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The Vampire's Day Soiree and Other Upcoming Bloggy Affairs

February 8, 2015, 2:56 pm
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Blood and Crumpets by Austin Hillebrecht
Oh my!  It's February! Where did January disappear to in such a hurry?! Blogland is abuzz with preparations for blog parties, a sure sign that the new year is well underway, but before I get to that, I need to thank some delightful and generous Blogland friends.


First up is Yvonne from Winter Moon blog. Way back during the Yuletide festivities she sent me this gorgeous little ornate mirror. And isn't the card just lovely?!

She also sent me a print of Jessie Larson's cover artwork for The Outsmarting of Criminals by Steven Rigolosi. Yvonne and I are both admirers of Jessie Larson's art and she knew how much I would love it! Thank you so much, Yvonne! ❤


Those of you already acquainted with Yvonne know full well what an utter sweetie she is, but if you haven't had the pleasure of meeting her yet, do pop over to Winter Moon for a visit.


Another Blogland sweetheart is Debi from Easel & Quill. Debi is actually hosting one of the aforementioned blog parties (more on that below), but I also need to thank her for this beautiful art card she organized to have sent to me from Suziqu, an Australian crafter. Thank you, Debi! ❤

I also recently received a lovely package of goodies from the adorable Bec of Gothic Flamingo, but I'll be sharing more of that with you in an upcoming post... once I've had a chance to take some photos.

And now, to the blog parties...

If you've got a blog but have never participated in a blog hop/fest/party/challenge, I encourage you to give it a whirl. They are brilliant as creative prompts and you meet fantastic people mingling at these virtual gatherings. Some of my favourite Blogland buddies were discovered during blog parties.


The Vampire's Day Soiree (February 14) is hosted by Holly of Holly's Horrorland. This will be the fourth year for this annual event and it's bloody good fun! Click on the link to sign-up or to get more information.


The Creative Coupling & Bleeding Hearts Day Challenge is hosted by Debi from Easel & Quill. For this challenge you can post any time up until February 16. Click on the link to sign-up or to get more information.

The Shadow of Oz (April 11) is hosted by Oma Linda from Olde Baggs N Stuffed Shirts. Shadow of Oz is the theme of this year's annual Celebrate 0z blog party. Once again, just click on the link to sign-up or to get more information.

By the way, the artwork for Shadow of Oz is by another wonderful bloggy pal, Shelle Kennedy of Sunshine Shelle.

If you aren't able to sign-up to participate in a blog party, you are still very welcome to come along and just enjoy the posts. Hope to see you there! :)


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Creative Coupling and Bleeding Hearts Day Challenge

February 13, 2015, 2:09 am
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Delightful Debi of Easel & Quill blog set a Creative Coupling and Bleeding Hearts Day Challenge for the residents of Blogland. I think what she actually wanted was for us to dream up an interesting, original pairing, but... ahem...  you know I just had to pick Morticia and Gomez, right?! They are the ultimate romantic coupling for me!

John Astin and Carolyn Jones (above) played Gomez and Mortica in The Addams Family television series (1964 - 1966).


 Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston (below) played Gomez and Morticia in the movies, The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).

And below we have Gomez and Morticia as they were depicted in cartoon form by their creator, the great Charles "Chas" Addams.

The perfect couple!  ❤



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The Vampire's Day Soiree 2015

February 14, 2015, 12:31 am
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Welcome to my shadowy little corner of the most spooktacular, sanguinary soiree of the season, hosted by the fangtastic Holly of Holly's Horrorland. Here is my contribution to the night's festivities:

Edward Gorey's  Dracula
I love the art of Edward Gorey and I'm particularly partial to the works he created based on Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Edward Gorey designed the costumes and sets for the Broadway production of Dracula, which opened on October 20, 1977, at the Martin Beck Theatre, and ran until January 6, 1980. The stunning sets recreated Gorey's  trademark black and white cross-hatched illustrative style with just the occasional touch of red. *swoon*

The play itself was a revival of the 1927 Broadway version of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. At the 1978 Tony Awards, Edward Gorey won for Best Costume Design and was nominated for Best Scenic Design. The play also won a Tony Award for Most Innovative Production of a Revival.

