Nevermore 2013

It's October 1st, and we've had our little Halloween vignette up for two weeks.

I just couldn't wait!  I love to keep it simple and tasteful: no blood and guts and gore.  The past couple of years I've done an Edgar Allan Poe theme "Nevermore"  using The Graphics Fairy's "Old Crow" image.

After spray-painting an old frame black, I mounted the picture (which I printed as a photo at Costco) onto the back of a mat I made out of cardboard and linen.  If you look closely, you can see that the crow is wearing a black veil fashioned out of tulle and orange silk.  I hung the picture by a nail from the windowpane and let the silk ribbon fall behind it.  Hung like a banner behind the framed "raven" art are two kinds of cream lace from Hobby Lobby.

I found these two branches in the backyard and stuffed them into an oatmeal container spray-painted black and filled with dry beans to keep it steady.  The Spanish moss and birds are from The Dollar Tree.  The "Nevermore" banner was so super easy.  It is made out of twine, linen triangles stamped with Martha Stewart typography stamps, and affixed to the twine with hot glue.  Hot glue is my best friend.

You know those old light-up-ghosts-holding-a-pumpkin that every family owned in the 90's?  I inherited my mom's, but unfortunately, the pumpkin broke.  I kept the ghost and put a raven on top with the Spanish moss.  Don't worry, it hasn't been plugged in since I put the moss on top!  

The candles were another hand-me-down from Grammy, which I spray-painted black.  The pumpkins on top of the candlesticks are also from The Dollar Tree, and I spray painted them a cream color.  In order to lay one on top of the other, I had to take the stem off of the bottom pumpkin.  It just comes right off.  Underneath is a linen table runner with a Fall floral print and "Creepy Cloth" from The Dollar Tree lain on top.

It's difficult to see in this picture, but this is the mother (of pearl) of all spiders.  It's made of buttons as a base, pearls strung on wires, and lots and lots of hot glue.  I'm still trying to decide how much I like it, mostly because I don't like spiders!  This is another old frame spray painted black with a bow hot-glued to the top (did I say hot glue is my best friend?) made out of two shades of linen.  The best part (don't read this, Mom) is the vintage tatting I put over the mat.  It was made by one of my grandmothers!  And it looks spider-webbish to me.  But I didn't adhere it permanently . . . we've got to keep those heirlooms special!

This "Witches Ball" printout is also from The Graphics Fairy.  I printed it on craft paper sized to fit our printer and then cut down to size to fit the frame.  And the frame is an oldie from Pier 1 Imports.

And that's it!  Whew!