Halloween: Spooky Season: Dressed Up

I didn't have anything to match the previous couple prompts, so I skipped them. But today will work to show the main resident of the Van Buren half-scale dollhouse... the elderly lady is still waiting in the dining room for her lost love....

** Today is Day 24 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. (Click photos for full size.)

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

TODAY'S PROMPT: Dressed Up

The doll was one of those generic porcelain figures I had bought cheap somewhere. I painted her fully gray (even her hair), and then redressed her in lace and fabrics I also dirtied-up. Thought she fit here well. Even the vintage "ghost" girls by the window wore their best!

I still have to add a few pictures on the walls and some silverware, plus more Halloween accessories. The spooky table and bench seat is part of the Gothic set from SDK Miniatures.

But speaking of the theme... look there's someone at the door, why it's Mr. Pumpkinhead! Well...and he's wearing his Sunday Best! Oh... do you think it's safe to let him in? We really don't know him very well...

I put the patio temporarily in front of the house and I think it looks really good. I have to make some adjustments and also add more on the outside of the house and the balcony, but I like  how the colors match. It looks so much better with black squares.

One thing I did add that I can't believe I forgot - a couple gargoyles on the top roof. Not a great photo but the best I can do until the whole house is moved. 

There are more visitors coming for Halloween, so stay tuned! Working on the attic and a few things in the kitchen yet so be sure to come back soon!

Thanks for visiting again!

Halloween: Spooky Season Fall Leaves

 I'm behind. Well, I could've done this yesterday so hurrying this morning. I even have a garden utensils kit... somewhere. Grr! I have to organize better! And then Google was acting up and wouldn't let me upload a photo. Frankly, everything seems to act up once Chrome was updated - again!

So, for now, some leaves fell on the  Van Buren half-scale dollhouse patio....

** Today is Day 20 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. (Click photos for full size.)

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

TODAY'S PROMPT: Leaves

Halloween: Spooky Season: Fall Picnic

 Hungry???

"Hand" sandwich, anyone? Let me give you a hand...Ok, I'll stop.  haaa!

Considering that these are Halloween posts, this Fall Picnic for today's prompt is going to be a bit, er, different! 

** Today is Day 19 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. (Click photos for full size.)

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

TODAY'S PROMPT: Fall Picnic

To me, a Fall Picnic can consist of whatever you like. And when it's Halloween time, well.... 

Let's start with some Bloody Marys, of course! and some appetizers. (All food by me, www.cverstraete.com)

Mmm, crunchy!

Don't fill up! We've got much more for the next course. Lots to eat and drink!

Hope you had plenty to eat! Don't worry, there's plenty more where this came from.... There is a graveyard nearby....heh-heh.... I mean the kitchen! 💀😅

Thanks again for visiting! Don't forget to stop by for more posts.

Halloween: Spooky Season: Wee Folk Among the Trees

 

Among the trees....

Well, this is a tough one and I didn't want to skip a day. I think of wee folk as fairies, the Fae, but...I don't have any mini fairies... that I can see! They are not showing themselves to me!

** Today is Day 17 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. (Click photos for full size.)

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

TODAY'S PROMPT: The Wee Folk and Day 18 - Among the Trees....

Well, reading the two days of prompts together gives me a better idea.

I love lit miniature trees, of all kinds, shapes, sizes...

So, peek around the trees I set up for Halloween and maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to spot one of the wee folk. I'm still looking but optimistic. 😏 But there are some strange people lurking among the tombstones....

Side of the Witch's Cottage.

What lurks behind the tombstones? (Maybe that winged dog is part of the Fairy Folk?)

Thanks for visiting again! Come back for more posts and projects....

Halloween: Haunted House

 

Every haunted house needs a garden gnome, especially a zombie gnome!

** Today is Day 16 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. (Click photos for full size.)

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

TODAY'S PROMPT: Haunted House....

Which is still underway. Making progress on the Van Buren half-scale dollhouse. I'm close but I'm not-quite-done yet.

So sharing the previous photo of the front. I am working on a brick patio in the front of the house, so here's that progress.

I had this brick sheet forever and decided it would fit perfect for the house and would look even better painted black so it matches. I think it looks much better, doesn't it?

