DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

Aged Specimen Jar Label DIY The dining room is finished and I’m working on a full post, but in the meantime here’s a little how-to to make these labels. I had a lot of fun and hope this tutorial is helpful. I by no means fancy myself a copywriter and am completely open to suggestions for more label ideas. If I get some I will be more than happy to update the pdfs.               I found a great tutorial from   The Craft Junkie   and did a little tweaking. The project originally calls for printing on card/photo stock and then soaking it in coffee, but our ink will run when bathed. Hell, the humidity in the morning at the Farmers Market can make my stuff a little weepy. So I ran the ‘treatment’ and then printed. All images link to larger sizes. 1. Ball up your paper into a tight ball. I pulled it apart and balled it again. Stick it into a coffee bath. It originally called for instant coffee and water, but I used l...

Stingy Jack rinding away from the devil     People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for ages and ages. The practice started from an old Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack". According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy the drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would  not claim his soul. The next year Jack tricked the Devil into climbing a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not ...

      When the moon is full it is said that the canine shape shifters prowl the night seeking new prey! Gypsies around the world tell folktales that warn about the anthropomorphic wolf-men cursed to endure a life of transmutation when the moon is full, becoming a predatory killer until the sun rises.     Are these half-human, half-wolf "monsters" real, or are they a figment of our imagination, that people ages ago created to explain shadows in the night? Could these shape shifters actually exist? Perhaps Hollywood has instilled a false memory and predisposition for beings of the night, like vampires, zombies and werewolves. Maybe latent fear of the unknown drives the human mind to justify their fear of the dark by creating and believing in strange and bizarre creatures.     Then it may also be true-werewolves may be more than mythical creatures in stories told by many people with roots that run deep in the o...

    Yom Kippur , the Day of atonement, is the most sacred of the Jewish holidays. It is regarded as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths." By Yom Kippur the 40 days of repentance, that begin with the first of Elul, have passed. On Rosh Hashanah the God Almighty has judged most of mankind and has recorded his judgment in the Book of Life. But he has given a 10 day reprieve. On Yom Kippur these 10 days of reprieve ends and the Book of Life is closed and sealed. Those who have repented for their sins are granted a good and happy New Year. (Yom Kippur is on 7th-8th October, 2011) History     Yom Kippur , the Day of atonement, is the most sacred of the Jewish holidays . It is regarded as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths."    By Yom Kippur the 40 days of repentance, that begin with the first of Elul, have passed. On Rosh Hashanah the God Almighty has judged most of mankind and has recorded his judgment in the Book of Life. But he has given a 10 day re...

    Myths and legends are a part of virtually every culture. One of the most interesting legends of Russian culture is that of Baba Yaga . She is, however, not unique to Russia. There are similar stories about her, under other names, in Poland as well as in the Czech Republic.     The figure of Baba Yaga is most often pictured as that of an old hag on a broomstick, reminiscent of the kitchen witches we often see today. Some believe that she might have been the precursor for the ugly, old crones that most often represent witches at Halloween.     In truth, however, Baba Yaga is a complicated creature associated as much with fertility and fate as she is with death. Some believed that she also had the gift of prophecy and great wisdom. However, for reasons never understood, she seldom chose to use those skills without exacting a gruesome payment. Anyone wishing to partake of Baba Yaga's wisdom had to take on a challenge, which beg...