Leaving the Ivory Tower : yard

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Monday, October 26, 2015

DIY Creepy Halloween Haunts

I tried to make non-scary Halloween decorations, but I failed. These things are SO creepy!

At least the kids don't seem to be too afraid of them.

Here's the basics of how I made these easy creepy haunts:

I came across this tutorial, from Martha Stewart... oh how I love Martha. She calls these creations "Cheesecloth Spirits", which sounded pretty tame to me. Here's what her version looks like:

I decided to give it a try! First I found the wig heads, for much cheaper on Amazon than the sources listed in the original tutorial. Because it's always good to use odd number grouping when decorating, I ordered 3.

I followed the directions on the tutorial, using a mixture of watered down Stiffy, and craft glue. But, it would work just as well with some outdoor mod podge.

To apply it I used a cheap foam brush. You could probably just use a sponge too.

This is a messy job, and you'll need LOTS of cheesecloth. I'd plan on at least several yards per "spirit". Start by placing a piece of cheesecloth over your Styrofoam head, coat with outdoor mod podge.

Continue to layer on more sheets of cloth, ripping the ends to give it an erie look.

But, once these were dry, the looked too plain to me. There wasn't much definition in the face, so I decided to bring more attention to the eyes.

Using watered down acrylic paint, I added deep purple to the eye area. Because it was so watered down, it dripped down the face and into the folds of the fabric, causing a super erie "bloody tears" effect. You could use blood red, but I prefer subtlety suggestive halloween decorations. Overdoing it on the "blood and guts" always seems like kind of an easy cop-out to me. Subtle is creepier.

But, I have little kids in the house, and they looked a bit too creepy. So I decided to try to tone down the freaky factor a little bit.

For slight sparkle and texture I applied some mica flake medium that I had on hand.

I also covered up some of the dark purple with plain white acrylic. They were a little less disturbing after this.

Time for them to find a home!

I glued/ screwed white cup hook into the top of each head, and suspended them from small bamboo sticks.

Be sure you really rip up the cheesecloth at the bottom, so that there is plenty of extra fabric to flutter in the wind.

I tossed a couple of strands of christmas lights in the bushes bellow these cheesecloth ghosts, because up-lighting is always spooky, and they were ready for fright night!

Happy Halloween!

Also, if you like DIY decorations as much as I do, you may enjoy this post:

Dollar Store Pumpkin Make-Over

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up to these fun crafting blog parties:

http://www.skiptomylou.org/made-by-you-monday-260/

http://madincrafts.com/mad-skills-party-283/

http://diyshowoff.com/2015/10/25/that-diy-party-64/

http://www.thegirlcreative.com/party-time-diy-inspired-no-69/

http://titicrafty.com/2015/10/bewitchin-projects-block-party-121/

http://www.sewcando.com/2015/10/halloween-time-craftastic-monday-link.html

http://www.flourmewithlove.com/2015/10/mix-it-up-monday-blog-party-without_25.html
http://www.funkypolkadotgiraffe.net/2015/10/too-cute-tuesday-linky-par-tay-256.html
http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/inspire-me-monday-83/
http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/tip-me-tuesday-happy-crafters-share-10-27/
http://cornerstoneconfessions.com/2015/10/titus-2-tuesday-179.html
http://thecraftyblogstalker.com/create-link-inspire-linky-party-100/
http://www.carolynshomework.com/2015/10/the-inspiration-board-creative-party_27.html
http://ladybug-blessings.com/?p=6329
http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2015/10/wow-me-wednesday-229.html#
http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2015/10/your-whims-wednesday-234-and-features.html
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/10/wow-us-wednesdays-245.html
http://thenymelrosefamily.com/2015/10/whimsy-wednesdays-191.html/2#
http://thehappyhousie.porch.com/delicious-fall-desserts/
http://thewinthropchronicles.com/2015/10/share-it-link-party-190/
http://justagirlandherblog.com/hit-me-with-your-best-shot-91/
http://thediydreamer.com/from-dream-to-reality/come-on-over-and-show-off-your-stuff-fdtr-190/
http://www.posedperfection.com
http://bloomdesignsonline.com/2015/10/lovely-little-link-party-49.html
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2015/10/29/creative-inspirations-linky-party-161/
http://www.artsyfartsymama.com
http://www.coloursaturatedlife.com/6-fabulous-fall-decor-ideas-brag-worthy-link-party-3/
http://livelaughrowe.com/around-the-house/

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Hayley Brentmar

Hello! My name is Hayley Brentmar. Thank you for visiting my blog! I am an: artist, designer, mother, literature nerd, daughter, sister, homemaker, wife, traveler, and teacher turned homeschooler. I am a sucker for packaging, and I suck at playing sports. Aesthetics are crucial. Please visit my professional webpage: https://hayleybrentmar.com Let's be friends on GoodReads! Find my profile with this URL: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1452367-hayley-brentmar Also, please visit my first website at this URL: https://sites.google.com/site/hayleydeeenestbio/ Professional and Educational experience: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayleybrentmar123/

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Monochromatic Gardening

When designing a garden it can be tough to know where to begin. There are so many options! One way to narrow down the choices and create an aesthetically pleasing space, is to create a monochromatic garden.

