Bendy dolls

I've been on a bit of a Bendy Doll making spree lately.  So I'm going to show them off because I'm proud.

Supergirl, made for my niece, who at 20 months is probably way too young for it, but her mother appreciated it:

Aquaman and Mera, made for my friend @Kap_L, who is a massive Aquaman fan:

A pumpkin doll I initially made my friend's 1 year old, whose birthday is around Halloween and who is definitely too young for it.  I have since decided to keep this and get her a Christmas present that comprises less of a choking hazard:

This is the tutorial I used: http://theenchantedtree.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/new-bendy-dolls-and-tutorial.html
It's fun making them and they are pretty quick to do.  I plan to make more dolls for Christmas presents. Once given to people, I will post pictures up.

Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween.  I love the bright orange of the pumpkins, I love the idea of trick or treating (not that we get many round my way), I love the idea of costumes, I love the pumpkin carvings.  The fallen leaves are crunchy on the ground and there's a real sense of fun in the air.  I wish the UK treated it more like the USA does.

It’s also the night of the dead.  Both literally and metaphorically.  Literally, the spirits walk the earth and figuratively it’s a time for us to remember those we’ve lost and perhaps light a candle for their memories.  I’m lucky, I have had very few deaths in my life.  I found this prayer online today and found it quite beautiful:

Hallows blessing for the ancestors

To those whose feet are stilled,

And those who laugh with us no more.

To you we say, our love was with you here

And goes with you now to that place

Where you rest and take delight.

May your feet  walk along the coffin paths

To that place where all is fresh and green

Where lovers, friends and ancestors wait

With open arms to greet you.

Go in peace, and with our blessings

Or remain awhile this eve, with us

The living, and life and hearth, and love

Be rested amongst your own, this eve

This one night, this Samhain.

With countless turns of the wheel

We miss you, be near us this eve,

We pray ever for you

And we will met again, once more

When the wheel turns for us.

Pray be there to greet us, in that place

We will walk the coffin paths together

And bide awhile with kin and hearth

Until that time be near us.

Our kinsmen

Our guardians

Our ancestors

Our beloved dead.

Halloween is the death of the year.  The next 2 months are dark and dreary and miserable, and won't start improving till the Winter Equinox when the days start getting longer.  Roll on Imbolc I say.

Here are my decorations:

As you can see, I didn’t manage to carve the pumpkin yesterday, instead I shall do that on Sunday as I am visiting an art exhibition this evening.

Finally, I want to share this new Mike Maihack Batgirl/Supergirl Halloween themed strip.  Please do go visit the rest of his site.

There are some more interesting Halloween themed comic pieces on this Forbidden Planet post.

Whether you call today All Hallows Eve, Samhain or Halloween, enjoy it and revel in it!  Have a wonderful day, and if you've done any pumpkin carving, drop me a link to pictures in the comments :)

A belated happy halloween!

I didn't get a Halloween post up in time.  Didn't even write one before the day.  It was on my mind though.  I'd been thinking about it's significance for the couple of weeks prior to it, but I didn't manage to celebrate in quite the style I wanted.  I was going to take some time out to remember those people I have known who have died, and I was going to make a dinner with pumpkin in, and cook a pumpkin pie, and carve a pumpkin.

As it happens I went and saw a friend after work, to pay back some money I owed and then we got to discussing work issues.  By the time I got home I only had time to do a pizza, and then at 8 we started on the pumpkin pie, and the first pastry went wrong, so we didn't finish till 10pm.

I did get my altar set up though:

Despite the fact I didn't celebrate as planned, I still feel it was a good day.  As many of you probably know pagans regards Halloween as the death of the year.  From that point of view, I was bloody glad when Halloween rolled around because this last year has been poxy.  I've been really stressed doing my BSL course and then my boyfriend had his bicycle accident 10 weeks ago.  And we're selling our house.  I was originallyhoping to move into the new place on Halloween (new house, new year, all the jazz) but delays upon delays has meant we still don't have a move date.  Argh.  So, I'm very glad it's a new year.  I feel re-energised, more optimistic, more relaxed.

I want to complete by remembering those who have died.  Caroline, Bill and Lily.  I miss you and wish I'd known you better.

