Terrorific Tuesday

I'm having the best time participating in this weekly artfest full of inspiring artists! This week I offer you a whopping 14 different projects from various creators! My only regret with this is, so many fabulous things to make, so little time! What will you make today?!

Amy Locurto paints & constructs a marvelous Minnie Mouse pumpkin that's simply adorable.

Rebecca Hull at HHH Enterprises crafts up some spooky "Itsy Bitsy Spider" & "Murder at Midnight" Pendants that are absolutely terrorific! Be inspired to make your own pendant using your favorite Halloween image.

Lori-Lyn Hurley of the Dream Life makes a quick and easy craft by turning plain jars into spooky accents!

Tammy Powley, the jewelry guide at about.com, wears these fun spider earrings every year around this time. Seed beads, a few crystals, and craft wire are all you need to make a pair of your own.

Phyllis Dobbs haunts us with an adorable gift bag using Brenda Pinnick's Sizzix dies.

Kate Pullen, the Rubber Stamping guide at about.com, does a Halloween spin on a fun & classic craft – the paper chain!

Sarah E. White, the knitting guide at about.com, shares with us knitted jack-o-lantern bag that’s a real treat!

Braaaiiinnssss!!!! Kiki of Kiki's Craft World crafts up a cute brain slug hair accessory!

Marice Rodriguez gets carded with this totally cute Jeepers Creepers card!

Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter™,offers this seasonally appropo and simple to recreate 'Runs with Scissors' charm bracelet. For those who know the hazards of crafting far too well and yet continue to play with sharp objects, toxic substances and messy paints and inks, this one's for you!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner shows you how to become a living masterpiece. She creates a costume from an artist canvas.

Kris Tuey a.k.a. the Collage Contessa gets her spookiness on with a Skeleton House Frame and oodles of glitter!

Brenda Pinnick's three happy little ghosts have figured out how to spell "Boo!" . Her Halloween greeting card is made with her own clear stamp set available from Sizzix and her papers, available on QVC.

Melissa J. Lee gets bit by a passion for vampires with this simple fanged Bite Me necklace.

If you'd like to participate next week, please read more about it here. It's open to all bloggers out there who want to join in!

Halloween Project - Skeleton House

This week's Halloween project was a fun one. Like I've said before, I'm not much of a Halloween decorator. So I thought, if I'm making things for Terrorific Tuesdays, I'd like items that I'll use over and over and fit my style. I don't like to have stuff around that doesn't have a purpose (DH, stop laughing. I meant stuff I make.) This is a house frame for my dd's Halloween costume picture. I'll just need to print it and slip it in the frame!

I found the cutest paper mache' house shape at Michaels (it's about 8" tall) last week. I could just see it as a haunted house! My friend Barb mailed me the adorable skeleton and my new favorite tool (the glue pen) and I put them to good use here. The circles on the sides and around the diamond paper, I glittered with the pen and a jar of shinies. The pretty purple paper (YES Rhonda, its purple, are you shocked?) is wrapping paper from Borders that you can buy in sheets. My dd frowned at me when I pulled out the white fencing. She said 'that's the fencing you won't let me use outside for my fairy houses!' Yes, I'm that mean a mother. I've been hoarding it. But just to show there were no hard feelings, she made the pumpkin for me to add to my house. I consider it the perfect touch.

What's your favorite part of Halloween?
I love carving the pumpkins, cooking the seeds and eating pumpkin candies too.

P.S. I'll be announcing final winners of my birthday party giveaways and packing items and shipping. I still need a few addresses for mailing. If I don't have yours, I'll be contacting you. Thanks to all those who played along and made my birthday so fun!

Married With Children-Creative Therapy

Married With Children, originally uploaded by Collage Contessa.

This week's Creative Therapy prompt was "What’s a decision you made that ended up determining the direction of your life? (or at least it had a strong effect on how your life turned out.)"

I think the biggest decision I made that impacted my life was made when I had no idea what I was doing. At 18, I married a boy from high school. A friend, and boyfriend. Someone who had been around my family since I was 13. I thought I loved him, and nothing else mattered. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. Sure, I had no business getting married so young but God used my young life decision and turned it into his plan. We had the hardest time in the first couple years, probably because we’re first borns and stubborn and had no clue what we were doing. But we’ve weathered many a marriage storm and just celebrated 20 years of marriage. I remember some of my teenage years. I wanted to go to college, travel the world, speak many languages, be a translator at the UN. But I chose to be with my sweetheart. I did return to college and probably could go for more but that’s in the future. In the meantime, we’re raising our girls, homeschooling them, trying to figure out and do what God has in mind for us. I’ll brush up on my spanish, my daughter is teaching me french and we’ll travel someday. I do not regret my decision in the least.

Technique Highlight:
This is made on mat board. I plan to use it as the cover for a ‘Married With Children’ journal about fun stuff that goes on in my life. I want to celebrate my marriage and kids. Background is over painted, with acrylics, oil pastels, stenciled with cheesecloth, gel pens, ink, glitter, paints, stickers. I painted a matchbox, painted and attached a wooden heart inside. Strung book binding string through eyelet holes inside. Used a rusty U-hook for the matchbox pull. The painted cheesecloth on top of the box is leftover from a previous project. Images are by AlteredPages.com.

Don't forget you can participate in the weekly challenges and win prizes! This week's prize is a kit from Tarisota Creations. It's very yum and one lucky person will receive it!