For this garden I chose violet, but you can pick any color. Maybe it was the purple car I drove for 16 years, or maybe it's just because it's pretty, but for some reason I've always appreciated the color purple.

Here are some ideas is you too decide to create a purple garden...

The first and easiest thing to look for will likely be plants with violet hues flowers. Morning Glories are easy to grow and offer vibrant purple blooms. They reseed easily, but will take over small spaces, so give them plenty of room to climb.

Another great climber with purple accents is a Passion Flower (pictured below). These cartoonish flowers are a delight!

Salvias are hearty, don't need much water and come in a variety of purple shades.

Sweet Peas

Look for unexpected sources of color, like these Artichokes.

When left unharvested Artichokes will put on a brilliant show of vibrant purple color.

I also like to chose my flowers based on the season they bloom. By staggering them to bloom in different seasons you can create year-round interest.

Now that it's summer, my Hollyhocks and Dahlias are both in full bloom.

But as soon as fall comes, Mums and Asters steel the show.

Another thing to look for is colored foliage.

The leaves of this Japanese Maple provide two seasons of deep plum color.

Clovers and Decorative Kale are also excellent for providing purple leaves.

Lastly, look for even the subtlest of purples. The silvery violets of Lavender and Lamb's Ears work well in a monochromatic garden.

My favorite on-line nursery is Annie's Annuals. I have has good luck with their plants, and their catalog always includes a little bit of quirky humor, which I appreciate!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy gardening!

Linking up to these fun parties:

http://www.elizabethandcovintage.com/2015/07/july-garden-party.html

http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/inspire-me-monday-68/

http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/tip-me-tuesday-happy-crafters-share-7-14/

http://cornerstoneconfessions.com/2015/07/titus-2-tuesday-164.html

http://thecraftyblogstalker.com/create-link-inspire-linky-party-85/

http://www.carolynshomework.com/2015/07/the-inspiration-board-creative-party_14.html

http://ladybug-blessings.com/?p=6051

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Hayley Brentmar

Friday, June 12, 2015

Deer Resistant Gardening

Every spring they return. While we do find them charming, our neighborhood deer are not so great for my garden.

Luckily with some creativity and research I’ve been able to create a front garden that is relatively deer proof (at least so far!).

The area I needed to landscape was prime deer grazing ground, sunny and (because of drought conditions) dry.

My pallet of maroons, yellows and soft greens kind of chose me. Once I started discovering plants that fell in both the “deer resistant” and “low water” categories I found myself limited largely to these colors.

Two plants that I have used in multiples, that come in both yellow and maroon, are Yarrow and Euphorbia (be careful Euphorbia are poisonous).

Yarrow

Here is an online source for the same yellow yarrow I have in my yard. The deer completely ignore it!

A golden cloud of Euphorbia

Deer with a new maroon Euphorbia

Lamb's Ears

I used several varieties of lavender and soft fuzzy Lamb's Ears mimic the grey green foliage of the yarrow. Then I interspersed these light grey-green plants with darker maroons, for contrast.

Cordyline and Lavender

As a side note, I am very happy with the solar tiki torches you can see in the photo above. They've been out there for over a year and are still going strong!

Another tough maroon plant is Purple Fountain grass, pictured bellow with some of my deer friends.

I've also learned that having deer-resistant plantings doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the joy of seeing flowers in your garden. Besides Yarrow, I've also had successes with Lavender, Salvia (of all kinds) and Mango Popsicle.

Mexican Sage is another tough plant that they seem to ignore.

In addition to flowers, I've found that ornimental grasses make an excellent addition to my deer proof garden. My two favorites are Mexican Feather Grass and Karl Foerster Grass.

I love the way they glow in the sun.

For more ideas about how to chose plants that glow, please see this post I wrote a while back.

I even chose a hose that matched my color scheme! It really helps to brighten up the space :)

I also use a lot of succulents out in this area, because the deer don't seem to pay any attention to them. For much more about my succulent gardens, please see this post.