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

And the rains fall soft upon your fields

Until we meet again

May Love hold you in the hollow of her hand

Happy Halloween!

Today is all hallows eve, halloween, samhaim, the death of the old year and the start of the new.  Today the dead come out to roam the streets and folk everywhere have a party.  Well some do.

By the time this goes  live I'll have carved a pumpkin, hopefully it will actually look ok.  It will be the second pumpkin I've ever carved.  A book I have on Pagan feast days says that at halloween, pumpkins become a holy item Ihence why we carve them) and recommends that you place pumpkins and other root vegetables, such as turnips and swedes on your altar.  Well, I'm fuusy, and what will be going on my display will be my decorated cloth, my pumpkin and my orange and black candles.

I've been thinking for a few weeks about what to put in this post.  It is the end of the year so it seems apt to look back on the past year.  This last year has been pretty crappy.  Last autumn/winter was very stressful for me, and although I got a permanent reasonably well paying job, it's not what I hoped for and leaves much to be desired.  However, it does provide a regular wage and it does allow me to pay for my BSL training, which will get me permanent work using a language I love.  Having finally started my BSL level 3 I find myself knackered and extroadinarily busy, but that's ok. I expected that and I love the course.

This past year has seen a lot of people I know get seriously ill.  Like life threateningly ill.  The good news is they all recovered.  The other good news is my sister is now pregnant so I'm gonna be an aunty!

Then of course there's all the government cuts.  I think that I heard about Norfolk County Council's proposed cuts on about the 2nd November last year.  This seemed like a pretty bad omen for the year ahead.  On the plus side, the final cuts weren't as bad as foretold.  On the bad side, the whole country is facing severe cuts and those most vulnerable are getting screwed over again and again and again.  It feels like this has been a year of protests.

It also feels like it's been a year of disasters - the Japanese earthquake, the recent Turkish earthquake, and well there's probably lots more that I can't quite recall.

And a year or uprisings - well hello Arab Spring!  The Arab states have been amazing to watch this year.  I feel far more aware of international affairs than I did a year ago.


Writing this, despite listing all this shit that's happened, I do feel more optimistic that I did a few weeks ago.  Certain aspects of this last year have been hard, really hard, but they could have been worse and I've got to focus on the good things.  Here's to a more enjoyable, more relaxing 2011/2012!
(and keep protesting folks!)

Gearing up for Halloween

I figure it's time for another plug.  Over at New readers... we're having a Halloween themed month.  We'll be featuring books that are a it spooky, scary, gory or maybe just weird.  I know for sure that we've got books with zombies, vampires and replicating schoolchildren coming up (not necessarily all at once).  There's some shit hot manga in the queue and even a few superheroes.  We've also got a list of other books that might appeal, if you're after a seasonal read.

Come on by, have a read, leave a comment.  And recommend us some stuff!  We like recommendations!

Happy Samhain everyone!

I'm not dressing up, or drinking - if i'm honest, too much of that was done last night - I am however going to prepare a proper feast to mark the day, with recipes culled from my book of Pagan feasts.  I will also take stock of the beautiful leaves out at this time of year, the trees in our garden look gorgeous!  I don't have a pumpkin though :(

Enjoy your holiday everyone!

What would YOU do with a giant pumpkin?

It's pumpkin time.  My dad and sister visited me this weekend and brought with them an enormous pumpkin.  I have two options.  Carve out the insides and try to make something with it, I have plenty of recipes so that shouldn't be a problem,or carve out the insides AND carve a face in it.
I am asking for all of yous' input.  I have carved a pumpkin once, a good ten years ago, and I sucked at it.  I don't think I'll be able to carve anything like these delights but I'd like to not completely hack it up into unrecognisability.

What have you all done with pumpkins before?  Made exciting faces?  Smashed it on the floor in frustration? Got any tips for the aspiring pumpkin designer?  Or have you got a particularly good recipe you'd like to share?
I'm guessing that the American contingent could come up trumps as Halloween and it's assorted activites seems to be so much bigger over there.  We don't do much in the UK, which is a massive shame.  Tell me your pumpkin stories.