Frank Langella (above) was the first actor to play Count Dracula in this production. 

Then Raul Julia (above) took on the role. Raul Julia, of course, was the actor who went on to play Gomez Addams in the movies The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).

English actor Jeremy Brett (above), who is probably best know for playing Sherlock Holmes in a Granada television series, starred in the touring production of the play (1978 -1979).

Frank Langella went on to star as the Count again in the 1979 film version of the play, directed by John Badham. The film also starred Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasance, and Kate Nelligan.

Apparently John Badham had originally intended to shoot the film in black and white, referencing both the 1931 film of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, and Edward Gorey's stage design, but Universal disapproved. The director chose to desaturate the colour in later video and DVD releases of the film, making them differ from the initial theatrical release.

If you have never seen the Langella movie, it's definitely worth a look. The story deviates from Bram Stoker's novel, but the film is just so visually exquisite. The cinematography, and Edwardian sets and costumes are gorgeous.

I managed to track down a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula (above right) that was designed and illustrated by Edward Gorey. I also have a copy of In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires (above left) with Edward Gorey cover art.

I've made up a montage (above) of the character artwork in the Gorey illustrated edition of Dracula.

Edward Gorey's Dracula - A Toy Theatre (above), which is a squeal-worthy paper miniature of the actual sets and costumes for the Broadway production, is another treasure in my personal Gorey collection.

Thank you for joining me here and please do fly on over to Holly's Horrorland to mingle with the other soiree guests. You'll have a bloody good time!



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Shadows of Oz

April 11, 2015, 2:05 am
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Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz
Oma Linda's Celebrate Oz blog parties are always delightful affairs, but this year's Shadows of Oz theme was just that wee bit extra enticing for the likes of me. 

When I first saw The Wizard of Oz as a child, the most enthralling and frightening portion of the movie  was the tornado scene. A young girl being carried off by a destructive twister was disturbing enough, but the creepy cherry on top was the view Dorothy had from her window as her house was buffeted about in the centre of the whirling winds. The eerie and sinister imagery of nasty Miss Gulch peddling on her bicycle and then transforming into a cackling witch atop a broomstick was very unsettling.


I wanted to include a special quote from the film and I think this one nicely highlights the shadowy nature of the witch. Killing Dorothy was one thing, but threatening to kill her little dog too... well that's truly a 10 on the old wickedness scale!

The fate of the dog  was obviously of paramount importance to me as a kid because I remember also being horrified at the prospect of little Toto perishing in the enchanted poppy field, which brings me nicely to my wee giveaway...

This is Poppy (she can no longer recall her true name), a tiny creature created by the Wicked Witch of the West and then forced to serve her. After managing a daring escape from the witch's castle, Poppy unwittingly leapt from the frying pan into the fire when she found herself in a field of Oz's deadly poppies. Had she been human, she would surely have succumbed to the lethal scent of the scarlet flowers and fallen into an eternal sleep. However, overcome by the intoxicating fumes, she simply slipped into a reverie, and lost any desire to be parted from the blooms. Now she no longer knows where they end and she begins.

If you would like a chance to win Poppy, just let me know in the comments below.  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 and the only rule is that you must be a follower of Little Gothic Horrors either here or Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. The giveaway will be open until Friday, April 17, at 11:00 PM Eastern US time. I will announce the winner next weekend.

Now, this is not in the least bit shadowy, but to finish up, I just had to include these adorable pictures of a 1970 reunion of The Wizard of Oz cast members Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Margaret Hamilton, from the Doctor Macro site.

Thank you for joining me for my contribution to Shadows of Oz. To mingle with the other party-goers, just head on over to Olde Baggs N Stuffed Shirts, the blog of our wonderful hostess Oma Linda... before I release the Winged Monkeys.


Fly! Fly! Fly! 




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And the winner is...

