Vampire Renee

Jack Mushroom by *FlorentCourty

While watching Edward Scissorhands last night and while getting lost in the greatness of Tim Burton and the hotness of Johnny Depp then I started to think. As most are not aware this goth girl actually sells Avon despite her failure sometimes at it. Well always get asked, ‘Why do you sell Avon? Why not Passion Parties or something?’ Well I never really had an answer for anyone until now. When I was watching the scene while Peg was trying the different make-up on Edward and I was giggling at the idea of it all then it hit me; I sell Avon in the hopes that one day I will have an Edward of my own to fix and make all pretty. Now I know what sounds weird and probably kind of cute or silly but I’m like that. So simply there is my answer, maybe Tim Burton has a weird influence on my life and I’m not totally aware of it besides all the Jack Skellington/Nightmare Before Christmas items and clothes in my room. Still Edward Scissorhands is one of my favorite Depp/Burton movies. If anything Burton made Avon even more cooler, no wonder all those dark colours seem to sell so well.

Nightmare before X’mas_Jack Skellington by ~DaDaSamaxRuiHime

Who ever said that a good Christmas card needed snow and bright colours clearly wasn’t dark or goth enough to want to send out cards like this. I certainly will one day that’s for sure.

Jack Skellington Tabletop Snowman

During Halloween season, you’ll find the Pumpkin King dressed in his standard black garb — if not disguised as a squash-headed scarecrow. But come Christmastime, he’s apt to lighten things up a bit by trading his pinstriped jacket and bat-shaped bow tie for a snowsuit and scarf. This tabletop snowman and his bright-nosed canine cohort are just the pair to get everyone in the Skellington holiday spirit.

You’ll need:

• Template for Jack Skellington Tabletop Snowman
• Tall empty white plastic lotion or shampoo bottle with the labels peeled off (the one shown here is about 8 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide)
• Sticky-back felt (white and black)
• Glue dots
• 3 buttons
• 10 white twist-ties
• Green felt
• Old glove
• Green ribbon

Instructions:

1. First, create a pair of Skellington snowman arms. For each one, attach five white twist-tie skeleton fingers to the end of a black pipe cleaner by wrapping a white pipe cleaner around the overlapped ends, as shown, and then trimming the end of the white pipe cleaner.

2. Twist the upper arms around the threaded bottleneck. Then use glue dots to stick the shoulder portion of each arm to the sloped bottle top. Bend the arms at the elbow and the fingers at the knuckles.

3. Now print the template and use it to cut the pieces from the specified colors of felt.

4. Use the black marker to draw a Skellington smile and nose on one of the felt head pieces. Then stick the felt eyes in place.

5. Bunch together 3 white pipe cleaners. Stick the two felt head pieces (back-to-back) to the pipe cleaners about an inch or so from the top of the bunch, as shown. Then twist the pipe cleaners together a few times just below the head to create a neck. Insert the long pipe cleaner ends into the bottle.

6. For a scarf, fold a 2- by 12-inch strip of felt in half lengthwise and tie it around the bottleneck. Cut fringe in the ends of the scarf.

7. For a hat, cut a finger from the old glove and roll up the cut edge a couple of times. Fit the hat over the pipe cleaner ends above the head.

8. To make Zero the dog, place the head back piece sticky side up and attach the ears, as shown.

9. Next, stick one of the dog body pieces to the lower neck, overlapping the pieces slightly so the side edges match up, as shown.

10. Set the second body piece atop the first, and then press the matching head piece in place (sticky-side down).

11. Color on black eyes and a red nose, and then tie a green ribbon bow around Zero’s neck. Now simply stand up the finished dog by slightly separating the two body pieces.

Jack Skellington’s Sandy Claws Cookies

Being the patron saint of Christmas is no small order. Just ask a certain Pumpkin King (aka Sandy Claws) who once tried the jolly old elf’s hat on for size. While Jack is now apt to leave official holiday business to the real Santa, he’s still game to take part in a cookie swap or two.

You’ll need:

• Batch of sugar cookie dough *
• Red food coloring
• Disposable food preparation gloves (for kneading food coloring into the dough)
• Flour
• Wax paper
• Rolling pin
• Round cookie cutter (2.25-inch or so in diameter)
• Kitchen knife
• Spatula
• Baking sheet
• Wire cooling rack
• White cookie icing (the type that hardens when it sets)
• Flaked coconut
• Round white candies (such as Mentos)
• Black edible food marker
• Mini chocolate chips for grins
• Small green candies for buttons (such as M&Ms or jelly beans)
• Cocoa candy melts
• Ramekin or other small microwavable container to heat the candy melts
• Small chocolate candies for ears (such as Junior Mints)
• Red fruit snack (such as Fruit by the Foot)
• Kitchen scissors

* Note: Homemade sugar cookie recipes tend to work best for these cookies. If you don’t already have a favorite, try a Classic Sugar Cookie Dough recipe that’s especially tasty and reliable.
If you choose one of the ready-made refrigerated doughs sold at grocery stores, keep in mind that they tend to spread. You may want to knead in additional flour to stiffen it and then bake a single cookie to see how the dough holds up. If it still loses shape, try kneading in a bit more flour and then chilling the cookies before you bake them.

Instructions:

1. Divide the cookie dough into two equal portions. Knead red food coloring into one portion and leave the other one plain.

2. Working on a flour-dusted sheet of wax paper, roll out the plain dough 1/4 inch thick. Use the round cookie cutter to cut out a bunch of Jack Skellington face shapes.

3. Now roll out the red dough as you did the plain. Using a kitchen knife, cut out a red triangular hat shape (about 4 inches tall and 2 inches across the base) for each face. Use the cookie cutter to cut a curved notch in the base of each hat, as shown.

4. Top each of the faces with a hat, draping the curved edge of the triangle over the top edge of the circle. Use your fingertips to gently press down on the overlapped dough layers (just enough to make them stick together). Then carefully fold over the top of the hat, as shown.

5. Use a spatula to transfer the assembled cookies to a baking sheet, and bake them according to the recipe directions. Allow the baked cookies to cool briefly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Spread white cookie icing on the face portion of each cookie. Then set the cookies aside for a few hours to let the icing harden.

7. Use the edible marker to draw Jack Skellington facial features on the hardened icing. For the best results, position the mouth close to the lower edge of the cookie and leave a little space above the eyes to trim the hat.

8. Now give each hat a “fleecy” brim by applying a line of cookie icing along the edge and pressing coconut flakes into the frosting. Lastly, stick a round white candy pompom to the tip of each hat. Once the trim icing hardens, the cookies are ready to serve.