The small garden bed has a zombie gnome (top photo). I was lucky to find a couple sets from Lemax one year. The corner giraffe is a "topiary" animal like The Shining. I have a lion for the other side but I'd like to find a bear. These are smaller zoo animals so closer to half-scale size. The chair set (it comes with two planters) is from TMC Miniatures. I'll add some impatiens around the fountain and am making a bench/seat for the left side.

That's it for the moment! Will show more as I get more done. Thanks for stopping by again.

Halloween: Spooky Season Monster Mash!

  

 

 Mention the words, "Monster Mash," and I know you can hear that 1962 song playing by the famous Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers...  (7" record label image, Garpax Records) (Click photos for full size.)

** Today is Day 15 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. (Click photos for full size.)

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

TODAY'S PROMPT: Monster Mash

I decided to invite a few "old" friends from the blog and around to join the party.

Let's see who showed up....

I'd like to introduce you first to Mrs. Skellie. She usually chaperones most of the shindigs and makes sure the monsters don't overdo it on the punch! (Skellie lady by me. www.cverstraete.com) 

Speaking of punch... What's a party without punch? (Be careful now; I heard this one has a real wicked kick! By Patricia Paul via my past blog. Artisan Patricia Paul makes a variety of "creepily" delectable things to eat and drink, perfect for that monstrous bash-mash! (Sign up for her newsletter at her website for some freebies. And be sure to visit her gallery while you're there!)

*** For an even bigger kick, check out an eerie Halloween story by author friend Jean Rabe: The Ascension of Mary Grace. With spooky miniatures, too. 

Someone's knocking at the door... Who is it?

  What a treat! It's Frank! If you stick around long enough, it turns out he's quite the joke-teller. Yeah, I know, some of his "jokes" are sure to make you groan! (The amazing hand-sculpted figure is one of many by artisan Sharon Cariola. See more of the guests she's made and read about Sharon here.)

It's turning into quite a party! Thank goodness, Mrs. Skellie got that lazy server to pass around some more drinks and snacks. Still, she says we can't fire her. It's so hard to dig up good help these days! (haa!) Wine by me and snacks by me, www.cverstraete.com.)

 

Ok, that's enough for now. Gotta go see what the other guests are up to. 

(You can find past Halloween in Miniature links here and on the top banner or type Halloween in Miniature into the search box in left column for a pot-luck tour!)

Hope you enjoyed today's mini-party! Thanks for coming by! Oh, don't forget your parting gift: a mini version of the famous record album for your collection! (Wikipedia image; mini album made by me, not for sale; personal use only.)

Interesting side-note: Wikipedia claims a favorite singer/songwriter/pianist, Leon Russell, played on Monster Mash. (I had no idea!) Though there is no mention on his biography page that I found, it's worth a look for all the contributions he made to the music industry. He played and recorded with just about everyone, even some I didn't realize.

Halloween: Spooky Miniature Witches

 

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** Today is Day 14 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. (Click photos for full size.)

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

TODAY'S PROMPT: Witches/Wizards

I skipped yesterday since I didn't have anything to fit, but this one today is easy!

For some reason, I have made or have quite a few witches! Synonymous of Halloween, I guess. I do have a wizard, too, but not sure where the photo is.

The above witch was in my 1" scale haunted house, which is now packed away. (No room).

 Here's another flashier witch I dressed a while back. 

I still like this cute little girl witch, too. (Ignore the frame.)

And more recently, there's the 1/24th half-scale witch I dressed last year for the Witch's Cottage. (More photos and video at name link.)

* Thanks again for visiting. Be sure to stop by for more posts and photos!

Halloween Reading: Behind the Shadows II Release Day!

 Today is release day (perfect on Friday the 13th!) for the anthology, Behind the Shadows II, containing my eerie, Twilight-Zone-ish story, "Blink!" 

 In "Blink!", Tommy wakes to a new world and wonders why no one else "sees" what is going on but him.  A little weird and even funny at times!

* Get the ebook: various outlets

* Paperback, ebook - Barnes & Noble

* Paperback  - Amazon US

Halloween: Spooky Cobweb

 

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** Today is Day 12 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. (Click photos for full size.)

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

TODAY'S PROMPT: COBWEB

I had a hard time figuring what to add today... Then I remembered the rug I'd made for the current 1/24th Van Buren Halloween dollhouse I've been decorating.

