‘NetNet: Wednesday Addams, 911, painting with light, 1″ buttons, an abandoned asylum & a not-so-abandoned mansion.

Posted: November 30, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Guest Posts & Reblogs, NetNet | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

I’ve spent a fair bit of time this week tweaking my existing Twitter lists and adding a few new feeds. (If you regularly read this blog, and we aren’t yet hooked up via Twitter, drop your handle in the comments. Mine is @RRudeParanormal.) Paying more attention to Twitter led me further into the wilds of the internet than usual, and I found some cool stuff. There’s still a little of this long weekend left, and here are my suggestions for a few more things to do before the hustle and bustle of next week begins.

CHECK IN WITH A CHILDHOOD FRIEND

Over at YouTube, Melissa Hunter is creating a series she calls ‘Adult Wednesday Addams’. This is episode one:

Link to all 7 available episodes.

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CONSIDER TAKING IN SOME SLOW NEWS

Narratively slows down the news cycle. We avoid the breaking news and the next big headline, instead focusing exclusively on untold, human-interest stories—the rich, intricate narratives that get at the heart of what a place and its people are all about.

Each week, we explore a different theme and publish a series of stories—just one a day—told in the most appropriate medium for each piece…

Narratively dedicated the week of Halloween (2013) to ghost stories, including these:

The Secret Life of a Ghost Hunter by Lenora Desar
Matron of Morbidity by Ella Rubeli and Joel Tozer
Living With the Dead by Jessica Bal
Phantoms of  the Hamptons by Kelly Ann Smith

My favorite, though, was Up in the Old Asylum by Julia Wertz – “As preservationists fight to save a pair of psychiatric hospitals from demolition, a photographer explores their decaying beauty and the century-old tales hidden within.”

asylum abandoned

Scroll this page to see what other weekly topics have been covered.

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MARVEL AT LIGHT PAINTINGS

Artist Darren Pearson is painting with light over at Darius Twin. Here’s an example of his work, but there’s a whole gallery at the link.

thegraveescape

... AND MAYBE TRY YOUR HAND AT IT YOURSELF

More information can be found here.

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VISIT A SECRET GARDEN

Two people went for a drive in the country and noticed an old building in a field. They opted to explore the area and found a wonderland. the first video, below, is the footage from the day of discovery, while the second gives more information about the site.


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GET A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A 911 OPERATOR DURING THE HOLIDAYS

answering-911

My friend, Caroline Burau (author of Answering 911: Life in the Hotseat,) lists 10 types of calls here: Ten THE HOLIDAY CALLS!

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ORDER SOME STOCKING STUFFERS FROM MY KID

Pooka tells me there’s still time to order button pins or magnets (and/or magnet necklaces) for Christmas. She figures that anything ordered before Dec. 16th will arrive on time (as long as it’s shipped to an address within the US. International orders are riskier.)

I made a video back in September, to demonstrate how the necklace works and reveal a few of my favorite designs, including several Halloween-themed buttons. If you missed it, feel free to have a look.

She will still honor the 5 button magnets + logo magnet + necklace  for $20 deal here.

Remember, too, that each design can be ordered individually as a pinback ($1.25) for wearing, or as a magnet ($1.75) for the necklace OR for fridges and lockers and such. Here’s some of her newer designs:

To browse ALL of her designs, visit PookCreations.Etsy.com

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There is no way I’m going to capture every great thing that happens in my personal web, let alone on the wider internet. The posts I feature here just happened to catch my eye. They resonated with me and whatever is going on in my life right now. And they are worth sharing.

‘NetNet

#NetNet

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Hunting a haunting Halloween on Etsy: artisanal, hand-crafted tricks and treats to order now.

Posted: September 5, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Halloween, Websites & Shops | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

2013 halloween countdown week 8

NOT YOUR MOMMA’S ETSY:

If you’re looking for cute stuff on Etsy, you do not need my help. There are 250 pages of cute Halloween items, as of today. I’ve searched through most of them in order to find a slightly less cute, more sophisticated sensibility to share with you. With any luck, I’ve brought you a selection that shows you the darker, quirkier side of this site that does not discriminate against darker, quirkier craftsfolk who want to offer their handmade wares directly to us darker, quirkier consumers.

Hang in there non-shoppers (that include you guys.) I know this is a shopping post, but there’s stuff here for you too. Some of it’s just fun to look at, and some of it might be just what you are looking to add to you Halloween celebrations.

This is an eclectic tour, and I know I’ve probably missed some wonderful gothic and horror artists, but one can only scroll Etsy listings for so long before going mad. If you happen to know of an Etsy artist that should be included here, please let me know about him or her. 

NOTE: All photographs and images below are used for the sole purpose of referring readers to the original Etsy shops offering the pictured merchandise or content, At posting, all links are current and active. If a link fails to direct properly, it is due to a change by the vendor which is out of my control. I have NOT purchased the following items, so I cannot guarantee quality. Read descriptions carefully.

