A Gothic Flamingo has moved into the neighbourhood!
Welcome to our charmingly creepy community, Gothic Flamingo!
A Gothic Flamingo has moved into the neighbourhood!
Welcome to our charmingly creepy community, Gothic Flamingo!
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My Favourite Flamingo!
A Gothic Flamingo has moved into the neighbourhood!
Welcome to our charmingly creepy community, Gothic Flamingo!
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Happy Dancing with a Little Gothic Girl and her Dolly!
I always thoroughly enjoy the Vampire's Day Soiree, hosted by Holly's Horrorland, but this year I was also lucky enough to win an absolutely vamptastic giveaway over on the Sunshineshelle blog. Spooktacularly talented artist, Shelle, was generous enough to let me choose a painting from amongst her 29 Faces Challenge works.
Initially, I made a beeline for one of the vampire paintings Shelle did for the Soiree called, My mother made me a ... doll., which is pictured left, BUT, as I was scrolling through the other 28 Faces, my eyes fell upon Gothic Girl and her Dolly (above) and suddenly things got a whole lot more difficult. I sat the two paintings next to each other on my computer screen... then agonized! Eventually, I settled upon Gothic Girl and her Dolly! Not only is Gothic Girl just my cup of (charmingly macabre) tea, but she also looks like she could be an extended member of the Addams clan. I was so excited when the postman delivered her to my door and she is currently sitting on my work table, awaiting the acquisition of just the perfect frame.
Thank you so much for my lovely painting, Shelle! I am completely besotted with Gothic Girl and her Dolly!
Sunshineshelle Blog
Sunshineshelle Etsy
Sunshineshelle Facebook
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May Monster Madness is Nigh!
May Monster Madness was the brainchild of Annie Walls, author of The Famished Trilogy, as an event to satisfy some of those cravings for spooky goodness that may be surfacing at this mid point between Halloween festivities. Of course, every evil genius must have her wicked minions, so Annie enlisted the help of Ked (Something wicKED This Way Comes) and I to assist her in bringing May Monster Madness to life.
In previous years, May Monster Madness was a 7 day event, but as everyone is busy, and it's hard to commit to 7 days of posting, we've decided to make it just one huge day this year on Friday, May 30. This also gives everyone time over the weekend to get around to the blogs of other participants.
The monster theme is very broad. You can post about any kind of monster you fancy from classic monsters like vampires, werewolves, mummies and zombies, to urban legends, to monsters of the human variety like serial killers and mass murderers. Your monsters can be frightening, misunderstood or just plain cute.
The sky is the limit with the type of post too. Express yourself in any way you wish.
For example:
* Fiction
* Poetry
* Article
* Book, movie or TV review
* Recipe
* Photography
* Video
* Art
* Craft
* Fashion
* Gardening
* Music
* Tutorial
* Giveaway
So if you'd like to join the MADNESS, head over to the Annie Walls blog and sign up. When you're there, just click on the blue frog to add your details to the linky.
Remember to grab the May Monster Madness artwork (created by Annie) to add to your sidebar too.
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Bloggy Turns Three!
Amidst all the not-so-fun stuff lately, there have also been some wonderful bright spots, one of which was winning an e-book of Lexa Cain's novel, Soul Cutter, in a giveaway on her blog. If you haven't met lovely Lexa yet, head on over to the Lexa Cain blog.
I will be sharing some other special surprises with you in upcoming posts.
I'm so very grateful to everyone who follows this blog and for the wonderful friendships I have made in Blogland!
Happy Birthday, my little bloggy!
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May Monster Madness 2014
Welcome to May Monster Madness, a sinisterly spooky scheme spawned by author Annie Walls, and nefariously nurtured with the help of her malevolent minions (Ked, of Something Wicked this Way Comes, and me).
For May Monster Madness 2014, I've taken a leaf out of Victor Frankenstein's book and made my own monster. If you would like a chance to win my little monster, all you have to do to enter is suggest a name for her and leave it in the comments.
