me (if you liked the cupcake banner at Sharon's party, then you'll probably like the Halloween one too (I can't show you a picture of it because I haven't completed it yet), or you may pick a bead knitted purse like the one shown in my post of Saturday, August 9th. It will be made out of these festive, fun and funky orange/silver-lined seed beads (they really sparkle!) - just right for the upcoming Halloween/harvest season.

Orange w/Silver Lining Size 11 Seed Beads

So keep those comments coming in girls. I love to hear from you all!

S.W.A.K.