April 24, 2015, 6:04 pm
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I think I jumped from the Wizard of Oz to Alice in Wonderland this week because like the White Rabbit, I'm late... very late announcing the winner of my giveaway for Oma Linda's Shadows of Oz  blog party. I assigned a number to each comment in the order that they were left and then let the RANDOM.ORG Random Number Generator make a selection:

1. Winter Moon
2. Rommy
3. Gina
4. Magaly
5. Insomniac's Attic
6. Oma Linda
7. Lora
8. Lucretia
9. Kim
10. Laura
11. Debi
12. Gabriel
13. James
14. April
15. Sunshineshelle
16. Beverly
17. Siobhan
18. Gatekeeper
19. Magic Love Crow
20. Nina
21. Jessie
22. Mark
23. Persephone



And the winner is...


Nina!

Thank you to everyone who visited me and/or participated in this fun event. As soon as I get your details, Nina, Poppy will be on her way to you!








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May Mad Hat Day 2015

May 2, 2015, 3:02 am
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This is my wee contribution to the May Mad Hat Day celebrations hosted by delightful Debi of Puddleduck Grange. I decided to make Phoebe a tiny top hat... because every little cat should have a top hat... right?!

After searching the internet for tutorials, I finally found one for making mini, paper, burlesque-style top hats. I had to scale down the template to make the brim small enough to fit between Phoebe's ears and then figure out how to make it in felt rather than paper. I then set to work with some cardboard, felt, glue, scissors, and an endless stream of profanities... as it was a diabolically fiddly undertaking. Anyhoo, I finally got it made, and I've been popping it on the poor cat's head all week, and chuckling madly... as any mad hatter is wont to do. ;)

Thank you for visiting, and to see more mad hats, stroll on over to Puddleduck Grange for links to the other May Mad Hat Day participants.



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Mad Monster Madness 2015

May 31, 2015, 12:03 am
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Welcome to my shadowy, wee corner of the 4th annual May Monster Madness blog party, hosted by author Annie Walls. For this year's festivities,  Maynard from the Horror Movie Diary blog suggested the theme of insects and creepy crawlies, so I've gone with my favourite arachnid, Homer.

In the sixties series of The Addams Family, the animal-loving clan had all manner of treasured critters. Pugsley's special pet was an octopus named Aristotle, and the creature Wednesday cherished the most was her spider, Homer.

When Granny Frump (Morticia's mother) was feeling a little depressed about getting old (Season 2, Episode 22, 'Happy Birthday, Grandma Frump'), Wednesday attempted to cheer her up by reciting this poem she wrote about Homer:




Wednesday: "Did you like it?"
Granny Frump: "It's sweet... but I'm still sad."


Thank you for joining Wednesday, Homer, and me for May Monster Madness! Just click on the links below to mingle with the other partygoers.

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Witches in Fiction: Death Rites and Remembrances

October 16, 2015, 9:51 pm
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Welcome to my wee offering for Witches in Fiction: Death Rites and Remembrances, hosted by my pal, writer Magaly Guerrero.

A while back, Magaly began a series of Camp Cute, Creepy and (Quite Conveniently) Remote tales. She based some of her characters on sinister little girls created by her artist and doll making buddies. My little vampire dolly, Drusilla, was one of Magaly's creepy campers.

My original Drusilla had already been adopted, so I decided to make Magaly her very own Drusilla, and she is being unveiled here for the first time. Magaly envisioned Drusilla as a 13 year old, so I made some changes in order to make this dolly look a tad more mature. Drusilla will soon be boarding a plane to go and... um... "live" with Magaly. Of course, we all know that vampires detest airplane journeys... all those time zones and pesky sunrises... so Drusilla will travel in a... er... "box"... in the cargo hold.

And now for the tenuous link to the Witches in Fiction: Death Rites and Remembrances theme:

Being a member of the undead doesn't necessarily guarantee immortality. Occasionally a relative or two falls victim to an angry mob of villagers bearing torches and pitchforks, or to a tenacious vampire slayer. Fallen ancestors are always in the hearts and minds of the family though, and their unfortunate demises also serve as cautionary tales for overconfident little vampires.