As always, I will assign a number to each comment in the order that they are left and the winner will be chosen via the RANDOM.ORG Random Number Generator. Please make sure you leave me some way to contact you. This giveaway is open internationally. Entries close on Monday, June 2nd, at 11.00 pm Eastern US time.
A whole bunch of bloody and bloated blogs are participating in this monstrous mayhem and macabre merrymaking. Simply click on the links provided with each post to make your way around to all the other fabulous fiends in this frightening festival.
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And the winner is...
Thank you to everyone who visited during May Monster Madness. I will need to make a whole bunch of new little monsters now, so I can use all the fabulous names you suggested.
I assigned a number to each comment in the order that they were left and the winner was chosen by the RANDOM.ORG True Random Number Generator.
Lucy will soon be on her way to you, Holly!
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Gifts from a Wild Fairy
Things have been more chaotic than ever and the hoped for house move, which has now been dubbed the "Never-Ending Story", has not yet happened because, so far, we've been unable to locate a suitable new abode. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have also been unwell lately, and that, along with a bunch of other little worries, had left me feeling somewhat downhearted. Then a parcel from Ireland arrived at my door.
Sweet Siobhan, from The Wild Fairy blog, had sent me a little package of goodies as a housewarming gift for my future new home, which was the most completely lovely surprise in itself, but the timing couldn't have been more perfect in terms of cheering me up.
Pictured above left is the sweetest little Alice necklace that was also included amongst my stash of treats!
I can't begin to tell you how completely spoilt I feel by these gifts from a Wild Fairy! Thank you so much, Siobhan! ❤
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Art: Meritxel Ribas Puigmal
Meritxel Ribas Puigmal's entire portfolio of work is absolutely beautiful, but my favourite illustrations are from her Vampiros collection, which I have shared here.
These illustrations are from the book, Vampiros, which is in Spanish, but I gather it is an anthology of famous vampire literature. I wish there was an English edition, but regardless, I'm seriously coveting Vampiros, and have added it to my ever-burgeoning Amazon Wish List.↧
Birthdays, Brilliant Buddies and Back to Blogging!
First up, my poor little blog has been somewhat neglected of late because I've been unwell... again!! I'm sick of being sick, but, of course, I know full well there are souls out there far, far worse off than me, so I'll try and keep the whining to a minimum.
I don't want to bore you, but at the same time, I don't want to be mysterious, so in a nutshell, I have a hiatus hernia. If you're not familiar with the condition, it's when the stomach protrudes up into the chest because of a tear or weakness in the diaphragm. It's actually not uncommon, however some people (bless them) experience no symptoms. I've suffered bad heartburn for years, but over the last 6 months, I've had a whole lot of new and exciting pains, and problems with eating. It's been trial and error with medication, but I am starting to feel a little better, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I had initially been planning an entirely different post to this, but it all got a bit convoluted so I've put that particular idea on the back burner for the time being because I need to thank a couple of wonderful people, and I really don't want to delay that any longer. Plus, I also want to share my Burtonesque cake with you. Yes, I know. I'm stretching the definition of "Burtonesque" outrageously here, but indulge me! ;)
My husband, Danny, had a birthday this week and he requested a Chocolate Ripple Cake. (Did you notice the wee black and white striped candle?!). Despite appearances, this cake is the easiest cake on the planet to make. In fact, it's not really "cake" at all. I'm sure other countries might have their own interpretation of this dessert, but the Aussie version is made by cementing Arnott's Chocolate Ripple biscuits (cookies) together with whipped cream to form a horizontal log. The log is then covered with more whipped cream (I always sprinkle grated chocolate on top too) and then it's refrigerated for at least 6 hours, during which time the cookies soften to the consistency of cake. By cutting the cake diagonally, you get the (Burtonesque) striped pattern. (I also make a Halloweenie version of this dessert by colouring the whipped cream orange.) If you'd like to try it, you can find the recipe here. Even if you can't get hold of the Australian brand of cookies, you may have something local that you can use as a substitute.
