Day of the Dead...

Well, Halloween came and went. I meant to post on the very day but I was just too busy! I went to a carnival with my nephews and family. My costume was almost Egyptian Queen but I ended up wanting to be scary (surprise, surprise)! I dug up my fangs and went as a vampire.
I really loved my makeup! I'll post another pic with fangs if I can get it :) Picture courtesy of my hubby at Mask Photo.
Before the spirit of Halloween has totally left us for another year, I want to show you a few more crafts that I labored on this month. They came out just the way I wanted. Of course, I have to give credit to the person who inspired me, Sheila at Cheeky Magpie! Here are the gorgeous crowns she created. I used her template to make one of my own.
Sheila's:

Mine:

This was so much fun! I got sick with the flu in the middle of this and my next project though. They almost didn't get finished in time. The overall feel of it isn't as Halloweenie (Halloweenish? Halloweenesque?) as I wanted but I really love it. Also, the black and white paper was designed by me :) Here's a close up so you can see the bats and dragons. There's also some rib cages and skulls thrown in...

I would definitely do this again, maybe with a harvest theme? Thank you Sheila! But her inspiration didn't end there...

This beautiful banner, spelling out "Beware" just blew me away. It's so lovely but Halloween at the same time! She used velvet on paper. As soon as I read her tutorial, I was all over it. Hidden deep in my closet was some extra orange fabric. I've also been using pages from a very old copy of A Wrinkle in Time to craft with. Perfect! Here's what I came up with...


I stamped on mine instead of spelling out a message. I think next year I will work on it some more, stabilizing the holes for the ribbon and maybe backing it with some patterned paper for extra strength. I want this banner to last for years!
I almost forgot, I did another Cheeky Magpie craft. I had a little trouble with this one. Hoping for some guidance I left a message on Sheila's blog. She got right back to me and was very nice. Thanks! Here are her glam tombstones...

And here is the one that I was able to do. Only one (even though I want a graveyard full) because I don't have the proper cutting implements. You can bet some new items went on my Christmas wish list!

This was also a lot of fun to make. Her template offers five different headstone shapes so you can bet I'll be busy next year ;)
I hope you all will pay Cheeky Magpie a visit. I'm really excited to see what she does for Christmas!
Finally, we arrive at my title project. This is very special to me. In the past, I have created elaborate altars with food and flowers to honor my beloved dead. Today I just want to share their names. I made a layout with various free scrapbook kits from the internet. The ancient Egyptians believed that if you stop saying the names of the dead, they cease to exist in the afterlife. So, praying for them and talking about them is essential for them to continue. Personally, I strive to keep them alive in my heart. Our memories are all that are left of our loved ones and those are precious indeed.

blessings everyone,
Allison