Now, if you have a penchant for disquieting little girls then you will love Magaly's Camp Cute, Creepy and (Quite Conveniently) Remote stories. You can read them here, under Web Serials. And don't forget to check out the other posts for Witches in Fiction: Death Rites and Remembrances.



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Vampire's Day Soiree 2016

February 13, 2016, 5:17 pm
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Once again, the fang-tastic Holly of Holly's Horrorland is hosting the season's most sanguinary sensation, The Vampire's Day Soiree! I bid you all  welcome to my... er... neck of the woods, and hope you enjoy my little contribution to the evening's entertainment at this most bloody of bashes.

When Groovy and Gothic Collide!

My introduction to vampires began with Hammer's 1971 film Lust for a Vampire... or more precisely, the toned-down-for-television To Love a Vampire. After what was probably incessant pleading, my father let me stay up late to watch it on TV with him. It was the first horror movie I had ever seen, and had a massive impact on me. It really is spectacularly silly in parts, but it not only spawned a life-long love of the vampire genre, but also a soft spot for something that I personally refer to as "groovy-gothic".

 
Lust for a Vampire gave rise to a lasting impression in my youthful psyche that female vampires were seventies dolly birds who wafted through eerie graveyards in revealing, diaphanous gowns, and that crumbling castle ruins went hand in hand with far-out musical montages.


This groovy connection to the gothic was further consolidated with movies like Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), Count Yorga, Vampire (1970), and The Return of Count Yorga (1971), which took the gothic vampire and placed him in a contemporary, swinging seventies setting.

Dracula A.D. 1972 even featured American band Stoneground performing two songs, Alligator Man and You Better Come Through for Me. For many, this was a decidedly low point for Hammer Studios, but I adored all the gloriously groovy nonsense!



The groovy-gothic vampire also bared his fangs on the small screen in the form of Barnabas Collins in the Dark Shadows soap opera (1966 - 1971). I didn't see the original show, in fact, I don't think it ever actually aired in Australia, but Tim Burton's 2012 Dark Shadows movie is an absolute favourite of mine.



Interestingly, I've seen interviews with Tim Burton in which he mentions not only how much he loved running home from school to watch the Dark Shadows series, but also that Dracula A.D. 1972 was a big influence on his career.


So as much as I thoroughly enjoy a traditional gothic vampire tale, I will always have a sentimental attachment to the sublime, and sometimes cheesy, groovy-gothic vamp. Even having Bela Lugosi's incarnation of Count Dracula juxtaposed with the 1976 cover design of Dracula Classic makes my heart sing.


Thank you for joining me for a little groovy-gothic, vamp-tastic fun! Please feel free to mingle with the other passionate-for-plasma partygoers here.


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May Monster Madness 2016!

May 4, 2016, 3:50 am
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Click HERE for the May Monster Madness Blog Party!

The annual May Monster Madness blog party is nigh! Well... actually...  it's on Saturday, May 28, to be precise!

May Monster Madness is usually hosted by writer Annie Walls, but Annie is taking a little break this year, so I'll be taking on the hosting duties with the much appreciated assistance of Magaly Guerrero, Holly's Horrorland, Maynard's Horror Movie Diary, and Not This Time, Nayland Smith blogs. These guys are all wonderful, so if you don't happen to know them already, just click on their names to visit their blogs.

If you have a blog, and you would like to join the monster-y madness, simply sign up using the linky at the bottom of this post. If you're interested, but you've never participated in a blog party before, please don't be shy! The more the merrier! Blog parties are fun, inspiring, and a great way to meet other people in the blogging community. If you're confused about anything, feel free to email me (info@littlegothichorrors.com).

All you need to do is create a monster-themed post ready for the party on May 28. It would also be great if you could try and spread the word a little on your blog or other social media. You can take the picture above and pop it into the sidebar of your blog with a link back to this post.

