by Sharon | Oct 8, 2017
October is scooting by quickly.
We had some cooler temperatures . . . and then it got warm again . . . Anticipating cooler temperatures again.
There is something about autumn and getting ready for Halloween.
I found this image and just had to use it. It is a bit spookier than I like, but as you look closely, there isn’t a skull moon, but it is made from the tree branches. I think this is quite clever along with the children walking along in their pursuit of candy.
Initially I didn’t see the children walking. My focus was captured on the moon.
That may have been the whole point, but once we begin to look around, it needed to be more of an All Hollows Eve picture . . .
This is something I need to keep in mind when I’m doing my paper crafts. It is great to draw the eye into the card initially, but there does have to be a complete “picture” once one decides to look around.
This reminds me to get your Halloween Treat Boxes together and ready to fill with delicious treats.
Remember our friend Ray O’Bannon over at Ravensblight Paper Toys . . . 
Remember all of his great treat box coffins?
This year I’m favoring the weathered crate for my Halloween Treat Box. I can decorate it with pumpkins and may have a spooky cat or a witch . . . maybe her feet sticking out of it or at least have her hat on the crate.
The weathered crate can be made spooky by having a skeleton trying to get out . . .
What’s great is that all of Ray’s paper toys are free to download and assemble — he has excellent instructions.
I do love Ray’s Haunted Houses.
I especially like The Ghost House.
It has a secret chamber under the house that is a great place to put some treasures.
If you’re into building a paper craft Haunted Ship, Ray O’Bannon has a collection of them along with cars and trucks and even a train. You can have some great fun exploring everything he has available to download, print out and assemble.
Click the image of the Ghost House to the right to be taken to the PDF and click here for the assembling instructions.
It would be best for you to begin right away with the Ghost House or one of the ships — this will take some time to assemble.
Depending upon the number of “coffin” treat boxes you have to make, time is of the essence.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jan 3, 2017
This is so exciting!!
These goggles are from RavensBlight and look so steampunk.
You can personalize them, too. I’m sure you and your children will come up with hundreds of variations — different colored lenses, using plastic sheets, adding metal gears, buttons, feathers, wire, pipe cleaners, stir sticks, or whatever you have around the house.
I think this would make a fun family project one evening . . . or a rainy or snowy day . . .
I’m trying to tie them into some holiday celebration, but nothing comes to mind . . . unless for a birthday or even Valentine’s Day . . . definitely for next Halloween . . .
They just need a story to go along with them. I’m surprised Ray O’Bannon, the creative genius behind RavensBlight hasn’t come up with one.
I’m thinking of how a busy mom got looking around the haunted toys of RavensBlight and came across this pair of goggles. They were just plain ordinary looking goggles, but when she put them on . . . she couldn’t believe what she saw. She saw herself in her home, working on her paper craft projects. She also saw the laundry coming out of the laundry room, marching up the stairs and folding up to fit in drawers or put on hangers in the closet. The vacuum was running itself and the dishes jumped into the dishwasher . . . after the cycle jumped into the cupboards.
Was this some futuristic thing . . . could these goggles be used to program all her daily and weekly tasks to complete them automatically?
She had to know.
She found a panel of gears and gadgets . . . would these work? She wondered. She found some levers and thought about mounting them on her goggles . . . she found some wire . . . all color-coded . . . She changed the lenses to different colors . . . Piece by piece she created her goggles and while going through the process thought of each piece as being a task.
By the time she finished making her goggles, she decided it was time for her to begin straightening up the house . . . but everything was done.
Looking at the time, she grabbed her keys to go pick up the kids. While waiting, she thought of the goggles . . . and other tasks she would love to have them perform . . . fresh baked cookies . . . groceries . . . dinner cooking in the oven . . .
If she could do all this from a pair of goggles . . . where would the possibilities end . . . Then she shuttered, “Oh no! The kids could make a pair that would do their chores and even do their homework for them . . .”
She decided to hide her goggles the minute she got home. No way was she going to allow these goggles to get into the wrong hands . . .
Isn’t that something. Something so powerful that could benefit everyone would give a mother pause . . . afraid of what would or could happen if gotten into the wrong hands . . .
Well, I’m not concerned they will get into the wrong hands. I’m hoping you will make dozens of these and show your children how to make them, too. Maybe they could tell their own story of what each part could do . . . It would be valuable family time you can share.
Just click one of the images of the goggles above to be taken to the PDF — sorry, I got caught up in my story.
Click here for the Assembly Instructions.
Thanks for stopping by!
I hope you make up quite a few of these goggles and have a fun time paper crafting and imagining with your family.
Sharon
by Sharon | Sep 22, 2016
Ray O’Bannon has been busy at RavensBlight creating new papercraft toys for his visitors.
One caught my eye . . . an eye catcher . . . Which is actually catching an eye on a strong . . . A fun hand-eye-coordination thing you may enjoy making for your family . . .
Click the image on the right to be taken to the PDF to print out. Click Here for the assembly instructions.
I do like the eye and may use it in other projects . . . Be sure to check out Ray’s other toys . . . He has a fun golf game that may get you right into the Halloween spirit . . .
To me it seems more like a variation to croquet, but Ray can name his game whatever he prefers. There are so great eyes again . . . Can you imagine terrifying your friends and family by bringing out this Cleaver Golf game?
These may be a great hit at your Halloween party. I think I may make up a bunch of those eyes and put them in a big bowl . . . I wonder about a friendly game of pool . . . or perhaps put little treats inside . . . A little jingle bell may be a nice touch . . . For the eye-catcher, too.
I believe Ray O’Bannon is a clever artist . . . His games and images go to the mysteries of the paranormal . . . His does give a colorful history of how this golf game was created . . . yet it does play a bit more like croquet with the hoops . . . and the cleavers . . . but I’m not going to argue with the creator of this game, I just delighted he has these free to print out and make.
Although I may be feeling a bit creeped out at the moment, I do hope these Ray O’Bannon games will find a place in your home in which to play . . . I did want to give you something fun to have for the official opening of this fall season.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
