Orbs 'r' Us

XMAS PROJECTS...

All you fans out there know that I love Halloween! Xmas runs a close second in my heart.

Well I try hard to combine the two together because I just hate leaving Halloween out anywhere!...:)

Come to think of it...it stays with me in my decor throughout the other seasons too..hmmm


Anyways...




This building's exterior is really old [80-90ish] and has a different look that kind of appeals to me...;)

I have dreamt of it as a creepy kind of gingerbread style of house that the old witch lives in...bwaaaa...:}


Gotta keep up appearances...;}




Anyways...


I am not getting any younger and decided this was the year to do it....so I started with my first project in November...the candy cane tubes for my "Gingerbread House"!


These tubes come from my vinyl rolls and I have been over-run with them! They aren't the nicest things to store...yada, yada...


So have lots of vinyl scraps hanging around too [can't throw nothing away] I covered them in red and added white and green reflective stripes. The reflective didn't work to good for me as they are above the headlights and didn't shine like I wanted them to. Oh, well...deep sigh...;(


But they do shine when you don't want them to...

Cameras like reflective stuff! They focus only on that object and blurs out the rest...at least that's what I have discovered when taking shots with it in them. Like my Halloween photos!


I had jigsawed some of the tubes in half [lengthwise] and cut out 1" section for the corner canes. I fastened them to the windows and doorways with two screws.


I made LOTS of these. This was my "sit-in-front-of-the-TV-while-doing-this-at-night" project for almost a whole week!


If that wasn't enough I added these...

You know those pesky wrapping paper rolls [can't throw away either]...they got wrapped in red vinyl and got a white stripe too!


I've started to add something extra to my outside decor...a warning to my vandals

"Cursed if Stolen" with a pentagram symbol beside it.


Most call me a witch to my back...so why not utilize it?


It should give them a laugh but deep down inside the damage is done when they read it...a mental blow, so to speak...;)...bwaaaaa


Yes, I have already been vandalized once already....grrrrrrrrr 


The sweet little darlings swiped a 18" long flower arrangement that I paid 50 cents for at a garage sale last year. I had placed it too close to the roadway and it was a case of a hit-and-run-grab. They tried to take the candy candy lit fence, only I had secured it to the tree trying to growing near the sidewalk...;) They had pulled it out into the street but couldn't go any farther! They did take one cane that wasn't lit and bent the wires holding the others up. All was fixable!

My camera was dead at that time so no photo.


And NO I hadn't cursed that object...but I do now!!!....;}


And with those cane sticks I added "Snow Jewels"...

I scarfed this idea from a post that I don't recall right now [bad me] and decided it would look good with my canes. The ones that she made were pretty big and I only wanted small ones. Besides it takes one day to freeze the little ones...so it is a long project. Longer if you only use the outside cold to do it! It's pretty cold here lately but not that bad. I would use a freezer instead but  mine was too small. Each container took 5-8 drops of food coloring. I used a different shape to make them look like jewels?


They do have a down side...they melt when the sun shines on them...;(

I also secured these guys too! I had visions of red and green missals being chucked at passing vehicles [not by me]...so I froze them in with water. They also get frosty/snowy and spraying them enhances their color. Plus more ice! I'll have to chip them way before they leak their color after Xmas.


I do like how they look and they are all still where I put them...

Notice I just HAD to get into the picture...;}

Keeping the decor company is my poor sad cat ornament...

Had to put a big bow on him cause some Ahole put a hole in his chest!...Grrrrr




My other project was to deal with my garage door which I had painted this summer. The sunrise horizon stuck out pretty good and didn't suit my theme. How does one hide or deal with that...

Yup...add a whole bunch of presents!


Most of these were already wrapped from last year...cause I don't throw nothin' away


And all of these will house my decor later, when put away... partially wrapped boxes that is! Some that are kept permanently are fully wrapped.

The taller snow jewels are lined up front and I am not quite finished yet.


The "Present Tree" was put together in three sections and I barely got them out of my work room through the doorway...;}


I secured this tower together with wire, added the lit canes and the pine garland as sort of a fence, corralling them in. I wanted to add some dolls and such, to the gifts, but couldn't find any...my grand kids are too old for toys? Will look at garage sales this coming year...;) I did add two metal trains tho.


Again the other gifts that I will put loosely around the place outside [this weekend] will not blow away, because these are wrapped presents for the garbage man [after Xmas is over]...soiled cat litter!




And if that wasn't enough to do...I had to pick up a 14" tall unpainted ceramic Santa at a garage sale this year for 2.00 and I am trying to paint it...

I do mean trying!


My inner sancutary color this year is the red & purple associated with the "Red Lady" theme. This is in celebration of the older woman in her 50/60's and such. So my Santa will reflect that cause in it's colors. His coat/hat/pants might look dark blue to you but it is not. It is a rich purple with a pearlized look. Red will go on the mitts/boots and lips.


I've already been kicked off this computer once today trying to do this blog so you will have to wait for the outside pic for the next blog...