Ideally, please try and have your post up as early as possible on May 28 to give everyone plenty of time, in all the different time zones, to see your brilliant contribution over the course of the weekend. Once your May Monster Madness post is published, just leave a link to it in the comments on my MMM post. I will be putting up a list of links to the party posts so everyone can easily mingle. And remember, the secret to a great blog party is mingling! Try and make your way around to see the posts of other MMM participants. 

Every year someone inevitably asks, "What does "Monster" mean, exactly?" Well, first of all, don't stress about it! Interpret "Monster" in pretty much any way you want. For example:

* Vampires
* Werewolves
* Zombies
* Mummies
* Demons
* Yetis
* Frankenstein's Monster and/or the Bride
* The Creature from the Black Lagoon
* Evil Monsters
* Scary Monsters
* Misunderstood Monsters
* Lovable Monsters
* Heroic Monsters
* Cute Monsters
* Cartoon Monsters
* Fairy Tale Monsters
* Mythological Creatures
* Urban Legends
* Heinous Humans

You get the idea! Your post can be dark, light or somewhere in-between.

The sky's virtually the limit with the type of post too! Here are some ideas to mull over:

* Fiction
* Poetry
* Article
* Art
* Craft
* Movie Reviews
* Book Reviews
* Cooking
* Gardening

Whatever interests you, as long as it is monster-y in some way!

So... If this sounds like your cup of tea, just leave your details in the linky. If you change your mind, or are unable to participate, just email me and I will take you off the list.

Looking forward to sharing the May Monster Madness with you all on May 28!


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Welcome to May Monster Madness 2016!

May 27, 2016, 9:24 pm
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Hello and welcome to the 5th annual May Monster Madness blog party! (Which is usually hosted by Annie Walls, but I'm keeping her seat toasty until she resumes hosting duties in 2017.) Thank you to Magaly Guerrero, Holly's Horrorland, Maynard's Horror Movie Diary, and Not This Time, Nayland Smith blogs for generously offering to assist me in this task. And thank you also to the bloggers who signed up to participate in this year's May Monster Madness. I'm looking forward to seeing all your monster-y posts and hope that everyone will try and get around to visit with the other participants over the course of the weekend festivities.


I love all kinds of monsters, but I was once again inspired by my beloved Addamses for this year's MMM. One of the many things I adored about the sixties incarnation of The Addams Family was the way the show utilized irony. The Addamses may have been peculiar and macabre, but they were also unwaveringly decent, honorable, tolerant, and generous. The so-called normal, upstanding citizens, however, who regularly crossed paths with the Addams clan were invariably judgmental, rude, opportunistic, and dishonest. This paradox was amplified in the case of the family's resident "monsters", Cousin Itt and Thing, who were never anything other than benign and helpful, and yet the mere sight of them would send visitors screaming for the exit.

Just recently I have begun teaching myself needle felt sculpting, so to celebrate the monster-y madness of the Addams household, I made a Cousin Itt.


If you would like an opportunity to win Cousin Itt, just comment below with, "You rang?" (Please note that Cousin Itt is a decorative piece designed for display. He is not a toy and not suitable for young children.)

If you would also like to win one of five, "Black is such a happy color.", fridge magnets, just comment below with, "Happy".

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 Tuesday, May 31st, at 11:00 p.m. US Eastern Daylight Time.

PARTY-GOERS

Little Gothic Horrors
Magaly Guerrero
Something wicKED this way comes...
The Curious Professor Z
Holly's Horrorland
She Who Seeks
It Came From The Man Cave!
Maynard's Horror Movie Diary
Little Corp Goth Girl
Goth Gardening
The Walrus Room
Winter Moon
Hallowe'en Ornie SAL Blog
Writer on Wheels
Kara's Creations
Dream in Darkness
Gina
MonsterMartha
MagicLoveCrow
Not This Time, Nayland Smith
Kestril's Rhythms and Groove
Witchery Grove
Dr. Theda's Crypt


Thank you for visiting! Happy May Monster Madness!!