Please, comment to the post as a whole rather than the individual photos in gallery mode. That just confuses me 🙂

ONE ETSY SHOP THAT’S VERY SPECIAL TO THIS MOMMA:

If you actually read the disclaimer note above, you might have noticed that I say I have not purchased the items featured in my tour. There is one, very-important, super-cool, totally-rocking, exception to that statement. I have indeed purchased and received my first set of magnetic buttons – and the magic necklace that allows me to wear them – from my daughter’s shop. I’m so excited about this that I made a video:

Pooka Creations Halloween Selection

So order some stuff from her, ‘k? Or send a link to this post (or to the video, or to her shop) to someone you know who might be interested. Or share such a link on your social media (if you can figure out how to do that without spamming folks with my proud-mother button-necklace-hawking.)

pookacreations.etsy.com

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NOW ON TO THE REST OF THE TOUR:

A few more jewelry shops, because I’m fair that way:

Weirdly Cute

VonErickson

SinisterVanity  – Jewelry, yes, but also gorgeous ethical taxidermy.

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NOW FOR SOME PARTICULARLY APPEALING ITEMS FROM RANDOM SHOPS:
(If you love something, poke around. There’s probably similar stuff there.)

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BLOODY AMAZING PROPS:

Mixed Media Human Heart Prop/Sideshow Gaff 2012 | $55
Pale Man lifesize latex bust from Pan’s Labyrinth | $200
Zombie walking dead severed head halloween film prop | $39

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PROJECTS & PATTERNS:
(Harkening back to my crafts & hobbies post.)

Halloween Digital Vintage Steampunk Paper Doll Download | $6
Witches Brew Halloween Primitive Sampler E-Pattern PDF | $7
Halloween Steampunk skeleton paper jointed doll with skull | $3.50

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TEE SHIRTS THAT MADE ME LAUGH:

Believe | $14.99
Boo Hoo | $14.99+
Bigfoot | $14.95

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VINTAGE HALLOWEEN ITEMS:

1940’s Kirchhof Pin Up Witch Halloween Tin Ratchet Noisemaker with Open Ends | $35
Vintage childs halloween Mask DEVIL in its original box | $18
Vintage Halloween Noisemaker Tin Horn Circa 1950s US Metal Toy | $25

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MASKS:

Latex Clown Prosthetic Appliances | $25
Gas mask | $24
Handmade burlap latex Scarecrow Halloween Deluxe full head mask w/ dreads | $150

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WHO KNEW APRONS WERE A THING AGAIN:

Happy Halloween Retro Three tiered Apron | $52.99
Cemetery Scene In Purple And Grays | $20
Retro Style Halloween Apron | $35

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OTHER COSTUME-Y THINGS:

Masquerade Mask Tattoo multiple use with included spirit gum | $25
Gothic Black Elbow wedding veil | $18.99
Gothic Burlesque Steampunk Bustle Skirt | $75 

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DECOR:

Werewolf Milk – Pre-Made Witches Apothecary Bottle | $6
Mad Scientist: Lektra Laboratories Vacuum Tube Darkroom Interval Timer | $18
Primitive SPELLBOOK Halloween Witch | $24

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POTIONS & PLEASURES:
(I admit it, I’m addicted to good bath products.)

Halloween Soaps (10 favor-sized) | $20 
Halloween Sugar Scrub Scoops | $8.50
Handmade Candy Corn Soap for Halloween | $4.99
Three Halloween Skull Soaps in Buttercreme and Snickerdoodle fragrance | $3
Werewolf Soap | $6
Shower Cap Spooky Halloween | $15.50

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OH, OKAY. ONE RIDICULOUSLY CUTE THING:

etsy as cute as i get crow

Crocheted crow | $15

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SHOPS THAT BLEW MY MIND:

While prowling, I found items I loved – that I would have included in the categories above – except the WHOLE shop was awesome. Have a look:

Halloween Whimsey – Wooden items, wonderfully hand-painted, including dozens of Halloween-themed wooden pub-style signs:

idolatre clothing co. – Gorgeous, sexy, EXPENSIVE costume-wear. The middle pic below shows the price for just the head-dress part of the costume.

NancyMichalak Paper Cutting – One of the first not-my-daughter shops I favorited. I love looking at this intricate work.

hhfashions (Helene Hawthorn Fashions) – Beautiful Gothic and Victorian styles for costumes AND regular wear.

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That’s it, folks. Remember, it’s only EIGHT weeks until Halloween. More importantly, it’s only about 26 days until October 1st – the day we can come out of the Halloween closet and trumpet our love to all. Will you be ready? Now’s the time to be thinking about:

  • maybe having a Halloween party
  • costumes
  • decor projects
  • watching Halloween movies (No one can judge you for what you do in the privacy of your own home.)

PS: I spent so much
pooka comic swears-ing
time on this post, that I haven’t yet made my week 8 countdown image. I’ll add it when I’m done.
(Yes, that was a sneaky way to link to Pooka Creations one more time.)

UPDATE: So, it’s there now. But I’m leaving the link 🙂

halloween countdown general

PREVIOUS HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN POSTS:
13+ Halloween-themed movies
Printable checklist of Halloweeny activities – enough for 13 weeks of fun
How and why to spend an afternoon with the dead at your local cemetery
 Halloween hobbies: monster models, knitting, cross stitch, paper cutting and more
Fall 2013 TV for lovers of horror, paranormal, dark fantasy, suspense (and retro)