Of course, I can't have cake without coffee (mmm... coffee), and I always whip out my cappuccino stencils for special occasions. Danny actually drinks his coffee black, so this photo is from another occasion when I was able to use both of them. I got my skull and bat stencils from the Shape Foundryon Etsy.
For the birthday dinner, I made Japanese Gyoza, which is a favourite in my household. It's also not a difficult recipe, although it is time consuming making all the little dumplings.
Now... to brilliant blog buddies!
Way back during May Monster Madness, I was lucky enough to win a giveaway over at the lovely Yvonne's blog, Winter Moon! The prize was a gorgeous necklace, but as you can see from the photo, my package was filled with lots of adorable little treats. Thank you so much, Yvonne!❤
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I received a package in the mail from lovely Stacy of the Magic Love Crow blog. Why? Just because she's a sweetie-pie! If you aren't already acquainted with Stacy, she's an artist who paints delightful crow themed artworks and she sent me one as a surprise. Thank you so much, Stacy! ❤
I'll have more to say about these two charming ladies in future posts. They, and many others of you in Blogland, have unknowingly been my Muses over the last few months. I may have been unwell, but you've all inspired me in many ways, and my brain has been buzzing with creative schemes that I hope to share with you very soon.
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The Witches of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite
Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (June 9, 1888 – June 25, 1960) was an Australian illustrator of children's books.
Working predominantly in pen and ink, and watercolour, Ida's illustrations mostly depicted fairies frolicking in Australian settings, often in the company of Australian native animals.
In 1985, Australia Post honoured Ida Rentoul Outhwaite with a postage stamp featuring the cover witch from Elves and Fairies.
And while we happen to be on the subject of witches...
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'Tis Near Halloween!
I'm going to try and get the whining out of the way before I get to the fun stuff. I'm so guilty of blog neglect that it's getting ridiculous! I came close to a wee meltdown this morning as I've been feeling very overwhelmed lately. Between work, medical appointments and life/family stuff, I'm being pulled in all directions. For that reason, I need to point out to all the strangers who have been emailing and messaging, asking me to promote their projects, that I'm really sorry, but I just simply don't have the time. Please understand that your request is just one of many (sooooooooo many) that I receive, and even taking the time to read through all the appeals and proposals means I've been neglecting my own work.
One little bit of pressure was relieved recently when my 17 year old son finished the short film he made for a local youth film festival. It's a documentary (with a twist of mockumentary) about his tennis club. Pulling something like this together over the last 6 months wasn't straightforward. He had to schedule people for interviews, get release forms signed, film around inclement winter weather conditions, and in the home stretch, lost a couple of weeks battling a nasty virus... all while keeping up with his studies at school. His filmmaking projects are made under the name Panic Guy Productions (the logo and illustration above were done by my husband) and never a more apt name there was! My husband and I were up half the night with him giving moral support and feedback before the deadline day for entries.... but he made it! Woohoo! Whether his film gets selected is now in the lap of the gods, and he will no doubt be up against older, more experienced film students, but I could not be more pleased for him that he accomplished this challenge he set for himself.
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| An Addams-tastic Gift from Magaly |
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| Phoebe and her Zombie Bunny |
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| Illustration by Matthew Kirscht |
Magical Magaly of Magaly Guerrero's Pagan Culture is having a Halloweenie blog party. The idea is to create something for Halloween (writing, art, craft, cooking, etc.) with a theme of witches or magic, then post about it on October 17. If you aren't able to participate, you're invited to just come along and see what the blog hop contributors have created. You can find out more information at Witches in Fiction... Crafting Blooming Howls.
Author Annie Walls and Black Heart Reviews will be co-hosting the Halloween Nevermore Rapport Blog Hop on October 30. You can do any kind of post you fancy as long as it is has an Edgar Allan Poe theme. Once again, if you aren't able to participate, just come along and enjoy the posts. You can find out more information here.
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Witches in Fiction 2014… Crafting Blooming Howls
Welcome to my wee contribution to the Witches in Fiction... Crafting Blooming Howls blog party, hosted by the lovely Magaly Guerrero of Pagan Culture blog.