The giveaway is now closed! Winners will be announced soon!!



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And the May Monster Madness Winners are...

June 13, 2016, 5:08 am
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I assigned a number to each comment in the order that they were left and the winners were chosen by the RANDOM.ORG Random Number Generator.

There were 24 entries for Cousin Itt:
 

"You Rang?"


1.MonsterMartha
2. Jo who can't think of a clever nickname
3. Kara
4. Sari/Granne
5. Maynard
6. Laura M
7. Nautical Knitter
8. Rommy
9. Deborah Decker
10. Debra She Who Seeks
11. Holly B. Strange
12. Claudia Valle
13. Ladan Soodmand
14. Magaly Guerrero
15. Sharon Rawson
16. The Professor
17. Sylvie D
18. Jane K
19. Sary Walrus
20. Desta Sirrine
21. Gina
22. Magic Love Crow
23. Chris Hewson
24. whitejenna


And the winner is:





Number 16, The Professor!! 


As soon as I get your address, Professor, I'll mail Cousin Itt off to you!


There were 22 entries for one of 5 Morticia quote magnets:

"Happy"


1. MonsterMartha
2. Jo who can't think of a clever nickname
3. Kara
4. Sari/Granne
5. Maynard
6. Laura M
7. Nautical Knitter
8. Rommy
9. Deborah Decker
10. Debra She Who Seeks
11. Holly B. Strange
12. Claudia Valle
13. Ladan Soodmand
14. Magaly Guerrero
15. Jane K
16. Desta Sirrine
17. Gina
18. Magic Love Crow
19. Chris Hewson
20. Ms Misantropia
21. Mama Zen
22. Sunshineshelle

And the winners are:




1. Number 19, Chris Hewson

2. Number 1, MonsterMartha

3. Number 15, Jane K

4. Number 5, Maynard

5. Number 2, Jo who can't think of a clever nickname


I'll be contacting you all for your addresses and your magnets will soon be winging their way to you!

Thanks so much to everyone who participated and/or visited during May Monster Madness 2016!



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The Burton Blog Bash 2016

September 26, 2016, 4:24 am
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Hi bloggy friends! As you may have noticed, I'm not around Blogland too much these days. Lack of time has meant that I'm really only here for parties, but with Halloween nigh (woohoo!), celebratory bloggy-shenanigans abound!

Holly (Holly's Horrorland) and I are throwing a wee Burton Blog Bash on September 30, which coincides with the release of Tim Burton's new movie Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. This is just a bit of fun, so if you're a Burton fan, and you think you might be interested, just click on the link for more details!

And while I'm here, I also want to mention that my adorable friend Magaly is once again holding her Witches in Fiction blog fest. This event is now in its sixth year! For more information just click on the link.

'Tis the season! Hope to see you at the parties!
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Welcome to the Burton Blog Bash 2016

September 30, 2016, 12:01 am
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Welcome to my wee corner of the Burton Blog Bash, which I am co-hosting with my lovely bloggy friend, Holly, of Holly's Horrorland.

Anyone who knows me at all, knows that I'm mad about Tim Burton! When Holly suggested we throw a celebratory blog bash to coincide with the release of the great man's new movie, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children... well, I was on it like a seagull on a hot chip, people! Tim Burton is responsible for some of my all-time favourite movies: Beetlejuice, Batman Returns, Dark Shadows, Sleepy Hollow... and the list goes on!

So, to pay tribute to Mr. Burton, I have needle-felted a Jack Skellington ornie for a giveaway. As I'm sure you all know, Jack is a leading citizen of Halloween Town in Tim Burton's stop-motion animated film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. So if you'd like a chance to win him, just put the words "Pumpkin King" in the comments below.

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 if you win.) I will announce the winner in about a week's time.

Holly will be posting a list of all the other participants in the Burton Blog Bash, so please do visit her blog for a bit of a mingle with the other guests.

Thank you for stopping by!


* This giveaway has now ended. The winner will be announced soon. *
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And The Burton Blog Bash Winner is...

