Eek! Week: Vintage Halloween Diecuts

Like these? You can find more here! Happy Halloween!

Eek! Week: Vintage Halloween Stickers

Those of you who follow me regularly know that sticker collecting was my obsession in the early '80s...and then again in the early 2000s. I'm still trying to fill holes in that 1980s collection and frequently check eBay and Etsy for new listings. Today I thought I would share some 1970s and '80s Halloween stickers.

These first examples were made by Hallmark and include sheets with the Peanuts Gang and the Muppets.







The sealed pack of Trend scratch and sniff stickers in "Bone" and "Cave" scents is about 32 years old, yet I could still smell the scents when I took the pack out of its protective sleeve to scan it. I can remember finding these in Chicago, and my sister and I just couldn't believe Trend actually knew what bones and caves smelled like. (The "Bone" skeleton stickers smell like dirt; the "Cave" bat stickers smell like burning wood.) Below the Trend pack are promotional scratch and sniff stickers. In 1984, you could find a pack of three at the bottom of your box of Booberry, Count Chocula, or Frankenberry cereal.

Eek! Week: A Pair of Printable Vintage Spectacles

Just in case you need a last-minute disguise, check out these awesome vintage spectacles. Click on them and a larger, printable file will appear. Print them on heavy card stock and trim...and don't forget to punch out the holes in the middle of each lens so you can see!

Mix Tapes Is Now Available on Totes, Tees, and Hoodies!

Yes! Mix Tapes is now available at Society6 on tote bags, T-shirts, and hoodies! The totes come in natural and black canvas; the tees come in OVER 20 colors and are available in fitted men's and women's styles; and the hoodies are available in both zipper (7 colors) and pullover (3 colors) styles.

Plus, as a bonus, this weekend (October 26-28), Society6 is offering FREE SHIPPING worldwide!

New Contest, New Pattern: Tribal Arrows

We now interrupt our regularly-scheduled Halloween-themed Eek! Week programming to show my latest pattern, which I'm entering into the Spoonflower contest today. The theme this week is "Arrows". I like all three of the colorways equally, so I had a hard time deciding which to enter into the contest. Ultimately I chose the first one shown below. If you like it, you can vote for it here. Which colorway is your fave?

And speaking of Spoonflower, they will be having a 2-for-1 fat quarter sale October 25-31. This is a great way to stock up on tea towel calendars, and other fabric you've had your eye on!

Eek! Week: Spooky Vintage Candy Packaging

Growing up I loved the Munchy Mummies and Mr. Bones candy because of the little, plastic mummy case and coffin they came in. Enough reminiscing. I'll let the amazing graphics here speak for themselves.

Eek! Week Continues with a Printable Disguise

Here are some fun elements of disguise, designed by Jen Allyson, aka The Project Girl. Click on the image below to download the printable PDF file.

Eek! Week: A "Dynamite" '80s Halloween (includes free printable!)

To kick off this Halloween-themed blog week, I thought I would reach into my stash of hoarded childhood memories. If you grew up in the 1970s or '80s like I did, you most likely remember Dynamite magazine, which you could buy through the Scholastic Book Club at school. Here are some Halloween covers from the Dynamite collection, along with a poster and a Halloween monster quiz book. Plus, a sneak peek at the hottest Halloween masks for 1980!




Now, if you need some Halloween décor, don't go batty! Here's an activity from an old issue of Dynamite. Click on the image and a printable PDF version will appear. Just print it on card stock (as many times as you like, for multiple bats), and assemble according to the instructions! Wha ha ha!

Friday Fotos & Faves

This week was a bit easier, after crunch time last week, trying to finish my tea towel calendar design, and then changing its look in the 12th hour (I am my worst client). Glad to have a little extra time now to think about next week's contest, and do a little social media as well. Here are some things I thought you all might enjoy.

1. DIY headless head-holding costume
2. The great little book of needles
3. snug.magnets
4. Custom box template generator
5. DIY clothespin chandelier
6. Sixties paper dresses

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

It's Tea Towel Calendar Time! Vote for Me!

Can you believe we're already approaching 2013? Holiday gift-making (and plans of gift giving) is in full swing, which means it's time again for the Spoonflower annual Tea Towel Calendar contest! This is my favorite contest, not just to design for and enter, but to see all the calendars other designers have created. Above is the design I am entering this year. If you like it, please vote for it by going to the Spoonflower Fabric-of-the-Week Contest page.

All you need to do to vote is click on the Vote in This Week's Contest link on the right, then find my design and click on it (a green border will appear around the image). Make your way through the remaining pages and click the Review My Votes button on the bottom of the last page. When you have reviewed your votes, you can click Submit...and that's it! You can vote for multiple designs, too! Designs that make the Top Ten are automatically offered for sale on the Spoonflower site!

Most of us probably need some amount of luck at times during the year, especially in a year that ends in the number "13"! The 2013 Lucky Charms Tea Towel Calendar features a chain of 12 charms considered to be lucky by most cultures around the world. May they bring you luck throughout the year!

The 12 charms are:

Shooting Star: Because they're relatively rare to see, and disappear so quickly, wishing on shooting stars can be difficult. According to legend, if you do see a shooting star and are able to make your wish in time, it should come true within 30 days.

Lucky Penny: Pennies have come to be known as lucky because of the popular Depression-era phrase, "Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck." May 23rd is Lucky Penny Day.

Four-Leaf Clover: This rare variation of the three-leaf clover is said to bring good luck to its finder, especially when found accidentally. There may be one four-leaf clover in a patch of 10,000 three-leaf clovers. According to legend, each leaf of the clover represents something: the first stands for faith, the second for hope, the third for love, and the fourth for luck.