I like making rugs from Halloween cobweb fabric, this one being transparent so I glued it to the matching bed fabric. The cool tree bed is from Michelle's Miniatures.

As for other cobwebs, I plan on putting some of the white webby kind on the ceilings and walls, but I'm sure they won't photograph well.

*** But... just realized I have the spooky table for the house, too. But will save that for another post as I also made the 1/24th Miss Haversham-style figure! Pix to come!

* Don't forget - you can sign up for email headline updates and see other post links in the left column.

#Halloween Book Review: A Skeleton Rides a Horse & Other Stories

  Halloween season is underway, so what better time to add some book reviews and such?

And nothing fits the season better I'd say than a book with a skeleton! Well, this skeleton does a lot of things including helping solve mysteries, in author Toni L.P. Kelner's latest collection, The Skeleton Rides a Horse and Other Stories.

* Get the paperback on Amazon and B&N, and get books and e-books at publisher Crippen & Landru.

The collection of 12 stories range from the title-inspired story "The Skeleton Rides a Horse," based on Toni's six-book Family Skeleton mystery series written under the name Leigh Perry, to stories, with curses, werewolves, pirates, a carnival, elephants, and more.

** Another fun fact is the author has a mini version of the skeleton named Sid that is her traveling companion on a lot of her book-related excursions! Read more about that here.)

This is an eclectic collection, sure to give readers a chuckle or two as they pick a favorite. The title-inspired story is especially fun if you're not familiar with Toni/Leigh's animated, re-living skeleton character, Sid, who travels around with main character, adjunct professor Dr. Georgia Thackery in pieces, in her bag. (See the cover photo.) And yet, Sid can still see, hear, talk, think, and reassemble himself as needed. Btw, he's a great help when there's a mystery at hand to solve as in this story involving a retro TV show reunion. 

(For Sid's origins, see the first mystery in the series, A Skeleton in the Family, A Family Skeleton Mystery.) 

I also enjoyed the story, "Where Does a Herd of Elephants Go?" I love elephants, especially watching videos of the playful babies and the wonderful rescue groups in Africa for orphaned elephants, so I hoped that this little mystery where the long-time owner of a small circus is killed isn't because of the elephants. I won't say what happened but there's a satisfactory ending and there's a good clue buried if you spot it. 

If you prefer a story with an interesting name, then the Agatha Award-winning story "Sleeping With the Plush" will have you going, huh? until you understand that it's set at a carnival. With a murder. And an ingenious way to get rid of the body and solve the crime.

There's more, much more, like werewolves, a sleazy bar owner who gets what he deserves, and other shenanigans. You'll enjoy the ride. I did. Giving this 💀💀💀💀💀. (Hey, it's as close to skeletons as I can get here.) 😊

Halloween: Spooky Season Pie!

 #SEPTEMBERSPOOKYSEASON24

** Today is Day 10 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. (Click photos for full size.)

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

I may not be able to match all of these but I'll try....

Today's Prompt: I baked a pie

Well, I didn't but I had been wanting to make one of those creepy face pies for the dollhouse.

Luckily, I did a Halloween swap a couple years back in the Half-Scale group and my swap partner Randi did a great job of it!

I'm still setting up the 1/24th Van Buren Halloween dollhouse, but thought this pie (above) would be perfect on the kitchen table! If you haven't seen these in real life, they are even creepier!  Here's a video on YouTube from Wilton:

 

Halloween Spooky Season: Skellies!

 

Today is Day 9 of #septemberspookyseason24 on Instagram. Daily posts and some giveaways via @wyrdworldminiatures. 

* Follow me also - @cwrite12. I'll try to post my daily (hopefully) Halloween inspiration here also with a reminder. Join in! 

I may not be able to match all of these but I'll try.... (Click photos for full size.)

Today's prompt: Spooky Scary Skeletons! 

I don't know about scary... my miniature skeletons seem to be enjoying themselves!

I love putting them in the dollhouses, like the guy above visiting at the half-scale Witch's Cottage.  See more pix at the link above.

He seems to have made himself right at home, why, even spying on the neighbors! haa! (Well, he's doing better than his dead-looking friend standing in the back corner!)

Even better, he also has a dog! Every skellie needs a dog, you know.