This was not the post I had originally planned for this blog party, but when our magical hostess, Magaly, sent me the wonderful gift of a vintage novel based on The Addams Family television series a few days ago (here), she also included a bag of lavender in the package. It came with an instruction to have her explain the story behind "the purple stuff". As it turned out, this was no ordinary "purple stuff". No, indeedy! Magaly had picked it while strolling through... *breathes slowly into a paper bag*... Sleepy Hollow Cemetery! Squeal!
So, realizing that I was in possession of some very, very special "purple stuff", I temporarily set aside the project I was working on and instead made a Little Gothic Heart with red and black damask on one side, and bats on the other. And how does this fit with the witchy theme of this blog party? Well, this Little Gothic Heart is stuffed with lavender that was picked by a witch from arguably the most Halloween-y spot on the planet!
As this was a last minute idea, I was only able to make one heart in time for the hop, but I'm planning on making more and will hopefully do a giveaway down the track. Now, please do head on over to Magaly's blog and mingle with the other partygoers. ↧
Delightfully Dark Finds: Arsenic and Old Lace Cross-Stitched
Earlier this year, I wrote about the lovely Laura, from The Little Stitcher, after stumbling across a cross-stitch pattern that she had created of The Addams Family (here).
Now, I'm not a cross-stitcher, but if anything is going to inspire me to learn, it's Laura's lovely patterns. Plus, I've always got my cross-stitching mother as back-up.
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The Halloween Nevermore Rapport P(oe)arty!
My contribution to the P(oe)arty is a wee raven. I've been playing around with ideas for Little Gothic Crows for a while now and this hop (as is so often the case) gave me a deadline to finally get one finished. I'm quite pleased with the way he turned out, so I predict there will be more birdy-making in my future.
Thank you for visiting with me and please do head on over to Annie's blog for the list of P(oe)arty links, so that you can mingle with the other P(oe)artygoers.
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Happy Halloween!
Wishing everyone a spooktacular All Hallows' Eve! ❤
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The (Very) Post-Halloweeen Post - 2014
My decorating usually includes a faux cemetery scene in the living room, as you can see from the photo below of Phoebe playing her role as the "Graveyard Cat".
We also had a nice trickle of trick-or-treaters come to the door again this year and the kids all seemed pleased with the little treat bags I had prepared for them.
Yvonne of the Winter Moon blog celebrated Neil Gaiman's All Hallows Read (an initiative with the purpose of encouraging the giving of spooky books at Halloween) by generously gifting a number of her buddies here in Blogland with packages that not only contained a delightfully dark novel, but other charmingly macabre goodies. I was the lucky recipient of Neil Gaiman's Stardust, plus a cornucopia of bats, snakes, spiders, creepy chocolates, vintage horror movie postcards and Jessie Larson art cards.
Thank you both so much lovely ladies! ❤While we're still on the subject of Yvonne, she has just started selling some of her beautiful photography and artwork as prints and homewares on the Society6 website. She has some fabulous designs, like the ones below, in her Winter Moon shop there.
It seems that Blogland is bursting with excitement and activity at the moment because gorgeous friend Magaly Guerrero released her latest book, Blooming Howls. I have only recently come into possession of a hand-me-down iPad (from sister to parents to me), and Magaly's Blooming Howls was my first ever digital book purchase.I hope everyone had a spooktacular Halloween! And now it is time to brace ourselves for the onslaught of the Yuletide season.
I'll leave you with a cartoon of my beloved Addams Family by Charles "Chas" Addams.
"Suddenly, I have a dreadful urge to be merry."
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Phoebe's Nightmare Before Christmas!
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Happy New Year!
Wishing everyone a darkly delightful 2015! ❤
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Happy Birthday, Charles Addams!
You made the world a little less pastel, dear Mr Addams! ;)
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Happy Birthday, Edgar Allan Poe!
The events leading up to his mysterious death in Baltimore, on October 7, 1849, remain the subject of great speculation to this day. The movie, The Raven (2012), is a fictionalized account of those last days of Poe's life, in which the author pursues a serial killer whose murders are re-enactments of his stories.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Poe!
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