Rainbow: Finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow would certainly be lucky! In western culture, the rainbow is considered something lucky to see, and has become a symbol of renewed hope.

Rabbit’s Foot: Most people around the world believe carrying a rabbit’s foot can bring good luck. This belief most likely originated with the Celts around 600 B.C. According to North American legend, it must be the rabbit’s left hind foot that is used as a charm, and in some cases it can only be from a rabbit captured in a cemetery, on a full or new moon, and on Friday the 13th.

Upside-Down Horseshoe: One legend says horseshoes are lucky because they are traditionally made with iron, which apparently keeps away mischievous fairies. Hanging them upside-down allows the horsehoe to hold the luck inside forever.

The Number 7: Considered by the ancient Greeks to be "the perfect number", the number "7" appears in many important places: there are 7 days of the week, 7 colors of the rainbow, and 7 planets visible to the naked eye. In addition, the 7th son of a 7th son is supposed to be gifted, and rolling the number 7 in many dice games wins big money.

Ladybug: Many cultures believe that if a ladybug lands on you, you will have good luck, especially if you do not brush it off. In Austria, they’re even called "Glueckskaefer", or "lucky bugs". Some believe that if a man and woman see a ladybug at the same time, they will fall in love. To some of the superstitious, the deeper the red and the more spots the ladybugs have, the luckier they are and the more prosperity they will bring.

Throwing Salt Over Your Shoulder: According to the Bible, throwing salt over your shoulder is supposed to be a way to keep the devil at bay. Traditionally, if you spill salt, use your right hand to throw some over your left shoulder and you will blind the devil from seeing your error.

Double-Yolk Egg: Approximately one egg in every 1000 has two yolks, so finding one can be lucky. According to legend, you will have even greater luck if you eat a double-yolk egg on Easter.

Wishbone: Though usually an American Thanksgiving tradition played after the turkey has been consumed, the two-person, tug-of-war-like game of pulling apart the wishbone began with the Etruscans, long before America was discovered, almost 2400 years ago. When you and an "opponent" grab each end of the wishbone and pull in opposite directions and the bone breaks, the person who ends up with the longest piece of bone will have good luck. The phrases "I can't get a break" and "I need a lucky break" come from this competition.

Nautical Star: The nautical star, or North Star, provides guidance, and is a good luck symbol among sailors. In biblical lore, it gave direction to the promised land.

Op Art for Dummies: Marcel Duchamp's Rotoreliefs

In the 1930s, Marcel Duchamp created a set of 12 Op-Art Rotoreliefs. When placed on a gramophone and spun, they create the illusion of depth. You can see more from the series here. In addition, here is a PDF of the full set, suitable for color printing. Cut them out, put them on a turntable at 33 rpm, and look at them with one eye closed to get the Op Art effect Duchamp intended.

Best Dressed Signs: Hand-Painted Eye Candy

Amazing, hand-painted signs and windows from the people at Best Dressed Signs in Boston. See complete images on their website, and peek into their studio here.

Friday Faves: Geek Week

1 NPW Make Money Kit at Creative Kidstuff || 2 LEGO Cuff Links from QA Create || 3 Spider-Woman Lamp from Lamp-in-a-Box || 4 Star Wars Comic Book Wallet from Patricia Garcia || 5 NuOp Designs Pizza Pi Cutter at 3B Scientific || 6 Rubik's Cube Pepper Mill at Perpetual Kid

Star Wars Posters: The Force of Typography

Check out these awesome Star Wars portraits illustrated entirely with type! Designed by Italian firm H-57, and with the cooperation of Lucasfilm, the posters were auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Italy. Three hundred copies of each character were printed on paper, then stamped and numbered. Only 11 special limited edition posters were printed and sold on canvas.

Two Too-Cool Crayola Color Charts

Just a couple of amazing Crayola crayon color charts to brighten your Monday! The circle chart was designed by British artist Jamie Shovlin. The Crayon-Bow was design by Data Pointed, and depicts the history of the Crayola crayon colors from 1903 to 2010. On their website, you can move your mouse over each color to see its name.

Can't say much more about these...they rendered me speechless. I'll let them speak for themselves!

Friday Fotos & Faves

Some things I saw this week: cheeseburgers and fries, not-baring-his-midriff (!) Morrissey on Jimmy Fallon, a pumpkin that looked like a three-lobed brain, a pocket volcano, and "virgins"... What did you see?

1. Scrappy felt iPad cover
2. The dramatic transformation of Hong Kong's skyline
3. DIY Tea Towel Tote Bag
4. Handmade fabric deco tape
5. DIY cross-stitch chair
6. Secret style icon: Lady Miss Kier

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Wallpaper and Wall Decals? Oh, my!

What's the saying? "When the cat's away, the mice will play?" Though I really wouldn't consider myself the cat, but... When I returned from vacation, I found an email from Spoonflower saying they now offer wallpaper and wall decals! So I spent the first couple of days making sure the bulk of my designs translate to the new product.

Wallpaper is available in standard 24" x 144" rolls at $60 each, or you can get a 24" x 12" swatch for $5. And it's easily repositionable, so no paste is involved! Wall decals are made from the same material and come in three sizes: 5" square ($5), 15" square ($15), and 30" square ($30). The decals are not die cut, so they need to be trimmed using scissors or an Xacto knife. And they can be applied to just about anything! I thought a small decal of my Staxx design would be fun to apply in the living room of a dollhouse!

Here are some examples, including a 30" x 30" Footnote Flower decal sheet. Now, if Spoonflower would start printing wrapping paper...