October 21, 2016, 3:17 am
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I assigned a number to each comment in the order that they were left and the winner was chosen by the RANDOM.ORG Random Number Generator.

1. Sunshineshelle
2. Chris Hewson
3. Rommy
4. Living Dead Girl Nicole
5. Sharon Rawson
6. Debra She Who Seeks
7. Debi Livsey
8. Sarah
9. Magaly
10. Gina
11. Miranda
12. Lesthi
13. Ladan
14. Holly
15. Dr. Theda
16. Insomniac's Attic
17. whitejenna
18. Sary Walrus
19. Melancholy and Menace
20. Magic Love Crow

And the winner is:



Number 7!  Debi Livsey!


Jack will soon be winging his way to you, Debi!

Thanks so much to everyone who participated and/or visited during the Burton Blog Bash 2016.


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Witches in Fiction 2016

October 21, 2016, 4:04 am
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Firstly, I'd like to thank Magaly Guerrero for hosting the Witches in Fiction blog event for the sixth year running, and welcome you to my little corner of Blogland to peruse my humble contribution to the proceedings.

I have to confess, I feel like a bit of a fraud participating in Witches in Fiction, being that I'm neither a practicing pagan nor a writer. Even more so as the theme of this year's WiF event is "Spelling Healing into a Rotting World" and the "entry must include some sort of magic and a fictional storyline". I suspect the parameters of that rule will be stretched further than the elastic in a worn out pair of underpants by the time I'm finished, but anyhoo, here we go...

I want to tell you a tale about a magical animated film called The Iron Giant (1999), which is loosely based on the novel The Iron Man (1968) by Ted Hughes. Set during the Cold War in the fictional town of Rockwell, Maine, the film relates the story of nine year old Hogarth Hughes befriending a giant, mysterious, weaponized robot that has fallen out of the sky.



Now, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen the film (and if you haven't seen it, I urge you to do so), but what I will say, is that against the backdrop of escalating Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, The Iron Giant is a celebration of friendship, tolerance, loyalty, individualism, misfits, and even art. One of my favourite characters is Dean McCoppin (voiced by Harry Connick, Jr.), who is a beatnik junkyard owner who creates sculptures out of his scrap metal. I defy you not to fall in love with Dean! But the main reason I chose The Iron Giant to spell healing into this rotting world is the film's central message:

"You are who you choose to be!"


We may feel powerless to do anything about the depressing events being played out across our TV screens on the nightly news, but we do have control over our own actions. We can each choose to be "Superman" rather than "Atomo the Metal Menace" (watch the film!), and then, just maybe, we might inspire others to take the higher road with us.

I hope I have convinced you to give The Iron Giant a watch, (or perhaps, a re-watch). You're bound to feel uplifted and positive after having seen it, and what could be more magical than that?!

Thank you for dropping by for a visit with me, and now, please head off to Magaly's blog for links to the other participants. There are also six giveaways to enter (SIX!!!), including a chance to win one of my crows, pictured above.

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Beautiful Freaks Fest, 2017

May 31, 2017, 9:00 pm
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With the revival of Twin Peaks, my husband, son and I have been revisiting the original series over the last couple of months. The town of Twin Peaks is a place both “wonderful and strange”. There is a lurking evil, but it is also populated with an assortment of delightful oddballs (Audrey is my favourite beautiful freak!) It got me thinking about the fictional characters that I adore, like The Addams Family, and so many of the protagonists in Tim Burton’s movies. After getting involved in a chat with my pal Magaly Guerrero, I discovered that we were both mulling over the same theme, and before long we found ourselves busily organizing a blog party.

Magaly came up with the brilliant title, Beautiful Freaks Fest, and here she explains the concept behind our little party: 

“Join us in a celebration of all the misunderstood monsters, misfits, outcasts, and oddities of the world. Let us explore the tragic, ironic, mad, funny… from the quirkiness of The Addams Family to the deep mind of the Frankenstein’s monster, from the fun creepiness of carnival and sideshow attractions to the eeriness of wax museums. Think characters from Tim Burton movies and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, gentle igors and adorable harpies, mummies with loving (if mildly shriveled) hearts… all the so-called monsters and aberrations who are often kinder than the humans in the stories they bring to life.

Write a story (313 words or fewer), make a doll, birth a poem, paint a pretty freak, share a review, retell a myth, create a new myth, craft jewelry for a vampire… post something you love about beautiful freaks and tell us why you love it. Have a blast. Grin madly.”

Party Details:
  • Add your blog link to the Inlinkz tool below. Magaly and I are sharing this linky, so your link will show up on both our blogs.
  • The party begins on June 23 through to June 25, so you’ve got the whole weekend to visit with other participants. Please mingle, it’s a party!
  • If you don’t have a blog, you can post on Instagram or Facebook. See our party hashtag below.
  • You can post every day if you wish, but only one entry per each social media platform each day.
  • On the day of the party, Magaly and I will include a fresh Inlinkz tool with our posts so that you can leave your party links. To make it easier for everyone, please leave your post links in the linky, not the comments.
  • Feel free to share the banner on your blog, Instagram, or Facebook, so we can spread the word. The more the merrier!
  • If you’re not sure about anything, just leave me a question in the comments below.

Hope to see you at the Beautiful Freaks Fest!

Instagram

Magaly: @magalyguerreroindarkerwords
Emma:   @groovygothic

Party tag: #BeautifulFreaksFest2017



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Welcome to the Beautiful Freaks Fest 2017!

June 23, 2017, 6:00 am
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My beautiful freak is Miss Harriet Valcadash, a little wolf girl. "Valcadash" is an old English name meaning "bright, strong-willed, and hairy", which suits young Harriet to a T!

Please add your direct party link to either the linky below or the linky on the blog of my friend and co-host Magaly Guerrero.

And please go and mingle with the other partygoers! Thank you for visiting! ❤

You can also find us on Instagram:

Magaly: @magalyguerreroindarkerwords
Emma:   @groovygothic

Party tag: #BeautifulFreaksFest2017


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October's Heart-Bits with Magaly, 2017

October 1, 2017, 10:31 pm
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It's time for some spooky season shenanigans! Head on over to Magaly's blog for more information and to sign up.
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Welcome to October's Heart-Bits with Magaly, 2017

October 27, 2017, 6:53 pm
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Welcome to my wee contribution to October's Heart Bits with Magaly, hosted by the fabulous Magaly Guerrero.

The Magic of Needle-Felting
or
For the Love of Stabbing

I started needle-felting about 18 months ago. I was intrigued by the possibilities of this craft, but like anything new, diving in can be a little daunting. I soon discovered, however, that needle-felting is a craft that is not only easy to teach yourself, but it requires minimal tools and materials.

Essentially, you need a foam work pad, felting needles, and wool to get started, then you just need to have the patience to poke, poke, poke at the wool as you shape and smooth it into virtually whatever you can imagine. Just a word of caution though, be prepared to occasionally stab yourself with those sharp needles, especially in the beginning...  







The first picture shows the special felting wool and needles alongside a foundation shape that I felted... 


... which eventually became Cousin Itt. 

Here are some more pieces that I have needle-felted:




 
If you would like to give needle-felting a go, here are some of my recommendations to get you started:


Wool

I personally like to needle-felt with Norwegian C1 wool batting, which I purchase from Dream Felt. It felts up beautifully!


Needles

My favourite needles are by Felt Alive. I've tried others but the Felt Alive needles are the best, in my opinion. They are colour-coded and cushioned making them so convenient and comfortable to use. The Felt Alive website has lots of information and tutorials to help you get started.


Video Tutorials

I used books and videos to teach myself needle-felting. Here are links to a couple of basic tutorials that you may find useful:

Tutorial 1
Tutorial 2

Thank you for dropping by for a visit. Please do head on over to Magaly's to mingle with the other partygoers! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN


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